The team traveled through the morning light, passing through the final stretch of woods, until the silhouette of Tian Dou City finally appeared at the edge of their vision. The flags atop the city walls swayed gently in the breeze, and outside the city gates, early-rising merchants had already formed long queues, waiting to enter. Everything appeared so peaceful, as ordinary as the morning three days ago when they had set out.
But every person bore the marks those three days had left upon them. Su Chen's arms hung limply at his sides, the throbbing pain of fractured bones reminding him with every step how terrifying that black energy beam in the underground cavern had been. Li Yang carried the unconscious Chen Hao on his shoulders, a thin membrane of earthy-yellow soul power forming between the two of them, both to fix Chen Hao's posture and to shield them from any possible external detection. Zhang Wan walked beside Lin Xue, her steps unsteady, as setting up formations in succession had nearly drained her of all soul power. Qian Renxue walked at the very front. Although her long hair had been tied back up again, the stray locks and the bloodstains at the corner of her mouth that hadn't been wiped clean still revealed what kind of battle she had been through.
The guards at the city gate recognized Qian Renxue and immediately snapped to attention in salute. Qian Renxue merely nodded slightly, not saying a word, and led the team straight through the gate. Tian Dou City was already awake in the early morning. Steam rose from the breakfast stalls lining the streets, white mist billowing as steamer lids were lifted, carrying the fragrance of dough and meat through the air. A vendor selling candied hawthorn shouldered his straw target past them, the red hawthorn fruits glistening with crystalline brightness in the morning light.
Su Chen caught the sweet scent of the candied hawthorn and suddenly felt an emptiness in his stomach. Over the three days, they had barely eaten anything proper, sustaining themselves entirely on soul power. He remembered that morning when they had set out—Chen Hao had eaten three bowls of wontons at the inn, saying he didn't know when he'd next get to eat Tian Dou City's wontons on this trip. Everyone had laughed at him then, saying it was only a few days, no need to be so dramatic. Looking back now, those three bowls of wontons seemed like something from a previous lifetime.
They didn't return to the inn, but went directly to the Spirit Hall branch in Tian Dou City. This was an expansive complex, the main hall rising five stories high, its exterior walls built from white marble, with two stone statues of sword-bearing warriors standing before the portico. When Qian Renxue pushed open the door, the deacons inside who had been cleaning stopped their work and bowed respectfully. They asked no questions, only quietly stepping aside to clear the path.
On the east side of the second floor was a room dedicated to emergency medical treatment. Inside were three soft couches, and the cabinet in the corner was stuffed full of various healing medicines and soul tools. Li Yang carefully placed Chen Hao on the innermost couch. Zhang Wan immediately came over, reached out to feel Chen Hao's forehead, then used her soul power to examine the flow of his meridians.
"It's just a deep coma caused by soul power exhaustion." Zhang Wan breathed a sigh of relief. "He'll wake up after two or three days of rest, though he might be weak for a while after waking. After all, the overdraft of the Solar Will is far more severe than ordinary soul power consumption."
Qian Renxue stood by the window, her back to everyone, her voice betraying no emotion: "Su Chen, let me see your arms."
Su Chen walked up to her and extended both arms. Qian Renxue turned around, raised her hand to grasp his wrist, and a stream of icy soul power seeped into his bones through his meridians. Her brows furrowed slightly, then relaxed.
"Three fractures in your right arm, two in your left. No comminuted fractures. Count yourself lucky." She withdrew her hand. "I'll have someone fetch bone-setting paste and a soul tool brace for stabilization. For these two weeks, you'd best not use your right arm."
"Two weeks?" Su Chen smiled bitterly. "In two weeks, the Void Cult will be knocking on our door."
"Then fight with one hand." Qian Renxue's tone was flat and mild, giving no indication whether she was joking or serious. "You still have your left hand."
Su Chen glanced at her and caught a trace of exhaustion hidden deep in her eyes. That battle against the four Titled Douluos had clearly been far more perilous than she let on—she simply wasn't willing to show weakness before the group. He opened his mouth, wanting to say "You should go rest too," but in the end only nodded, turned, and sat down in a nearby chair to wait for the deacons to bring the medicine.
Lin Xue had been standing silently in the corner the whole time. Her fingers rubbed repeatedly inside her sleeve at a small jade talisman—one of the data backups she had found in the cavern. That jade talisman stored dozens of experimental records, each one detailing the cultivation process of void soul beasts, and... the entire process of those modified human test subjects struggling until they finally succumbed. She had flipped through a few pages and could read no further; those words carved into her heart like knives. But she also knew that these materials were among the greatest gains of their journey and had to be brought back intact to Spirit Hall headquarters for analysis.
"Lin Xue." Su Chen suddenly called to her.
She raised her head, her gaze shifting from the jade talisman.
"Are you alright?" Su Chen asked.
Lin Xue was silent for a moment, then shook her head: "I'm fine."
Her voice was very soft, but Su Chen detected that slight tremor in it. He didn't press further, only saying: "Keep those materials safe for now. When Chen Hao wakes up, we'll sort through them together."
"Mm."
After Zhang Wan had settled Chen Hao, she walked over to Lin Xue's side and gently took her hand. Lin Xue's fingers were ice-cold, while Zhang Wan's palm was warm. In the instant their hands clasped, Lin Xue's eyes suddenly felt a bit sore. But she held it back, blinking hard several times to suppress that stinging sensation.
Qian Renxue arranged accommodations for everyone on the third floor of the Spirit Hall branch—one room per person. Su Chen's arms were fitted with a soul tool brace, a small white mechanical arm sleeve extending from his wrist to his elbow, embedded with three healing soul crystals that continuously released gentle restorative soul power. He tried moving his fingers. They still worked, though stiffly, but at least basic daily functions weren't affected.
He returned to his room, closed the door, and sat down on the edge of the bed. The room was very quiet. Through the window came the sporadic cries of street vendors and the clatter of horse hooves from the street below—everything was as usual. He pulled the communication soul tool from his bosom, his fingertips tracing across its smooth surface a few times, but ultimately put it back.
He should report the results of this operation to headquarters, but right now he didn't want to do anything at all. The exhaustion of the past three days surged over him like a tide, submerging him entirely. He fell back, sinking into the soft bedding, the carvings on the ceiling casting faint shadows in the morning light. Images flashed through his mind like a revolving lantern: the figure of the High Priest of the Void suspended in mid-air, the three soul beasts locked in iron cages in the underground cavern, the experimental records soaked through with dried blood, and Qian Renxue's eyes—still sharp—when she walked in from the cave entrance.
He closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.
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