86: Healing Game, Shadow Lurking

The starship landed smoothly on the clearing amidst the Crimson Flame Phoenix Tree Forest. The reddish-golden flames danced gently, starkly different from the violent fire Spiritual Qi outside. The hot spring in the forest, steaming with ethereal Spiritual Qi, was even more eye-catching, and the air was filled with a comforting warmth and vitality.

Lin Xuan immediately and carefully picked up Qu Feiyan, who was still unconscious, holding her horizontally with gentle movements, as if cradling a fragile treasure. He quickly walked to a flat grassy area and gently laid her down, letting her lie prone on the ground.

"The fire spirit here is docile and contains vitality; it is indeed suitable for healing," Wangshu's clear, cold voice confirmed the special nature of the place. Her gaze swept around, seemingly assessing the safety of the environment.

Lin Xuan had no time for other concerns at the moment. He unhesitatingly took out his best healing Medicinal Pill—a bottle of 'Life-Creating Good Fortune Pills' glowing with a faint green light, a reward from a previous high-multiplier return. He crushed the Medicinal Pills, mixed them with his own pure and vast Golden Core magical power, and meticulously applied the paste to the five still-hideous wounds on Qu Feiyan's back. His movements were focused and gentle; as his fingertips brushed against her smooth but scarred back, there was an undisguised tenderness.

Su Wanqing stood not far away, watching Lin Xuan, whose eyes seemed to hold only Qu Feiyan. Seeing his fingertips gently caress another woman's bare back, her heart felt as if it had been pierced by an ice pick, cold and painful. She abruptly turned away, no longer looking at the jarring scene, her icy gaze fixed on the burning phoenix tree forest. The chill around her spread uncontrollably, and the green grass beneath her feet quickly condensed into a layer of white frost, centered on her.

"Senior Sister Su..." Gongsun Yu timidly approached, wanting to offer words of comfort, but was intimidated by Su Wanqing's ice-cold, stern profile and the almost substantial cold Qi, swallowing her words back. Her small face was filled with worry.

Wangshu, meanwhile, walked slowly to the hot spring, extended a slender finger to test the water temperature, and felt the gentle yet active Spiritual Qi within, nodding slightly. "This hot spring contains gentle fire spirit and vitality, which is beneficial for expelling Death Qi and nourishing the Meridians."

Upon hearing this, Lin Xuan immediately looked up at the spring water, carefully sweeping it with his Divine Sense to confirm that it was pure, harmless, and that the vital force it contained would greatly benefit Qu Feiyan's injuries. He then intended to pick up Qu Feiyan and place her in the spring.

"I'll do it," Su Wanqing's cold voice suddenly rang out, carrying a suppressed calm. She had turned around at some point, her face devoid of any expression. She walked directly to Lin Xuan's side, reaching out to take Qu Feiyan. "No need for Junior Brother Lin to trouble himself, I will take care of Junior Sister Qu." She deliberately emphasized the words "Junior Sister," meeting Lin Xuan's gaze with a hint of stubbornness and unquestionable resolve.

Lin Xuan looked at her, seeing her forced composure, barely concealing her stiff expression, and the hint of hurt and persistence deep in her eyes. He understood, sighing inwardly. He did not insist, carefully handing Qu Feiyan to Su Wanqing, and said in a low voice, "Thank you, Senior Sister Su, be careful of the wounds on her back."

Su Wanqing took Qu Feiyan, and at the moment of contact, her fingertips trembled almost imperceptibly. She pursed her lips, no longer looking at Lin Xuan, and carried Qu Feiyan horizontally—a movement that felt a bit awkward even to herself. Her steps were slightly stiff but steady as she walked towards the hot spring, then gently immersed Qu Feiyan into the warm spring water, carefully avoiding the wounds on her back.

Enveloped by the warm spring water, the unconscious Qu Feiyan let out a subtle, comfortable whimper, and her pale complexion seemed to regain a touch of color.

Just then, Gongsun Yu jogged over, holding a few broad Crimson Flame Phoenix Tree leaves with golden patterns along their edges. The leaves themselves emitted a faint, cooling aura, creating a wonderful balance with the surrounding warmth. "Senior Sister Su, use these to cushion Sister Qu's head; it will be more comfortable," she said softly, her eyes filled with sincere concern, seemingly trying to ease the tense atmosphere.

Su Wanqing paused her movements, looking at the carefully selected leaves in Gongsun Yu's hand. The chill in her icy eyes subtly dissipated a fraction. She took the leaves, saying softly, "Thank you." Then she meticulously placed the leaves under Qu Feiyan's neck, allowing her to rest more comfortably against the edge of the spring.

