After descending the mountain, my aloof fiancée became completely devoted to me.

For three consecutive days, Lin Ping stayed in the bedroom without leaving for a moment, guarding Shen Aoxue's bedside day and night.

Various ancient medicinal herbs were boiled into a medicinal liquid, which Alu fed to Shen Aoxue on time. Every two hours, he would transfer his powerful true energy to stabilize the girl's life force. Dark circles appeared under his eyes, and his former calm and composed expression faded away, leaving only an unyielding anxiety.

He was proficient in all medical and acupuncture techniques, ancient and modern, and was skilled in healing, strengthening the body, and expelling toxins. However, faced with the blood-red evil energy that had invaded his soul, all his methods were useless. His fingertips brushed over Shen Aoxue's bloodless cheek, and he felt a sense of powerlessness. Even as a top urban expert who had shattered the peak of martial arts, he could not protect the one he loved at this moment.

The door opened softly, and Ake slowly walked in carrying a bowl of congee. She put down the bowl, her gaze falling on the bed, and she sighed with feigned worry.

"Brother Ping, I found a fragmented ancient medical manual yesterday. It records an ancient method. By using the blood of a beloved person and supplementing it with one's own cultivation, it can guide the soul back to its rightful place. Perhaps it can dispel the turbid energy in Sister Aoxue's body."

Lin Ping paused, his brows furrowing slightly.

When he was wandering the secluded lands in his early years, he had indeed heard of this unorthodox method of feeding the soul with blood. However, since this method depletes one's vital energy and shortens one's lifespan, he never took it to heart.

As soon as she finished speaking, Zhu Xiaohan strode into the room. She had just heard what Ake said, and her face instantly turned cold. She stepped forward and stood in front of Lin Ping, staring directly at Ake.

"What are you up to? That ancient method uses one's own life essence as a catalyst. At best, it can cause a significant drop in cultivation and damage to one's foundation; at worst, it can shorten one's lifespan by ten years. Are you deliberately mentioning this to try and put the master in danger?"

Ake's eyes immediately reddened, her body trembled slightly, and her voice was choked with sobs.

"Sister Hanhan, I only saw the ancient book by chance and wanted to save Sister Aoxue. I never thought it would be so serious. My good intentions have been met with your malicious speculation."

She turned to look at Lin Ping, raised her hand to wipe away the tears from the corners of her eyes, looking weak and helpless. "Brother Ping, I really didn't mean any harm. If this method is not appropriate, we won't mention it. Please don't misunderstand me."

"Kindness?" Zhu Xiaohan's tone was even colder, each word sharp. "Knowing full well the heavy price, you still deliberately brought it up when the gentleman was in a state of mental turmoil. Clearly, you had ulterior motives!"

The two continued arguing, but Lin Ping gently pressed Zhu Xiaohan's shoulder and spoke up to stop the argument.

"That's enough. Ake was just mentioning it casually, there's no need to be so harsh."

Zhu Xiaohan grabbed Lin Ping's sleeve and pulled him to the outer corridor of the bedroom. After confirming that no one was around, she lowered her voice and urged him urgently.

"Sir, you must not try this method. Ake's intentions are impure; she is clearly trying to lure you into damaging your vital energy. Once your cultivation is damaged, with Xiaoyuer eyeing you from the outside, the women of the manor will have no one to rely on. This is a trap!"

Lin Ping looked at the tightly closed windows and doors inside the room and spoke softly.

"I know what I'm doing and won't act rashly, so don't worry."

Seeing his resolute tone, Zhu Xiaohan could only sigh inwardly and turn away to arrange the search for ancient books.

As night fell, the manor was completely silent. The women in each room had already retired for the night, and only a single candle flickered in their bedroom.

Lin Ping sat on the edge of the bed, looking down at Shen Aoxue, who remained asleep. The girl's breathing was weak, and a faint red aura lingered between her brows, refusing to dissipate for a long time.

Saving lives outweighed all his concerns. He raised his hand, took out a sharp short blade, and slowly cut a shallow wound in his palm, from which warm blood slowly seeped out.

He channeled ninety percent of his profound cultivation, along with the essence and blood in his palm, and slowly transferred it to Shen Aoxue's spiritual core. The pale golden true energy mixed with the crimson blood surged into the depths of the girl's soul through her meridians, and the blood-red malevolent energy that had been dormant for many days began to slowly dissipate upon encountering the primordial blood energy.

Half an hour later, Lin Ping withdrew his strength, and the wound on his palm healed on its own. His face was slightly pale, and his blood and energy were obviously depleted.

Just then, Shen Aoxue's eyelashes trembled slightly on the bed, her fingertips curled up slightly, and a very soft groan escaped from her throat.

Lin Ping's eyes suddenly lit up, and he leaned closer, his voice filled with suppressed excitement.

"Aoxue? Can you hear me?"

Shen Aoxue slightly lifted her eyelids, her vision was blurry, but she was still unable to open her eyes. In an instant, she fell into a deep sleep again, but the cold and evil aura surrounding her body had faded by more than half, and her vitality was obviously much stronger.

