Chapter 393: Your Highness

Chapter 393: Your Highness

"Long Fatty!"
Fox Ling'er called out, and Dragon Qilin, realizing the gravity of the situation, quickly shook his body, revealing his true form as a colossal beast. Ling Yuxiu and Si Yunxiang leaped onto Dragon Qilin's back. Yan Jingjing hurriedly said, "They are at my Sunherd tribe's Sun God Temple. Head that way—the tallest and largest temple is the one!"
Dragon Qilin immediately exerted himself, dashing toward the location where the selection of the next Sun Guardian was taking place.

Upon arriving at the Sun God Temple, they saw that the door was marked with the emblem of a three-legged bird within a sun motif. Two giants, leaning on ceremonial halberds, stood guard on either side of the temple entrance. These were adult Sunherders, immensely tall, and they crossed their halberds to block the way.
"Outsiders, halt!"
The two Sunherders spoke with authority, their voices deep and commanding: "This is a sacred temple. Outsiders are not permitted to enter without permission!"
Fox Ling'er jumped down and said, "Your Sun Guardian sent us here! Go inform your chieftain quickly—something major is about to happen!"
"Wait here!"
One of the Sunherders immediately turned, pushed open the temple door, and entered. After a moment, he emerged and said politely, "The chieftain invites you in to observe the ceremony."

As they entered the temple, they immediately felt how small they were. Here, the giants of the Sunherd tribe had gathered, their towering forms making the girls barely reach above their ankles as they walked among them.
These giants surrounded a massive circular platform, watching the selection below, with occasional exclamations of awe. Fox Ling'er jumped up, trying to see what was happening below, but the platform's railing was too high, and she was too short. Even leaping five or six zhang into the air, she couldn't see over it.
Fox Ling'er quickly shook her tail, and her body floated upward, finally allowing her to see the scene below the platform.

There, many young Sunherd boys and girls were lined up on either side. At the center of the platform stood three divine statues, each a three-legged strange humanoid with wings spread wide, their bodies hunched as they collectively carried a great furnace on their backs.
The furnace was unusual—round and hollowed out on all sides, with no medicinal stones or similar items inside.
A strong Sunherd youth was cutting his wrist, letting his blood flow into this massive round furnace, then channeling true fire, trying to ignite it.
Soon, a flame appeared inside the furnace, growing larger and larger, and a blazing light burst forth from the hollowed openings, becoming increasingly dazzling.
The furnace also emitted waves of obscure, terrifying energy, accompanied by soul-shaking roars like those of a mythical beast.
The surrounding Sunherders showed signs of joy, but at that moment, the light suddenly dimmed, and the furnace fire went out.
"Next!"
Another incredibly strong girl stepped forward and cut her wrist. She also failed, though she did better than the previous youth—a vision of a coiled fire dragon briefly appeared in the furnace flames.
But this vision was fleeting, vanishing in an instant.

Fox Ling'er looked across to the opposite side, where the Sunherd tribe's old chieftain and several white-haired elders were watching the trial below. Her heart stirred, and she flew directly over.
She heard one elder say, "Pure Yang bodies are extremely hard to find. In the past, we had Jingjing, who held out for ten years. But now, if we can't find another Pure Yang body, tonight might be the day the Sun Well is breached."
The elders all showed worried expressions. Without a Pure Yang body, one couldn't withstand the Sun Boat's terrifyingly immense power. Even if someone forcibly mastered the Sun Boat's power, they would soon be burned to death by it!
"Pure Yang bodies are far too rare."
The old chieftain sighed. "If we can't find one, I'll take control of the Sun Boat myself and fight those foreign gods to the death!"
His constitution wasn't Pure Yang, but his cultivation was deep enough to hold out a bit longer.

