The sky was slowly turning brighter, a clear sign that dawn was breaking. If they wanted to use the Purple Qi, they had to act fast.
Shen Qingyu and Lu Jianhong stepped forward, settling into position around Xuan Tian.
Ling Yu recalled Xuan Tian's lesson about exposing meridians and quickly spoke up, "You can't –"
"Chaos," Xuan Tian whispered, his voice barely audible. "It's okay." Each word was a struggle.
Ling Yu shut her mouth at once. If Xuan Tian said it was okay, then she knew he meant it. But she couldn't help herself from adding, "As long as you know what you're doing."
With that, she moved away, making space for Xu Yun.
Four cultivators sat in a circle, with Xuan Tian in the middle, clinging to the last shred of his consciousness.
Moving in perfect sync, the four of them absorbed the Purple Qi and channeled it into Xuan Tian.
Purple Qi swirled through the ruined stone chamber, drifting in from the entrance and seeping through cracks in the walls. It cascaded like mist, flowing steadily toward Xuan Tian.
It was so dense that Ling Yu could see the Purple Qi flowing into Xuan Tian—as if nature itself was lending a hand in reviving a fallen god.
If Ling Yu hadn't been so focused on Xuan Tian, she would have commented on how breathtakingly beautiful it was.
The potency of the Purple Qi was evident. From barely breathing and slumped over, Xuan Tian's breaths steadied, his body slowly regaining strength. He struggled to move his hands, attempting to absorb the Purple Qi on his own.
When he succeeded, Zhao Zhi observed him carefully before speaking. "Alright, that's enough. He can do it on his own now."
He quickly withdrew his hands, ending the absorption process and allowing Xuan Tian to take in as much as he could on his own.
All four of them stopped and watched over Xuan Tian. As a cultivator, Shen Qingyu knew the dangers of absorbing Purple Qi too quickly. He half-expected Xuan Tian to damage his own meridians. But soon, he realized that Xuan Tian was a remarkable cultivator.
Not only did he absorb the Purple Qi at an exceptional speed, but his ability to refine and integrate it into his own energy was the fastest Shen Qingyu had ever seen. Who is he? His skill in managing spirit energy was unrivaled.
Lu Jianhong was equally stunned. Though his cultivation was below Shen Qingyu's, he could still sense the sheer speed at which the Purple Qi was being absorbed—and how Xuan Tian didn't falter. Whoa! This guy is insane!
Li Ran stood silently nearby, in awe at the sheer amount of Purple Qi swirling around the chamber.
As soon as there was no more Purple Qi left to absorb, it took Xuan Tian less than five breaths to refine it completely. Though he felt much better, at this moment, he was no stronger than Ling Yu.
He opened his eyes, exhaling slowly. The other four cultivators released their breaths at the same time, feeling a wave of relief wash over them.
Ling Yu stepped forward the moment she saw Xuan Tian trying to stand.
Shen Qingyu rose with him and bowed. "Xianren, please. Our Shizun and Shidi."
Xuan Tian nodded slightly. "Thank you for your help, Xianren." His voice was still weak.
He continued, "The barriers will dissolve on their own soon. You just need to wait."
Shen Qingyu's jaw dropped. "You can make barriers like that?!"
Xuan Tian gave a slow nod, his body swaying unsteadily.
Zhao Zhi caught him before he could fall. "Whoa there. Alright, that's it. I'm taking you with me. You need to lie down. Come on, Xuan Xiong."
With that, Zhao Zhi placed a firm hand on Xuan Tian's waist, half-dragging him away. Ling Yu was already on the other side, doing the same.
The three disciples and Xu Yun watched them leave. Shen Qingyu was still in awe that Xuan Tian could create barriers that dissolved on their own.
He quickly turned to Xu Yun. "Who is he?!"
Then, remembering his manners, he regained his composure and bowed. "Forgive me for asking, but who are you? What happened here?"
Before Xu Yun could answer, Lu Jianhong suddenly exclaimed, "Is that Tie Yanfang?!"
Shen Qingyu followed his gaze, and for the second time, his jaw dropped.
Lying on his back on the floor was Tie Yanfang. His wide eyes were frozen in an expression of pure terror and pain. Where his lower abdomen should have been, there was only a gaping wound.
Lu Jianhong gaped. "His core—who extracted a Saint's core?!"
He turned to Xu Yun, the only person here who could answer their questions.
Xu Yun crossed her arms. "Whose question should I answer first?"
Shen Qingyu found a piece of rubble near his Shizun and Chen Zhaoyun and sat down. "Mine."
"Please, Xianren, tell us what happened here."
Before Xu Yun could respond, Li Ran's voice cut through. "Da Shixiong! The barriers are dissolving!"
Shen Qingyu and Lu Jianhong immediately rushed to Gu Tianzhu and Chen Zhaoyun. Shen Qingyu checked their pulses, and his expression darkened.
"Da Shixiong, how are they?" Lu Jianhong asked, concern evident in his voice.
"They both suffered serious internal injuries. Especially Zhaoyun," Shen Qingyu answered.
"Who could've hurt Shizun like this?" Li Ran muttered, a hint of disbelief in his voice. He had always thought his Shizun was invincible.
"Tie Yanfang," Xu Yun answered plainly.
"Crazy bastard!" Lu Jianhong spat. "His core got extracted? Serves him right!"
Li Ran's expression shifted. "And who did that? Tie Yanfang was a Saint. A Saint!"
"Xuan Tian," Xu Yun answered again.
Li Ran blinked. "Which one is Xuan Tian?"
"The same one who created barriers that can dissolve on their own."
Lu Jianhong's eyes widened. "That injured guy not only killed a Saint, but he managed to extract his core while he was awake?!"
Shen Qingyu interrupted them, "All of that is not important right now. Shizun and Zhaoyun are our priority. We need to channel spirit energy into them."
Lu Jianhong frowned. "Da Shixiong, I know that. But Shizun's cultivation is far above ours. We can't just channel spirit energy into him—it'd be like a drop of water in the ocean."
Shen Qingyu's frustration was evident. "I know. But if we do nothing, their lives are in danger."
As the discussion continued, Li Ran, who had been moving around the room, suddenly stopped. Something had caught his attention. He bent down and picked up an object, his eyes widening as he turned it over in his hands. Spinning around, he called out, "Da Shixiong, is this what I think it is? Can we save Shizun with this?"
In his hands, he held a pure white crystal orb, pulsing with an abundance of spirit energy.