Ling Yu turned around and saw Zhao Zhi smiling as he walked toward them. She smiled back. She liked Zhao Zhi—he wasn't cold, distant, and annoying like some people.
Zhao Zhi sat down beside Xu Yun. "What are you girls talking about?"
Xu Yun smiled. "I was explaining to Ling Yu why we isolated the remaining nine."
"Ah, right. Yes. What Xu Yun said is all correct." Zhao Zhi's eyes twinkled with amusement. "What I said is also correct." He grinned.
Ling Yu crossed her arms, clearly skeptical. "Really? Iron Wall is the strongest among you?"
Zhao Zhi and Xu Yun both nodded without hesitation.
Ling Yu remained unconvinced. She turned toward Gu Tianzhu and Chen Zhaoyun, who sat not far away. "Is he also stronger than you, Gu Zhenren?"
Gu Tianzhu smiled gently and nodded. "Yes, Shengzun is stronger than me."
Zhao Zhi added with a chuckle, "He's stronger than all of us combined."
Ling Yu looked around, her expression shifting into pure disbelief. "You're kidding."
She shook her head. "I don't know what he did to make you believe that, but I can't believe it."
She glanced around. "Where is he, by the way?"
Zhao Zhi's face turned serious. "Xuan Xiong is cultivating to recover the spirit energy he consumed to place nine extremely strong barriers."
Ling Yu uncrossed her arms, a flicker of concern crossing her face. "Making those barriers… is it really that exhausting?"
Zhao Zhi's expression darkened. "Not only do they consume an immense amount of spirit energy, but they also have to be thick enough to withstand a low core explosion."
He looked up at Ling Yu. "Making one barrier strong enough to contain a core explosion is already difficult, yet he had to make nine of them. Honestly, I'm surprised he's still standing."
"But—but you said he's stronger than all of us combined. Surely he can handle it."
Xu Yun sighed. "Yes, Xuan Ge has tremendous spirit energy and the highest cultivation, but Ling Yu, this isn't the first time he's had to expend his energy."
Zhao Zhi added, "He's been using it non-stop. He never caught a break. There was never time."
He exhaled. "Others may not notice, but we're doctors. We're trained to look for signs of discomfort in others. We can see the fatigue and exhaustion slowly overwhelming him."
Gu Tianzhu added solemnly, "Even though we are immortals, we are not invincible."
Ling Yu looked around and saw the somber expressions on everyone's faces.
Really? Iron Wall? I never noticed.
But she was also worried about Xuan Tian. She wanted to do something, but what?
"Is there anything I can do to help?" Ling Yu asked.
Xu Yun looked at her and smiled. "Yes, you can continue to cultivate. Accumulate as much spirit energy as you can. So when Xuan Ge opens the barriers, you can wake them all up."
Ling Yu lit up. "I can do that!" She quickly found a corner, sat down, and began cultivating.
Zhao Zhi and Xu Yun exchanged a glance and nodded.
"I want to gather a few herbs I saw outside," Zhao Zhi informed Xu Yun.
She nodded. "Be careful. It's dark outside."
"I'll go with you," Chen Zhaoyun volunteered, eager to finally contribute something.
"Thank you." Zhao Zhi bowed slightly in appreciation.
Some of the awakened people called out to Gu Tianzhu, asking for guidance in cultivation. Meanwhile, Xu Yun went to prepare dinner for them.
Ling Yu continued to cultivate—or at least, she assumed that's what she was doing. In reality, she was simply breathing rhythmically. At first, it felt ridiculous, but as time passed, she started to sense something circulating within her. Exactly where, she didn't know, but she felt warmth spreading inside her.
Outside, dawn was breaking. The dark field outside the cavern was slowly covered in golden light. For cultivators, this was the best time to cultivate, as dawn brought the Purple Qi of nature. It was believed that at this time, the energy of nature was at its purest.
Inside the cavern, two people felt the Purple Qi. One was Ling Yu. She knew nothing about Purple Qi or the best time for cultivation—she only felt that the energy entering her body was different. It was purer, fresher. Instinctively, she tried to absorb more.
The other was Xuan Tian. He had been cultivating all night. The spirit energy he recovered barely replaced what he had consumed placing the barriers. But with the help of the Purple Qi, he could recover more. Even though full recovery was impossible, it was better than nothing.
