34 Both sides suffer

Jiang Chen vomited blood again. His exposed skin had been charred. Cang Wenshan was not doing well either. His exposed jaw showed white bones. "Cang Wenshan, how long can you endure this?" The flames on the cauldron intensified. The array patterns inside the cauldron flickered. The inner wall glowed red and the temperature was getting higher and higher. If this continued, the two of them would really be turned into elixirs. His back slammed against the cauldron wall again. The array vibrated gently to reduce the damage caused by the collision. The humming sound continued. It was the cauldron making a mournful cry. Jiang Chen took a breath. A sweet and fishy taste hit her nose. She smiled a little ferociously. Are you the only one who can hit people? She suddenly bent her body backwards. She grabbed Cang Wenshan's arm tightly, even touching the exposed arm bone, and slammed her forehead against his. After a bang, two screams rang out at the same time. The skull cracked and blood flowed down the forehead to cover the whole face. For a moment, Cang Wenshan's grip lost its strength. He released Jiang Chen and floated backward, his limbs spread out. One hand had been reduced to white bones, and the other half was covered in white bones. Pure yang fire enveloped him, barely holding back the dark blue flames. But even as Jiang Chen's vision swirled, waves of blackening appeared, and the pain made her breath difficult, her charred hands still held onto Cang Wenshan tightly, refusing to let go. "You lose... You lose! Hahaha!" She laughed, the sound only a few strangled, hoarse coughs forced from her chest, blood gushing out and coating her mouth. Jiang Chen closed her eyes, perhaps too hard, her grip on Cang Wenshan's arm remained, preventing him from leaving her side. Had he truly been refined into an elixir? "Why is there no sound?" They exchanged glances. "It can't really be refined..." The junior brother shook off the grip, his sleeve ripped, and flew towards the giant cauldron. "You..." his captors cried urgently, "Don't touch Jiang Chen's fire!" Who knew where she'd acquired this mutated spiritual fire? Unless possessing a protective magical treasure or possessing a realm far superior to hers, the flames wouldn't reach anyone who touched it. "Brother," he shouted, but he couldn't circumvent the blue flames. Slashing at the cauldron with his sword proved futile. Several stopped watching and rushed to help. They couldn't let these two die inside the cauldron. A faint light flickered in the distance. Someone caught it out of the corner of their eye, tilted their head, and in the blink of an eye, the light reached them. The hem of their clothing ripped from their speed. The figure in black, slender, his hair rustling, revealed eyes even darker and more serene beneath his black lashes. Feng Jingluo said nothing, his invisible aura forcing the blue flames aside, and he leaped directly into the cauldron. The space within was as vast as a mustard seed, and the two men floated on their backs in mid-air, enveloped by a hazy halo. It was the cauldron's self-proclaimed guardian. Feng Jingluo was displeased and...

Jiang Chen vomited blood again, and his exposed skin was already burnt. Cang Wenshan was not in a good condition either, with his exposed jaw showing white bones.

"Cang Wenshan, how long can you endure?" The flames on the cauldron intensified, the patterns inside the cauldron flickered, the inner wall glowed red, and the temperature became higher and higher.

If this continues, the two of them will really be refined into elixirs.

His back hit the wall of the tripod again. The magic circle vibrated gently to reduce the damage caused by the collision. The buzzing sound continued, and it was the tripod making a mournful cry.

Jiang Chen took a breath, and a fishy-sweet taste filled her mouth. She smiled a little ferociously. Are you the only one who can bump into me?

She suddenly bent her body backward, grabbed Cang Wenshan's arm tightly, even touching the exposed arm bone, and hit her forehead against the other's forehead.

After a bang, two screams rang out at the same time, the skull cracked, and blood flowed from the forehead to the entire face.

There was a moment of distraction, and Cang Wenshan's palm lost its strength. He let go of Jiang Chen and floated backward, spreading his limbs. One hand had turned completely into bones, and the other half of his palm was also bones.

He was enveloped in pure Yang fire, barely resisting the dark blue flames.

But even though Jiang Chen felt dizzy and her vision was blacking out, and the pain made it difficult for her to breathe, her charred hands still held onto Cang Wenshan tightly and refused to let go.

"You lost...you lost! Hahahaha" she laughed, but the sound was just a few muffled and hoarse coughs squeezed out of her chest, and blood gushed out to cover her mouth.

Jiang Chen closed her eyes. Perhaps she was using too much force, her hand was still holding Cang Wenshan's arm, not letting him leave her side. She was really refined into a pill.

"Why is there no sound?" Several people looked at each other, "It can't be true..."

