Chapter 22

The Azure Cloud Mountain Range is located in the central and southern parts of Nanjiang Province in the Great Gan Empire.

The entire mountain range stretches for over two thousand miles, with countless peaks, including the four major peaks: Azure Cloud Mountain, Green Pine Mountain, Clear Wind Mountain, and Azure City Mountain. Among them, Azure Cloud Mountain has the highest altitude, reaching 1,300 meters.

This place is remote, and apart from the locals, few tourists come to visit, so the natural environment is well-preserved.

In summer, the climate in the mountains is pleasant. On the four major peaks, strange rocks jut out, green trees provide shade, mountain springs flow, and the air is filled with a mystical aura, making it almost a paradise on earth.

At night, the air is filled with floating particles that emit a faint milky white glow under the moonlight. Walking through it feels like being in the starry sky, filled with a romantic atmosphere.

However, Chen Dachui and his granddaughter Chen Xiaowan could not appreciate this ambiance at all.

"Grandpa, the people on Azure Cloud Mountain are so mean!" Chen Xiaowan pouted, looking aggrieved.

"Girl, bear with it. After all, this is their territory." Chen Dachui shook his head helplessly, "Moreover, the name 'Azure Cloud Band' sounds more like a group of bandits who rule the mountain rather than a prestigious sect. How could there be any kind-hearted people?"

"I don't like Azure Cloud Mountain. How long do we have to stay here?" Chen Xiaowan's tone was somewhat impatient.

"Almost done. I've carefully compared the map, and the terrain here is very different from that of the ancient site. It's unlikely to be here." Chen Dachui rubbed his granddaughter's head and said, "Tomorrow, we'll go to Green Pine Mountain."

"Okay." Chen Xiaowan responded, then suddenly added, "Grandpa, I'm hungry!"

Chen Dachui: "Silly girl, are you afraid of not finding food in the forest? Haven't you seen all the fruits on the trees?"

"But I want to eat meat."

Chen Dachui: "......"

I want to eat crabs too!

The old man silently complained in his heart.

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Looking at Shangguan Junyi's gradually cold body, Shangguan Mingyue felt as if her heart was being cut by a knife.

"Auntie, it's my fault." Shangguan Mingyue's face was covered with crystal tears, "If I hadn't insisted on sneaking to Clear Wind Mountain, you wouldn't have suffered like this."

A moment ago, the pills from Wending Academy and Zhong Wen's Yuan Restoring Pill had already lost their effectiveness.

At this moment, Shangguan Junyi's face no longer showed pain, her breathing was faint and almost imperceptible, and her serene expression, combined with her beautiful features, made her look like a sleeping beauty waiting for a prince's kiss.

Shangguan Mingyue's heart had already sunk to the bottom.

"Auntie, you must hold on." Shangguan Mingyue's voice was soft, and it was unclear whether she was speaking to Shangguan Junyi or muttering to herself, "Mother passed away early, and from childhood to adulthood, apart from Father, you were the one who cared for me the most and understood me the most."

"Whenever there was something good, you would think of me first, and whenever there was trouble, you would solve it for me."

"In my heart, you are not just an aunt, but also a dear sister."

"I always thought that when I became strong, I would protect you and make you live a happy life."

"Now, I have gradually gained the ability to protect myself and my loved ones, but you..."

"Auntie, because of your condition, you always said you were a monster."

"In fact, in my heart, you are the most beautiful, gentle, and kind woman in the world, the purest fairy, and my life's mentor."

"Didn't you always want to know what it's like to be an ordinary woman? Doctor Zhong said he can cure your illness and restore your body to normal."

"Doctor Zhong will be back soon to treat you, so you must hold on..."

Shangguan Junyi, lying on the ground, remained calm, the gray aura between her brows had dissipated, but her face had lost all color.

Two streams of hot tears rolled down from Shangguan Mingyue's eyes.

"Auntie..." Her voice choked, gradually breaking into sobs.

Finally, she lay on Shangguan Junyi's cold body and burst into tears.

A gentle breeze blew, revealing Zhong Wen's slender figure.

Shangguan Mingyue, sensing his presence, lifted her head, her eyes filled with tears: "Doctor Zhong, you're too late."

