Warm sunlight poured down through the clouds and mist.
The sky was exceptionally clear, with no clouds in sight.
The mountain path stretched on, carrying a faint fragrance of crabapple blossoms.
Xia Liu hurried along the mountain trail, her steps somewhat unsteady.
Her stamina was poor.
On any normal day, if someone asked her to climb a mountain, she would definitely refuse.
But right now, she wished she could run even faster.
It had already been the afternoon of the second day since Su Zhan went up the mountain.
For these two days, Xia Liu had not taken a single step away.
She had tried every method she could think of to break the great array surrounding the mountain, yet she remained blocked outside and could only wait helplessly.
Just as she was wondering whether she should try digging up the mountain path to find a loophole, she suddenly felt a burst of spiritual power erupt from the mountain.
Immediately after came several streaks of sword light and swirling hurricanes that stirred the once-calm sky and mountain into howling turmoil, shattering the cloud layers above and making the mountain itself tremble.
Xia Liu watched anxiously.
She knew Su Zhan had begun fighting someone, yet she could not help at all.
The battle did not last very long.
It was only about half a shichen before the great array that had isolated the mountain suddenly shattered.
The mountain wind howled as spiritual power brimming with overwhelming killing intent gathered toward the peak.
Then heaven and earth fell silent. All sounds ceased, leaving the current cloudless state.
Xia Liu stepped into the Daoist temple and took out the brocade pouch at her waist.
Following the guidance of the talisman, she found the center of the battle… a row of houses that had nearly been reduced to ruins.
It was truly an exaggerated sight.
The cracks and ravines on the ground looked as though they had been torn open by the claws of some giant beast.
The roofs had been sliced apart, and the upper beams and pillars swayed precariously.
Countless fragments of stone, mixed with broken branches and fallen leaves, were scattered everywhere. Even the phrase “shattered walls and ruins” was not enough to describe the sheer devastation of the scene.
Xia Liu could not help covering her nose.
The air still carried the thick, bloody stench of blades slicing through skin and blood gushing forth.
She looked toward the source of the blood.
There were two girls.
The exposed skin of both was covered in injuries.
One wore a faint smile while the other had a bitter expression.
Sunlight slowly fell, gradually lengthening their shadows.
Xia Liu’s eyes widened.
Her heart tightened. She quickly stepped forward and called out, “Senior Sister.”
Su Zhan’s body tensed abruptly. Her trembling hand gripped the spiritual sword in front of her.
But the moment she raised her head and saw it was Xia Liu, she relaxed in an instant.
“It’s Junior Sister…” she said hoarsely.
Upon seeing someone she could trust and rely on, the nerves she had kept tightly strung finally loosened.
What followed was a surging wave of exhaustion.
Su Zhan’s eyes half-closed and her body involuntarily leaned backward.
She had completely run out of strength and wanted to lie down and rest for a while.
“Senior Sister, don’t die!”
But this terrified Xia Liu.
Seeing Su Zhan in such a disheveled state, looking as though her entire body had been dyed in blood, she thought her senior sister was seriously injured.
She rushed behind Su Zhan in a few steps, quickly supported her, sat cross-legged, and pillowed Su Zhan’s head on her lap.
“Senior Sister, you must not fall asleep! If you sleep now, you won’t wake up again!”
Xia Liu anxiously reached out and forcibly pried open Su Zhan’s closed eyes.
She even held Su Zhan’s cheeks and gently shook her.
As an alchemy cultivator who stayed shut away and only had theory without practical experience,
Xia Liu had never encountered a situation like this.
But her master had taught her that if someone was heavily injured, one must never let them fall asleep.
They had to be kept awake so that the healing pill could be refined in time once fed.
“Junior Sister… be gentler… I’m not…”
Su Zhan frowned and sighed softly.
She turned her head to dodge Xia Liu’s “claws.”
Just as she was about to explain, her mouth was pinched shut in the next second and a pill was forcibly stuffed inside.
The medicine was quite bitter.
She did not know what it was meant to treat.
Su Zhan’s eyes widened. She instinctively wanted to spit it out.
