State Religion, Mind Realm entrance.

The surrounding light and shadow slowly stabilized, and Supervisor Zhou Shengtai led Yun Bai out of that mysterious Domain, returning to normal space-time.

Yun Bai's face was deathly pale, not because of the pressure of the Mind Realm, but from deep-seated anxiety.

The figure of 3 million Spirit Stones weighed on his heart like a cold, massive mountain, making it almost impossible to breathe.

His sister's pale, unconscious face flashed before his eyes constantly, every breath carrying a heart-searing pain.

Supervisor Zhou Shengtai stopped and turned around. This Elder, usually so bold and magnanimous, now had a look of pity in his eyes.

He looked at the young man before him, observing the struggle hidden deep within his eyes, and sighed softly.

"Yun Bai," Supervisor Zhou Shengtai's voice was much deeper than usual. "The Dao is difficult, and the world is ever-changing. Some calamities are fate, but they are also tempering. I am aware of your sister's situation, and the soul-stabilizing pill... is indeed a glimmer of hope. Do not lose your composure. No matter what, you must survive; only then is there hope."

His words were earnest, devoid of empty comfort, containing only encouragement.

As he spoke, he took a Storage Pouch embroidered with mysterious patterns from his robes and forced it into Yun Bai's hand without room for refusal.

"There are 500,000 Spirit Stones here," Supervisor Zhou Shengtai's voice brooked no argument. "I am lending them to you personally. Saving your sister is the priority. When the day comes... you can pay me back slowly."

The weight in his hand was unimaginably heavy.

Yun Bai looked up sharply at Supervisor Zhou Shengtai, his throat feeling as if it were blocked by something.

He opened his mouth, but the thousands of words of gratitude ultimately transformed into a heavy nod, his voice hoarse and choked with emotion: "Brother Zhou... thank you! I, Yun Bai, will never forget this kindness!"

"Go," Supervisor Zhou Shengtai waved his hand and turned away, not looking at him again.

Yun Bai understood that there were still many tragedies of broken homes in Chu Prefecture that Supervisor Zhou Shengtai needed to handle.

Brother Zhou was willing to help him because he valued his potential.

Clenching the bag of Spirit Stones tightly, Yun Bai turned and rushed out of the inner hall of the State Religion as fast as he could.

When he left the Mind Realm, the communication Formation Plate in his robes had been vibrating frantically.

It was Jiang Shuanger, Captain Zeng Fu, Du San... messages of concern and anxiety flooded in instantly.

"Yun Bai, what is Yun Qian's current condition? Don't worry, I'm coming right over!" Captain Zeng Fu's message came from the communication Formation Plate.

"Yun Bai, don't worry. The Captain just notified all of us; there will definitely be a way," Du San and the others said in their messages.

Suppressing his turbulent emotions, Yun Bai replied to each one as quickly as possible, informing them that he had come out and was heading to Master Jiang's place.

Yun Bai turned into a gust of wind, rushing to Master Jiang's residence. The moment he pushed open the courtyard gate, a rich medicinal scent hit him, yet it could not dispel the coldness in his heart.

Shen Qi and Yang Peilan, who had heard the news and rushed over, were guarding the courtyard. Both their eyes were red and swollen, their faces etched with worry and sorrow. Seeing Yun Bai return, they hurried up to him but could only choke back sobs, unable to speak.

Yun Bai's heart sank sharply. He brushed past them and dashed straight into the inner chamber.

The door was ajar, and he pushed it open gently.

He saw Master Jiang sitting by the bed, his fingers resting on Yun Qian's slender wrist. His brows were furrowed, and his body radiated a soft light, as if he were using his own Cultivation to nourish the fragile person on the bed.

And Yun Qian just lay there silently.

Her face was as pale as transparent jade, devoid of any color. Her long eyelashes covered her eyelids, and she was motionless. Her breathing was so faint it was almost imperceptible, as if she might dissipate into the air at any moment. She was so small, so fragile, lying on the large bed like a flower that would wither at any time.

An indescribable, heart-wrenching sorrow, like a burst dam, instantly shattered all of Yun Bai's strength.

He stumbled, leaning against the doorframe, feeling as if his heart had been ruthlessly gripped by an invisible hand and crushed to pieces, the pain so intense he could barely breathe.

Sorrow flowed backward like a river, completely drowning him.

His Qianqian...

His sister...

Just then, rapid footsteps sounded behind him.

Captain Zeng Fu's tall figure appeared at the doorway, his face bearing a rare expression of gravity and concern. Seeing Yun Bai's state, he sighed heavily, stepped forward, and shoved a bulging, heavy-looking Storage Pouch into Yun Bai's hand.

"Yun Bai," Captain Zeng Fu's voice was deep and firm. "A token of the brothers' support. The squad pooled together 1 million Spirit Stones. Take it!"

Yun Bai looked up sharply, staring at Captain Zeng Fu in disbelief.

