Chapter 7: Mechanisms and Guardians

Following the vague symbols on the bronze mirror and the scattered clues held by Si Gumen, the group finally found an ancient altar half-buried underground and built of huge black stones in a remote and sparsely populated deep mountain valley filled with miasma.

The entrance to the altar is like the gaping black mouth of a giant beast, emitting a cold and damp atmosphere. The stone walls are covered with thick moss and strange vines. The patterns carved on them are exactly the same as the totem behind the bronze mirror, full of a mysterious and depressing atmosphere.

The disciples of Si Gu Men were the first to try to enter and investigate, but as soon as they stepped into the altar, the stone slabs under their feet suddenly sank!

With the sound of a mechanism, countless poisoned crossbow arrows shot out from the holes in the wall, dense and dense like rain! At the same time, several pits appeared in the ground, and the bottom of the pits was covered with rusty spikes!

"Be careful!" Qiao Wanwan exclaimed, her white clothes flashed, and her long sword was unsheathed, blocking the poisonous arrows shot at several young disciples. Her body was as light as a butterfly, but when she landed, in order to avoid the pit, her toes slipped slightly on a loose stone.

In that split second, a dark shadow, seemingly emerging from the shadows, suddenly pounced from behind the statue atop the altar! It wasn't a living person, but a poisonous corpse dressed in Nan Yin clothing, its skin shrunken and blackened, yet its movements were as fast as lightning! It pounced directly on the slightly stagnant Qiao Wanwan, its fingertips black and carrying a strong, toxic stench!

"Wanwan!" Xiao Zijin's eyes were bloodshot, but she was entangled by more poisonous arrows and other poisonous corpses that suddenly appeared, and was unable to rescue!

Qiao Wan barely managed to gather her strength and blocked with her sword. The poisonous corpse was incredibly powerful, and with one strike, it knocked her sword flying! Its other poisonous claw went straight for her heart!

It all happened so fast!

Li Lianhua, who was standing a little further away, didn't even have time to think when she saw Qiao Wanwan in danger, her body had already made the most instinctive reaction!

It was a habit ingrained in her bones, a habit that originated ten years ago - to protect those who came to visit her, to protect...her.

"careful!"

The voice he blurted out even forgot to pretend to be gentle, and it took on a hint of rapid sharpness!

He just flipped his wrist, and several silver needles usually used for acupuncture were infused with clever strength and shot out quickly. They were not shot at the poisonous corpse, but hit Qiao Wanwan's knees and ankles precisely!

Qiao Wanwan felt her legs go numb and limp, her body falling backward uncontrollably, just narrowly avoiding the fatal grab! The poisonous corpse's sharp claws, carrying a fishy wind, brushed against her clothes!

However, Li Lianhua's sudden outburst and emotional fluctuations caused the forcibly suppressed green tea poison in his body to suddenly backfire! A chill rushed straight into his heart and lungs, and his face instantly turned pale as paper. A sweet sensation in his throat caused him to spit out a small mouthful of black blood. He stumbled forward and almost fell!

"Doctor Li!" Qiao Wanwan fell to the ground and happened to see Li Lianhua vomiting blood. She was immediately horrified and did not care about the "coincidence" that she had just dodged.

All of this fell into the eyes of Di Feisheng, who had just chopped several poisonous corpses with a knife and was about to rush towards Li Lianhua!

He saw Li Lianhua disregarding her own safety and subconsciously saving Qiao Wanwan!

He saw Li Lianhua vomiting blood due to the poison caused by using her internal energy and getting emotionally excited!

He saw Qiao Wanwan's eyes filled with horror and worry when she looked at Li Lianhua!

A nameless evil fire instantly consumed Di Feisheng's sanity! That rage was mingled with anger at Li Lianhua for not taking care of her body, and even more so, an extremely intense jealousy and envy that he himself hadn't even noticed! — He was actually willing to sacrifice his life for her?!

"court death!"

Di Feisheng let out a deep, beast-like roar, and Beifeng Baiyang's inner strength erupted without reservation! His figure flashed past like a ghost, and the knife in his hand flashed. It was not some exquisite move, but a horizontal slash that condensed monstrous anger and domineering inner strength!

boom!

