The most helpless thing for Wen Jiu was that his wife kept tightly holding their two children, trying to maintain a facade of composure. From his wifeâs expression, Wen Jiu guessed that she had long anticipated such a day would come.
However.
For the next two days, Liu Xiaoâs life hung by a thread, despite continuously consuming seven or eight bottles of middle-grade healing elixir pills.
Fortunately, it happened within the sect, where the sect covered all the healing necessities. If it had been a loose cultivator, he probably would have died, because a bottle of Tier One Middle-Grade Elixir costs at least a hundred Low-grade Spirit Stones.
Seven or eight bottles consumed would equal the entire wealth of two at the Qi Cultivation Third Layer, something a loose cultivator simply cannot afford or even dream of.
On the third day, Liu Xiao finally managed to secure his life. His wife, who had been waiting outside for three days without sleep, cried tears of joyâthe first drop of tears shed after days of relentless waiting.
Wen Jiu also came by to check on the situation these few days, meanwhile keeping an eye on the situation outside Feixian Peak.
But fortunately, everything remained calm and peaceful.
As for the elders who left the sect, there was still no news, with only the Peak Protection Array still being activated.
When Wen Jiu arrived at the infirmary, he happened to catch the old physician talking about Liu Xiaoâs current condition, "Although Fellow Daoist Liuâs life is temporarily saved, his Dantian has been corroded by Left-Handed Arts, and his cultivation will likely continue to decline, expected to fall below Qi Cultivation within a month."
Beneath Qi Cultivation is mortal.
Even if one is proficient in martial arts, reaching the Grandmaster Realm, one would still be a mortal, unable to withstand even a Fireball Technique.
This was not good news for Liu Xiao and his family; however, it was better than death.
"Being alive is good enough."
Luckily, Liu Xiaoâs wife didnât mind these matters.
In her heart, it only mattered that Liu Xiao was alive.
However, Liu Xiao, who had woken up, did not think so. Though being alive was good, becoming a mortal with a damaged Dantian was undoubtedly more painful than death for a cultivator.
But repairing the Dantian was not something Tier One Middle-Grade Elixirs could heal; at a minimum, it would require Tier One Superior Elixirs.
A Tier One Superior Elixir would cost at least two to three thousand Low-grade Spirit Stones, and elixirs to repair a Dantian are even rarer, with prices two to three times higher. Forget the Qi Cultivation Third Layer; even an Elder might not afford it.
Only the master of a peak might have such financial resources.
To this, Wen Jiu could only offer words of comfort: as long as one is alive, there is hope.
Fortunately, Liu Xiao had mentally prepared for this long before, and with his wife and children by his side all the time, he adjusted after being low-spirited for half a day but would ask about the eldersâ situation every time Wen Jiu visited the infirmary.
Wen Jiu took this opportunity to ask Liu Xiao what exactly had happened.
"After receiving the message you sent us, we went to investigate the Blood Demon Abyss closely and unexpectedly discovered those bastards from the Blood Robe Tower were up to something in the Blood Demon Abyss, intending to cause the Slaughter Flame Volcano to erupt, forcing tens of thousands of demons in the Blood Demon Abyss out, and subsequently sweeping across the entire Cultivation Realm at Deadman Peak."
Liu Xiaoâs pale face was full of anger.
Then he said, "After discovering this, we prepared to call for reinforcements but didnât expect that there were Evil Cultivators secretly assisting them, chasing us into the center of the Blood Demon Abyss. The people from the Inspection Hall and we were dispersed, and I was the only one who luckily escaped the Blood Demon Abyss during the cover of demon attacks."
"Brother Liu, what about your injuries?"
"A Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer Heterodox Demon chased me relentlessly after discovering my escape, only retreating when I ran back to the Deadman Peak territory." Liu Xiao sighed, feeling fortunate that the other party didnât dare step into the Deadman Peak territory.
But Wen Jiu sensed something peculiar.
If everything Liu Xiao said was true, what motive would the Blood Robe Tower have for such an action, causing chaos and death all over the Cultivation Realm at Deadman Peak?
