Li Yundong followed the noise and saw a crowd gathered on the mountainside path—a mix of pilgrims in monastic robes and travelers in various attire.

These people were surrounding a girl who looked to be about seventeen or eighteen. Dressed in traditional Tibetan clothing, a white ensemble, she was crouched on the ground, her head full of fine braids. Her features were delicate, her cheeks flushed with the vibrant color of healthy youth, yet her expression was one of profound sorrow and grief as she wept loudly while clutching an unmoving old man.

The old man wore the saffron and crimson robes of a lama. His face was a deep landscape of wrinkles, crisscrossed like ravines, suggesting he was seventy or eighty. Like the other pilgrims, his hands were gloved. He had a thick, hardened callus on his forehead and visible wear marks on his chest and knees, clearly indicating a devout pilgrim who had likely collapsed from exhaustion on his journey.

The girl sobbed while embracing the old man’s body. Some of the surrounding Buddhists sighed softly; others turned their prayer wheels, murmuring scriptures in low tones.

All their conversation was in Tibetan, leaving Li Yundong utterly bewildered, unable to grasp a single word. Just as he was about to turn away, several people pushed through the outside of the crowd. Among them were two foreigners with deep-set eyes and high noses, and one dark-haired Chinese person.

These two foreigners and the Chinese woman all carried massive backpacks and wore specialized hiking gear, shielded by large sunglasses. After squeezing into the throng, the Chinese woman knelt down and spoke to the Tibetan girl in Tibetan, "What has happened here?"

The girl looked up, her eyes blurred with tears, and glanced at them. "My Tenzin Gyatso has gone to see the Living Buddha. He abandoned me on the pilgrimage path. Who are you?"

The Chinese woman gestured toward the two foreigners behind her and explained, "They are mountaineers, and I am their translator and guide. I know a bit of first aid; do you mind if I check on him?"

The girl studied the two foreigners closely, her gaze filled with wariness and suspicion. Seeing this, the foreigners promptly removed their sunglasses and offered her a friendly greeting.

After a moment's thought, the girl finally nodded.

The female guide extended a finger toward the old man, checking for breath and then his pulse. She frowned slightly, then looked toward the foreigners for help, shaking her head subtly.

One of the fair-haired foreigners stepped forward, squatted down, and placed his hand on the old man’s carotid artery, also frowning slightly. He then placed his hand on the man's chest, administering chest compressions for a while, followed by rescue breaths, but the old man remained completely still.

The fair-haired foreigner worked busily for a moment, a light sheen of sweat appearing on his brow. He looked up and shook his head in resignation. The female guide sighed and told the girl, "I'm sorry, we can't do anything. He is gone."

Although the girl already suspected the old man had passed, hearing it confirmed so definitively made her break down into fresh, loud sobs.

Li Yundong watched from the roadside, frowning inwardly. He instinctively wanted to take a look, but he remembered what Ziyuan had said—not to meddle in the affairs of strangers on the road, prioritizing his Foundation Establishment above all else. With this thought, the urge to leave returned.

Moreover, Li Yundong vaguely felt as if someone in the crowd was watching him covetously. He swept his gaze across the distance and saw a Land Cruiser parked far off. A young man and woman sat inside, staring intently in his direction.

As the young couple noticed Li Yundong's gaze drift toward them, they involuntarily averted their eyes.

This reaction caused Li Yundong to knit his brows deeper. He became instinctively alert and turned to leave.

But after taking only two steps, the girl's heartbroken cries drifted to him, making Li Yundong feel deeply uneasy. The scene instantly stirred a memory of Su Chan weeping in his arms.

Li Yundong hesitated for a moment, struggling internally for a long time. Finally, with a slight sigh, he turned back and walked toward the crowd once more.

Li Yundong’s current appearance was wild; though not foul-smelling, he looked extremely disheveled. People around him quickly gave way, wary of coming near him as if he were a plague carrier.

Li Yundong reached the old man and was about to extend his hand when the two foreigners shouted loudly, and the female guide glared at him with disgust, demanding loudly, "Respect the dead! What are you doing?"

Having experience from saving John and Cao Kefei, Li Yundong was somewhat accustomed to such situations. He turned his head to look at the female guide; she possessed a well-formed, rather beautiful face. He couldn't be bothered to argue and continued to reach out, gently lifting the old man into a seated position.

The surrounding Tibetans erupted in an uproar, accusing him loudly. However, most of what they said was in Tibetan, which Li Yundong couldn't understand. The girl, however, recognizing him as Han Chinese from his attire, shouted back in Mandarin with open hostility, "What are you doing? Don't touch Tenzin Gyatso! His spirit has gone to see the Living Buddha, and his body cannot be touched by you!"

Li Yundong glanced at the girl, offered a slight smile without speaking, and placed his hand on the crown of the old man's head. A massive surge of potent and refined Yuanyang True Qi flooded into the old man’s body.

