Meanwhile, in the Endless Abyss
As Xu Qianghua's parents stepped through the shimmering portal, a chaotic expanse of the Endless Abyss greeted them.
The swirling skies of purple and red flashed with streaks of chaotic energy, and the air hummed with an uneasy calmness, a surprising contrast to the dread the name "Eternal Abyss" usually inspired.
But this did not surprise the duo. Having visited this place many times before, they remained unfazed.
The mother casually pulled a miniature spirit boat from her storage ring and tossed it into the air.
As she did, the tiny vessel began to expand, growing rapidly until it became a massive ship large enough to comfortably carry over a thousand people.
With a light jump, they both flew onto the deck using their Spiritual Qi. Once aboard, the mother closed her eyes, connecting her consciousness to the boat's intelligence.
With a flicker of her thoughts, the boat began to glide smoothly through the air, moving without making any noise.
The mother glanced around, her cheerful expression unwavering despite the desolate, eerie landscape.
The jagged terrain below was broken by massive fissures that seemed to pulse with chaotic energy.
Floating islands of black rock hovered ominously, crackling with unstable energy that occasionally sent bolts of lightning streaking through the skies.
"It's been far too long since we were last here," she said, leaning on the boat's railing to take in the jagged terrain and ominous floating islands.
"Though I must admit, the energy feels a bit... colder than usual."
The father stood beside her, his gaze steady and calm as he scanned the horizon. "It's likely because the Abyss has grown more chaotic over the years.
Beasts here thrive on the chaos energy, but that also means fiercer competition. Only the strongest survive."
The boat sailed onward, its protective barrier glowing faintly against the red-black energy that made anyone crazy if they stayed for too long.
Beneath them, rivers of glowing chaos flowed like molten lava, splitting the terrain into smaller fragments that were then separated from the bunch and carried by the rivers.
There were many formations placed all around the ground; most of them were incomplete formations as they were broken, which caused them to lose half of the formation.
As they moved across, the mother, who was waiting for her husband to find the location, could not help but become confused when she did not hear anything from him.
So, the mother turned to her husband with a curious look. "So, how far is the Chaos Panther from here? Can we get there quickly?"
The father's calm demeanor faltered slightly, and he hesitated before replying. "Well... about that."
The mother raised an eyebrow, her cheerful expression turning to a surprised one as she guessed what had happened. "What do you mean 'about that'? Don't tell me..."
The father sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I might have... lost the tracking qi I left on the panther."
Her eyes widened, and she placed her hands on her hips. "You lost it? How could you lose it? You're the one who insisted on leaving it there!"
"It's not my fault," he said defensively. "The Abyss has grown more unstable since the last time we were here. The chaotic energy likely disrupted the tracking qi."
At the center of the blood pool lay the Chaos Panther, its sleek form sprawled on the ground. Its once-lustrous black fur was matted with blood, and deep gashes marred its powerful body.
Nearby, a glowing egg rested in a protective nest of swirling chaos energy, pulsing faintly.
Xu Qianghua's father rushed forward, kneeling beside the fallen beast. His expression was grim as he checked its vitals.
"It's alive, but just barely," he reported. "We need to stabilize it fast, or we could lose it."
The mother moved quickly, her expression calm and collected despite the urgency of the situation.
"We have to heal it," she said, placing a gentle hand on the panther's head. "It's the only way."
Although they have pills that can heal someone who is dying, the pills are made specifically for humans, which means that only humans are able to use the pills.
This is why Xu Qianghua's mother did not have a healing pill on her.
"But we have to know how to convert the healing pill so that it can be suited for the spirit beasts," the mother said as she slowly petted the panther, trying to calm it down.
This caused the panther's golden eyes to open and flicker weakly. It met theirs with a mixture of vigilance, relief, and desperation.
It let out a low growl, nudging the egg weakly toward the mother.
Vigilance is its natural instinct, while the other two are due to its ability to feel a peaceful aura from them.
This is why it was willing to hand over the egg it risked its life to protect.
Xu Qianghua's mother smiled soothingly, giving it a reassuring look.
"It's okay. We're here to help you. Just rest."
As she said this, her Spiritual Qi seeped into the panther's body, but not too much, as their spiritual qi is too powerful for the panther in its prime, not to mention when it is so badly wounded.
Meanwhile, the father spreads his senses to the surrounding area, trying to find the required herbs to change the pill so the Chaos Panther can take it.
However, as this is the edge of the Abyss, not even basic herbs can be found here.
As such, Xu Qianghua's father had no choice but to go deeper into the Abyss and search for the herbs.
He was not worried, as the mother would protect the beast, and she could also handle it.
With a quick glance at his wife and the Chaos Panther, the father nodded, satisfied.
"I'm going to gather some supplies. Take care of things while I'm gone."
She glanced up at him, her expression calm. "I will."
With that, he was gone, and the mother focused on the egg the panther had given her.
It was about the size of a football and glowed with a soft, golden light. She carefully placed it in her lap, gently stroking its shell.