Chapter 104: The promise of healing, the secret love
The mess at the entrance to Icewind Gorge had been hastily cleared, but the thick stench of blood still lingered in the chilling air, reminiscent of the horrific attack. The faces of the disciples from Xuanyun Sect and Bishui Pavilion were filled with sorrow and exhaustion as they silently treated the wounded and collected the bodies of their fellow disciples. The atmosphere was oppressive and suffocating.
Everyone's gaze involuntarily turned to the sheltered valley, the makeshift tent heavily guarded. There, a race against death was underway.
Inside the tent, the atmosphere was so heavy it felt like water dripping from it. Qin Yixuan lay quietly on a simple bed covered in thick animal hides, her face pale and her breath so weak it was barely perceptible, as if the faint flame of life would be extinguished in the next moment. The fatal blow from the Yuandan Realm Shadow Demon General, the sinister power of the Shadow Demon, was like a cancer in the flesh, madly corroding her internal organs, meridians, and even the essence of her soul. The best healing elixir from the Bishui Pavilion could only barely keep her alive, unable to dispel the demonic energy in her tarsal bones.
The elder leading the Bishui Pavilion, the old woman surnamed Yun, now had bloodshot eyes as she continuously channeled pure, gentle Xuanshui spiritual energy into Qin Yixuan's body, attempting to nourish her damaged foundation and resist the spread of demonic energy, but the effect was minimal. Anxiety and helplessness were written all over her face. Qin Yixuan was not only a once-in-a-lifetime talent for the Bishui Pavilion, but also bore the Mysterious Woman's origin and held the hope of receiving the complete inheritance. If she perished here, it would be an unbearable blow to the Bishui Pavilion.
Mr. Muyun stood aside with a frown on his face. He tried to use the power of the Dan Fire of Yundan Peak to burn the shadow demon's aura, but found that the demonic energy was extremely cunning and was almost entangled with Qin Yixiuan's origin. If he tried to disperse it forcibly, it would likely hurt her roots and even accelerate her death.
"Elder Yun, Fellow Daoist Muyun, this isn't going to work!" Elder Yun's voice was hoarse and filled with despair. "The power of this shadow demon is too strange and vicious. Yixuan... I'm afraid she won't be able to hold on for much longer!"
Lay Buddhist Muyun sighed heavily. He knew this too well. The power of the Yuandan Realm was overwhelming that of the Lingfu Realm. Qin Yixuan's ability to withstand the blow without dying instantly was due to the profound power of the Nine Heavens Mysterious Water Scripture and the tenacity of his divine origin.
At this moment, Ye Li, who had been kneeling silently beside the bed, tightly gripping Qin Yixuan's cold hand, suddenly raised her head. Her face was equally pale, a sign of excessive spiritual exhaustion and extreme inner torment, but her eyes were frighteningly bright, filled with unquestionable determination.
"Let me try."
Her voice was not loud, but extremely clear, with a decisive power.
Elder Yun and Lay Buddhist Mu Yun looked at her simultaneously. A hint of doubt flashed in Elder Yun's eyes. Although Ye Li was gifted, her cultivation was still shallow, and even they were helpless... Lay Buddhist Mu Yun, however, had extraordinary confidence in his disciple. He saw the familiar light in Ye Li's eyes - it was the perseverance of Li Zun in his previous life, who never gave up in the face of desperate situations.
"Li'er, what can you do? Remember not to be reckless!" Mr. Muyun said in a deep voice.
Ye Li's eyes fell on Qin Yixuan's pale face. The scene of her resolutely blocking her way emerged in her mind, and her heart ached again. She took a deep breath, forced herself to calm down, and analyzed:
"Dispersing it with ordinary spiritual power will only anger the demonic energy and accelerate its erosion. The power of elixirs is unlikely to eradicate the source. But my power... is somewhat special."
She extended her other hand, and from her fingertips quietly condensed a subtle aura, a fusion of the profoundly cold essence of the "Emperor's Scripture of the Dark World," the forbidden power of the "Ice Emperor's Sealing Heaven Art," and a hint of... the essence of the Samsara Mirror. This aura took on a strange icy blue hue, as if tiny stars were swirling within it, emitting a pure, cold, and yet eternity-inspired wave.
"My extremely cold spiritual power may be able to temporarily freeze and slow the spread of the evil spirit. And another kind of power..." She paused, not mentioning the Samsara Mirror, but Master Muyun understood, "maybe I can try to... purify, or... peel off."
Elder Yun sensed the strange power contained within that aura, and a flicker of surprise flashed in her eyes. It was a power attribute of an extremely high level, a power she had never encountered before, and it seemed to have a subtle restraint on the Shadow Demon's aura.
