The Comatose Boy

The Realm of Heaven, the Eastern Continent, the Eastern Sea Region.

To the east of the Realm of Heaven lies a vast expanse known as the Eastern Continent, an independent world imbued with a profound, ancient aura.

Within the maritime domain of this continent lies a colossal archipelago, roughly a third the size of Earth’s Asia, isolated and self-contained—this is the Eastern Sea Region.

Seven distinct nations divide this land among themselves: the Zhao, Chen, Qin, Song, Chu, Han, and Liang.

These seven kingdoms have maintained their dominion over the Eastern Sea Region for nearly three thousand years.

Before that time, this region was a desolate place, devoid of human habitation.

The Chen was the first nation to rise, and legends claim that the ancestors of these seven kingdoms were originally exiles from the mainland of the Eastern Continent.

The Eastern Continent is a world that reveres cultivation above all else.

It is a land of spiritual practitioners who dedicate their lives to the pursuit of immortality.

These cultivators stand high above the mortal coil, secretly steering the destiny of the secular kingdoms, and the Eastern Sea Region is no exception to this rule.

Sects and factions are as numerous as the trees in a forest here.

At the convergence of the Chen, Chu, and Qin borders lies a mystical sanctuary known as the Eternal Blossom Island.

True to its name, the island enjoys a perpetual spring, forever cloaked in vibrant flora.

It is the sovereign territory of the Luoshen Sect, one of the seven great powers of the Eastern Sea Region.

The seven great sects—the Luoshen Sect, the Heavenly Warrior Sect, the Nine Mysteries Gate, the Blazing Blade Hall, the Sky Sword Sect, the Five Elements Sect, and the Heavenly Pillar Sect—are the true rulers behind the veil.

Each sect supports a secular nation, effectively governing the region through them.

The relationship between the Chen Kingdom and the Luoshen Sect is particularly intimate, though cultivators rarely interfere in mortal affairs without cause.

The Eternal Blossom Island is vast, a landmass cradled by an endless sea of flowers.

Amidst this floral ocean, pavilions and towers rise faintly into view, clustered particularly around the island’s heart.

There, within a colossal valley, stands a towering purple blossom tree, hundreds of zhang in height.

Its trunk is so massive that it would take ten adults linking arms to encircle it.

The architecture is woven seamlessly among the colorful trees, creating a scene of breathtaking, almost dreamlike beauty.

Women in varied, elegant attire move through the valley, marking this place as the core of the Luoshen Sect.

Viewed from the heavens, the Eternal Blossom Island resembles a giant whale resting upon the waves.

As dusk settled, painting the sky in hues of orange and purple, a figure glided across the western horizon like a gentle breeze.

Carrying a child in her arms, she descended gracefully into the eastern sector of the Luoshen Sect.

She was a vision in white, her face veiled, exuding the aura of a classical beauty.

Her slender form and radiant eyes identified her as Bai Yiren, the Mistress of the Fallen Immortal Pavilion, a peak-stage Nascent Soul cultivator and a Grand Elder of the sect.

Upon landing, Bai Yiren lowered her gaze to the child in her arms.

The boy appeared to be eight or nine years old, his features exquisite yet marred by an unhealthy, sickly pallor.

It was difficult to tell at a glance whether he was plagued by illness or severe injury.

Moments after her arrival, two young women, appearing to be around seventeen or eighteen, emerged from a nearby pavilion.

These were Bai Yiren’s personal disciples.

The first, possessing a cold and aloof demeanor, was Ximen Xue, a cultivator at the peak of the Golden Core realm.

The second, vibrant and cheerful, was Luo Yuyan, an early-stage Golden Core cultivator.

“Teacher, you’ve finally returned? You were away on your cultivation journey for quite some time.”

Luo Yuyan paused, her eyes widening.

“Oh? You brought a child back with you?”

She had been ready to complain about her teacher’s prolonged absence, but the sight of the child silenced her.

Noticing her disciples’ curiosity, Bai Yiren did not obscure the truth.

“I discovered him on an isolated island during my travels; he seemed gravely injured, so I brought him back.”

Her voice turned stern and cool.

“Remember, you must not speak of this to anyone.”

The two disciples exchanged glances and nodded solemnly, well aware that their teacher’s command was absolute.

Bai Yiren then swept into the pavilion, her disciples trailing closely behind.

“Teacher, is it a boy or a girl? He looks quite adorable,” Luo Yuyan remarked, leaning in for a closer look as they walked.

“A boy,” Bai Yiren replied calmly.

The disciples froze.

“A boy?” Luo Yuyan exclaimed in shock.

Ximen Xue immediately frowned.

“Teacher, this doesn’t seem appropriate. The sect has strict rules forbidding males from entering the sanctuary,” she reminded Bai Yiren.

Bai Yiren remained unmoved by the reminder.

