Chapter 68: with translation of chapter title

Feeling his recovered healthy body and robust physique, a surge of pleasure rose in his heart; turning his head, he saw that the two little ones had also made some progress.

【Weird Creature: Chi Tiger Cub】

【Type: Flesh Type】

【Constitution: 129】

【Spirit: 98】

【Rank: E Rank】

……

【Weird Creature: Swallow Sky Python Cub】

【Type: Flesh Type】

【Constitution: 84】

【Spirit: 62】

【Rank: F Rank】

……

At the fortress entrance, the Shadowy Thorns' vines with dark gold purple patterns, like a dormant ancient beast, slowly contracted and coiled, returning outside the City Wall; the root systems of ten Shadowy Thorns were interconnected, as if forming a single entity.

The newly sprouted spiked oral apparatus opened slightly; the metallic scraping sound was clearly audible in the dead silence, the vine surface greedily sucked up the lingering filthy blood and saliva, and the halo of light flowing along the dark gold pattern grew ever deeper and more restrained.

The densely packed branches stretched all the way out beyond the mist before fully extending their massive forms, silently guarding the fortress while also greedily drawing the blood‑essence of the lingering snake swarms from the battlefield; each faint flow of energy heralded the accumulation for the next growth.

The two little ones drew near the main vine of the Shadowy Thorns; the Chi Tiger Cub carefully sniffed the icy dark‑gold pattern on the vine with its nose, emitting a low purr from its throat.

The Swallow Sky Python Cub, however, appeared more cautious, coiled a bit farther away, its tiny vertical pupils fixed on the menacing tip of the vine's oral apparatus, as if instinctively sensing the vast gap in rank.

Their tiny wounds were visibly healing at a slow but discernible pace, their fur and scales faintly gleaming in the dim light, clearly also having reaped considerable benefits from this brutal battle and the nourishment of the King Snake's remains.

Li Qingxuan drew a deep breath; the icy air, mixed with a strong stench of blood and corrosion, flooded his lungs, yet it caused him no discomfort whatsoever—his extraordinary constitution granted him an adaptability far beyond that of ordinary people.

He moved his shoulders and neck, joints emitting a faint crack; a surging sense of power coursed through his limbs, as if even the killing intent on this dead, scorched earth were somewhat dispelled.

His gaze once again turned toward the fortress; there, Li Feifei was still asleep.

While the metamorphosis of the Shadowy Thorns and the growth of the two little ones were certainly delightful, it was the safety of his companion that weighed deepest on his mind at this moment.

Li Qingxuan felt a little uneasy; he looked around, confirming that there wasn't a single snake inside the fortress, tidied up the entire stronghold, used materials to repair the city wall, and the whole fortress instantly looked brand‑new.

He looked up, saw the sky was somewhat dim, checked the time—it was almost six o'clock—returned to the fortress to start cooking, saw that Li Feifei still hadn't awakened, quickly washed up, changed clothes, and carried the food into the bedroom.

The warm aroma of the food diffused a faint hint of vitality into the cold bedroom.

Li Qingxuan gently set the bowls and dishes on the low cabinet beside the bed, his gaze falling on the sleeping figure on the mattress.

Li Feifei still showed no sign of waking.

She lay still, covered with a thick blanket, only her pale face and the black hair scattered across the pillow exposed.

A few strands of hair soaked with cold sweat clung to her temples like spider silk, making her skin look even paler than paper.

Her breath was as light as drifting silk, only a faint rise and fall visible at her chest; long eyelashes cast two tranquil shadows beneath her lids, as if she had fallen into boundless slumber.

In her drowsy state, she had lost the sharpness and determination from battle, revealing a fragility she had never shown before.

Li Qingxuan felt a slight tightening in his chest, leaned forward, and checked her breath.

The breath he felt at his fingertips was weak, yet compared to before it seemed somewhat steadier and more prolonged, allowing his taut nerves to relax a little.

He reached out again, lightly touching her forehead with the back of his hand.

It felt icy to the touch, but the deathly cold brought on by overexertion seemed to have lessened a bit—perhaps a sign that the Spirit Medicine was slowly taking effect.

He pulled over a chair, sat beside the bed, his gaze sweeping over Li Feifei's sleeping profile and finally coming to rest on her hand lying outside the blanket.

Those hands were slender as jade, yet icy as frost; the joints, from excessive mental exhaustion, took on an unnatural pallor.

He hesitated a moment, then extended his hand, gently placing his warm palm over her icy hand‑back, trying to convey a little warmth.

Outside the window, the sky grew completely dark, thick fog gathered again, shrouding the ruined fortress and the scorched battlefield in a lifeless gray haze.

Only the outline of the Shadowy Thorns' massive vines, dark‑gold purple in hue, flickered faintly in the mist, like a dormant ancient beast.

The lava halo flowing across the vine's surface stood out even more in the dim surroundings; each low, resonant pulse seemed to carry some strange rhythm, vibrating with this dead space.

The bedroom was unusually quiet; the heat from the food gradually dissipated, leaving only a faint aroma of the food itself.

Li Qingxuan sat still, his hands covering hers, transmitting warmth, his gaze calm as he guarded the person on the bed.

Under the amber lamplight, time seemed to turn viscous and slow, almost congealing.

He listened to her extremely faint breathing, felt the weak yet genuine vitality beneath his palm, and the clamorous killing intent and agitation from the fierce battle were finally soothed completely by this tranquil vigil.

When hunger roused him, he looked at the somewhat cool food on the bedside, ate it without complaint, wolfing it down, washed the bowls and plates clean, gave Li Feifei a sip of water, then held her as he fell into a deep sleep.

After an unknown span of time, Li Feifei's consciousness felt as if it had sunk to the bottom of a deep sea, surrounded by cold, heavy darkness.

A faint glimmer of light pierced the endless stillness, followed shortly by a strange return of sensation.

First perceived was temperature.

No longer a bone‑deep chill, a warm, steady current enveloped her right hand, a continuous flow of heat seeping through the skin to dispel the cold deep in her marrow.

This warmth did not come from the blanket, but… from something more solid, more reassuring.

Her muddled consciousness struggled to focus, making out that it was a large hand tightly gripping hers.

Next came touch.

Beneath her lay a dry, soft fabric, fluffy from being sun‑baked, utterly unlike the hard, cold stone tiles she had lain on before.

Her body felt as if it had been emptied and then refilled with a bit of heavy lead; every joint was sore and weak, even moving a fingertip seemed exceedingly difficult.

But that sense of exhaustion appeared to be slowly ebbing, leaving behind a deep fatigue.

Her sense of smell also returned.

The air retained a faint scent of food, along with a barely perceptible whiff of fresh vegetation—the distinctive aroma of the Shadowy Thorns, which now seemed especially tranquil.

Drawing nearer, she detected the clean soap‑nut scent on the person beside her, a trace of faint bloodiness, mingled with a comforting aura that belonged to Li Qingxuan.

Hearing was the clearest.

By the ear came a uniform, deep breathing sound, with a slight vibration, right within arm's reach.

This regular sound, like a lullaby drumbeat, let her confused thoughts gradually settle.

Further away, there was an extremely faint 'shasha' sound, like vines unconsciously lightly brushing the ground or the City Wall, carrying a kind of languid satisfaction.

(PS: Free love-powered electricity, send a send, the author writes will have more motivation, please please).