Who would have thought that Xia Liu’s palm would cover her lips in the very next moment.
“Senior Sister, endure it for a bit. I know it’s uncomfortable. Circulate your energy and slowly refine this pill. You’ll gradually get better.”
Xia Liu’s expression was serious and worried.
Su Zhan’s face twitched from the bitter taste in her mouth.
She whimpered, trying to say something, but her mouth was tightly covered.
Probably afraid I’ll spit the medicine out?
Su Zhan felt helpless.
She finally understood what it meant for concern to lead to chaos.
Unfortunately, she had no strength to struggle.
In order to escape Xia Liu’s hand, she could only desperately begin circulating her energy to absorb the medicinal power within the pill.
Forget it. Just let her do as she wishes.
She had to admit that although Xia Liu was a bit reckless and impulsive, the pills she refined were genuinely effective.
In just a short while of holding it in her mouth, the numb stinging pain throughout her body lessened by more than half.
Seeing that Su Zhan had stopped struggling and her complexion was gradually turning rosy, Xia Liu also let out a sigh of relief and released the hand covering her mouth.
“Junior Sister… what kind of pill is this?”
Su Zhan swallowed the remaining medicine. Her expression twisted in another spasm of bitterness.
After a long moment, she finally asked in a faint voice.
“It’s the Hundred Herbs Reviving Spring Pill, but I modified the formula. The effect is better. It should be able to replenish your energy…”
Xia Liu answered seriously and grabbed Su Zhan’s wrist, sending a thread of spiritual power inside to check her condition.
This Reviving Spring Pill was famous among mid- and low-grade pills.
Its effects were remarkable. Even the heavily injured could be kept hanging by a thread.
It was considered an essential life-saving item. Almost every disciple participating in this trial carried one.
But Su Zhan remembered that this pill was refined from a hundred herbs.
Although the taste was not pleasant, it should not have been this bitterly astringent.
“Next time… an ordinary pill will be fine for me.” Su Zhan was silent for a few seconds before speaking.
“This pill is too precious. It shouldn’t be used on me.”
“Dumb Senior Sister! What are you saying!”
Xia Liu had already finished checking Su Zhan’s body and found no major issues.
It was only spiritual power overdraft and physical weakness. Yet hearing her senior sister’s words made her angry.
“Matters of life and death—how can one treat them lightly? Of course we must use the best medicine for Senior Sister. Does Xia Liu seem like a stingy person in Senior Sister’s eyes?”
“…That’s not what I meant.”
Su Zhan opened her mouth, but upon second thought, complaining that the pill was too bitter felt too pretentious and ungrateful.
She could only obediently admit her mistake. “Sorry… I spoke wrongly because I’m clumsy with words.”
“Hmph, I know you’re clumsy.”
Xia Liu snorted coldly.
Knowing that Su Zhan was fine and only weak, she reached out and pinched her cheeks, pulling them slightly as punishment for the two days of fear and worry.
Not bad. Senior Sister’s face is quite soft.
The feeling when pinched is really addictive.
That cold and beautiful face being kneaded into funny expressions by me is both annoying and funny.
She snorted again and stopped kneading. Instead, she extended a finger and tapped Su Zhan on the tip of her nose.
“I already told you to stay away from that Li Senior Sister. I don’t know what kind of bewitching soup you drank—almost lost your life. If something really happened to you, what would we junior sisters do?”
“It won’t happen.” Su Zhan looked at the cloudless sky and spoke softly. “Didn’t I already promise Junior Sister?”
“For Junior Sister’s sake, I won’t do stupid things. I’ll live well so I can protect Junior Sister completely.”
“Hmph, Dumb Senior Sister also said she wouldn’t rush headfirst into danger. Senior Sister’s words don’t count at all.”
Xia Liu pouted.
Considering Su Zhan’s sincere attitude and her status as a patient, she ultimately softened and did not pursue the matter further.
“This time I’ll let it go. Don’t let it happen again. I’ll take you back now. Before your injuries heal, I’ll watch over you every step of the way and not allow you to run around anymore.”