The junior fellow shook off the hand that was holding him, his sleeve was torn, and he flew towards the giant tripod.

"You..." the person who caught him said anxiously, "Don't make Jiang Chen angry!"

Who knows where she got the mutated spiritual fire from? Unless one has a protective spiritual treasure or is at a much higher level than her, the flames cannot touch their bodies. Otherwise, anyone who touches it will have their flesh and blood burned by the fire.

"Senior Brother." He shouted, but he could not avoid the blue fire. It was no use slashing at the cauldron with his sword.

Several people stopped standing by and watched, and went over to help. They couldn't let these two people die in the cauldron.

There was a faint light flickering in the distance. Someone saw it out of the corner of his eye, turned his head and blinked, and the light was in front of him.

The corner of his clothes was torn due to the excessive speed. The man was wearing a slim black suit, with his hair fluttering in the wind. Under his black eyelashes were even darker and quieter eyes.

Feng Jingluo said nothing, and the invisible power around him forced away the blue fire, and he jumped directly into the cauldron.

The space inside the cauldron was as small as a mustard seed. The two of them lay on their backs floating in the air, and a hazy halo enveloped them.

It is the cauldron's spontaneous protection of its master.

Feng Jingluo was displeased and sighed imperceptibly. He passed his hand through the protective shield, held Jiang Chen in his arms with one hand, and lifted Cang Wenshan's clothes from behind with the other hand, and led the two of them out of the giant cauldron.

Staying in the air, she dispersed the blue fire and pure yang fire on Cang Wenshan's body and threw him to her anxious junior brother.

She lowered one knee and let Jiang Chen lie on her legs. Spiritual power flowed in from her chest to repair the wound and heal the charred skin.

Another stream of light was also rushing towards this place at full speed. Xu Mobai felt the fluctuations here from a distance. He thought that some people were fighting and wanted to avoid it.

While flying in the air and observing, he saw the sky dyed with blue flames. He knew that Jiang Chen was blocked, so he could only ride on his sword and rush here.

Jiang Chen woke up slowly, his vision blurred. He was stunned for a moment before he saw clearly that it was Feng Jingluo.

She laughed foolishly a few times, "I won, and I'll make those idiots look down on alchemists again."

"Well, you win." Feng Jingluo wiped the blood off Jiang Chen's face with a handkerchief, "But you didn't have to make yourself look like this."

"If I don't do this, I won't be able to defeat that brat." Jiang Chen huddled in Feng Jingluo's arms and gasped, "It hurts..."

Slowing down the speed of spiritual power transmission, the invisible and as if non-existent power in the dantian was slowly drawn out and wandered in Feng Jingluo's meridians.

Jiang Chen felt the power surging into her body, soothing the burning pain on her body with its coolness, making her feel sleepy.

The burned skin fell off, and the new skin underneath was pink.

An arc of light passed by the people in front of the tripod and suddenly stopped in front of them. The wind it brought blew away their hair.

"Jiang Chen!" Xu Mobai squatted down, tightened his lips, raised his eyebrows, and looked at her covered in blood.

He and Jiang Chen had known each other the earliest. They had been hanging out together since they were young, teasing people from other sects. He had never seen her injured so badly.

"What happened? How did you get hurt like this?"

Jiang Chen smiled dazedly, "I won...Cang Wenshan."

Xu Mobai turned his head and looked coldly at Cang Wenshan, who was lying in his junior brother's arms and was being fed pills to repair his body with exposed bones. His teeth were grinding.

"Don't worry," Feng Jingluo soothed him, "It's just some superficial injuries, no damage to the foundation."

"But he must be very tired and needs to rest." Jiang Chen could hardly open his eyes.

Xu Mobai exhaled his frustration, his voice muffled, "I intended to look for Young Master Yun before I came here, but I couldn't find him. Leave Jiang Chen to me, you go find him, there are quite a few people who want to cause trouble for him."

Xu Mobai didn't care that she was still wearing a pretty dress. She put Jiang Chen's arm on her shoulders and helped her stand up.

Jiang Chen reluctantly raised his finger, calling the giant cauldron back to his dantian, and looked at Xu Mobai with half-open eyes, "This time, if I implicate you, I won't be able to seize the treasures in the forbidden area."

Xu Mobai's ugly expression softened slightly, "It's nothing. Wait until you recover. Once you get out of the forbidden area, we'll go find trouble with them together."

Jiang Chen nodded and looked at Feng Jingluo again, "Go quickly. Young Master Yun's realm is low. If he is caught by them, he will probably suffer."

Feng Jingluo stood up without telling the two that Yun Ruchen had been blocked by those people before she arrived.

