A full thirty-six Wind-Riding Steeds had been culled by Li Xieling's single sword strike, leaving just under half slain. Even after distributing them between the two Cloud-Turning Carts, they could still manage to pull the load, though at a significantly reduced speed.

Inside the carriage, Zong Shou sat with a solemn expression. Before him, Xuan Yuan Yiren lay partially reclined, her eyes tightly shut, her face cycling rapidly between a flush of crimson and a pallor as white as paper.

Zong Shou held Xuan Yuan Yiren’s right wrist, meticulously examining her pulse. After a long while, he let out a slow breath and gently lowered her hand.

He had only noticed the girl's critical state and prepared to depart when Xuan Yuan Yiren failed to appear, and Li Yuniang’s own peculiar confusion and distress made him panic. Only then did he forcefully intervene, moving Xuan Yuan Yiren into his own carriage to look after her.

And his reading of her pulse just now revealed that her condition was far worse than he had initially anticipated.

“A massive depletion of vital blood and profound exhaustion of vital energy. Furthermore, two of her meridians are ruptured. She is literally one step away from death! Why would this foolish girl push herself so hard? What was the point?”

The person who sent the fire signal from the Danquan Sect clearly intended to lure Xuan Yuan Yiren away from him, and thus presumably would not harm the girl. The reason Xuan Yuan Yiren had damaged her own body to this extent was self-evident. Judging by the sheer loss of blood and vitality within her, she must have been fighting desperately these past few hours.

“This is not good; her body is fluctuating between cold and heat. This Xuan Yue Mu Huang Jue seems to be undergoing some kind of dangerous transformation…”

Zong Shou hesitated for a brief moment before beginning to undo the fastenings of Xuan Yuan Yiren's upper garments.

Xuan Yuan Yiren wore no undergarments; her chest was tightly bound by a strip of silk. Zong Shou flicked a finger, and a surge of qi instantly sliced the silk precisely down the center.

Then, a vast expanse of snowy white skin filled Zong Shou’s vision. Xuan Yuan Yiren’s breasts were neither too large nor too small, perfectly suited to a single grasp, yet remarkably firm and beautifully shaped. At this moment, they trembled delicately like a pair of doves, the twin peaks a soft, tender red.

Zong Shou stared for a moment, utterly mesmerized, his vision blurring. A powerful, reckless impulse immediately surged within his chest—the desire to cup those breasts in his hands and examine them closely.

He quickly shut his eyes, took a deep breath, and repeated mentally, "I am a healer; a physician has the heart of a parent," only managing to quell his agitation after significant effort. It took him a full fifteen minutes before Zong Shou could finally open his eyes again. Xuan Yuan Yiren’s figure was exquisitely beautiful. Where it should be full, it was; where it should be slight, it was narrow, her waist slender and proportionate, her musculature balanced. However, Zong Shou’s gaze immediately focused on the center of her chest. Between the pair of ‘doves,’ there was a distinct fiery imprint, yellow at the core and red at the edges, flickering as if alive.

He couldn't tell if it had been there previously or if it had appeared recently.

Zong Shou tentatively touched it, and his fingertip felt instantly scorched as if touched by fire. The skin on his finger nearly ignited.

Xuan Yuan Yiren was already deficient in qi and blood, and the constant fiery impact from the Xuan Yue Mu Huang Jue naturally exacerbated her dire condition. Moreover, this flame energy had already entered her lungs, making it difficult to expel. Since the Lungs govern Metal, and Fire conquers Metal, this was the worst possible scenario.

It was fortunate she had encountered him this time; for anyone else, even one with divine medical skills would have been helpless.

First, Zong Shou retrieved Xuan Yuan Yiren’s small Qiankun Pouch and rummaged through it. Within moments, he pulled out a medicine bottle labeled 'Lesser Vitality Supplement Pills.' Unsure of the appropriate dosage, Zong Shou first used his fingernail to scrape off a tiny sliver of the pill and tasted it.

He then directly administered three Lesser Vitality Supplement Pills to Xuan Yuan Yiren. Regrettably, the girl still possessed only a vague consciousness, realizing she was swallowing, which made Zong Shou sigh inwardly with quiet regret. As to the true nature of his regret, only he knew.

Next, he took out his set of golden needles and inserted them, one by one, into Xuan Yuan Yiren’s body. Though he wasn't skilled in alchemy in his previous life, his mastery of needle insertion at acupoints was nothing short of divine. This was also connected to his martial path; once one reached a certain level of power, one possessed an innate understanding of all bodily meridians and the flow of qi. A true martial powerhouse could usually also be a capable physician.

With just ten needles inserted, the intense heat radiating from Xuan Yuan Yiren’s body gradually receded. The fiery mark on her chest also seemed to have faded considerably.

Zong Shou then checked her wrist pulse again, and a stream of fresh blood immediately welled up, dripping into Xuan Yuan Yiren’s mouth. The three Lesser Vitality Supplement Pills were insufficient; further complications due to medicinal toxicity could worsen her symptoms.

To replenish blood and fortify vital energy, nothing in this world compared to the innate essence drawn from the Thunder Roc’s egg residing within his own body. Since it was already stored within him and he couldn't absorb it all for now, it would serve perfectly to help Xuan Yuan Yiren mend her body. After feeding her nearly half a bowl of his blood, the unnatural flush on Xuan Yuan Yiren’s face returned to normal, and the ball of fire vanished without a trace.

Yet, Zong Shou’s brow remained tightly furrowed. This was merely treating the symptoms, not the root cause. Furthermore, the condition of the fire invading the lung meridians had reached an extremely dangerous level.

He retrieved all the golden needles and fell back into deep contemplation.

“It seems I must still urge this girl to cultivate the Cold Spirit Profound Essence Pill. While it cannot cure the fundamental issue, it can, to some extent, suppress the fire within the circulation meridians. However, resolving this entirely will require a different, superior strategy…”

Suddenly, something sparked in his mind. Zong Shou’s fingers began moving unconsciously, tracing paths along Xuan Yuan Yiren’s body, following the trajectory of her meridians.

“Fire entering the Lungs is due to an excess of Heart Fire. Perhaps I can start from the Spleen or Kidneys. Unfortunately, I only know the innate principles of the Xuan Yue Mu Huang Jue; to solve this completely will take some time!”

Suddenly, his fingertips brushed against something soft. Zong Shou unconsciously tapped it, finding the sensation pleasing. He instinctively pressed again, but then, with a violent jolt, his consciousness snapped back. He realized the atmosphere in the carriage had suddenly grown icy cold.

Looking down, he saw the now-awakened Xuan Yuan Yiren staring at him, her eyes wide open, filled with devastating grief and fury. Tears welled up in her eyes, mingled with a burning rage.