Whether those people could make it back alive—or when they would—was something even Liu Xi himself did not know.
With Qing Yanjing still in his arms, he did not bother to chase into the spatial storm. They were nothing but small fry to him.
He could crush them effortlessly now, and it would only get easier from here.
Those left behind could only ever stare at his back. To stand before him again? They no longer had the right.
The Spiritual Energy storm tore through the void, yet the space beneath Liu Xi's feet remained steady.
Amid thunder and violent winds, he stood tall upon the broken sky. Who would believe that, with just a single punch, he had forced two Immortal Grade Heavenly Sovereigns and four Spirit Grade Heavenly Sovereigns into a chaotic spatial maelstrom?
Qing Yanjing could only stare in stunned silence.
She had heard stories of Liu Xi's overwhelming might, but seeing it with her own eyes was another matter entirely. His strength was beyond comprehension—beyond mortal limits.
"Thank you," she said softly. Her voice trembled slightly as her clear eyes shimmered with confusion.
"Senior," she asked gently, "why did you save me? You know rescuing me means offending both the Ancient Buddha Clan and the Maha Clan."
She couldn't understand it. Why would someone like him risk so much for her? Was it for profit? For her person?
If it was for wealth, she would repay him with everything she owned. If it was for her... perhaps that wasn't impossible either.
Liu Xi looked down and smiled faintly.
"Does a hero need a reason to save a beauty?"
His tone was light and teasing, his gaze filled with playful amusement. In every tale, a hero saving a maiden led to one of two outcomes—
If the maiden was plain, she vowed to repay her savior in another life. If she was beautiful… Well, the ending usually came much sooner.
With his looks, Liu Xi was quite certain which one this was.
"Hero saving the beauty…" Qing Yanjing whispered, cheeks glowing red as her gaze grew hazy.
What did it feel like to be rescued by one's idol? That was the only thought left in her mind.
"You're in no condition to move," Liu Xi said gently. "Let's find a place for you to rest."
Seeing her flustered state, he could only shake his head and smile before stepping away from the shattered space.
Neither spoke a word, but neither pulled away. He didn't release her, and she didn't resist.
——
On a medium-sized continent, within a quiet cave, Liu Xi examined Qing Yanjing's condition before giving his verdict.
"The problem isn't serious. You pushed your Spiritual Energy too fast, damaging your meridians under the strain. Rest and careful recovery will heal them soon enough."
Qing Yanjing blushed and nodded quickly. She knew her injuries well. In her desperate escape, she had recklessly overdrawn her Spiritual Energy until her meridians nearly collapsed. If it had continued, she might have lost her cultivation entirely.
Now that she was safe, she only needed time to heal. For a while, she would have to avoid using Spiritual Energy altogether—living like an ordinary person again.
And perhaps… that wasn't such a terrible thing.
She stole a glance at Liu Xi, her eyes softening. His handsome face, his calm demeanor—he was exactly as the legends described. He had even driven away Mo Tong and Xuan Guang for her sake.
Surely, this man was a true gentleman.
Liu Xi, meanwhile, narrowed his eyes in thought, running through countless pill recipes for repairing meridians. He compared them with the available spiritual herbs across the Great Thousand World and soon had a plan.
"I'll refine a Spiritual Pill for you. Stay here and don't move around," he said.
Qing Yanjing's eyes brightened instantly. She had long heard that Liu Xi was not only a peerless cultivator but also a Grandmaster Alchemist whose pills could help even a Perfect Earth Sovereign ascend to Heavenly Sovereign.
"Thank you, Senior. I won't peek while you work," she promised, her tone respectful.
She wanted to watch, but she also knew the taboos of alchemists—interrupting one could be disastrous.
Liu Xi chuckled softly. "No need for such formality. Watch if you like."
He flicked his wrist, and dozens upon dozens of jade boxes floated out from his storage ring, encircling him in a soft glow.
There were over a thousand of them—each containing a rare herb capable of nourishing and repairing meridians. The sheer abundance of treasures would leave even great sects breathless.
Then, with a simple motion of his hand, a wisp of Azure Lotus Flame rose from his palm, condensing into a half-man-tall cauldron of fire.
The cauldron bore the intricate design of countless living beings—creatures so vividly engraved that they seemed to breathe. A faint aura of creation pulsed through it, as though life itself stirred within the metal.
With another gesture, Liu Xi opened the jade boxes. The rich fragrance of herbs instantly filled the cave.
Each plant floated up, circling around him in perfect order before diving, one by one, into the fiery cauldron.
The Azure Lotus Flame danced gently, purifying and transforming every herb into pure, gleaming essence.
Drops of luminous liquid formed within the cauldron—the condensed lifeblood of countless rare ingredients.
From the side, Qing Yanjing couldn't look away.
His movements were fluid and commanding, like a general leading his army—every gesture decisive, every motion precise.
No hesitation, no wasted effort. Only perfect rhythm.
This was mastery.
Alchemy, smithing, array-craft—at this level, all arts converged into one truth.
The Realm of the Grandmaster.
If she could one day reach this realm herself, she would no longer need to carve arrays by hand; a single thought would summon the heavens, transforming the very world into her greatest formation.
Even as a Perfect Earth Sovereign, she could battle Heavenly Sovereigns through sheer mastery of the craft.
Her lips parted slightly, eyes gleaming with yearning as she continued to watch him.
Liu Xi, meanwhile, worked with effortless focus. He restrained his flame—had he unleashed it freely, the entire mountain range would have melted into a sea of fire.
Such was the terror of the Azure Lotus Flame.
Within moments, over a thousand ingredients were refined to their purest essence. Only the final step remained—fusion.
He paused, a mischievous glint flashing in his eyes.
Then, instead of condensing the mixture into pills, he altered the final formation slightly.
The result would not be a pill—but a shimmering Spiritual Liquid.
The effects would be the same.
Only the method of use had changed.
Instead of something to be swallowed… it was something to be applied.
(End of Chapter)
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