Seeing that Senior Sister Su had accepted her kindness, Gongsun Yu's face broke into a happy smile. She quietly retreated to the side to stand guard. She felt that although Senior Sister Su appeared cold, she actually had a very kind heart, it was just... she seemed unhappy.

Lin Xuan observed all of this, feeling a little relieved. He walked to the side, sat down cross-legged, and began to circulate his Cultivation Technique. On one hand, he consolidated his Mid-stage Golden Core Peak cultivation, and on the other, he tried to communicate with and control the power of the newly acquired 'chapter of the blazing sun' fragment within his Dantian. At the same time, he kept a thread of Divine Sense alert to his surroundings. He knew that the Guixu Cult people would not give up easily.

Time slowly passed in the tranquility of the Crimson Flame Phoenix Tree Forest. Under the combined effects of the hot spring, Medicinal Pills, and the unique vitality of the place, Qu Feiyan's injuries healed noticeably faster, and her breathing gradually became stronger and steadier.

After about an hour, her slender eyelashes fluttered a few times, and she slowly opened her eyes. At first, her gaze was still a bit hazy, but it soon focused. She felt the comfort of the spring water and the gentle fire spirit lingering around her, and she also saw Su Wanqing, who was guarding the spring with an expression that was still cold.

On her pale face, that usual, slightly provocative, charming smile actually reappeared. Her gaze passed over Su Wanqing and accurately found Lin Xuan, who was meditating. She spoke with a voice as faint as a wisp of smoke, yet alluringly soft: "This spring water... is very comfortable... If Little Brother Lin could personally... wipe my back... perhaps I would recover even faster..."

Su Wanqing suddenly clenched her fists, her knuckles turning white, and the cold Qi around her instantly surged, causing tiny ice crystals to form in the spring water at her feet! She almost couldn't control the urge to draw her sword.

"Senior Sister Qu!" Lin Xuan's forehead twitched. He immediately ended his meditation and stepped forward, squatting by the spring. He said sternly, "Senior Sister is severely injured and has not yet recovered; please focus on healing and do not joke around." At the same time, he secretly transmitted a message to Su Wanqing, "Senior Sister Su, her injuries have just started to improve; her consciousness might not be fully clear yet. Don't take her seriously."

Su Wanqing snorted coldly and turned her face away, not responding to Lin Xuan's transmission, but the violent cold Qi around her did recede a little.

Wangshu stood under a tall phoenix tree, watching the farce from afar. She flicked a finger, and a pure, gentle lunar essence fell into the hot spring, subtly activating the gentle fire spirit and vitality within the spring like a catalyst, doubling their activity and enhancing the healing effect. After doing all this, she simply closed her eyes and meditated under the tree.

With Wangshu's covert assistance, Qu Feiyan's injuries recovered even faster. She also seemed to have exhausted her strength and fell into a deep sleep again, but the faint, almost imperceptible charming smile that infuriated Su Wanqing whenever she saw it still lingered at the corners of her mouth.

Lin Xuan breathed a slight sigh of relief and sat down again, continuing his consolidation and control. He could feel that although the 'chapter of the blazing sun' fragment was only initially integrated, it had sharpened his perception of fire Laws by several times, making the operation of his Golden Core within his body more rounded and natural. Even the Vast Sea Asura Golden Body showed faint signs of improvement.

Su Wanqing still guarded the spring, her back straight as a pine, but when she occasionally looked at Lin Xuan, the complex emotions in her icy eyes were indescribable.

Gongsun Yu saw that everyone had quieted down and found a spot not too far or too close to Lin Xuan to sit down and quietly Cultivate her Cultivation Technique. She knew her cultivation was the lowest, so she had to work even harder. A faint reddish-golden fire Spiritual Qi, weakly drawn by her Cultivation Technique, lingered around her. Although it wasn't perfectly compatible with her Lightning Spirit Root attribute, the docile and mellow fire spirit here still provided some benefits for solidifying her foundation and refining her magical power.

Tranquility temporarily returned to the Crimson Flame Phoenix Tree Forest. The burning flames leaped silently, and the hot spring steamed with white mist, reflecting several faces with different thoughts.

However, beneath this tranquility, undercurrents of emotion and unknown dangers still slowly surged. Su Wanqing's emotional entanglement, Qu Feiyan's provocation and reliance, Wangshu's mystery and occasional intervention, Lin Xuan's helplessness and focus, and Gongsun Yu's simple desire to maintain team harmony, all intertwined in this warm and peculiar forest.

More importantly, Lin Xuan's Divine Sense remained on high alert. He had a premonition that the shadow of the Guixu Cult had not gone far. After healing, a greater storm perhaps awaited them ahead.