Chapter 116: Loot and Healing Touch, Fully Recovered!

Drip. Drip.

Cold water droplets struck the blood-stained steps, making a crisp, hollow sound.

After losing the support of Divine Power, this magnificent deep-sea ice crystal temple began to melt rapidly.

Like a collapsing glacier.

Jiang Chen dragged the raving Blue Nether down the dim spiral staircase and into the basement.

The smell here was even more nauseating.

The thick scent of blood mixed with some kind of sweet, cloying preservative spice, stinging the eyes.

The basement was extremely spacious, with rows of cages made of ten-thousand-year black ice on both sides.

Inside the cages, hundreds of young girls and children from various races were imprisoned.

They were barely clothed, their eyes hollow, huddled in corners and shivering.

They were clearly "offerings" sent by the Skinning Cult to be sacrificed to the false god.

Jiang Chen looked at these pitiful captives, the chill in his eyes growing heavier.

"Gods? You rely on eating the flesh and blood of these innocents to maintain your rule?"

Jiang Chen threw Blue Nether onto the ground.

"Hehe... eat... eat them all..." Blue Nether was still drooling and giggling, having completely lost his sanity.

"Playing the fool won't save you."

Jiang Chen snorted coldly.

He extended his right hand, curled his fingers into a claw, and clamped it directly onto Blue Nether's crown.

[Nightmare · Soul Search!]

A wave of extremely overbearing and cruel Mental Energy, like a red-hot steel needle.

Mercilessly pierced deep into Blue Nether's shattered Sea of Consciousness.

"Ah!!!"

Blue Nether's eyes instantly bulged, and he let out a scream a hundred times more wretched than a slaughtering pig.

The sins hidden in the deepest parts of his memory were forcibly dug out by Jiang Chen.

Scenes of bloody sacrifices, dirty deals between the Sea God Temple and imperial capital aristocratic families.

All flooded into Jiang Chen's mind.

"So that's it."

Jiang Chen coldly withdrew his hand.

"Since you like the Sea God so much, go keep him company in his stomach."

His Mental Energy surged out violently.

"Bang!"

Blue Nether's head exploded like a ripe watermelon.

This high and mighty Sea God Temple patrol envoy didn't even leave behind dust; he was completely erased from this world.

[Ding! Detected that an extremely filthy Soul has been cleared.]

[System Evaluation: Well done! For trash like this, physical transcendence is the best way to purify it.]

[Reward: Mental Energy purity + 5%.]

Jiang Chen shook the blood off his hands and turned to walk toward the innermost secret room of the basement.

This was Blue Nether's private treasury.

He kicked open the heavy refined steel door.

Inside, it was glittering with jewels, piled high with Top-Grade Spirit Stone and various rare deep-sea medicinal herbs.

Jiang Chen immediately set his eyes on a "Deep-Sea Fire Coral" that was entirely crimson and radiated astonishing heat.

"Good stuff, just the thing to reshape that girl's Meridians."

He rummaged through the treasury.

Finally, in an extremely hidden compartment, he found a fist-sized bead emitting a faint starlight.

The bead felt icy cold to the touch, and it seemed to contain a miniature galaxy slowly rotating inside.

[Ding! Discovered special plot item: Sea-Stabilizing Pearl.]

[Item Description: A wonder containing the Law of Space. The Endless Sea is filled with turbulence; this is the only compass to find the 'Floating Island'.]

Jiang Chen toyed with the Sea-Stabilizing Pearl and nodded in satisfaction.

"The key clue for upgrading the pillow has finally been obtained."

He swept the treasury clean, then casually smashed the locks on the cages, rescuing those captives.

Only then did he unhurriedly walk back to the main hall above.

...

Inside the main hall.

Su Qingyue and Mu Qingxue were supporting each other, waiting anxiously.

Seeing Jiang Chen walk out unharmed, both women breathed a sigh of relief simultaneously.

"Jiang Chen, are you alright?" Su Qingyue asked weakly.

