Chapter 143: Awakening

Ruan Xinli also knew this place was not suitable for a long stay, so she carefully lifted Shi Ran onto her back and secured her with a silk sash.

Qi Chengshuang drew his long sword, forcibly raised his sword essence, and walked ahead warily. Ruan Xinli, carrying Shi Ran, closely followed behind.

The two dared not fly, fearing to attract attention or trigger any lingering restrictions, relying only on memory and divine sense to navigate, they withdrew swiftly and silently toward Yunmo City.

Only after they had moved far enough from the area polluted by the annihilation aura, feeling no further abnormality, did they look back to see the forest still shrouded in a light mist, as if nothing had happened; their taut nerves eased a little, yet they still dared not linger, quickening their pace.

Along the way, both were shaken by the recent heart‑pounding, death‑defying experience, feeling lingering fear.

That hunched, frail figure exuding an aura as terrifying as an abyss, together with the strange, unfathomable red thread on Shi Ran's wrist, lay like a heavy shadow over their hearts.

When the outline of Yunmo City finally appeared on the horizon, the sky already showed a fish‑belly white.

A new day was about to begin, but they knew some things had been completely changed.

The outline of Yunmo City grew clearer in the morning light, its towering walls draped in a sheer veil of pale gold, the runes of the city‑guarding grand formation flickering faintly in the sunrise. A few passersby came and went at the gate; everything seemed peaceful and ordinary, as if last night's life‑and‑death battle lay in another world.

Qi Chengshuang clung to a breath, shielding Ruan Xinli and the unconscious Shi Ran as they passed through the city gate. Upon entering, the comforting pulse of the city's formation slightly eased their taut nerves, yet he did not relax his vigilance until the three safely stepped into the Tianji Sect's villa in Yunmo City.

"Oh dear, what happened?" the villa steward exclaimed, seeing Ruan Xinli carrying a person and leading a blood‑covered man rushing in; his face turned pale and he hurried forward.

"Quick! Activate the highest‑level protective formation, no one is to disturb! Prepare the finest healing chamber and medicines, and fetch Old Master Sun at once!" Ruan Xinli issued a series of commands, her tone urgent yet orderly, revealing the poise of a scion of a noble family.

The villa instantly bustled into action. The well‑trained servants swiftly attended to their duties, and the formation's light curtain rose soundlessly, enveloping the villa.

The finest east wing room was quickly readied; Qi Chengshuang was practically half‑carried in by the servants. Upon entering the safe environment, his forced‑on spirit slackened, his vision darkened, and he lost consciousness completely.

Ruan Xinli gently placed Shi Ran on the soft bed, gazing at the two unconscious figures; her nose tingled, but she forced herself to hold back tears, knowing this was not the time to cry.

Soon, an old man with white hair and beard, spirited despite his age, hurried over carrying a medicine case—the renowned healer of Yunmo City, Old Master Sun, who was a lifelong friend of her master Feng Ying and also one of the Tianji Sect's honored guests.

"Old Master Sun, please help them quickly!" Ruan Xinli urged.

Old Master Sun's expression grew grave; he first examined the more severely injured Qi Chengshuang, taking his pulse, his brows knitting tighter as he inspected the scorched black palm print on the youth's chest and the chaotic sword qi and death qi within him, his face turning stern.

"What vicious annihilation death qi! It can erode the meridians and dantian, corrupting the very source of life! This Young Master Qi has held on till now only by a thread of pure, tenacious sword essence; anyone else would have long lost all vitality." Old Master Sun's tone was heavy, "Worse still, it seems he forcibly burned part of his sword‑dao origin during the fight, damaging his foundation……"

Ruan Xinli's heart sank: "Old Master Sun, you must save him! Name any spiritual medicine you need; if we lack it here at the End of the Clouds, I will return to the Tianji Sect to beg for it!"

Old Master Sun sighed: "Don't rush, fortunately this young man's foundation is extremely solid and his constitution extraordinary. I will first use the Gold Needle Acupoint Passing Method to steady his pulse and guide out some death qi, then protect his damaged origin with the 'Nine Revolutions Return Yang Pill.' Whether he can pull through and how much he will recover depends on his own will and fate. As for eradicating this annihilation death qi… it is extremely thorny, unlikely to be cured by ordinary medicines; perhaps it requires a supremely yang and rigid heavenly earthly treasure, or a master whose cultivation far surpasses the practitioner to slowly wear it away."

He produced the gold needles, his technique swift as lightning, precisely striking the major acupoints all over Qi Chengshuang's body. A weak yet pure wood‑type spiritual power flowed through the needles into him, barely contending with the tenacious annihilation death qi. Soon, Old Master Sun's forehead beaded with fine sweat.

