Deception
With Yang Haoran's help, the internal chaos Xu Meijing suffered from the backlash was successfully stabilized. Without this hidden danger, she had one less fatal obstacle to her breakthrough.
What Yang Haoran could do was merely to regulate Xu Meijing's condition. For her subsequent breakthrough, he couldn't offer any assistance. Whether Xu Meijing could break through, and how long it would take, was entirely up to her.
"Do you still have the Pharmacist's Medicine I gave you? If you've used it all, I have more here."
Yang Haoran asked, and Xu Meijing nodded softly.
How could Yang Haoran forget Xu Meijing when it came to such a valuable item as Pharmacist's Medicine? After he acquired various medicines from Feng Xiao, he had sent some to Xu Meijing, including Pharmacist's Medicine and Dānyào.
In their current situation, both their physical bodies had sustained a certain degree of damage. At this moment, consuming the healing medicines prepared and refined by Feng Xiao would be entirely beneficial, with no harm.
The two immediately took out the Pharmacist's Medicine and, depending on the severity of their injuries, consumed the appropriate amounts.
In comparison, Xu Meijing's injuries were not as severe as Yang Haoran's, so she only took one drop of the healing Pharmacist's Medicine. Yang Haoran's injuries were much graver, hence he consumed two drops.
The wounds on Yang Haoran's body weren't gushing blood because he had temporarily sealed them with Spirit Power.
Although no fresh blood spurted, his wounds were still far from healing. However, now that he had taken the Pharmacist's Medicine refined by Feng Xiao, the wounds on his body were actually beginning to close.
It was the same for Xu Meijing. Although she didn't have many external injuries, the internal damage caused by the backlash was still severe. After consuming the Pharmacist's Medicine, her damaged internal organs immediately began to rapidly repair themselves.
Time passed, second by second. Yang Haoran focused entirely on healing his injuries and restoring the depleted Spirit Power within his body, while Xu Meijing devoted herself wholeheartedly to her breakthrough.
During the previous battle, Yang Haoran had taken a Soul Pill. Even after he brought Xu Meijing to hide in the cave, the Soul Pill had not been fully refined, so after taking two drops of the Pharmacist's Medicine, he did not consume another Soul Pill.
An hour later, Yang Haoran's complexion gradually regained its healthy flush, his power fluctuations intensified, and his condition steadily improved.
Xu Meijing's condition also underwent a dramatic change. Although the power fluctuations emanating from her body remained erratic, fluctuating between strong and weak, and their frequency increased rapidly, the look of pain had vanished from her face, replaced by an expression of intense seriousness.
Everything was progressing favorably. If this continued, it would only be a matter of time before Yang Haoran recovered to his peak state and Xu Meijing successfully opened her Earth Soul.
However, the Great Spirit Caller, who was intent on finding them, surely wouldn't want to see this unfold.
The quiet cave suddenly shook violently. Yang Haoran and Xu Meijing, who had enjoyed an hour of undisturbed peace, simultaneously opened their eyes at that moment.
Neither heard the booming sounds, for a restrictive barrier was present within the cave. As long as this barrier remained unbroken, no external sounds would penetrate the cave's interior.
The violent shaking of the cave at this moment could only indicate one thing: the large mountain where the cave was located must have come under fierce attack. The entire mountain was trembling, and the cave within it was naturally no exception.
Though Yang Haoran and Xu Meijing had not witnessed it firsthand, they both knew exactly why the mountain had suddenly come under such a fierce assault.
Yang Haoran stood up, then pressed down on Xu Meijing, who was trying to rise.
"You've only just managed to stabilize yourself. Don't get involved. Leave what's outside to me."
Xu Meijing looked up at Yang Haoran, seeing his face calm and relaxed, a faint smile playing on his lips.
She knew perfectly well that Yang Haoran's inner turmoil was nothing like the ease he displayed. Their opponent was not merely a Spirit Master, but a Great Spirit Caller. Although Yang Haoran was formidable, the disparity in power compared to a Great Spirit Caller was immense, and the psychological pressure he faced was unimaginable.
"You alone are absolutely no match for him."
Xu Meijing's brows furrowed slightly, and a worried expression flickered in her eyes as she spoke.
