Qian Shaojie was startled. Did the medicinal effect of the pill need to be guided by spiritual energy? Wasn't it enough to just swallow the pill and be done with it?
But since Zi Linling said so, it must be necessary. He just needed to follow her instructions.
Qian Shaojie had a hunch that if he did as Zi Linling said, there would be an unexpected surprise.
But how to guide it?
Zi Linling had already guessed Qian Shaojie's question, so her voice rang out at the opportune moment.
"Wrap the bone-setting pill with spiritual energy and send it directly to the fractured area!"
Upon hearing this, Qian Shaojie quickly sank his consciousness into his body, wrapped the bone-setting pill with spiritual energy, and sent it to the site of the bone fracture.
Then, he withdrew his spiritual energy and watched as the medicinal effect of the bone-setting pill gradually melted into the crack between the bones.
Two breaths later, the crack was enveloped in white light and began to heal at a visible rate.
Qian Shaojie was overjoyed. He nimbly got up from the ground and said to Zi Linling with a grin, "Sister-in-law, your method is really effective!"
He had originally thought that even with the help of the bone-setting pill, it would take at least one or two sticks of incense to recover.
Now, following Zi Linling's method, it took less than ten breaths.
Zi Linling nodded and said, "Yes, spiritual energy guidance can ensure that the medicinal effect of the pill is not lost, thereby maximizing its efficacy."
This was something she had discovered in the "Alchemy Chapter" of the "Human Emperor's Medicine Codex."
Overjoyed, Qian Shaojie moved closer to Zi Linling and flatteringly said, "I didn't expect sister-in-law to know so much. I hope sister-in-law will take care of me more in the future, so much more!"
He didn't realize that Ye Lingyuan's face turned cold because he was too close to Zi Linling.
Zi Linling said exasperatedly, "Stop your merchant-like demeanor! Speak, what happened just now?"
Qian Shaojie scratched the back of his head and said with a苦涩 face, "I don't know either. I just felt a great force hit me, and then that happened."
"Oh? You didn't find anything?"
Zi Linling said disbelievingly.
As a shrewd merchant, Qian Shaojie possessed exceptional observational skills, so he should have been able to detect some clues.
Qian Shaojie shook his head with a bitter expression.
Zi Linling's brows furrowed, and she then turned to Mu Qingyan and asked, "What about you? Did you find anything?"
Mu Qingyan was startled, seeming not to expect Zi Linling to look at him suddenly.
His face flushed slightly, and he said, "As soon as I stepped onto the stairs, I felt a powerful force pressing down on me. Then, I felt my spiritual energy being sealed, followed by a strong repulsive force pushing me out."
Spiritual energy sealed?
Zi Linling's brows furrowed.
It seemed that these stairs were indeed as Ye Lingyuan had said, peculiar!
With pressure, repulsive force, and the ability to seal spiritual energy, what kind of terrifying place was this?
She looked at Ye Lingyuan as if asking for an explanation.
Ye Lingyuan shook his head. The reason he said the stairs were peculiar was that they could evade his divine sense.
As for what exactly was going on, he did not understand.
"Elder Du, do you know what this place is?"
Elder Du cautiously released a wisp of his divine sense, perceived the surroundings, and shook his head. "I cannot use my divine sense to perceive this place, so I cannot see its entirety and cannot make a conclusion."
"Even you can't?"
Zi Linling exclaimed.
Elder Du shook his head and said, "I can't either! But I can feel that this place is very strange. Be careful, you should retreat if necessary."
Strange!
Elder Du actually used such a word.
Zi Linling's brows furrowed even tighter.
Retreat? This was not the style of her Ghost Hand Poison Doctor persona, and moreover, her curiosity was already piqued.
Once her curiosity was ignited, she had to figure it out, otherwise, she would not be able to rest or eat in peace.
As for the saying "curiosity killed the cat," she couldn't care less.
She would go for it!
Zi Linling gritted her teeth fiercely and said, "I'll try!"
Saying that, she lifted her foot and stepped onto it.
"I'll go with you!"
Ye Lingyuan flashed and stepped onto the stairs almost at the same time as Zi Linling.
A tremendous force pressed down from above them.
Zi Linling was prepared and concentrated her strength at her waist and the soles of her feet, allowing her to maintain an upright posture.
Ye Lingyuan's brows furrowed imperceptibly, and he stood steadily beside Zi Linling.
They nodded at each other and then simultaneously attempted to circulate their spiritual energy.
As expected, their spiritual energy was sealed.
If someone else were here, they would surely panic.
But what were Zi Linling and Ye Lingyuan? Would they easily lose their composure?
Even without spiritual energy and the ability to use divine sense, so what?
One was the young master of the ancient martial Zi family, and the other was the God of War of Tianqi. Defeating them would require a price.
This might be what they call "boldness born of skill."
Zi Linling and Ye Lingyuan exchanged another glance and nodded in unison.
Suddenly, they felt a strange energy scan through their bodies.
"Hmm, this is not repulsive force!"
This thought flashed through both of their minds simultaneously.
At this moment, a woman's voice echoed from above the stairs.
"Identity verification passed. Please present the key!"
The voice was devoid of emotion, somewhat like the robots in Zi Linling's previous life's world.
A key? What key?
Didn't Mu Qingyan say they would be repelled? Why weren't they repelled?
Wait!
The voice just said, "Identity verification passed"?
This meant that Qian Shaojie and Mu Qingyan were repelled because they failed the identity verification?
Zi Linling and Ye Lingyuan, being intelligent individuals, quickly grasped the key point.
But what was this key?
"Identity verification passed. Please present the key!"
The cold voice repeated itself.
A key?
What did this key look like?
Zi Linling thought for a long time but couldn't figure it out. She subconsciously looked at Ye Lingyuan and said, "Do you know about the key she mentioned?"
Ye Lingyuan pondered for a moment, then shook his head.
"Identity verification passed. Please present the key!"
The cold voice sounded for the third time.
Zi Linling and Ye Lingyuan exchanged another glance and nodded tacitly.
Then, Ye Lingyuan took Zi Linling's hand and intertwined their fingers.
"No key!"
"No key!"
Their voices rang out simultaneously.
"Oh? Are you seeking death? How dare you trespass into the Shrine of Vengeful Spirits without a key?"
This time, it was no longer the cold robotic voice, but a sinister male voice.
The voice was laced with anger and a hint of contempt.