Light seeped through the gap it found through his eyelids. Gaining his consciousness back, he shut his eyes tight as if to reject the sudden light.
Rubbing his eyes, he opened them little by little. His eyes met with a bright sphere of yang energy hovering over his head.
Yang Quan was sitting beside him with closed eyes. He had held onto Yang Ding's wrist and was frivolously channeling his life force through his veins. The very process made Yang Ding refreshed and hastened his healing.
The energy of someone from the Ling Unification Realm has vast effects on someone like him, who was reduced to the True Profound Realm.
"Brother Quan, I am fine now."
Yang Quan opened his eyes.
Seeing his brother well and fine, he was nothing but joyous.
"Ah, I thank the heavens for your safety! Now I can rest in peace."
Yang Ding got up and stretched his arms. His body had turned stiff after the backlash from the system.
Then Yang Ding checked his veins for his Qi. It was still as insignificant as someone at the True Profound Realm.
"Yeah, I am alive but... but I have reduced to a weak mortal."
"Ah," Yang Quan wanted to reject that but stopped realizing that it was indeed the case.
Before, he doubted his expertise in judging one's cultivation. But, after checking it several times, he was sure that Yang Ding indeed was suffering from a backslash and a heavy one at that.
"Brother, let us leave this place. I don't believe it houses the treasure that we were looking for."
"Yes, that seems to be the case. Even the mural indicated that the treasure was indeed this curse that I have received. We should go back, however..."
Yang Ding shakes his head.
"However?" Yang Quan inquires.
"I cannot go back to the position of sect patriarch in this state. I am a weakling now. And I cannot back off either, it will lead to a severe power struggle in our sect, and it will eventually fall into the hands of the five Great Clans. All I can do for now is hide"
"What are you getting at? Whatever your wish, brother I, Yang Quan, will always stand by your side."
"Yeah, I know. I trust you, Yang Quan."
Yang Ding walked forward to where the mural was. He rubbed his hands on the mural where his own blood had clotted into a black mess.
"I will stay here, Yang Quan," He spoke, "You go back and take the sect with you. Tell them that I have found further leads for the treasure and am chasing that. In my absence, you will lead as the temporary patriarch."
"As you wish, brother."
Yang Ding took out a scroll from within his clothes and started inscribing it with his Qi. In minutes the whole scroll was endowed with red alphabets that appeared out of thin air. Yang Ding rolled the scroll back and handed it to Yang Quan.
Yang Quan accepted it and bowed.
"This is the decree that will serve as proof of my words. If you show this to others, they will follow you without questions."
"I will do so. But... But brother, where do you wish to go?"
Yang Ding shakes his head.
"I don't know yet, but I can't return to the sect unless I have reclaimed my strength. For now, I will find a way to do that!"
Yang Quan suddenly jumped to a realization. He scrounged his clothes trying to find what's on his mind. His hands finally took out a brown pouch from inside his clothes. He reached out his hands, pushing the pouch further, its white laces jiggled in the air.
"Brother, if regaining strength is your objective, then these might help."
Yang Ding took it and checked the contents of the pouch.
In it, a bunch of Jade-fallen Ice Soul Pellets kept in store. It breathed a fresh breeze of yin aura. The lavender smell it gave off, along with its chilling presence, made its identity noteworthy.
"This?"
"Keep it brother, you will need them more than me. You can always repay me later."
Yang Ding shakes his head.
"I see. I will never forget that"
"Then, brother, I will take my leave."
Saying so, Yang Quan left the room.
After he left closing the door behind him, Yang Ding could hear faint noises that seeped through the door.
"Everyone! Our patriarch has instructed us to leave the ruins and instructed me with the safe depart. Everyone prepare yourself we will be leaving in a moment." Yang Quan was shouting on top of his voice.
That was the only voice audible enough for Yang Ding to get his ears on.
After which, Yan Ding's ears felt true silence in those chambers. He didn't despair though, he needed some personal time to sort out actually what happened with him and what he will be doing to gain his strength back.
He lifted his hands. On the back of his palm, a symbol of Tai Chi Symbol was embedded as if it was part of his very skin. He tried channeling his Qi through his palms, but he couldn't get rid of it no matter how much he refined his body.
Maybe his cultivation level wasn't high enough for him to purify this symbol yet.
One thing he was sure of was that the backslash was caused by this very Tai Chi Symbol.
He shook his head.
He has more important matters to focus on at hand than this.
He took a Jade fallen Ice Soul Pellet and put it inside his mouth, and began channeling the yin energy through his veins. At least by consuming this Pellet, he will get enough Ying energy to break into the first sage of the Ice Profound Realm.