The high-tier spellcaster nonchalantly straightened her arm, making Yu Yu's eyes bulge.
That… that doesn't hurt?
It looks so painful.
Yu Yu: "…I've never used Restoration. What if it messes up?"
The spellcaster's voice, slightly hoarse, said, "Cast it."
Yu Yu reluctantly raised her staff.
[Restoration]
A richer white light than Healing gathered at the staff's tip, bathing the spellcaster's arm. Yu Yu wished for a magnifying glass.
She saw blood seeping from the black robe lessen, the still-twisted bone arc slowly realigning.
Yu Yu, anxious, "Is it good? Any side effects?"
The spellcaster leisurely flexed her arm, then snapped it sharply.
With a crisp bone crack, Yu Yu flinched back.
Ah! Senior, can you not be so intense? Scary!
Feng Ye: [Embarrassing.]
High-tier spellcaster: "It's fine. The Restoration School was once a major discipline. It doesn't botch small fixes."
"You don't know how vital your restoration spells are," she sighed. "So many nearly died, saved by these little spells."
She patted Yu Yu's shoulder. "We remember you, Yu."
Yu Yu flushed. "No, I just picked them up. They're your spells, Seniors."
The spellcaster chuckled. "Cute kid. I'm Luo. I'll find you to hang out back in Silver Moon."
Yu Yu, meek, "I'll wait for you, Senior."
Luo took a few steps, then asked, puzzled, "Still got mental energy?"
Yu Yu, expecting more tasks, eagerly raised her staff. "Tons! Need more?"
Luo stared, then left with an odd look.
Yu Yu: "Huh? What's with her?"
Felix landed. "By common sense, your level should be drained dry. She didn't expect you to say you've got 'tons' of mental energy."
Yu Yu: "Really? I could spec more points. Should I rush high-tier now?"
Felix's voice sharpened. "No!"
Yu Yu, about to allocate, froze, nearly having a heart attack. "Senior, you'll scare people like that."
Felix took a deep breath. "When I naturally hit high-tier, I passed out for days, overwhelmed by the mental surge. You think you can handle it?"
Yu Yu, confused, "Is it that bad?"
Felix, exasperated, "It's fine in Silver Moon, but outside?"
"Your frail body—can it withstand your mental energy?"
"You want to be a living corpse?"
Yu Yu gaped. "It can do that? High-tier's that extreme?"
Felix: "Why else is high-tier a qualitative leap? Because you're dim?"
Yu Yu: "…"
Wolf's personal attack!
Yu Yu: "What now?"
Felix, confident, "Back home, ask Teacher. With your merits, the Circle should reinforce your body early. It's only right."
She added, "Pester Teacher like before. Except for Excellency, her word's law."
Yu Yu: "…"
Is it possible the Grand Archon's listening?
She pondered, then pinged Felix privately. [Senior, we're live. Be careful. They forced me to stream.]
Felix: [!!!]
Moments later, Felix, nonchalant, looked away. "Let's go."
"You ready?"
Stream:
Feng Ye: [Heh heh heh…]
Ungrateful dumb pup, always tormenting your teacher, huh?
Gui Fan: [Sorry, but haha…]
Chang Ming: [Some people guard their pup so fiercely, squatting in their castle. Look, karma's here.]
Feng Ye: [Mind your own business.]
Guang Chen warned, [Excellency's watching. Mind your words.]
They weren't like this before.
Her colleagues used to be cautious, serious.
Now, after too much streaming, their vibes slid into… chaos?
Guang Chen didn't get it.
Meanwhile, Felix negotiated with the locals.
Silver-armored Guardian: "What? Too dangerous. I object!"
Felix: "Grand Archon's orders."
Others were cowed, but not the spellcasters.
Luo: "Grand Archon's orders? Which one? We weren't informed."
Yu Yu stepped up. "Silver Moon Grand Archon!"
She flashed her badge, activating it.
'Feng Ye' floated out, a unique mental ripple washing over them, unmistakably a powerful spellcaster's.
Luo: "Understood."
