Chen Tian stood beside Long Kelin, and an elder beside Long Kelin slowly spoke, "Young Master, this is..."
"It's nothing, just a friend."
Long Kelin said faintly, as if acknowledging Chen Tian. Chen Tian then spoke, "Just call me Chen Tian."
"Long Kelin is fine. Chen Tian, you said you have a way to save my sister's condition, is that right?"
"We'll know after I see it, but I sense familiar symptoms from this elder. It shouldn't be difficult to treat."
Chen Tian's confident demeanor instantly instilled hope in Long Kelin. Long Kelin made a decisive statement, "Chen Tian, come with us. As long as you can save my sister, I'll do whatever you ask, and I will never disobey."
This time, Long Kelin made a monumental promise. To him, his sister was far more important than anything else. He would even sacrifice himself to save her. Chen Tian waved his hand, "No need. I'm helping you because I feel you're suitable to be a friend."
Chen Tian's style of making friends was based on intuition. He felt Long Kelin was a friend worth befriending, which prompted him to offer help. Moreover, the butler had a familiar aura, likely from a certain symptom. If left untreated, Long Kelin and his kin would eventually fall into the same situation. Only Chen Tian knew how to cure this ailment, and he couldn't stand by and do nothing. After all, the Dragon People were a branch of the Dragon race. Chen Tian, possessing Ancestral Dragon blood, considered them his subjects and felt obligated to help them.
Chen Tian, Long Kelin, and the butler walked away from the crowd. As they walked on the road, no cultivators dared to block their path. It was a joke; they wouldn't dare to obstruct them, it would be suicidal. Both Chen Tian and Long Kelin's power far surpassed that of the cultivators present. Coupled with the warning from the enforcement team, who would dare to make a move?
Long Kelin looked at Chen Tian and then back at the ongoing fight behind them. He asked with concern, "Chen Tian, aren't you going to check on your mechanical friend?"
"Ah! You mean Bing Tianning? It's fine, no need to worry about him. They can't do anything to Bing Tianning. He'll find us shortly."
Chen Tian didn't show any concern about Bing Tianning's potential defeat. He had almost forgotten that Bing Tianning was still fighting. Hearing this, Long Kelin, who had been considering helping Bing Tianning, now felt it was unnecessary. If Chen Tian wasn't worried, why should he be? The priority now was for Chen Tian to treat his sister.
Chen Tian and his group headed towards another side of Dark Realm City. Dark Realm City was vast, with many residences. To live in Dark Realm City required considerable wealth; the price for a single room was about half the resources of a world. Dark Realm City was more than just a city; it was akin to a world where beings lived and adapted. Led by Long Kelin, Chen Tian arrived before a small room.
It was a humble dwelling. Even with Long Kelin's wealth, he could only afford this much. Larger houses were beyond his means, especially with his sister needing treatment, which would incur significant expenses. Long Kelin's current funds were scarce, which was why he had designs on Bing Tianning's materials. Those were top-tier materials; selling even a small portion could alleviate their immediate predicament.
Even before entering, Chen Tian sensed the aura of decay and erosion. Standing at the doorway, Chen Tian's expression turned grave. "Tell me honestly, how long has your sister been in this condition?"
"Three months. We've been suppressing the illness with medication."
Seeing Chen Tian speak these words, Long Kelin was overjoyed. Perhaps Chen Tian could truly save his sister.
Chen Tian said calmly, "Your sister's condition is very serious, but I need to examine it closely."
Chen Tian pushed open the door, and a surge of black mist erupted from within. Chen Tian's eyes widened, and a protective barrier enveloped the three of them. Long Kelin and the butler looked at the interior of the room with shocked expressions. How had the entire room become like this?
The room was eerily empty. This was impossible. The butler was even more stunned, as the room had not been like this when they left previously. Chen Tian stepped inside, his footsteps echoing as if he were treading on a pool of water, splashing black liquid.
Long Kelin and the butler noticed what was beneath Chen Tian's feet. Chen Tian snapped his fingers a few times, and flames appeared in the air above the room, burning fiercely and illuminating the dark space. What met their eyes was a pool of dark liquid on the floor; the entire room's floor was like a mire.
"What... what's going on?"
Long Kelin asked, bewildered. He had never encountered anything like this. What had happened in this room?
Chen Tian murmured, "Things have become quite serious."
Chen Tian was all too familiar with this symptom. It had reached a critical stage where survival was questionable, even for Long Kelin's sister. Chen Tian ignored the pool of liquid and walked forward, quickly reaching the center of the room.
Chen Tian looked at the figure in the center of the room. A young girl lay there quietly. Her entire body was covered in black spots. She was a Dragon Person girl, appearing much younger than Long Kelin, perhaps a few years his junior. Green dragon horns protruded from her head, and her dragon claws were gradually being stained black by the spots. Her entire being seemed to be decaying.
"It is indeed the Death Black Syndrome."
Chen Tian stated directly upon seeing this. Long Kelin asked, "Chen Tian, what kind of symptom is Death Black Syndrome?"
Chen Tian explained, "Death Black Syndrome is a peculiar symptom. Those afflicted are covered in black spots all over their bodies, eventually losing consciousness and dissolving into black liquid. Logically, this symptom should only appear on graves or corpses, and one would need to be infected."
"Dragon People shouldn't be infected with this symptom. Long Kelin, have you and your sister been anywhere, like a graveyard or a place with corpses?"
Chen Tian pondered. Long Kelin's sister likely contracted Death Black Syndrome by entering a place of extreme desolation and being influenced by its aura. Death Black Syndrome was highly contagious, and one could easily be infected if not careful.
If Long Kelin hadn't been continuously suppressing his sister's symptoms with medication, both Long Kelin and the butler would have already been infected and suffering alongside her. They wouldn't be standing here unharmed. They would have been infected long ago and tormented by Death Black Syndrome. The most terrifying aspect of Death Black Syndrome was the black spots, which continuously produced black liquid. This black liquid was essentially a person's blood, nerves, bones, and flesh. They had to cure the girl before she completely transformed into black liquid.
Fortunately, there was still a chance. Chen Tian looked at the girl and extended his arm, releasing a blast of cold air that enveloped her body, creating an ice-encased statue. Chen Tian nodded, "In this state, she can last for five days. Long Kelin, let's talk outside."
Chen Tian led Long Kelin and the butler out of the room. It was not suitable to stay inside for long. Chen Tian was unaffected by Death Black Syndrome, but Long Kelin and the butler were susceptible.
"Have you thought of any place she might have gone?"
"I can't recall her going to any desolate place. Three months ago, it should only have been the Ancestral Land."
Long Kelin mused, and Chen Tian declared, "Then that's where it is."
"Chen Tian, do you not have a solution?"
"I do, but I need to go to the source. We must find the origin, the source of Death Black Syndrome."
"So, the source of infection? We need to eliminate the source to completely save your sister."
Chen Tian's words made Long Kelin ponder. The butler said gravely, "Young Master, if it's the Ancestral Land, we can't get in."
"I know. The Dragon People's territory is not to be trespassed upon."
Long Kelin was caught in a dilemma. If he had to make a choice, he would undoubtedly choose his sister.
After an internal struggle, he said with determination, "Let's go. At worst, we'll be expelled from the family. What is there to be afraid of? It's bound to happen sooner or later."