"But this process is bound to be extremely dangerous and will consume a lot of energy from the caster. If you are not careful, not only will you fail to save Yixuan, you may also be attacked by the evil spirit yourself!" Elder Yun said worriedly.
"I know." Ye Li answered without hesitation. She looked at Qin Yixuan again, her eyes gentle but firm, "But she became like this because of me. No matter what, I have to try. Even if it means exhausting my cultivation and damaging my foundation, I will not hesitate!"
These words were resounding, carrying a resoluteness that bordered on a vow. The tent instantly fell silent. Elder Yun, looking at Ye Li's unfailing gaze, filled with guilt and responsibility, was moved, and ultimately let out a long sigh: "Forget it... I will protect you. If anything is amiss, stop immediately!"
Mr. Muyun also nodded: "Just do it, I am here."
With the two elders' permission, Ye Li didn't delay any longer. She sat cross-legged, her hands gently covering Qin Yixuan's Dantian Qi Sea (the core of the Qi Sea, the most severely eroded by the demonic energy). She closed her eyes, her mind completely still, and she shut out all external distractions.
First, she activated the "Mysterious Ice Calming Source" technique from the "Ice Emperor Sealing Heaven Art." Like the finest scalpel, her extremely cold spiritual energy carefully penetrated Qin Yixuan's meridians. Instead of freezing everything, it formed an extremely thin yet resilient film of ice crystals, temporarily isolating and confining the raging shadow demon energy, slowing its destructive power. This process required immense control, and beads of sweat soon formed on Ye Li's forehead.
Next came the most crucial and dangerous step. She channeled a strand of her mind to connect with the fragments of the Samsara Mirror within her sea of consciousness, channeling a faint, imperceptible golden energy imbued with the essence of time, space, and purification. This energy was extremely weak, yet of exceptionally high quality. It was one of the Samsara Mirror's most core powers, and the limit of what Ye Li could currently safely channel.
This strand of light golden energy, along with her spiritual power, quietly merged into the ice crystal film. Like the most patient scavenger, it began to try to contact and purify the imprisoned shadow demon aura.
"laugh……"
A subtle sound, like cold water dripping into hot oil, echoed within Qin Yixuan's body. The moment the sinister and stubborn Shadow Demon aura came into contact with the pale golden energy, it seemed to have met its nemesis, violently struggling and dissolving. However, this process was extremely slow, and the Shadow Demon aura instinctively resisted, attacking the ice crystal film and Ye Li's spiritual power, bringing waves of piercing pain that attacked Ye Li's soul.
Ye Li gritted her teeth, her face growing paler, her body even beginning to tremble slightly, but her hands on Qin Yixuan's dantian remained steady as a rock. Her consciousness was highly focused, precisely controlling every bit of her power, ensuring the purification effect while also ensuring she didn't damage Qin Yixuan's fragile meridians and essence.
Time passed slowly. The tent was silent, with only Ye Li's increasingly heavy breathing and the sweat that kept rolling down her forehead and instantly condensed into ice beads, showing how difficult this process was.
Mr. Muyun and Elder Yun stood guard nervously by the side, ready to help at any time.
One hour, two hours...
As night fell, the cold wind howled in the valley, but the tent became a little chilly because of the extremely cold spiritual power that Ye Li continued to output.
Suddenly, Ye Li's body trembled violently, and a mouthful of blood rushed to her throat, which she forced down. The long period of exhaustion, especially the guidance of the Samsara Mirror's original power, had taken too much of a toll on her, and her sea of consciousness felt like it was being pricked by needles.
"Junior Brother Ye!" Elder Yun exclaimed and wanted to step forward.
"Don't come over!" Ye Li shouted in a hoarse voice, but with an unquestionable tone, "At this critical moment... we can't interrupt!"
A ruthless look flashed in her eyes, and she actually began to burn her own vital essence! An even purer life force merged into her spiritual energy, supporting the purification process to continue! To save Qin Yixuan, she truly did not hesitate at any cost!
Seeing this scene, Mu Yun Jushi clenched his fists tightly in his sleeves, his eyes filled with heartache, but more of pride. This was his disciple, who valued friendship and loyalty, and had a firm heart for the Tao!
An unknown amount of time passed, and as the first rays of morning light appeared on the horizon, Ye Li finally slowly withdrew her hands. Her face was as pale as a transparent glass, and her breath was extremely weak. She couldn't even sit still, and she was almost collapsing. Master Mu Yun hurried forward to support her and put a top-grade elixir that warmed her soul and replenished her essence into her mouth.
