Father and son were having the time of their lives by themselves in that dark cave. Every now and then, Zhuo Fan had to wince and gasp from having pain stab his every wound for being too much into their game and ignoring his heavy condition yet found it passing faster by cursing their savior each time.
âDamn rotten Danqing Shen, you just couldnât take it easier! Just that sword aura was enough to flay my skin. The old coot never heard of a softer touch!â
Danqing Shenâs rage wouldâve blown sky high, only if he was here of course.
[Damn punk, I just saved your pathetic life and this is the thanks I get, being called names?]
Gu Santong had a grin on his pale face, thoroughly enjoying his dadâs lively and childish act.
âYoung Sanzi, how are you feeling? Iâm now too wounded to tend to your situation, but once Iâm better, Iâll get you back on your feet in no time!â Zhuo Fan hurriedly asked.
Gu Santongâs smile fell for a second, shaking his head, âDad, itâs fine. Iâm just feeling weakened and the wounds are healing. The Shangguan clan gave me plenty of healing pills.â
âThatâs great. Even their poor pills, unlike mine, can help your wounds, ha-ha-haâŚâ Zhuo Fan chuckled, at ease.
Gu Santongâs smile soon turned upside down, taken by melancholy. Zhuo Fan could tell that it was different with the other hand as the blood was still seeping out despite the tight wrap around itâŚ
Rumble~
The stone door opened, breaking the heavy silence. Shangguan Qingyan and the same youth Zhuo Fan grabbed back in the wasteland entered. The girl saw them waking up and cheered, âYouâre up!â
âThanks for the save.â Zhuo Fan smiled.
Shangguan Qingyan smiled back, coming over to him and looking concerned, âMister Gu, your body is a wreck. Are you sure itâs fine? Weâve used many pills and while your other wounds healedâŚâ
âYou donât have to worry about it. Iâm an alchemist too. As long as my soul is fine, the flesh can be mended.â
Zhuo Fanâs hand shone and a vial came out, taking out a green pill.
The thick aroma was intoxicating, making the other clansman cry out, âBy god, using a 10th grade pill just for some flesh wounds? An alchemist is a different breed than our clan.â
âHa-ha-ha, itâs only for the common ones, while young Sanzi will need a more particular solution. Thatâs why I need to get back in shape to make him the right pill.â
Zhuo Fan ate the pill and used the Returning Dragonâs Roar.
As dragons roared about, Zhuo Fan was brimming with vitality. The Returning Dragonâs Roar was the best thing when it came to patching up the body. A shame it didnât work on souls as well.
With the healing pill complementing the Returning Dragonâs Roar, the two watched in shock as Zhuo Fanâs wounds barely closed at all.
Zhuo Fan then felt a stabbing pain from every inch of his body.
Zhuo Fan looked down with a frown.
[Whatâs with these weird wounds that canât heal? They feel the same as the one Vaulting Sword gave me back in Double Dragon ManorâŚ]
The Shangguan clansman chuckled, âMister Gu, you mustâve been hit by Dragon Cleaving Sword Kingâs Dragon Cleaving Art. Despite the difference between his sword art and ours, they both come from insights in a divine sword. Wounds inflicted by such weapons will be hard to heal. I still thought youâd need ten more days before you could stand. Itâs a miracle you are doing this now. An 11th grade alchemist sure heals fast, ha-ha-haâŚâ
âWounds from those sword arts heal slowly?!â
Zhuo Fan soon came to his own conclusion as to why. The wound Vaulting Sword inflicted back then took ages to heal too.
Since Danqing Shenâs art came from the Vaulting Sword, which hurt him.
[Does that mean the sword art captured the divine swordâs essence?]
Regardless of doubts, this was the conclusion he came to. Common folk being around a sacred weapon for long enough, theyâd have its sword energy used for their cultivation, facilitating not only their training in a godlike sword art, but also unleashing greater power when using it.
It was top-notch regardless of the stage it was used in. [Is it maybe the power of the Sword Sovereign?]
Deep in thought, the casual movement of his right reminded him of the pain and winced. The pain coming from his body earlier subsided after using the pill and the Returning Dragonâs Roar. The issue now was the right hand.
Shangguan Qingyan took his right hand and complained, âEasy, weâve just bandaged it but the bleeding wonât stopâŚâ
Zhuo Fan shook, seeing as the wrap was dyed red.
âYoung miss, Shangguan Feiyunâs Soaring Sword Art mustâve caused the wound on his right. Anyone else would have their heal slowly, but this is so baffling that no pill works. The bandage is only temporary and if this continues, heâll bleed out.â
The Shangguan guy explained.
Zhuo Fanâs brow shook, looking at his right in fright. He felt his forehead and, though wounded, did not bleed, healing slowly.
Shangguan Feiyun caught his gesture and said, baffled, âMister Gu, I looked over your condition. The wounds on your right arm have to be from Shangguan Feiyunâs sword. The strange thing is, it just wonât heal, while the shoulder heals the same as the rest of you. Iâd almost thought Shangguan Feiyunâs sword was stronger than Danqing Shenâs.â
âItâs the Qilin armâŚâ
Zhuo Fanâs eyelids shook, coming to a conclusion. âThatâs why the Soaring Sword Art at Soul Harmony Stage could pierce it. The secret lies with Soaring Sword and Soaring Qilin. The Soaring Sword and, in turn, the Soaring Sword Art targets the Soaring Qilin in particular. That means young SanziâŚâ
Zhuo Fan felt sharp pain as he rushed to young Sanziâs side, holding the bandaged arm that was bleeding just like his.
Shangguan Qingyan gasped, hurrying to change the binding, âYoung Sanzi is bleeding again. We have to stop it!â
âYoung miss, thatâs only a symptom. They are both so strange, unable to heal the areas struck by the Soaring Sword Art.â
The Shangguan guy shook his head.
Shangguan Qingyan wouldnât give up, looking after young Sanzi with teary eyes, âEven if it doesnât heal, we have to do all we can. Having not even reached the Ethereal Stage, theyâll die for good and wonât come back.â
âYoung Sanzi, why didnât you tell me?â
Zhuo Fan balled his fists and clenched his teeth. Being in the Ethereal Stage, Zhuo Fan would have halted cultivation, at worst, but heâd live. Young Sanzi was a sacred beast by comparison, with their body and soul as one. When one died, the other followed, and there was nothing to bring him back.
Young Sanziâs bleeding condition was potentially deadlyâŚ
Young Sanzi teared up, his pale lips trembling, âDad, I felt ever since the Soaring Sword Art hurt me that I met my bane. I can barely hold on. I didnât want to worry youâŚâ
âWhy didnât you say anything? Iâm your dad, Iâm supposed to worry!â
Zhuo Fan gnashed his teeth, taking out a vial from his ring and revealed two 11th grade pills.
Under the Shangguan guyâs gasp, Zhuo Fan took one and gave young Sanzi the other, âListen, this is from when I refined to save Shangguan Qingyan. She had been hurt by the Soaring Sword Art as well. It worked on her and now weâll see if it works on us as well. If all else fails, Iâll take you back to western lands.â
âWestern lands?â Gu Santong jumped.
Zhuo Fan nodded with resolve, âWeâll ask those old coots to save you. They have to know a way. So just hold on, young SanziâŚâ
Tip: You can use left, right, A and D keyboard keys to browse between chapters.