Ye Tian rushed to Lin Ling's side, his heart sinking when he saw she had fallen into a coma. Lin Ling was a Martial Artist of the Four Veins Realm, yet the Earth Bear's self-detonation had wounded her so grievously that she was completely unconscious. It was a stark testament to the blast's power, and he now understood her earlier tension.
He carefully examined her. Her clothes were shredded to pieces, long since soaked and stained crimson with blood. Her face was deathly pale. Faced with her condition, Ye Tian felt a surge of helplessness. He had to treat her immediately, or her life would be in genuine peril.
The only way to save her was with his blood. It was how he had saved Qin Xiaowan, and now it seemed it was his only option for Lin Ling as well. There was no time to waste. He propped her up into a sitting position on the ground. She was so deeply unconscious that she remained completely limp and unresponsive to his touch.
At that moment, however, Ye Tian's mind was clear of any distracting thoughts. After steadying her, he drew his Black Glaze Sword and sliced open his wrist, blood instantly welling up and spilling forth. He guided the flow to Lin Ling's lips, but the stubborn girl's mouth was clenched shut. The blood couldn't get in, frustrating him to no end.
He couldn't let his precious blood go to waste; he had to get it into her mouth quickly. The only solution was to pool the blood in his own mouth and transfer it to hers.
This was, for all intents and purposes, a kiss, but he had no other choice. He couldn't help but wonder what Lin Ling would think if she found out. Given her temper, would she try to kill him? Saving her was paramount; he couldn't worry about that now. He gently laid Lin Ling back on the ground, then took a mouthful of blood from his wrist and pressed his lips to hers.
Her lips were sealed tight. The only way to part them was with his tongue.
After a great deal of effort, Ye Tian finally managed to transfer the blood into her mouth. He repeated the process several times, but his Recovery Power was simply too formidable; the cut on his wrist was already healing over and forming a scab.
Ye Tian had no choice but to slice his wrist open again and repeat the entire process. He lost track of how long he continued, only stopping when he felt the significant loss of blood. His wrist was now covered in a dense network of overlapping cuts.
Lin Ling still hadn't awoken, but some color had returned to her face. Ye Tian glanced at the Eight-winged Golden Scale Python beside him. "Ye Lin, go find a water source nearby. She's covered in blood and needs to be cleaned." The Eight-winged Golden Scale Python shot into the air and sped off. Ye Tian turned back to Lin Ling, gently shaking her. "Instructor Lin Ling! Lin Ling, can you hear me? Wake up!" But she remained unresponsive.
*"Her internal organs are damaged. She won't recover in a moment's time. Stop your pointless shouting, your wailing is grating,"* the voice of the War Dragon Remnant Soul suddenly echoed in Ye Tian's mind.
"Senior, you're awake!" Ye Tian asked at once. "Is her condition critical? Will there be any permanent damage—to her Power Realm, for instance?"
He had heard stories of Martial Artists whose Power Realm regressed or who became completely crippled after suffering grievous injuries. He couldn't imagine how Lin Ling would handle such a fate.
*"If I hadn't awoken, you might have ended up just like her,"* the War Dragon Remnant Soul said. *"I truly don't know how you have such rotten luck, boy. Encountering a self-detonating Demon Beast... I won't be able to save you every time. My Soul Power is fading."*
"How can that be? Is there a cure? Senior, don't frighten me!" Ye Tian asked, a knot of dread forming in his stomach. If the War Dragon Remnant Soul was too weak, he would lose his most vital safety net.
*"You need not concern yourself with that. I will likely enter a true, deep slumber for a long time. When I do, you will have to rely solely on yourself. If you wish to become a true expert, you must endure countless trials. Genuine breakthroughs are forged in the crucible between life and death,"* the War Dragon Remnant Soul stated.
"But what about Lin Ling? When will she wake up?" Ye Tian pressed, his immediate concern focused on her.
*"That is impossible to say. She could awaken at any moment. Focus on improving your own strength. Begin your cultivation of the powerful Martial Skills I bestowed upon you. In this world, only the strong command respect. Only the strong survive!"* the Dragon Remnant Soul declared.
Just then, the Eight-winged Golden Scale Python returned. "Boss," it reported immediately, "there's a deep pool about ten li from here. The water is clean. You can take her there."
Ye Tian glanced at the unconscious Lin Ling, then scooped her into his arms without a moment's hesitation and ran after his beast. Before long, they arrived at the edge of the pool. It was several dozen meters in diameter, fed by a waterfall cascading from above. It was, by any measure, a beautiful spot.
The high waterfall thundered down the cliff face, its deafening roar like a stampede of ten thousand horses, kicking up an endless spray of mist. It was a majestic sight. Wildflowers bloomed along the pool's edge, vying for attention with their vibrant colors. But Ye Tian had no time to admire the scenery. He waded slowly into the cool water until it reached his waist, then gently set Lin Ling down and began to wash the blood from her body.
Her clothes were little more than rags, but he noted with relief that her external wounds had already closed and healed over. He hesitated, debating whether he should remove what was left of her clothing to clean her properly, then dress her in a spare set of his own.
If Lin Ling found out, would she hate him for the rest of her life? Or would she hunt him down to settle the score? He was genuinely conflicted. But then again, he'd already kissed her and carried her here so intimately. She would probably want to settle accounts for that, too.
He'd once joked about needing to punish her, and while this was a perfect opportunity, Ye Tian found his mind completely void of such thoughts. After a long moment of hesitation, he made his decision: he would remove her clothes and properly clean her.
He didn't want the Eight-winged Golden Qilin to witness this, so he recalled it into his body before slowly and gently beginning his task. Lin Ling's figure was in no way inferior to Xiao Yaoyao's—in fact, her chest was even more ample, a sight that could send a man's imagination reeling. Even the thatch of hair in a certain intimate place was shockingly lush...
After a while, Ye Tian carried Lin Ling back to the shore. He retrieved a set of his own clean clothes from his Storage Ring and dressed her in them. Laying her gently on a large, flat rock near the pool, he then sat down a short distance away and began to circulate his energy, restoring his depleted Dragon Spiritual Power.
An unknown amount of time passed. Lin Ling's eyelids fluttered, and then she opened her eyes. The first thing she noticed was that she was wearing a man's oversized clothes, and she froze in shock. The shock quickly morphed into understanding, and she immediately sat up, her voice sharp. "Ye Tian! Was this your doing? Did you see my body?"