616: Lu Xueqi (93)

Scalding liquid surged uncontrollably into his eye sockets, but he forcefully pushed it back.

He tightly gripped the slightly cool hand, as if holding his entire recovered world.

His voice choked in his throat, and after a long pause, only hoarse, broken syllables emerged.

"It's..."

"It's been a long sleep."

"But it doesn't matter, now... it's fine."

Bi Yao's gaze was still somewhat unfocused, as if she were struggling to comprehend the current situation.

Her gaze slowly moved, sweeping over Su Han's anxious face, over the soul-stabilizing pearl resting on her brow that brought a cool sensation, and over her shoulder which, though properly bandaged, still ached faintly.

Finally, it landed on the pure white figure standing on the other side of the jade bed, a figure as cold as snow.

Lu Xueqi was also looking at her.

Their eyes met.

The air seemed to quiet for an instant.

A trace of extremely faint confusion flashed across Bi Yao's eyes. Then, as if remembering something, the confusion transformed into realization, which then settled into an ineffable complexity.

Her lips moved again, as if she wanted to say something, but ultimately no sound came out.

However, her gaze lingered for a moment on Lu Xueqi's pale face and the tianya sword held in her hand, which was not yet sheathed and faintly pulsed with lightning.

Lu Xueqi met her gaze and nodded gently.

She maintained her usual cold demeanor, but deep within her eyes, that complexity seemed to quietly loosen just a bit.

"It's good that you... woke up."

Lu Xueqi's voice was very light, carrying the slight hoarseness from excessive exertion, but it lacked some of its usual icy chill.

Bi Yao blinked extremely subtly as a response.

All her strength seemed to have been used up just opening her eyes and achieving this brief moment of clarity. Heavy fatigue washed over her again like a tide.

Her eyelids began to droop uncontrollably.

"Bi Yao?"

Su Han's heart tightened, and he quickly called out softly.

"Tired..."

Bi Yao almost whispered the single word, her eyes half-closed, seemingly about to fall back into unconsciousness.

"Don't sleep, Bi Yao, hold on a little longer. Elder Mu is refining the jade marrow rejuvenation pill for you; it will be ready soon. Taking the Medicinal Pill will make you much better."

Su Han suppressed his anxiety and spoke to her in the calmest, gentlest voice possible, while simultaneously channeling a softer True Essence into her body to protect her heart Meridians and dispel the sinking weariness.

Perhaps the name 'jade marrow rejuvenation pill' had an effect, or perhaps it was the maintenance of Su Han's True Essence, but Bi Yao's eyes did not fully close.

She maintained that state of extreme weakness yet forced wakefulness, gazing somewhat vacantly at the moonstones emitting a soft halo on the great hall's ceiling.

The light from the soul-stabilizing pearl continued to shine steadily, nourishing her damaged Divine Soul and bringing a slight clarity.

Time flowed in silence, every breath seeming exceptionally long.

Su Han maintained the stable flow of True Essence, not daring to slacken in the slightest.

Lu Xueqi also sat cross-legged again to regulate her breathing and recover, but she still kept a thread of her Divine Sense focused on Bi Yao's condition.

Outside the hall, Shi Yue and the others held their breath, not daring to even breathe heavily.

The fluctuations from the direction of the Earth Fire Alchemy Chamber were sometimes intense and sometimes stable, indicating that the Alchemy had reached a critical moment.

After an unknown amount of time passed.

"Boom..."

A low, muffled sound—not an explosion, but a hum signifying the perfect convergence of some energy—came from the back of the hall.

Immediately following, an indescribably fresh medicinal fragrance spread out as if it were tangible, instantly filling the entire great hall.

This aroma invigorated the spirit upon inhalation, as if every pore on the body had expanded, greedily absorbing the vibrant life force contained within.

"It's done!"

Su Han and Lu Xueqi's eyes widened almost simultaneously as they looked towards the passage at the back of the hall.

Footsteps sounded.

Elder Mu's figure looked slightly fatigued, but his eyes sparkled with light as he quickly walked into the great hall.

He was holding a warm jade bottle; the bottle itself seemed to shimmer with a hazy jade-colored light due to the potency of the Medicinal Pill inside.

"I have not failed my mission; the jade marrow rejuvenation pill is complete!"

Elder Mu walked to the jade bed and, seeing Bi Yao with her eyes open, was first slightly stunned, then a look of genuine relief spread across his face.

"Good, good! Miss Bi Yao is already conscious, and her Divine Soul is stabilized under the nourishment of the soul-stabilizing pearl. Taking the medicine now will have the best effect!"

He opened the stopper of the jade bottle.

Instantly, an even richer and purer medicinal fragrance wafted out, and faintly visible above the bottle opening, a jade-colored elixir haze was rising.

Elder Mu carefully poured out one Medicinal Pill the size of a longan fruit.

The Medicinal Pill was entirely a gentle milky white, with natural jade-like textures on its surface. Elixir halos circled it layer by layer, and inside, it seemed as if liquid spiritual light was slowly flowing, emitting an astonishing life aura.

It was the supreme healing sacred medicine—the jade marrow rejuvenation pill.

"Miss Bi Yao, please take this pill."

Elder Mu brought the Medicinal Pill to Bi Yao's lips.

Bi Yao seemed to lack even the strength to swallow, merely opening her mouth slightly.

Su Han quickly and carefully supported the back of her neck, allowing her to tilt her head up slightly.

Elder Mu placed the Medicinal Pill into Bi Yao's mouth.

Upon entering her mouth, the pill did not require swallowing; it transformed into a warm, clear current as gentle as jade marrow, automatically sliding down her throat and rapidly spreading throughout her limbs and bones.

"Mmm..."

Bi Yao let out an extremely faint moan.

It was not pain, but a sigh of relief, like dry earth welcoming sweet rain.

Visibly, a faint, healthy flush quickly appeared on her paper-white face.

It was not a sickly red, but the ruddy color of restored blood and flourishing vitality.

At her brow, the light of the soul-stabilizing pearl seemed to be stimulated, becoming softer and brighter, working in concert with the pill's power to nourish the Divine Soul and stabilize the Origin.

At the site of the hideous wound below her left shoulder, although covered by gauze, Su Han could clearly feel that beneath the gauze, the muscles, Meridians, and bones were growing, healing, and repairing at an unprecedented speed, driven by the medicinal power.

The newly formed tissue, slightly fragile after being scoured by the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder, rapidly became tough and full of vitality under the infusion of the jade marrow rejuvenation pill's immense life force.

Bi Yao's previously weak and intermittent breathing became long and steady.

The rising and falling of her chest also gained strength.

The most obvious change was in her eyes; the previous vagueness and emptiness quickly faded. Although still carrying the weakness of a severe injury recently overcome, clarity and spirit had returned.

She attempted to gently move the fingers Su Han was holding.

This time, although the movement was still weak, it was significantly more pronounced than the previous twitch.

"How do you feel?"

Su Han's voice trembled almost imperceptibly—it was joy, but also lingering fear.

Bi Yao looked at him, the corners of her mouth curving upward very slightly, as if trying to offer him a comforting smile, but ultimately, due to her weakness, she could not fully display it.

"Much better..."

Her voice was still very light, but it was no longer a mere whisper; she could now speak coherently.

"Warm... it doesn't hurt anymore..."

She felt the majestic yet gentle flow of medicinal power within her body, which, wherever it passed, was like a spring breeze turning into rain, repairing her body riddled with wounds. (End of Chapter)