Outside the cave dwelling, several more figures arrived. They were the Myriad Heaven Palace Lord, Li Yu, and Yun Jianyue.

Among the three, Yun Jianyue stepped forward first to the great cauldron and asked worriedly, “How is it?”

Chen Chao shook his head. “The blood vitality in her body is depleted. The situation is very bad. I don’t know how to save her.”

There are many cultivation paths in the world, and each has different daoist methods, especially within the daoist lineage, where methods are countless. As for martial artists and sword cultivators, their methods are actually the most limited. In many situations, they truly have no solution.

Yun Jianyue looked toward the Myriad Heaven Palace Lord. The latter thought carefully for a moment and said, “If Zhu Xia were an ordinary daoist disciple, even if her cultivation realm were not low, she should already have died. But since she is an immortal medicine, there should still be a sliver of life.”

Li Yu was extremely anxious and hurriedly said, “Senior Brother, at a time like this, stop leaving us hanging. If there’s a method, say it quickly!”

The Myriad Heaven Palace Lord frowned, not because he was dissatisfied with Li Yu’s attitude, but because he was thinking about how to save Zhu Xia.

After a moment, before the Myriad Heaven Palace Lord could speak, Yun Jianyue thought of something. “This humble daoist once saw a daoist method in the temple called the Spirit Returning Art. We can try it.”

At the mention of the Spirit Returning Art, the Myriad Heaven Palace Lord instinctively wanted to object, but after opening his mouth, he still did not say anything.

Yun Jianyue looked at Chen Chao and said, “The Spirit Returning Art requires two people, both must be at the end of Nepenthe. One person spreads the qi within their body to create an environment, preventing Zhu Xia’s aura from dissipating. The other must have abundant blood vitality, first absorbing the essence blood that originally belonged to Zhu Xia into their own body, then returning it to Zhu Xia’s body. During this process, that person must re-infuse vitality into that essence blood. Otherwise, even if it is returned, Zhu Xia will still not escape death.”

The Spirit Returning Art has extremely high requirements for both people performing it. First, the one creating the environment must have complete mastery over their own qi, because Zhu Xia’s aura is extremely fragile at this moment. If her aura is damaged because of that person, it will definitely fail. Not only that, that person must also guide Zhu Xia’s aura back into her body. The slightest mistake will lead to death.

As for the one with abundant blood vitality, the requirements are even higher. Because Zhu Xia is on the verge of death, once vitality is injected into her body, she will instinctively absorb it without restraint. That person must control the amount carefully, not allowing Zhu Xia to absorb too quickly. Another point is that he must at all times ensure that he does not absorb Zhu Xia’s essence blood. Otherwise, this Spirit Returning Art may very well turn into him absorbing Zhu Xia’s essence blood.

“I’ll do it.”

When it comes to length of cultivation and dao methods, Chen Chao may not match the two from Myriad Heaven Palace, but when it comes to abundance in blood vitality, not counting the demon race, in the present world it would be hard to find a second person who could compare with Chen Chao.

Yun Jianyue said decisively, “There’s no time to delay. We must begin now. Zhu Xia can no longer be delayed.”

Neither he nor Chen Chao were indecisive people. Since the dangers had been explained, they would begin.

“I'll have to trouble two seniors to guard outside the cave dwelling for this humble daoist and Lord Warden Commander Chen.”

Yun Jianyue had already made his decision. The Myriad Heaven Palace Lord and Li Yu both nodded and left the cave dwelling to stand guard outside.

“Chen Chao, for you, the hardest part is resisting temptation. Zhu Xia is an immortal medicine. At this moment, when her essence blood enters your body, even if you do not wish to absorb it, your body will be unable to resist absorbing it. The moment that happens, this will fail.”

With one sentence, Yun Jianyue pointed out the most difficult part.

Chen Chao nodded, took a deep breath, and said, “Let’s begin.”

......

