Chapter 21

"Auntie!"

Upon hearing the explosion, Shangguan Mingyue was filled with worry. She quickened her steps and hurried to the courtyard.

What she saw was Shangguan Junyi, her face pale and a trace of blood at the corner of her mouth.

Due to her physical condition, Shangguan Junyi's complexion was already somewhat pale, but now her face had turned ashen gray. Her eyes were scattered, her hair disheveled, and the spots of blood on her lips contrasted sharply with her beautiful features, making her look like a ghost, exuding an eerie and unusual beauty.

"Auntie, how are you?" Shangguan Mingyue was greatly alarmed.

"Yue'er, my illness..." Shangguan Junyi began, but immediately coughed up a thread of fresh blood.

"Has it flared up?" Shangguan Mingyue's face changed, and she quickly asked, "Do you still have the pills the master prepared?"

"Yes, they are in my arms. Please take them for me." Shangguan Junyi's voice was very weak, and her arms trembled uncontrollably, unable to lift.

At this moment, Qi Er and his three subordinates also appeared in the courtyard.

The scene in the courtyard was far worse than he had expected. The Earth Wheel realm assassins were nowhere to be seen, and the remaining dozen or so Wheel-level subordinates lay scattered on the ground, either injured or crippled.

He turned his gaze to Shangguan Junyi, who stood in the center of the courtyard, looking somewhat disheveled.

The Spirit Thunder couldn't even kill her?

As an assassin, Qi Er shouldn't have had intense emotions, but a wave of shock still surged in his heart.

He knew exactly what the explosion was about.

Dantai Dasha had given Qi Da a Spirit Thunder as a trump card, a weapon so precious and powerful that once activated, it was not something an Earth Wheel cultivator could withstand.

To be able to withstand a Spirit Thunder and still survive, Shangguan Junyi's danger level in Qi Er's mind instantly skyrocketed to the highest level.

She must be a Heaven Wheel expert.

Qi Er thought with a sense of despair.

Then, he saw Shangguan Junyi's slender body tremble, and she spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.

Shangguan Mingyue, with a worried expression, reached into her aunt's arms, took out a small bottle, and poured a pill from it, placing it at Shangguan Junyi's lips.

She is seriously injured!

This was his first thought.

She must not be allowed to recover!

This was his second thought.

This is the only chance!

Qi Er made his decision and acted decisively.

His fist, wrapped in a momentum that shook the heavens, crackled in the air and struck Shangguan Junyi, who stood in the courtyard like a willow swaying in the wind, as if a gust of wind could knock her down.

"You dare!" Shangguan Mingyue shouted in anger and struck out with a palm.

When the fist and palm met, Shangguan Mingyue felt an overwhelming force surge from her palm, shaking her entire body as if her bones were about to disintegrate. She was thrown backward, crashing into the courtyard wall behind her, and a sweet taste rose in her chest, causing her to spit out a mouthful of fresh blood.

This was Qi Er's true strength, the second strongest under Dantai Jin.

Qi Er's attack was successful, and without a moment's hesitation, he delivered a second punch, aiming directly at Shangguan Junyi's heart.

He knew that if he could kill her before she recovered, no one at the scene would be his match, and he could calmly say:

I'm not targeting anyone, I just want to say that everyone here is...

Shangguan Junyi's spiritual energy was running rampant, completely out of control, and she was experiencing the pain of her meridians being torn apart. She barely managed to stand, not allowing herself to fall, and could only watch helplessly as her niece was injured by Qi Er, wanting to help but unable to muster any strength.

At her level, a single Spirit Thunder should not have caused much harm, but unexpectedly, the backlash from the incomplete and powerful cultivation technique was triggered precisely at the moment of the Spirit Thunder's explosion.

I never thought I would die here.

As Qi Er's fist, as large as a sand pot, drew closer, she smiled bitterly, her thoughts swirling.

I am a monster, and if I die, so be it, but I must not let Yue'er...

She tried to trigger her spiritual energy to die with Qi Er, but her spiritual energy seemed to be not her own, only causing more damage to her body, completely out of her control.