Although not fully awakened, these subtle changes are enough to prove that the ancient blood-guiding method is effective.

The huge weight that had been hanging over Lin Ping's heart lifted slightly, but his vital energy and blood had been greatly depleted, and his strength was weak. He sat quietly by the bed to regulate his breathing and stabilize his foundation.

Outside the bedroom window, a slender figure was hidden in the shadows of the flowers and trees; it was Ake, who was pretending to go back to her room to rest.

She peered through the crack in the window and saw the scene inside. Her fingers, hanging by her sides, clenched tightly. The gentle pretense in her eyes shattered, replaced by a cold and resentful glint.

She originally intended to use the ancient method to deplete Lin Ping's source of power, causing his combat strength to drop drastically, making it easier for Xiao Yu'er to lead people to surround and kill him. However, she never expected that this method would instead alleviate Shen Aoxue's soul injury.

Ake retreated silently, took out a paper butterfly, wrote a secret message, flicked her finger, and the paper butterfly broke through the night and sped towards the dense forest behind the mountain.

Deep in the forest, Little Fish stared at the secret report that had been transmitted back. His mechanical right arm clenched the metal control panel in his hand and smashed it to pieces, the ear-piercing sound of shattering echoing through the forest.

"Useless! A mere unorthodox ancient technique could only temporarily slow the erosion of the evil energy, ruining my entire plan!"

The deputy bowed and awaited instructions, not daring to utter a sound.

Little Fish paced slowly, a sinister glint in his eyes. After a moment, he stopped and let out a cold laugh.

"It's just a brief sign of awakening. The turbidity deep within his soul hasn't been eradicated. As long as he continues to replenish his energy with blood, Lin Ping's vital essence will definitely be depleted within three days. Order the high-level sacrificial cultivators brought in by the Illuminati to quietly lie in ambush around the manor tonight at midnight, awaiting the signal."

She pointed towards the main building of the manor, her tone ruthless: "When Lin Ping's energy and blood are more than half depleted, and he is exhausted and weak, everyone will storm into the manor. First, capture Zhu Xiaohan, Ade, Alu, Ake, and the other women, then trap Lin Ping, and bring Shen Aoxue back to the Earth Vein Array. Using the souls of the goddesses as sacrifices, we will completely obliterate Lin Ping's martial arts foundation!"

The deputy accepted the order and withdrew to allocate manpower for the ambush.

In the main bedroom, Lin Ping finished his meditation, and his complexion improved slightly.

He knew that this method only treated the symptoms, not the root cause. Each blood transfusion would damage his own foundation, and frequent use was not a long-term solution. But for the time being, he had no other choice.

The door was gently pushed open, and Adele entered carrying a nourishing soup for replenishing qi and blood. She glanced at Lin Ping's slightly pale face, her brows furrowed, and she quickly stepped forward.

"You used methods that deplete your very essence?"

Lin Ping did not hide anything and nodded truthfully, saying, "The ancient method is effective. Ao Xue has already shown signs of awakening, but it only treats the symptoms, not the root cause."

Adele handed him the medicine bowl and gently advised, "Prolonged exposure to this will cause too much damage; your body will collapse. The ancient texts of Southern Xinjiang have not yet found a cure. The Holy Maiden of Lingyun Mountain is proficient in the Dao of Soul Arrays; perhaps only she can completely dispel the evil energy."

As soon as she finished speaking, Alu entered the room carrying a newly compiled ancient book and softly echoed her words.

"Lingyun Mountain is a long way away, and the route is full of Illuminati sentries. If you go alone, the manor will be unguarded, and Little Fish will definitely take the opportunity to launch a surprise attack."

Faced with this dilemma, Lin Ping stroked the rim of the bowl with his fingertips, his mind heavy with emotion.

Just then, Zhu Xiaohan's hurried footsteps came from outside the door. Holding a tattered ancient book, she rushed into the room with a solemn expression.

"Sir, I have searched through all the secret scrolls left in the Southern Frontier and found a crucial clue! The blood energy of the earth veins is invading the soul. Apart from the Blood Guide, which can temporarily slow it down, only the Spirit Cloud Mountain's Soul-Suppressing Array can completely purify it. However, Spirit Cloud Mountain has recently set up an isolation array, making it impossible for outsiders to enter."

The candlelight flickered, and everyone remained silent.

On one side is Shen Aoxue, who is in a coma and urgently needs a cure; on the other side are Xiaoyuer and a large number of Illuminati cultivators who could cause trouble in the shadows at any time. The four women in the manor who are attached to him are all his weaknesses.

Lin Ping lowered his eyes to look at Shen Aoxue, who was slightly better on the bed but still unable to open her eyes, and secretly gathered strength in his palm.

He had been hiding his true strength for many days, not wanting to reveal his full power. But now he was being restrained at every turn. If he continued to be patient and yield, everyone around him would be in danger.