Skyfire Avenue - Chapter 842

Chapter 842

Chapter 842: Expel! Arrow of Compassion

All of the arteries and veins in Lan Jue’s body had become a sickly purple, especially the ones near his heart . They writhes as the corruption continued to flow through his body . Only his Core was spared, with a shell of pale blue light that kept the corruption from swallowing it up . It was the only part of Lan Jue that was yet to succumb .

After absorbing the power of the thunder essence, immortal qi flowed throughout Lan Jue’s Core . His inheritance from the Emperor of the North Star also imbued it with the power of the five lightnings . Although the Violet Prince was strong, and his power great, it was still difficult for him to overcome Lan Jue’s natural abilities .

Qianlin poured her Queen of Heaven Discipline into him, but found resistance from the alien influence . The Birth and Destruction powers they commanded had taken root deep within Lan Jue’s body and was radiating outward, blocking her powers .

Not good! Qianlin was stunned to discover that the problem with their plan wasn’t what was going on outside, but within Lan Jue’s body . The Violet Prince’s influence was strong and deep . She continued to try and force her Discipline into him, and noticed that the more she tried the darker her surroundings became . Soon the same toxic hue that flowed through Lan Jue had taken over the walls of the cavern . The environment had become a part of him, and he a part of it .

Qianlin, like Lan Jue, had achieved the lofty heights of Nirvana . Unlike him she was not adept at combat and really understood very little of her power now that she was a Paragon . Now was it her body she was trying to work with . One mistake could harm Lan Jue, and that was what she feared the most . That being the case she was hesitant to employ her full strength .

Her second most pressing concern was the changes in the cavern around them . The aliens would surely notice something had changed when they got back and their plans would be discovered .

She was running out of options . With a flash of light Demortus appeared in her hand . She planned to cut the vessels that connected him to the planet, then decide what to do from there .

She tenderly lifted him up . Then, with Demortus’ blue light flickering across its blade, she pulled the weapon across his back . They tenaciously clung to him, but Demortus was a Banishing Blade and severed the vessels from her lover . She held him close .

As she supported his weight she looked down in horror to discover blood oozing quickly from his back . It poured thick and black from the ends of the vessels, draining his life force .

“Ah!” Qianlin gasped . Much to her surprise the tubes that’d connected him to the planet had completely integrated themselves with his body and circulatory system .

Once again she summoned her powers to try and staunch the bleeding . It worked, but only in limited scope . The writhing ends of the vessels refused to close, whipping through the air like tony snakes . The power of the alien overlords was proving more than she could handle .

What could she do? What could she do?!

She was flustered and scared . Their plan was predicated on the hope that everything went perfectly, but their knowledge of these monsters was so limited – especially where the home worlds were concerned . It was likely they were the first living beings to make it here .

A flickering light appeared from Zhou Qianlin’s forehead . She felt a strange sensation rising from within her that cleared her mind . A focused golden light sprang from between her eyebrows and fell over Lan Jue’s back .

It was an arrow, bright and gold, and when its light hit Lan Jue’s back it spread over the corrupted skin . Where the luminescence fell the veins writhed sickeningly, in sharp contrast to the steady power she released . Lan Jue’s vessels changed from purplish-black to a healthy red . The wounds on his back began to heal . After a few moment he looked like nothing had ever happened aside from a halo of golden light that clung to him .

The Arrow of Compassion!

Zhou Qianlin understood the moment she saw it . The weapon had been the product of their combined blood, manipulated by the God of Wine Bess and imparted unto them . After their breakthrough to Paragon the arrow chose Zhou Qianlin and her Queen of Heaven Domain, searing itself as a rune on her spirit . Until now she hadn’t known what to do with it .

The gold light receded back into Qianlin’s forehead . With a groan Lan Jue’s eyes fluttered open . The first thing he noticed was the warmth against his back and a familiar presence .

“Qianlin, did we succeed?” Lan Jue pulled himself into a sitting position and searched his surroundings .

The cavern’s interior had returned to its previous violet tinge, like nothing had happened . The air was thin, and bore a faintly odor, but was otherwise fine .

Qianlin told him what had transpired . When he heard of the Princess’ plan to have her way with him, he gaped at her .

She looked at him, frowning . “You’re thinking about it, aren’t you! She’s gorgeous, after all . ”

He looked back at her with slight indignation . “Nonsense . She’s not my breed much less my type, and my heart knows what it wants . I have my goddess and there’s no room for anyone else – human or otherwise . ”

“Alright,” Qianlin conceded . “Save your sister . I’m not sure what to do . ”

Lan Jue looked toward the Pharmacist who was still enveloped in an orb of alien power . He moved quickly to her side, and after a moment of thought, pressed his right hand against her head .

The tell-tale flicker of lightning traveled down his arm . The coalesced Domain of the aliens melted, but began to flow up his arm .

Lan Jue didn’t resist . Instead he took a few steps back and allowed it to continue to cover him . His eyes adopted a blue light, and within twinkled a galaxy of stars .

Poof! The crawling sludge dissolved into smoke and flitted away on the breeze . Without the Violet Prince to lend it strength, the Birth and Destruction domain could not hold up against Lan Jue’s All-Heaven Lightning .

He repeated this a few more times until eventually the Pharmacist was free . It was somewhat awkward when he discovered that she was also nude, and quickly had Qianlin lend her some of her own clothes .

Meanwhile Lan Jue looked over their two captured swords . Both he and the Pharmacist had fought hard against the Prince and Princess, even going so far as to attack with all their might . However, they did keep some things hidden, like the secret powers of their swords .

If they’d drawn on the potential of their Banishing Blades it would not have been so easy for the aliens to capture them . One of them likely would have escaped, if one were willing to sacrifice themselves .

But none of that was necessary, as their goal was to trick their foes . Even the seals on the swords were actually placed there by Lan Jue and the Pharmacist, insurance policies in case they needed to contend against their own swords . If they were taken they needn’t fear – they could summon the weapons back within a thousand kilometers .

He took Captus back into his hands . There was no need for his thunderbolt Discipline now, for the sword reacted immediately to his touch . It flared with power, radiating an angry red light, and the seal was broken .

Lan Jue hid the sword within himself right away, in order to conceal its power from Monarch . Ultus had to be here somewhere, and with Captus awake it would stir the sword . Monarch would know something was amiss .

For this mission his greatest fear concerned the planet itself . How much power could it employ, he wondered, while in the midst of its evolution?

Zhou Qianlin galvanized her Domain and used it to wake the Pharmacist . When she opened her eyes and noted her clothes were different, her cheeks reddened . She looked towards Lan Jue and saw his back turned .

Once she rose and recovered Occisus the three of them reconvened .

The Pharmacist spoke first to Lan Jue . “Alright, we’ve managed the first step . What’s next?”

Lan Jue’s tones were sober and earnest . “In a moment we’ll need to start searching for Ultus’ aura . Once we find it, we need to think about how we’re going to flee . We know nothing about this place . ”

She looked back at him with firm expression . “I can use my connection to Ultus to find it . Then we cut our way out as fast as possible . There isn’t much time to think it over, we have to do whatever we can, quickly . Complete our mission and escape at once . ”

Qianlin added her voice . “From what we saw in orbit, the planets have reached the key period of their evolution . These worlds are hollow, meaning most of their essence has been funneled into Europa . Their cores mustn’t be here, otherwise Monarch would have discovered us already . The fact we’re still breathing shows I’m right . ”