"Haha, of course, I know I'm no match for him. But I'm not trying to kill him. I just want to buy you more time."
Yang Haoran habitually wore a faint smile, feigning an easygoing demeanor as he spoke.
Xu Meijing's brows did not relax because of Yang Haoran's words; on the contrary, they furrowed even deeper. She wanted to say something more, but at that moment, the cave began to shake with even greater intensity.
"Now isn't the time to talk about this. You know my personality—I wouldn't actively seek death. Since I've decided to do this, I definitely have my reasons and plans, so you don't need to worry about me."
Yang Haoran said with a smile, then extended his right hand to wipe the bloodstains from Xu Meijing's face.
Since some time had passed, the blood on Xu Meijing's face had already dried. Ordinary methods would have been utterly incapable of wiping away the bloodstains, but his right hand, enveloped in Spirit Power, easily erased the marks from her face.
Though the wiping wasn't entirely thorough, some traces of blood remained in places, but it was much better than before.
Xu Meijing watched Yang Haoran silently, saying nothing. She seemed to want to engrave his image deeply into her mind.
Her heart was in turmoil at this moment. She had placed all her attention on Yang Haoran, utterly failing to notice that a talisman, a Ground-Escaping Talisman, had suddenly appeared in Yang Haoran's hand resting on her shoulder.
"Focus on your breakthrough with peace of mind. I'll handle everything!"
Yang Haoran spoke with a smile, but his words tasted bitter to Xu Meijing. She had said those very words to Yang Haoran before, yet now, not only had she failed to live up to them, she had become a burden to him. For someone as proud as her, this was a significant blow.
It was at this very moment that Yang Haoran suddenly slapped the Ground-Escaping Talisman in his hand onto Xu Meijing's shoulder.
The instant the talisman landed on Xu Meijing's shoulder, Yang Haoran's body recoiled, creating some distance between them.
Yang Haoran's sudden movement caused Xu Meijing's expression to change. Her heart jolted in alarm, but before she could react, the Ground-Escaping Talisman, activated by Yang Haoran, ignited on her body and instantly turned to ash.
At the same time, the restrictive barrier within the cave rapidly tightened and shrank. Under Yang Haoran's control, the barrier treated him as if he were nothing, passing directly through his body, encapsulating only Xu Meijing within its confines.
Xu Meijing realized what was happening. Her expression instantly became anxious. She wanted to say something to Yang Haoran, but before the words could even leave her lips, the power of the Ground-Escaping Talisman took effect, forcibly dragging her underground.
Gazing at the spot where Xu Meijing had vanished, Yang Haoran still maintained a faint smile, but his smile had subtly changed, becoming somewhat strained.
And in his eyes, an unmistakable reluctance had appeared.
"If you stay here, not only will it hinder your breakthrough, but it will also make your situation extremely perilous. Rather than having you remain, it's better for you to leave. That way, I can feel a little more at ease."
Yang Haoran's mumbled words drifted from his lips, and as his voice faded, a cold voice immediately echoed from outside the cave.
"Will you crawl out to your deaths yourselves, or shall I invite you out?"
Yang Haoran was not unfamiliar with this voice; it belonged to the Great Spirit Caller.
Yang Haoran shifted his gaze from where Xu Meijing had disappeared and looked towards the cave entrance.
Without the slightest hesitation, his figure flashed, and he shot out of the cave.
The instant he burst from the cave, he waved his hand, setting up a protective barrier to seal the entrance.
Xu Meijing had already been teleported elsewhere by him via the Ground-Escaping Talisman. Now that he had left the cave, there was naturally no one inside. Yet he still expended Spirit Power to seal the cave, with only one purpose: to deceive the Great Spirit Caller.
Just now, when he forcibly teleported Xu Meijing, he hadn't directly dispelled the restrictive barrier that enveloped both of them. Instead, he had contracted and shrunk the barrier, making it affect only Xu Meijing. By doing this, he had sent Xu Meijing away without anyone knowing, so, logically, the Great Spirit Caller should be unaware whether Xu Meijing was still inside the cave.
It was precisely because he had considered this point that Yang Haoran, after rushing out of the cave, theatrically sealed the entrance, intending to use this method to mislead the Great Spirit Caller.
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