“Haaah~ So you actually trust that old woman? What if she’s just trying to trick you?”
Wu Yan (Inner) crossed her legs and let out a long yawn.
“She had no reason to lie to me.”
“Oh~”
In response to Wu Yan’s answer, Wu Yan (Inner) just smiled.
Back in the Illusionary Realm, she had watched everything and everyone from an omniscient perspective. Even if Xia Lingshuang had called this big idiot over to give her a reward, judging by her reaction, she and Yu Qingyao were definitely hiding some secret.
Walking along the main path, Wu Yan didn’t return to her residence. Instead, she left Zhuqu Peak and headed toward a familiar place.
Even now, in the summer, when the mist that had once shrouded the other main peaks had already dissipated, that place remained wreathed in clouds and fog.
Wu Yan climbed from the base to the halfway point, passed through a lush medicinal herb field, and stopped in front of Tingquan Cottage.
The Wunian sword at her waist swayed with her movements, and the white sword tassel on its hilt swung accordingly.
“Who is it, who is it!”
A lively voice came from behind the door. With a creak, Su Qianqian’s face appeared.
“Huh?! Eldest Senior Sister!”
Seeing that it was Wu Yan, Su Qianqian’s slightly chubby little face lit up with extreme surprise. Her hands almost reached out to touch Wu Yan.
“Where did this crazy girl come from?”
Wu Yan was startled by Su Qianqian’s unrestrained actions. She hadn’t expected someone so timid in the Illusionary Realm to be so bold after returning to the Piaomiao Sect.
“Hehe, Eldest Senior Sister, you smell so good~ Kind of like a lily scent!”
Wu Yan reached out and pressed her hand against Su Qianqian’s forehead, stopping her from pressing closer. The warmth she felt through her palm told her something was off. The blush creeping onto Su Qianqian’s face confirmed it.
Wu Yan’s calm voice echoed in the courtyard.
“Miss Lin, is this your doing again?”
“That’s not quite right.” At the end of the corridor, Lin Wan’er walked slowly forward, holding a bowl of medicinal soup that was still emitting black steam. “Senior Sister Su and I are currently contributing to the great path of medicine. I’m in charge of making the medicine, so poor Senior Sister Su has to be the taste tester.”
Today, Lin Wan’er wore a loose, light green pharmacist’s robe with her sleeves rolled up high, revealing arms as fair and tender as lotus roots.
“So what do we do now?”
Seeing Su Qianqian completely disoriented, grabbing Wu Yan’s hand and about to bite down, Lin Wan’er reacted quickly. With a silver needle, she jabbed Su Qianqian’s back. Su Qianqian wobbled a few times and then collapsed, unconscious.
“Just let her sleep it off,” Lin Wan’er said casually, casually pushing the bowl of medicine toward Wu Yan. “Look at my leftover medicine…”
“Some other time.”
Wu Yan carried Su Qianqian on her back and headed for the room.
After settling Su Qianqian in bed, Wu Yan went to the main hall. By then, Lin Wan’er had already brewed her a cup of tea.
“You’re quite the star now, Senior Sister Wu.” Lin Wan’er took a calm sip of tea. “So famous that I almost forgot you’re a heartless person who only shows up when you’re injured and unconscious, always promising to come back but never once visiting me on your own.”
The word “heartless” might have been a bit harsh, but everything else in her words was true. Wu Yan didn’t argue.
“So, what brings you here this time? Are you really planning to give up your position as the Grand Senior Sister of the Piaomiao Sect and come back with me to be my experiment partner?”
Lin Wan’er widened her apricot eyes, her pigtails swaying.
“I want to get a checkup.”
At the words “checkup,” the light in Lin Wan’er’s eyes burned even brighter than when she had been fantasizing earlier. Wu Yan had only seen that look once before—when she had come out of the Cangwu Secret Realm and stayed here recovering for ten days or half a month.
Lin Wan’er licked her lips, her smile growing sweeter, sending a chill down Wu Yan’s spine.
“Don’t worry, Senior Sister Wu, you know my skills~ I’ll take good care of you!”
“Hold out your hand.”
Lin Wan’er placed Wu Yan’s hand on a pulse pillow and took out a long black needle as thin as a hair from her needle case.
With a flick of her wrist, the needle pierced precisely into Wu Yan’s wrist.
Immediately, a tingling numbness spread from her wrist through her entire body.
