Chapter 75

"**You? Revive him?**"

Qin Feng found it utterly unbelievable, his eyes filled with doubt. He knew that Zhuang Wudao had studied medicine for a while and was skilled in treating external injuries. However, he was essentially a self-taught practitioner, and his level was questionable.

The unconscious cultivator had been diagnosed by all the renowned doctors in the city as beyond saving. He had been struck by the Stone Bright Essence Flame, which would turn him to stone within three months.

Zhuang Wudao's skills could hardly surpass those of the doctors who had spent decades immersed in the medical arts and were highly respected.

Lu Zhong chuckled, "Brother, are you dreaming? Do you know who I am? Do you know what the Stone Bright Essence Flame is? This isn't just a fire toxin; it's a third-rank lower-grade spiritual fire! Even among the innate essence flames, it ranks in the top hundred!"

Zhuang Wudao glanced at him sideways and ignored him, directly shooing him away. He naturally knew who Lu Zhong was—the owner of the Hundred Pill Hall, whose medical skills ranked among the top three in Yuecheng. It was said he had once been a candidate for the imperial physician, with a deep background. However, such a person was merely a 'quack' in Yun'er's words.

The Light Cloud Sword Spirit's achievements in boxing and swordsmanship had already amazed him, but he wondered how his medical skills would fare, especially given his bold claims today.

Among the crowd, what caught his attention was the slight movement of the unconscious cultivator. When he said the word 'revive,' the man's eyelids seemed to twitch, which was surprising.

Lu Zhong, seemingly confident, said as he left, "The Stone Bright Essence Flame can only be cured by finding a corresponding spiritual water of the five elements or by a Golden Core cultivator using true essence to expel the fire toxin. Otherwise, there is no cure in the world. You can revive him? That's a joke! I'll give you one chance for three hundred gold pieces, and don't come begging later!"

Zhuang Wudao ignored him, as if he hadn't heard. Qin Feng was helpless, though he was reluctant to part with the three hundred gold pieces. However, if Zhuang Wudao was determined to do something, there was nothing he could do, so he could only look at him with resentment.

After everyone left, Zhuang Wudao fell into deep thought, the questions from their first meeting resurfacing in his mind.

Who was this unconscious cultivator? How did a Qi Condensation Realm cultivator get involved with a third-rank lower-grade spiritual fire? What was his background? Was he really unconscious?

He checked the man's pulse again and felt that his entire body's energy was stagnant, as if filled with lead. His vitality was dim, and his pulse was dead, making it seem impossible for him to be conscious.

Zhuang Wudao sighed in relief, wondering if it had been just his imagination.

Behind him, Gu Yu asked, "Can you really revive him? I've heard of the Stone Bright Essence Flame; those who are struck by it are beyond saving. Even a Golden Core cultivator can only expel the fire toxin, but with this person's status, it would be hard to find one to help."

Zhuang Wudao didn't have complete confidence and didn't want to make promises he couldn't keep. He shook his head and said, "I've studied medicine before. This time, I'm treating him like a dead horse. Since he's bound to die anyway, it's worth a try. I just can't bear to see him end up as a puppet or a medicinal person. He's an Eighth Floor cultivator; it would be too tragic if he met such an end."

Gu Yu understood and said no more. His gaze toward Zhuang Wudao became even gentler. He had also felt a sense of kinship when he heard Qin Feng and Lu Zhong haggling.

Qin Feng sighed, knowing that the three hundred gold pieces were now out of reach.

※※※※

Zhuang Wudao brought the unconscious cultivator back to his courtyard and eagerly took out the Golden Hare Silk Grass.

This item had little use, and no one bid for it at the treasure exchange. Zhuang Wudao bought it for less than thirty gold pieces.

In addition, he bought a whole pot of Green Plum Spirit Dew, collected from at least second-rank Green Plum Spirit Grass in the morning. He also bought about a hundred Essence Bone Strengthening Pills and Qi Nourishing Pills, two Blood Essence Pills, and some Essence Cultivating Stones, spending less than eight hundred gold pieces in total.

Most of these items would be given to Qin Feng for the brothers in the hall to use, and he himself wouldn't need them. He bought them because there was nothing else he wanted at the treasure exchange.

Besides the Golden Hare Silk Grass and the pills and spirit dew, he only bought a set of golden needles for his own use. There were twenty-four needles in total, eight long, eight medium, and eight short. They were a complete set of spirit tools, each refined to the third level of the Dharma Seal.

However, Qi Condensation Realm cultivators were far from being able to divide their divine consciousness, so there were very few people in the world who could use this entire set of spirit tools. When used together, they might be extremely powerful, but when used individually, they were inferior to spirit tools with a first-level Dharma Seal. Therefore, the price was very low, and Zhuang Wudao only had to bid ninety-seven gold pieces before no one else competed with him.

He thought he would need the Small Reviving Yang Needle Technique to save someone and needed a suitable set of needles. At least they were spirit tools, better than ordinary golden needles.

Following Yun'er's instructions, he crushed an Essence Cultivating Stone and mixed it with the Green Plum Spirit Dew, then added the Golden Hare Silk Grass to the pot and sealed it with the power of a spirit talisman.