After a full hour, Old Master Sun finally withdrew the needles, his face somewhat pallid. Although Qi Chengshuang remained unconscious, his breathing seemed a little smoother and a faint trace of color returned to his face.

"He's temporarily stabilized," Old Master Sun said, adjusting his breath for a moment, then turned to examine Shi Ran.

After checking Shi Ran's condition, Old Master Sun's brows furrowed even tighter, his face full of bewildered uncertainty.

"Strange, strange… this girl's external injuries and internal organ shock are easy to treat; take some pills and rest a few days and she'll be fine. But inside her it seems several forces are vying for dominance, one of the most bizarre forces lodged in the meridians of her wrist… like a living thing yet like a dead thing, filled with… a heart‑pounding stillness of death, sharing the same source as the young man's death qi but differing in quality, its level seemingly… higher? I have practiced medicine for hundreds of years and have never seen such a peculiar situation!"

He cautiously attempted to probe that red‑thread mark with spiritual power, but the instant his energy neared it, the formerly dim red thread flickered faintly, emitting an imperceptible ripple. Old Master Sun recoiled as if struck by lightning, a flash of shock crossing his face.

"Too bizarre, Xinli… what… what exactly is this?" Old Master Sun asked, still shaken.

Ruan Xinli moved her lips, then finally shook her head: "Old Master Sun, this is of great importance; please forgive me for not elaborating. You need only treat her injuries; as for the… thing on her wrist and whatever lies within her body, please absolutely refrain from probing or touching it."

She recalled Master Shouji's terror and the dreadful pressure when that red thread awakened, her heart turning cold. The origin of this thing absolutely transcends imagination; the fewer who know of it, the better.

Old Master Sun was a wily old man; seeing the situation, he asked no further questions, merely nodding solemnly: "I understand. In that case, I will prescribe some foundation‑strengthening, origin‑nourishing decoctions for her to recuperate with. But these forces lodged in her body… fortune and hardship are hard to predict…"

After seeing Old Master Sun off, Ruan Xinli wearily sat in the chair between the two beds, watching the unconscious pair, her heart filled with lingering fear, worry, and deep doubt.

Who is Master Shouji? Why did he seize Shi Ran? Why is he so terrifying? Where did Qianmian flee to? Will he return for revenge?

One question after another tangled in her mind, leaving her thoughts in disarray.

She took out the shattered protective jade amulet from the battle, a gift personally bestowed by her master when she left home, capable of blocking a full‑force strike from a Nascent Soul cultivator, yet it proved useless against Master Shouji's annihilation power. That old monster's strength is likely truly approaching the God Transformation stage.

"I must inform my master at once…" Ruan Xinli drew a deep breath, realizing the gravity of the matter had surpassed what they could handle. She took out the Tianji Sect's specially crafted communication jade talisman, recorded in as much detail as possible last night's ordeal—including Master Shouji's terrifying power, his unorthodox technique, and the dread of the red thread entwining—then without hesitation crushed the highest‑grade rescue jade talisman.

An intangible ripple instantly pierced the void, heading toward the distant Tianji Sect.

Having done all this, she felt a little relieved, yet still dared not leave, personally guarding the room, regulating her breath, while also watching over the two.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

During these three days, Yunmo City was calm and undisturbed, as if nothing had happened, yet the villa remained on high alert.

Qi Chengshuang only woke on the evening of the second day; his first act upon awakening was to confirm Ruan Xinli's safety. After they exchanged a few words and remembered Shi Ran, he ascertained that she was merely weakly unconscious and not in mortal danger, whereupon he let out a breath of relief.

His condition was worse than Old Master Sun had expected. The tenacious annihilation death qi relentlessly eroded his meridians and sword essence, causing his cultivation to plummet, barely maintaining the level of early Foundation Establishment, and whenever he invoked spiritual power it provoked excruciating pain and a backlash of death qi. The damage to his sword‑dao origin also weakened his bond with his sword "Silver Soul."

For a sword cultivator of heavenly talent, this was nearly a devastating blow.

Ruan Xinli saw it, felt anxious in her heart, yet could do nothing. Old Master Sun was the finest healer in Yunmo City, his cultivation surpassing hers; even he was helpless against this injury, so what could she do? She could only place her hope in her master's reply.

Qi Chengshuang himself, however, appeared unusually calm. He spent most of his time silently meditating, painstakingly opposing and wearing down the death qi within him with his residual sword intent; although progress was slow enough to inspire despair, he never showed a trace of discouragement or resentment, his eyes remaining clear and resolute.

