Chapter 972: Xu Jingming

Just as Xu Jingming was about to fly forward to investigate, a soft snort came from his side.

Su Qingli had awakened.

Her previously dull eyes gradually focused, yet her expression still carried the haze of someone just waking from sleep.

“Where am I…?” Su Qingli looked around, bewildered.

Teacher Su, are you alright? I’ve cleared all the void creatures.

“But since you’ve just escaped the illusion, you might need some time to adjust.”

Xu Jingming moved to Su Qingli’s side.

A vast stream of spiritual power surged out, carefully sensing.

Her physical condition was good, and her spiritual power had suffered no damage.

She simply hadn’t fully regained her awareness yet.

Void creatures… an illusion?

As a ninth-rank Law Saint, Su Qingli’s spiritual power was inherently strong.

At Xu Jingming’s reminder, memories blurred by the illusion surged back into her mind.

“So… all of that was just an illusion…”

As Su Qingli gradually sorted out the situation, a complex expression surfaced on her pale, delicate face.

In that illusion,

she had married Xu Jingming, even borne him a son and a daughter, living a quiet, happy life.

But now, all of it was gone…

Unconsciously, Su Qingli turned her gaze toward Xu Jingming.

Xu Jingming was still in his Thunderstorm Form’s enhanced state.

His towering, muscular frame delivered a powerful visual impact.

His slightly bulging chest and broad back left no doubt about the strength of his flesh.

“Teacher, what’s wrong?” Xu Jingming looked at her, puzzled.

“N-nothing.”

Su Qingli’s cheeks flushed slightly, and she quickly shook her head.

She had been feeling sentimental just now, but seeing Xu Jingming brought back the events of the illusion.

Offspring born to high-rank adepts were far harder to conceive than those of ordinary adepts.

In the illusion, to bear that son and daughter, she had put in tremendous effort.

She had even experienced Thunderstorm Form countless times…

Thinking of this, Su Qingli’s cheeks grew even redder, and she unconsciously pressed her legs tightly together.

“I have some Spirit-Calming Elixir here—would you like some, Teacher?”

Xu Jingming felt Su Qingli’s gaze at him was strangely odd.

Worried her spiritual power was damaged, he quickly pulled out a pale green liquid from his space ring.

Spirit-Calming Elixir, an S-rank resource, nourishes the spirit and aids cultivation.

He still had many such S-rank resources among the space rings he seized from Qiao Lin and the others.

“No thanks.”

Su Qingli shook her head again, feeling a pang of shame.

How could she tell Xu Jingming her condition wasn’t due to spiritual damage, but because her mind had conjured up strange, absurd thoughts?

How could she maintain even the little dignity she had left as his teacher?

“Come to think of it… am I really longing for romance? Otherwise, why would the illusion be like that?”

Su Qingli’s thoughts raced.

Since childhood, she had devoted herself entirely to cultivation, never even holding hands with a member of the opposite sex.

This illusion had shaken her to her core.

After a long while, she finally calmed all her emotions.

Taking a deep breath, her beautiful eyes regained their clarity, and she spoke softly:

“Let’s go see the red thunder sphere.”

Illusions are illusions—once awakened, they’re just dreams.

But her father’s aura was real; he was likely inside that red thunder sphere!

Alright, let’s first check the remains of the void creatures before heading over. Xu Jingming nodded.

Remains? Aren’t void creatures aggregates of spiritual power? How could they leave behind physical remnants?

“I don’t know—we’ll have to wait for Eva’s analysis.”

Shaking her head, Xu Jingming flew forward with Su Qingli, who shared his confusion.

He quickly gathered all the liquid left behind by the dead void creatures.

The quantity was small—only about five hundred milliliters.

“Eva, can you analyze what this substance is?” Xu Jingming asked.

“Wait a moment.”

Vast streams of virtual light shot from Eva’s body, covering the liquid.

