After being jilted by the saintess at the beginning, why is she crying?

Core Formation cultivation, ancient formation, powerful Gu worms, endless tricks... What exactly happened to this kid?

But the facts are undeniable, and he can't deny them.

Lin Fengmian is no longer someone he can easily manipulate.

He took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing the murderous intent and resentment in his heart.

He secretly crushed a communication jade tube, sending a secret order to the elders and disciples of the Xiao family faction—

"From this day forward, no member of the Xiao family shall ever again provoke Lin Fengmian! Their own safety must be the top priority!"

After the secret order was issued, the gloom on his face eased slightly, but the resentment in his eyes grew even stronger.

Behind the main hall lies a tranquil courtyard.

Chu Qingyi summoned Lin Fengmian here.

The courtyard is small, shaded by green bamboo, with a stone table and benches, and a few delicate flowers swaying in the wind. The afterglow of the setting sun shines through the gaps in the bamboo leaves, casting dappled light and shadow on the ground.

The two stood facing each other, and a subtle silence fell over them.

Finally, Chu Qingyi spoke first. She lowered her eyes slightly, her voice much gentler than usual, carrying a rare hint of apology:

"Lin Fengmian... it was wrong of me to keep my identity a secret from you before. But... I did have my own reasons."

As she spoke, she looked up at him, and her once clear and cold eyes now held something indescribable.

Lin Fengmian was taken aback by her direct apology, paused for a moment, and then waved his hand, saying:

"Elder, you flatter me. Your status is so noble, why bother explaining these things to me?"

"No, I must say it." Chu Qingyi looked at him, her tone solemn.

"The sect was able to turn the tide this time thanks to the great formation you set up, and also thanks to your courage in stepping forward today, which boosted the morale of the entire sect."

She paused, then lowered her voice slightly:

"Tell me, what reward do you want? I'll grant you anything I can do."

Lin Fengmian had intended to make a casual joke, after all, this Supreme Elder was usually cold and aloof.

It's rare to see him like this.

But as the words were about to come out, his gaze inadvertently swept across her face—

That exquisitely beautiful face now bore the pallor of someone still recovering from a serious illness.

There was a hint of fatigue between his brows, and his breathing was much weaker than usual.

She forced herself to take charge, and her injuries were clearly quite severe at this point.

Lin Fengmian's heart tightened slightly, and he swallowed back the joke that was about to come out.

Just then, the aged voice in his mind reappeared, tinged with an impatient excitement:

"Young friend! Hurry! Go quickly! This girl's internal injuries are becoming uncontrollable, and her very essence is crumbling!"

Now is the perfect opportunity for you to unleash the power of your Pure Yang Sacred Body! Cultivating with her will not only stabilize her injuries, but will also greatly benefit you! Don't miss this chance!

"You old bastard! Shut up!"

Lin Fengmian cursed inwardly, "If you dare to spout nonsense again, believe me, I'll torture you right now!"

Li Cheng, that old fellow, shrank back immediately after being shouted at, and dared not utter another word.

Lin Fengmian took a deep breath, suppressing the inexplicable irritation in his heart. He sank his mind into the Frozen Cave Heaven, and his divine sense swept across the spiritual field, quickly locking onto his target.

The next instant, he raised his hand, and a strange little grass, shrouded in spiritual energy and with leaves like solidified ice crystals, appeared in his palm.

The herb was pale blue, with veins as clear as frost, and as soon as it appeared, it emitted a refreshing and invigorating chill.

He handed the medicinal herb to Chu Qingyi, his tone deliberately casual:

"We can talk about rewards later. Focus on stabilizing your injuries first. You look terrible, so pale."

Chu Qingyi's gaze fell on the spiritual herb. She was slightly taken aback at first, then her beautiful eyes widened suddenly, and she exclaimed in surprise:

"This is... the ancient spiritual herb, Ice Heart Soul-Gathering Grass?!"

She almost thought she was seeing things, so she quickly looked closer—

Its leaves are like frost crystals, its roots like jade, its coldness is contained within yet its vitality is boundless. It is a sacred healing medicine that has been extinct in the cultivation world for hundreds of years!

"Where...where did you get this?!"

She couldn't help but look up at him, her eyes filled with shock.

The Ice Heart Soul-Gathering Grass is generally ineffective against physical injuries, but it has a near-miraculous effect on unstable cultivation caused by damage to the soul!

Her current condition is due to the fact that forcibly suppressing the central core of the great formation aggravated her old injuries.

This leads to the continuous dissipation of the soul's essence. If this continues, a drop in cultivation level would be the least of it; it could even jeopardize the very foundation of one's being!

But Lin Fengmian just casually took it out?!

"Why ask so many questions? Just use it when I tell you to."

Lin Fengmian's tone remained curt as he shoved the spirit herb into her hand, turning his head away from her.

"Take it to treat your wound quickly, don't try to tough it out!"

Chu Qingyi held the cool spiritual herb in her palm, looking at his profile—clearly concerned but deliberately putting on a fierce expression.

Something gently touched the softest part of my heart.

He was clearly concerned about her, but he had to put on this impatient act.

She lowered her head, looking at the incredibly precious spiritual herb in her palm, and a warmth she had never felt before welled up in her heart.

With this Ice Heart Soul-Condensing Grass, she was more than 70% confident that she could stabilize her soul injury, and might even turn misfortune into blessing, breaking through the bottleneck that she had not been able to overcome for many years.

She gave him a deep look, then refrained from further pleasantries, keeping her complex gratitude buried deep in her heart, and softly replied:

"it is good."

Meanwhile, a hundred miles away.

Elder Tang of Yinshan Palace, Elder Du of Tianmo Sect, and Elder Luo of Tianjian Sect, all three of them, covered in dust and grime, led their remaining troops to safety. Their faces were so gloomy they could drip water.

Elder Tang looked at the remnants of his army around him, his hands clenched so tightly that the veins bulged:

"Of the hundreds of disciples of my Yinshan Palace, less than 30% have survived! I will settle this score with them!"

Although Elder Du was not dead, he was covered in wounds, his face was ashen, and his voice was trembling.

"Fellow Daoist Luo... this Joyful Union Sect is too strange! That kid is even more bizarre! We can't fight him head-on anymore!"

Elder Luo looked at the mess and corpses on the ground, still feeling a lingering fear, his forehead covered in cold sweat.

He took a deep breath and gritted his teeth, saying, "You're right. This defeat is beyond our control."

Without hesitation, he turned and shouted hoarsely at the remaining disciples:

"Everyone who can still move, retreat a hundred miles immediately! Quickly! Report the situation here to the Heavenly Star Alliance in detail! We await a decision from the leaders of the Heavenly Star Alliance!"

Upon receiving the order, the remaining allied troops felt as if they had been granted a pardon, scrambling and crawling away as if they wished they had two more legs.

In the blink of an eye, they withdrew completely, leaving behind only a chaotic battlefield and corpses scattered everywhere.

Lin Fengmian watched Chu Qingyi enter the inner hall, and saw her sit cross-legged, place the Ice Heart Soul-Gathering Grass in her palm, and begin to guide the medicinal power into her body with her spiritual energy. Only then did he let out a long sigh of relief.