148: Chapter 148 Suspicion After Awakening

One second before his consciousness sank into darkness, a mechanical voice suddenly rang out in Zhang Wen's mind—

[Ding! host has sustained fatal injuries; vital signs below critical threshold. Emergency 'System Self-Rescue Protocol' initiated.]

[Consuming 100,000 points to repair damaged Meridians...]

These voices sounded blurry and distant, as if separated by a thick film of water.

He wanted to open his eyes, but his eyelids were as heavy as if they had been welded shut. He could only let that gentle, warm current flow through his limbs and bones, repairing the tearing wounds caused by the self-destruction impact.

He didn't know how much time had passed before he finally felt a trace of coolness at his fingertips.

"Ugh..." A blurry groan escaped Zhang Wen's throat. His eyelashes trembled as he struggled to open his eyes.

What came into view was the top of a dusty tent. The air was filled with the smell of herbs and disinfectant, mixed with faint fluctuations of Qi.

It was the camp's temporary medical tent. "You're awake?" A voice filled with surprise rang out from beside him.

Zhang Wen turned his head and saw Su Xinyue sitting by the bed. There were faint dark circles under her eyes; she had clearly been watching over him for a long time.

She was holding a ceramic bowl filled with dark green medicinal liquid that was steaming.

"I..." He just wanted to speak, but his throat was so dry and sore that he could only cough twice.

Su Xinyue quickly put down the medicine bowl and handed him a glass of water. "Drink slowly. Teacher Chen said you were severely injured; three of your Meridians were severed. It's a miracle that you were able to wake up."

Zhang Wen took the glass. Feeling the coolness of the glass against his fingers, he finally truly felt that he was still alive.

He tilted his head back and drank more than half the glass of water. The burning sensation in his throat eased a little, and only then did he notice that the black markings on Su Xinyue's lower leg were no longer visible, leaving only faint, shallow scars. "Your curse seal..."

"It's all healed."

Su Xinyue rolled up her pant leg to show him, her tone filled with lingering fear. "It's all thanks to the essence blood you risked your life to obtain. Teacher Zhao said that if that Heart-Eroding Curse had dragged on for another hour, my Foundation would have been completely destroyed."

She paused, her eyes becoming complex. "Zhang Wen, thank you."

Zhang Wen smiled and just wanted to wave his hand to say it was nothing, but a sharp pain shot through his chest, making him gasp in cold air.

[Warning! host's violent movement has caused the repair to be interrupted. Remaining points are insufficient to fully repair Meridians. Please replenish points as soon as possible!]

The System notification in his mind made his heart sink.

Only then did he remember the System—the Golden Finger he had bound to himself. The points he had accumulated from completing tasks usually had actually saved his life this time.

"It's just... 100,000 points used just like that. His current point balance is probably bottomed out."

"Don't move around."

Su Xinyue quickly pressed down on his shoulder. "The doctor said you need to lie down for at least three days, and you cannot use Qi during that time."

She picked up the medicine bowl from before. "This is the 'Meridian-Coagulating Soup' prepared by Teacher Chen. It can help you repair your Meridians. Drink it while it's hot."

The medicinal liquid was very bitter, with an astringent taste of herbs, but Zhang Wen didn't frown and drank it all in one breath.

He could feel the medicinal liquid turn into a gentle stream of Qi after entering his throat. Although it wasn't as direct as the System's repair, it could stabilize his injuries and prevent them from worsening.

"By the way, what about that fake hostage?"

Zhang Wen suddenly remembered something.

"Teacher Wang broke his legs and locked him in the camp's confinement tent."

Su Xinyue's tone turned a bit colder. "He confessed that he was lurking in Azure Mist as a student just to cooperate with Teacher Liu's operation this time."

"..." Zhang Wen recalled the black chains and the Cloaked Figure he saw when Teacher Liu self-destructed. "Is there someone behind them?"

Su Xinyue shook her head. "He doesn't know much. He only said that this operation was arranged by 'the higher-ups,' and the targets were those of us in the new generation who possess top-tier talent."

She paused, her voice lowering a little. "Teacher Zhao and the others are checking Teacher Liu's communication records. They found that he had seven secret contacts with the outside world in the last three months. The other party's signal source is very well hidden, and they haven't found the specific location yet."

Footsteps came from outside the tent. Zhao Yingming lifted the curtain and walked in, holding a scroll in his hand, his expression not very good.

"It's good that you're awake."

