"Hoo, hoo."
Xu Yi lay on her back in a wormhole, her bones feeling as though they had been taken apart and reassembled, leaving her sore and weak.
She had finally escaped that vengeful Iron Claw Mountain Eagle.
She had fought the eagle for three days and three nights, finally managing to slip away by using a hastily set up Maze Array to obscure its vision.
Although this battle had been dangerous, it wasn't entirely without benefit.
For instance, even without taking any elixirs, she could feel a gentle force repairing the bones within her body.
This sensation wasn't unfamiliar; she had experienced a similar force the last time she ascended the Tower of Ascension.
The spiritual energy within her, which had remained stable, had also shown a slight increase.
Though the increase was minuscule, it gave Xu Yi hope for a breakthrough.
With a thought, Xu Yi conceived a rather audacious idea.
She seemed to have found the key to her breakthrough.
Xu Yi's plan was simple: after recovering, she would seek out other demonic beasts to fight, ideally taking hits with her body, and then use the golden light energy within her to heal.
This, she believed, would be the fastest way to improve her strength.
Having found the method for breakthrough, Xu Yi's mind relaxed. Combined with the warm energy within her, she felt a wave of drowsiness wash over her.
She forced herself to stay alert, setting up a defensive barrier around herself, before her consciousness plunged into darkness.
...
Somewhere in the Realm of Giants.
Wei Jiu lay in Wei Qingshan's arms, his eyes unfocused, saying intermittently, "Miss... I'm going to die... I, I... *cough*..."
As he spoke, he coughed up large clumps of bloody foam.
A gaping hole had opened in his abdomen, his dark red organs faintly visible.
"Wei Jiu! You won't die! You must not fall asleep!"
Wei Qingshan, devoid of her usual calm composure, her hair disheveled, pressed a hand against Wei Jiu's wound while frantically retrieving spirit elixirs from her storage bag.
Heaven's blessing, she hadn't expected the spirit elixirs she'd bought not long ago to be put to use so quickly.
She suddenly remembered the mysterious female stall owner.
She had said the elixir was only sold to those destined for it.
Had she predicted that she and Wei Jiu would encounter danger in the Realm of Giants?
Wei Qingshan felt a growing sense of reverence for the stall owner.
She removed the jade stopper, and a refreshing medicinal fragrance wafted outwards.
Wei Jiu, whose consciousness was already hazy, widened his eyes again. He stared intently at Wei Qingshan, his hidden affection for her no longer able to be concealed.
He believed this was a final burst of energy before death, his purpose to confess his feelings to his Miss before he passed.
If so, he was determined to utter the words he had never dared to say before his breath gave out.
"Miss... *sniffle*."
However, the moment he opened his mouth, Wei Qingshan forcefully stuffed a round spirit elixir into it.
"Wei Jiu, you will be alright, you will be alright."
Wei Qingshan hugged Wei Jiu's body, murmuring to herself, strands of her hair clinging to her temples, damp with sweat.
Wei Jiu swallowed the elixir and attempted to continue his unfinished words, his expression suddenly changing, letting out a hoarse, desperate cry.
"Ah!"
It felt as if a large hand had entered his abdomen, violently churning his internal organs.
The excruciating pain made his consciousness blur, and his body curled up in agony, veins bulging on his skin.
"Wei Jiu! Wei Jiu!"
Wei Qingshan was stunned by the sudden turn of events.
This shouldn't be happening. It shouldn't be.
What she had given Wei Jiu was the Rejuvenation Elixir, known for its excellent healing properties.
Yet, Wei Jiu's reaction was more akin to consuming a highly potent poison.
A thought struck her. She picked up the jade bottle, brought it to her nose, and sniffed gently.
Beneath the refreshing medicinal fragrance, there was an extremely potent spiciness, entirely different from any Rejuvenation Elixir she had encountered before.
Had she been deceived?
The jade bottle slipped from Wei Qingshan's grasp and fell to the ground, her eyes burning with a shocking hatred.
It was all her fault. Wei Jiu had warned her that the person was a fraud, yet she had stubbornly believed the person to be a reclusive expert. She had bought a bottle of poison for ten high-grade spirit stones, and now she had harmed Wei Jiu.
Wei Qingshan let out a pained whimper, her arm trembling slightly.
If Wei Jiu dies, I, Wei Qingshan, swear to find that deceiver, no matter the cost, and make her pay with her life.
"Ah!"
Wei Jiu tilted his head back and roared again, his eyes now inexplicably filled with a layer of blood.
"Wei Jiu! I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!"
Wei Qingshan rushed forward and tightly embraced the trembling Wei Jiu, tears welling in her eyes.
Wei Jiu had been injured protecting her, and now he was suffering such torment because of her.
Wei Qingshan felt as if countless small insects were gnawing at her heart, causing her unbearable pain.
A few moments later, Wei Jiu's struggles gradually ceased, and the blood-red eyes slowly closed, his expression becoming serene and natural.
"Wei Jiu!"
Wei Qingshan, who had always adhered to family rules, finally couldn't help but weep uncontrollably, tears streaming down her face.
Her cries were filled with a moving sorrow.
Memories related to Wei Jiu flashed through her mind.
Wei Jiu had been her personal guard. Ever since she founded her Qi at eighteen, Wei Jiu had been by her side, an ever-present shadow.
It could be said that Wei Jiu was an unforgettable presence in her life.
This time, when she went to the Realm of Giants, she had left the clan behind to find the Shadowless Slug for her elder brother, accompanied only by Wei Jiu.
Wei Jiu had initially tried to stop her but had been forced to accompany her to this place.
If not for her stubbornness, Wei Jiu would not have died.
"I'm sorry..."
Wei Qingshan choked back a sob, a single tear rolling down her cheek and landing on Wei Jiu's eyelid.
She reached out to wipe away the tear, but as her fingers touched Wei Jiu's eyelid, she felt a slight movement.
To her stunned gaze, Wei Jiu slowly opened his eyelids. "Don't cry..."
It pains me.
"Waaaaah, Wei Jiu!"
Wei Qingshan hugged Wei Jiu even tighter, bursting into tears again.
However, this time, her eyes held no trace of her previous fierceness.
Wei Jiu looked up at Wei Qingshan, his lips curving upwards with difficulty.
Half an hour later, Wei Qingshan, blushing, examined Wei Jiu's wound. She discovered that the large hole in his abdomen had already healed by more than half, and his fractured bones had also rejoined.
In a few more days, Wei Jiu would be able to move freely again.
"Wei Jiu, we misunderstood that stall owner. Her Rejuvenation Elixir actually possesses such miraculous effects."
Wei Qingshan picked up the jade bottle again, carefully wiping away the dust that had settled on it, and placed it back into her storage bag with great care.
Thanks to this Rejuvenation Elixir, Wei Jiu had been saved.
Thinking of how she had slandered the stall owner earlier, Wei Qingshan's face turned even redder.
"Mm," Wei Jiu replied softly, his expression also somewhat unnatural.
He had previously considered her a fraud, yet her elixir had saved his life. His perspective had been too narrow.
If he were to meet the stall owner again after leaving the Realm of Giants, he would personally apologize to her.