79: Enlightenment in the valley, each with their own destiny.

The vital essence from the Azure Wood Source Pool continuously nourished Qu Feiyan. Her injuries were stabilizing and improving. Although still weak, she could now independently circulate her Cultivation Technique to heal, though she spent most of her time asleep recovering Origin Qi. Lin Xuan guarded the pool side, never leaving, feeding her medicine, transferring Qi, and wiping the fine sweat from her brow, his movements meticulous. When Qu Feiyan occasionally woke up and met his focused gaze, she would flash a genuine, dependent smile, devoid of the flirtatiousness she displayed in the past. Between the two of them, a tacit understanding and warmth forged through shared life-and-death experiences silently flowed.

After Su Wanqing left that day, she found a quiet blue stone in a secluded part of the valley and spent her days meditating and practicing her sword. The Moonlight Essence surrounding her remained cold and clear, but her sword momentum carried an unspeakable sharpness and isolation compared to before, as if she were venting some emotion onto the blade. She no longer initiated conversations with Lin Xuan, and when her gaze occasionally swept past the pair by the pool, she quickly averted it. Her frozen profile revealed no emotion, yet the fingers gripping her sword were slightly white from exertion.

Lin Xuan saw all of this, his heart filled with complex emotions. He knew the source of Su Wanqing's internal conflict, but since Qu Feiyan's injuries had not healed, he could not leave her side, nor did he know how to face Su Wanqing's deep, restrained feelings. This silent stalemate made the atmosphere in the valley somewhat stagnant.

On this day, as Lin Xuan was assisting Qu Feiyan with her circulation, the System prompt suddenly sounded in his mind:

[Ding! Detected that Investment Target 'Su Wanqing' is experiencing violent fluctuations in her state of mind and is on the verge of a Bottleneck Breakthrough. The host can attempt a 'State of Mind Investment' to help her Break through. Success rate: 35%.]

State of Mind Investment? Lin Xuan was slightly startled. Did the System actually have this function? He looked at the cold, solitary figure practicing her sword in the distance, and made a decision.

After Qu Feiyan fell deeply asleep again, Lin Xuan stood up and slowly walked toward the blue stone where Su Wanqing Cultivated. Sensing his approach, Su Wanqing's sword momentum did not stop; instead, it became faster and sharper, the Moonlight Essence surging, the chill bone-piercing, as if drawing an invisible boundary line in front of her.

Lin Xuan stopped outside the boundary and did not interrupt, simply watching her dance her sword. Her sword was beautiful, imbued with the Taiyin's silence and clear radiance, yet it also revealed a difficult-to-resolve knot of melancholy Qi.

After a long while, when the entire sword routine was finished, Su Wanqing sheathed her sword. With her back still to him, her voice was devoid of emotion: "Junior Brother Lin, is something the matter?"

Lin Xuan was silent for a moment before speaking: "Senior Sister Su, your sword is disordered."

Su Wanqing's body stiffened slightly.

Lin Xuan continued: "The Dao of Taiyin is not merely about coldness and isolation. The moon waxes and wanes, the tides rise and fall; this is the cycle of heaven and earth, and the nature of the Dao. Being overly attached to one aspect, conversely, causes you to lose its truth."

His words were not empty talk. Combining his own affinity for Taiyin Power (System feedback) and his understanding of Su Wanqing's Bloodline and personality, he was trying to enlighten her. This was a form of intangible "State of Mind Investment"—what he was investing was his understanding of the Great Dao and his concern for her.

Su Wanqing suddenly turned around, her icy eyes staring directly at Lin Xuan, showing a mix of shame and stubbornness at having her thoughts seen through: "Why do you need to comment on my Dao?"

"I am not commenting," Lin Xuan met her gaze calmly, his tone sincere, "I simply do not wish to see Senior Sister's Dao Heart disturbed by external matters, trapping you in a small space. Senior Sister's talent is outstanding, and you deserve a broader world."

The concern and expectation in his words were utterly genuine. Su Wanqing looked into his clear eyes, which held care, admiration, and perhaps... a hint of guilt, but definitely none of the pity or charity she least wanted to see at this moment. Her tightly strung heartstrings felt as if something had gently plucked them.

She turned around again, gazing at the murky sky above the valley, remaining silent for a long time. Lin Xuan's words were like stones cast into an icy lake; though they didn't immediately cause huge waves, they created a slight crack in the solid ice surface.

[Ding! State of Mind Investment successful! Target 'Su Wanqing's' state of mind Bottleneck has loosened. Host receives investment feedback: Comprehension Ability temporarily increased by 30%, lasting for two hours. Subtle deepening of insight into the 'Taiyin' Law.]

A sensation of cool clarity and enlightenment surged into Lin Xuan's Sea of Consciousness. He did not disturb Su Wanqing, who seemed to be deep in thought, and quietly retreated.

Over the next two days, Su Wanqing stopped practicing her sword, instead sitting quietly on the blue stone, staring blankly at the sky. The aura around her was sometimes icy cold, sometimes gentle, seemingly undergoing some kind of internal transformation and reconciliation.

Lin Xuan, leveraging the feedback from the increased Comprehension Ability and the vital essence of the Azure Wood Source Pool, devoted himself to comprehending the newly acquired Basic Star Shuttle Refinement Chart (Incomplete Scroll) and his own Cultivation Technique. He gained a clearer understanding of how to utilize Materials like star marrow gold, and his Mid-stage Golden Core cultivation became even more stable, subtly touching the peak of the Middle Stage.

Gongsun Yu obediently guarded the valley entrance, occasionally picking some unique fruits from the valley that contained pure Spiritual Qi. She carefully divided them into four portions, the largest of which she always quietly placed next to Big Brother Lin. Her thoughts were simple: she just wanted to do her best to take care of everyone, especially Big Brother Lin.

The atmosphere in the valley flowed slowly in a delicate balance and mutual introspection.

Until the morning of the third day, the fluctuating aura around Su Wanqing suddenly subsided and retracted. She opened her eyes; her icy gaze was still clear, but deep within, there seemed to be a hint of transparency and peace that comes from seeing through a mental fog. She looked at Lin Xuan, who had just awakened from meditation, and spoke first. Her voice had returned to its usual calm, but with less intentional distance:

"Junior Brother Lin, how are Junior Sister Qu's injuries? When will we depart?"

She knew that some emotional knots could not be untied in a single day, but the Dao path was long, and she, Su Wanqing, had her own pride and persistence. Right now, leaving this desperate situation was the top priority.

Lin Xuan felt slightly relieved seeing her clear eyes. He nodded, saying, "Senior Sister Qu is out of danger; we can move after resting for another day or two. At that time, we will follow the star map's guidance to find the way out."

A new journey was about to begin. And the complicated relationships between the four individuals would continue to write their respective chapters amidst the unknown path ahead.