Xuan Tian continued to absorb the Purple Qi as best he could. He needed to recover as soon as possible. Tie Yanfang, an Immortal Saint, was coming. A Saint was different from other High Immortals—the gap in power was simply overwhelming.
He continued to cultivate—until he felt the Purple Qi he was absorbing being siphoned elsewhere.
Who dares to compete with me?!
He instinctively extended his senses, sweeping through the cavern—and was stunned speechless when he sensed Ling Yu absorbing his Purple Qi at an astonishing rate.
Xuan Tian was alarmed. I must stop her immediately! Ling Yu's meridians weren't ready to handle such an overwhelming influx of energy—if this continued, she could suffer irreversible damage. He opened his eyes and rushed to where Ling Yu was.
He entered the stone bed chamber—no one was there. The awakened people were all asleep, and the doctors were nowhere to be seen. Even Gu Tianzhu and Chen Zhaoyun were absent.
Xuan Tian didn't stop. He continued toward Ling Yu's location, his steps long and urgent, closing the distance in an instant.
He reached her, sitting cross-legged in deep concentration. Without hesitation, he extended his arms, pressing his palms firmly against her shoulders. The instant they made contact, a wave of spirit energy rippled outward.
Xuan Tian didn't stop there. He placed his palm firmly on her shoulder and pushed, turning her until her back faced him. With his right palm pressed against her back, he absorbed the excessive Purple Qi surging through her body. At the same time, he guided the rampant energy, stabilizing its flow to prevent it from destroying her meridians.
Ling Yu opened her eyes slowly, feeling weak. Her face was pale, and sweat had formed on her forehead. A tight discomfort settled in her chest. She noticed someone behind her, their palm resting against her back. She tried to turn to see who it was.
"Don't move!" Xuan Tian's voice was low, strained but firm. "Don't move, Little Chaos. Just breathe and feel the spirit energy's movement."
Ling Yu closed her eyes again, too weak to protest. The last thing she remembered was feeling pure, fresh energy entering her like a tidal wave.
She did what Xuan Tian told her. Slowly, she felt the pure energy no longer drowning her but instead becoming much gentler, like water running over her feet as she played in the creek near her home. It felt amazingly comfortable.
Ling Yu sat there, fully accepting Xuan Tian's help, completely unaware of the grave mistake she had made. In the world of cultivation, exposing one's meridians like this was the equivalent of standing bare, defenseless, with arms wide open. It was an unspoken rule—an absolute vulnerability no cultivator should ever allow. If Xuan Tian wished, he could have crippled her, or worse. He made a mental note to warn her later; she really was just a child—innocent and pure. But he also had to admit, it made guiding the spirit energy easier.
Soon, Ling Yu's energy blended perfectly with the Purple Qi.
Xuan Tian exhaled. He withdrew his extended arm, sensing that the Purple Qi he had absorbed from Ling Yu needed further cultivation before it could be fully refined as his own. Without hesitation, he continued cultivating where he sat.
The hurried but careful sound of four sets of footsteps echoed into the stone bed chamber.
Zhao Zhi arrived first, Xu Yun following closely behind him. They had been treating the injured Celestials when they felt a wave of spirit energy ripple out and immediately rushed to find its source.
Chen Zhaoyun was practicing his sword forms under Gu Tianzhu's instruction—part of their usual morning routine—when they, too, felt the energy pulse. Without hesitation, they abandoned their practice and hurried inside.
Upon entering, they saw Ling Yu seated, facing the cavern wall, with Xuan Tian behind her. Not wanting to disturb them, they exchanged glances and turned to leave—when suddenly, Ling Yu coughed violently and spat out blood.
Xu Yun instantly rushed to her side, checking her condition. Her eyes widened when she saw that what Ling Yu had vomited was thick and dark, like burnt charcoal, and it carried the distinct scent of scorched flesh. Xu Yun recognized the symptoms immediately—this was purged blood clot, a necessary expulsion to clear a blocked meridian. If it remained inside, it could severely hinder Ling Yu's cultivation or even cause internal injuries.
Not wanting to disrupt Xuan Tian, she stayed quiet, supporting Ling Yu as she helped her to her feet and guided her away. The other three followed silently.
"Stay in this chamber."
Xuan Tian's voice, calm yet commanding, echoed through the space.
They froze in place, and Xu Yun quickly settled Ling Yu onto a chair in the far corner of the chamber, exchanging silent glances with the others before waiting for further instruction.