Chapter 46

Du Shao naturally saw that the person who had sworn was Li Dong. She glanced at him briefly before turning her attention back to Lin Du.

“I think I’ve touched some barriers to advancement. After returning, I’ll enter seclusion to establish my foundation. Lin Du, wait for me to master acupuncture, and I’ll treat your heart.”

Lin Du waved her hand. “I’m fine. Besides, my senior brother is here. You should have heard of him; his name is Jiang Liang.”

Du Shao had indeed heard of him. It was said that Jiang Liang only saved those who were on the brink of death and refused anyone with even a sliver of vitality left. His nickname was “The Living Judge.”

If Jiang Liang said someone couldn’t be saved, then they surely could not be saved.

“I’ve heard that Jiang Liang is best at alchemy and has never used acupuncture or other techniques. I’ll learn it myself. Take good care of yourself, and maybe one day, I can help you with those difficult and complicated issues.”

At that moment, Du Shao looked as she did when they first met, with a gleam of hope for the future in her eyes. It was as if the jade and stone she once kept hidden in a pouch were now like crystals sparkling under the sunlight, their brilliance visible and flowing.

Lin Du tilted her head and thought for a moment. “Alright, I’ll wait for you to finish learning.”

She didn’t really care whether they could save her, as she could save herself. But everyone needs something to hope for.

Standing beside Lin Du, Xia Tianwu blinked slightly but did not speak.

“Freind Lin.”

A hoarse voice called out, causing the five people standing in a row to turn their heads in unison towards the source of the sound, while three trails of white mist also turned in the air.

“Wow, Daoist, you’ve really made a mess of your face,” Yuan Ye said with wide eyes.

The reason was simple: the person in front of them looked quite tragic.

Half of his face was swollen and bruised, with clear finger marks on his neck. From the body alone, he might still look like a handsome young man, but his face made him look like… a pig demon.

The young man’s eyes slowly moved, landing on Lin Du. Even though his facial muscles were immobile, he still looked extremely aggrieved.

Lin Du suddenly reached out and grabbed Xia Tianwu’s wrist. “Second Nephew, could you help me? Do you have any medicine for bruises and blood stasis? I accidentally injured this Daoist from the Guiyuan Sect, Taoist Wu Xi, in the secret realm.”

She paused for a moment, adjusting her facial expression to appear more sincere. “I didn’t expect that just one punch would cause such severe injury. It was truly unexpected. After all, he seems to be of higher cultivation than me, so he should recover quickly.”

Wu Xi felt something was off as he listened, his chest rising and falling more heavily.

Although his soul had been suppressed at the time, he could still hear Lin Du’s words.

Lin Du clearly aimed to kill him, so how did it become just “one punch” in her words?

Xia Tianwu shifted his gaze to Wu Xi. “My junior uncle has been cultivating for less than a year, and he’s still young and lacks control. Please forgive him. It seems that your nose is also slightly misaligned; it needs to be corrected.”

He said this, apologized, and then walked over to the bruised and swollen person with a cold, detached expression, as if looking at an inanimate object.

The young man stepped back in fear and stammered, “N-no need, the Guiyuan Sect has its own medical practitioners.”

Xia Tianwu, with an expressionless face, reached out and pinched his nose. With a crunching sound, he stepped back, checked to confirm it was corrected, and then carefully cast a cleansing spell on himself. He took out two jade bottles and a small ointment.

“This is a pill for activating blood circulation and reducing bruises, an ointment for facial injuries, and a liquid for throat treatment. After taking these, please avoid drinking water for a while.”

Wu Xi expected some torment but was surprised when the cold-faced celestial being withdrew her hand before he could even make a sound.

“I-I didn’t come to hold Freind Lin accountable.”

Lin Du stepped forward, appearing extremely docile, completely different from the cold, sinister demeanor she had when she had him by the throat. It was as if the menacing aura that had erupted in that moment was merely a dream amidst his confusion, with only the lingering pain in his throat proving otherwise.

