24: The night heals wounds, and the subtle fragrance grows stronger.

Inside the cave, the firelight flickered, reflecting the varied expressions on the four faces.

Gongsun Yu sat cross-legged at the innermost side. After consuming a Medicinal Pill, she was struggling to circulate her Cultivation Technique under the protection of Su Wanqing, attempting to neutralize the evil Qi of the demonic plant that had invaded her Meridians and repair the damage to her internal organs. However, her face remained pale, cold sweat constantly seeped from her temples, and her body trembled slightly. Clearly, the erosive power of the Bewitching Demon Konjac was extremely stubborn; relying solely on herself and ordinary Medicinal Pills, her recovery was extremely slow.

Su Wanqing looked at Gongsun Yu's painful appearance, a trace of worry flashing between her cold, clear brows. She looked at Lin Xuan, who was near the cave entrance studying the seven-colored crystal core obtained from the demonic plant and the animal-hide sea map, wanting to speak but hesitating.

Qu Feiyan sat lazily against the stone wall on the other side, appearing to be resting with her eyes closed, but in reality, her eyelashes trembled slightly, and her Divine Sense was constantly monitoring everything inside the cave. A faint, elusive smile hung on her red lips, as if she were waiting for something.

Outside the cave, the sky had turned completely dark. The night in the Ancient Desolate Sea was exceptionally deep; thick darkness swallowed everything, with only the tireless sound of waves crashing against the shore, adding to the loneliness and oppression.

After a long while, Lin Xuan put down the crystal core and sea map in his hand and rubbed his brow. The energy within this crystal core was chaotic and strange, and he could not think of a safe way to utilize it for the time being. And the "Return to Ruins" pointed to by the sea map was even more unpredictable in terms of fortune.

He raised his eyes and happened to meet Su Wanqing's gaze, which was filled with worry and inquiry. He also noticed Gongsun Yu's increasingly worsening state.

"Is her condition not good?" Lin Xuan stood up and walked over.

Su Wanqing nodded gently, her voice carrying a hint of helplessness: "The evil Qi of that demonic plant has characteristics of spiritual corrosion and devouring, making it extremely troublesome. Ordinary Qi is difficult to dispel and may instead stimulate it to accelerate the erosion. Although my Taiyin Power can suppress it temporarily, it cannot eradicate it."

Lin Xuan squatted down and carefully probed the situation inside Gongsun Yu's body with his Divine Sense. Sure enough, he discovered several strands of evil Qi, like small black snakes, entrenched in her main Meridians and near her Dantian, constantly devouring her weak Qi and emitting fluctuations that disturbed her mind. At this rate, she likely wouldn't last until dawn, and her Dao Foundation would be damaged.

He pondered for a moment, a trace of determination flashing in his eyes. Ordinary methods wouldn't work, so perhaps he could try an extreme measure. The Nine Revolutions Golden Body Art he practiced was extremely Yang and rigid, and the power of his blood and Qi had a natural restraint against evil spirits. Coupled with the pure Qi of his Golden Core Stage, if he channeled it into her body using a special technique, he might be able to forcibly refine that evil Qi.

It was just... this method required extremely precise control of Qi, and the process would inevitably involve rather intimate contact.

"I have a method I can try, but it requires her to completely relax her mind and not have the slightest resistance." Lin Xuan looked at Su Wanqing, then glanced at Qu Feiyan, who appeared to be asleep. "Also, the process might be a bit... offensive."

Su Wanqing was slightly startled. Looking at Lin Xuan's serious eyes, she instantly understood what he meant by "offensive." She was intelligent and naturally knew this was the most likely way to save Gongsun Yu at the moment. It was just... letting Lin Xuan have such intimate contact with Gongsun Yu... She pursed her lips, a trace of extremely faint bitterness passing through her heart, but looking at Gongsun Yu's painful appearance, that bitterness was suppressed by worry. She nodded gently: "Saving her is the priority."

Just then, Qu Feiyan, who had been "asleep," suddenly let out a lazy chuckle. She opened her charming eyes and looked at Lin Xuan with a flowing gaze: "Oh, Junior Martial Brother, are you finally going to show your 'benevolent heart of a healer' side? Do you need me, your sister, to help hold this little girl down? Lest she feels embarrassed later and struggles, making all your efforts go to waste~"

Her words were full of mockery, but her eyes scanned back and forth between Lin Xuan and Gongsun Yu, carrying a sense of interest in watching a good show.

Lin Xuan gave her a helpless look without answering, instead saying to Su Wanqing: "Help me stand guard, don't let anything disturb us."

