If anyone else had said this, Guo Jufeng would have thought they were spouting nonsense. He might have even slapped them dead and roared, "You're the one who's terminally ill!"
But the speaker was the Sect Leader of the dical Immortal Sect, an extrely authoritative figure, so Guo Jufeng believed him.
"Lin Tang, you beast! You're too cruel! You pretended to cure my poison while secretly giving a lethal one! I'll drag you down with even if I die!"
Xiao Xuanye had received the sa diagnosis and was also beyond furious. At the sa ti, he was filled with deep regret. If I had known this would happen, I never would have made an enemy of Lin Tang. My status is so noble! Trading my life for his is a terrible deal!
Yu Huaji smiled slightly and said with an air of arrogance, "Anyone else would be helpless; even Lin Tang himself couldn't reverse this. But in my opinion, it's not entirely hopeless."
"Really?" Guo Jufeng was overjoyed. "Sect Leader Yu, you must save ! If you cure and Xuanye, you'll be my sworn brother!"
Xiao Xuanye also nodded, willing to accept him as a brother on the condition that the hidden threat within their bodies was completely resolved.
"Good!" Yu Huaji stood up. "I shall prepare the dicine for you two now!"
"Prepare dicine?" Chen Shanchun, Sun Siwei, and the others were quite surprised. Can he solve a condition so difficult that we couldn't even begin to comprehend it with just dicine and no special techniques? As expected of the dical Immortal Sect! Their heritage is so profound that they've managed to preserve such a miraculous and precious redy.
Ning Yuexi's gaze flickered with skepticism. I have a feeling this fellow is just putting on an act.
The next mont, Yu Huaji took out a box. When he opened it, however, it didn't contain dicinal herbs, but a large syringe.
The little boy who had been following him, who had until now been as numb and lifeless as a machine, had an imdiate stress reaction upon seeing the syringe. He scread and tried to run away, his face a mask of sheer terror.
"Get over here!" Yu Huaji grabbed him.
"What is this?" everyone wondered, completely puzzled.
The little boy had been dressed warmly, wrapped tightly in a hat and scarf, so everyone had assud he was Yu Huaji's disciple or relative and paid him no mind. But when Yu Huaji ripped off his scarf, pulled open his collar, and knocked his hat to the ground, they saw branches and leaves growing out of his body.
"What is that thing?"
"Oh my God!"
The entire crowd was in an uproar. Shen Youling and her friends' eyes went wide.
Ning Yuexi blurted out, "A spirit creature?"
She beca highly alert and said gravely, "Yu Huaji, you are utterly depraved! How dare you cultivate and raise a spirit creature? Aren't you afraid of the backlash, of bringing calamity upon the world again?"
"Master, what does 'spirit creature' an?" Chen Yuyan asked, as the others were also very curious.
"Pavilion Master Ning, please calm down. This is rely a defective product I developed using a human body combined with so ancient materials," Yu Huaji said, unconcerned. "It is completely under my control. Nothing could possibly go wrong."
He's using humans for experints? And he can talk about it so nonchalantly? This is too much... Many people opened their mouths, but they were too afraid of bringing trouble upon themselves to voice their anger.
Ning Yuexi, however, showed no fear and continued to denounce Yu Huaji's cruel thods.
"While demons are humans who have cultivated to beco such beings," Ning Yuexi explained, "spirit creatures are a form of life that existed naturally in ancient tis. It's said that the cultivation thods used by demons were actually created by studying the anatomy of spirit creatures. You can think of spirit creatures as animals that have attained sentience. So are herbivores and were relatively friendly to ancient humans. For the carnivorous ones, however, humans are one of their most delicious foods."
"Uhh—"
"So demons and monsters really exist?"
"Even in modern society?"
It was a real eye-opener for everyone.
"Alright, enough wasting ti! Curing is what's most important!" Guo Jufeng waved his hand impatiently and shot Ning Yuexi a warning glare. What were demons or spirit creatures compared to his own precious life? "Brother Yu, please continue."
"Of course." Yu Huaji brutally shoved the little boy to the ground.
PSHHT!
The needle plunged directly into the little boy's heart.
"Ah!" Shen Youling and the others gasped, covering their mouths.
The others were even more shocked, watching as the little boy cried and wailed miserably. As Yu Huaji slowly drew back the syringe's plunger, it began to fill with... erald-green blood!
If an ordinary human had their heart pierced to have blood drawn, they would likely die on the spot. The little boy flailed and scread, growing listless and even appearing slightly shriveled, but his vital signs remained unaffected. Even so, many in the crowd found the scene difficult to accept and could not bear to watch.
Ning Yuexi couldn't stand it any longer. "Stop!"
She was just about to attack Yu Huaji.
"Stop her!" Guo Jufeng ordered coldly, and his n imdiately moved to obey.
Ning Yuexi shouted, "Mr. Guo, can't you see he's torturing a child?"
Xiao Xuanye said indifferently, "Pavilion Master Ning, you said it yourself. This boy isn't human; he's a spirit creature. He is not our kind. Why should we care?"
"You—" Ning Yuexi was infuriated.
Shen Youling felt a chill in her heart, thinking how truly cold-blooded he was.
After Yu Huaji had forcefully drawn two large vials full and poured them into glasses, the little boy went numb again, still as death. Only the single tear track remaining at the corner of his eye proved he was not a machine, that he had feelings and knew sorrow.