1 million?! He knew the situation of the brothers in the squad: Du San always lived for the moment, spending every Spirit Stone he got as soon as he got it; Li Ying was a Spirit Official, and Fu Lianchuan was at a critical stage in his Cultivation, needing every single Spirit Stone for his practice... Where did they get so many savings?

Captain Zeng Fu seemed to see his confusion and patted his shoulder. He tried to grin, but it looked somewhat heavy: "Don't look at us like that. Most of this was earned by us risking our lives in the Cang Plains over the past few months. It's the share you were entitled to, plus everyone emptied their savings. When a brother is in trouble, would we really hide things? Saving your sister is the priority."

Yun Bai's hands trembled as he took the bag of Spirit Stones.

It was heavy, as if it still carried the scent of the sands of the Cang Plains, the hot blood of fighting side-by-side with his brothers, and the burning intensity of their friendship.

He could clearly perceive the source of these Spirit Stones; each one seemed engraved with the memories of their shared experiences. Thousands of words of gratitude clogged his chest, and he could only say, with reddened eyes, "Captain... thank you all! Thank you!"

At this moment, Master Jiang also walked out of the inner chamber, his face weary.

He looked at Yun Bai and produced another heavy bag of Spirit Stones, handing it over.

"Yun Bai, here are 400,000 Spirit Stones," Master Jiang's voice was calm but full of strength. "Shuanger and that child Zhang Huai are both close friends of yours, and your sister's condition is rare in this world. I originally promised to refine a soul-stabilizing pill for you, but it seems I cannot fulfill that now, and I feel guilty about it. These Spirit Stones are a token of our support to help you. No need to speak of repayment."

400,000! Another 400,000!

Yun Bai looked at Master Jiang, this Great Master of medicine, who not only treated his sister but was now extending such help.

He took a deep breath, buried his gratitude deep in his heart, and thanked him solemnly once again.

At this moment, he calculated rapidly: the 900,000 he had saved from risking his life on missions, the 500,000 loaned by Supervisor Zhou Shengtai, the 1 million pooled by his squad brothers, the 400,000 given by Master Jiang... it added up to a massive 2.8 million!

Still 200,000 short!

Where would the 200,000 come from?

Everyone looked at one another.

Just in this suffocating silence and anxiety, Shen Qi suppressed her tears and stepped forward.

She first untied a simple Storage Pouch from her waist, and then retrieved another Storage Pouch from the room where Yun Qian was lying.

She handed both pouches to Yun Bai, her voice choked and barely coherent: "Brother Yun... these, these are... all the Spirit Stones Qianqian and I earned... from selling Inedia Pills... they are all here..."

Her words were like a stone thrown into a calm lake, making everyone present freeze, followed by an even longer silence.

Everyone understood what this meant.

It wasn't just Spirit Stones; it was what Yun Qian had earned with great difficulty, dragging her sick body and enduring headaches, relying bit by bit on her astonishing perseverance and talent in mechanics, Formations, and Medicinal Pills! It was her hope to share the burden for her brother, her hope to survive on her own!

Yun Bai's hands trembled as he took the two Storage Pouches that seemed to still hold his sister's body heat and scent. His Divine Sense subconsciously swept inside—

Inside, there were actually over 200,000 Spirit Stones, neatly stacked! The brilliant light stung his eyes.

So... so this final step, this last piece of the life-saving puzzle, had actually been earned by his sister Yun Qian herself, with her own frail shoulders!

If not for her perseverance, her heartbreaking precociousness and talent, and her efforts of enduring pain day and night without giving up, where would these crucial 200,000-plus Spirit Stones have come from?

A tremendous heartache, like the sharpest blade, instantly shredded Yun Bai's heart. He seemed to see his sister under the oil lamp late at night, her small face pale as she studied mechanical blueprints; he saw her enduring dizziness as she called out clearly in the market; he saw her smiling with anticipation as she counted the Spirit Stones she had earned, one by one, and hid them away carefully...

"Qianqian..." His throat tasted sweet, a surge of blood rising, which he swallowed down forcefully. He gripped the two Storage Pouches tightly, his knuckles turning white from the excessive force.

In just under half an hour, Yun Bai now had 3.04 million Spirit Stones in his hands.

No more hesitation!

Yun Bai turned sharply and, as if possessed, rushed out of Master Jiang's residence once again, sprinting toward the direction of the State Religion.

Only one thought remained in his eyes: It's enough! Finally, it's enough! The soul-stabilizing pill! His sister could be saved!

"Yun Bai!"

"Brother Yun!"

Everyone exclaimed. Jiang Shuanger reacted the fastest, immediately saying to her father and Captain Zeng Fu: "Father, Captain Zeng, I'll go check on him!" With that, she moved, swift as a wisp of smoke, and quickly followed Yun Bai.

Master Jiang and Captain Zeng Fu watched their retreating figures, their expressions grave, and finally nodded slowly.