Lin Wan’er twisted the needle’s tail between her thumb and forefinger, channeling wood-attribute spiritual power from the needle’s tip into Wu Yan’s body.
Her expression shifted from initial ease, to puzzlement, and finally to excitement.
She yanked the needle out, grabbed Wu Yan’s hand, and her eyes seemed to blaze with fire.
“I knew it! You really are the perfect test subject!”
Her fingers rubbed against Wu Yan’s forearm as she muttered words bordering on harassment. “Such a perfect body, such smooth lines…”
Wu Yan (Inner) felt an itch on the top of her head, as if something was about to pop out.
“This seat wants to kill her right now.”
“Ahem.”
Lin Wan’er’s excitement was interrupted by Wu Yan’s cough. She immediately let go of Wu Yan’s forearm and returned to a serious demeanor.
“But physical strength alone isn’t enough. I need to check whether your Soul Origin has suffered further damage.”
Lin Wan’er had Wu Yan take off her shoes and lie on the bed. Then, from a corner, she took out a bronze mirror engraved with runes and hung it above Wu Yan’s head.
“This is called the ‘Spirit-Shining Mirror.’ It’s a secret treasure of Medicine King Valley. Paired with our unique formation, it can examine your Spirit Soul from a distance.”
As she spoke, Lin Wan’er opened an exquisite jade scroll, on which thirty-six silver needles of varying lengths were neatly arranged.
“The process might make you a bit dizzy, but don’t move, okay~ If you get poked into an idiot, you’ll have no choice but to come back to Medicine King Valley with me!”
“Begin.”
“Got it!” Lin Wan’er smiled like a demon, but her hands were as steady as a mountain.
In a flash of silver light, with a few swish sounds, the thirty-six silver needles were precisely inserted into Wu Yan’s body.
Hum—
Spiritual power flowed through Lin Wan’er, and the bronze mirror above Wu Yan’s head suddenly lit up, casting a soft pillar of light that enveloped her.
Then, a cyan pillar of light surged from the top of Wu Yan’s head, shooting upward at an incredible speed.
“Oh my god…”
Lin Wan’er stared in shock at the pillar of light above Wu Yan’s head, not even noticing the pen that had fallen from her hand.
The cyan pillar pressed against the bronze mirror’s surface, causing it to tremble continuously.
Finally, with a crack, the bronze mirror couldn’t take it anymore and shattered on the ground.
“Soul Transformation stage Spirit Soul strength… unbelievable…”
Lin Wan’er was awestruck. It was the first time she had seen someone at the Golden Core stage with Spirit Soul strength at the Soul Transformation stage.
“Next item!”
After the Spirit Soul strength test came the Soul Origin test.
She had already witnessed it last time she treated Wu Yan.
Even with the help of the Soul Shaping Grass, they hadn’t been able to fully repair her Soul Origin. This time, she didn’t hold out much hope.
“Huh?”
As Wu Yan showed her Soul Origin to Lin Wan’er, Wu Yan (Inner), who had been by her side the whole time, suddenly sensed something and let out a puzzled sound.
As Lin Wan’er expected, Wu Yan’s Soul Origin hadn’t improved at all. It was still in the same state as after the last treatment—in fact, it had even worsened slightly.
Lin Wan’er tapped the notebook in her hand, her tone different from her previous mania. Now she was in full physician mode.
“Your body and Spirit Soul strength are impressive, but your Soul Origin remains a problem. Last time, the Soul Shaping Grass kept you alive and repaired nearly half of your origin space. However, you’ll need to minimize Spirit Soul use in the future to prevent further unnoticed damage to your Soul Origin.”
By the time Wu Yan returned to her room from Medicine Peak, it was already deep into the night.
The cicadas outside the window chirped incessantly, and the cool night breeze blew through the open window into Wu Yan’s room, bringing the refreshing chill of a summer night.
Wu Yan took out the bottle of Top-grade Heart-Clearing Pill that Mo Wentian had given her, swallowed one, and fell asleep.
Soon, her breathing became deep and steady.
Moonlight fell on the brush stand on the desk, casting dappled shadows on the floor.
Time passed slowly.
At the third quarter of the Zi hour, everything fell silent.
Wu Yan, who had been fast asleep, suddenly opened her eyes.
There was no drowsiness upon waking, nor the usual coldness.
Instead, in her ink-black pupils, there was an indelible scarlet dot shadow.