This method could stimulate the vitality within the Golden Hare Silk Grass and replenish its essence. After about three days, it could be used to refine and integrate into the body. In the future, it could be slowly nurtured within the body to restore it to its original state.

At that time, he could use the Golden Hare Silk Grass to disguise himself as having a hidden spiritual root at the Foundation Establishment Realm, specifically one that belonged to the Earth element. This could explain why he could make rapid progress in cultivating the *Tianxuan Zhaoshi Zhenjing* and the *Bull Demon Yuanba Body*.

After dealing with the Golden Hare Silk Grass, Zhuang Wudao looked at the unconscious cultivator and asked in his mind.

"How should I save this person? Just use the Small Reviving Yang Needle Technique?"

"Of course, but you need to prepare some needles. Forty-nine stone needles made from high-quality magnetite, forty-nine sets of wooden needles, each set containing thirty-six needles, preferably from peach wood over a thousand years old. And ice needles, made from Bathing Leaf Spirit Dew, the more the better. These are common spirit items and should not be difficult for a sword master. Additionally, you need to wait until the hour of Zi, when the star power in the world is strongest and the Tianxuan Star is brightest, to use the needles."

Lu Qingyun explained further, "The Stone Bright True Flame, though a fire within stone and belonging to the Earth element, is also a type of world spiritual fire. Golden needles are ineffective against it, so they cannot be used. Water overcomes fire, so ice needles are needed. Wood overcomes Earth, so thousand-year-old peach wood is best. The stone needles are for guiding the fire seed."

Zhuang Wudao was stunned, realizing that the set of golden needles he had bought was useless, and he had wasted nearly a hundred gold pieces.

A long-standing question resurfaced in his mind, and he asked, "I've always been curious. Since you are the spirit of this Light Cloud Sword, why do you know so much? Martial arts, spiritual techniques, medicine—seemingly everything. Or are all spirit swords like you?"

The sword spirit fell silent for a long time before the ethereal voice returned to Zhuang Wudao's consciousness, sounding very confused, "I don't know. After I awoke, these things were already in my memory. In fact, Light Cloud remembers very little. After a thousand years of sleep, the memories from a thousand years ago are incomplete, just some fragmented images. And when we first met, I said I could make the sword master a supreme immortal king after ten thousand years. That is something Lu Qingyun can no longer do. The cultivation methods Lu Qingyun remembers are limited to below the Golden Core Realm; most of the methods beyond that are forgotten. Even the Sword Cultivation Technique, the *Heaven and Earth Yin-Yang Great Sorrow Assignment*, and the *Great Stele Hand* that the sword master is cultivating are not complete, just relatively complete."

Zhuang Wudao's eyes showed a hint of disappointment, but he quickly reflected on himself. Even if the Light Cloud Sword Spirit could only help him cultivate to the Golden Core Realm, it was still a great immortal connection. He should be grateful and not be disappointed that it couldn't do more.

In the Tianyi countries, the highest cultivation level was the Nascent Soul Realm. A Golden Core cultivator was already a great power and had a chance to contend with that person!

"The specific reason, Light Cloud doesn't know or remember. I only vaguely know that my current state is related to a severe injury I suffered during the fourth sword master's reign, five calamities ago. Only by using a large amount of world essence and the sword master's Sword Cultivation Technique can I recover. I can gather world essence myself, but it would take a billion years and a hundred calamities. Therefore, the sword master's Sword Cultivation Technique is the true method to help Light Cloud recover."

"Is that so!"

Zhuang Wudao raised an eyebrow, his tone calm, but this was the first time he truly valued the Sword Cultivation Technique, even placing it above the *Heaven and Earth Yin-Yang Great Sorrow Assignment* that he most wanted to master.

When he first met Light Cloud, he was mostly cautious. But over time, he had come to trust and feel close to this sword spirit named Lu Qingyun. In the past two months, the Light Cloud Sword Spirit had helped him immensely, saving his life and teaching him cultivation techniques, which were great favors and his greatest support.

According to Yun'er's explanation, if the Light Cloud Sword could recover from its injury, it might also recover its memories beyond the Golden Core Realm.

So, whether for himself or for the sword spirit, he needed to push this cultivation technique to its peak!

High-quality magnetite and thousand-year-old peach wood were common items. Even the Bathing Leaf Spirit Dew was available in the city's major pharmacies, used to refine Qi Nourishing Pills.

However, it was already midnight, and it would be difficult to gather everything immediately. Zhuang Wudao could only temporarily settle the unconscious cultivator in a side room and wait until everything was prepared.

The next morning, Zhuang Wudao woke up refreshed. He then casually instructed a few brothers from the Sword Robe Hall to collect magnetite, peach wood, and Bathing Leaf Spirit Dew for him, while he continued to practice his boxing.

Yesterday, both Gu Yue Ming and Fei Xiu Shen had put immense pressure on him. He knew that if he wanted to win the competition, he couldn't afford to slack off during the remaining time before the competition.

And just three hours before the hour of Zi, Zhuang Wudao once again brought the unconscious cultivator to his backyard.

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