He couldn't force her into a wheelchair just because of a shared feeling.

Two pure white magnolia petals floated in the air. Han Shuangying turned around and looked at the tall girl under the eaves, asking, "What is it?"

Yan Huanyue stepped down the stone steps. "Something went wrong, and Senior Brother Gu asked me to come out first."

The petals drifted down to her neatly combed hair and then floated back to Han Shuangying's side.

Han Shuangying sighed, "Since you've already memorized the 'Slow Stop Chapter,' why are you in such a hurry? Your innate spiritual energy is extremely heavy. If you try to forcibly absorb more spiritual energy from heaven and earth, the spiritual energy will pour back into you like a spiritual eye. If the torrent is too strong, you simply won't be able to control it."

Yan Huanyue said, "Yes, I will take it slowly in the future."

"Go back. Your cultivation level is not high, and your methods of absorbing spiritual energy are limited. Today's mishap was not serious. Before going to sleep, circulate your spiritual energy around your body twice to nourish your spiritual sea and spiritual veins. Don't be lazy."

Yan Huanyue answered softly, "Yes."

Such is the nature of a pure spirit body: if too strong, it is easily broken; if too weak, it will lead to death. If one wishes to cultivate, one must be cautious and meticulous, maintaining perfect balance in all things.

This is the real reason for her laziness in her previous life.

Even if she had the same five spiritual roots and the same skill level, she would always be the one who was outshone.

She used to not understand why, despite being so unsuitable for cultivation, the sect leader kept her hanging on like that at the Heart Pavilion.

It was only later that I learned that before the demons wreaked havoc on the world, the Pure Spirit Body, like a high-grade spirit stone, was an excellent material for evil cultivators to refine pills. If one had cultivation, one could at least protect oneself to some extent, and at the very least, escape faster than an ordinary person.

After the establishment of the Sky Patrol Bureau, in order to protect the human race and eliminate the demon race, it used swift and decisive measures to deal with the killing and alchemy practices.

Once discovered, in addition to using the methods of soul-destroying and body-killing previously practiced by various sects' Wenshi Hall, a clause was added: "Within the three clans, all their roots and bones will be destroyed."

People are willing to take risks, to gamble with their lives, and to commit acts of great winning or losing. The more these acts are forbidden, the more people will commit them. However, those who are willing to risk their own flesh and blood are ultimately a minority.

The Celestial Patrol also distributes some spirit stones to cultivators without sects every month to encourage them to improve their cultivation and contribute to the human race.

Those wicked and evil cultivators mixed in among them, shouting "Slaughter all the demons and act on behalf of Heaven" for the sake of the human race, also gained benefits. They were all busy grabbing the high-grade spirit stones that were distributed, and very few of them risked killing people to refine pills during this period.

However, there are no absolutely correct laws in this world. As the demon race retreated to the thirty-six continents beyond the natural barrier, the human race gradually prospered. As a result, the spirit stones distributed by the Sky Patrol Division decreased year by year, and some wicked cultivators who had been supported for many years began to stir.

Yan Huanyue stood on the high platform in front of Wenshi Hall, looking towards the direction of the guest house. The night breeze gently blew the red ribbon in her hair.

People like Fu Yinhuan and Yu Zhao, who would drink the blood and flesh of others and suck the marrow and chew the bones for their own benefit, are always coming in waves, impossible to eradicate completely.

There are many seemingly glamorous and profound truths in this world.

But when real infighting and death come, some people will be like soybeans that haven't been soaked properly, poured into the millstone and ground into a pulp of blood, flesh, and bone fragments.

She now understands perfectly well that even if she tries to avoid it, she cannot escape the painstaking scheming and unexpected disasters. Even if she seeks protection, there will be no eternal protection.

To live peacefully, you must become stronger.

Back in the courtyard, I went to the side room to offer incense to my parents' memorial tablets, and also offered incense to myself.

As wisps of smoke curled upwards, she returned to her room to wash up, then sat cross-legged on the bed, took a Shouyuan Pill, silently recited the "Spiritual Qi Circulation and Slowing Chapter," and then slowly circulated her spiritual energy throughout her body's meridians.

In the darkness, a magnificent cauldron, carved with clouds and cranes, stood translucent red, its smoke billowing outwards. She stood beneath the cauldron, looking up at it.

As wisps of white smoke rose, the heavy cloud cover on the immortal cauldron was suddenly pushed open from the inside.

Five charred finger bones emerged from inside the cauldron, grabbing the red-hot rim, and a wisp of white smoke hissed up from beneath his hand.

She gradually opened her eyes wide, and with a "crack," her other charred hand bone gripped the edge of the cauldron.

She couldn't help but take a step forward, the scorching heat from the immortal cauldron hitting her face and burning her.

She stared intently at the rim of the cauldron, where smoke billowed and swirled, watching the two skeletal hands gradually gripping the rim, her heart pounding.

Deep down, I was inexplicably anticipating something.

In the silence, a dark, round skull slowly emerged, its empty eye sockets filled with billowing smoke, peering out stealthily.

Their eyes met suddenly, and Yan Huanyue opened them.

The dim starlight and moonlight outside the window before dawn, like a cold and weak tide, seeped inch by inch toward the bedside.

The spiritual sea and veins returned to normal, without any trace of injury. Only the burning pain in the soul was still hazy and indistinct, as if shrouded in a light veil.

