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The energy storm gradually subsided, and the eerie blue flames of the Seven Star Lamp resumed their steady burning, though their light was much dimmer than before. The room was a mess, except for the bed where Zhan Zhao had slept and the Yao Guang position area where Xuan Yuan Tianyi had set up the array, which remained relatively intact.
Jiang Yuan immediately maneuvered his wheelchair forward, his fingers swiftly placing them on Zhan Zhao's wrist. The pulse he felt was no longer the deathly coldness of before; though still weak, the faint yet tenacious throbbing clearly proclaimed the return of life! The terrible wound on his chest, though still gruesome, had seen most of the lingering black aura dissipate, leaving only a few traces of poison that would need to be slowly removed later.
“It’s done…” Jiang Yuan let out a long sigh of relief. His tense mind suddenly relaxed, and he felt a wave of exhaustion. He looked at Xuan Yuan Tianyi, who was being supported by Leng Moyan and was barely breathing, his eyes filled with complicated emotions.
Defying fate, an unprecedented miracle, was actually achieved in her hands! But the price...
The door was flung open, and Zhao Zhen, Bao Zheng, Bai Yutang, and the others rushed in. When they saw the faint rise and fall of Zhan Zhao's chest on the bed and heard Jiang Yuan's cry of "It's done!", an overwhelming joy instantly dispelled the gloom of the past few days!
"Cat!" Bai Yutang was the first to rush to the bedside, his hands trembling as he checked Zhan Zhao's breath. Feeling the faint but real breath, the cynical "White-haired Rat" burst into tears like a child, "He's alive... he's really alive!"
Zhao Zhen was also overwhelmed with emotion. He quickly stepped forward and, seeing Zhan Zhao's face regain some vitality, his eyes reddened again. He repeatedly said "Good!" Bao Zheng and the others were also greatly relieved and wiped away the tears from their eyes.
However, everyone's joy was quickly interrupted by what was happening in the corner.
Leng Moyan picked up the unconscious Xuan Yuantianyi in his arms. Her head rested limply in his arms, her long hair was loose, and her face was as peaceful as if she were asleep, but it was pale and transparent without a trace of blood. Her breathing was so weak that it was almost imperceptible, as if she would turn into smoke and disappear at any moment.
“Tianyi, she…” The joy on Zhao Zhen’s face vanished instantly, replaced by deep worry and concern.
Leng Moyan didn't look at the crowd; his gaze was fixed on the last remaining, faint, seemingly extinguishable spiritual light between Xuan Yuantian's brows. His voice was low and calm:
"The Star Soul returned to its origin, reversing Yin and Yang. She forcibly seized Zhan Zhao's life force from the Netherworld, but her own soul's origin was exhausted, and she suffered a backlash from the Heavenly Dao, and has now fallen into an endless slumber."
His words were like ice water, extinguishing the joy that had just begun to rise in everyone's hearts. The room fell silent once more, with only the faint crackling of the bronze lamps burning.
"When will you wake up from your slumber?" Zhao Zhen asked in a dry voice.
Leng Moyan shook his head: "I don't know. Maybe a year, maybe ten years, maybe... a hundred years, a thousand years, or perhaps, never to wake up again."
Never to wake up again...
These four words struck like a heavy hammer against everyone's heart. To exchange eternal slumber for Zhan Zhao's rebirth… what a devastating price to pay!
"I...I will search the world for miraculous medicines to awaken her!" Zhao Zhen clenched his fist, his voice low and deep.
“It’s no use. The backlash from Heaven is beyond human control.” Leng Moyan denied again. “This cannot be cured by medicine. What she has lost is the essence of her soul, which cannot be replenished by ordinary things. Now, the only way is to place her in the place with the most abundant spiritual energy, and use the essence of heaven and earth to nourish her body and remnant soul. Perhaps this can preserve her life and allow her to wait for the slim chance of awakening.”
