92: Disfigurement

"Hiss, it hurts so much..."

A heart-wrenching pain jolted Nangong Li awake from her coma.

She struggled to open her eyes, and what she saw was the familiar Sect Master's bedroom.

"When did I come back? Wasn't I at..."

Nangong Li tried to get up, but with the slightest movement, a burning pain immediately spread throughout her body.

She raised her hand to look, only to see her arm wrapped in bandages.

"What happened to me...?"

Her pupils constricted, and she couldn't help but speak.

But as soon as she spoke, her once beautiful voice only produced a hoarse sound, accompanied by a dry, sore throat.

"My voice... my voice... what's wrong...?"

Nangong Li instantly grew anxious, trying to raise her hand to touch her neck.

But just bending her arm caused her to grimace in pain.

"Someone, someone!"

She hurriedly shouted towards the door.

However, the severe swelling and pain in her throat made her hoarse voice sound like a buzzing mosquito, completely unnoticed.

Seeing that no one came, Nangong Li immediately struggled to climb up.

As a result, she accidentally fell off the bed.

Immediately, an unprecedented pain spread through every inch of her skin.

"It hurts, it hurts so much! Why does it hurt so much? It's unbearable!"

She wanted to circulate her Qi to resist the pain, but the agony from her entire body prevented Nangong Li from concentrating her true essence.

Finally, she could only endure the heart-wrenching pain, crawling step by step towards the dressing table not far away.

She wanted to see what she looked like now.

With great difficulty, when Nangong Li dragged her injured body to the dressing table, the pure white mirror reflected herself, covered in bandages from head to toe.

Crimson blood was slowly seeping out from various parts of the bandages.

"No, my face, my body, my hair!"

She covered her face and her burnt hair, which was reduced to a few wisps, letting out a dry wail like a crow.

Nangong Li's beauty and figure were her capital for standing in the world, but now, she had become this ghastly sight. How could she accept it?

"No~ This isn't real~"

In a fit of rage, she swept the bright mirror on the table to the floor.

The violent commotion finally attracted the attention of the guarding Disciples outside the door.

"Sect Master, what's wrong?"

"Get out, all of you get out!"

At this moment, Nangong Li didn't want outsiders to see her in such a sorry state, continuously letting out hoarse roars to drive them away.

The two Disciples who entered the room looked at each other in bewilderment.

Seeing that they still hadn't left, Nangong Li endured the pain and grabbed a cup, smashing it fiercely to the ground.

"Get out! Can't you understand me? I told you to get out!"

"You may all withdraw."

A clear, cold voice sounded. Clear Moon took a light step and dismissed the two bewildered Disciples.

After the door closed, Clear Moon looked at Nangong Li, who was slumped on the ground, and simply sat down on the round stool in front of the table.

"You were very lucky these past few days. The Sect used a large amount of Spirit Medicine and finally saved your life.

However, there is still some fire poison remaining in your body that has not been cleared, so you should not get too agitated."

When Clear Moon said this, no emotion could be discerned, as if she was speaking of an insignificant matter.

Nangong Li seemed to remember something and quickly looked up at Clear Moon, asking, "Elder, how is Shen Lian? Is he dead?"

Clear Moon shook her head: "No, he escaped."

Upon hearing this, Nangong Li excitedly tried to get up: "Why, Elder, why couldn't you kill him?"

Clear Moon: "I apologize, your situation was too sudden at the time, and no one expected such a thing to happen. We could only save you first. As for Shen Lian, let him go for now."

When Shen Lian was mentioned, she felt deep admiration for him.

Using his life as bait, he would not stop until his goal was achieved.

Such courage made her greatly admire him.

After leaving Chess Sword Pavilion, she would try to befriend Shen Lian.

However, his extreme way of doing things almost caused a great disaster.

Fortunately, the earth core strange fire did not explode, but only produced a brief fluctuation, emitting some residual embers before stabilizing. This also made the three of them, including Clear Moon, breathe a sigh of relief.

After this incident, even Wu Aozhou decided that once his contract with the Sword Emperor was up, he would immediately leave Chess Sword Pavilion and no longer inquire about matters in the Southern Domain.

At this moment, Clear Moon decided to meet Shen Lian again, after all, he was vastly different from the brainless simp in the rumors.

"Shen Lian, I must kill him. I want him to be even more miserable and in more pain than me."

Nangong Li let out a dry, hoarse roar from her throat, venting her inner dissatisfaction and resentment.

"Enough," Clear Moon interrupted her. "This matter is also your own doing. If you had directly handed over the crouching dragon marrow and not provoked Shen Lian, would you have ended up in your current state?"

Upon hearing this, Nangong Li wanted to say something, but the burning sensation on her body surged like a tide, making her too painful to utter a single word.

Clear Moon threw out a Water Spirit Pill: "Take this first, it can alleviate some of the pain. Since you're awake, there are some things I must tell you."

After Nangong Li laboriously took the Water Spirit Pill, she finally felt the pain in her body alleviate considerably.

Clear Moon glanced at her and continued: "Although your life was saved, the residual embers of the earth core strange fire burned your dantian sea.

To prevent your dantian sea from rupturing and rendering you crippled, I have sealed your dantian sea with spiritual power.

Furthermore, the skin burned by the earth core strange fire is currently very difficult to restore with the Sect's medical skills.

The Sect's intention is to send you to the Medicine King Glazed Valley in the Spirit Realm for healing.

During your absence, the position of Sect Master will temporarily be handed over to Lord Youyang, who will act as interim Sect Master."

Nangong Li's expression immediately panicked upon hearing this.

She wasn't stupid; Chess Sword Pavilion's arrangement was tantamount to abandoning her.

Handing over the Sect Master position and sending herself away from Chess Sword Pavilion meant it would be almost impossible to return.

"Elder, I am the current Sect Master personally recognized by the Sword Emperor. You cannot do this."

Clear Moon's eyes turned cold: "Then, in your current state, can you continue to govern Chess Sword Pavilion?"

That single sentence silenced Nangong Li.

"The Young Lord of Medicine King Glazed Valley, Mu Yaoguang, is also considered your fellow Disciple. If you go to her place for healing, she will certainly care for you.

Don't worry, you can return whenever you recover. If the Sword Emperor knew the current situation, he would also make the same decision."

"Elder, do I really have to leave?"

She was deeply reluctant to go to Medicine King Glazed Valley.

She was afraid that Su Yuheng and Mu Yaoguang would see her wretched state and gloat.

"Someone has already been sent to the Spirit Realm to contact the Realm Lord. News will arrive soon. Rest well these next few days and don't overthink anything."

With that, Clear Moon stood up and walked towards the door.

"Oh, right."

As she reached the door, Clear Moon seemed to remember something and added, looking back: "I've placed a whole bottle of Water Spirit Pills by your bedside. Take one if the pain becomes unbearable."

By the time Nangong Li regained her senses, Clear Moon had already disappeared from the doorway.

"Shen Lian, Shen Lian, ah..."

Nangong Li touched her bandaged face, weeping silently... On the other side, since leaving the Sword Tomb Forbidden Ground that day, Shen Lian had not gone far, staying in Yunluo City.

At this moment, he sat by the window on the second floor of a teahouse, watching the bustling crowds on the street while pondering where he could refine the crouching dragon marrow and draw out a wisp of Chaos Qi.

Just then, a familiar yet powerful aura came from behind him.

The next moment, Clear Moon's figure appeared before Shen Lian.

"May I sit here?"

Without waiting for Shen Lian to speak, Clear Moon sat down opposite him.

The two looked at each other for a moment.

"If you have any questions, ask them now."