The Archon's seal was out—what more to say?
You're all right.
Feng Ye: […]
Gui Fan: [This… isn't okay, right?]
Chang Ming: [Falsifying a Grand Archon's order—what's the penalty again? Hm…]
Qiong: [I'll see the kid and her wolf again.]
Dai: [It's my turn. Offenses outside—why's Enforcement meddling?]
Ying: [Image]
Well, damn, she's already en route.
The Purification Triad was nearly brawling over who'd nab them.
Yu Yu muttered, "The Grand Archon's here, so it's not falsifying. I showed the seal, she didn't deny it—totally legit."
Feng Ye: […]
Chang Ming: [?]
Guang Chen: [No use. Feng Ye'll cover for them.]
Feng Ye: [Tattling in front of Excellency?]
[Possible I'm right here?]
Furious, Feng Ye still shielded her pup and subordinate.
Amid the squabble, Night Sovereign: [Silence.]
The stream hushed instantly.
Yu Yu held the crescent Soul Moon. "Wow, no matter how often I see it, it's so pretty."
Felix gave her a cold side-eye, silent.
"How do we get in?"
Others had cleared out, save a Guardian who layered a thick Group Will Aura on them.
Yu Yu felt… nothing.
Will auras were intangible, imperceptible.
Felix asked, "What's your corruption?"
Yu Yu: "Drank a little red vial, down to 3."
Felix, serious, "Level 4 anomaly, weak phase, trapped by it, corruption hits 40 in 15 minutes."
"But with our Will 8 Group Will Aura, it's halved—30 minutes to 40."
"Facing it directly, that's less reliable. We're both Will 7. Even facing the anomaly's core, we can last 10 minutes."
"We must wrap it in 10."
"Senior, why're you glowing!"
The black-robed woman's cuffs, collar, hem, and hood spilled soft moonlight, like a lunar core bound in her robe.
It sounded eerie, but in person, it was stunning, breathtaking.
Yu Yu instantly thought of wolves.
Sob, wolf, glowing wolf, Senior's a glowing wolf too… sob, forget touching fur, I can't even see it!
Felix, sensing Yu Yu's stare, said coolly, "Silver Moon Sky Wolf moonlight wards off evil, purifies the mind…"
"Seen enough?"
Yu Yu retracted her gaze, meek. "Enough. Let's go, Senior."
Both wolves, but Senior's stingier than the Duchess, who let me look and hug. Senior won't even let me look.
Cold wolf.jpg
Felix: "Hvar."
Yu Yu cut in, "I've met Hvar. I'll take you to her, Mo Mo, look at me!!!"
She waved the Soul Moon, bold as brass.
Felix: "…"
Another Silver Moon Sky Wolf and spellcaster duo.
Though the meat-mountain anomaly was weakened, its gaze spiked their corruption instantly.
But it was just an anomaly. After they said 'Hvar,' it vanished.
In darkness, Yu Yu stood.
A city.
A city swallowed by darkness.
Malice surged outside, corruption soaring, yet inside, it was clean.
Yu Yu checked her corruption—19. She held the red vial, hesitating.
Felix circled the area. "Seems like its memory… Lynx City?"
Yu Yu's eyes gleamed. "Any quests here? Books to snag?"
Felix turned, staring. "Hm?"
Yu Yu, innocent, "Got it, 10 minutes. Slipped into habit."
Felix snorted. "Follow me. No solo moves."
She glowed, leading. "Don't know where the core is or when it'll attack. No time to stall. Find Hvar now."
She grabbed Yu Yu, leaping nimbly between rooftops, moonlight spilling from her robe, making Yu Yu hallucinate a wolf.
Yu Yu: "Senior, you think Mo Mo's at the library?"
Felix, silent a moment, "…Silver Moon Sky Wolves aren't brainless. Wouldn't he know where Hvar vanished?"
Yu Yu shut up, then marveled at the surroundings. "So it went dark instantly?"
What could snuff out a legend in a flash?
Yu Yu couldn't fathom it.