He paused, then looked at Zhao Zhen and Bao Zheng: "I want to take her back to Xiaoyao Tower. It is the foundation of the Xuanyuan clan, with the purest spiritual veins in the world, and a spirit-gathering array set up by successive clan heads. It is the best place to nurture her."
Zhao Zhen and Bao Zheng exchanged a glance, both seeing helplessness in each other's eyes. They knew this was the only option at the moment.
"In that case... I'll have to trouble you." Zhao Zhen's voice was heavy, full of guilt.
Leng Moyan nodded slightly and said no more. He carried Xuan Yuantianyi, turned around and walked towards the door. His steps were steady, but his back view revealed an indescribable loneliness.
"Wait!" Bai Yutang suddenly spoke up. He looked at Zhan Zhao, who was still unconscious on the bed, and then at Xuan Yuan Tianyi in Leng Moyan's arms. He asked urgently, "After that cat wakes up... how should we tell him?"
Leng Moyan stopped in his tracks, but did not turn around. He simply said indifferently, "That's your business."
Having said that, he didn't linger any longer. Holding Xuan Yuan Tianyi in his arms, his figure flashed and disappeared into the thick darkness outside the door, as if he had never appeared at all.
As everyone watched the direction he disappeared in, a complex mix of emotions welled up within them. The joy of Zhan Zhao's rescue intertwined with the grief of Xuan Yuan Tianyi's eternal slumber, leaving them unsure whether to laugh or cry.
Jiang Yuan coughed lightly, breaking the silence: "Although Guard Zhan has recovered his vitality, his body is extremely weak and his soul has only just settled. He needs to rest quietly. He should not stay here for long and needs to be moved to a clean and quiet place as soon as possible."
Zhao Zhen immediately composed himself and regained his imperial composure: "Rongwei, immediately arrange for people to move Zhan Zhao to Xiaoyou Villa, and have imperial physicians take turns guarding him! All necessary medicines shall be drawn from the imperial treasury!"
"Yes!" Rongwei accepted the order and left.
Bao Zheng immediately ordered Wang Chao, Ma Han, and others to clean up the scene and arrange for guards.
The room bustled with activity once again, but everyone carried a heavy burden in their hearts, a weight that seemed to weigh on their minds.
Xiaoyao Tower, the core of the underground spiritual vein.
This is a vast natural cave with a high-hanging dome inlaid with countless strange crystals that emit a faint glow, illuminating the interior as if it were daytime. In the center of the cave, there is not rock, but a single, enormous piece of ancient, chilling jade. On the jade bed, spiritual energy swirls like mist, almost solidifying into a tangible substance.
Leng Moyan gently placed Xuan Yuantianyi in the center of the cold jade bed. The extreme cold seemed to have no effect on her; on the contrary, it made her pale complexion look slightly better.
He stood by the bed, gazing quietly at her peaceful sleeping face for a long time. This ancient divine beast, who had been by her side since childhood, watching her grow up, watching her laugh and cry, watching her be tormented by love, and watching her shoulder the heavy responsibility of protecting all living beings, now had eyes full of sorrow.
Finally, he sighed softly.
"Fine... Since you've made your choice, I can only sleep with you."
As he finished speaking, a rich blue light began to emanate from his body. The light grew stronger and purer, and his figure gradually blurred, elongated, and changed within it…
A moment later, the blue light subsided.
Before the cold jade bed appeared a magnificent and enormous Qilin, its body covered in ice-blue scales, with jade horns on its head, and its four hooves entwined with clouds!
He took one last look at Xuan Yuan Tianyi sleeping on the cold jade bed, then slowly lowered his body, curled up in front of the bed, gently rested his head on his front paws, and closed his eyes, which were like the purest sapphires.
The divine power around him was no longer deliberately restrained, but transformed into the gentlest and most primal aura, like a gentle stream, slowly enveloping the entire cold jade bed, merging with the spiritual energy of the underground veins, together nurturing and protecting the person on the bed who was trapped in an eternal dream.
Inside the cave, only the faint murmur of spiritual energy and an ancient, waiting-to-be-awakened silence remained.
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