“Rules are made to be broken, Xue. Cultivators are human, are we not? I could not simply leave a dying child to his fate.”

Her expression was grave as she challenged her disciple’s rigid logic.

Ximen Xue lowered her head, reflecting on her teacher’s words, and chose not to press the issue further.

Bai Yiren carried the boy into her private residence, placing him gently onto a bed before checking his pulse.

As a high-level cultivator, she was well-versed in medical arts and quickly assessed the child’s internal state.

After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, she pulled her hand back.

“Teacher, how is he? Is the injury serious?” Luo Yuyan, unable to contain her anxiety, inquired.

Bai Yiren did not answer immediately, her brow furrowed in deep concern.

“He suffers from weakened blood essence and traces of residual divine force ravaging his body.”

She sighed softly.

“Furthermore, a rib is missing from his chest, right where the Heavenly Gate is located. This child originally possessed a rare cultivation constitution, but someone used a secret technique to extract his Divine Bone and siphon his Divine Blood.”

Her eyes flashed with a cold light.

“Who could be so cruel as to employ such vile methods on a mere child?”

Her words struck the two disciples like thunder.

“What? How could such a thing happen?”

Luo Yuyan gasped, horrified.

“Teacher, are you saying this little boy had his Divine Bone ripped out and his blood stolen? That is the agony of heavenly punishment! It is a miracle he is even breathing!”

Her face filled with compassion as she looked down at the unconscious boy.

As a cultivator, she understood the sheer torment such a violation entailed.

“I do not know who is responsible; such extraction techniques are beyond even our sect’s capabilities,” Bai Yiren said somberly.

“This child’s background must be extraordinary. The loss of the Divine Bone has shattered his spiritual foundation, and his blood loss is critical. If we do not replenish his essence immediately, he will not survive the night.”

The gravity of the situation left the disciples in awe.

“Teacher, the Blood Transfer Technique will greatly damage your own cultivation base. Is it worth it?”

Ximen Xue stepped forward, anxious.

“Besides, the technique only works between those with compatible blood energy.”

Cultivators’ blood was precious, containing their life essence; excessive loss could permanently damage their foundation.

“There is no question of worth,” Bai Yiren replied, her voice heavy but resolute.

“I have already checked, and my blood is highly compatible with his. If I do not act, he dies. I cannot allow that.”

With her mind made up, Luo Yuyan and Ximen Xue knew they could not interfere.

As time passed, the crimson transfer of energy flowed, and the child’s paper-white complexion gradually turned rosy, a sign of returning vitality.

Minutes later, Bai Yiren ceased the transfusion, withdrew her power, and sealed the wound.

She swayed, appearing weak and almost stumbling as she stood.

Her disciples rushed forward, supporting her arms to prevent her from falling.

“Teacher, are you alright?” they asked in unison.

Bai Yiren shook her head gently.

“I am merely drained. I need rest.”

She glanced at the sleeping boy.

“You two watch over him. His life is preserved, but the trauma of the bone removal has severely damaged his soul. I do not know when, or if, he will ever wake.”

The disciples nodded dutifully.

“Yes, Teacher. We will notify you the moment he stirs,” Luo Yuyan promised.

Bai Yiren retreated to her secluded meditation chamber, leaving the two disciples to tend to the boy.

Once she was gone, the sisters sat by the bedside.

“Senior Sister, who do you think this boy is? I feel Teacher’s sacrifice wasn’t just out of random kindness,” Luo Yuyan wondered aloud.

“Do you not see? Teacher said their blood was compatible. Perhaps this boy is connected to Teacher by blood,” Ximen Xue speculated.

Luo Yuyan remained puzzled; they knew little of Bai Yiren’s past, having always believed her to be an orphan.

Days turned into months, and months into years, yet the injured boy remained in a deep slumber.

Due to the sect’s strict laws, he was kept hidden within the Fallen Immortal Pavilion, his existence known only to Bai Yiren and her two disciples.

Initially, the sisters were hesitant given the gender difference, but they eventually grew accustomed to caring for him.

They took turns watching over him, and just like that, three years passed.

The boy, now a youth, was sustained solely by the sisters’ care and Bai Yiren’s periodic infusions of spiritual energy.

Despite the uncertainty of his recovery, Bai Yiren remained steadfast, determined to preserve his life as if driven by a compelling, unspoken reason.

Three years later, in a secluded underground ice chamber beneath the Fallen Immortal Pavilion, a figure dressed in the robes of a Luoshen disciple lay still.

Though the figure appeared to be a girl of eleven or twelve, closer inspection revealed it was the boy Bai Yiren had rescued.

He had grown during his slumber, and his old clothes no longer fit.

Lacking male clothing within the all-female sect, Luo Yuyan and Ximen Xue had dressed him in female attire, focusing on his warmth rather than the implications.