His hand drifted toward Xu Xian's neck, so lightly as if barely touching, yet he could feel a faint, subtle pulse. But there was no breath, as if the man were dead. Exploring deeper into the body's Zhenqi, he found it slowly circulating—entirely unlike that of a deceased person.

For a dead man's vitality is utterly extinguished; the flow of Zhenqi naturally ceases, and their entire cultivation slowly dissipates back into the cosmos, never to return. It is utterly impossible for a dead man to have Zhenqi still moving incessantly within them.

Regardless, the only certainty was that Xu Xian was not dead yet. Ye Wen checked back and forth several times before arriving at this one conclusion: "Junior Brother Xu is not dead, but his current condition is just too strange..."

Ye Wen naturally didn't know that after Xu Xian was struck and sent flying by Pei Gonglie's palm, his Chunyang Zhenqi could not withstand the savage fire essence of Pei Gonglie. He could only force the Chunyang Zhenqi to shield his vital organs in a desperate bid for survival. Upon landing, Xu Xian began inching his way toward the pond water, intending to use the water's chilling energy to counteract that domineering fire essence.

But the moment he entered the water, Xu Xian discovered that all his Chunyang Jinqi was suppressed and devoured by the fire essence. Once submerged, the bone-chilling cold surged in wildly. This torment caused him to spit up several mouthfuls of bloody fluid in the water, and he could no longer hold his breath, swallowing copious amounts of water with gurgling sounds.

Already severely wounded and assaulted by the cold, now having choked on water several times, Xu Xian’s consciousness grew increasingly hazy. Vaguely, he recalled a set of incantations, and in his stupor, he began circulating his Zhenqi according to those words.

He did not know that the incantations he vaguely remembered were part of a vast array that Lingxuzi had forced him to memorize. This specific set of instructions was not particularly remarkable, called the Biqi Guixi Dafa (Breath-Holding Tortoise Respiration Art). It could neither boost power nor be used in combat. Its sole function was to allow a severely injured person to enter a state of suspended animation, preserving a sliver of life force.

Although this technique could prevent a heavily wounded person from dying immediately, it offered no means of recovery or healing. If someone using this Art were left unattended and untreated, they would still inevitably meet their end. This is why Lingxuzi, when grievously wounded in the past, never employed it.

Now, Xu Xian, having suffered a massive blow, unconsciously recalled this incantation—a sign that fate would not have him die. He immediately entered the state of suspended animation. Thus, when Ning Ruxue arrived at the Desolate Valley, seeing Xu Xian floating listlessly in the pond water like a corpse, and after dragging him ashore found him lifeless, she concluded that Xu Xian was dead.

She didn't know that while Xu Xian appeared devoid of life externally, his internal Zhenqi was circulating slowly, only detectable upon careful examination. Ning Ruxue was first distraught, and second, so worried about Ye Wen’s condition that she failed to investigate thoroughly, leading her to tell Ye Wen as she did.

Ye Wen’s intervention and exploration immediately detected the anomaly. Although he didn't know Xu Xian had fallen into the life-preserving tortoise respiration state, he could sense how terrible Xu Xian’s internal condition was; without timely treatment, death was merely a matter of sooner or later.

After an examination, he discovered that the Chiyan Huo Jin (Crimson Flame Fire Essence) within Xu Xian had been neutralized by the prolonged soaking, leaving only a small amount of Chunyang Zhenqi guarding the heart meridian—the only thing that prevented the cold from taking Xu Xian’s life directly.

However, the cold had permeated his internal organs. His lung meridians, kidney essence, and spleen were all severely damaged. Even the spinal cord faintly felt the circulation of the cold essence. If this was not resolved, even if Xu Xian survived, he would be tormented by this cold, rendered a complete cripple, forever unable to move, merely clinging precariously to existence.

While Ye Wen's Zixia Shen Gong (Violet Cloud Divine Art) excelled at regulating meridians, it had little effect on this cold essence. If the Scarlet Sun Divine Lord Pei Gonglie were still alive, perhaps he could have relied on his Chiyang Huo Jin to treat the wounds.

Or, Ye Wen could immediately take out a copy of the Jiuyang Shen Gong (Nine Yang Divine Art), wake Xu Xian up, and have him cultivate to resolve the internal cold essence himself!

But with Pei Gonglie dead, it was uncertain when Xu Xian might encounter the Jiuyang Shen Gong. The cold essence inside Xu Xian was far more potent than what Zhang Wuji had suffered. If not treated quickly, even with Ye Wen sustaining his life force with powerful internal energy, it probably wouldn't last more than three to five days.