Yun Jianyue's mind stirred, sealed the cave dwelling door, then sat cross-legged on the ground. This young Temple Master of Infatuation Daoist Temple slowly released his aura, beginning to sense Zhu Xia’s aura within this space. The Spirit Returning Art, when used to save a person, is extremely difficult. In the entire history of Infatuation Daoist Temple, there have not been many successful records. But when used to save an immortal medicine, it is somewhat easier. Even so, it still depends on how well he and Chen Chao coordinate.

Once Yun Jianyue spread out his own dao field and became familiar with everything here, he gave a slight nod.

Chen Chao stood up and came to the great cauldron. He extended his hand into the liquid that could be called Zhu Xia’s blood, or could be called Zhu Xia’s essence fluid. His palm began to absorb some of the liquid.

But just at the beginning, Chen Chao understood why Yun Jianyue had warned him again.

He had only just started absorbing that fluid, yet his body already began to lose control, constantly wanting to draw all of it into himself. The qi within his body seemed to have encountered some delicacy, already surging forward eagerly.

Having secluded himself in the Divine Capital for a long time, Chen Chao had already vaguely glimpsed that gate. At this moment, as the fluid entered his body, that gate also began to creak open.

All of this was sending Chen Chao a single message: as long as he absorbed this fluid, he would naturally break through this realm and step into the Fuyun realm.

This kind of temptation, nine out of ten cultivators in the world would find impossible to resist. Even if one’s will did not want it, the body would unconsciously try to make it happen.

It should be known that the Sword Sect’s Sect Master had cultivated bitterly for many years just to barely step into that realm. Among the cultivators of the present world, those clearly known to be in that realm were only the Demon Emperor and the Sword Sect’s Sect Master.

If Chen Chao succeeded as well, he would be the unquestionable third.

Chen Chao took a deep breath, regained control of these currents, controlled the amount he absorbed, and after nurturing it within his acupoints, he mobilized his qi toward his other hand. But along this path, it was extremely difficult.

It was not that the fluid that originally belonged to Zhu Xia was hard to move, but that along the way, his body kept sending him countless signals, telling him not to let that fluid go.

At this moment, Chen Chao’s situation was simple. It was like a woman, nearly unclothed, with a graceful figure and a face capable of toppling a nation, constantly tempting him. Even if his mind remained clear, parts of his body would still react involuntarily.

So during this process, Chen Chao struggled greatly.

“Settle down!”

Chen Chao gave a low reprimand, and only then did he barely manage to move the fluid within his body to the palm of his other hand.

Chen Chao reached out and held the wound at Zhu Xia’s wrist, slowly transferring the fluid into her body.

With this initial portion of fluid, Zhu Xia’s complexion visibly gained some color. This showed that Yun Jianyue’s Spirit Returning Art was workable.

But the more it was so, the more careful they had to be. Nothing could go wrong.

Many things are like this. When hope is right in front of you, when one believes victory is already assured, it is at that very moment that everything can fail.

The darkness before dawn is always the hardest to endure.

“Chen Chao, once it begins, there can be no mistakes. Be careful.”

Yun Jianyue’s voice sounded in Chen Chao’s mind. There was no emotion in it, only a reminder.

Apart from the reminder, he could not do anything else.

......

......

Outside the cave dwelling, the Myriad Heaven Palace Lord and Li Yu stood side by side. These two, previously the number one and number two figures of Mount Xi on the surface, now had eyes filled with worry.

Mount Xi had suffered this calamity. While it could not be said to be utterly crippled, its vitality had undoubtedly been damaged, and for many years to come, it would likely only be able to recuperate.

Li Yu picked up a stone, toyed with it in his hand for a moment, then still somewhat angrily crushed it, before gritting his teeth and saying, "These old swine truly deserve to die!"

Do not be fooled by how calmly Daoist Yun had arrived. Earlier on the mountain path, this young Temple Master of Infatuation Daoist Temple had truly vented his full anger onto those old Daoists. In a fierce battle, he had shown no mercy. Several had been killed, and the one remaining had also been executed by the Myriad Heaven Palace Lord according to proper judgment.

