The Alchemist's Guide to Flesh and Blood Ascension

Before they were "sent" out of the illusion, while they were protecting the merchants along with the "Sand Armor".

Indeed, there exists such a ballad, an enduring melody sung by merchants with hoarse voices around a dim campfire on the Jinsha Road, where even time has been buried.

At every sunset, in every star-studded night...

This song carried the hopes of the merchants, along with their carts full of goods, and ran along the bumpy trade route.

Without a doubt, Iseria remembered, remembered it perfectly clearly.

She looked at the scorpion, or rather, the prisoner, whose body couldn't even be pieced together from a single intact piece.

A prisoner suffering from nightmares, wading through mud, in darkness, aimlessly wandering, and enduring torture.

"The Return of All Things to Sand..." Iselia murmured softly.

What was the prisoner doing? It was because of that unfulfilled obsession...

The phantom remains of the saint were seen, and the ancient sand armor was seen.

It had seen them before, but had forgotten; its memory remained only at the moment when the two figures in black robes arrived.

"Please... take it home," Yunefu released his hand from Iseria's shoulder, clutching his churning stomach, and staggered back a few steps.

If this obsession cannot be quelled, then it will only be a temporary solution.

There will always be a second, a third monster's lair that will cause it to regroup and wander aimlessly along this trade route formed from its "blood and bones".

To navigate the swamp in the dark, it needs a light source, and this ballad...

Perhaps that is the light.

Iseria took a deep breath and nodded solemnly.

"The sands of time, in the end, return to the lonely shore..."

The ethereal sounds surpassed even the melodious camel bells of merchants in the past. The little ethers gathered here, like countless "fans" surrounding Iseria, scattering starlight across the boundless desert and singing loudly.

"The one who has left home sleeps amidst the sighs of the stars..."

Along the Broken Bone Road, the songs etched into the very bones and blood of every descendant of the merchants touched the heartstrings of every one of them.

At that moment, they were all stunned... whether it was the little one who was already bleeding from the cuts and was still taking a sand bath, or the shopkeeper who was arguing with a local mage.

And of course, there was the burly man who held the red stone and knelt before Yune...

This taste is even more sour than an unripe cactus fruit, sour to the core of everyone's heart, yet with a hint of sweetness after the sourness, making it unforgettable.

"Moving forward without hesitation..."

The forlorn figure standing amidst the endless yellow sands slowly merged with the ancient guardian deity under the gaze of every descendant of the merchants.

"Guardian...Guardian God," murmured the gaunt old man "Sand Scorpion" whom the two had encountered.

This sound, neither too loud nor too soft, pierced everyone's heart, like a cactus fruit bursting with juice, stirring up a dormant and numb heart full of sincerity.

The guards' blades couldn't be contained, nor could the priests' warnings...

The descendants of merchants, once protected by the sand armor and subjected to stones thrown by rumors, disregarded everything and pushed aside the obstacles in their way, rushing towards the city wall.

"Stop them! Anyone who dares to climb the city wall will be put to death!" On the city wall, several guard commanders who had been watching from the opposite bank were terrified by the sudden riot.

These "apologists," arriving a century too late, are draped in the blood of their comrades, their eyes red with rage...

The Imperial Guard Commander was submerged in the "wave"!

Those eyes filled with certain emotions, those lips chapped and cracked from dehydration... are enough to say sorry for all of this.

"If not me, then who will go to this life-or-death mission..."

The man led the way, drawing every descendant of the traveling merchants into joining him in singing...

The song, carried by the wind, shattered the sky-covering yellow sand and flowed clearly into the ears of the "Sand Armor" soldier.

The human torso, which didn't match the lower half of the scorpion's body, emitted a series of tearing sounds, and was forcibly turned around amidst the scorpion's roars.

It saw it, it heard it, those familiar figures...

The torch was passed down, and the seeds sprouted and multiplied.

That's fine.

Its deformed hands gripped the scorpion's tail tightly and tore it off without hesitation!

The scorpion let out an unprecedented wail, blood gushing from its body!

Under that golden farewell, its evolving black carapace lost its luster, turning into a cloud of yellow sand that dissipated under the blazing sun.

Only half of its body remained, its back straightened... The magic patterns on its body slowly faded, revealing its original dark golden appearance.

"Sand Armor" braced himself against the sand and turned around with difficulty to face the crowd.

Clench your fist and strike your chest.

One strike, two strikes, each one resounding.

With the obsession resolved, the unfulfilled ambition has truly come to a perfect end at this moment.

And this unfulfilled knightly ritual... is now bestowed upon the black-robed alchemist and the girl whose eyes are as clear as the sky.

"Yonev, Iseria..."

Sand Armor raised his right hand.

boom!

Just like when we first met.

The dark gold heavy armor was swept up by the upward breeze, transforming into a swirling cloud of golden sand, a spectacle unseen in Zehrhalan for a century…

Golden rain.

The rain covered the battlefield, smoothed out the scarred Golden Road, and gently fell on the shoulders of every Zerharan man.

Unbeknownst to them, two precious streams of water—tears—flowed from their eyes.

"Farewell..."

The sound returned to the heavens.

But among every Zerharan person, it will be passed down through songs or legends...

Generation after generation, their legacy will endure forever.

Yunefu, with a solemn expression, returned a perfectly standard monk's salute to the deserted area.

Beneath his feet lay evergreen, and the rhythm of the [Unquenchable Sandwood] gradually subsided. He didn't know when he had arrived at the place where the first flower had grown after Morse's sandification...

The burial ground.

In the storage bag, the last batch of frothy milk jelly was retrieved by Yunefu and divided into three portions using precious utensils, one for him, one for Iseria...

Another copy was placed on the grass and given to it.

"Eat up, or you'll melt in the sun," the black-robed alchemist said, his tone carrying a hint of his usual teasing, but his eyes held an unprecedented solemnity and respect.

Iseria, spoon in hand, carefully sipped each mouthful of frothy jelly until it melted before reluctantly swallowing. She looked at Yunevo and asked softly, "What...should this be called?"

"This is called sacrifice, Iseria," the black-robed alchemist hesitated for a moment before slowly replying.

"So, what should we call our chapter?"

"Call the future..."

On the city wall, the chorus continued to sing loudly, again and again, tirelessly.

Under the setting sun, two parallel and intersecting silhouettes continued their journey, one after the other.

There is nothing else.

Mystery, war... all things return to the sand.