"Senior Brother, how is Junior Brother..." Ning Ruxue asked after seeing Ye Wen finish examining Xu Xian. Since he said Junior Brother wasn't dead, he stopped speaking immediately. She had no idea about the severity of Xu Xian's situation.

Ye Wen sighed: "Junior Brother Xu has cold poison invading his body; the situation is not good. If we cannot find a supremely yang and hot object or internal energy cultivation to treat him, I fear that even if he lives, he will be nothing more than an invalid!"

Only then did Ning Ruxue realize that although Xu Xian was alive, his condition was likely little better than death. However, when Ye Wen mentioned finding something supremely yang and hot, Ning Ruxue recalled something: "Isn't that Red-Line Snake a yang and hot entity? Could it save Junior Brother?"

At this question, Ye Wen suddenly remembered, slapped his forehead, and cursed, "How foolish of me, how could I forget that treasure!" Without a word to the puzzled Ning Ruxue, he turned and leaped into the cave using his lightness skill. Moments later, Ning Ruxue saw her Senior Brother emerge carrying a massive object. At a glance, she couldn't discern what it was. Confused, she asked, "Senior Bro... what is this...?" As she spoke, Ye Wen tossed the object onto the ground with a loud CRASH! The large mass scattered upon impact, and Ning Ruxue finally saw what it was.

"A snake? So big..."

Ning Ruxue was unaware of the existence of the Red-Line Snake King in this cave. Because her cultivation was insufficient, she had mostly stayed at the far end of the valley when practicing. Ye Wen had not told her, partly out of fear she would worry or be frightened, and partly for fear she would be distracted during her cultivation. Ning Ruxue wasn't particularly curious, and since the vicinity of the cave entrance made her feel unbearably cold, she never ventured to investigate.

It was Xu Xian, bolstered by his Chunyang Neili, who had gone to the cave entrance for a look and had seen the Red-Line Snake King. That was why he wasn't surprised when Pei Gonglie came that day.

Ye Wen didn't know how to explain at the moment, so he casually remarked, "The Red-Line Snake King is the ancestor of the common Red-Line Snakes we catch. Its vital blood is a supremely yang and hot tonic; it should be enough to counteract the intense cold essence in Junior Brother's body."

Then he picked up the longsword Ning Ruxue had dropped and stabbed it heavily into the snake's body. A sizzling sound erupted, and sparks actually flew.

Looking down, the snake's hide only showed an almost invisible mark; the sword hadn't even penetrated the skin by a fraction!

"Good heavens, it truly is a treasure all over!"

Seeing this, Ye Wen was not in a hurry. He flipped the giant snake over, intending to strike its weakest area, the belly. But the sword still couldn't penetrate. He poured his Zixia Shen Gong into the strike, finally channeling full power, managing only to slice the sword into the snake's interior. Even so, it was barely achieved, requiring tremendous effort to carve out a mere small opening in the snake's body.

As he withdrew the sword, scalding snake blood spurted out. Ye Wen was caught off guard, getting a face full, with some flowing into his mouth.

One would assume the snake blood would be foul, but this Red-Line Snake King's blood had no strange odor; instead, it carried a trace of sweetness. Faint gold swirled within the blood. Especially after the warm sensation rose upon swallowing, the Zhenqi that should have been depleted instantly recovered significantly, and the previously injured meridians—which were almost healed—improved slightly. Ye Wen realized these phenomena and immediately knew this blood was the essence of an exotic beast and could not be wasted at all.

He casually used his sword to sever a branch as thick as a large wooden bowl, then quickly chopped it into sections. He then utilized his Zixia Zhenqi to solidify his energy into claws, using his own fingers to carve out several wooden bowls.

By the time this was done, much of the snake blood had drained. Ye Wen inwardly sighed with regret. He lined up the wooden bowls and lifted the snake's body, filling each one. When the blood stopped flowing, he handed a bowl to Ning Ruxue, saying, "This thing is a great tonic; Junior Sister should drink some too!"

Then, ignoring Ning Ruxue, who was staring at the strange, bright red liquid with a hint of gold, frowning, he directly lifted a bowl of snake blood, raised Xu Xian’s upper body, and poured the blood down his throat.

While pouring, he used his internal energy to assist Xu Xian in digesting the blood's essence, simultaneously using the blood's yang fire energy to dissolve the cold poison in Xu Xian’s body. After one bowl was finished, nearly a third of the cold poison in Xu Xian’s body had been cleared.

"Pass me another bowl!"