Below, one by one, the young boys and girls tried to ignite the Sun Furnace, but all failed, causing the elders' faces to grow increasingly grim.
Ling Yuxiu and the others arrived at the old chieftain's position. He raised his hand, and a slab of bluestone lifted from beneath their feet, raising them and Dragon Qilin up so they could observe the ceremony.
"Chieftain, the Human Sovereign Qin is helping you ignite the sun. If the sun is lit, it might burn him to ashes!"
Ling Yuxiu quickly said, "Please, Chieftain, go and lend the Human Sovereign a hand!"
She was clever, knowing that other identities would struggle to sway the Sunherd chieftain, so she directly invoked Qin Mu's status as Human Sovereign.
The old chieftain shook his head. "He cannot ignite the sun. That sun has already gone dark; it requires a Pure Yang Fire God to appear to rekindle it. Rest assured, Young Friend Qin cannot even approach that sun—it's far too hot. Even a dead sun possesses immense power. Look."
He raised his arm, which stretched out like a flying bridge, pointing steadily downward. "When we Sunherders select a Sun Guardian, we need someone naturally Pure Yang to use their own Pure Yang blood, supplemented by true fire, to ignite the Sun Furnace. The Sun Furnace is merely an ordinary treasure, yet igniting it is this difficult. Igniting the sun itself is even more impossible."
Ling Yuxiu said angrily, "The Human Sovereign Qin has a divine eye; perhaps he really can..."
The old chieftain interrupted her. "Our Sunherd tribe has found many divine eye blood essences over the years in our attempts to ignite the sun, but all have failed without exception. Enough said. Observe the ceremony."
Ling Yuxiu was furious. "We came to help you ignite the sun with all our hearts, and we ask for your help, yet you refuse. Isn't this cold-hearted of the Sunherders?"
The old chieftain fixed his gaze on her and said seriously, "It's not that my Sunherd tribe is unreasonable, but we must select the next Sun Guardian. After the sun sets, darkness will invade, and that will be the time when the Sun Guardian's soul returns to the Sun Boat—she can no longer hold on. Without a Sun Guardian, my tribe cannot withstand the demon invasion. The Moonherders have already been wiped out. If the Sunherders are also destroyed, and those gods take control of the Great Wasteland, do you think the world outside can withstand them? Right now, choosing the next Sun Guardian is of utmost importance!"
Ling Yuxiu was stunned.
Si Yunxiang sneered, "Even if you select the next Sun Guardian, what then? Won't they also die in the Sun Boat, assimilated and devoured by it?"
The old chieftain said solemnly, "To die protecting one's tribe and the Great Wasteland is a worthy death."
Beside him, an elder added, "Rest assured, young friends. Young Friend Qin will be fine. When he can't get close to that black sun, he'll know to back off."
The other elders nodded in agreement. But at that moment, a vast wave of energy suddenly surged, and the old chieftain and the elders' faces changed dramatically. They shot to their feet, expressions shocked. "That energy... it's from the dead sun! Damn it! Young Friend Qin!"
Boom!
The old chieftain and the elders soared into the air, smashing a large hole through the towering Sun God Temple. Fox Ling'er quickly shouted, and Dragon Qilin immediately carried them upward, flying out through the hole and into the sky.
The sunlight was blinding.
The black sun had vanished, replaced by a sun glowing with yellow-white light, radiating waves of scorching heat.
"Master isn't in trouble, is he?"
Fox Ling'er urged Dragon Qilin to fly toward the sun, and Ling Yuxiu, also panicked, kept pressing him. Si Yunxiang was secretly delighted: "I might finally become a pretty widow..."
They flew halfway up, but suddenly Dragon Qilin veered downward, heading toward the pillars below. Everyone was puzzled and looked down to see two figures on the ground, along with several fire dragons.
Dragon Qilin landed, and the three girls jumped off, finding Qin Mu pulling a gaunt, emaciated girl out of the Sun Boat and laying her flat on the ground.
Ling Yuxiu rushed over. "Cowherd, you..."
"Shh."
Qin Mu raised a finger and whispered, "She's fainted. I'm quite good at treating girls. I made my name as a divine doctor in Flower Alley."
Ling Yuxiu pinched him hard under his arm and scolded, "I was so worried!"
Qin Mu smiled. "I told you, there was no danger. Open!"
A series of formation patterns swirled in his eyes, activating his Nine Heavens Divine Eye. Then he channeled the Dragon Subduing Art, and a fire dragon flew over, landing on his shoulder and coiling around his waist.
Borrowing the dragon's qi, Qin Mu's cultivation surged, and more formation patterns emerged around his pupils, directly opening the Nine Heavens Eye to examine Yan Jingjing's body.
After a moment, he dispersed the Dragon Subduing Art, and the layers of heaven in his eyes faded. But the fire dragon didn't leave his shoulder; it stayed there, looking quite comfortable.
"Maha." The dragon yawned, growing drowsy.
Fox Ling'er quickly ran over, grabbed Qin Mu's clothes, and climbed up. "Get down! Go sleep somewhere else—this is my spot!"
The fire dragon had no choice but to slink away.
Fox Ling'er sat on Qin Mu's shoulder, swinging her little feet, her white tail wagging proudly behind her.
Qin Mu pondered for a moment. "Ling'er, I'll recite the prescription; you fetch the medicine."
Fox Ling'er hummed in acknowledgment, transformed from a little girl into a small fox, and zipped into his Taotie pouch. The pouch opened, and as Qin Mu recited the names of various herbs, gusts of wind lifted the ingredients out.
Ling Yuxiu felt a twinge of jealousy at their seamless coordination. She glanced at Si Yunxiang and laughed. "No pretty widow after all."
Si Yunxiang giggled. "The Sect Leader plays with fire like this; he'll burn himself out sooner or later. Plenty of chances to become a pretty widow."