She cast Candlelight, grave. "Senior, a blade just flashed in the dark."
As she spoke, the Candlelight snuffed out.
Yu Yu, alarmed, spammed seven or eight Candlelights, encircling them 360 degrees.
Felix, deliberate, "Shadow of Darkness."
Yu Yu paled. "No way… really? Was Lynx Capital hit by Fire Thief Moth and Shadow of Darkness?"
"Meng Senior could play Great Prophet. She mentioned Fire Thief Moth. Does Senior know why Lynx fell?"
Stream:
Meng: [No clue. Just blurted it out, kinda weird.]
Feng Ye: [? You didn't mean to say it?]
Meng: […Hard to explain.]
Moments later, Feng Ye: [My strength's limited, can't confirm. Excellency…]
Night Sovereign: [Wait for me.]
The stream went quiet, but Yu Yu's mind spun.
"Was Meng Senior influenced to mention Fire Thief Moth and Shadow of Darkness?"
"So Lynx was hit by those super anomalies?"
Yu Yu kept spamming Candlelight, guarding against omnipresent shadows and blades, muttering, "If legends can't light up, they're screwed. Spellcasters suck at melee, but a legend's self-preservation can't be as weak as Senior Yami's, right? Was the Restoration School kaput then too?"
Suddenly, her feet left the ground. "Senior!"
Felix, gripping her collar, dodged ground shadows, taking flight.
Maybe the Fire Thief Moth was weaker then, or the wolf couldn't simulate a stronger anomaly.
A glowing, flying Silver Moon Sky Wolf seemed invincible now.
Carrying Yu Yu, she dashed through the air, a chasing moon, Lynx City's sole light in darkness.
Yu Yu realized, curling up, casting Healing to keep glowing.
"If so, the wolf was likely the only creature unaffected by anomalies then."
"He could move freely, search for Hvar."
"But how did Excellency Hvar die?"
"If anomalies were already here, she was a legend. How'd she die so easily? Her will lasted centuries… what happened?"
Yu Yu's mind buzzed with questions, but no time to dig. Carried by the wolf, she raced to Lynx Academy.
"Wait, Excellency didn't know the wolf's fate, but did the wolf know she died?"
"If he knew, he wouldn't search, right? So her body's gone? Or she didn't die in the library? Where was her true first death?"
"Anomaly? Or something else?"
Yu Yu's brain fried. "Senior, Senior, answer me."
Feng Ye exhaled, bitter. [We might've been fooled by Excellency.]
Yu Yu: "!!!"
Feng Ye: [Meng was hit with Spell Suggestion. The gap in realms was too vast—she didn't notice.]
[Chang's been scouring the Circle's records. No Dream of Indulgence Hvar.]
Yu Yu: "!!!"
Feng Ye: [The Circle has a Dream of Indulgence Excellency, but she died in an accident before the anomalies came.]
[For Hvar, we pinned a likely Excellency via the Circle's index.]
[Lord of Shadows and Dreams, Hvar]
Yu Yu, dawning, "Are longer legend names stronger?"
Night Sovereign: [?]
Feng Ye: [Not quite, but kinda… it's about titles. Dream of Indulgence can't match Lord of Shadows and Dreams. You get it…]
She didn't dare elaborate.
[Why use Dream of Indulgence to fool us? Records say she was Lord of Shadows and Dreams' teacher.]
Yu Yu was floored. "So an NPC scammed me? One I trusted completely???"
Jin Che coughed, reminding her of his presence.
Feng Ye, unsure whether to pity her, [Her title should've tipped you off… she's formidable, top 20 in the Circle, her legendary path deep and far.]
Yu Yu, dizzy, "Grand Archon, just give me the point. My head's spinning."
Feng Ye: [This Excellency—no death record in the Circle. She excelled in shadow magic…]
Feng Ye glanced at Night Sovereign.
The black-robed woman met her gaze naturally.