"Shangguan Sister, I apologize!" Suddenly, Zhong Wen's voice rang in her ear.

Then, she felt her body become light, and she was suddenly carried in someone's arms.

Looking up, she found herself lying in Zhong Wen's arms.

Seeing Zhong Wen's handsome face and strong chest, Shangguan Junyi's heart trembled involuntarily.

Zhong Wen held Shangguan Junyi tightly and used the "Cloud Step," running toward the courtyard gate without hesitation.

Qi Er was not about to give up. Without a word, he took large strides and quickly caught up to Zhong Wen, reaching out to grab him. However, Zhong Wen's footwork was unpredictable, and he managed to dodge Qi Er's confident claw.

"Huh?" Qi Er, recognizing Zhong Wen's exceptional footwork, became more serious.

He quickly caught up again.

This time, he did not hold back, using full force to strike Zhong Wen's back.

Zhong Wen's toes touched the ground, and his body moved like a butterfly, easily dodging Qi Er's attack once more.

How is this possible!

Qi Er's eyes glowed with fierce anger, and even he, an emotionless assassin, felt a surge of rage at being toyed with by a young boy.

"Die!" In a fit of rage, his fist burst with astonishing power.

But Zhong Wen turned around, smiled at him, and with a light step, floated backward, easily dodging Qi Er's furious punch and using the momentum to carry Shangguan Junyi out of the courtyard gate.

"Don't, don't go out." Shangguan Junyi's face was ashen, and she spoke with great difficulty, "There's another one in the tree outside."

"What!" Zhong Wen was startled. Just as he was about to retreat, he saw Qi Er already chasing out of the courtyard, and he said with a pained expression, "Sister, why didn't you say so earlier! Where is he?"

"Over... cough, cough!" Shangguan Junyi tried to speak but felt a surge of blood in her chest, causing her to cough.

Zhong Wen, not getting an answer and with Qi Er closing in, had no choice but to run in a random direction.

After quickly dealing with the three Wheel-level cultivators, Shangguan Mingyue and Liu Qiqi also came out of the courtyard, but they were too far away to provide immediate assistance.

Zhong Wen, using the "Cloud Step," moved gracefully, and although he was carrying someone, it did not seem to burden him. However, dodging was not a long-term solution, and he felt a growing sense of anxiety.

Qi Er was equally astonished. The young man in front of him clearly had only Wheel-level strength, but his footwork was like a deer leaping, unpredictable and slippery. If this continued, and the Heaven Wheel expert in his arms recovered, he would be in grave danger, and he became increasingly anxious.

Just as he narrowly avoided Qi Er's sharp claw, Zhong Wen was about to move backward when he heard a light "sizzle" behind him.

Not good!

He realized he had run in the wrong direction, and the other enemy Shangguan Junyi mentioned must be hiding in the tree behind him.

Turning around, a sword beam flew diagonally toward him, like a bolt of lightning, a rainbow across the sky!

This sword beam made the heavens and earth lose their color, and even the gods and Buddhas were moved!

Staring at the sword beam, he seemed to read the cycle of life and death, the rotation of all things.

The sword beam grazed his shoulder, and a chill spread through the air.

Recognizing the "Deadly Sword," Zhong Wen relaxed, knowing that the target was not him.

The sword beam, carrying an unparalleled sharpness, headed straight for Qi Er behind Zhong Wen.

The swordsman chose the perfect moment to strike, just as Qi Er's old strength was exhausted and new strength had not yet formed, and it was a surprise attack. Qi Er, completely unprepared, watched helplessly as the sword beam pierced through his chest.

A bone-chilling cold instantly spread from his chest to his limbs, then to his brain, and Qi Er's mouth opened, but only a wisp of white cold smoke emerged, and he could not utter a word. His body stood like an ice sculpture, the light in his eyes gradually fading, and he no longer moved.

The swordsman, dressed in black and masked, did not linger after his successful strike. He nodded slightly at Zhong Wen and disappeared into the forest, using the night as cover, quickly vanishing from sight.

With the crisis resolved, Zhong Wen relaxed, and a wave of fatigue washed over him. He sat down on the ground, and looking at Shangguan Junyi in his arms, he noticed that the beautiful sister was breathing rapidly, her expression listless, and she had fallen into a semi-comatose state.