Qin Mu refined several batches of elixirs and fed them to the unconscious Yan Jingjing, then sorted the remaining pills. Just then, the old chieftain and the elders flew over from near the sun, shouting from a distance, "We couldn't find Young Friend Qin—he's probably been burned to ashes..."
Before they finished, they saw Qin Mu.
The elders were stunned. Qin Mu finished sorting the pills. "Ling'er, give her one dose morning and evening. Chieftain, mission accomplished."
The old chieftain suppressed his shock and quickly asked, "Young Friend Qin, how did you ignite the sun? And how did you come back alive?"
Qin Mu smiled. "Simple. I used the Dragon Subduing Art to borrow the power of a few fire dragons, then maximized the power of my Sun Jade Eye and threw it into the black sun. The black sun ignited."
He spoke lightly, but the old chieftain knew the cost. The treasure capable of igniting the black sun was no ordinary item, yet Qin Mu had given it up without hesitation.
A wave of guilt washed over him. Qin Mu had been so selfless, yet he had refused to help earlier. The contrast made him feel deeply ashamed.
"Sister Jing needs a few days of rest. Her body is severely depleted; my medicine only replenishes her vitality."
Qin Mu's expression grew serious. "Her life force has been drained too much, and it's hard to restore. I can only stabilize her for now and prevent further deterioration."
The old chieftain breathed a sigh of relief. "Saving her life is already a great kindness. And you've also ignited the sun for my Sunherd tribe—a debt we can never repay. Young Friend Qin, Jing is asleep, and we still need to select a Sun Guardian to fend off tonight's demon invasion. Please come observe the ceremony... No!"
Qin Mu's hand touched one of the pillars. The old chieftain's face changed drastically as he tried to stop him, but it was too late—Qin Mu's palm had already landed on the pillar's surface.
Instantly, a surge of immense energy erupted, rushing into Qin Mu. He let out a furious roar, his body blazing with true fire, growing larger and larger. His other arm involuntarily grabbed another pillar.
His muscles swelled, and two more arms burst from his armpits, slapping onto the other two pillars. In moments, he transformed into a hundred-zhang-tall deity bathed in solar true fire!
Waves of divine might surged like tides, crashing in all directions, making everyone feel as if they were standing amidst raging waves.
The old chieftain shielded Fox Ling'er, Ling Yuxiu, and the others, staring blankly up at this hundred-zhang giant. Suddenly, he came to his senses and dropped to one knee.
He bowed his head. "Your Highness."
Behind him, the elders also knelt on one knee, lowering their heads. "Your Highness."
Ling Yuxiu and Si Yunxiang were confused, but they saw the Sunherd giants approaching silently, gathering around the four pillars, and kneeling on one knee.
"Your Highness," they said.
Si Yunxiang leaned close to Ling Yuxiu's ear and whispered, "Princess Xiu, it seems the cowherd's background is even bigger than yours..."