Only seconds later, she exclaimed joyfully:

“It’s Spirit-Nourishing Elixir! SSS+ rank resource!

Spirit-Nourishing Elixir repairs and refines spiritual power—it was a specialty of the faction founded by the Void God.

After the Void God’s demise, its production plummeted. I never expected it to originate from void creatures!

Although Eva was an artificial intelligence, she wasn’t omniscient.

For mysterious resources like Spirit-Nourishing Elixir, originating from the strongest factions, she had no prior knowledge of their source.

Oh? So killing these void creatures wasn’t entirely in vain.

Xu Jingming raised his sword-like brows.

Resources tied to spiritual power were extremely rare, let alone an SSS+ rank one.

In value, it might rival some low-tier SSR resources.

Too bad there were so few void creatures—only five hundred milliliters collected. I wish there had been more.

Xu Jingming sighed with regret as he stored the Spirit-Nourishing Elixir in his space ring, then flew with Su Qingli toward the red thunder sphere.

Crackling—

As they drew closer, the thunderous roar grew louder.

The entire thunder sphere radiated astonishing energy; even a single crimson lightning arc could shatter nearby minor spatial fissures.

“Teacher, I don’t sense any human aura inside the thunder sphere.”

Xu Jingming, having scanned the entire sphere with his spiritual power, murmured.

Su Qingli frowned deeply, her expression anxious: “I don’t sense it either.

But my father’s aura definitely came from this sphere—I won’t be mistaken.”

“If your sensing isn’t wrong… could it be possible that this thunder sphere *is* Senior Su?”

Xu Jingming pondered.

“You mean… elemental transformation?”

Su Qingli’s eyes lit up—this was indeed possible!

But another problem arose.

If it were normal elemental transformation, Father should have awakened upon sensing her arrival—this state clearly wasn’t normal.

“Senior Su disappeared four years ago. I don’t know when he arrived here.

In the most extreme case—four years of constant spiritual power drain by void creatures.

Senior Su’s consciousness must have long since sunk into slumber…”

Xu Jingming speculated.

Spiritual power is the manifestation of one’s consciousness.

Minor spiritual damage causes inattention or drowsiness, like staying up for several nights.

Major spiritual damage leads directly to unconsciousness—or worse, a living corpse.

“The possibility is high. We should try medicinal remedies for spiritual damage.”

Su Qingli nodded, preparing to retrieve such medicine from her space ring.

Then she saw Xu Jingming directly pour the Spirit-Nourishing Elixir into the red thunder sphere.

“Jingming, what are you doing…?” Su Qingli gasped in alarm.

The one who tied the bell must untie it. I believe the Spirit-Nourishing Elixir born from the dead void creatures will greatly aid in awakening Senior Su,” Xu Jingming smiled.

“That’s true, but Spirit-Nourishing Elixir is too precious—we should try other medicines first,” Su Qingli said regretfully.

Knowing how rare this resource was, returning to the Xinhuo World might allow them to exchange it for some SSR resources.

That would further enhance Xu Jingming’s strength.

“It’s just a bit of Spirit-Nourishing Elixir—if it awakens Senior Su, then it’s worth using,” Xu Jingming smiled.

“Jingming…” Su Qingli’s heart warmed at this.

Along this journey, Xu Jingming had helped her far too much.

Without Xu Jingming, even if she had come here, she would have fallen into permanent slumber due to the void creatures, until death.

And now, he had unhesitatingly used the precious Nourishing Soul Elixir.

This debt, she feared, she could never repay in a lifetime...

Just as she was moved, Xu Jingming beside her suddenly said, “Teacher, there’s movement!”

Su Qingli’s heart leapt with joy, and she quickly turned to look at the crimson lightning sphere.

Indeed, she sensed a consciousness slowly awakening!

Just seconds later, a wave of spiritual energy filled with disbelief erupted from the lightning sphere, echoing throughout the entire space:

“Little Li, how are you here? Am I dreaming?!”