391: Chapter 391 Tianxin in a Coma

The Star Battle Body cannot be used within the Divine Sense illusion, but the will of "War Gods Unity" can.

Gao Feng transformed his War God's will into an invisible protective shield, wrapping Tianxin's Origin Divine Sense within it. Those strands of Devilish Qi tried to erode Tianxin's core consciousness, but they were blocked by that layer of golden will, unable to break through no matter what.

The War God Power was extremely hard and yang, naturally countering Devilish Qi. When those black threads touched Gao Feng's golden will, they melted rapidly like ice and snow in a fire. Although each melt caused Gao Feng's will to sting with a flash of burning pain, it was nothing compared to the suffering Tianxin was enduring.

Five powers—Tianxin's Bloodline absorption, Yao Guang's rejuvenation techniques and Medicinal Pills, Chu Lan's soul cleansing grass, Su Ning's spatial isolation, and Gao Feng's protective will—each performed their duties, together resisting that Soul-Devouring Devilish Qi.

An hour later, the last wisp of black thread was forced out of Tianxin's body. It struggled a few times in the air before being shattered by a sword strike from Lin Jingyu.

Tianxin fell into a coma.

The blood from her seven orifices had not yet dried, and her body formed from Divine Sense was so illusory it was almost transparent, like a lamp that could go out at any moment. But her breathing was steady, and the Devilish Qi within her body had been completely purged.

Elder Li maintained the Formation at the edge of the stone platform. His expression was very grim, but he did not stop its operation. Not until the time it took for a stick of incense to burn did the light of the Formation slowly dim.

The Divine Senses of several people returned to their physical bodies.

Tianxin did not wake up.

Chu Lan was the first to jump up and rush toward Tianxin: "Tianxin! Tianxin!" She shook her shoulder, her voice carrying a hint of crying. Yao Guang knelt beside Tianxin, stuffing the last rejuvenation pill into her mouth, then pressed her palm against her chest, using spiritual power to catalyze and dissolve the pill's efficacy. Su Ning stood guard nearby, her Space Power ready at any moment to isolate all interference.

Luo Li stood aside silently, her fingers resting on the zither strings, yet she played nothing. Lin Yue clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. Lin Jingyu and Situ Lan stood guard on either side of the stone platform, their eyes vigilantly staring toward the valley entrance.

Gao Feng walked up to Elder Li and spoke in a low voice: "How could there be Devilish Qi in the Sea of Sword Intent?"

Elder Li did not look at him, his gaze falling on the Formation patterns on the ground. His voice was very soft: "This old man is also unclear. According to the procedure, before every activation of the Sea of Sword Intent, dedicated personnel check the Formation patterns and the purity of the spiritual power. When it was checked yesterday, everything was normal."

"Checked yesterday, yet something happened today." Gao Feng's tone was flat. "Does Elder Li think the inspectors were negligent, or was it done intentionally by someone?"

Elder Li remained silent for a long time before finally looking up. There was a trace of exhaustion and a hint of anger in his eyes—but that anger was not directed at Gao Feng. "This old man will investigate. But no matter who is found, the face of the Heavenly Sword Sect has already been completely lost." He turned and walked toward the valley exit.

After a few steps, he stopped again without turning back. "The Sect will take responsibility for Lady Tianxin's injuries. Medicinal Pills, Spirit Stones, resources—make a list, and I will report it." After saying this, he strode away.

Gao Feng stood in place, watching Elder Li's back disappear behind the mountain rocks.

Devilish Qi would not appear in the Sea of Sword Intent on its own. If yesterday's inspection was normal and a problem occurred today, there was only one explanation—someone had tampered with it after Elder Li's inspection but before the Formation was activated.

Someone capable of doing such a thing within the inner court of the Heavenly Sword Sect without being detected would not be a minor character.

Gao Feng turned and walked back to Tianxin's side.

Yao Guang had already consumed three rejuvenation pills and most of her own spiritual power, and a hint of color finally returned to Tianxin's face. She still hadn't woken up, but her breathing was steady, and her Divine Sense no longer flickered like a candle in the wind.

"When will she wake up?" Gao Feng asked.

Yao Guang shook her head tiredly: "The Divine Sense damage has been repaired, but her body is too weak and needs time to recover. It could be as short as one or two days, or as long as three to five."

"Three to five days, is that enough?"

"It's enough. As long as there are no more accidents."

Gao Feng nodded and turned to face the group. No one spoke, but fire was suppressed in everyone's eyes.

"The third trial isn't over yet." Gao Feng's gaze swept across their faces. "Tianxin helped us share the burden of the Devilish Qi, but she hasn't woken up. If we are all judged to have failed because of her coma, then her suffering would have been in vain."

Chu Lan wiped her tears: "Then what do we do?"

Gao Feng did not answer immediately. He walked back to the center of the stone platform and sat cross-legged again. The others were stunned for a moment, then followed suit.

"The Sea of Sword Intent—we will finish it ourselves."

No more words were needed. Luo Li sat beside him, the flowing sound zither resting across her knees; Chu Lan, Su Ning, Yao Guang, and Lin Yue took their seats in turn; Lin Jingyu and Situ Lan guarded the sides. Although they did not sit in the core of the Formation, their Sword Intent could merge into the group's Divine Senses at any time to provide support.

Elder Li had said that day—the design of this trial was for one person to endure the pain of ten thousand swords piercing the heart. But in the previous trial, the eight of them had broken the Sword Puppet Array together; in this trial, they likewise did not need to carry it alone.