Zhong Wen remained silent, quietly approaching the two, he knelt down, felt Shangguan Junyi's breath, and then placed his hand on her right wrist.

"There's still hope." After a moment, he suddenly spoke.

"Really?" Shangguan Mingyue's eyes widened, a glimmer of anxious hope appearing in her gaze.

A crystal-clear pill appeared in Zhong Wen's hand. He gently opened Shangguan Junyi's cherry lips, placed the pill inside, and then used the One Yang Finger to force it down her throat, pushing the medicine into her stomach.

Next, his fingers slowly traced along the Foot Yangming Stomach Meridian and the Foot Shaoyang Gallbladder Meridian, each finger penetrating the meridians with force. After dozens of movements, he was drenched in sweat.

Leaning down, he pressed his ear to Shangguan Junyi's soft chest and could faintly hear a weak heartbeat, so slow it was almost imperceptible.

He sat up, placed his right hand on Shangguan Junyi's tender wrist, and remained silent, waiting.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Zhong Wen felt the sleeping beauty's pulse gradually become clearer, and the dormant yuan qi in her body showed signs of revival.

As the yuan qi revived, the violent spiritual energy hidden in various parts of Shangguan Junyi's body surged again, fiercely attacking the newly born yuan qi, as if harboring deep hatred for the body's owner, refusing to let her have a moment's peace.

However, unlike the weak yuan qi stimulated by the Yuan Restoring Pill, the yuan qi generated by the Heaven Reviving Pill was unafraid, flowing continuously like a surging sea, surging towards various parts of the body, breaking through the violent spiritual energy's blockade, and presenting a balanced confrontation.

The power of "Heaven Reviving" lived up to its name.

Shangguan Junyi's pale face gradually turned rosy, and after a moment, she opened her eyes.

"Auntie, you're awake!" Shangguan Mingyue was overjoyed, rushing forward to hold Shangguan Junyi's hand.

"Yue'er." Shangguan Junyi's voice was weak.

"Auntie, how do you feel?" Shangguan Mingyue asked worriedly.

"Pain." Shangguan Junyi frowned, struggling to speak one word. She had been tormented by this cultivation method for a long time, her willpower was extremely strong, but she still found it hard to endure the endless pain caused by the violent spiritual energy cutting through her body.

"Doctor Zhong." Shangguan Mingyue looked up at Zhong Wen, her gentle voice tinged with sorrow, her large, watery eyes filled with tears, evoking sympathy.

"Don't worry, Shangguan Sister's life is no longer in danger." Zhong Wen reassured her softly, "Let's go inside. I need to perform acupuncture on her."

Saying this, he gently picked up Shangguan Junyi's plump and full figure, feeling her soft and light as a feather in his arms.

To avoid jostling and causing pain to the beauty in his arms, Zhong Wen walked with the Cloud Walking Step, taking two steps for every three, floating into the courtyard.

The courtyard was in a mess, Liu Qiqi and Yin Ning'er were leading a little girl to clean up carefully.

In a corner, more than ten strong men were tied up, huddled together. Some with severe injuries were already gritting their teeth in pain, loudly moaning, but no one paid attention to them.

"Zhong Wen!" The little girl ran over, grabbing the hem of his clothes, her eyes filled with worry, "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"That clumsy giant couldn't hurt me." Zhong Wen said lightly, "But Shangguan Sister is injured, and I need to treat her now. I'll need your help, Little Butterfly."

"Leave it to me." The little girl nodded, patting her chest.

Liu Qiqi and Yin Ning'er also nodded, signaling that he didn't need to worry about them.

In his room, Zhong Wen gently laid Shangguan Junyi on the bed, feeling that the new yuan qi in her body was gradually losing its advantage, so he fed her another "Heaven Reviving Pill."

"Zhong Wen, your pill is powerful, but it can only temporarily suppress the spiritual energy in my body. It's not a long-term solution." After the second "Heaven Reviving Pill," Shangguan Junyi's yuan qi grew stronger, once again forcing back the spiritual energy vortex, and her speech became more fluent, "I've lived long enough. Your pill is too precious, don't waste it on a monster like me."

"Shangguan Sister isn't a monster." Zhong Wen said with a smile, "You are gentle, beautiful, and have such high cultivation. If you are a monster, I want a dozen of such monsters."