“Daoist Wu, I had my Second Nephew provide you with medicine out of goodwill. Although the situation at the time was forced, it still injured you. I, Lin Du, never wish to owe anyone.”

As she spoke, she produced a purple-gold hand warmer with burning coals and handed it to Xia Tianwu. “Warm your hands.”

This person had been possessed by a vengeful spirit and carried its resentment. Xia Tianwu, having touched his face, would have also picked up some of this. She didn’t want Wu Xi to notice Xia Tianwu’s special fire for now.

Xia Tianwu took it, somewhat surprised, but didn’t ask Lin Du about her intentions, maintaining his usual cold and unchanging demeanor.

According to the original plot, Wu Xi would notice Xia Tianwu’s special fire at a competition in the Zhong Zhou.

At this point, Wu Xi had not yet reached the Form a pill stage, and the first major plot point was still far off.

However, Lin Du wanted Xia Tianwu to remember Wu Xi as this pig-headed figure every time he was mentioned.

“Freind Lin, I’m here to challenge you.”

“In the secret realm, I was not in control of my body. I want to have a proper fight with you. At the Zhong Zhou’s Heroic Meeting nine years from now, let us settle it then.”

Due to being strangled nearly to death, with damaged vocal cords and a swollen face, Wu Xi spoke in a particularly muffled way.

Lin Du squinted, glanced at the three steaming teapots behind her, and asked, “What did he say?”

“It seems he wants to fight you,” Yuan Ye replied.

Lin Du nodded. “But I specialize in formations. Daoist Wu, do you misunderstand?”

Formation masters rarely participate in arena fights; it’s a long-standing rule in the cultivation world. Over the years, only mediocre formation masters and Lin Du’s master, Yan Ye, participated in arena fights, and of course, they didn’t use formations in battles.

Wu Xi, however, ignored this. He took out a challenge letter, inscribed his seal with spiritual power, wrote Lin Du’s name, and performed the action with practiced ease, as if he had done it countless times.

Lin Du thought: What kind of person carries a pre-written challenge letter with just the name left to fill in? This must be a frequent occurrence.

The young man held the challenge letter with both hands and then bent forward. “Please accept the challenge, Freind Lin.”

Before Lin Du could react, the challenge letter flew towards her face at high speed.

Lin Du instinctively leaned back, reached out, and pinched the letter between her middle and index fingers. The letter then quickly absorbed her aura.

Wu Xi straightened up. “Since Daoist has accepted, we will meet again then.”

“I hope that by then, Daoist will have reached the Form a pill stage. Otherwise, I will feel that my victory is unearned.”

After saying this, he turned and left, his back appearing exceptionally vigorous.

Lin Du remained in the position of holding the letter, turned to look at the small teapot, and asked, “What did he say?”

“He looks down on you,” Yuan Ye dutifully translated. “He says you might not reach Form a pill in nine years and fears he might win unworthy.”

“In other words, he wants you to spend nine years to at least catch up with him,” Yan Qing added.

Lin Du looked puzzled. “Wu Xi, a sword cultivator ten years older than me, is not only taking advantage but also looking down on me?”

“Junior Uncle! Beat him up next time!” Ni Jinxuan responded immediately.

Lin Du turned to Xia Tianwu. “Second Nephew, how long does it usually take for our sect’s disciples to reach Form a pill?”

“At least five years, at most twenty years.”

The period from the first to the second stage is about shedding the mortal coil, from the second to the third stage is about attaining enlightenment, and reaching Form a pill means initial success in pill refinement, freedom in flight, and extended lifespan. Thus, progressing from the Qinxin state to the Tengyun state is a major hurdle for all cultivators.

Lin Du said, “Alright, I understand. I’ll reach Form a pill by next year. Wu Xi better reach it immediately, or it will be considered my victory.”

Before Lin Du could make more threats, another person approached her with a challenge letter.

Lin Du raised her hand to her forehead and gave the person a glance.

Yuan Ye understood and said, “Another challenge letter for my junior uncle? There’s already a line of people wanting to fight her stretching from here to our Ding Jiu City.”