In the luxurious inner sanctum of the Lotus-ship, Lord Zephyr placed the glowing Planetary Life-Seed into a refining chamber. He then turned his predatory gaze toward Lin Xiao, who lay trembling on the silken dais.
"Your world is gone, little lotus," Zephyr whispered, his Rank 8 aura filling the room with a suffocating gold light. "But your bloodline... it is the perfect vessel to stabilize this essence. Give me your vitality, and I shall grant you a place as my eternal slave in the Higher Realms."
He placed his hand over her heart, beginning the Dual-Cultivation Refinement. A torrent of emerald energy began to flow from Lin Xiao into Zephyr's body. He threw his head back, laughing as he felt his power swell.
But then, the laughter died.
The emerald light suddenly turned a sickly, oily black. The "Void-Charges" Fang Yuan had planted deep within Lin Xiao's meridians ignited upon contact with Zephyr's massive energy. Like a virus finding a host, the dark Qi surged into Zephyr's veins, bypassing his external defenses and striking directly at his World Breaker Core.
"What... what is this?!" Zephyr roared, his skin beginning to crack as veins of black rot spread across his chest.
[System Alert: Target 'Lord Zephyr' has initiated energy transfer. 'Void-Rot' infection rate: 68%. Host's shackles are weakening due to ship-wide power fluctuation.]
Down in the hold, Fang Yuan felt the ship shudder. The gravity shackles flickered and dimmed. A cold, terrifying smile spread across his face as he felt the resonance of Zephyr's agony.
"It's not medicine, Zephyr," Fang Yuan whispered, his own Rank 5 energy beginning to boil as he absorbed the 'leakage' from the dying ship. "It's a tomb. And you just invited me inside."