From prior engagements with the Blood Robe Tower, though they were mad and cruel, they were certainly not fools.
They shouldnât be doing something that harms others without benefiting themselves; their bold assault on Feixian Peak was for the corpse of Three Thousand Blood Inks.
So there must be a hidden agenda behind this act.
And as for that Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer Heterodox Demon, by rights, killing Liu Xiao outright shouldnât have been difficult.
But why let Liu Xiao escape? Did they assume Liu Xiao was as good as dead?
Or was it really, as Liu Xiao said, out of fear to pursue deeply?
Wen Jiu felt neither was likely; he faintly had a feeling that letting Liu Xiao return alive was intentional on the other side.
Thinking of this, Wen Jiuâs expression became grave.
Because the corpse of Three Thousand Blood Inks is still at Feixian Peak.
Wonât those lunatics seize this chance for a comeback?
Others might not think so, but possessing the Yin Evil Blood Curse Body himself, Wen Jiu knew its terrifying nature: attaining perfection gave a seventy percent chance of achieving Foundation Establishment, comparable to a Top-Grade Spirit Root.
Would the Blood Robe Tower abandon it?
Absolutely not!
"I hope this is just my baseless conjecture, given that the Main Peak Elder is about to arrive, they should not dare." Wen Jiu murmured in his heart, putting away his thoughts but keeping a cautious mind; he would need Black Corpse as a companion in the Corpse Remains Death Land after nightfall.
Liu Xiao didnât speak any further.
In the following days, knowing Liu Xiaoâs Dantian was damaged, almost no one came to visit him.
Because Liu Xiaoâs wife was also originally mortal, without a background, after Liu Xiao fell to mortality, the Liu Family lost all hope.
Wen Jiu was not surprised by this.
When a person leaves, the tea grows cold; it has always been so.
But Wen Jiu still visited Liu Xiao daily and even called him Brother Liu in front of others, each time bringing some items along, even bringing his sister Wen Ya for a visit.
Liu Xiao took notice and remembered this in his heart.
He knew why Wen Jiu did so.
With this call of Brother Liu, even if Steward Mu wasnât fortunate enough to come back alive, staying in the sect afterward meant he would receive some help, avoiding much exclusion and hitting when down. Perhaps someday someone might give a hand to his children for Wen Jiuâs sake.
"Turning a blind eye back then wasnât done in vain," Liu Xiao thought at night, feeling content.
There are few who repay kindness, and even fewer who are willing to do so when others are at their most desperate.
The next morning.
Liu Xiaoâs realm fell to Qi Cultivation Second Layer.
The fall of his realm was faster than anticipated.
But Liu Xiao had already accepted the reality; living was fortunate enough, especially with a brother like Wen Jiu, he had no regrets.
If Wen Jiu were to soar to success someday, perhaps he would lend a hand to his children, and his life would not have been in vain.
However, that day, Wen Jiu used his Divine Sense to probe Liu Xiaoâs Dantian and lingered for a while, surprisingly discovering something unusual about Liu Xiaoâs Dantian. Others wouldnât see it, but he, as a Heterodox Cultivator, could see it very clearly.
To be precise, Liu Xiaoâs Dantian wasnât damaged but corroded by a Yin Technique, forming from an extremely fine Gu Insect.
Although its corrosive effect was not as severe as his Yin Technique, it was rather sinister, and if the Dantian were entirely corroded by it, Liu Xiaoâs Dantian would truly be beyond saving. However, if this Yin Technique formed by Gu Insects could be removed, perhaps there was still a slim chance of hope.
Wen Jiu privately mentioned this discovery to the old physician in the infirmary, and to his surprise, the other party had already noticed it.
And accurately named this Gu Insect as the Law-Devouring Yin Insect, an extremely sinister Gu Raising Technique.
Raising Gu within oneself.
To form law with Gu.
Currently, there is no effective cure for those corroded by its Yin Technique; one can only wait for it to devour all of the bodyâs magical power, turning them into a mortal.
[The second update is tonight.
Sorry.]