Chapter 38 The Phantom of the Hospital, Heart-Corroding Evil Arts (Part 2)

[The ward was very quiet, with only the ticking sound of the ventilator.]

[You walked to the bedside, preparing to conduct a detailed observation of this "patient."]

[By the moonlight from outside the window, you discovered an extremely peculiar phenomenon.]

[Liu Yiyi's originally jet-black long hair had actually begun to show a strange greenish-blue color starting from the tips, with a tendency to extend upwards. That color didn't look like hair dye, but rather like the tender sprouts of a plant.]

["This is..."]

[You reached out and lightly placed two fingers on her wrist.]

[The keen perception brought by the [Profound Water Spirit Body], combined with the fine control of the Ninth Stage of Qi and Blood, allowed you to instantly see through the reality of her internal state.]

[The result was unexpected!]

[In your perception, Liu Yiyi's body was not suffering from a decline in Qi and blood as stated in the medical records.]

[On the contrary, deep within her Dantian lay a dormant, extremely vigorous, and massive energy full of vitality!]

[You were very familiar with this energy; it was very similar to the power that transformed your body when you used the "dimensional secret treasure" heavenly river water lotus, filled with life spirituality.]

[However, there were some differences.]

[This aura was perfectly fused with Liu Yiyi's life Origin; it wasn't an external foreign aura, but something she was born with!]

["An Innate Awakener!"]

[You were startled in your heart.]

[But immediately after, you discovered that this majestic life force, which should have granted her health and longevity, was being tightly locked deep within her Dantian by a cold, obscure black aura.]

[You were all too familiar with that sinister aura—it was the foreign Qi and blood unique to the "Heart-Eroding Cult"!]

[These strands of Qi and blood with cult attributes transformed into precise shackles, not only locking away her Wood-element Ability but also severing the normal circulation of her Meridians like a cancer. This caused her to outwardly appear as though she had a deficiency in both Qi and blood and clogged Meridians, presenting a typical illusion of "withered blood syndrome."]

["What clever methods... is this the foundation of the 'Heart-Eroding Cult'?"]

[You were secretly alarmed.]

[Although this cult was severely damaged by a Martial Saint forty years ago and can now only hide in the gutters like a street rat.]

[But you cannot deny that this is a massive sect that has existed since the "Hundred Nations War" period and possesses two hundred years of dark Legacy.]

[Their top-tier combat power might have a gap now, but these sinister and vicious secret arts for harming people...]

[...have been polished and perfected over two hundred years, long since becoming incredibly mature and very well-hidden.]

[The practitioner doesn't even need a high Martial Arts Realm or to consume a large amount of Qi and blood. They only need to use technique and continuous application to construct this near-perfect Qi and blood interception.]

[Especially against an ordinary person like Liu Yiyi, who has not yet practiced martial arts and has no ability to resist, deploying such a mature evil art is practically effortless.]

["To refuse heaven's gift is to invite disaster."]

["Her Awakening was forcibly suppressed for too long, and the massive life force could not be vented, instead beginning to backfire on itself. This is the truth behind her 'strange illness'!"]

[A more complete guess formed in your heart.]

[That lurking cultist is, in all probability, the one in charge of Liu Yiyi's diagnosis and treatment at this hospital—the attending physician!]

[Once, when Liu Yiyi felt unwell and came to the nearest hospital for treatment, she was diagnosed by this doctor.]

[He keenly discovered that this discomfort originated from the "premonition of an Awakening."]

[An Innately Awakened wood-element user—this is the "top-tier sacrifice" that the Heart-Eroding Cult loves most!]

[But he didn't directly move to kidnap her.]

[He performed a set of the Heart-Eroding Cult's sinister secret arts, using foreign Qi and blood and needle techniques to lock away Liu Yiyi's vitality, creating the illusion of a "terminal illness."]

[He was "breaking the hawk."]

[On one hand, he used exorbitant medical fees to force Liu Qing into a corner, turning her into a usable pawn.]

[On the other hand, he was waiting for the energy within Liu Yiyi to accumulate to the critical point, which would be the best moment for sacrifice.]

["So this is the Heart-Eroding Cult's true goal."]

[In their eyes, Liu Yiyi with her wood-element talent is the main course, while the older sister, Liu Qing, is merely a bonus gift.]

["As for why they are acting so carefully..."]

[You recalled the records in the files; the Heart-Eroding Cult was severely crippled by a Martial Saint forty years ago and has long been a street rat.]

[Times have changed. They have recuperated for forty years and only just managed to catch their breath, finally daring to cautiously reach out from the borders toward the inland.]

[Wuyue City is not Longnan. As a major city in the province, it has a Divine Power Realm Grandmaster presiding over it, and there are even several Soaring Realm Experts.]

[If the Heart-Eroding Cult dares to be too arrogant here, they would be crushed in a matter of minutes.]

["Furthermore, since this doctor could discover such a good prospect, it must be a great achievement. He definitely doesn't want to share it with others, which is why he chose such secretive methods."]

[You estimated the strength of that cultist doctor.]

["Although this Seal technique is sinister, its strength isn't particularly high."]

["After all, Liu Yiyi isn't a Martial Artist, so it doesn't take much effort to perform."]

[Judging by the intensity of the residual Qi and blood, that doctor's Realm is most likely the same as Liu Qing's—a Martial Artist at the Qi and Blood Seventh Stage.]

[Your gaze shifted to the electronic patient information board at the head of the bed.]

[Name: Liu Yiyi]

[Admission Time: 3 days ago]

[Diagnosis: Qi and Blood Exhaustion Syndrome (Commonly known as: withered blood syndrome)]

[Looking at those bright red words "withered blood syndrome."]

["Truly sinister..."]

[withered blood syndrome is recognized in the martial arts world as a "rich person's disease" and a bottomless pit.]

[It won't kill immediately, but it requires long-term injections of expensive high-level monster serum to maintain vital signs.]

[The cultist disguised the backlash from the intercepted wood-element Awakening as Qi and blood exhaustion. This not only covers up the truth but also uses massive medical fees to drive Liu Qing to a dead end step by step.]

[But seeing Liu Yiyi's admission time, the confidence in your heart grew even stronger.]

["She's only been hospitalized for three days, which means the 'hawk-breaking' plan has only just begun.]

[That doctor hasn't had time to plant an irreversible deep Restriction on her yet."]

["Time is on my side."]

[Having thought through all this, you didn't act impulsively.]

[You took out your phone and took comprehensive photos for evidence of the medical record, the information board at the head of the bed, a close-up of Liu Yiyi's greenish-blue hair tips, and the doorplate of the "Specialist Consultation Room."]

[You even quietly recorded that doctor's duty schedule.]

[These were all ironclad pieces of evidence to report to the authorities and seek Wu Changhe's help in the future.]

["As long as the evidence is solid, I won't even need to lift a finger; the authorities can crush this rat in the gutter."]

[In fact, with your current fine control over Qi and blood and your superb theoretical knowledge, as long as you put in some effort, you could completely break this secret art by force.]

["However, now is not the time."]

["Startling the snake will make the opponent act desperately and harm Liu Yiyi."]

["I need to observe carefully for a while longer and find a foolproof opportunity."]

["I not only want to strike the Heart-Eroding Cult dead with one blow, but I also want to get more destiny points."]

[You silently withdrew from the ward, as if you had never appeared.]

[In the night, your figure merged into the darkness once again.]

[This night, you found the key to breaking the situation.]