"What could happen to me? I'm just a bit sleepy."

Jiang Chen walked over, looking at the pale complexions and wounds all over the two women, his brows furrowing slightly.

Especially Su Qingyue, whose Meridians were broken into pieces, holding on by a single breath.

If she wasn't treated now, it would likely leave behind irreparable underlying damage.

"Stop talking, both of you lie down."

Jiang Chen waved his hand, driving the newly awakened [Heart of Nightmare] to its limit.

"Activate! Guardian Dreamscape!"

Hum!

A layer of soft purple-gold halo enveloped Jiang Chen and the three women (including Iliya).

In the next second, the dilapidated ice crystal temple around them disappeared.

Replacing it was a fairyland filled with birdsong and fragrant flowers, where the Spiritual Qi was so dense it turned into white mist.

In the center of this fairyland was a steaming hot spring.

"This... where is this?"

Su Qingyue looked around in shock.

She discovered that the pain from her injuries had lessened significantly, and even her damaged Meridians were slowly healing.

"This is my absolute Domain, within my dream."

Jiang Chen walked to the edge of the hot spring and took off his blood-stained coat.

"Here, the flow of time is ten times faster than the outside world. Besides, with me watching, you won't die."

He turned to look at Mu Qingxue.

"Teacher, let me refuel you first."

Jiang Chen reached out and pressed against Mu Qingxue's back.

He channeled the extremely pure water-type Divine Power he had just obtained from devouring the "Sea God Projection".

Without reservation, he transferred it into Mu Qingxue's body.

Water and ice are inherently from the same source.

Under the nourishment of this vast and pure Divine Power.

The "Flawless Ice Phoenix Body" that Mu Qingxue had just cultivated inside her erupted with dazzling blue light.

"Mmm..."

Mu Qingxue let out a comfortable soft hum.

In the dreamscape, she shed her usual disguise as a cold, aloof mentor.

Her whole body leaned softly into Jiang Chen's arms, allowing that warm power to comb through her extraordinary Meridians.

Crack!

Accompanied by a crisp cracking sound.

Mu Qingxue's Realm broke through like a bamboo split in two.

Grandmaster Realm Fifth Level!

Grandmaster Realm Sixth Level!

Not until the Sixth Level Peak did it barely stabilize.

Her Ice Phoenix Domain was thoroughly at Major Achievement, and every gesture carried a peerless elegance that could freeze all things.

"Thank you... Jiang Chen."

Mu Qingxue turned her head, looking at Jiang Chen who was inches away, her ice-blue eyes filled with tenderness.

"Verbal thanks are useless."

Jiang Chen smirked and pinched her soft cheek.

"When we get out, remember to be my exclusive air conditioner for a few more days and make up for the cool air you owe me."

Mu Qingxue's pretty face flushed red, and she shot him an coquettish glare, but didn't refuse.

"Alright, next is a big project."

Jiang Chen turned his gaze to Su Qingyue, who was the most severely injured.

He took out the Deep-Sea Fire Coral.

"Qingyue, come here."

Jiang Chen patted a piece of jade by the edge of the hot spring, "Sit with your back to me."

Su Qingyue dragged her weak body over and sat down obediently.

"The medicinal power of this Fire Coral is extremely overbearing."

Jiang Chen's voice became serious.

"You need to take off your top. I must press both palms against your back and use Mental Energy to guide the medicinal power, reshaping your Meridians inch by inch."

"What?!"

Upon hearing this, Su Qingyue's face instantly turned red to the roots of her ears.

"Take... take off my top?"

Although she was a woman of Jianghu, she was, after all, a chaste young lady of an aristocratic family.

Undressing in front of a man, how could she be so shameless!

"Why are you shy? This isn't reality; it's in a dream."

Jiang Chen rolled his eyes.

"In the dream, your current bodies are constructed from Mental Energy. Although the senses are 100% shared, essentially it's just a mass of energy."