"We can be cured just by drinking this... blood?"
"Yes, it's that simple. My brothers, please drink it while it's warm for the best effect."
"This..."
"Are you worried about other issues, brother?" Yu Huaji shrugged and drank a little himself. He then licked his lips, an expression of intoxicated bliss on his face as if he couldn't get enough. The next mont, he was like a newly fueled engine, his face flushed with a healthy glow and brimming with vitality. His internal energy swelled...
Although Guo Jufeng and Xiao Xuanye were not doctors, they were Grandmasters with an intimate understanding of the human body. They could sense every change within him—all of it good, with no downside.
Their gazes upon the little boy turned fervent. What spirit creature is this? He's clearly a walking, talking elixir! If we took a vial of his blood every few days, our power would increase by leaps and bounds! If we ate him whole, could we forcefully break through to the Heavenly King realm? Their hearts pounded in their chests.
Yu Huaji couldn't bear the thought of them killing the goose that laid the golden eggs. He hastily explained that while the boy's blood could cure any poison and treat many intractable diseases, its effect on enhancing one's cultivation was not particularly outstanding. Most importantly, it could not be consud too frequently in a short period, or it could cause a bloodline mutation, turning a person into a demon and creating countless future problems.
"Alright then." Guo Jufeng and Xiao Xuanye finally dismissed the idea. They imdiately drained their glasses of green blood.
BOOM!!
They felt as if they had swallowed lava. Their entire bodies were set ablaze. Without them needing to consciously circulate it, their internal energy began to race wildly. Every cell in their bodies seed to activate a new function, repairing all latent injuries and destroying every last trace of poison. In less than half an hour, both n had returned to their peak, brimming with life and vigor. It felt fantastic!
Clenching their fists, they felt a profound sense of security. They were confident that if they ran into Lin Tang again, they could annihilate him in a tenth of a second, giving him absolutely no chance to use poison.
As the overwhelming aura of the Grandmasters erupted, Sun Siwei and the others were forced to their knees, so oppressed they could hardly breathe.
"Congratulations, President Xiao!"
"Congratulations, President Guo!"
Their adjutants and subordinates rejoiced, kowtowing in celebration. They finally had their leaders back.
"By my command, raise the wanted level on Lin Tang to the absolute highest!" Guo Jufeng announced loudly. "Also, issue a new public bounty: anyone who captures or kills Lin Tang will receive a handso reward from ! Even providing a relevant clue will be rewarded with at least a million in cash!"
"Yes, sir!" His subordinates scrambled into action.
Guo Jufeng then grabbed Yu Huaji's hand. "Worthy Brother, if you don't mind the humble setting, let's beco sworn brothers right here and now!"
"I would be honored! It is what I have always wished for!"
Right then and there, the three of them made a blood oath and swore their allegiance to the heavens. The crowd, knowing their cues, applauded in unison to celebrate the joyous occasion.
"Sigh..." Seeing yet another bounty placed on Lin Tang, Shen Youling felt completely helpless. She noticed the little boy curled up alone in the corner, too terrified to even try to run away, and her heart went out to him. She walked over, squatted down, and offered him a tissue. "Does it still hurt?"
The little boy gave no response. Shen Youling tried to gently wipe the tear stains from his face. As her wrist drew near, he sniffed slightly, like a dog that had caught the scent of a bone. With a rumble in his throat, he suddenly bared his teeth.
Just then, Ning Yuexi pulled Shen Youling back sharply. "Stay away from him!" she said sternly. "Ordinary humans are just food for carnivorous spirit creatures, a temptation they can sotis resist. But demons are another story entirely. They are the natural enemies of spirit creatures, and even an herbivorous spirit creature cannot resist the urge to devour a demon."
Shen Youling was silent for a mont before shaking her head. "I'm not a demon."
She stubbornly went back to help clean the boy's face. The little boy's lifeless eyes flickered, but he didn't actually bite her.
"What's your na?" Shen Youling asked him gently.
He still did not answer.
"Youling, co and greet your new uncle!" Xiao Xuanye suddenly called out. He then turned to Yu Huaji and said, "This is my adopted daughter, Shen Youling. Although she was once married to Lin Tang, that marriage is long since void. She is her own person; there's no need to associate her with him."
"I understand, brother!" Yu Huaji imdiately stated that his vendetta was with Lin Tang alone and that he would not involve Shen Youling or her family.
Shen Youling was bewildered. So Lin Tang had also made a deep enemy of Yu Huaji? Was it just because he refused to join the dical Immortal Sect? Shen Youling sighed inwardly, knowing that any plea she made would be useless.
Feigning compliance, she said, "Youling pays her respects to Uncle Yu."
"My dear niece, you're too polite." Yu Huaji nodded with a smile. "You asked for that defective little spirit creature's na? I was negligent and never gave him one. If you'd like, you can pick one for him."
"I can pick one?" Shen Youling was taken aback.
She thought for a mont, then said softly, "Let's call him Mu Ping'an."
Branches and wood grew from his body, so the surna Mu, which ant "wood," seed fitting. And she wished for him to be safe—Ping'an—and not end up as soone's food.
At this mont, Shen Youling still had no idea what impact this simple act of kindness—giving the boy a na—would have on her future.
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