Chapter 686
"Don't worry," Xia Er said with a dismissive shake of her head, a smile on her lips as she reassured, "If there's any danger, I'll rewind time back to before I drank the potion."
Although Xia Er's current mental strength couldn't support her in rewinding several hours, she could manage a few dozen seconds without issue.
If she sensed that the potion was undigestible or that the side effects exceeded her limits, she would promptly stop and rewind time.
While Xia Er spoke lightly, as if it were no big deal, a hint of concern flickered in Ai Wei Na's eyes.
Tala wouldn't show such emotions towards Xia Er, for in Tala's eyes, Xia Er was an omniscient and omnipotent goddess. Even if this body were completely destroyed, Tala wouldn't feel a shred of worry.
But Ai Wei Na was different. She had faced hardships alongside Xia Er, had cried with her in each other's arms. She understood that Xia Er was human too, capable of suffering and sadness.
Ai Wei Na said nothing, simply stopping her task of arranging Xia Er's hair. She slid her hand down to grasp Xia Er's somewhat cold hand and said, "I'll help you."
"I know," Xia Er replied, leaning back against something soft, her head resting on a cushion. She tilted her head slightly to look at Ai Wei Na's chin.
After a moment of tender silence, a gentle knock came from outside the door.
Upon receiving a response, Tala, slightly out of breath, opened the door and presented two vials of potion to Xia Er, bowing her head as she said, "Lady Xia Er... I've brought them back."
"Thank you," Xia Er smiled faintly, propping herself up as she took the two vials from Tala's hands.
These were the follow-up potions from the "Coroner," the second-tier "Bone Sculptor" and the third-tier "Weaver."
Both the "Bone Sculptor" and "Weaver" abilities would greatly aid in flesh alchemy.
Especially in the absence of an assistant, one would need to at least advance to "Bone Sculptor" to have the capability to perform flesh alchemy alone.
Xia Er picked up the "Bone Sculptor" potion, noting how the appearance of the vials matched their names perfectly.
Inside the "Bone Sculptor" vial was a grayish-white substance resembling sugar cubes, with various materials engraved upon it.
The "Weaver" potion, on the other hand, was covered by a delicate, misty white web, with what seemed to be a pulsing cocoon at its center, reminiscent of spider eggs nestled within a web.
Spiders, huh...
Xia Er recalled the sealing item she had obtained from the Keybearer, the "Suture Seal Ring of the Spider Doctor."
During her previous visits to the Natural Academy, she had never encountered any abilities related to "spiders"...
Was this a new power that had developed after her departure? After all, a "seed" contains many different pathways of power.
So who was this "Spider Doctor" from the old days?
As Xia Er pondered, she twisted open the "Bone Sculptor" vial.
She had learned quite a bit about the resurrection ritual of the "Bone Sculptor," and its perfect resurrection ritual involved creating wonders from bones for people to admire.
Xia Er didn't have much confidence in this, though she had indeed created many wonders from corpses, she had never tried using only bones...
Gathering her focus, Xia Er took a deep breath, tilted her head back, and poured the bone particles from the vial into her mouth.
The moment they entered, a slightly bitter taste washed over her, the fine powder filling her mouth, absorbing the saliva and moisture within.
This sensation, coupled with Xia Er's somewhat difficult swallowing, spread from her throat to her stomach.
In just a few seconds, she began to feel a pain in her throat; even normal breathing felt like it was being scorched by fire, and she started to feel parched.
This was Xia Er's internal experience, but to Ai Wei Na and Tala, Xia Er's body was undergoing obvious changes.
Xia Er had always been quite healthy, her body well-proportioned, not overly thin.
But now, it seemed as if her body was "shrinking," becoming increasingly gaunt.
The fat and muscle within her were being rapidly absorbed, with the most noticeable change occurring in her chest.
What might have been a slight curve visible through her clothing and shawl was now obscured, making it hard to distinguish between her chest and back.
The potion was swiftly "squeezing" Xia Er's body dry... nearly pushing her to the brink of death.
Yet Xia Er did not rush to rewind time, for she could sense that she was still a distance away from death.
Soon, just as Xia Er had become little more than skin and bones, the potion's side effects finally subsided.
A surge of new power flooded through her body; her bones were reinforced, and the muscles that had been drained began to fill with some unknown substance beneath her skin.
Before long, Xia Er's body was restored to the same level as before she drank the potion, but the changes within her were far more significant than her external appearance.
She could feel her muscles and bones, as if they had come to life, ready to be controlled at her will, like a legion obeying her command.
Now, Xia Er could even control a wound inflicted upon her, preventing a single drop of blood from escaping.
She looked down and slowly raised her right hand.
With a sharp sound, a pointed bone spike burst through the skin of her finger, the slender, sharp bone blade resembling a sculpting tool, capable of transforming into a precise bone surgical knife at her command.
As Xia Er's thoughts shifted, the protruding bone spike gradually retracted, the skin and flesh that had been pierced seamlessly rejoining.
The method of utilizing the "Bone Sculptor" ability, like the knowledge gained from drinking other potions, appeared in Xia Er's mind as if it were an innate genetic memory.
"Not bad..." Xia Er mused, examining her elongated fingers. "I won't need to carry a scalpel anymore..."
As she spoke, Xia Er's right hand formed a slight fist.
With a sharp sound, the bones in her hand proliferated, piercing through flesh to form a long, curved bone blade, looking quite fearsome.
"Xia Er... your face..." Ai Wei Na's voice broke through Xia Er's thoughts.
She retracted the bone spike from her hand and turned to look at Ai Wei Na. In Ai Wei Na's dark purple pupils, Xia Er saw her own reflection.
Her face had undergone a transformation due to the potion's effects.
From her nose to her chin, the skin had completely vanished, replaced by a sharp, curved bone mask that obscured the lower half of her face.
Through the gaps in the skeletal mask, the vivid red of her muscles and bones could be faintly seen.
Xia Er raised her hand to touch the bone mask covering her face; it felt cool and hard.
She tried to open her mouth, but found that the mask remained completely still.
"Well..." Xia Er shook her head slightly and said, "Looks like eating will be a hassle from now on."
For Xia Er, she couldn't possibly keep this form permanently, so even if she could no longer eat, it posed no inconvenience for her.
But for Ai Wei Na and those around Xia Er, it was different. Seeing Xia Er's current appearance, Ai Wei Na's eyes were already slightly red.
"Will it hurt?" Ai Wei Na asked softly.
"No," Xia Er shook her head. She gently tapped the mask and said, "I can still feel it; it feels like part of my body now..."
Noticing Ai Wei Na's reddening eyes, Xia Er asked, "What's wrong? Ai Wei Na."
"I..." Ai Wei Na bit her lip. She had always been straightforward with Xia Er, so she said directly, "I’m just a bit sad thinking that we won’t even be able to kiss anymore..."
"It’s okay," Xia Er's muscles beneath the mask moved as she smiled. "There's still one more vial; who knows, I might change back."
With that, Xia Er reached for the third-tier "Weaver" potion.
She was quite satisfied with her current state after the successful advancement and had no intention of rewinding time. Instead, she decided to cut through the chaos and down the "Weaver" potion in one go.
The "Weaver" potion was not rare, but the resurrection rituals were seldom shared.
Moreover, whether it was the Joyous Society or the Natura Medical Group, the surviving third-tier "Weavers" each had different resurrection rituals, with no unified standard among them.
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