Chapter 11: Healing Wounds

"Yes!" Bai Xiaoyue replied, still shaken. "Yan Chixia, I endured countless hardships and finally managed to cultivate into human form, only to almost lose my life to that venomous scorpion!"

"That wretched scorpion is truly despicable!" Yan Chixia exclaimed angrily. "Sister Xiaoyue, now that you’re gravely wounded, what should we do?"

Bai Xiaoyue forced a bitter smile and said, "There’s no other way. I haven’t been human for long, and my cultivation is shallow… Now that my vitality has been harmed by the scorpion’s poison, all I can do is return to my stone cave and slowly heal with focused meditation."

"Oh?" Yan Chixia asked, "Sister Xiaoyue, where is your stone cave?"

Bai Xiaoyue raised her hand and pointed into the distance. "My cave is halfway up Yuhua Peak..."

"I see," Yan Chixia nodded. "Sister Xiaoyue, let me help you back so you can heal."

"Thank you, I’ll trouble you then," Bai Xiaoyue agreed, her face pale, her body weak—she truly needed assistance. "Yan Chixia, help me up..."

Yan Chixia agreed at once, reaching out to pull Bai Xiaoyue to her feet. Then he picked up the short sword that had fallen to the ground, handed it to her for safekeeping, and supported her as they walked forward together.

"Yan Chixia, where are you from?" Bai Xiaoyue asked as they walked.

Yan Chixia replied, "Sister Xiaoyue, I hail from Kaoshan Village at the foot of Great Solitary Mountain in Youzhou... Five winters ago, I followed my master to Zhongnan Mountain to cultivate the Dao."

"Oh?" Bai Xiaoyue was intrigued. "Yan Chixia, you practice Daoist arts on Zhongnan Mountain? Who is your master? Where do you live now?"

"Sister Xiaoyue, my master’s Daoist title is ‘Master Qingxu.’ I live with him at Qingxu Temple," Yan Chixia answered honestly.

Bai Xiaoyue was greatly surprised. "No wonder you could slay the scorpion—so you are Master Qingxu’s disciple! Truly, a famed teacher breeds a worthy student!"

Yan Chixia, hearing this, quickly asked, "Sister Xiaoyue, you know my master?"

Bai Xiaoyue shook her head gently, her tone deeply respectful. "I do not know him personally, only by reputation. I’ve heard that Master Qingxu has cultivated for many years and has already reached the ‘Tribulation Crossing’ stage. He is a man of righteous spirit and profound Daoist power, skilled not only in talismanic arts, but also in refining golden elixirs and magical artifacts. Especially his Shadowless Sword ‘Heaven-Earth Severance’—it is truly extraordinary, a work of near-divine mastery..."

As Yan Chixia supported Bai Xiaoyue and listened to her speak, they unconsciously arrived at the stone cave halfway up Yuhua Peak.

It was a natural cave set beneath a sheer cliff, with an oval entrance about seven or eight feet high and five or six feet wide. Around the entrance grew thick vines, lush and leafy; when the wind blew, the shadows danced and the leaves rustled softly.

Looking at the cave, Bai Xiaoyue said to Yan Chixia, "Yan Chixia, this cave is my home. Come, let’s go in together."

Yan Chixia agreed and helped Bai Xiaoyue step toward the entrance. But as they reached the mouth, a sudden "boom" sounded—a surge of powerful magical energy burst forth from the doorway, throwing Yan Chixia back seven or eight steps.

"What happened?" Yan Chixia managed to steady himself, startled and pale with shock. Had he not released his grip in time, Bai Xiaoyue might have been flung back with him.

Bai Xiaoyue’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "I’m so sorry, Yan Chixia! I set up a boundary around this cave, but I forgot to open the entrance for you..."

"Oh," Yan Chixia realized. "Sister Xiaoyue, my master once told me that a boundary is a shield formed by arrays, a shell of true energy that can be large or small, storing the cultivator’s power on its surface to ward off intruders... He said my own cultivation is not yet sufficient, but when I reach the Golden Elixir stage, he’ll teach me how to set one myself. I didn’t expect you could already arrange such defenses, Sister. That must mean your cultivation has reached the Golden Elixir realm..."

"No!" Bai Xiaoyue interrupted, visibly uncomfortable. "Yan Chixia, your master teaches the orthodox path, where cultivation has clear stages; I am a wandering practitioner, cultivating as I please, without strict methods. So even though I can set a boundary, my realm is not particularly advanced... Besides, the barrier I’ve set is just rudimentary, with weak defenses—easy for others to break..."

She waved a hand toward the cave entrance. "All right, Yan Chixia, I’ve opened the boundary now. Come in with me."

Yan Chixia nodded and entered the cave with Bai Xiaoyue. Inside, it was immaculately clean, with only a stone bed and nothing else. He could not help but sigh, "Sister Xiaoyue, it’s so lonely here! It must be hard living in such solitude."

"It’s nothing—I’m used to it," Bai Xiaoyue replied with a gentle smile. "Yan Chixia, sit down and rest your feet."

"I’m not tired," Yan Chixia answered. "Sister Xiaoyue, you’re seriously injured—quick, sit and begin your healing meditation."

"Very well," Bai Xiaoyue agreed, climbing onto the stone bed. She sat cross-legged, palms flat on her knees, closed her eyes, and began to circulate her energy to heal.

Inwardly, she felt a surge of luck—because the scorpion wanted to absorb her blood, it hadn’t used venom to injure her skin, so she was spared the agony of having her body ruined.

Yan Chixia stood by, watching Bai Xiaoyue heal. After a while, seeing her face remain pale and unchanged, he realized her wounds lingered because her vitality was depleted and there was not enough true energy in her dantian to send to her injuries. He grew anxious. Suddenly, inspiration struck him.

"Sister Xiaoyue, your vitality is damaged, and you can’t heal properly... Let me transfer some of my energy to you!"

Bai Xiaoyue’s heart leapt at the suggestion; she immediately opened her eyes. "Yan Chixia, that’s a good idea... But transferring energy will drain a great deal of your inner strength..."

Before she could finish, Yan Chixia waved a hand. "It’s nothing—what I lose, I can regain through cultivation. Healing you is what matters now!"

With that, Yan Chixia set his Crimson Hero Sword aside, climbed onto the bed behind Bai Xiaoyue, placed his palms on her back, and began to send his energy into her. Instantly, Bai Xiaoyue felt a warm current surge into her body through her back. Her body trembled slightly, and she could not help but let out a soft, involuntary gasp...