"Ha ha!" Shangguan Junyi smiled, her face still pale but clear and beautiful, a delight to the eye, "Thank you, little brother."

"Sister, you shouldn't use the term 'little brother' lightly. It concerns a man's dignity. If you don't believe me, I can prove it to you." Zhong Wen said seriously, pretending to make a motion to take off his pants.

Shangguan Junyi was taken aback, then quickly understood, blushing and spitting out, "Little rascal, I wonder how Palace Master Lin could leave you in the Fragrant Flower Palace."

Zhong Wen was about to tease her further but saw the pain on Shangguan Junyi's face again.

"Shangguan Sister, I need to perform acupuncture on you. There might be some skin contact, please bear with it." Zhong Wen said seriously, "Remember, a doctor sees only the patient, not the gender."

"Little brother, just do what you need to. I don't consider myself a woman anymore, so there's no need for such concerns." Shangguan Junyi forced a smile, "Even if it doesn't work, being able to save my life is already a pleasant surprise."

"Alright, Miss Shangguan, please wait outside." Zhong Wen turned to Shangguan Mingyue.

"Ah?" Shangguan Mingyue looked unwilling.

"Yue'er, wait outside." Shangguan Junyi said understandingly, "A doctor's treatment is not to be observed."

"Alright, Doctor Zhong, I'll leave Auntie to you." Shangguan Mingyue reluctantly left the room, repeatedly reminding him before leaving.

"Shangguan Sister, do you have the strength to undress yourself?" Closing the door, Zhong Wen turned to Shangguan Junyi and asked.

"You help me." Shangguan Junyi tried to move her fingers but felt a wave of pain, and said helplessly, "You get to take advantage of this little girl."

Zhong Wen didn't fuss, nodding, "Sister, please bear with me."

Saying this, he carefully removed Shangguan Junyi's clothes and shoes.

Soon, a crystal-clear, well-proportioned figure was revealed before Zhong Wen, with full breasts, a flat abdomen, and long, smooth legs. Due to her long-term cultivation, her body had a robust and graceful curve.

Although Shangguan Junyi was a generation older than Shangguan Mingyue, she was only in her early thirties, at the peak of a woman's charm, with a beautiful face and a proud figure, she should have exuded an incomparable mature allure. However, looking at this beautiful body, Zhong Wen felt no desire.

"Are you disappointed?" A hint of pain flashed in Shangguan Junyi's eyes, "Not a bit of femininity, right?"

"How could I be? I'm drooling." Zhong Wen forced a smile.

"Since I started this cultivation method, I haven't had my period." Shangguan Junyi didn't know if she was talking to Zhong Wen or to herself, "No matter how handsome and charming a man is, I don't feel a ripple in my heart. For over a decade, I haven't had any romantic feelings, not out of self-righteousness, but because I've lost that ability."

Lying naked before Zhong Wen, Shangguan Junyi showed no sign of shyness, as if the concept of modesty was like a passing cloud to her.

"From a young age, my family arranged a marriage for me. The groom was the second son of the Nangong family, both literate and martial, and very handsome. We were both satisfied with each other." Shangguan Junyi's eyes were distant, "I once thought I had found my true love and became the happiest woman in the world."

"What happened later?" Zhong Wen asked, playing along.

"Later, the Shangguan family faced an unprecedented crisis. The Nangong family did not come to our aid but stood by and watched. In a desperate situation, I spent two months cultivating this forbidden method to the Earth Wheel realm, defeating seven enemies at the Earth Wheel realm with my own strength, and finally helping the Shangguan family through the crisis. After that, with the efforts of my brother Shangguan Tong, the family flourished and became a well-known major merchant house."

"At the time, I thought this cultivation method would only cause spiritual energy backlash and prevent me from breaking through to the Heaven Wheel realm, but I didn't expect it to erase my feminine characteristics." Saying this, a mist of tears formed in Shangguan Junyi's eyes, "When I was most lost and helpless, he appeared by my side, listening to my cries, gently hugging me, and comforting me."

"At that moment, I was so moved that I secretly resolved to find a way to cure my body, no matter where I went, and then marry him, bear his children, and be a happy wife and mother."

"Unexpectedly, three days after he left, the Nangong family sent someone to break off the engagement." Shangguan Junyi bit her lip, a mocking expression on her