Seeing Li Yundong's demeanor, which seemed to look down upon everyone present, the surrounding pilgrims became furious. Some younger men even moved to strike him. The two foreigners looked alarmed, afraid of getting caught in the fray, and quickly stood up, waving their hands and shouting, "No, no!"

The female guide also shouted, "Don't be impulsive, don't be impulsive!"

But what influence could the three outsiders have? The Tibetans were fiercely unified and highly xenophobic. They ignored the trio and rushed forward, intending to attack Li Yundong with fists and feet.

Li Yundong felt a flash of cold anger. He looked up, guiding his internal True Qi to his eyes. His eyelids fluttered, and his gaze became sharp as lightning as he swept it across the crowd!

Even before his dedicated cultivation, Li Yundong’s stare alone could make ordinary people’s hearts pound with fear. Now, after a month of arduous training, the True Qi that was once like hard raw iron had been refined into the strongest tempered steel.

As Li Yundong’s gaze swept over them, everyone suddenly felt a sharp pain in their eyes, as if they had stared directly into the sun. Their eyes stung so fiercely they couldn't keep them open. Their hearts pounded wildly. They immediately froze, clutching their eyes, daring not to advance or shout abuse at Li Yundong again.

Seeing this strange phenomenon, the crowd looked at Li Yundong with a mixture of confusion and awe, pulling even farther away. Only the girl kept her large eyes wide open, staring at Li Yundong without yielding an inch.

Seeing the girl reminded Li Yundong intensely of Su Chan. He decided not to argue with her, merely offering her a gentle smile before lowering his head to continue channeling his Yuanyang True Qi into the old man’s body.

Li Yundong’s internal True Qi was now so powerful that he didn't need the delicate maneuvers of the 'Three-Pronged Probe' technique. With his palm resting on the old man's Baihui acupoint, he could channel the pure, potent Yuanyang directly into the old man's depleted meridians and internal organs. This vigorous flow of Yuanyang energy was like spring rain nourishing parched earth, slowly restoring life force to the old man's body.

Traditional Chinese Medicine posits that a person is only truly dead when their vital energy (Yuan Qi) is completely exhausted—hence the saying that fate has run its course, and even heaven cannot save them.

However, this old man’s demise was due to his aged body being unable to sustain the rigors of the pilgrimage, causing his already limited Yuan Qi to fail abruptly. While his situation was similar to Cao Kefei’s, he was much older; his body hadn't yet reached a state of total exhaustion. Li Yundong’s powerful Yuanyang Qi, upon injection, reacted strongly, ensuring an immediate revival.

As Li Yundong infused the True Qi, he could distinctly feel his output acting like sensitive tendrils, mapping out the old man's internal condition. He began to sense a faint core of Yuan Yang deep within the old man, which he mobilized. This innate energy began to surge out, responding to his True Qi and nourishing the man's organs.

Li Yundong nodded secretly, knowing the old man was saved and would wake up shortly. He gradually drew his energy back into his own body, concluded his technique, and, without greeting anyone, turned and left to resume his own cultivation journey.

The Tibetans cursed Li Yundong as his retreating figure disappeared. Even the female guide, his compatriot, watched his back with distaste, letting out a cold snort: "Meddling without knowing anything, he almost caused a disaster!"

Only the girl stared at the old man, who remained seated and upright before her, in a state of shock mixed with overwhelming joy. She opened her mouth, unable to speak for a long moment.

Seeing her reaction, the surrounding crowd grew curious and turned their gaze to the old man. They saw that his face, previously pale and ashen, was slowly regaining color, and his chest began to rise and fall gently.

The female guide and the two foreigners stared, seemingly unable to believe what they were witnessing. Without waiting for the girl’s permission, the guide reached out and lightly pressed near the old man's carotid artery. Her eyes instantly widened into perfect circles, and she gasped, "He’s alive?"

The two foreigners couldn't believe it. They had personally confirmed the man’s death moments ago—how could he suddenly be alive?

The girl, ecstatic, supported the old man and cried out, "Tenzin Gyatso, wake up! Wake up quickly!"

The surrounding Tibetans watched closely. They saw the old man’s eyelashes flutter in response to the girl's calls, as if he were about to open his eyes at any moment. Their faces lit up with joy, and they began shouting in unison, "Tenzin Gyatso, wake up quickly!"

Their shouts acted like a strong stimulant. Soon after, the old man suddenly exhaled a cloud of stale air, his eyes fluttered open, and he revived.

Tears welled in the girl’s eyes, and she shouted happily, throwing herself into the old man's embrace: "Tenzin Gyatso, I thought you were gone! Metok was scared to death!"

The old man looked around with a bewildered gaze. He suddenly spoke, "Why am I here? I clearly remember the Living Buddha anointing me and sending me to the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. How did I end up here so suddenly?"

The Tibetans around him were stunned and asked, "Tenzin Gyatso, you saw the Living Buddha?"

The old man nodded firmly and solemnly, "Yes, I saw the Living Buddha!"

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