With this killing, Mount Xi's situation had become somewhat dire.

Li Yu said softly, "We will have to seal the mountain for a few years."

But the Myriad Heaven Palace Lord shook his head. "No, it's time to go down the mountain."

Li Yu looked at the Myriad Heaven Palace Lord in confusion. This idea had indeed caught him off guard.

The Myriad Heaven Palace Lord looked at Li Yu and said, "There are debts of gratitude to repay, and Mount Xi's reputation is already bad enough. If we do not do something, Mount Xi's spirit will be gone, and from then on it will decline completely."

As Palace Lord, although many times he was unwilling to concern himself too much with matters on the mountain, there were also many times when, as Palace Lord, he had to clearly see when he needed to act.

Li Yu said with concern, "Go to the Northern Frontier? How many will be able to come back?"

The Myriad Heaven Palace Lord shook his head. "Even if not for ourselves, we must still do something for this world. The words 'reap without sowing' are very harsh to hear."

Li Yu's gaze gradually became resolute as he said seriously, "Then I will go. Senior Brother can remain on the mountain."

The Myriad Heaven Palace Lord said nothing, only shook his head.

At this moment, footsteps sounded from behind. A somewhat exhausted Chen Chao and Daoist Yun walked out.

Li Yu asked, "Daoist Yun, how is it?"

Yun Jianyue nodded. "We have managed to save Zhu Xia, but she is still in a deep sleep. For her to fully recover, I am afraid it will take some time. It is also thanks to her identity as an immortal medicine. If not for that, it would have been very difficult to save her."

"Zhu Xia can no longer withstand anything like this again. If there is a next time, I am afraid even gods and buddhas would find it hard to save her."

Yun Jianyue opened his mouth, wanting to ask whether Zhu Xia could be taken to the Infatuation Daoist Temple to recuperate, but after thinking about the matters of the back mountain, he still shook his head.

On such a matter, he was not certain either.

The Myriad Heaven Palace Lord nodded and said, "Many thanks to Daoist Yun. From now on, on Mount Xi, no one will dare to set their sights on Junior Sister Zhu Xia again."

Yun Jianyue voiced his concern, "Not only Mount Xi, but also outside the mountain."

The matter of Zhu Xia being an immortal medicine would likely be difficult to conceal. In this world, Mount Xi was not the only place that had those nearing death at the end of Nepenthe.

For the sake of their lives, no one knew how many would ultimately choose to take desperate risks.

At the mention of this, the Myriad Heaven Palace Lord also sighed endlessly, but he still quickly shook his head and said, "There won't necessarily be anyone who would truly dare to completely fall out with Myriad Heaven Palace."

"If you cannot protect her, then send Zhu Xia to the Divine Capital."

Chen Chao, who had not spoken all this while, had an ugly expression.

Li Yu opened his mouth, but failed to say anything.

Yun Jianyue said calmly, "This humble daoist will inform the world that Zhu Xia is this humble daoist's friend. If anyone dares to set their sights on her, they will be making an enemy of this humble daoist and the Infatuation Daoist Temple. This humble daoist will fight them to the death."

Yun Jianyue rarely spoke like this, which meant that when he did, he was extremely angry.

Chen Chao said tiredly, "This official must return to the Divine Capital. Zhu Xia must not encounter any more accidents."

Right now, time was also very precious to Chen Chao.

Yun Jianyue suddenly asked, "Does the Northern Frontier need me now?"

Chen Chao glanced at Yun Jianyue and shook his head. "When I need you, I will not stand on ceremony with you."

Hearing this, Yun Jianyue understood and turned his head to look at the Myriad Heaven Palace Lord here. "Since that is the case, this humble daoist will stay on the mountain for a few days and speak again after Zhu Xia wakes."

Hearing Yun Jianyue say this, Chen Chao felt more at ease. He nodded, turned into a streak of rainbow light, and left Mount Xi.

The Myriad Heaven Palace Lord and Li Yu watched that departing streak of rainbow light, both falling silent.