She said to the two of them, "Take care." This was also meant to remind them not to cause trouble again.

Feng Jingluo was also caught off guard by the fact that Jiang Chen was willing to risk being seriously injured in order to defeat Cang Wenshan.

He took out a jade pendant, engraved it with array patterns to retain the power of his sword, and threw it to Xu Mobai, "Protect her well."

"Don't worry." Xu Mobai glanced at those people and flew away with Jiang Chen on his sword. He had to find a place for her to rest and change into clean clothes before meeting Feng Jingluo and others.

Several people watched Xu Mobai and Jiang Chen leave, their eyes always fixed on Feng Jingluo, rubbing their hands ready to fight.

"I was originally looking for you. Since you showed up on your own initiative, why don't we..."

Some drew their swords, some clenched their fists, but Feng Jingluo had already flown in the direction he came from.

A cold voice came, "Catch up with me first."

The Xuantian Sect leader breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, nothing happened to his disciple. He looked at Yuan Yiyue sulking, "Your disciple is too cruel."

Yuan Yiyue couldn't hide her smile. "Who made your disciples useless? Next time you see us, you'd better keep your tail between your legs and stay away."

The leader of Xuantian Sect shook his sleeves and said nothing. His eyes followed Feng Jingluo's figure, knowing that she went to look for Yun Ruchen.

Ying Yueke and Yun Jing naturally paid attention to their own children. There was no obvious expression on their faces, and their hands were already clenched under their sleeves.

The other side.

Not long after Yun Ruchen left the lake, he lost his way and walked to a cliff. Coincidentally, he met Bai Yuge standing on the cliff here.

He stood still, sword in hand, his clothes rustling in the wind. Naturally, he noticed Yun Ruchen and looked down, neither happy nor sad.

From Yun Ruchen's perspective, his clothes were a touch of white that tore through the sky, different from the snow and clouds, neither cold nor ethereal.

It's just emptiness, just like the pale grey eyes, which are difficult to fit into emotions.

His delicate features and graceful figure made him seem even more detached from the mundane world. This didn't mean he was emotionless, but rather that all his intense emotions were suppressed deep within him, only to be revealed a little each time he looked at Feng Jingluo from behind or from the side.

Yun Ruchen felt a little embarrassed. He and Bai Yuge had not talked much in private, and it wasn't that the other party disliked him, but just ignored him most of the time.

Bai Yuge jumped off the cliff, her gaze lingering for a moment before she pulled away. "She should be looking for you right now."

"I'm also...looking for her."

Bai Yuge opened his mouth, paused for a few seconds, and said, "I will escort you until we find her."

He explained, "There are quite a few people who want to cause trouble for her and might want to use you to threaten her. I don't want you to cause her any trouble."

Yun Ruchen smiled and nodded without saying anything more, "Thank you."

The two continued walking one after the other in the direction Yun Ruchen was heading, and the atmosphere became more depressing.

Bai Yuge saw from the corner of his eye that the other person was observing the flowers, birds, and trees around him. Even the clouds in the sky made him curl up the corners of his lips.

It seemed that this ordinary thing could move his mind.

It reminded him of what she had said that night on the rooftop, when she'd spoken to Feng Jingluo. She'd said he was gentle and knew what he wanted. In that brief moment, they'd each gone their own way, and he was the only one lost.

Rubbing the hilt of the sword with his fingers, Bai Yuge suddenly asked, "Are you willing?"

"What?" Yun Ruchen was puzzled.

"I heard you didn't want to practice. She said you knew your own path. Does that mean you won't pursue her ideals?"

"Are you willing to watch her drift away from you?"

Her eyes slowly widened, then she looked away and her eyelashes drooped, her expression seeming lonely yet somewhat relieved.

Yun Ruchen stared at the horizon for a long time. "Meeting isn't a chess game where you have to decide who wins or who loses. How can you talk about whether you're willing or not?"

"Becoming an immortal..." His vision was illusory, and he seemed not to be looking at the blue sky. "It is indeed very good, but with a long life, everything will lose its meaning and fun."

“When you have things that you can acquire repeatedly and enjoy for a long time, in the end, they will only leave you with boredom and depression.”

“Therefore, I prefer to cherish the short life I have, treat every minute of it as if it were my last, and treasure everything I see.”

Yun Ruchen turned towards Bai Yuge and stroked the tip of his nose. "I haven't known her for long. To say I love her deeply would be too hypocritical."

His smile was so gentle that even the wind passing by him would become quiet. "But I will cherish every moment I see her, and I will miss her all the time after we part."

He smiled. "My life occupies her life, perhaps only for a few brief moments."

"But she'll occupy me for the rest of my life."