Gao Feng said in a deep voice: "Close your eyes. Concentrate."

The Formation activated once more. Tianxin was unconscious and could not enter the Sea of Sword Intent, but Gao Feng used his own Divine Sense to wrap her aura and send it into the illusion along with the others. In the Sea of Sword Intent, her figure was illusory and silent, but her presence provided an extra bit of support for everyone.

This trial, they would still face it together.

The sword light surged again. But this time, those black threads hidden within the sword light had vanished, leaving only pure Sword Intent.

Chu Lan gritted her teeth, veins bulging on her forehead, but she did not cry out; Luo Li played the Pure Heart Melody within the illusion, the zither music steadying everyone's minds; Su Ning protected everyone with a Spatial Barrier, sharing the impact of the sword light; though Yao Guang was a healing Cultivator and her Divine Sense was not strong, she transformed her healing power into a layer of protection covering everyone's Divine Sense surface; Lin Yue's willpower was beyond imagination as he endured every sword light without a word; Lin Jingyu and Situ Lan's Sword Intent outside the illusion echoed the sword light within, carving out a relatively smooth path for them.

One incense stick, half an hour, one hour.

When the light of the Formation dimmed again, the Divine Senses of all eight people returned to their bodies simultaneously. No one counted how many sword lights they had endured, nor did anyone remember how much longer they had to hold on—because they knew that someone had endured something much harder in a much darker place.

Tianxin still hadn't woken up.

Yao Guang's spiritual power was almost exhausted, and she leaned on Chu Lan's shoulder, panting; Chu Lan's hands were still shaking, a sequela of Divine Sense overexertion; Luo Li's fingers were also injured, as playing for so long in the illusion had worn blood blisters onto her fingertips; Su Ning's face was deathly pale, the backlash from the Spatial Barrier causing her Meridians to spasm; Lin Yue's lips were parched and his eyes were sunken, but his back remained ramrod straight.

Lin Jingyu rested his palm on his sword hilt, standing beside the unconscious Tianxin. Situ Lan stood on the same side, her gaze never leaving the direction of the valley entrance.

Gao Feng stood up, walked to the edge of the stone platform, and bent down to gently pick up Tianxin. She was so thin she had almost no weight, lying in his arms like a withered leaf. He carried her and turned to walk out of the valley.

The eyes of the others followed his back. He did not look back, but his voice clearly entered everyone's ears: "Tianxin's injury happened because I failed to protect her. I have noted this debt."

The conservatives wanted to use Devilish Qi to plot against them; of all people they could have chosen, they happened to hurt Tianxin. Tianxin usually spoke the least and had the lowest presence, but from the Shadow Realm revenge to the journey through the five Sects, she had always stood in front in her own way. He would not let this happen again.

The setting sun dyed the back mountain a deep red.

The valley was empty, leaving only the dim Formation patterns on the stone platform, looking like undried blood in the twilight.

On the bluestone road, the shadows of the group were stretched very long. Luo Li walked behind Gao Feng, looking at the unconscious Tianxin in his arms, thinking of that woman who was always taciturn and never claimed credit. In the Shadow Realm, she was the first to rush into the castle to scout; in the Green Wood Realm, she used Dark Talismans to clear the way for everyone; in the Star Sea, she drew that batch of waterproof Talismans; in the Ten Thousand Array Sect, she used Talisman Formations to trap the Array Clan soldiers. She never said much, but she was always there.

Along this journey, not a single person had fallen behind.

And they wouldn't now.

Two days after falling into a coma, Tianxin finally woke up.

It was early morning, and the morning light spilled through the window lattice onto her face. She opened her eyes to see Chu Lan's face dozing by the bedside, and the faint outline of the Heavenly Sword Sect's main peak visible outside the window. Yao Guang arrived at the first moment, checking her Divine Sense and Meridians, and only breathed a sigh of relief after confirming no hidden injuries remained.

"How long was I asleep?" Tianxin's voice was still a bit raspy.

"Two days." Chu Lan woke up rubbing her eyes, her voice carrying the relief of a survivor, "You scared us to death. Do you know how terrifying you looked with blood flowing from your seven orifices?"

Tianxin did not answer, but simply sat up and tucked the hair hanging by her face behind her ear. She glanced at Lin Jingyu guarding outside the door, then at Su Ning who was drawing Talismans by the table, and finally turned her gaze to Gao Feng sitting by the window.

"Is the fourth trial over?"

"Not yet." Gao Feng stood up. "Waiting for you."

Tianxin was silent for a moment. She didn't say words like 'thank you,' but simply got up calmly, tidied her robes, and tucked a stack of new Talismans into her sleeve. Her fingers were still trembling slightly—a sequela of her Divine Sense having just recovered—but she didn't mention it, and the others didn't ask.

Elder Li had waited at the entrance of the fourth trial for three days, neither rushing them nor sending anyone to inquire. When the nine of them appeared before him, he merely nodded and flipped open his register.

"The fourth trial, the Sword Tablet Forest."

He stepped aside to reveal a stone door behind him. The stone door was thirty feet high, entirely cyan-gray, with the three large characters "Sword Tablet Forest" carved on the lintel. Two stone beasts crouched on either side of the door, their eyes inlaid with unknown gemstones that glinted with a cold light in the sun.

"Behind the door are thirty-six sword tablets, each containing one ancient sword move. You need to comprehend the sword move within the tablet and successfully execute it to be considered as having passed that tablet." Elder Li paused. "There is no time limit, but only after all thirty-six tablets are comprehended can you enter the next trial. There is no set order; you can divide the work or tackle them together."