Chapter 177

Chapter 177

Lan Jinshang helped her frail companion sit down on a stone table nearby.

That stone table was clearly placed there intentionally. Whenever Lan Jinshang came to visit her companion, she would sit there and chat with the one inside the water orb. Imagining that scene, Wen Qiao felt it seemed somewhat heart-wrenching.

Then Lan Jinshang set up a spiritual barrier around them, separating the nearby water so that the two cultivators wouldn't suffocate in the water and could communicate more easily.

This gesture was quite considerate.

Xuanlun leaned against her, leaving the water orb. As he did, his aura visibly weakened at an alarming rate. Lan Jinshang looked anxiously at Ning Yuzhou, wanting to say something but then realizing it might be pointless, so she closed her mouth.

Wen Qiao watched this scene, feeling a strange sensation in her heart.

She had never seen an existence with such powerful aura yet such a delicate appearance. She couldn't help but wonder what kind of beast Xuanlun's true form was.

Could it be because he was injured now that he appeared particularly weak?

Ning Yuzhou stepped forward to examine Xuanlun and handed him several Spirit-Replenishing Pills.

Xuanlun glanced at him, said nothing, and swallowed the pills directly. However, as soon as he took them, a peculiar expression appeared on his face.

Lan Jinshang looked puzzled. Why did Ning Yuzhou give her companion Spirit-Replenishing Pills? These pills replenish the practitioner's primordial spirit energy, but for Xuanlun's body, they were insufficient. Otherwise, Xuanlun wouldn't have had to hide here to recuperate.

Though puzzled, Lan Jinshang didn't ask further, instead looking at Xuanlun and asking, "Xuanlun, how do you feel?"

Xuanlun replied, "These Spirit-Replenishing Pills are different from those refined by alchemists."

Of course, they were different. These Spirit-Replenishing Pills contained honey fat during refinement, making them a ground-level spirit pill that actually contained heavenly-grade spiritual energy. Despite this, the spiritual energy within these pills wasn't very effective for him. Perhaps he had grown accustomed to his condition, so Xuanlun wasn't overly disappointed.

Seeing him take the pills, Ning Yuzhou observed for a while and then said, "Senior Xuan, I need to examine your body. Please don't resist."

Xuanlun nodded, appearing gentle and compliant... well, very agreeable, without any of the arrogance one would expect from a Demon Emperor realm cultivator.

For Ning Yuzhou, examining a Demon Emperor realm cultivator was a very dangerous task; even a slight mistake could lead to injury. Even though Xuanlun was severely injured, his Demon Emperor realm cultivation still made him capable of easily overpowering both Wen Qiao and Ning Yuzhou. That's why Ning Yuzhou had to warn him beforehand.

After receiving Xuanlun's assurance, Ning Yuzhou carefully sent a thread of spiritual energy into his body.

Xuanlun remained calm, showing no resistance to the foreign primordial spirit energy within him, allowing it to flow through his meridians gently.

After a while, Ning Yuzhou withdrew his spiritual energy, a thoughtful look on his face.

Lan Jinshang watched him nervously and couldn't help but ask, "Young Master Ning, how is it?"

In contrast to her tension, Xuanlun still appeared gentle and compliant. If not for the imposing aura of a Demon Emperor, Wen Qiao might have thought he was just an easy target... cough cough cough.

Ning Yuzhou looked at Xuanlun and asked, "Senior, can you tell me how you got this injury?"

Xuanlun smiled and said, "There's no reason not to tell you."

Xuanlun was the resident Demon Emperor beast of Star Crossing Gorge, and it was because of him that the sea beasts of Star Crossing Gorge could avoid being invaded by other sea beasts and demon cultivators.

Over a hundred years ago, Star Crossing Gorge had a conflict with a nearby sea beast clan, and Xuanlun fought with a Demon Emperor realm cultivator from that clan.

The cultivator's cultivation was comparable to Xuanlun's, making it difficult to determine a winner. They battled in the sea, and somehow, they both fell into a strange space. This space lacked seawater and seemed detached from the ocean, filled with a peculiar pink gas. Both Xuanlun and the cultivator, already injured, inadvertently inhaled some of it.

At the time, due to the situation, neither of them paid much attention to it.

Later, the Demon Emperor realm cultivator retreated, and although Xuanlun won, he was severely wounded.

Initially, they didn't think much of it, assuming that a period of rest would suffice. However, Xuanlun's injuries worsened, and his lifespan rapidly diminished. Eventually, he had to retreat here to heal, using the local water spirit energy to suppress his injuries and slow the depletion of his lifespan.

Although Ning Yuzhou's longevity-extending pills added two hundred years to his life, given his current condition, if his injuries didn't heal, he might not survive even that long.

This was why Lan Jinshang, despite knowing Ning Yuzhou's low cultivation, still invited him over.

Lan Jinshang had run out of options.