Qin Yixuan, still unconscious on the bed, no longer wore a deathly gray expression; a faint hint of life lingered. Most notably, the frightening fluctuations of the shadow demon within her had weakened considerably. While not completely eliminated, the most ferocious portion had been purified by Ye Li at great cost. The remainder would need to be slowly eroded by her own Nine Heavens Mysterious Water Scripture and a wisp of divine essence.
"Success... The core of the evil spirit has been removed... The rest depends on herself..." Ye Li said this weakly, and then she could no longer hold on and fell asleep.
…
When Ye Li woke up again, it was three days later. She found herself lying on another bed, covered in warm fur. The depleted spiritual energy and spirit had recovered a lot thanks to the effects of the elixir, but she still felt a wave of weakness that penetrated deep into her bones.
She immediately glanced to the side. Qin Yixuan was still lying quietly, but her breathing had become much more steady, and her face had a hint of color. A female disciple from the Bishui Pavilion was carefully wiping her forehead with a damp cotton cloth.
Seeing Ye Li wake up, the female disciple immediately revealed a look of joy and gratitude: "Senior Sister Ye, you're awake! That's great! Senior Sister Qin's condition is much more stable. Elder Yun said that her life is no longer in danger, but her essence is damaged and she needs a long time to recuperate."
Ye Li felt relieved, and the string that had been taut for a long time finally loosened. A huge feeling of fatigue came over her again, but more than that, she felt an indescribable sense of security.
For the next few days, the team stayed in this valley to rest and recuperate. Ye Li, despite not yet fully recovering, would visit Qin Yixuan's bedside whenever she could. She personally used her spiritual energy to nourish Qin Yixuan's damaged meridians, helping her to clear the remaining medicinal energy within her body. She even fed her the soul-nourishing spiritual fluid she had obtained from the Xuan Palace ruins, which she herself was reluctant to use more of.
This meticulous care went beyond the realm of ordinary alliance or reparation. Even the female disciples of the Bishui Pavilion looked at Ye Li with eyes filled with gratitude and... a hint of ambiguous admiration. When had they ever seen the ruthless and cold-hearted Ye Li show such gentleness and patience?
Mr. Muyun saw all this and understood it, but he did not point it out. He just told his disciples not to disturb him.
Half a month later, on a clear moonlit night, Qin Yixiuan's long eyelashes trembled a few times, and finally she slowly opened her eyes.
The first thing she felt was a sense of peace within her body, a feeling of weakness but no longer piercing pain. A familiar, cold yet strangely reassuring spiritual energy gently flowed through her meridians. She tilted her head slightly and saw Ye Li sleeping soundly beside her bed.
Moonlight filtered through the cracks in the tent, casting a soft shadow on Ye Li's pale face. She seemed restless, her brows slightly furrowed, as if worried about something. One hand rested gently on Qin Yixuan's wrist, continuously channeling a weak spiritual energy.
Seeing Ye Li like this, Qin Yixuan's cold heart felt as if a stone had been dropped into it, sending ripples cascading down her spine. Even in her coma, she wasn't completely unconscious. She could vaguely sense the warm, resolute strength that repeatedly pulled her back from the brink of death, regardless of the cost. She could sense the hands that often held hers, the fiery passion hidden beneath the cool touch.
A complex and subtle emotion, unprecedented in her, quietly grew within her. There was the relief of having survived, the deep gratitude for Ye Li's selfless rescue, the lingering fear of her own impulsive act of blocking the calamity, but even more so... a throbbing feeling she couldn't even explain. Looking at Ye Li's tired, sleeping face, she felt an urge to reach out and smooth the wrinkles between her brows.
"Are you awake?" Ye Li was a very light sleeper, and she woke up immediately when she felt Qin Yixuan's movement. Seeing Qin Yixuan looking at her with her eyes open, she was stunned at first, and then her eyes burst into an irrepressible light of surprise. She subconsciously squeezed her hand, "How do you feel? Are you feeling uncomfortable?"
Her tone was anxious and full of concern, completely different from her usual calm and composed self.
Qin Yixuan looked at the undisguised worry and joy in her eyes, a faint but genuine smile appeared on her pale face. She shook her head gently, her voice still a little weak: "I'm fine... Thank you, Ye Li."
This "Ye Li" is no longer the distant "Junior Sister Ye", but carries an indescribable intimacy.
Their eyes met, and the tent fell silent for a moment. Moonlight flowed like water between them, and the air was filled with a silent warmth and tenderness that was more powerful than words.
Some things, amidst the trials of life and death and the careful protection, have quietly changed and taken root. Feelings are brewing, perhaps even they themselves are not fully aware of it, but the quietly reddened ears and the accelerated heartbeat cannot be deceived.
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