She moved her legs and smoothed out the wrinkles in her clothes that had gotten a little creased from sitting all night.

The searing, agonizing pain suddenly broke through the boundary between dream and reality, rushing over her like lightning before quickly disappearing.

She was momentarily powerless and fell onto the bed, instantly covered in a cold sweat.

Lying on the bed, she stared at the curtains above her, her face expressionless, thinking: "The lingering death and recurring nightmares, is this what rebirth means to bear, or... are you afraid that I will forget those pains in this second life?"

She gave a self-deprecating laugh and didn't dwell on it too much.

He immediately got out of bed, washed up and changed his clothes, applied some medicine to his hands which were almost healed, and, while the moon was still hanging in the sky, headed towards the Broken Jade Waterfall in the cool breeze.

Before dawn, the Tianyanzong Temple resembled a scene from a traditional Chinese ink painting, with its light and delicate brushstrokes, and a few lamps glowing softly.

Yan Huanyue stood in the bamboo forest path, tucking the strands of hair that had been ruffled by the wind behind her, and looked around. The brightest spot was the library not far away.

The Tianyan Sect is a renowned sect in the spiritual cultivation world, and such a sect is full of people who are both highly talented and diligent.

She admitted that diligence is probably a talent; there are always people who can sleep at midnight and get up at dawn to cultivate themselves and read scriptures, while there are always people who can't get enough energy even after sleeping for five hours a day.

This requires mental effort to sustain.

She has failed once in her life, and even died once. Now, even when she sleeps, she can't sleep soundly.

The morning breeze was chilly. She inhaled the cold air and felt like coughing, but then she heard coughs coming from not far away.

It looks somewhat familiar.

She stood by the path for a while, and gradually the sound of wheels rolling came from the path. A warm yellow light gradually shone through the winding path.

The boy sat in an exquisite wheelchair, carrying a bamboo lantern. The hood of his cloak covered his eyebrows, and the lower half of his face was pale as thin porcelain in the candlelight.

Deep within the bamboo grove, the bamboo leaves rustled, and the shadow of his lamp fell onto the path, swaying gently.

He stopped there and looked over from a distance, his calm gaze sweeping past her like a blade of wind.

She looked at him again and saw him leaning back in his chair, lazily wrapped in a thick indigo cloak.

He was sickly and listless, which made him look even younger than twenty.

He simply lowered his eyes, sat quietly, looking listless, his brows and eyes filled with deep weariness, as if he didn't have the energy to greet her.

His appearance only made Yan Huanyue look even more energetic and vibrant, radiating high spirits.

The boy regained his composure, stood up using the armrests of his wheelchair, bowed to her while holding a bamboo lantern, and said in a hoarse voice, "Sister... Senior Sister Yan, good morning."

Yan Huanyue greeted him with a hand gesture and asked with concern, "Why are you up so early?"

Pei Xuanzhi obediently replied, "I can't sleep, so I'll go to the library to read for a while. I heard that an elder is giving a sermon in the Mingjian Pavilion today, so I need to go early to reserve a spot."

Mingjian Pavilion is located near Zhijing Hall. The sect elders often preach and teach their disciples here. Even those who are not direct disciples have the opportunity to listen to the teachings, understand the scriptures, and receive guidance.

Those from other sects who come to study or travel on ordinary days are also eligible to sit in on the classes.

Yan Huanyue asked, "Do you know the way to Mingjian Pavilion?"

She walked behind him and tried to push the wheelchair. As soon as she put her hand on it, the wheelchair turned around and ran to Pei Xuanzhi's side to hide from her.

Pei Xuanzhi turned around, carrying the lantern, his eyes sparkling like stars. "Senior Sister Yan, this has a protective talisman on it, there's no need to... touch it. I went to Mingjian Pavilion yesterday, I still remember the way."

Yan Huanyue pointed to the fork in the road and said, "Then sit down and rest. Let it take you to the library. This way is closer."

He was still very easy to talk to, "Okay, thank you, senior sister."

Yan Huanyue pointed to the distance and said, "Then I'll go to the Shattered Jade Waterfall first."

"good."

The wisp of powder disappeared around the bend in the path a long time ago. Pei Xuanzhi lowered his eyes and looked at the wheelchair beside his legs.

The wheelchair trembled under his gaze, then turned its wooden wheels and ran away.

The hand holding the black jade bracelet extended from the cloak, and the five distinct fingers suddenly clenched, causing two yellow talismans to fly out from the wheel.

The wheelchair, which had been trembling, remained quietly in place, just like any other inanimate object.

He coughed a few times, slowly moved over, put the wheelchair into his treasure pouch, and then tossed two yellow talismans into the air. They both burst into flames with a "bang" and vanished into ashes in a moment.

He covered his lips with his sleeve, coughed, and walked toward the brightly lit library ahead, carrying a lantern.

If he had known he would meet her, he would never have driven his wheelchair to her for the sake of convenience.

Now everything is uncertain. Tianyan Sect has plenty of strong and healthy young men. If she sees that his health is so poor and wants to back out, he cannot force her for the sake of a contract. Naturally, her father will also side with her.

After all, she was Bao Ying, a child her father had personally brought back and raised, while he, Pei Xuanzhi...

For the two of them, it was nothing more than a responsibility they had to bear and a way to repay a debt of gratitude.

A note from the author:

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