After discovering that Xuanlun's injuries weren't healing, she sought help from her sea creature friends, but their alchemists were equally helpless. Lan Jinshang also considered finding a high-level alchemist among human cultivators to help, but it was nearly impossible. Human cultivators wouldn't trust demon cultivators and wouldn't easily come to the Endless Sea, and Xuanlun couldn't leave Star Crossing Gorge.

As for darker thoughts, Lan Jinshang, given her character, wouldn't act on them.

With Xuanlun's condition worsening, Lan Jinshang had almost resigned herself to fate before meeting Wen Qiao and the others.

Who knew that Ning Yuzhou could refine longevity-extending pills? Once she confirmed this, she decided to invite them to Star Crossing Gorge. Lan Jinshang had her reasons; these two human cultivators had low cultivation levels, and if they harbored ill intentions, the sea beasts of Star Crossing Gorge weren't mere decorations.

In the days leading up to this, Lan Jinshang had been staying here.

After giving Xuanlun the longevity-extending pills, she observed his condition and found that while the pills extended his life by two hundred years, his injuries prevented the full benefit, leading to a rapid depletion of his lifespan, possibly even before the two hundred years were up.

Lan Jinshang had no choice but to beg Ning Yuzhou to come, hoping he might find a solution.

As long as there was a glimmer of hope, she wouldn't give up.

After hearing Xuanlun's story, even Wen Qiao, who was not an expert, wondered if the pink gas in that strange space was consuming Xuanlun's lifespan, preventing his injuries from healing.

"Senior Xuan, what was the pink gas like in that space? Did you notice anything unusual after inhaling it?" Ning Yuzhou asked again.

Xuanlun thought for a moment and said, "The pink gas was as natural as air, with no peculiar smell. If not for its color, I wouldn't have noticed it. At the time, I didn't feel anything unusual... Later, when I realized my injuries weren't healing and sensed my vitality being eroded, I became aware of the problem."

Erosion of vitality meant the consumption of a cultivator's lifespan.

Demon beasts have longer lifespans than human cultivators. Xuanlun, not very old, had only practiced and transformed for about two thousand years, with many years left in his lifespan, which was now being consumed away.

Ning Yuzhou asked a few more questions, and Xuanlun answered them seriously.

After gathering all the information, Ning Yuzhou began thinking again.

Lan Jinshang looked at Ning Yuzhou eagerly, wanting to ask but not daring to. She consoled herself, knowing that Ning Yuzhou was far better than those alchemists who hadn't even bothered to ask.

When they first discovered that Xuanlun's lifespan had shortened, they sought out alchemists from the Sea Clan. Without even asking a single question, those alchemists declared it untreatable, leaving everything to Xuanlun's fate. Lan Jinshang was furious inside but chose not to argue with them. Later, they consulted many other alchemists who came to the Endless Sea, but none could offer a solution.

Ning Yuzhou's current behavior gave her a glimmer of hope.

Perhaps Ning Yuzhou took too long to think, causing even Wen Tutu and Wen Guangun to start munching on spirit pills, watching Ning Gege while they ate.

Lan Jinshang and her husband couldn't help but look at these two beasts.

Wen Tutu immediately froze, looking innocent at them.

Wen Guangun continued munching slowly, finishing the spirit pill before moving on to sea sugarcane. Compared to Wen Tutu's innocence, its cute demeanor was heartwarming, making it hard for anyone to be angry with it, feeling that everything could be forgiven.

Xuanlun was indeed a good-tempered demon cultivator. Despite the two little beasts' antics, he smiled indulgently, which made even Wen Qiao wonder if this imperial-level demon cultivator might be fake. How could an imperial-level demon cultivator be so soft?

As Lan Jinshang and her husband watched Wen Guangun eat, Ning Yuzhou finally snapped back to reality.

Everyone's attention returned to him.

Ning Yuzhou said, "Senior Xuan, if I'm not mistaken, the pink gas in that space should be the essence of the Yin and Yang Spring."

"Yin and Yang Spring?"

Lan Jinshang and her husband were stunned, as was Wen Qiao, all looking at him in confusion. What was the Yin and Yang Spring?

It wasn't surprising they didn't recognize it. There were countless treasures in the world, and without rich traditions, one wouldn't know their origins or how to use them. This is why the old major sects on the human cultivation continent were respected by cultivators; their deep traditions preserved many records, providing valuable knowledge to future generations.

Thus, Ning Yuzhou's Di Xi bloodline allowed him to possess complete traditions, something Wen Qiao, with her fragmented heritage, envied greatly.

"Yes, the Yin and Yang Spring. The universe divides into yin and yang, and when they harmonize, a spring of both complementary and opposing properties is born, known as the Yin and Yang Spring," Ning Yuzhou explained. "Yin and yang are the fundamental sources of all things, capable of nurturing life, making it a rare and precious thing. That pink gas is the essence of the Yin and Yang Spring. However, when you fought near the Yin and Yang Spring and inhaled the essence after being injured, it automatically devoured the vitality within your body, unlike the spring water itself."

