Spirit Ruin, Sword Coffin, Blind Swordsman

“Girls… I think this radish is a tier-six spirit!”

“So? Will we get stronger just from soaking in the water with it?” asked another girl with a frown. The whole thing weirded her out.

The other girl smiled confidently. “Don’t you guys sense the spirit force in the water getting stronger? I don’t care. Even if I get punished later, I’m not passing up an opportunity like this!”

She scooped the white liquid into her mouth, shocking everyone.

Disgusting as it was, it was still a source of great nourishment. Even if it came from Peng Luo’s nosebleed.

Before Peng Luo could react, the girl lunged toward him and yelled, “No one move! It’s all mine!”

Peng Luo’s eyes were still closed. He felt something soft and warm under his nose, followed by something slightly sticky.

I owe you my life, Granddaddy Qin!

Meanwhile, the others hurried to a courtyard in the back mountains that Lu Kangnian had previously prepared for Meng Wanshu. He hadn’t expected to actually use it. Sun Miao checked Meng Wanshu’s pulse at her wrist, frowning. After some time, he relaxed and sighed in relief.

“Don’t worry, she’s fine. There’s some crimson lightning lingering in her body, but she’s already expelled most of it on her own. The injuries look severe, but there’s a very pure current of spirit liquid flowing through her that’s speeding up the healing. I think she’ll wake up soon.”Ye Feng looked at her ghastly wounds, his brow furrowed.

He knew Meng Jiangchu was extremely protective of his daughter. She’d had at least a dozen protective magical treasures on her, all of extremely high tier. But now she wore no protective items or jewelry at all. The deep, ragged scratches on her back exposed raw flesh, and many of her bones had shattered.

It was terrifying just to look at. But all they could do was wait for her to wake up.

Qin Xian had rushed over and still didn’t know what was happening at Heavenly Water Peak. Stepping through the door and seeing the severity of her injuries, he shouted, “W-what happened to her? It looks terrible!”

He turned to Ye Feng and raised his eyebrows. “Ye Feng, how does Miss Meng’s strength compare to yours?”

Ye Feng shrugged and answered honestly. “Even if I go all out, it probably still wouldn’t be enough for her to activate her spirit void’s Heaven-Opening Tier. I think she’s much stronger than Li Guanqi, honestly.”

He turned and murmured, “Sect Master, Elder Qin, you guys watch over her. I’ll go check on him.”

Lu Kangnian nodded. “Don’t worry. Elder Sun already confirmed that it isn’t anything serious. I’ll tell you when she wakes up. Check on Guanqi now. Tell him to stay focused and not to worry.”

Whoosh!

Ye Feng arrived outside the mountain where Li Guanqi’s cave room was. He activated his vital force shield, stepped into the storm of lightning bolts, and approached Cao Yan. “How’s everything?”

Cao Yan pursed his lips and looked at the scattered lightning around them. “See for yourself. He’s suppressing the scattered vital force bit by bit. But…”

Ye Feng gritted his teeth, about to speak, when Li Guanqi growled, “You don’t need to say a word. I’ll never be able to focus on cultivation until Wanshu wakes up.”

With no other option, they waited in silence.

***

At the back of Heavenly Water Peak, Peng Luo was covered in red lipstick marks, overwhelmed by the crowd of girls.

He recalled something and sat bolt upright in the pool, startling several of them. The other girls, noticing that some disciples’ vital forces had started fluctuating vigorously, threw all caution to the wind and dove into the water like dumplings falling into soup.

Peng Luo extended his divine consciousness, left paradise, and flew toward the courtyard where Meng Wanshu was, turning into a white streak of light across the night sky. He muttered furiously, “Brother Nine… Brother Nine… I wish I could’ve stayed… Ptui! What the hell am I saying? How could I be so ungrateful? But what happened back there was so… cough, cough. I need to get over there.”

Whoosh!

Lu Kangnian caught a warp in space out of the corner of his eye, followed by a flash of white light. He turned to find Peng Luo already on his knees at Meng Wanshu’s side, his gaze fixed on the bracelet on her wrist.

Peng Luo lifted her wrist with both hands and shook it vigorously. Nine Heavens still did not radiate any vital force at all. “Brother Nine! Ah… My dear Brother Nine! How could you…”

Then he looked at the unconscious Meng Wanshu and wailed, “Mistress! My dear Mistress!”

Lu Kangnian and Qin Xian watched Peng Luo’s dramatic antics awkwardly, unsure what he was trying to accomplish.

Peng Luo gritted his teeth and broke his arm off again. This shocked Lu Kangnian and Qin Xian, who were witnessing this for the first time.

Qin Xian was utterly touched. This spirit genuinely cares for its master. What a great spirit!

Peng Luo glanced down at the arm he’d broken off. It was hollow. His eyes darted awkwardly to the two men before he crushed the arm and squeezed out some spirit liquid onto Nine Heavens’ body.

A flash of purple electricity crackled across Nine Heavens. It wriggled slightly but did not wake.

Peng Luo poured the rest of the spirit liquid into Meng Wanshu’s mouth.

His cheeks were sunken now, and his legs trembled as he used the side of the bed to haul himself upright. He turned to Lu Kangnian and Qin Xian and muttered, “I-I’m feeling w-weak…”

As he spoke, he blinked at Lu Kangnian, then his eyes darted meaningfully toward Sun Miao.

It took Lu Kangnian a few seconds to catch on, but it finally hit him. He quickly instructed Sun Miao to bring over some pills and herbs.

Peng Luo didn’t hold back. He popped the cork off a bottle and poured its contents straight into his mouth. Only the heavens knew how much he’d sacrificed during the whole ordeal. He was going to replenish every last drop of energy this time.

Soon, Meng Wanshu’s eyelashes fluttered. She opened her eyes, but her gaze was empty. After a few long seconds, her vision cleared, and she sat up abruptly. The sudden movement aggravated her wounds, causing her to close her eyes again in pain.

Startled, Lu Kangnian and the others rushed forward to steady her.

“Miss Meng! Calm down. Your injuries haven’t healed yet.”

Lu Kangnian looked at her worriedly, as if she were his own granddaughter. His hands froze mid-air; he didn’t know what to do.

Meng Wanshu turned and saw the flashes of lightning in the sky. Still pale, she said, “Q-quick… Bring him these…”

Despite her severe injuries, she unleashed her vital force. A flash of light erupted, and a colossal heart and a demon core, larger than a human head, appeared in the air before her.