He placed the scroll on the bedside table. "This is the repair plan for your sky-splitting startling thunder spear. The spear body was eroded by the self-destruction curse power and needs to be re-tempered with the essence of red iron ore. The camp doesn't have enough Materials, so we'll have to wait until we get back."

Zhang Wen nodded; he really didn't have the energy to worry about his weapon right now.

"There's one more thing."

Zhao Yingming's gaze landed on Zhang Wen's face. "While you were unconscious, Principal Gongsun sent a message, telling you to return to the school immediately after your injuries heal. He said... there is something important he wants to tell you in person."

"Something important?" Zhang Wen's heart stirred. Could this incident be related to the Soul Devouring Hall again?

[System Prompt: Keyword 'Soul Devouring Hall' detected. Triggered hidden task 'Thunder Source Tracing'. Task objective: Investigate the true purpose of the Soul Devouring Hall this time. Reward: 50,000 points, unlock SSS-grade Cultivation Technique -- Instant Prison Startling Thunder Flash.]

The System's prompt made Zhang Wen's heart shake.

"Soul Devouring Hall! We really are fated to meet."

Zhang Wen's voice was terrifyingly low. He completely forgot about the System's reward. As soon as he thought of Ding Siyi's painful face, Zhang Wen painfully closed his eyes.

"By the way, where is Dean?" Zhang Wen suddenly remembered the mentor who had been leading them all along.

"He is organizing the defensive formation patterns of the camp."

Zhao Yingming said, "This ant tide and the traitor incident caused significant losses to the camp. We must reinforce the defense line as soon as possible to prevent them from having any follow-up actions."

He looked at Su Xinyue. "You've also been tired for two days. Go get some rest first; I'll watch over him here."

Su Xinyue hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Then I'll come to see you later."

Before leaving, she tucked the corner of the quilt for Zhang Wen again, her movements filled with imperceptible concern.

Only Zhang Wen and Zhao Yingming were left in the tent, and the atmosphere became much quieter.

Zhao Yingming suddenly sighed. "You kid really have guts, daring to take a head-on hit from a Domain Realm expert's self-destruction. Do you know that if you had been even one step later, your Foundation would have been completely destroyed?"

Zhang Wen smiled bitterly. "There was no other way at the time; I couldn't just watch Xinyue get into trouble."

"You certainly protect her well."

Zhao Yingming raised an eyebrow, then his tone became serious. "But this time has also let you see clearly that in the cultivation world, it's not enough to just bury yourself in Cultivate; the sinister nature of human hearts is more terrifying than Vicious Beasts."

"Teacher Liu stayed at the school for fifteen years, and no one noticed he was an undercover agent. This kind of enemy hidden in the shadows is the most difficult to guard against."

Zhang Wen was silent. He thought of his own System. Does this count as a trump card hidden in the shadows? If others found out, would it attract even crazier covetousness?

"Principal Gongsun asking you to go back is likely worried about this point too."

Zhao Yingming seemed to see through his thoughts. "Your Nine Heavens Tribulation Thunder is very special and has a natural restraining effect on evil cultivators. They targeted you, perhaps not just because you are the top New Student of Azure Mist."

At this moment, Wang Wude's loud voice suddenly came from outside the tent: "Yingming! Come and see this!"

Zhao Yingming frowned. "What's wrong?"

"Found something in Teacher Liu's tent; you'll definitely be interested!" Wang Wude's voice carried a hint of strangeness.

Zhao Yingming stood up. "You rest first; I'll go take a look."

Zhang Wen nodded. Watching Zhao Yingming's retreating back, his heart was in turmoil.

That Cloaked Figure seen during the self-destruction seemed a bit like Teacher Zhao.

"It must be an illusion. Teacher Zhao risked his life to protect us. Sigh, I should just get more rest."

He closed his eyes and tried to access the System to check his point balance, only to find that in addition to the remaining 12 points, there was also a flashing red icon on the interface—that was the hidden task "Thunder Source Tracing" that had just been triggered.

50,000 points and a Cultivation Technique... Zhang Wen clenched his fists.

Just at this moment, the Concealment Ring on his wrist suddenly became slightly hot, and the runes on it flashed with a faint black light, then immediately returned to normal.

Zhang Wen's pupils shrank suddenly. This ring was given by Dean. How could it have an anomaly? Could it be...

A more terrifying thought crept into his mind, making all the blood in his body feel as if it had frozen.