Only when alone would he gently wipe the dim‑glowing "Silver Soul" sword, a faint ache and… an even more resolute sword intent flickering deep in his eyes. It seemed this ordeal had not broken his sword heart, but rather, in a cruel manner, was forging it.

On the morning of the fourth day, Shi Ran's long eyelashes fluttered a few times, and she finally opened her eyes slowly.

"Shi Ran junior sister! You're awake!" Ruan Xinli, who had been keeping watch beside her, cried out in delight and hurried forward to steady her as she tried to sit up.

"Ruan… sister, Xin… Xinli?" Shi Ran's voice was extremely weak, her gaze dazed as she took in the familiar room layout, "Where… where am I? A hospital? What happened to me? My head hurts…"

She only recalled a gray‑robed figure whose face she could not make out, eyes cold and isolated; afterward… her memory became a blur, only vague fragments of terrifying red light, suffocating pressure, and icy death‑stillness images flashing through, leaving her heart pounding.

"It's all right, it's all right, it's over now." Ruan Xinli quickly comforted her, carefully giving her a sip of water, "You're injured; you need proper rest."

At that moment, hearing the movement, Qi Chengshuang also came over from the neighboring room, his complexion still pale but his steps fairly steady.

"Second senior brother!" Seeing Qi Chengshuang, Shi Ran's memory seemed to clear a little; she recalled that it was likely Qi Chengshuang and Ruan Xinli who had rescued her, "Your injury…"

"It's fine." Qi Chengshuang gently shook his head, walked to the bedside, and carefully examined her condition, "How do you feel?"

"I'm okay, just… I have no strength all over…" Shi Ran said, instinctively lifting her hand to rub her throbbing temples.

However, when her gaze fell upon her right wrist, the motion froze abruptly!

That dark‑red thread‑like mark, resembling a bizarre tattoo, was clearly etched onto her wrist!

In an instant, those vague and terrifying memory fragments surged like a tide into her mind—her master on the brink of death, the deceitful and cunning Qianmian, the life‑devouring red thread entwining, Master Shouji's greedy and terrifying gaze, and finally that awe‑inspiring pressure seemingly emanating from the primordial wilderness, coupled with an indifferent scrutiny…

"Ah!" Shi Ran let out a short gasp, violently shaking her wrist as if trying to fling the thing away, her face filled with loathing, "Why can't I shake this off? It's just fate—take it, I don't want this thing clinging to me!"

In her emotional agitation, her faint internal spiritual power fluttered into disorder; the red thread on her wrist, stimulated, glimmered again with an imperceptible reddish spark!

Although it was extremely weak, that aura of Wei Ya actually leaked a trace again!

The temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees in an instant.

Ruan Xinli and Qi Chengshuang's faces changed simultaneously!

"Don't get agitated! Calm down!" Ruan Xinli hurriedly embraced her, pouring gentle spiritual power into her body to soothe her violently fluctuating emotions, "It's fine, it's now calm and won't hurt you!"

Qi Chengshuang also stepped forward, condensing a wisp of weak sword intent at his fingertips, warily staring at the red thread. Although he knew his current state could not possibly contend with it, he still subconsciously prepared to strike.

Perhaps it was Ruan Xinli's soothing that took effect, or perhaps the red thread merely flickered and vanished by instinct; the crimson light quickly dimmed, and that heart‑pounding aura disappeared as well.

Shi Ran went limp in Ruan Xinli's arms, thinking of Lingxiao, tears streaming down her cheeks: "I and my master got separated… we had promised to stay together, never to part again!"

Ruan Xinli and Qi Chengshuang exchanged a glance, each seeing helplessness and embarrassment in the other's eyes.

Since Shi Ran crossed over into the book, she and her master Lingxiao have spent little time together and much apart; she merely fell for someone for the first time, yet in this bizarre world they must meet and part, like a thorny road—no matter how hard she tries, she can never reach the end.

Ruan Xinli especially understood, so she merely patted Shi Ran's shoulder to show she especially understood.

The two beauties remained silent; Qi Chengshuang let out a long sigh and insisted on asking, "Shi Ran, is your master with you? Where is he now?"

"At Lord Qinghe Shen Lingyue's manor…" Shi Ran said weakly, "He's also injured; now his life or death is unknown! I…

Ruan Xinli looked at Shi Ran with a complex expression: "Is that the Shen Lingyue I know??"

"Then we should still hurry to rescue our master and them!!!" Recalling the rumors of the cultivation world, Qi Chengshuang could not hide his embarrassment, only managing a smile as he lifted his gaze to Ruan Xinli.