In a moment, Su Chan brought over a small cloth bundle and handed it to Ziyuan. Ziyuan opened it, pulled out a three-inch-long golden needle, and plunged it toward Li Yundong's Lingtai point.

As Ziyuan inserted the needle, Li Yundong’s body gave a slight tremor. Immediately after, Ziyuan drove another needle into Li Yundong’s Shenting point.

Su Chan, watching anxiously from the side, had followed Ao Wushuang for a long time and understood a little about medicine. She knew that these two needles Ziyuan had inserted struck vital points on the human body, and even a slight deviation could be life-threatening.

Then, Su Chan watched as Ziyuan aimed another jab toward the Baihui point on the top of Li Yundong's head, letting out a sudden, sharp cry of alarm.

The Baihui point was one of the body's critical death points. This single needle strike terrified Su Chan so much her legs almost gave out.

Su Chan’s face was ashen as she stared at the gleaming golden needle embedded in the Baihui point atop Li Yundong’s head. She couldn't help the fearful thought rising in her heart: Why is Sister Ziyuan needling the Baihui point? If she messes this up, he could die!

Ziyuan turned and glanced at Su Chan, explaining in a deep voice, "Su Chan, don't worry. Li Yundong's spirit consciousness is currently trapped within the Burning Finger Patra, and the Patra is now connected to Li Yundong's vital energy (Zhenqi)."

"To wake Li Yundong, one must use their own Yin Spirit to infiltrate his body and follow his aura into the Burning Finger Patra. However, Li Yundong's entire body is currently in a sealed state. His internal Zhenqi is linked to the Patra, functioning like a self-circulating miniature universe. External elements struggle to enter. If we try to force our way in, it will only cause Li Yundong’s small chiliocosm to collapse, turning him into an empty shell without consciousness."

"I am needling Li Yundong’s Shenting, Lingtai, and Baihui points specifically to break open his currently flawless, leak-proof body, creating fissures through which my Yin Spirit can penetrate."

Hearing Ziyuan’s explanation, Su Chan finally understood. She looked at Ziyuan and asked quietly, "Sister Ziyuan, can I go in?"

Ziyuan shook her head, giving Su Chan a helpless look. "Su Chan, you are not in the state of a Yang Spirit; you cannot enter."

Su Chan’s face fell with disappointment. A sudden thought struck her: There was a time when she was the most powerful person around Li Yundong. But now, Ziyuan's cultivation far surpassed hers. Even Zhou Qin, who knew nothing of cultivation before, had reached the Foundation Establishment stage, possessing a robust Zhenqi far beyond her comparison. Even Ruan Hongling’s cultivation was now higher than hers!

The young girl glanced at Ziyuan, then at Zhou Qin, then at Ruan Hongling, a shadow of sadness flashing in her eyes. She couldn't help but secretly regret that she had only focused on frolicking and being affectionate with Li Yundong, refusing to put in the hard work of rigorous practice. Now, she was the weakest in terms of cultivation.

Thinking of this, Su Chan made a firm resolution in her heart: Even if she couldn't surpass Sister Ziyuan, she absolutely would not let Zhou Qin overtake her! She wasn't a fool; if she truly committed to hard work, could she really be worse than the others?

At this moment, Zhou Qin and the others were watching Ziyuan and Li Yundong with concern, paying no attention to the young girl's thoughts. They saw that after Ziyuan inserted the three golden needles, three extremely faint, thin wisps of white thread began to slowly emerge from the Baihui point on Li Yundong's head, the Shenting point on his forehead, and the Lingtai point on his back. These three threads ascended, unwavering and straight, drifting until they reached the ceiling before finally dissipating.

Ziyuan sat cross-legged facing Li Yundong. After a short while, she entered a state of deep meditation, her Yang Spirit departing her body.

After Ziyuan’s Yang Spirit emerged, her expression became grave and serious as she instructed Zhou Qin and the others, "If I do not return within fifteen minutes, prepare our funeral rites. Do not think of saving him, and do not think of saving me!"

Zhou Qin and the others were startled, a chill running down their spines. But before they could voice an objection, Ziyuan’s figure flashed, and her Yang Spirit darted rapidly toward Li Yundong.

Just as Ziyuan’s Yang Spirit was about to touch Li Yundong’s body, it instantly transformed from a Yang Spirit into a Yin Spirit, dissolving into countless specks of cyan light that drilled in through the breached Baihui, Lingtai, and Shenting points.

Since Li Yundong’s Yang Spirit had already been swept into the small chiliocosm of the Burning Finger Patra, his physical body was essentially an unoccupied house. Ziyuan encountered no resistance upon entering.

Ziyuan felt an immense pulling force within Li Yundong’s body, constantly dragging at her spiritual consciousness, like a vortex ceaselessly devouring any conscious life nearby.

Ziyuan offered no resistance, swiftly following Li Yundong’s internal aura toward the Burning Finger Patra. Before long, she suddenly felt the boundless darkness around her erupt in brilliant light, and she instantly found herself within a vast, empty, immeasurable world.

