Lucas swore under his breath as he tried to heal the young woman lying in front of him. Her condition was dire, her body covered in injuries and her spiritual energy passages disturbed. He knew that healing her in the usual way was not going to work.
"I've read about the meridians in the books at the Lim family's mansion," he thought, "but I can't fix this by myself. If only it was a mana circuit like Pearl's, but no such luck." He initiated a skill to slowly heal her wounds, but he knew it was only a temporary fix.
"I need to find the source of this curse," he thought, "or I'll have to use a spell to rebirth her body's condition, but that would be a last resort. It would cost me a significant amount of mana and potentially damage my plans for reserving my mana for emergency situations."
Hours passed as Lucas tried to find a solution, but he couldn't shake the question from his mind: why was the young woman's spiritual energy in such disarray? Meridians were the pathways of spiritual energy in a person's body, and if they were disturbed, it was like being in a vegetative state.
"I don't have any technique to see her meridian, I can only rely on my eyes fueled by my third energy," he thought. "If only I didn't hesitate." He had a limited ability to see the woman's body condition, relying on his eyes and fueling them with his third energy.
Luck was on his side, and he was able to get a small glimpse into the woman's meridians. As more time passed, he tried every remedy he could think of. But even after manipulating his Qi to the woman's meridian, he still couldn't find the answer he was looking for.
Lucas stood over the woman, his mind in a flurry of doubt and indecision. Was it worth risking his own condition to save her? He was once the most powerful person in his world, but the curse that plagued this woman had thrown all of that into question. Not only were her meridians damaged, but the curse had also stripped her of her ability to heal herself.
As a cultivator, Lucas was well-versed in the power of healing, but the three variables of this woman's condition were beyond his comprehension. He felt frustrated by his limited knowledge, and his thoughts kept wandering.
Taking a deep breath, Lucas tried to focus on the task at hand. He had a spell that could potentially heal the woman, but it would come at a great cost to his own future. If all went well, the abundant spiritual energy he would gain from this healing would be worth the risk.
With a wry smile, Lucas made his decision. "I'll take the risk," he whispered to himself, his eyes closing as he began to chant the spell.
He summoned his third energy to fuel the spell, hoping that the spiritual energy within it would help to heal the woman's damaged meridians. As he spoke each syllable of the spell, he visualized the magic circle in his mind, using his pure mana to power the healing process.
Hours passed as Lucas devoted himself to healing the woman, using every ounce of his energy to help her recover. It was a draining process, and by the end, he was exhausted.
But as he stood over the woman, now breathing peacefully, Lucas couldn't help but feel grateful for the opportunity to help. This stranger had taught him a valuable lesson - that sometimes, the best plans are the ones that are allowed to unfold organically, rather than being forced into a preconceived mold.
After draining his third energy pool, he connected the spell to be fueled by his core. A chunk of his energy was immediately sipped by the spell… making him lightheaded for the whole time.
Lucas pronounced the last piece of the spell and the last symbol in his head. He gasped for air, feeling lightheadedness skyrocket after almost draining his energy.
He caressed his head when he saw the lady lift his body to sit. Little surprised that she recovered so quickly, but it was understandable since he used a spell to rebirth her body's condition.
"Thank you for saving me… If you don't mind, can I ask you how I can pay you back?" He heard her muttering some words.
Lucas tried to shrug off the lightheaded feeling he got. He looked at the lady properly to focus on her and fixed his head on her.
"Don't mind it…" He said before trying to move, but he was weak enough to almost fall. Luckily, he was caught by the lady.
"Please. Tell me how I can pay you back." She insisted.
Lucas was silent for a moment, registering the lady's offer. "I really don't know."
For a brief moment, they were covered in silence. Lucas also thought that everything was spinning from his perspective. As for knowing if it was really worth it, Lucas didn't really know what would make the lady worth the trade.
He was like a drunkard looking at a fine lady. His eyes were rolling up and down, and he couldn't remain still in front of her.
"How about this... I'll assist you in ascending to the Upper Heaven?"
It was as if he'd become deafened.
Lucas was familiar with the different realms for immortals and the strongest cultivators who had attained godhood. So, when he heard the young lady's offer, he was caught off guard.
"What did you say?" he asked, his voice low and filled with disbelief.
"I will help you ascend to the Upper Heaven," the young lady repeated a hopeful gleam in her eye. "After that, my gratitude is good. Do you think it's enough?"
Lucas was too exhausted to think straight. The spell had drained him of most of his energy and he was feeling lightheaded. He leaned heavily on the young lady's shoulder.
"I don't know," he mumbled, "Sorry, I feel like I'm drunk."
The young lady smiled and gently patted his head. "Please, let me help you. You risked your body and energy to save me, and I want to repay that kindness. I don't know how you did it, but I'm grateful to you."
Lucas listened to her words, still leaning on her shoulder. He felt embarrassed that he was relying on a stranger, but he was too tired to stand on his own.
"Why are you so sure I risked my life for you?" he asked, his voice slurring. "It's kind of embarrassing for me to admit that I put myself in danger for a stranger."
The young lady just smiled, her eyes shining with gratitude. "I don't feel anything but gratitude right now. Your kindness has lifted me out of the despair I was feeling earlier."
Lucas nodded, finally registering her name. "I'm Lucas. Nice to meet you," he said before passing out.
"I am Felicity Zhu. The pleasure is mine," Felicity replied, her heart filled with hope.