"A healer has a parent's heart; hurry up, don't avoid medical treatment out of fear."

Su Qingyue bit her red lips.

She knew Jiang Chen was right; her injuries couldn't be delayed.

After hesitating for a moment.

She trembling hands, slowly untied her clothes.

Her cyan outer garment slid off, revealing a large expanse of snow-white, delicate, beautiful back.

The perfect butterfly bones on her back were looming in the mist of the hot spring.

Jiang Chen looked at this beautiful scene and couldn't help but swallow his saliva.

This girl, usually she looks quite thin; I didn't expect her figure to be so well-endowed.

"Don't look around!"

Su Qingyue felt the gaze on her back and whispered in shame and anger.

"Ahem, focus."

Jiang Chen composed himself and pressed his palms against her smooth back.

The sensation upon contact was extremely smooth, soft, and warm.

[Ding! Detected high-quality Dual Cultivation... ptooey, massage healing.]

[Triggered Ambiguous Mechanism: Blood and Qi Resonance.]

[host, please watch the heat; don't burn the little girl.]

Jiang Chen ignored the System's indecent prompt.

A ball of golden Nightmare fire ignited in his palms, melting the Fire Coral into a scalding medicinal liquid.

Then, along the Acupoints on Su Qingyue's back, he slowly massaged it in.

"Hiss—!"

Su Qingyue shuddered in pain, instinctively wanting to dodge forward.

"Don't move!"

Jiang Chen grabbed her slender waist and pulled her back into his arms.

Their bodies were pressed tightly together.

"Bear with it; only by breaking can one stand and achieve Nirvana and Rebirth."

Jiang Chen's voice rang in her ear, carrying a magic that put people at ease.

As those warm, large hands continued to roam over her back.

After the excruciating pain, there was an indescribable numbness and comfort.

Su Qingyue felt her broken Meridians being reconnected by an overbearing yet gentle power.

Her originally tense body gradually softened.

She leaned involuntarily against Jiang Chen's broad chest.

Those hands covered in tiny scars, without her knowing when, had already tightly gripped Jiang Chen's arm.

"Jiang Chen..."

Su Qingyue murmured softly, her voice carrying a hint of coquettishness that one would never hear from her normally.

"Hmm? What's wrong? Did I hurt you?" Jiang Chen asked while massaging.

"No..."

Su Qingyue closed her eyes, feeling the temperature on her back, a sweet smile curling the corners of her mouth.

"It's just that... this massage technique feels quite comfortable. In the future... can you do it often?"

Jiang Chen smiled.

This tsundere sword servant had finally learned to soften up.

"Depends on your performance. If you can wash my socks, I'll consider it."

"In your dreams! Keep dreaming!" Su Qingyue was so angry she pinched him.

Amidst this flirtatious banter.

Boom!

The phoenix blood inside Su Qingyue completely boiled.

The reshaped Meridians were several times wider than before, and her blood and Qi surged like a true Dragon.

Organ Refining Realm Ninth Level Peak!

Only half a step away from the Grandmaster Realm!

...

The dreamscape dissipated.

Everyone returned to the reality of the ghost ship.

Not only were their injuries gone, but their strength had also made a qualitative leap.

At this moment.

Jiang Chen was holding the Sea-Stabilizing Pearl, shining it around like a flashlight.

"Why is this broken bead so dim?"

Jiang Chen patted the Sea-Stabilizing Pearl with disdain, "Is this lightbulb's battery life any good? Don't run out of power halfway; I don't want to have to find a place to charge it."

It seemed to understand Jiang Chen's complaint.

The Sea-Stabilizing Pearl suddenly erupted with a blinding, intense light!

The needle that originally pointed north suddenly began to spin wildly.

Finally, it pointed firmly at a huge black vortex in the deep sea!

"It seems our next stop is not on the water surface."

Jiang Chen looked at the bottomless vortex, a curve of excitement hooking at the corner of his mouth.

"But under the sea."