A Hard-Won Victory and an Unexpected Encounter

This world, while a realm of cultivation, did not bestow upon those in the Core Formation stage the same world-shattering abilities often depicted in the cultivation novels of his previous life.

Strictly speaking, it was a world of medium-to-high martial prowess.

Therefore, the ability to control swords with spiritual energy was uncommon.

Xia Niansheng dared to release his sword precisely because he had learned this technique from the [Records of Immortal Cultivation Anomalies].

There was simply no other way.

Despite his rebirth and the remarkably swift pace of his cultivation in this life, he had, after all, only been back for about half a month.

Achieving a breakthrough to the Core Formation stage already represented the greatest progress Xia Niansheng could possibly make in terms of cultivation within such a short span.

Even with meticulous planning, the disparity in strength was not something easily overcome.

Facing a Great Completion Core Formation cultivator while only at the Minor Completion stage, especially when the opponent’s foundation was no weaker than his own, clearly made strategic cunning the optimal approach.

This outcome was precisely what he had anticipated.

Though it appeared perilous, his victory had been assured, and he possessed other trump cards he was unwilling to reveal just yet.

Seated on the main platform, Qiu Yan felt Xia Niansheng’s rather fervent gaze, and for once, a rare flicker of discomfort stirred within her.

‘This boy… merely a hard-won victory, and he believes himself worthy of my special regard?’

‘Or, perhaps, from another perspective, is my high opinion truly that important to Xia Niansheng?’

This audacious gaze was, in truth, somewhat presumptuous to Qiu Yan, almost as if he were declaring his conquest of her judgment.

Yet, she found herself not repulsed.

On the contrary, Qiu Yan was surprised to find her heart beating with an unusual rhythm.

Senior Aunt Xue descended from the referee’s stand to the stage, announcing Xia Niansheng’s victory.

The cheers were unceasing.

Zhu Yingying remained cradled in Xia Niansheng’s arms.

The next instant, Zhu Lianqiu appeared on the stage, her expression impassive.

Zhu Lianqiu was a woman of exceptional grace, and perhaps owing to her motherhood, the allure of a mature woman radiated from her, even more pronounced than that of Qiu Yan.

At this moment, her delicate brows were slightly furrowed.

However, she had not come to protest on her daughter’s behalf; a loss was a loss.

“Thank you for showing restraint; Yingying owes you her gratitude.”

Zhu Lianqiu fixed a profound gaze upon Xia Niansheng, then extended her hand, spiritual energy gently lifting Zhu Yingying and drawing her from Xia Niansheng’s embrace.

With that, she departed, carrying the unconscious Zhu Yingying.

Xia Niansheng’s gaze once more sought out Qiu Yan’s position, as if he intended to speak, but then…

“Pfft—” Xia Niansheng spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, collapsing into unconsciousness.

Fortunately, Senior Aunt Xue was standing nearby, and he fell directly into her arms.

Qiu Yan herself had never imagined that upon witnessing Xia Niansheng’s collapse, her heart would momentarily seize with alarm.

However, the very next second, seeing him fall into Senior Aunt Xue’s embrace…

Even more critically, she detected a trace of genuine anxiety on Senior Aunt Xue’s face.

‘What is going on?’

‘Senior Aunt Xue…’

‘Xia Niansheng…’

Unconsciously, Qiu Yan’s hand, hidden beneath her robes, clenched into a fist.

A peculiar, inexpressible sensation suddenly stirred within her, a feeling she found difficult to attribute to any specific cause.

****

The spacious room was permeated with the bitter aroma of traditional Chinese medicine.

A pretty young girl gently helped the unconscious man, whose right side was wrapped in bandages, to sit upright, then brought a bowl of herbal medicine to his lips.

The man’s brow furrowed slightly, the bitterness in his mouth causing an instinctive rejection.

“Clang—”

Startling awake, Xia Niansheng instinctively swung his hand, knocking over the entire bowl of medicine.

“Ah…”

Hearing the startled cry, Xia Niansheng propped himself up, his head still swimming, and looked to the side.

It was a pretty young girl…

‘Where am I…?’

Before Xia Niansheng could fully gather his thoughts, another voice spoke from the side.

“Are all you Blood Sword Mountain disciples so impolite?”

