652: Lu Xueqi and Biyao (31)

Su Han replied with a blush, "If Elder Mu had not risked his life to hold back those three Star Spirit Guards, this Disciple would surely have been reduced to dust. It was Elder who saved this Disciple's life, and also saved Senior Sister."

"Haha, there's no need for us to push the credit back and forth," Elder Mu laughed heartily. Then, his expression turned serious, and he asked, "Do you know how long you were unconscious?"

Su Han sensed the surging vitality within his body and said uncertainly, "It feels... like a very long time. This Disciple's injuries are about seventy or eighty percent healed, and the Star Power has become purer. Could it be... over a month?"

"A full thirty-five days," Elder Mu held up three fingers, then spread his five fingers. "During this period, the Sect Master personally ordered that the best Medicinal Pills from the Hundred Herb Hall be available for your use, and Elders took turns to comb through your Meridians and stabilize your Foundation. The injuries you sustained this time were too severe; they nearly damaged your martial Dao Foundation. If it weren't for the Sect sparing no expense, recovering this quickly would have been as difficult as ascending to heaven."

Upon hearing this, Su Han was deeply moved and solemnly said again, "This Disciple thanks the Sect for its nurturing, and thanks the Elders for saving my life!"

"Mm, it is good that you know how to repay kindness," Elder Mu nodded. He then shifted the topic to the matter he was most concerned about, "As for that tianya girl..."

Su Han's heart instantly tightened. He looked intently at Elder Mu, "How is Senior Sister...?"

Elder Mu's face showed a complex expression—relief, astonishment, and a trace of inexpressible solemnity. "Xue Qi's situation is better than imagined, but also more... peculiar."

"Peculiar?" Su Han frowned slightly.

"Indeed," Elder Mu slowly stood up, hands clasped behind his back, and walked to the window, gazing toward the distant, mist-shrouded main Peak of Tianya Peak. He spoke in a deep voice, "The ice crystal you brought back, and the shadow of the tianya sword spirit sealed within it, possessed a spiritual essence far exceeding our expectations. The return of that drop of Origin Blood, combined with your nurturing with your heart's blood, seems to have caused a qualitative change in her spirituality. Currently, she is in the Spirit Nurturing Pool atop Tianya Peak, personally overseen by the Sect Master, with the entire Sect's power focused on nurturing her."

"Then... when will Senior Sister be able to reshape her Sword Body and re-condense her Dao Body?" Su Han asked urgently.

"Reshaping the Sword Body might be soon. But re-condensing the Dao Body..." Elder Mu turned around, looking deeply at Su Han, "...is not easy, and might not even proceed in the way we anticipated."

Su Han's heart clenched, "What do you mean, Elder?"

"The tianya sword spirit was originally born from a wisp of Innate Extreme Cold Sword Qi between heaven and earth; she is an extremely special existence. The time she condensed her Dao Body was already seizing the creation of heaven and earth. Now that her spirituality has been reborn, and she has fused with your heart's blood, a deeper connection has formed between you two—one could even say... a blood connection." Elder Mu's tone carried a hint of probing, "Su Han, during your coma, did you experience any special sensations? For instance... with the tianya sword spirit?"

Su Han paused, then recalled carefully. During his month of unconsciousness, he wasn't entirely unaware. Occasionally, in his blurred consciousness, he did sense a faint, almost imperceptible icy aura, flowing deep within his mind like moonlight, bringing a strange sense of peace and familiarity. He had originally thought it was a hallucination following severe injury, but now, hearing Elder Mu mention it...

"It seems... there was indeed a very faint, very distant feeling, like a ray of moonlight—very cold, but very familiar..." Su Han stated truthfully.

"Just as I thought!" A sharp light flashed in Elder Mu's eyes. "That's it! News has also come from the Spirit Nurturing Pool that when the tianya sword spirit was absorbing Star Power to reshape herself, she showed an extremely strong affinity for your aura—one could even say... dependence. The Sect Master speculates that the future reshaping of her Dao Body will likely be inseparable from you."

"Related to this Disciple?" Su Han was stunned. Immediately, an inexplicable emotion surged in his heart—tension, anticipation, and also a touch of bewilderment. "What... can this Disciple do for Senior Sister?"

"It is not clear yet," Elder Mu shook his head. "Perhaps, after you recover from your injuries, going to the Spirit Nurturing Pool in person will make everything clear. The Sect Master's intention is that once you recover, you should wait at the summit of Tianya Peak. Perhaps your very existence is the greatest aid to the tianya."

Su Han took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart, and said solemnly, "This Disciple understands. Once this Disciple's injuries are completely healed, I will immediately proceed to Tianya Peak!"

"Mm, no need to rush in the next day or two. First, fully recuperate your body and stabilize your Realm." Elder Mu patted Su Han's shoulder. "You have turned misfortune into fortune this time; your Star Power now carries the icy attribute of the tianya sword. This will greatly benefit your future cultivation. Seize this Opportunity well, and do not let down the efforts the tianya girl made for you."

Elder Mu gave Su Han a meaningful look, then turned and left.

Su Han stood in place, processing the information from Elder Mu's words. Not only was Senior Sister's spirituality still intact, but it seemed to have undergone a special change because of his heart's blood. The path to reshaping her Dao Body in the future was actually closely related to him...

He subconsciously touched his chest. The empty feeling where he had once lost a drop of heart's blood had long been filled with newly generated power, but an invisible connection seemed to span across space, tightly linked to the Spirit Nurturing Pool atop Tianya Peak.

"Senior Sister..." Su Han murmured to himself, a trace of determination flashing in his eyes. "No matter what the future holds, I will definitely help you return!"

In the following days, Su Han stopped being eager to get out of bed. Instead, he calmed his heart and carefully comprehended the newly generated power within his body. Just as Elder Mu said, his Star Power indeed contained a wisp of the purest icy attribute, like a dormant Ice Dragon hidden within his Dantian star seed. This wisp of icy Star Power not only did not conflict with his original Star Power but actually served to condense and purify it, making his Foundation even more stable.

He attempted to circulate the Sect's basic Cultivation Technique, the 'Azure Cloud Art,' and found that as the Star Power flowed, the temperature of the surrounding air would slightly drop, and faint ice crystals could even condense at his fingertips. This change delighted him immensely, as it meant his combat power would see an all-around enhancement, especially when casting ice-element Star Arts, where the power would surely double.

"This... is a gift left for me by Senior Sister, I suppose..." A warm smile curved Su Han's lips.

Five days later, Su Han felt his condition had been adjusted to its Peak. Not only were his injuries fully recovered, but his cultivation had unexpectedly benefited from the disaster, faintly touching the threshold of the Middle Stage of the star seed Realm. After reporting his situation to the Elders of the Hundred Herb Hall, he impatiently left the hall and sped toward the direction of Tianya Peak. (End of Chapter)