After the battle concluded, Jiang Wuming had Qin Xiaozhi report the battle results to the Legion Combat Command Center in his stead. Simultaneously, he instructed Xing Tian, Dongfang Xiaoyao, and Huangfu Weixia to assist the members of the East Sea Branch in clearing the battlefield.
As for himself, he immediately left with Xia Xueqin on his back.
Soon, Jiang Wuming, carrying Xia Xueqin, arrived at Sword Valley and stopped.
Sword Valley was as quiet as it was when he first visited, but everything had changed.
The elegant and noble woman was no more; now, with streaks of white in her hair, she lay on his back.
Upon this thought, Jiang Wuming immediately pushed open the fence gate, walked into the courtyard with Xia Xueqin on his back, and then gently set her down.
“Wuming, why were you in such a hurry to carry me back?”
Xia Xueqin voiced her confusion.
When Jiang Wuming suggested taking her away immediately, she had felt a sense of bewilderment but hadn't asked due to the presence of so many people at the time.
“Aunt Xia, do you remember when I had that purple-robed enemy in my grasp, he mentioned that my attacks contained other power besides true qi?”
Facing Xia Xueqin’s question, Jiang Wuming calmed himself and decided to explain his plan to her.
“I remember.”
Xia Xueqin nodded. She recalled the moment and the purple-robed middle-aged man uttering the words “Supreme Divine Art.”
“He was right. My attacks indeed contain a mysterious power beyond true qi. This is one of the main reasons I can fight across realms, and also why I can heal myself after being injured.”
Jiang Wuming explained, then got straight to the point, saying, “I rushed to bring you back because I want to try using this mysterious energy to restore your overdrawn life essence and depleted origin true qi.”
“Uh…”
Xia Xueqin was stunned.
As the Vice Dean of the East Sea Martial Arts Academy, she was one of the top martial arts experts in Dragon Country. Furthermore, her extensive reading and understanding of martial arts placed her among the elite in the Dragon Country martial arts community.
To her knowledge, a very small number of people were born with special abilities. For instance, some possessed talent in the spiritual domain, while others had wind element abilities, their cultivated true qi carrying wind attributes that enhanced their speed. However, she had never heard of anyone possessing mysterious energy that could enhance attacks or even facilitate healing.
“Aunt Xia, I know this sounds strange to you. Even I sometimes find it incredible, but it’s real. I’ll tell you more details if I have the chance later. For now, I need to treat you immediately, as this will increase the chances of success.”
Jiang Wuming spoke again.
Although he wasn't a doctor, he understood that the longer a person’s condition was delayed after overexertion, the less favorable it became, and prompt replenishment was necessary.
“Wuming, will this cause you any harm?”
Xia Xueqin didn’t immediately agree to Jiang Wuming’s proposal. Instead, she stared intently at him. If he admitted it would have any effect, or if she sensed he was lying, she would refuse the treatment.
“No.”
Jiang Wuming met Xia Xueqin’s gaze and stated with conviction.
The mysterious space was filled with white light points, and as long as he entered it, he could absorb them – the mysterious energy was inexhaustible.
“Alright, then you can try.”
Seeing that Jiang Wuming didn't appear to be lying, Xia Xueqin nodded in agreement.
“Aunt Xia, please sit on the stool, close your eyes, and remain still. Enter a meditative state.”
Jiang Wuming instructed. Seeing Xia Xueqin nod, he wasted no further words, immediately sat behind her, and placed his hands on her back.
With that done, Jiang Wuming stirred his mind, and his consciousness instantly entered the mysterious world.
Just as it had every time before, the mysterious world was filled with white light.
Jiang Wuming immediately sat cross-legged and activated the Daoist sect’s mysterious internal energy cultivation method.
The next moment.
The white light points, as if drawn by a force, surged towards Jiang Wuming, forming a vortex before entering his body.
Unlike usual, Jiang Wuming did not convert the mysterious energy into secret power, nor did he use it to heal himself.
After the mysterious energy entered his body, he attempted to transfer it to Xia Xueqin through his palms.
However—
He failed!
The mysterious energy could not leave his body like true qi and secret power could.
Is it not possible?
Jiang Wuming asked himself, but he did not give up, continuing to try.
Once, twice…
Jiang Wuming tried ten times before confirming it was not possible and abandoned that method.
But he did not give up on treating Xia Xueqin. Instead, he forcefully opened the mysterious gate within him, activated his secret power, and then merged it with the mysterious energy.
In his mind, since the mysterious energy could be converted into secret power and true qi, it should be able to merge with secret power!
This time, his assumption was correct!
He quickly and successfully merged the secret power with the mysterious energy!
This filled him with immense joy. He then stabilized his mind and, through his palms, successfully transmitted the secret power, now infused with mysterious energy, into Xia Xueqin’s body.
