"Sigh… listen child, your body…"
The soft wind stirred the curtains of the quiet courtyard. Serena Firegrave sat still under the awning, her eyes calm yet filled with determination. But the moment her voice fell the elder attendants, Uncle Wang and Aunt Lan exchanged a long look between themselves. After a prolonged silence, they finally began to speak, their voices as gentle as drifting mist.
The Extreme Yin Physique.A spirit body ranked within the top hundred across the Great World. One of the rare few that could evolve into the legendary Nine Yin Divine Physique.
Thousands of years ago, a woman with this same body rose from nothing she was a nobody in a forgotten land. Yet she defied the heavens, overcame impossible trials and put her name into the legends. Even now, people still speak her name with reverence.
"So… Aunt Lan, you're saying I possess this physique? But… doesn't that make me fortunate?"
"Then why," Serena's voice trembled slightly, "why do I feel colder each night, like something is freezing me from the inside out?"
Lan Yi sighed. "Exactly because of that, child. The Extreme Yin Physique is both blessing and curse. While it has the potential to evolve into a Divine Body, it comes with a fatal flaw…"
She paused, then continued with a heavy heart.
"Among the countless spirit bodies of this world, very few can truly ascend to divine-grade. Yours is one of them. Yet it ranks so low because of its terminal flaw, a relentless countdown towards doom. When a woman bears this body… by the age of thirty, if her body and soul cannot suppress the Yin backlash…"
"She dies."
The words, gentle as they were, struck like thunder in the ears of Serena.
Serena's eyes moistened, her pale hands tightening over her robes as she was very familiar with that creeping cold as well as the heaviness and exhaustion that came with the cold.
Only half a year was left for her.
"…Wang Bo, Lan Yi. I've lived a life of comfort in the royal court, never stepping beyond the walls, never asking for anything unreasonable. But this time please let me go, tet me join the search party."
The silence returned in the courtyard as her words echoed in their ears. But when her gaze remained unwavering, the two attendants both loyal and powerful retainers of the Firegrave prince finally gave a nod of silent consent.
The thief they sought was no more than a peak Blood Stage rogue. With them by her side, no harm would come to her.
A short while later, Wang Bo informed the City Lord of Blazecity of her decision.
Of course, the City Lord wouldn't dare object the princesses words.
If anything, this was a stroke of fortune. With the princess joining the hunt, and her guards deployed, their net would be cast even wider.
Meanwhile, within the Leonhart Clan…
Beneath the shaded roof of his courtyard, Leo Leonhart slowly opened his eyes. His gaze swept across the now-bustling Leonhart estate, a rising force in the heart of Blazecity.
"They've begun the search?"
He sipped his tea with a smirk, eyes twinkling with interest as he watched everything with the help of his Eyes of Fate. "I wonder what this tomb thief actually stole… for the Prince and whole Firegrave family to unleash such chaos?"
Curiosity getting the better of him and Leo summoned the Heavenly Mirror a low-grade spirit artifact that he'd purchased from the System Store for a thousand Fate Points.
Heavenly Mirror (Duplicate) – Low-Grade Spirit Tool: Allows observation of events within a thousand-mile radius.
With a whisk of his spiritual essence the mirror glimmered to life as images bloomed across its surface showing dozens of factions mobilizing their forces, including the Storm and Drake clans… and of course, Serena herself.
He observed their party to see if there was anyone possessing noteworthy strength
But just then a chime echoed in his mind.
SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
"Congratulations, host. Descendant Lyra Leonhart has successfully broken through to the 2nd-Rank Alchemist realm."
Rewards:• Choose one: 1. Top-Grade Rank-3 Alchemist's Handbook OR 2. Random Martial Divine Technique
• +30,000 Fate Points
• +1 Soulgrass (5th-Grade Herb)
Leo's brows lifted in pleasant surprise.
"She's already a 2nd-Rank Alchemist?" he muttered as a satisfied smile spread on his face. "Not bad, Lyra is finally showing some real potential. And 30,000 Fate Points… that's a real haul."
As for the Soulgrass…
A glint flickered in his eyes.
"Perfect. That spiritual herb… I can use it to awaken that dormant soul inside the jade pendant Lyra picked up earlier."
He already knew her identity through the Eye of Fate — Kaela once a peak True Soul Stage alchemist of the Ling Province who was now reduced to a slumbering soul.
"With her guidance, Lyra will grow even faster."
He wasn't worried about Kaela's intentions as her soul was damaged and weakened. Even if she was revived, at most she could unleash Transcendent-level power something Leo could now crush with a single flick of his finger.
Later that day…
In a secluded chamber, Lyra was refining a batch of pills when Leo's figure appeared silently beside her.
"Ancestor!" she greeted with bright eyes and excitement. "I did it! I reached 2nd-Rank! I swear, I'll become a 2nd-Rank peak alchemist within half a year and then I'll aim for Rank 3!"
Leo smiled, but then shook his head with gentle amusement.
"You're still too young to understand how steep that path becomes. You advanced this quickly because of your strong foundation and the clan's support. But past this… the herbs required for high-tier pills are far rarer as well as far more expensive."
Lyra's smile froze slightly, a trace of worry appearing on her face after hearing Leo's words.
"I wanted to reach Rank 4 quickly. Only then… I can save my mother…"
Leo's expression softened seeing her now dejected appearance. He raised her hand and gently placed the Soulgrass into her palm.
"You've done well, Lyra. With this… your future teacher might just awaken soon."
Her eyes widened.
"You mean… the soul in the pendant?"
She had believed she was the only one who could sense the soul within her pendant, after all no one else had ever touched it. But now, considering her Ancestor's power, she wondered if he had perceived its presence all along even from a distance.
Leo nodded slowly. "She was once a master. If she wakes up and agrees to teach you, your burden may become lighter and you can progress smoothly."
Lyra stared at the glowing herb, her eyes shimmered thinking about endless possibilities.
"Thank you… Ancestor, I won't disappoint you"