Feng Ye looked away. [Per Circle records, during Lynx's fall, she was at headquarters, shaping the Will of the Stars, aiding decisions like destroying the Moon Well. We thought she joined the stars, but now we're unsure…]
[Per two Excellencies' info, we irresponsibly guess Lord of Shadows and Dreams didn't become a star but went to Lynx Capital, purpose unknown.]
[Also, her name suggests the Shadow of Darkness anomaly's domain overlaps with hers.]
Yu Yu: "But Senior said Shadow of Darkness was later banished to the void, wrapped in a legend's will."
"Is Senior okay?"
Feng Ye: [She's fine. This Excellency's methods are… unique, but she bears no clear malice toward us.]
Felix, carrying Yu Yu, hovered over the academy, deep blue eyes scanning for an entrance.
Meng, meanwhile, looked lifeless.
Since teaming with Yu Yu, her life had been a rollercoaster.
Her high-tier spellcaster strength felt inadequate. Look who she's tangled with!
Even a Grand Archon was just a sidekick here.
So tiring. She wanted to go home and sleep.
Meng, behind her superiors, yawned.
Feng Ye briefed Hvar, then said, [Our advice: never expose this Excellency.]
[No matter how fake she acts, don't call her out.]
[Whatever she is, as long as she's not an evil god and isn't corrupting you, treat her as an NPC.]
[Take every word as truth. If she says she's Dream of Indulgence, she is. If she says find her pup, do it. Don't overhear, overask, or overthink.]
Yu Yu hadn't expected such depth. "What is she?"
Feng Ye, helpless, [How would I know?]
[Legends are a different life tier. Even before the Dark Era, Excellencies had… quirks.]
[Plane explorers, elemental realm tourists, shadow world diggers—too many. Those turned into other lifeforms by accidents? Countless.]
Feng Ye: [As long as she's not an evil god or anomaly, be grateful. Don't dig into what she is.]
Night Sovereign: [High shadow lifeform.]
Feng Ye: [!!! Excellency says maybe a high shadow lifeform. Just know it.]
Night Sovereign: [She likely fought an anomaly, lost, and fell into a shadow creature, dodging corruption.]
Her gaze left the library. [But she achieved her goal. The Soul Moon was retrieved from Shadow of Darkness's alien realm.]
She paused, speculating, [Sadly, the shadow realm's environment mirrors the mainland. Shadows twist will and spirit, morphing lifeforms into malicious shadow beings, though corruption's less intense.]
[But the shadow realm was anomalies' bridgehead to the mainland. More anomalies, worse conditions.]
Yu Yu, numb, "So how'd this boss survive there? She seems pretty normal. War God's return?"
Night Sovereign: [Good question. I don't know.]
[But it sparked an idea.]
Yu Yu, curious, "What idea?"
She dared ask, and Night Sovereign answered casually, leaving Feng Ye and others speechless.
Was Yu Yu fearless of legends?
Night Sovereign: [She dodged corruption as a shadow lifeform. We could too.]
[Twisted shadow lifeforms can't be worse than anomalies.]
[Maybe try elemental lifeforms, keeping memory and reason…]
Flame Sovereign: [That's a direction.]
Yu Yu: "The Circle has that tech?! Then summoning lords would be…"
Night Sovereign: [Not yet, but research could make it happen.]
She concluded, [On this alone, she's indeed Critical, hm.]
Night Sovereign: [I'm heading to the shadow realm soon to check its state. Don't cause trouble, got it?]
Feng Ye: [Yes.]
Chang Ming: [Yes.]
A chorus of 'Yes' made Yu Yu marvel at Night Sovereign's clout.
Flame Sovereignty, what a lapdog.
Night Sovereign: [Yu Yu?]
Yu Yu: "???"
"Excellency, me too?"
Night Sovereign chuckled. [Of course. You cause more trouble than all of them combined. I'm talking about you.]
Yu Yu: "!!!"
Night Sovereign: [Stay in Silver Moon after this, don't leave till I'm back. Feng Ye.]
Feng Ye: [Excellency, I'll ensure she doesn't step out of Silver Moon!]
Yu Yu: "…"
Pfft, Feng Ye, Night Sovereign's lapdog.