The poisonous corpse that had nearly injured Qiao Wanwan and indirectly caused Li Lianhua's poison attack was directly split apart by the violent sword energy, exploding into countless fragments! Black poisonous blood and rotten flesh splattered everywhere, but was completely dispelled by the majestic aura surrounding Di Feisheng, and not a drop of it touched Li Lianhua and Qiao Wanwan behind him.

Flash sale!

The whole place fell silent for a moment, everyone was shocked by Di Feisheng's sudden and almost murderous horrific method.

Di Feisheng didn't even look at the exploding poisonous corpse. He turned around abruptly, stepped in front of Li Lianhua, and grabbed his slender wrist with such force that he almost crushed his bones.

He stared intently at the glaring black blood at the corner of Li Lianhua's pale mouth. His eyes were frighteningly sinister, his chest heaving violently, and he squeezed out cold words from between his teeth: "Li Lianhua! Your life... is so worthless? For her, you even ignored the poison?!"

The anger and undisguised sourness in these words stunned Qiao Wanwan, who had just struggled to stand up. She looked at the scene in front of her somewhat helplessly.

Li Lianhua's wrist was clenched so tightly that it hurt. Poisonous gas surged through her body, and her vision went black. However, she still forced herself to raise her head and met Di Feisheng's eyes, which were almost spitting fire. She smiled weakly, her breathing unsteady, "Di... Alliance Leader Di... I misunderstood... A doctor's heart is full of compassion. How can I stand by and watch someone die without helping..."

"What a compassionate doctor!" Di Feisheng violently shook his hand away, the force so strong that Li Lianhua staggered again. He looked around at the confused and uncertain eyes around him, and finally snorted coldly, no longer looking at Qiao Wanwan, all his anger directed at Li Lianhua: "If you want to die, I will grant you your wish now!"

Having said that, he did not move again, but the low pressure emanating from his body almost made the air solidify.

Li Lianhua lowered her eyes to hide the complicated look in them, coughed softly, and stopped talking.

Di Feisheng's cold roar of "I'll grant you your wish" was still echoing in the valley, carrying a terrifying murderous intent that made everyone who heard it shudder.

However, his next actions were completely contrary to his words!

He suddenly stepped forward again, not to attack, but to grab Li Lianhua, who was staggering due to the poison, and forcefully picked her up sideways!

"You...!" Li Lianhua was shocked, and her blood surged again. She coughed up a little black blood, staining the collar of Di Feisheng's shirt red.

Di Feisheng didn't even glance at the bloodstains. He quickly retreated, carrying the person, away from the altar entrance and the crowd, finding a relatively clean and sheltered spot behind a boulder. He carefully placed Li Lianhua on the ground and sat cross-legged behind him. Almost roughly, he ripped open Li Lianhua's clothes, revealing her pale but graceful back.

"Di Feisheng...what are you doing..." Li Lianhua's breath was weak. She wanted to struggle, but she was powerless all over.

"Shut up!" Di Fei growled, his voice still filled with lingering anger, but the palms pressing on Li Lianhua's vital points were incredibly hot. "If you dare to die, I will let the entire Si Gu Men be buried with you!"

This threat was overbearing and unreasonable, but it was more like an expression of extreme panic.

Before he finished speaking, Beifeng Baiyang's extremely strong and masculine internal energy had already rushed into Li Lianhua's icy meridians like a flood that broke through a dam!

"Ugh!" Li Lianhua was caught off guard and let out a painful groan. Di Feisheng's internal energy was too overbearing and fierce, completely opposite to the soft and gentle Yangzhou slow internal energy within him, even clashing with it! This external force, forcibly intruding, was like a red-hot iron thrusting into an ice cave, the tearing pain it brought was almost as severe as the corrosive effects of the green tea poison itself!

His body began to tremble violently, and cold sweat instantly soaked his whole body.

