“Could it be because of the Radiant Elemental Body?”
Starlight wondered to himself.
His constitution was indeed different from that of an ordinary mage, and the amount of mana he could store far exceeded that of mages at the same rank. Even so, this level of resistance was a bit too exaggerated.
What surprised him even more was the discovery that the Elemental Mark on his wrist was also helping to absorb the medicinal power.
What exactly is going on with this mark? Noah never said it would absorb power too!
Feeling the abnormal movement of the Elemental Mark, Starlight felt a sense of unease. However, Noah still hadn't recovered from his deep slumber, so there was no way to verify the issue.
He lifted his wrist slightly out of the water, squinting to observe the changes in the Elemental Mark.
The black flame-shaped mark at the center hadn't changed significantly, but the blue lines surrounding the flame had grown brighter, as if some kind of power were flowing through them.
“For now... it doesn't seem to have much to do with Taros's power? But what do these blue lines represent?” Starlight frowned, lost in thought.
To be safe, after thinking for a moment, he quietly moved his arm out of the pool and rested it gently on the edge.
This way, the Elemental Mark was no longer directly submerged in the medicinal water, and its rate of absorption slowed considerably.
Only then did Starlight feel a bit more at ease. He turned his gaze toward the center of the pool.
Just like back in the depths of Night Lotus Valley, Lian’s figure floated silently on the seven-colored surface, looking as though she were asleep.
Faint, tattoo-like patterns had appeared on her skin again. These lines flickered in and out of view, seemingly resonating with the energy in the water.
Starlight knew that ever since she received the blessing of divine power, Lian’s physical constitution had reached an unbelievable level.
However, this improvement couldn't be judged by simple strength alone.
In terms of raw power, Lian might be far inferior to Po Kong, but her foundational potential far exceeded everyone else’s.
If he had to compare her to someone, perhaps only Little Gold’s potential could rival hers.
After all, high-tier dragons were the only existing race that could break through the Saint Rank barrier and even hope to reach higher levels without any intentional cultivation.
“Could it be that my ability to last this long in the water is also related to Lian?” Starlight suddenly realized that when he helped Lian receive the blessing, a trace of divine power had also entered his own body.
Perhaps from that moment on, his body had undergone some subtle change.
Then, Starlight remembered the strange blue power that had suddenly surged within him at that time.
That power was vast and mysterious, as if it contained endless possibilities.
But since that day, it was as if that power had completely vanished. No matter how he tried to search for it, he could no longer feel its presence.
He had asked You about the situation afterward, but even You couldn't explain what had happened to him.
While Starlight’s mind was wandering, Lian’s body suddenly trembled slightly. The patterns on her skin flickered, causing ripples to spread across the water's surface.
His heart tightened, and his attention was immediately drawn to her, fearing that something might be wrong.
“Lian... are you awake?” Starlight asked softly.
However, Lian didn't respond; her body continued to float silently on the water.
Seeing no reaction, Starlight stood up and slowly walked to the center of the pool, intending to pull her out of the medicinal water.
After all, so much time had passed that her external injuries had long since healed. He didn't know what might happen if she continued to soak like this.
Just as Starlight was about to lean down and lift Lian from the water, her eyes suddenly snapped open.
Within those ethereal silver pupils, countless stars seemed to be flickering, making them look deep and mysterious.
She stared straight at the ceiling, her gaze carrying a hint of confusion, yet also exuding an indescribable majesty.
Starlight’s movements froze. He stood rooted to the spot, and as he looked at Lian, a strange sense of awe rose within him.
Splash...
With the sound of rushing water, one of Lian’s hands suddenly shot out and grabbed Starlight’s arm—the one with the Elemental Mark.
“Lian... are you okay? Uh...?! Aaaah!!!” Starlight spoke tentatively, but before he could finish, he was cut off by a sharp, agonizing pain in his wrist.
The sudden pain forced a cry from his lips, and cold sweat instantly beaded on his forehead.
He could clearly feel the area of the Elemental Mark being scorched as if by a real flame, the intense pain spreading from his wrist to his entire body.
The black flame mark seemed to have come to life, dancing upon his skin and radiating a blistering heat.
“Little Star! What’s wrong?!” Hearing Starlight’s pained cry, Po Kong immediately rushed over and asked anxiously.
Xia Duo and Moen also quickly gathered around, looking nervously at Starlight and Lian in the center of the pool.
“Lian! Let go of him!” Po Kong tried to step forward and pull Lian’s hand away, but he was repelled by an invisible force, stumbling back several steps.
No matter how they called out, Lian’s gaze remained vacant, as if she couldn't hear them at all.
“Po Kong! Hurry up and get them out of there!” Seeing that shouting was useless, Xia Duo immediately said to Po Kong.
“Don't touch them!” Just then, Yserazor shouted a warning. “They are in a special state right now. Forcing them apart might injure both of them. And you, get out of there quickly!”
“Then what do we do?” Hearing this, Po Kong clenched his outstretched hand into a fist, not daring to step forward recklessly again. Instead, he slowly backed out of the pool.
Starlight gritted his teeth, enduring the excruciating pain as he looked down at his wrist.
The Elemental Mark had begun to flicker slightly, its frequency matching the patterns on Lian’s skin, seemingly resonating with her power.
“Lian... what exactly... are you doing? Wake up!”
Lian still didn't respond, but her gaze slowly shifted, eventually landing on Starlight’s face.
The moment their eyes met, Starlight felt the mana in his body boil, beginning to fluctuate violently beyond his control. His vision blurred abruptly, and he felt as if he were being pulled into a unique space.
Countless images flashed past his eyes like shards of torn time. In these images, he saw Lian’s figure, as well as unfamiliar buildings and crowds.
In other images, beings he had never seen before appeared—giant creatures, mysterious symbols, and even powers that transcended the mundane world.
Starlight was not unfamiliar with this sensation. It was very similar to the feeling he had when Yserazor taught him Spatial Displacement not long ago.
However, this time, what flooded his mind wasn't knowledge of spatial power. Instead, the colorful images gradually turned into an endless darkness.
In the deepest part of that darkness, Starlight seemed to see a pair of blood-red eyes staring straight at him.
Those eyes were cold and profound, as if they could see right through his soul.
Starlight couldn't see the owner of the eyes clearly at all; he could only barely make out a massive, deformed silhouette. The outline was enormous and twisted, as if condensed from pure darkness.
As the dark shadow appeared, a powerful sense of pressure nearly crushed Starlight’s spirit.
He felt his consciousness being pulled by some force, liable to fall into the bottomless abyss at any moment.
“I can't... I can't just be...”
To force himself to stay conscious, Starlight bit the tip of his tongue hard, allowing himself to break free slightly from the chaos.
It was at this moment that he suddenly realized the black figure in the images was Taros from the primordial era—the Ancient God of Darkness in his prime.
In the vision, Taros merely moved a hand, and the surrounding darkness writhed, appearing to move along a specific trajectory.
“Could it be... that the memories and experiences inside the Elemental Mark have been activated?!” Starlight’s heart jolted as the thought flashed through his mind.
He had been gradually absorbing the experiences and power of dark magic from the Elemental Mark, but with Noah’s help, the progress had been very controlled and stable.
Now, with Lian’s grab, everything stored within the Elemental Mark seemed to have lost control, surging frantically into his mind.
“Starlight! Are you okay?!”
“Little Star! Answer me!”
...
Rate on N.U.