Following that, Jiang Wuming first used his mental senses to probe Xia Xueqin’s body. He discovered that her body was severely aged, with her flesh, bones, and internal organs all significantly deteriorated.
Sensing this, Jiang Wuming immediately channeled the secret power, now merged with mysterious energy, into every corner of Xia Xueqin’s body.
In an instant, Xia Xueqin’s body, like a withered root encountering rain, burst with vitality.
Xia Xueqin immediately felt the changes within her body, her mouth agape in shock!
As for Jiang Wuming, he was incredibly excited – he had only intended to try, never expecting it to actually work!
In his excitement, Jiang Wuming didn't converse with Xia Xueqin but continued to restore vitality to her overdrawn and aging body.
Time ticked by, second by second.
After an unknown duration, Jiang Wuming found that the mysterious energy could no longer enhance Xia Xueqin’s vitality, so he stopped.
“Wu… Wuming, this is truly incredible!”
Xia Xueqin opened her eyes, looking at her restored skin and raven-black hair, her heart filled with awe!
In her eyes, it was almost a divine intervention!
“Aunt Xia, as I mentioned before, the mysterious energy within me can heal injuries. Since your body was only recently overdrawn, there was theoretically a possibility of recovery. If your body had been overdrawn for a long time, or if you had truly aged according to natural laws, I wouldn't have been able to restore you.”
Jiang Wuming came before Xia Xueqin, looking at her as she was now, almost fully recovered, and said with a smile. He then changed the subject, saying, “However, I cannot restore your depleted origin true qi.”
“Origin true qi is the essence of a cultivator; outsiders definitely cannot restore it. This requires the martial artist to recover it bit by bit through cultivation. I still have a trace of origin true qi within me, so theoretically, I can still recover martial cultivation, much like your Grandpa Ren.”
Xia Xueqin said with a smile.
For her, being able to regain her life was already an immense surprise!
This wasn't because she feared death, but because she wanted to live a little longer.
That way, she could witness Jiang Wuming's future growth and new legends!
As for her martial cultivation, she no longer cared.
Just as she had said before the statue of Jiang Zhan: the child had grown up and no longer needed her protection!
…
Meanwhile.
Mount Longhu.
Tianlong Daoist received a call from Marshal Qi Wufu of the Martial Department at his residence.
“Wuming is alright!”
Upon answering the phone, Qi Wufu first delivered the good news to Tianlong Daoist.
“Send me the combat video. I’ll watch it myself.”
Upon hearing this, Tianlong Daoist secretly breathed a sigh of relief and said without any emotion.
“I knew you’d want to see the video, so I sent it to you before calling…” Qi Wufu said.
However—
Before he could finish speaking, Tianlong Daoist hung up the phone.
In the wooden cabin, Tianlong Daoist, with some unfamiliarity, opened his laptop, logged into his email, and opened the video Qi Wufu had sent.
The video began from the arrival of the first wave of extraterrestrial enemies until the end of the final battle. It was long, but Tianlong Daoist watched it carefully, without skipping any part.
After he finished watching the combat video from the East Sea Martial Arts Academy, the satellite phone rang again.
Qi Wufu, timing it perfectly, redialed Tianlong Daoist’s number: “Finished watching?”
“Mm.”
“Are you proud of your disciple?” Qi Wufu asked with a smile.
“Shouldn’t you and the useless folks in the Martial Department be ashamed?” Tianlong Daoist retorted coldly.
Qi Wufu: “???”
“The method and location of the extraterrestrial enemies’ arrival were completely different from twelve years ago, yet you and the Martial Department failed to prepare an adequate response. You continued to deploy heavy troops in Loulan Ancient City, and the other five regional legions lacked powerful figures, relying only on guardian teams composed of younglings to fight. This is preposterous! You should seriously reflect on this!”
Tianlong Daoist reprimanded him without reservation, “Furthermore, you should be grateful that my disciple is unharmed today, otherwise…”
“Otherwise, what?”
Qi Wufu humbly accepted the criticism and asked, continuing the conversation.
“I will demolish the Martial Department headquarters!”
Tianlong Daoist said coldly.
“…”
Qi Wufu fell silent.
He knew that his old friend was not joking and would truly do so, and furthermore, had the ability to do so.
In his estimation, his old friend's strength was likely not inferior to Zhuge Lingjun, who was considered invincible in the human realm!
“By the way, I have a question. Can you enlighten me?”
After a few seconds of silence, Qi Wufu suddenly asked.
“What?”
“In your chess game, will Wuming always remain within the Martial Department to develop, even to the point of taking over my command?”
Qi Wufu asked again, voicing a question that had been on his mind for a long time.