Su Wanqing nodded solemnly, stood near the cave entrance with her sword, and released her Divine Sense to be vigilant of the outside world.

Lin Xuan sat behind Gongsun Yu and said softly to the young girl, whose consciousness was already somewhat blurred: "Miss Gongsun, relax your mind, trust me, I will help you dispel the evil Qi."

In her dazed state, Gongsun Yu seemed to hear Lin Xuan's voice and felt a reassuring, masculine aura approaching. Out of the instinct to survive and trust in Lin Xuan, she nodded with difficulty and completely gave up all resistance.

Lin Xuan took a deep breath, cleared away distracting thoughts, and slowly pressed his hands against Gongsun Yu's smooth back. Through a thin layer of clothing, he could clearly feel the coolness and slight trembling of the young girl's skin. He collected his focus and transformed his own pure Golden Core Qi and a trace of extreme Yang blood and Qi into countless golden, warm currents, as thin as silk but extremely tough, carefully channeling them into Gongsun Yu's body.

"Hmm..."

The moment the Qi entered her body, Gongsun Yu let out an unconscious moan, filled with pain and a hint of strange comfort. Wherever the warm current passed, the entrenched black evil Qi reacted like it had met its nemesis, thrashing and struggling violently, but it was tightly wrapped and refined by the more pure and powerful force, dissipating into wisps of green smoke.

This process was extremely taxing on the mind. Lin Xuan had to be fully focused, controlling the force and direction of every wisp of Qi, both to thoroughly eradicate the evil Qi and not to damage Gongsun Yu's fragile Meridians. Fine beads of sweat also seeped out on his forehead.

As the evil Qi was continuously refined, Gongsun Yu's face regained its rosy color at a speed visible to the naked eye, and her tightly furrowed brows smoothed out. Meanwhile, Lin Xuan's extremely Yang Qi and blood and Qi circulated in her Meridians, bringing not only healing but also an indescribable feeling of warmth and comfort, like soaking in a hot spring, causing her cold body to gradually warm up, and even... flush with a faint pink color.

She leaned back slightly unconsciously, as if wanting to get closer to that source of warmth and safety.

Beside them, Qu Feiyan watched this scene, the teasing in her charming eyes gradually fading, replaced by a complex emotion. She could see the unconscious dependence and comfort on Gongsun Yu's face, and could also feel Lin Xuan's focused and steady aura. This unreserved rescue and trust, in such a desperate situation, actually seemed a bit... moving?

She hummed softly, turned her head away, and stopped looking at the alluring scene, but her fingertips were unconsciously twirling a strand of hair.

Su Wanqing stood with her back to the cave, appearing to be on full alert, but her slightly red earlobes betrayed that she was not unaware. She could imagine the scene behind her, and that trace of bitterness surged in her heart again, but she forcibly suppressed it. She told herself that this was a necessary treatment.

For a time, the only sound in the cave was the crackling of the bonfire and Gongsun Yu's gradually steady, and even somewhat long-drawn, breathing. In the air, a kind of atmosphere mixed with masculine aura, the young girl's body scent, and a faint ambiguity seemed to diffuse.

I don't know how much time passed, but Lin Xuan finally refined the last trace of stubborn evil Qi and slowly withdrew his Qi. He let out a long breath, feeling his energy and mind were greatly exhausted.

As for Gongsun Yu, she seemed to have undergone a transformation. Not only were her injuries fully recovered, but the Qi in her body seemed to have benefited from a misfortune; after being cleansed by Lin Xuan's pure Qi, it became more refined, and there were even faint signs of a Breakthrough to the Late Foundation Establishment Stage. She fell into a deep sleep, a trace of peaceful and quiet satisfaction at the corners of her mouth, still leaning in front of Lin Xuan.

Lin Xuan gently laid her flat, let her lie down properly, and covered her with his outer robe. After doing all this, he felt a wave of exhaustion hit him.

Su Wanqing turned around and handed over a clean handkerchief, her voice still cold but much softer: "You've worked hard."

Qu Feiyan also turned her head, her charming eyes turning on his slightly tired face. For once, she did not tease him, but just gently tossed over a jade bottle for recovering Qi: "Here, don't wear yourself out. I'm still counting on you to take us away from this godforsaken place."

Lin Xuan took the handkerchief and the jade bottle and smiled at the two women. After this healing session, the relationship between the four seemed to have quietly drawn a step closer in this extreme environment. And the hidden feelings and competition were also silently fermenting in the night.