Ning Ruxue immediately handed over the bowl she held. Ye Wen didn't mind, thinking there would be some left over for her later.

Unexpectedly, the less cold essence there was in Xu Xian's body, the more stubbornly the remaining two pockets resisted. The final two clusters of cold essence remained lodged deep within Xu Xian's vital organs, one in the lungs and one in the kidneys—both fatal locations. Ye Wen could only continue pouring the snake blood while using his Zixia Shen Gong to help dissolve it.

This agonizing process continued from sunset until dawn. When the Desolate Valley gradually brightened, Ye Wen was covered in sweat, purple energy billowing around him; he had pushed his Zixia Shen Gong to its absolute limit, yet still could not resolve the final remnants of the cold essence.

He brought over another bowl of snake blood, about to pour it in, when he suddenly heard Xu Xian speak: "Stop pouring, I'm about to burst!" But when life itself was at stake, how could he heed Xu Xian's words so easily? Ye Wen poured the bowl of snake blood directly into Xu Xian's mouth, urgently saying, "Since Junior Brother is awake, hurry and circulate your energy to heal. Cooperate with the snake blood essence to regulate your internal injuries."

Then he asked Ning Ruxue for a bowl, only to see her holding two empty bowls. She said, "There isn't a drop of snake blood left!"

Ning Ruxue had also been busy all night. While Ye Wen used his energy to treat Xu Xian, she had been constantly draining the great snake. By morning, there was not a single drop of blood left in the creature—all had been coaxed out by Ning Ruxue.

Hearing the blood was gone, Ye Wen suddenly remembered: "Junior Sister, did you drink any?"

Perhaps seeing that Xu Xian was awake and seemed to have a good spirit, meaning the danger had passed, her tension eased, and Ning Ruxue pouted and said dismissively, "I would never drink something like that!" As for how precious the snake blood was, she didn't care. Having to swallow snake gall bladders before had already upset her enough; being asked to drink the blood of that monster would be worse than killing her outright.

Having drunk his fill of snake blood, Xu Xian was now seated cross-legged, circulating his energy. The cold essence in his body was not entirely cleared, but it no longer affected his own energy circulation.

However, the remaining issues in those two places would inevitably cause symptoms. After a short while, Xu Xian coughed several times—it seemed the noble Young Master Xu was about to become the Sickly Young Master.

This forceful infusion of snake blood, while it didn't cause Xu Xian’s power level to skyrocket immediately, ensured that the essence was fully absorbed. Provided he encountered the right opportunity, his power could surge later. At the very least, as he slowly cultivated, he could refine it into his own Zhenqi. Henceforth, as long as Xu Xian cultivated diligently, the speed of his power increase would be much faster than ordinary people—especially combined with the cold...

Once his cultivation reached a certain level, the internal hidden injuries would naturally heal, so there was no need to worry too much. Even if his Chunyang Wuji Gong could never completely heal the wound, once Ye Wen summoned a better Chunyang technique, that trace of cold essence could still be dissolved! Perhaps that trace of cold essence could even become a tonic for Xu Xian!

Ye Wen pondered everything and concluded that for now, matters were settled. He selectively ignored the location of Xu Xian's injury: "Anyway, before his Chunyang Wuji Gong reaches great mastery, he won't be taking a wife..."

He walked into the cave, dragged out the corpse of the Scarlet Sun Divine Lord Pei Gonglie, and unceremoniously tossed it into a shallow pit dug on the spot. Ye Wen couldn't even be bothered to carve a wooden marker for him; he let the dirt mound sit in a very inconspicuous corner.

After finishing, Ye Wen glanced back into the cave at the few fruit-bearing trees. The cluster of fruits was already showing a faint reddish tint, seeming ready to mature. Ye Wen was secretly pleased: "The death of this great snake was timely. With no more threats, once these fruits ripen, my cultivation should advance further!" Although his Zixia Shen Gong had reached great mastery, Pei Gonglie’s existence had revealed to him that the martial world of this realm was far more perilous than he had imagined, and martial cultivation was not as simple as he had thought.

Today, Pei Gonglie, merely a famous figure in the martial world, had almost wiped out his Shu Shan Sect single-handedly. What power would the great central plains sects possess?

It could be said that if Ye Wen wanted the Shu Shan Sect to secure a position in the martial world, he still had a great deal to accomplish. At present, he only possessed the ability to defend himself.

"My current strength might not amount to much in the central plains, but it certainly won't be easy to kill me! After a few days, once I recover my strength, spreading the news of the Scarlet Sun Divine Lord's death will certainly make the Tianle Gang even more wary of causing trouble for my Shu Shan Sect; they'll likely have to scheme a bit longer..."