At these words, Xia Niansheng gradually cleared his head, opening his eyes to survey his surroundings.

The layout here… seemed to be an infirmary.

He instinctively raised his hand, only for a sharp pain to lance through his right arm.

“Your arm just got injured; it’ll probably take ten days to half a month to heal, so don’t move around carelessly.”

It was the same young girl who had been feeding him medicine, now bent over, wiping up the spilled herbal broth with a rag.

Xia Niansheng remembered…

He had won against Zhu Yingying in the sect competition, and after Zhu Yingying’s mother took her away, he had subsequently fainted.

And now he was here.

‘Did Senior Aunt Xue bring me?’

‘So that means…’

Xia Niansheng’s mind slowly sharpened.

This was indeed the Marvelous Medicine Mountain of the Heavenly Spirit Sect.

Marvelous Medicine Mountain served as the entire Heavenly Spirit Sect’s apothecary, where disciples could typically come to collect hemostatic medicines or simple healing elixirs.

Disciples also occasionally received tasks related to gathering medicinal herbs during their regular missions…

However, this was Xia Niansheng’s first visit to Marvelous Medicine Mountain.

Not that Xia Niansheng had never been injured before; it was simply that Duan Xi Shen possessed her own private apothecary.

She would also provide simple treatments whenever Xia Niansheng was injured.

Moreover, Xia Niansheng vaguely sensed that Duan Xi Shen held no particular fondness for Marvelous Medicine Mountain.

‘It’s probably another one of their elders’ old grievances.’

Xia Niansheng looked up to see a stunning woman seated by the window, clad in simple, elegant robes, a bamboo slip in her hand as if she were perusing something.

Her calm demeanor, sitting there earnestly reading the bamboo slip, exuded an intellectual beauty.

Recalling her name, Xia Niansheng quickly spoke.

“Disciple Xia Niansheng greets Elder Tan.”

Tan Qingxi, an elder of the Heavenly Spirit Sect and the master of Marvelous Medicine Mountain, was also the sect’s only third-grade alchemist.

Despite her status as an elder, she, like Duan Xi Shen, disliked appearing in large gatherings.

Marvelous Medicine Mountain had few disciples, most of whom focused solely on medicine or alchemy, rarely participating in disciple competitions.

Tan Qingxi finally raised her head, her gaze falling upon Xia Niansheng, a hint of playful amusement in her smile.

Ignoring Xia Niansheng’s deferential greeting, she suddenly remarked,

“No wonder Duan Xi Shen took you as her disciple.”

Xia Niansheng was momentarily stunned, knowing full well that she wasn’t praising his politeness after his thanks.

‘Why did Duan Xi Shen take me as her disciple…?’

‘Wasn’t it because of my Blood Spirit Physique?’

Few knew about his Blood Spirit Physique, yet Tan Qingxi had discerned his unique constitution with a single glance.

‘Indeed, worthy of being a healer…’

As Xia Niansheng pondered, the young girl who had been standing nearby had already finished cleaning the floor where Xia Niansheng had spilled the medicine, and now returned with several paper packets.

“Here’s your medicine, once a day for ten days,” the young girl chirped.

“Oh…” Xia Niansheng took the medicine with his left hand.

The young girl appeared to be under fourteen, with a childlike face and an air of precocious maturity, making her seem especially endearing.

She was likely Tan Qingxi’s personal disciple.

The young girl then stared directly at Xia Niansheng.

Xia Niansheng offered a gentle smile. “Is something wrong?”

“You’ve got your medicine, why aren’t you leaving? Can’t you tell Master doesn’t welcome you?”

“…”

Xia Niansheng retracted his earlier thought about her being cute.

However, there was no point in arguing with a child, especially since they weren’t acquainted, and he had indeed caused an inconvenience.

Xia Niansheng put on his upper garment and got out of bed, a little strained but not overly difficult.

He then glanced at Tan Qingxi, who was still looking down at her bamboo slip.

“Then this disciple shall take his leave.”

“Wait.”

Xia Niansheng had already turned to depart, but Tan Qingxi called out to him.

Tan Qingxi looked at him, her eyes still holding that playful amusement.

“You must hold a special significance for Duan Xi Shen, don’t you?”

…