Chapter 161: Injured?

After the five most powerful factions were destroyed and then reestablished, Kuangsha City welcomed its first uncrowned king in history.

Mo Lie's legion grew from thirty‑five thousand to one hundred thousand at once, and kept increasing steadily; they all followed voluntarily.

The beast at the center of the Kuangsha City uproar, Mo Lie, sat in a chair, propped his cheek with one hand, gently lifted a small exquisite glass bottle to his eyes; through the translucent glass, Little Female's face appeared slightly blurred.

So beautiful.

Across the table, Lin Manzhi sat refining a potion, her jet‑black eyes not on him but fixed on the floating Cherry Tomato, her serious demeanor firmly captured his gaze.

The fresh Pheromone in the air gave him an inexplicable restlessness; when the Pheromone fully extracted the spirit essence from the Cherry Tomato, pale yellow droplets merged with a hint of green.

The yellow‑green potion hovered in midair, the withered Cherry Tomato decayed to ash and fell into the wooden tray on the table.

Thump.

A soft dripping sound rose, and the spirit essence, drawn by the Pheromone, fell into the glass bottle.

Lin Manzhi held the glass bottle in one hand, sealed it with its matching glass lid in the other, then casually set it on the wooden table.

The potion refinement is complete.

Mo Lie set the glass bottle down, his deep voice slowly saying, "In last night's battle, weren't you worried whether I was injured, Zhi Zhi?"

He hadn't told her about what happened last night for fear she'd worry and lose sleep; only after everything ended did he work through the night, carve out time to be with her at breakfast when she woke up this morning, and then mention that he had simultaneously subjugated the three major forces.

Lin Manzhi paused, putting down the Cherry Tomato, and lifted her gaze toward Mo Lie seated across the table.

After he finished breakfast, he stayed with her in the potion room; could it be that he was injured, so he didn't go about his duties?

Her eyes scanned him up and down, her expression showing unabashed concern: "Are you injured? Should we fetch the Shamaness?"

Mo Lie's deep blue eyes narrowed slightly, without answering.

He rose, circled the wooden table to Lin Manzhi's side, rested one hand on the back of the chair behind her, and leaned his upper body down toward her.

The distance between them shrank to a breath, their gazes locked, and Lin Manzhi seemed to see an endless, calm sea, a breathtaking sight that moved the soul.

Under such a stare, Lin Manzhi felt an inescapable immersion, a maddening desire to linger here.

She did not step back, tilted her head slightly upward, her dark eyes meeting Mo Lie's; beneath her cascading thick black hair, the skin at the base of her ears flushed red.

Lin Manzhi repeated, her voice tinged with an unconscious softness: "Where are you hurt?"

Mo Lie gave a charming smile, lifted his hand to grasp Lin Manzhi's, Little Female's hand instantly curled into his palm then relaxed, as if disliking skin contact, yet the familiar proximity made her subconsciously ease.

This uniqueness made the black‑haired beast raise an amused eyebrow.

He slipped the warm hand he held behind his own neck, lowered his head slightly, his forehead nearly touching Lin Manzhi's shoulder, and in a low, husky voice said, "Here, they were too strong; I had to use my abilities to contain them."

"What about the Spirit Core?" Lin Manzhi's vague, muddled thoughts were instantly drowned by concern for his body.

How badly is his Spirit Core injured! So far he's only used Concentrated Spirit Dew; if he overuses his abilities, the Spirit Core's wound will worsen—what to do!

Lin Manzhi frowned, her fingertip grazing Mo Lie's cool, jade‑like skin; his black hair brushed the back of her hand, as if her heart was brushed too, and it began to pound uncontrollably faster.

In her eardrum, Little Female's rapid heartbeat echoed; Mo Lie's eyelids narrowed slightly.

Did I act too much, causing him to worry?

"The Spirit Core remains unchanged after drinking Concentrated Spirit Dew."

He curled his lips slightly, his voice a soft murmur, the ending drawn out: "But, it hurts so much, Zhi Zhi, you…" Use your Pheromone to help me, okay?

He hadn't finished the sentence when Lin Manzhi's excited voice cut in: "What? It's just Spirit Core pain, I have a solution!"

"When I woke this morning, I had just captured a millennial Sky God Core; I promptly refined its spirit essence. Drinking the second potion should ease it further; if not, add another Concentrated Spirit Dew."

Lin Manzhi's hand traced down Mo Lie's nape, soothing like a cat, the feel oddly pleasant, causing her mood to fully relax:

"Don't be afraid, we have plenty of Concentrated Spirit Dew and Sky God Core; both herbs are over a thousand years old—if one doesn't work, drink two."

Mo Lie: "…"

He hunched, his head lightly resting on Little Female's shoulder, almost as if buried in Lin Manzhi's embrace.

After a few seconds of silence,

Mo Lie let out a low laugh, lifted his head, straightened his torso, and stared steadily at Lin Manzhi, who was looking up at him, "Alright."

Lin Manzhi nodded.

As Mo Lie left from in front of her, it meant he had already returned to the Space Warehouse and fetched the potion liquids of Sky God Core and Concentrated Spirit Dew.

She looked up at his pale, handsome face, reached out and handed him the glass bottles containing the two precious potions; his jet‑black eyes glittered in the sunlight as she said, "Here you go; if it doesn't ease the pain, I have more."

Aside from those used, the warehouse now holds five Sky God Cores and six Concentrated Spirit Dew, plus ten seeds harvested from the local plants of the Space Spirit Field; the Spiritual Field has now been replanted with a new batch of sixty Sky God Cores.

Not to mention, she could be called a major holder of millennial herbs.

Mo Lie leaned against the table, faced Lin Manzhi, reached out to take the glass bottle from her, lifted the cap, brought the mouth to his lips, tilted his head slightly and drank it in one gulp, then switched to the other bottle.

The millennial herb entered his throat, bringing a comfortable energy that surged straight to his head; he closed his eyes, took a slow deep breath, and the Spirit Core, soaked by the clear potion, felt all pain cease abruptly.

It felt unprecedentedly good; if not for the faint protective membrane forming around the Spirit Core and the lingering fissure, he would have thought he had returned to his prime.

He even faintly sensed the potion within the Spirit Core's fissure, continuously stimulating the split to self‑seal.

Ancient Great Witch records state that six kinds of herbs can produce several doses of elixir, and he had used two whole Concentrated Spirit Dew plants and one whole Sky God Core; although the Spirit Core wasn't instantly healed.

But what changes might occur?

He looked forward to it.

Mo Lie opened his eyes, a faint blue glow flashing, his features possessing a soul‑capturing handsomeness.

Lin Manzhi's eyes widened slightly, staring unblinkingly at Mo Lie across from her; when he opened his eyes again, she asked, "How is it? Has the pain eased? Want a few more herbs?"

Three questions in a row, each laden with deep concern, made Mo Lie's heart feel wrapped in warmth, becoming unprecedentedly gentle.