Inside the stone forest, Chu Xisheng had already cleaned Tie Xiaosheng's wounds and changed his dressing.
Lu Luanti also fed Tie Xiaosheng some talismanic water.
If this were the modern world, Chu Xisheng would definitely think this woman was a Jianghu charlatan.
But in this world, various miraculous powers existed.
After a dose of talismanic water from Lu Luanti, Tie Xiaosheng's condition had somewhat improved, and his high fever had slightly subsided.
Chu Xisheng then cut off a stalagmite and used a steel knife to carve out, creating a temporary stone bowl to start concocting the medicine.
He crushed all the auxiliary ingredients for the secret medicine and added them one by one.
Chu Xisheng did not hesitate to take out the Yangyang Grass Tie Xiaosheng had brought.
Although taking without asking was wrong, the urgency of the situation took precedence.
Chu Xisheng only by further enhancing his cultivation could he have more power to safeguard this man's life.
Once Tie Xiaosheng woke up, compensating him with Demon Silver would not be too late.
When the Yangyang Grass was also ground into dust and thrown into the stone bowl, a flame suddenly burst forth inside.
The medicinal properties of the Yangyang Grass were supremely yang; when mixed with the auxiliary medicine, it immediately gave off an astonishing temperature.
Just when Chu Xisheng was worried that the medicine might burn away, the flame gradually subsided, revealing a translucent, ruby-colored medicinal liquid, crystal clear and fragrance wafting.
Chu Xisheng then looked at his system panel, focusing on the characters for "Nourishing Essence Skill."
A new piece of information appeared in his mind—"You already possess the second-level secret medicine for the Nourishing Essence Skill, but have not yet achieved perfection. Would you like to use two Martial Arts Points to forcefully upgrade?"
Chu Xisheng's eyes lit up, and without hesitation, he clicked 'Yes.'
Moments later, a warm surge of Primordial Power abruptly burgeoned within him and then dispersed into his four limbs and bones.
The first layer of the Nourishing Essence Skill, which originally needed four more days to perfect, reached a perfectly harmonious state in that instant.
In Chu Xisheng's mind, another piece of information appeared—"Please consume the secret medicine."
He immediately drank the entire bowl of medicinal liquid.
In an instant, the Primordial Power inside Chu Xisheng, which had been gradually subsiding, surged once more.
His heart was pounding like a drum, as if his blood was about to ignite, and his whole body felt blazing hot.
Chu Xisheng also felt an itching sensation in all his bones as if something inside them was being released and unsealed, mixing and merging with his True Yuan.
"Hm?" Lu Luanti had initially been sitting quietly to restore her Spiritual Power.
Now, she opened her eyes in total astonishment and looked at Chu Xisheng.
It was a sign of bloodline awakening. Earlier, this fellow's Primordial Skill had still been lacking, but now he had suddenly broken through.
However, this was a good thing for both of them.
Chu Xisheng's sword was already fast; once the Nourishing Essence Skill broke through, not only would his strength greatly increase, but his Sword Speed and Reflex would also multiply several times.
She immediately stepped forward and positioned herself beside Chu Xisheng as his protector.
"Your bloodline is being unsealed; it's best to maintain your cultivation, clear your mind, stay calm, and endure for a while."
Chu Xisheng, however, felt tormented. The pain and intense itch emanating from his bones made it hard for him to endure, each day felt like a year.
While enduring, he had to maintain his focus to operate the Nourishing Essence Skill.
Fortunately, the itching and pain lasted only for a very short time; within about half a moment later, Chu Xisheng gradually recovered.
At this time, the virtual screen in his field of vision had changed again.
Character: Chu Xisheng
Reputation: Ninth Grade Subordinate (Superior)
Martial Arts: Chasing Wind Saber Technique (Second Level)
Martial Intent: Vengeful Residual Intent (First Level)
Primordial Skill: Nourishing Essence Skill (Second Level/Ninth Grade Subordinate)
Martial Arts Points: 30
Talent: Eagle Eye, Chasing Wind and Lightning Hand (First Tier)
Status: Six Yin Soul Revival Spell, Vengeance
Lifespan: 29 days
Apart from the Nourishing Essence Skill, Chu Xisheng's Chasing Wind Saber Technique also showed the second level, with his lifespan reaching 29 days.
Chu Xisheng's understanding and proficiency with the Chasing Wind Saber Technique had already reached their limits.