Although Ning Yuzhou spoke succinctly, Lan Jinshang and her husband still sensed the danger.

Lan Jinshang pleaded anxiously, "Young Master Ning, do you have a way to save him? Please save him!"

"I won't save him," Ning Yuzhou said.

"Young Master Ning!"

Lan Jinshang panicked. If he could identify the pink gas as the cause of Xuanlun's shortened lifespan, why couldn't he treat it? At this moment, she forgot that Ning Yuzhou was just a low-level cultivator in the Yuanmai realm and saw him as a lifeline.

She couldn't watch her partner die from his depleted lifespan.

Xuanlun remained calm, perhaps having grown accustomed over the past century to his lifespan being gradually consumed by some unknown force, preparing himself mentally.

He held Lan Jinshang, gently patted her shoulder when she looked at him anxiously, and then smiled at Wen Qiao.

Lan Jinshang quickly calmed down.

She was usually a very composed demon cultivator, methodical in her actions, but the situation involving her partner made her lose her composure.

In a calm voice, she said, "Young Master Ning, whatever conditions you have, please state them. As long as I can fulfill them, I will."

Ning Yuzhou smiled, "Senior Lan, there's been a misunderstanding. What I meant is that Senior Xuan's condition cannot be saved by anyone."

Lan Jinshang was slightly taken aback.

Xuanlun understood the implication, his eyes brightening, "What you mean is..."

"Your injury is caused by the essence of the Yin and Yang Spring. To heal, you need to drink from the Yin and Yang Spring itself, no need for any elixirs."

Hearing this, Xuanlun lowered his gaze.

Lan Jinshang smiled bitterly, saying, "Young Master Ning, to be honest, after Xuanlun was injured, I did check that space. Apart from the pink gas, there was nothing else, certainly nothing related to the Yin and Yang Spring."

Otherwise, they wouldn't have been helpless, unable to understand what caused Xuanlun's condition.

As for the Yin and Yang Spring, though they hadn't heard of it, the name suggested its power.

Ning Yuzhou was slightly surprised, perhaps not expecting this situation.

"That shouldn't be," he said, puzzled. "If there's the essence of the Yin and Yang Spring, there must be the spring itself."

"Could it be hidden?" Wen Qiao interjected.

"It's possible," Ning Yuzhou agreed, looking at Lan Jinshang. "Senior, you should search again."

But Lan Jinshang sighed again, "To be honest, we've been there several times, digging deep, but found nothing."

Ning Yuzhou and Wen Qiao exchanged glances, finding the space strange.

According to Ning Yuzhou, if there was the essence of the Yin and Yang Spring, the spring itself should exist, possibly hidden to the point where even an imperial-level demon cultivator couldn't detect it.

Thinking about it, Lan Jinshang said, "If you don't believe me, why not come with me?"

Wen Qiao looked at Lan Jinshang, understanding her intention.

Since they, the demon cultivators, couldn't find it, why not let these human cultivators try? In demon cultivators' eyes, human cultivators were blessed with innate advantages in cultivation and skills like alchemy, artifact forging, talisman making, and array formation, making them favored by the heavens. Throughout history, demon cultivators could never surpass human cultivators except in physical strength and longevity.

Perhaps these human cultivators could find the Yin and Yang Spring?

If they found it, her partner would be saved.

After a moment's consideration, Ning Yuzhou said, "Alright."

Lan Jinshang's face lit up with joy. She stood up, pulling Xuanlun up with her, "Xuanlun, wait here. We'll be back soon. I will save you!"

Xuanlun, used to her impulsive nature, smiled, "Be careful. Don't push yourselves too hard."

After enduring more than a century, he didn't mind waiting a bit longer, prioritizing safety.

"I won't force it; I will protect Young Master Ning and the others," Lan Jinshang promised.

Whether it was because her dao companion looked too frail, as if in need of protection, or because she knew her dao companion could be saved, Lan Jinshang's demeanor underwent a significant change at that moment.

Xuanlun returned to the water sphere behind the pale blue barrier.

Standing there, he smiled at Wen Qiao and the others. His blue robes floated in the water, evoking a strong desire to protect him.

After bidding farewell to them, Lan Jinshang and the others left the watery world filled with abundant water spirit energy and returned to the palace outside.

Yansheng was still waiting there.

Upon seeing them appear, he hurried over, keeping his eyes fixed on Ning Yuzhou and the other two while asking expectantly, "Aunt Lan, how is it? Can they be saved?"

Lan Jinshang did not answer but said, "Yansheng, I'm going out with Young Master Ning and the others for a bit; Star Crossing Gorge is in your hands now."

Hu Yansheng looked at her in surprise. "Where are you going?" Thinking of something, he eyed Ning Yuzhou and the others warily, his face clearly showing suspicion that these two might be up to some deceitful scheme to trick her away.

Ning Yuzhou and Wen Qiao: "..."

This tiger shark indeed needs to be disciplined.