The atmosphere inside the Blackwood Global Research Center was a stark contrast to the chaotic, orange-tinted sky outside. While the city of Jiangcheng began to cough under the weight of Yan the Scorcher's toxic fog, the laboratory was a sterile, high-tech sanctuary. Alexander stood at the center of the command hub, his eyes tracing the real-time thermal maps of the city on the wall-sized monitors.
"The saturation levels are rising in the low-lying districts," Alexander said, his voice deep and resonant. "The hospitals are reporting a thirty percent increase in respiratory distress calls every ten minutes. Elena, how much time do we have?"
Elena was hunched over a microscopic analysis station, her fingers flying across a touch-sensitive interface. Beside the modern equipment sat her traditional mortar and pestle, filled with a vibrant, emerald-green paste she had ground by hand.
"The fog isn't just a chemical; it's a spiritual parasite," Elena explained, not looking up. "Yan has infused the moisture with 'Aggressive Yang' particles. They attach to the Wei Qi—the defensive energy field—of anyone who breathes it in. Once the Wei Qi is compromised, the body's internal heat spikes, leading to the Sun-Fever."
She pulled up a 3D model of the human respiratory system on a secondary screen.
"To stop this, we can't just use a standard saline mist. We need to stabilize the Lung Meridian for the entire population simultaneously," she continued. "I've formulated a compound that combines a liquid silver catalyst with a concentrated extract of Wild Chrysanthemum and Peppermint. The silver will act as a lightning rod for the Yang particles, while the herbs will reinforce the body's cooling cycle."
"Can we mass-produce it?" Alexander asked, turning to his head of pharmacology, a woman who looked like she hadn't slept in forty-eight hours.
"We've repurposed the vaccine production lines," the scientist reported. "But we have a delivery problem. If we use crop dusters, the heat from the orange fog will evaporate the liquid before it reaches the ground. We need a way to keep the antidote cold during the drop."
"I will handle the temperature," Alexander said.
He walked toward the loading bay where a fleet of high-altitude drones was being prepped. Each drone carried a pressurized tank of Elena's silver-herbal solution. As Alexander passed, the air in the bay shimmered. His new Golden-Ice energy was no longer a volatile force he struggled to contain; it was a tool he could project with intent.
He placed his hand on the primary distribution tank. A faint, blue-gold glow traveled from his palm into the metal. The temperature gauge on the tank plummeted, settling at exactly thirty-two degrees Fahrenheit. The liquid inside didn't freeze, but it began to hum with a protective, stabilizing energy.
"Deploy the first wave," Alexander commanded.
Elena joined him on the observation deck as the drones launched, their silent rotors cutting through the orange haze. Below them, the city looked like it was trapped in an amber jar. As the drones reached the designated coordinates over the city center, they began to release the antidote.
Instead of a heavy spray, the drones emitted a fine, shimmering silver mist. As the mist hit the orange fog, the two collided with a visible crackle of static energy. The silver droplets acted as sponges, soaking up the orange heat. The sky above Jiangcheng began to transition from a sickly orange to a cool, translucent grey.
On the monitors, the thermal spikes across the city began to flatten.
"It's working," Elena whispered, her hand finding Alexander's. "The Wei Qi of the city is resetting."
"It's a temporary fix," Alexander reminded her, his grip on her hand tightening. "Yan will know we broke his 'prescription.' He won't wait for the Lunar New Year if he thinks we're making a move."
"Let him know," Elena said, her eyes flashing with a newfound determination. "We aren't just defending Jiangcheng anymore. We're preparing for Mount Tai. If the Valley of the Sun wants to treat the world like a laboratory, they need to learn what happens when the subjects fight back."
They spent the next several hours monitoring the dispersion. By midnight, the orange fog had been completely neutralized, leaving the city air crisp and smelling faintly of mint and rain. The "Sun-Fever" epidemic had been averted, but the cost was high—Alexander's internal energy was depleted, and Elena's hands were stained with the juices of the rare herbs she had sacrificed to save the population.
They returned to the manor in the early hours of the morning. Sarah Lin was waiting for them in the library, surrounded by ancient maps of the Shandong province.
"You have poked the hornet's nest," Sarah said, though her voice carried a hint of pride. "The First Sun will report your success to the Sovereign of the Valley. They will no longer send Alchemists to test you. They will send the Shadow Needle Guards to escort you to the mountain."
"Then we will be ready," Alexander said. He turned to Elena. "We leave in forty-eight hours. I've chartered a private vessel to take us to the coast. We won't fly; the Valley has too much influence over the upper atmosphere."
"Alexander," Elena said softly, looking at the golden mark on his chest. "Mount Tai is the place where the Lins were first given the Phoenix Needle. It's not just a temple; it's a trial. Are you sure you're ready to face the source of your curse?"
Alexander pulled her close, his eyes reflecting the moonlight. "I'm not the man they marked four generations ago, Elena. And you're not the disgraced daughter they tried to erase. Let them have their mountain. We're bringing the fire."