"Auntie, how are you?" Shangguan Mingyue's eyes were filled with tears.

"Zhong Wen, are you okay?" This was Liu Qiqi's voice.

"I'm fine, just a bit tired." Zhong Wen smiled and shook his head. "Qiqi, go back to the courtyard and be ruthless. Make sure every enemy is incapacitated."

They had become close over the past few days, and he could now call her by her name.

Liu Qiqi was taken aback but then nodded, turned, and walked back to the courtyard with her sword.

"Doctor Zhong, can you help Auntie?" Shangguan Mingyue's eyes, like autumn water, looked at Zhong Wen, filled with a pleading expression. This beautiful and proud young lady showed a vulnerable side for the first time, making her even more pitiable and hard to refuse.

"Don't worry, I'm here." Zhong Wen nodded, his voice full of confidence. "I won't let anything happen to Shangguan Sister."

With that, Zhong Wen's right hand gently touched Shangguan Junyi's white wrist. Seeing his calm and composed demeanor, Shangguan Mingyue felt a glimmer of hope.

Feeling the injuries inside Shangguan Junyi's body, Zhong Wen frowned.

Rampant spiritual energy was running wild in her body, forming vortexes that cut through her body, causing deep wounds. As her injuries worsened, the vitality in her body gradually diminished, and her breath became weaker. If left unchecked, this Heaven Wheel expert would soon perish.

Zhong Wen took out a Rejuvenation Pill and gently pinched Shangguan Junyi's delicate face.

Shangguan Junyi's mouth opened slightly, and Zhong Wen took the opportunity to place the pill in her mouth.

After swallowing the Rejuvenation Pill, Shangguan Junyi's body seemed to regain some vitality.

However, this small amount of vitality was like a leaf in a storm, instantly swallowed by the powerful spiritual energy vortex. Shangguan Junyi's expression, which had briefly calmed, quickly returned to one of pain.

Zhong Wen fed Shangguan Junyi another pill and used his right index finger to seal various acupoints on her body, trying to use the pure yang energy of the One Yang Finger to cut off the connection between the spiritual energies.

With the spiritual energy cut off, Shangguan Junyi's body went limp, and the Rejuvenation Pill began to take effect. Her pale and beautiful face gradually regained some color, and her painful expression eased slightly.

Just as Zhong Wen was about to relax, Shangguan Junyi suddenly let out a cry, her face changing dramatically, and her body began to convulse, seemingly in even more pain than before.

Zhong Wen checked her pulse again and found that the One Yang Finger energy he had left in her body had been overwhelmed by the powerful spiritual energy vortex and disappeared. The Heaven Wheel spiritual energy vortex, as if provoked, became even more rampant, tearing through Shangguan Junyi's meridians.

The difference in strength between Wheel and Heaven Wheel spiritual energy was vast!

Zhong Wen's brows furrowed as he thought about how to treat her.

"Doctor Zhong!" Shangguan Mingyue tightly held her aunt's convulsing hand, her face full of anxiety and helplessness.

"Shangguan Sister, take this bottle of pills. Give her one every moment. I'll go down the mountain to get some spiritual herbs and be back soon!" Zhong Wen said, handing the bottle of Rejuvenation Pills to Shangguan Mingyue and turning to run down the mountain.

He planned to return to the Medicine King Valley.

Seeing that the Rejuvenation Pills were not enough to counter the damage from the spiritual energy vortex, he had a sudden idea and remembered the task 1 from the "New Hua Zang Pavilion": to refine the Great Rejuvenation Pill.

Due to the lack of the "Thousand-Year Ginseng," the task had been put on hold, but in this life-or-death situation, he could no longer be stingy and decided to use the several ginseng plants in the Medicine King Valley's terraced fields, which had been cultivated for countless years and almost resembled human forms.

The night was cool, and the summer breeze at the fifth hour was very pleasant, but Zhong Wen had no time to enjoy it. In the darkness, his figure sped through the forest, leaving a trail of white shadows and causing the leaves on the ground to scatter.

He