In this world stood a strangely shaped high mountain. Ziyuan, well-versed in Buddhist scripture, knew this must be Mount Sumeru.

Ziyuan paused for no reason, flying quickly to the mountainside of Mount Sumeru. Fixing her gaze, she saw that throughout the three thousand worlds surrounding Sumeru, the figures of Li Yundong and Su Chan were everywhere. But Ziyuan had no idea which world contained Li Yundong’s true essence.

Ziyuan took a deep breath. She knew that ten years in this small chiliocosm equaled only one minute in the outside world. Therefore, she patiently began searching world by world.

But with the hundreds of billions of mortal realms contained within these three thousand worlds, finding Li Yundong’s true essence was far from easy.

Ziyuan’s form moved busily, shuttling from one small chiliocosm to the next. This repeated process continued for an unknown duration. Ziyuan lost track of how many worlds she had entered, and how many years had passed within this realm. The only thing she knew was that upon entering each small chiliocosm, she used her fingernail to scratch a mark onto her own sleeve.

This repetitive, long passage of years continued until Ziyuan finally felt a trace of fatigue and despair. She noticed her sleeve was now densely covered in fingernail marks; in some spots where she had marked repeatedly, the fabric was beginning to tear.

"Can I really not find him?" Ziyuan murmured to herself, standing amidst these vast hundreds of billions of mortal realms, her thoughts bordering on hopelessness.

But if she couldn't find Li Yundong, wouldn't everything she had sacrificed be in vain? Wouldn't her Master’s cryptic verse prove false...?

Thinking of this, Ziyuan’s expression became distant. This usually decisive woman felt a momentary loss of composure. Distraught, she habitually left one small chiliocosm only to drift forlornly into another.

After traversing over two thousand small chiliocosms without success, Ziyuan was thoroughly disheartened. Just as her mind was churning with thoughts of the cryptic verse left by her Master, she suddenly found herself immersed in a small chiliocosm shrouded in an endless sea of clouds.

This world was filled everywhere with an ocean of clouds stretching to the horizon. Above this sea of clouds stood a single mountain peak, covered in lush, towering green pines. Beneath the largest and highest pine, resembling a giant umbrella, sat an elderly man with long, white hair.

The vast cloud sea before Ziyuan was so magnificent and beautiful that after one glance, her heart cleared, and her previous melancholy vanished completely.

Ziyuan rallied her spirits and flew to the old man beneath the green pine. Just as she was about to speak, she saw the elder silently gazing down at two figures working diligently in a patch of green terraced fields a short distance down the slope.

Curiously, Ziyuan followed his gaze. There, below the mountain, were Li Yundong and Su Chan, dressed as farmer and farm wife, busy sowing seeds.

Though their labor looked hard, the two would occasionally exchange playful banter, leaving them smeared with mud. Yet, their every word and laugh was filled with pure joy. Even from a distance, Ziyuan could hear Su Chan's silver-bell laughter and Li Yundong's bright, hearty roars, a warm aura washing over her.

Ziyuan had traveled back and forth through thousands of small chiliocosms; in every one, Li Yundong and Su Chan were living happily together. She had seen this sight many times. Ziyuan turned her face away and called out clearly to the old man, "Elder, excuse me, have you seen...?"

Before she could finish her question, the old man startled, suddenly looking up and exclaiming, "Ziyuan?"

Though his voice was aged, this was the first time in this small chiliocosm that Ziyuan had met someone who recognized her. Her eyes widened sharply as she scrutinized the white-haired elder before her.

She saw that although the old man’s hair nearly trailed to the ground, and his beard almost completely obscured his face, Ziyuan could still faintly discern a familiar quality in his eyebrows. She asked tentatively, "Li Yundong?"

Li Yundong sprang to his feet, shaking off a cloud of dust. His eyes widened as he looked at Ziyuan and said, "How are you here?"

Ziyuan, having traversed over two thousand small chiliocosms and spent decades in the search, had finally found Li Yundong. Even her usually placid temperament was overcome with immense joy. She grabbed Li Yundong's hands and exclaimed loudly, "Thank heavens, I've finally found you!"

Li Yundong paused, "You came looking for me?"

Ziyuan nodded, her face beaming, "Yes! Your spirit consciousness has been trapped in the small chiliocosm of the Burning Finger Patra for eighteen days. I came specifically to find you!"

Li Yundong gasped. His gaze was profound and reflective as he said, "I remember now... I think I have been here for many, many years!"

After such immense effort, Ziyuan had finally found Li Yundong. She couldn't help but chuckle, "Ten years inside the small chiliocosm is equivalent to one minute outside. You must have been here for tens of thousands of years, haven't you? You must be tired of every small chiliocosm by now, right? Isn't it time to go back?"

Li Yundong looked deeply into Ziyuan’s eyes, gave a faint smile, shook his head, and then slowly sat back down. With a sweep of his sleeve, he said calmly, "Ziyuan, you go back. I am not going."

Ziyuan was shocked and immediately pressed, "Why?"

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