"Bear with it!" Di Feisheng felt his body's resistance and pain, and his anger grew stronger, mixed with unspeakable anxiety. He could only hold him tighter and continuously send his internal strength to him, trying to forcibly suppress the raging cold poison.

However, a miracle happened.

At first, there was extreme pain and conflict, but gradually, when Beifeng Baiyang's burning and violent internal force came into contact with the cold and gloomy energy at the core of the Green Tea Poison, the expected violent repulsion and explosion did not occur. Instead, it was like the scorching sun encountering solid ice. Although the process was intense, it was really melting and suppressing little by little!

The icy pain within Li Lianhua's body actually began to slowly subside under the impact of the overwhelming heat! Although the process was extremely painful, as if his meridians were repeatedly burned and torn, the coldness that had been constantly eroding his vitality since he was poisoned was indeed temporarily forced back!

"This... this..." Li Lianhua gasped for air, his eyes filled with disbelief. He had tried countless methods himself and knew the stubbornness and terribleness of the green tea poison. While Yangzhou's slow internal force could delay it, it couldn't truly reverse it. And Di Feisheng's seemingly incompatible and incomparably powerful internal force could actually...

Di Feisheng also immediately noticed this amazing change!

He clearly felt that his own internal force, which usually only destroyed and annihilated, had effectively curbed the spread of the cold and toxic energy after entering Li Lianhua's body. Although it caused immense pain, it actually did effectively curb the spread of the cold and toxic energy! Even... those fragments of his extremely yang internal force seemed to be slowly neutralizing the toxin?

This discovery made his heart beat wildly, and all his anger and jealousy were replaced by huge shock and... ecstasy!

Can suppress!

His inner strength could actually suppress the poison of the green tea?!

Ten years of searching, ten years of emptiness, ten years of obsession... At this moment, I finally saw a ray of tangible and touchable light!

He no longer hesitated, nor did he care about the risks that might arise from any conflict in the internal force attributes. He carefully controlled the strength and continued to input more and more refined Beifeng Baiyang's internal force into Li Lianhua's body.

Time passes by little by little.

The skin on Li Lianhua's back turned red, as if burned. The severe pain almost made him faint, but at the same time, a faint trace of blood appeared on his pale face miraculously, and the coldness that penetrated deep into his bones was also dispelled a lot.

Finally, Di Feisheng felt that the toxins in Li Lianhua's body were temporarily suppressed back to a relatively stable state, so he slowly stopped.

Both were drenched, as if pulled from the water. Di Feisheng was exhausted, while Li Lianhua had experienced a torture of ice and fire.

Li Lianhua fell forward weakly, but was caught by Di Feisheng and held in his arms.

"How is it?" Di Feisheng's voice was very hoarse, with a hint of imperceptible tension and expectation, staring at Li Lianhua's face.

Li Lianhua took a long time to calm down before she raised her head with difficulty. She looked at Di Feisheng with extremely complicated eyes and nodded slowly. Her voice was weak but clear: "It's been suppressed for the time being. Your internal force... can actually..."

After receiving a positive answer, Di Feisheng's eyes suddenly flashed with a terrifying light, a kind of almost crazy joy and hope! His arms unconsciously tightened, holding the person in his arms even tighter, as if he was afraid that this hard-earned hope would slip away.

"Li Xiangyi..." He lowered his head, his forehead almost touching Li Lianhua's, their hot breaths mingling together. His voice was low and paranoid, with an unquestionable determination, "Did you hear me? I can suppress your poison! I can save you! From today on, your life belongs to me! You are not allowed to die without my permission! Do you hear me?"

This wasn't a question, it was a command. It was a declaration.

Li Lianhua stared at him blankly, looking at those eyes so close to her, filled with ecstasy, paranoia and amazing possessiveness. For a moment, she forgot to refute or pretend.

The poison of green tea...is there a cure?

In the distance, the people of Sigumen, especially Qiao Wanwan, who were separated from the Golden Yuan League, looked in the direction of the boulder with their eyes full of worry, confusion, and a hint of indescribable complex emotions.

Di Feisheng's anger and jealousy, by accident, opened up an unprecedented way out for the two of them.