With the enhancement of the Nourishing Essence Skill, the Chasing Wind Saber naturally progressed to the second level.
As for his lifespan, it must be due to the significant increase in the Pure Yang Power within Chu Xisheng's body.
Unfortunately, it hadn't increased much and he hadn't even reached a month's longevity yet.
After all the pain in his bones had subsided, Chu Xisheng stood up, drew his sword, and slashed down a stalagmite beside him.
Indeed, his Chasing Wind Saber had sped up quite a bit under the stimulation of the second level Nourishing Essence Skill, by about sixty percent.
His strength had also grown, but Chu Xisheng couldn't estimate by how much as he didn't have a dynamometer.
Chu Xisheng sheathed his sword with satisfaction.
He then glanced at his "Martial Intent" section.
With just ten Martial Arts Points, he could also raise his Martial Intent to the second level.
However, after weighing his options for a moment, Chu Xisheng decided against it.
Martial Intent had a powerful effect in combat, but it also depleted his spirit, bringing both advantages and disadvantages when enhanced.
Chu Xisheng decided to wait some more as in four hours, it would be the first day of the eighth lunar month, the time for the Martial Arts Treasure Vault to refresh.
"Let's go," he said, "it's said that one should not stay long in the deep layers of the Fire Bone Cave as it attracts evil hordes."
Chu Xisheng walked to the front of Tie Xiaosheng and hoisted him onto his back.
This was a big man and not a light task for Lu Luanti to handle.
Lu Luanti couldn't help but click her tongue, "You still plan to take him with us? It's not easy for us to escape on our own, let alone with such a burden."
The Long Family had mobilized their forces to blockade the entire Fire Bone Cave, placing guards every hundred steps and sentries every two hundred steps, probably for this man.
Chu Xisheng gave a helpless smile, glanced at the sturdy man behind him, and said, "I took his medicine; it would be wrong not to save him. Besides, he is the Deputy Flag Master of the Iron Banner Gang, and his survival benefits me greatly."
At this point, his conflict with the Long Family had turned into a life-or-death struggle.
If they, brother and sister, wished to continue staying in Xiushui County, they would need the power to resist the Long Family.
Chu Xisheng thought they couldn't depend on the Police Pool of Blood, as after all, they were undercover, which made it difficult for the Police Pool of Blood to get directly involved.
So if possible, he still wanted to take Tie Xiaosheng with them.
Since the Long Family was willing to go to extreme lengths to kill this man, it indicated that he posed a significant threat to them.
Chu Xisheng believed that as long as the Iron Banner Gang could still threaten the Long Family, they wouldn't spare much effort targeting him and his sister.
In reality, Lu Luanti didn't care whether they took the man or not, as they were going to stay deep in the cave for the next few days anyway.
Since there was no fighting, carrying an extra burden didn't really matter.
She just felt sorry for Chu Xisheng, as carrying a person was very exhausting. Moreover, Tie Xiaosheng's body was as large as a bear, likely twice the weight of an ordinary person.
With his frail constitution, these recent days must have exhausted him terribly.
Chu Xisheng was oblivious to Lu Luanti's concerns as he carried Tie Xiaosheng out of the stone forest.
The weight of the man was indeed tremendous, forcing him to stop to rest every thousand steps.
Lu Luanti, on the other hand, put away her spiritual mink, held her saber in hand, and guarded beside Chu Xisheng.
She gathered her spirits and remained vigilant, cautiously watching their surroundings.
With Chu Xisheng carrying a person and thus being clumsy, he would be unable to react if something like a golden ring black snake incident occurred at this time.
Just then, they both heard the sound of babbling spring water.
The two exchanged a look and joy appeared on their faces as they followed the sound of the water.
It was said that the hot springs of the Fire Bone Cave possessed strange powers and evil creatures rarely approached them. They could rest there for a while.
But just as they drew near, Lu Luanti's expression darkened.
Indeed, there was a hot spring emitting misty white vapor ahead of them in the cave. However, on the other side of the pool, over twenty armored young men wielding weapons were approaching from the opposite side.
What particularly caught Lu Luanti's attention was a young man in blue robes, with a hawk nose and eagle eyes, carrying a long sword on his back.
Behind him were three large men in full iron armor, their faces hidden behind masks.
The sword-bearing young man seemed surprised to see them but then smiled slightly, "It seems we are in luck today, both the cart and the deputy are here."