Musing over these thoughts, Ye Wen walked out of the cave. Xu Xian had already finished circulating his energy and stood up. Although not completely healed, he was far better off than being dead.

He clapped his Junior Brother on the shoulder and comforted him: "Junior Brother, don't worry. Senior Brother will think of a way to cure you!" Xu Xian naturally knew what his Senior Brother meant and replied with a bitter smile, "Just managing to claw my life back is a miracle. Senior Brother, don't dwell on it too much..."

Ye Wen thought Xu Xian was disheartened and quickly comforted him again: "Junior Brother, don't worry. If your Chunyang Wuji Gong is cultivated to its extreme, it might cure your internal hidden injuries. As long as you cultivate diligently, all problems will naturally be solved! Moreover, we still have the entire essence of the Red-Line Snake King. The blood is gone, but the gall and the flesh remain..."

"I drank all the snake blood myself. I don't want the other parts of the Snake King. Senior Brother and Sister stayed up all night for me and didn't even get to drink the blood. Why don't you swallow the snake gall now, before it loses its efficacy over time..."

Ye Wen glanced at Ning Ruxue, only to see his Junior Sister shaking her head like a rattle-drum. She looked utterly unwilling to touch the snake.

"If that's the case, we'll take the snake back for now. We'll eat the flesh first, and boil the bones for soup. As for the snake gall..." Ye Wen considered: "We'll deal with the gall later..."

The three of them dragged the corpse of the Red-Line Snake King back to the sect. The disciples had learned yesterday that a powerful enemy had attacked, and the Sect Leader and his Junior Brother and Sister were engaging the foe. Since they didn't know where the fight had gone, the disciples were all waiting in front of the Sect Leader's residence, certain that regardless of victory or defeat, the Leader would return there.

Now, seeing Ye Wen dragging back the corpse of a giant snake, the disciples were astonished. A few disciples who didn't know the full details asked, "Didn't the Sect Leader go out for a contest? Why did he drag a monster back? Perhaps he actually went to kill this monster..."

The one asked could only shake his head vigorously, as he didn't know the details either.

Seeing this scene, Ye Wen knew the disciples were worried about them. Though he didn't know how sincere their concern was, it at least represented that they held him, their Sect Leader, in their hearts. He spoke gently, "The invading enemy has been killed by me, and I took the opportunity to eliminate a menace on the mountain. Everyone need not worry; go back and rest..."

The disciples saw that Ye Wen, though bare-chested, had no visible wounds, his complexion was radiant, showing no fatigue, and he was dragging such a huge creature. This only added to his credibility. Thus, no one doubted Ye Wen's words. They all cheered loudly and dispersed.

Some of them even remarked to their neighbors: "You said the intruder's skill was profound? No matter how profound, could he be more powerful than the Sect Leader? The Sect Leader killed him and still had the energy to slay such a monster..."

A few close disciples, like Xu Ping, Yue Ning, and Zhou Zhiruo (Li Sen was often busy running errands and rarely on the mountain), remained standing, waiting for Ye Wen's instructions. Ye Wen waved his hand at them too: "You all can disperse as well! We'll discuss matters at mealtime..."

Only after dismissing them did he remember the large creature he was dragging. He quickly told Xu Ping: "Go call some people to skin this snake, then cook the flesh, and boil the bones for soup. Remember to keep the snake gall separate and don't damage it..." Then he tossed the Snake King's corpse onto the ground, paying it no further mind.

As for the meal to be prepared later, he intended to have these few personal disciples eat with his Junior Brother and Sister: "When will Li Sen return..."

"Li Sen can be back by noon..."

"Then we'll prepare the snake flesh and such for the evening, and call Li Sen to eat together then..."

Xu Ping acknowledged the order and immediately went to arrange people to process the giant snake. After giving all the instructions, Ye Wen and Ning Ruxue returned to their rooms to rest, meditate, and sleep—their individual recovery left unmentioned. Afterwards, they ate a snake feast.

After the meal, Xu Xian finally managed to dissolve one cluster of cold essence, relying on the essence within the snake flesh combined with the large amount of snake blood essence he had consumed. Although one hidden injury remained unhealed, he had successfully eliminated one, and his Chunyang Zhenqi had also advanced slightly.

As for Ye Wen, he was still holding the jewel-like snake gall, pondering how to persuade Ning Ruxue to swallow the thing.

.........

PS: Chopped into pieces! Chopped into pieces!