The stream was unwatchable, all swearing loyalty to Excellency, vowing to watch Yu Yu.
Tch, did she need watching?
She'd sleep like a log back home, never leaving.
Circle bigshots were too scheming.
Compared, Jin Che Senior and crew were pure and honest.
Damn, this Lord of Shadows and Dreams taught Yu Yu a lesson.
NPCs on quests lie through their teeth now?
A picked-up, exclamation-marked NPC—she thought they wouldn't deceive!
Now, rethinking, how much was true?
She cursed senior Meng—how'd she target me? When?
Why me, not others?
Good or evil? Her stance on the Circle? Anomalies?
What's this Critical tag?
Yu Yu knew nothing.
Maybe only finding the pup was true.
She had a wolf, after all.
Everything else? Pure fluff.
Her title's too long—call her Lord of Deceptions.
After much thought, Yu Yu admitted the Grand Archon's way was best.
Whatever this ancestor wanted, as long as she didn't harm Yu Yu, her Seniors, the Circle, or the wolf, pretend ignorance of her true identity.
Believe whatever she says.
The mainland's waters were deep, and she'd barely ventured out.
Scary.
Yu Yu wanted to flatten into a cookie.
So tiring.
Post-Dark Era bigshots were straightforward, giving what you needed. Pre-era ones?
Hmph.
Not one good egg.
Heart scarred, Yu Yu felt nothing seeing the black skeleton pup.
Your Lord of Deceptions is too black-hearted, pup. You've suffered!
Yu Yu released the Soul Moon, voice listless. "Mo Mo, know what? Your… Hvar's been searching, missing you terribly! Wanna see her with us?"
The pup, knee-high, stubbornly circled Lynx Academy, all black bones with a crimson, beating heart in its ribcage. Each beat cast an ominous red glow, pulsing. Yu Yu's corruption crept up, slowly.
The Soul Moon floated out. The skeleton pup lifted empty eye sockets, staring blankly.
Yu Yu: "Mo Mo, Mo Mo, Hvar wants to see you."
Her emotions were drained, but that look softened her.
It's a wolf.
A gorgeous wolf with glowing silver fur, deep blue eyes, loving cleanliness, music, food, stories!
How'd it become this?
No glowing fur—just decayed black bones.
No blue eyes, pink nose—just hollow sockets.
All its beauty, gone. Only obsession, a slow-beating, ominous heart.
Imagining Felix, Yu Yu's heart ached.
Sob, poor wolf, my wolf, wolf…
Yu Yu spun, hugging the wolf's neck.
Wow, Senior's fur is so soft! Softer than the Duchess's!!!
Felix shook her head, annoyed, but couldn't scold, mouth full.
Yu Yu didn't push, clinging to the wolf's long neck fur.
Sob, wolf wolf wolf, no regrets.
"Hvar…"
The skeleton pup made an indescribable sound—an anomaly's voice.
"Hvar…"
"Hvar…"
Again and again, the Soul Moon drifted down, settling on its brow.
"Hvar…"
A crisp, clean voice—definitely a gorgeous wolf's.
"I'll… go with you… you have… Hvar's scent…"
The pup's heart thumped wildly, ominous red flashing, constricting, black blood dripping.
The Soul Moon's moonlight wrapped the skeleton, vying for the heart's control.
Ominous crimson clashed with Silver Moon's moonlight, the latter faltering.
Mo Mo's state was unstable. Yu Yu didn't dare stray.
"Let's go, Mo Mo, to Hvar."
"Go… how…" The crisp voice faded, reverting to anomaly tones.
Yu Yu, seeing the retreating moonlight, panicked, reaching out. "Wolf, come with me!"
Mo Mo, as if a key memory triggered, lunged, pressing its brow—and Soul Moon—into Yu Yu's palm.
Eyes opened, Yu Yu was out.
Without its core, the meat-mountain wilted, melting. Fetid anomaly stench nearly sent Yu Yu to the afterlife.
