The beast rampage in the back mountains was gradually being suppressed. The clamor of battle cries and beast roars at Jade Micro Valley's entrance gradually thinned, replaced by the suppressed groans of the wounded and urgent rescue shouts among fellow disciples. The light of the Clear Void Demon-Subduing Formation steadily enveloped the valley mouth; the remaining beasts had been divided and surrounded, their annihilation only a matter of time. The focus of the battle shifted from intense slaughter to clearing the battlefield and treating the wounded.
Xiao Qi's team also received new orders: assist the disciples of the Alchemy Hall in searching for and providing initial treatment to casualties scattered across the battlefield, then send the severely injured back to the temple for proper medical care. The air was thick with the stench of blood mixed with soil and scorched smells, nauseating to the extreme. Xiao Qi followed Senior Sister Liu Yun, carefully navigating the chaotic battlefield. Everywhere lay fallen beast corpses and, tragically, fellow disciples who had perished in the fight—their bodies frozen in combat stances, faces solidified with fury and unwillingness. Each time Xiao Qi saw a fellow disciple's remains, his heart grew heavier.
"Over here! Still breathing!" A shout came from a disciple of the Alchemy Hall ahead. Xiao Qi and Liu Yun hurried over. Behind a massive boulder lay an outer sect disciple, his chest robe torn open, revealing three deep, bone-exposing claw wounds with flesh rolled back. The skin around the wounds showed an ominous purplish-black hue, and this dark color was slowly spreading outward. The disciple's face was ashen, his breathing faint, and his body occasionally twitched slightly—clearly poisoned by some potent toxin.
Beside him, an Alchemy Hall disciple was frantically rummaging through his medicine pouch, sweat beading on his forehead. "It's the poison of a Jade-Scaled Python! The toxicity is fierce! The Heart-Clearing Detoxification Pills I have aren't high-grade enough—they can only suppress it temporarily. We must get him back to the Alchemy Hall immediately and ask the senior brothers to intervene!" The Jade-Scaled Python was one of the more potent toxin-bearing first-tier beasts; its venom could corrode spiritual power and paralyze nerves. Failure to detoxify in time would have unthinkable consequences. Even with an escort, returning from here to the temple's Alchemy Hall would take some time, and this disciple clearly couldn't wait that long.
Watching his fellow disciple's agonized twitching and the ever-spreading venom marks, Xiao Qi couldn't bear it. He suddenly remembered the jade pendant at his chest! Its purification power had even dispersed the eerie purple demon-plant vines—could it also work against this beast toxin? Once this thought arose, it became unstoppable. He knew the pendant's secret must never be exposed, but he couldn't stand by and watch a fellow disciple die from poisoning.
"Senior Brother, I... I found a rather peculiar herb in the back mountains a few days ago. They say it can alleviate snake venom. Maybe... let me try?" Xiao Qi stepped forward, his voice quiet but carrying a note of urgency and uncertainty.
The Alchemy Hall disciple and Liu Yun both paused, looking at Xiao Qi. Liu Yun's brow furrowed slightly. She knew Xiao Qi often went to the back mountains and might have had some encounters, but detoxification was no trivial matter.
"Xiao Qi, are you sure? What herb is it?" Liu Yun asked gravely.
"I... I don't really recognize it either. The leaves are purple with silver spots." Xiao Qi vaguely described it while squatting down, pretending to fumble in his robe while secretly adjusting his breath and focusing his mind on the jade pendant at his chest. He didn't dare to activate too strong a purification force, only attempting to disperse the surface toxins and slow their spread.
His hand gently hovered about an inch above the disciple's wounds, his fingertips seemingly accidentally brushing against the purplish-black venom marks. At the same time, he concentrated, carefully guiding that cool thread of purification energy from the pendant, letting it flow like the finest trickle through his fingertips, extremely slowly and subtly into the edges of the wounds. This process was mentally draining; he had to control the power—enough to have an effect, yet not draw attention or let any purification light become visible.
The Alchemy Hall disciple and Liu Yun watched tensely. At first, the wounds showed no change. But after about three or four breaths, the originally slowly spreading purplish-black venom marks actually halted! They didn't recede, but the spreading trend was checked! Moreover, the disciple's originally rapid, pained breathing seemed to steady a bit, and his bodily twitching lessened noticeably.
"It's working!" the Alchemy Hall disciple whispered in pleasant surprise, though he didn't understand what this so-called "purple silver-spotted herb" was—the effect was real.
"Quick! The venom spread has stopped! Carry him back now!" Liu Yun gave Xiao Qi a deep look, didn't ask further, and immediately assisted the Alchemy Hall disciple in carefully lifting the wounded man to send him to the rear.
Xiao Qi withdrew his hand, feeling mentally fatigued, as if he'd undergone intense cultivation. Watching the wounded man being carried away, he sighed in relief, but also felt some lingering fear. Luckily, the effect wasn't obvious—just halting the spread. If he'd purified the toxin completely, suspicion would have arisen immediately.
"What you used just now—was it really an herb?" Liu Yun asked softly, seemingly casually, as they hurried to the next search point.
Xiao Qi's heart jumped. He knew he couldn't fool his sharp Third Senior Sister, but he had to brazen it out. "Yes... yes, Senior Sister. I only found that one plant; don't even know its name."
Liu Yun didn't press further, only said mildly, "Don't take such risks next time. Detoxification is no small matter. If your judgment is off, you could cost someone their life." Her tone was stern, yet held a thread of concern.
"Yes, Senior Sister. I'll remember." Xiao Qi quickly agreed.
In the following time, they found several more wounded, mostly with fractures or severe blood loss. Xiao Qi couldn't help much, only assisting with bandaging or using his sturdy wok as part of a makeshift stretcher. But in a relatively secluded corner, they discovered a disciple stung by a "Venom-Sting Bee." The bee's toxin wasn't strong, but caused severe swelling, discoloration, and paralysis. The disciple's entire arm was swollen huge, purplish-blue, immobile, and in obvious agony.
While Liu Yun and the Alchemy Hall disciple dealt with other wounds, Xiao Qi quietly approached again, using the same method—a nearly imperceptible thread of purification energy lightly swept over the swollen arm. Soon, the purplish-blue discoloration on the arm visibly faded considerably, the swelling noticeably reduced. Though not fully detoxified, it greatly alleviated the disciple's suffering.
"Huh? It seems... not as painful? And less numb?" the disciple exclaimed in surprise, looking at his arm.
"Maybe the bee venom dissipated faster on its own." Xiao Qi quickly explained, then swiftly walked away, not daring to linger.
Two consecutive successful "rescues," though disguised and explained away, made Xiao Qi realize that the jade pendant's purification power indeed held extraordinary potential in healing and detoxification. This strengthened his resolve to guard this secret.
When the sunset's afterglow once again spilled over, dyeing the battlefield a mournful crimson-orange, the beast rampage in the back mountains was finally completely quelled. Clear Void Temple had paid a considerable price, but successfully resisted this sudden crisis.
Xiao Qi dragged his exhausted body, following the team back. He glanced back at those back mountains gradually shrouded in twilight, his heart filled with complex emotions. The brutality of battle, the casualties among fellow disciples, and his own experience of secretly using the pendant's power—all made him feel as if he'd grown much overnight.
He knew the path he'd chosen was destined to be full of unknowns and risks. But to possess the power to protect, he had no other choice. And the warm jade pendant at his chest, along with the solid wok on his back, would be his most hidden yet strongest reliance on this road.