Chapter One: The Saliva Virus

“Hiss…” Tang Yi couldn’t help but gasp after examining the storage pouch. It was brimming with materials, most of which he had never encountered before.

“How is it, Brother Tang? Not enough? If it’s not—” Bai Dongfang mistook Tang Yi’s reaction for dissatisfaction.

“It’s more than enough! I’ll hold onto this pouch for now. After I cure your senior brother, just give me nine more like it.” Realizing Bai Dongfang’s misunderstanding, Tang Yi quickly clarified.

“In that case, I beg you, Brother Tang, to heal my senior brother!” Bai Dongfang pleaded earnestly.

“That’s no problem. But you needn’t worry so much. Shopkeeper Bu, please arrange a quiet place for us. No time should be wasted; I’ll treat your senior brother immediately.” Upon hearing this, Bu Bailai promptly made arrangements, choosing the VIP suite in the auction hall. When no auctions were held, it was the quietest place.

In Suite One, all the tables and chairs had been removed. Tang Yi instructed Bai Dongfang and his companion to stand aside. With Tang Yi’s manipulation, the frozen Li Zhan floated slowly out of the coffin. The lid was closed, and Li Zhan was placed securely atop it.

Tang Yi gently placed one hand on the icy surface. The ice melted rapidly before their eyes, yet, curiously, it did not turn to water. Instead, it was all absorbed into Tang Yi’s palm. Once the ice covering Li Zhan vanished, there was a click—Li Zhan’s mouth opened slightly of its own accord. The thousand-year Cold Ice Pearl within dissolved into a wisp of white vapor, dispersing into the air. At the same moment, the wound on Li Zhan’s chest began to show signs of deterioration. Seeing this, Tang Yi immediately pressed his hand against Li Zhan’s palm.

Time passed. The wound did not worsen, but neither did it improve. This astonished Tang Yi greatly; he had never encountered such a situation, especially since his abilities had collectively advanced by a level today. So far, he could only maintain a balance with the saliva of that ghostly creature. If things continued like this, not only would Tang Yi’s spiritual power be exhausted, but even if he could persist indefinitely, Li Zhan would be beyond saving. The creature’s saliva fed on the victim’s own energy.

Helpless, Tang Yi let go and entered a time-stopping state to ponder.

“It seems this is a terrifying virus, feeding on the body’s energy. No wonder the wounded perish so quickly,” Tang Yi speculated. “What’s worse is that this virus is cunning enough to infiltrate the nucleus of human cells. Clearly, I need more samples; one patient’s data isn’t enough. I’ll have to abandon treatment for now. But giving up means Li Zhan will die, and I’ve already accepted their deposit. I must find a way to preserve his life… How should I go about it?” Tang Yi paced back and forth. After a long while… “No choice. This will have to do,” he muttered.

Bu Bailai and Bai Dongfang watched as Tang Yi suddenly switched from his right hand on Li Zhan’s body to his left hand on Li Zhan’s face. His right palm faced upward, and a swirl of snowy white mist slowly condensed there. When it dissipated, a pearl appeared in Tang Yi’s palm.

“The thousand-year Cold Ice Pearl?” Bai Dongfang and his companion exclaimed together. Tang Yi was truly extraordinary.

“That’s right. For now, I’m not a hundred percent sure I can cure Li Zhan, so I’ll have to keep him sealed in ice for a while longer.” Tang Yi placed the pearl in Li Zhan’s mouth, and Li Zhan was frozen once more.

“From my observations, even those miraculous life-restoring elixirs have no real effect on this wound; they only prolong life a little,” Tang Yi shared his findings with Bai Dongfang. Bai Dongfang was dumbfounded, but thinking back, it made sense. So many people had been injured by the ghostly creature, including members of major sects and prominent families. Surely some would have used those legendary elixirs, yet none had survived. Was there any hope for his senior brother?

“Then… Brother Tang, is my senior brother still savable?” Bai Dongfang could now only pin his hopes on Tang Yi.

“He certainly is, and since I’ve taken your deposit, I’ll return you a living senior brother,” Tang Yi said as he placed the frozen Li Zhan back into the coffin and closed the lid. “Here’s what we’ll do: I happen to be traveling to Pegasus Piercing Star next. I’ll get to observe this ghostly creature firsthand. You’ll travel with me and tell me everything about this ghost of the Celestial Maiden System. It will be very helpful for your senior brother’s cure. There is no absolute miracle medicine—only the right remedy for the right problem. Don’t you agree?”

“Absolutely. As long as my senior brother can be saved, I’ll brave fire and water!” Bai Dongfang nodded. Thus, Bai Dongfang accompanied Tang Yi back to Moonwatch Tower.

The next day, Bai Dongfang joined Tang Yi and the others as they made their way to the city’s exit.

“Brother Tang, are we leaving the city?” Bai Dongfang, carrying the coffin, asked.

“Yes. Once outside, we’ll travel by shuttle. Oh, I almost forgot—you still can’t walk through the void. Here, after recognizing it as yours, you’ll find an array within this ring that allows you to move in the void just as easily as if you were on Earth.” Tang Yi handed Bai Dongfang a ring. After acknowledging ownership, Bai Dongfang was stunned. First, the ring had an astonishing number of array functions. Second, he was amazed that Tang Yi would give him such a ring so casually. He could guarantee that, if auctioned, this ring might fetch a sky-high price—its value easily exceeded the reward he had promised Tang Yi.

At the city gate, Tang Yi and his group activated the array and stepped out. Bai Dongfang did the same, discovering an interesting feature: Tang Yi had allowed the user to select their preferred color when activating the array, explaining why the spheres of light emitted by the same array came in different hues. Outsiders might think different arrays had identical functions. Outside the city, Bai Dongfang was amazed by Tang Yi’s spaceship.

Entering the vessel, Bai Dongfang was even more astounded. Just what kind of person was Tang Yi? Known as a divine healer, able to conjure a thousand-year Cold Ice Pearl out of thin air, forge miraculous rings, and now, possess such a wondrous, massive shuttle—silver-gray, spanning a mile, and nearly thirty meters high. Could this even be called a shuttle? How did Tang Yi achieve all this? Bai Dongfang was filled with curiosity. “Maybe Brother Tang really can save my senior brother,” his confidence in Tang Yi grew even stronger.

“Brother Dongfang, this will be your room. Settle your senior brother here, then come to the control room up front. Now that you’re part of the crew, you’ll need to contribute to the ship as well,” Tang Yi said with a smile.

“Brother Tang, since you’ve put it this way, I’ll gladly accept,” Bai Dongfang replied, cupping his hands respectfully.