The wolf fared worse, spitting Yu Yu out, shifting human, teleporting with Yu Yu and pup.
Feng Ye spoke. [It worked?]
[This Excellency's uniqueness, or Silver Moon Sky Wolves'?]
She doubted it was replicable.
Forget the Excellency—Silver Moon Sky Wolves were special.
Their will's radiance outshone humans'.
And stubbornly loyal.
With Soul Moons and moonlight cocoons—cheating resurrection.
Not humanly replicable.
This was unique.
That Excellency, Momo, Felix, Yu Yu.
A miracle-brewing combo, unsurprising.
Feng Ye couldn't see it as normal.
Too illogical.
When Yu Yu brought the skeletal pup to the door, she glanced at Felix. "Senior, maybe wait outside?"
Felix's expression was wilted.
Wolves' noses were too sharp. That stench nearly killed her, and she still hadn't recovered, dazed.
Hearing Yu Yu, she waved weakly. "Shut it."
Yu Yu led both wolves in.
"Senior! Senior! Your wolf's back! Sen—whoa, don't scare me like that!"
The deep blue figure's hue stood out from any senior Yu Yu had met, a detail she only now noticed.
Blame her for not meeting another legend, assuming this was their skin.
"Momo…"
"Hvar!!!"
The skeletal pup pounced.
The blue figure knelt, embracing it.
A bug appeared.
Per Lord of Deceptions' lies, she shouldn't know her pup was an anomaly.
Yet she showed no curiosity, accepting and hugging instantly.
Heh, Lord of Deceptions doesn't even draft her lies.
Checking her corruption, Yu Yu sighed.
A personal record.
All Lord of Deceptions' fault. Find the wolf, fine, but scam me?
Hope I can squeeze a few more rewards.
Yu Yu, vial in mouth, glanced at Felix. "Senior, take a potion. Your corruption high?"
"Will high corruption dull your fur?"
Felix snapped back, glaring. "What'd you say?"
Yu Yu: "Nothing, just reminding you to drink."
Felix: "Forgot mine. Gimme two."
Yu Yu: "?"
Soon, human and wolf stood, vials in mouths, watching Hvar and Momo cuddle.
The pup's black skeleton dissolved, its ominous heart melting like snow in hot water under Hvar's touch.
As Yu Yu gawked, a silver-white pup appeared in Hvar's arms.
Yu Yu, baffled, "This is?"
The blue-eyed pup looked at Yu Yu. "Thank you… you brought me to Hvar…"
"I only remember darkness… Shadow of Darkness trapped me in its realm… then nothing."
Bug 2: The wolf said Shadow of Darkness captured him.
"Excellency," Yu Yu eyed Lord of Deceptions, "quest done. Rewards?"
She rubbed her hands.
Bug 3: Lord of Deceptions claimed Deep Blue Potions were headquarters' stuff. With her feared status, how'd she have the recipe?
Her earlier theatrics—Yu Yu felt foolish.
Too trusting of NPCs!
Damn it.
Yu Yu, uncaring if she knew, launched into a vivid, eloquent recount of their perilous journey.
"Senior, we worked so hard, nearly died. Can you up the rewards?"
The blue figure nodded gravely. "Very dangerous. Momo became this."
"Anomalies… so that's the outside. I understand."
Understand my foot!
I just said it, and you get it? No questions?
You fraud!
You don't even ask the year!
Or about the Circle!
Scammer!
Yu Yu raged inwardly but grinned. "Yeah, yeah, Senior's so wise! Feel our struggle? Double the rewards?"
"Fine," Lord of Deceptions, perhaps in a good mood, tossed a satchel. "Some trinkets. Take them."
"Momo and I will stay here. Won't die soon. Clean up outside, don't just hoard stuff and slack."
As a legend, a senior, she could scold the Circle like this.
Yu Yu ignored her, diving into the rewards.
Finally, the quest completion pinged.
[Unwavering Resolve (Completed)]
In a blink, a book-like mark appeared above Lord of Deceptions' head.
Wait, she's really staying?
Yu Yu figured she wouldn't return soon. Whatever, let her stay.
[Obtained: 'Deep Blue Potion Recipe,' 'Crimson Potion Recipe,' 'Amethyst Potion Recipe,' 'Viridian Potion Recipe,' Deep Blue Potion x20, Crimson Potion x10, Viridian Potion x5, Amethyst Potion x5]
[Obtained Experience +100,000, Circle Favor +5]
Yu Yu: "Hm?"
Why'd this quest boost Circle favor?
Why?
"Wait, I got rewards, but Senior?" Yu Yu, serious, "Senior worked hard too."
Honestly, without Felix's glow—unquenchable even by Fire Thief Moth—they wouldn't have breezed through.
The blue figure pondered.
She tossed the Soul Moon. "Momo doesn't need it. You're a Silver Moon Sky Wolf, take it."
She stroked the sleeping silver pup, half-sighing, half-regretful. "Silver Moon Sky Wolves love clinging to people. Take them out, don't leave them home, or you'll regret it…"
Yu Yu stayed mute.
Felix, dark-faced, "Nonsense. That doesn't happen."
What era was that?
Wolves then were aimless, loafing, obsessed with play.
Today's wolves had ambition, ideals—no such folly.
The blue figure laughed. "Alright, I'm tired. Go."
Muddled, neither side seeking clarity, the Critical quest ended.
Yu Yu stepped out, dazed, spotting the lively-robed Chong.
"Senior Chong!"
Chong: "You're out. Let's go, we're heading back."
Yu Yu froze. "Where's my Mage Squad 2?"
Chong glanced. "You remember Squad 2?"
"Survivors are back," Chong said. "Decent haul."
Her expression held a subtle amusement.
Yu Yu: "Shang Wei and [I ate without washing dishes]?"
Chong: "Meng sent someone for them."
Yu Yu, pensive, eyed her rewards.
Recipes could lure Senior Xue. Twenty Deep Blue Potions—enough to book Chong for a month?
Am I too capitalistic?
One potion for a month?
Aboard the Spectral Ray, Yu Yu tentatively raised a Deep Blue Potion. "Senior, get it?"
Chong pondered.
Stream: […]
Are we outdated? This is how it's played?
Flame Sovereign: [Should be turned over.]
Yu Yu ignored him, negotiating with Chong.
Soon, after agreements, Chong gleefully pocketed two Deep Blue Potions.
Feng Ye snapped, [How many you got? How many'd Senior give?]
Xue: [Recipe? Got the recipe?]
Yu Yu: [Grand Archon, take a guess.]
With Chong and others there, all high-tier spellcasters—except Chong, who toyed with her potions—eyed the vials hungrily.
Who didn't want to advance?!!
Yu Yu, dodging the Grand Archon, distributed potions.
"Senior, yours," Yu Yu handed Felix three Deep Blue Potions, then three to Meng. "Senior Meng's."
"Senior Chang, want some?"
Chang: [Me too?!]
Yu Yu counted. "Only Senior Qiong's not top-tier?"
Qiong, bristling, [Why just me?]
Yu Yu: "Seniors Xue and Dai Dai are top-tier, no need."
Dai Dai: [I could use a couple.]
Chang Ming: [Back off, your turn?]
Top-tier and still greedy, pfft.
Feng Ye pressed, [Yu Yu, how many you got? Handing them out! You know who can advance? Felix is just high-tier, and you give her three!!!]
Fuming, [Still playing dead?]
Yu Yu, hehed, "Dunno. Why'd I know who can advance? I'm not the Grand Archon."
She stretched, grinning. "Just sharing with Seniors and Senior. It's Yu Yu's love!"
"Don't be mad, Senior Xue, recipe's here!"
One line soothed Xue.
Yu Yu turned to Meng. "Senior, what're you doing? My hand's sore."
Meng sighed. "I'm far from advancing. Don't need it. Give it to the Grand Archon."
Yu Yu: "!!!"
She couldn't believe it. "Senior, if the Grand Archon's threatening you, blink!!!"