Eddie paused as he prepared to perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, glancing at Princess Jean and Laura, the city lord of Falling Flowers. He grabbed Princess Jean's hand, "You do it!"
"I, I, I don't know how!" Princess Jean panicked, her hands shaking.
"It's simple. Pinch the nose, cover the mouth with yours, and breathe into it. Take a big breath, try to inhale as much as you can, then breathe it in.
After two breaths, Laura, you start chest compressions. Put your palms together, don't press too hard, don't break the ribs...
The ratio of breaths to compressions is 2 to 30. What are you waiting for?" Eddie realized he only knew the theory; if not counting the time he saved Laura, he had never really tried it.
"I don't know how either!" Laura bent over in panic, her hands trembling, betraying her inner turmoil.
"Idiot, do it yourself... If you don't try, how can they? This is life-saving, not a joke, idiot. I'll do it!" The mysterious beauty, seeing everyone's helplessness, took the initiative to compress Mother Grace's heart, while Princess Jean also leaned over, but she couldn't manage to blow air properly. Seeing it wasn't working, Eddie took over the rescue himself.
This was about saving a life!
He had to save Mother Grace, nothing else mattered now.
He removed the mysterious beauty's veil and placed it over Mother Grace's lips, then leaned down to breathe into her. Eddie had seen this method on TV before, using a tissue or thin cloth to prevent mouth or saliva from entering the patient's lungs.
Of course, in real-life rescue scenarios, such conditions might not be available, so this wasn't a strict rule. Eddie didn't have time to look at the mysterious beauty's face, and leaned down to give two breaths.
After the breaths, the mysterious beauty quickly continued compressions. She was very gentle, afraid of breaking Mother Grace's ribs.
Eddie kept reminding her to press slower but with a bit more strength, while Princess Jean continuously warned her not to press too hard. Laura, meanwhile, massaged Mother Grace's hands, urging Eddie to breathe again, "Hurry, her hands are so cold... Hurry up..."
"We can't rush. Everyone, don't panic, don't get chaotic, and don't cry! CPR must be continuous!"
Eddie was anxious, but he knew that panicking now would ruin everything. They had to keep going.
"Is there any other way?" The mysterious beauty asked, noticing that two rounds of CPR hadn't worked much, urging Eddie to think of something else.
"Defibrillation, to stimulate the heart to beat, or open the chest and massage the heart by hand!" Eddie knew many ways to save lives, but he hadn't tried any of them.
Eddie still broke into a cold sweat thinking about the last time he almost cut open Laura's chest to massage her heart. That method was extremely dangerous.
He hadn't really learned how to save people, nor had he ever tried an internal heart massage.
What consequences cutting open the chest might bring, he hadn't really thought about.
Fearing the high voltage might harm Mother Grace, Eddie quickly added, "Don't use too much current. Use hand-generated electricity, make sure the contact area is large, and the contact time is short, just a gentle shock..."
" I think, for heart massage, be careful. If there's bleeding, it means the heart is still working. Only if there's no bleeding and no blood pressure, the heart needs manual massage... "
"I've never actually tried it!"
The mysterious beauty immediately refused the electric shock method, "My electric shock is for harming enemies, not for saving people. Thunder Naga won't work either, we're not healers!"
Princess Jean was stomping her feet anxiously, eager to help but unable to do so.
After the third round of resuscitation, Mother Grace still showed no response.
Eddie steeled his heart, knowing any more hesitation could cost Mother Grace her life. The brain can only survive without oxygen for ten minutes before irreversible damage occurs.
He couldn't delay any longer... He took out the Dragon Slaying Dagger, preparing to open Mother Grace's chest and manually massage her heart...
Suddenly, a small hand reached over, and Little Wenli squeezed in.
Her small hand gathered a soft white light, gently placed it on Mother Grace, whose complexion immediately became more radiant, but still no breath or heartbeat.
Little Wenli stretched her tiny hand inside Mother Grace's clothes, her whole body glowing with colors, gradually becoming translucent.
Her hand seemed to be merging into Mother Grace's body. Ten seconds later, Eddie and Princess Jean heard a faint heartbeat.
The mysterious beauty checked and found still no breathing, urging Eddie to continue mouth-to-mouth...
Eddie, both shocked and relieved, quickly gave two breaths.
Little Wenli's hand merged into Mother Grace's body, continuously massaging her heart until it began to beat again, then slowly withdrew her hand.
Mother Grace's body shivered slightly, her heartbeat, though weak, was now clearly discernible.
Her breathing, from non-existent, became faint, gradually grew stronger, and eventually returned to normal.
Her lips regained their color, and her hands and feet slowly warmed up. Eddie hugged Little Wenli tightly, immensely grateful for this little treasure.
Thank goodness she was there to save Mother Grace, otherwise, with his clumsy methods, who knows what might have happened...
The thought of actually cutting open Mother Grace's chest and massaging her heart, and then dealing with the potential massive bleeding once her heartbeat and blood pressure returned, was too daunting for Eddie to even consider!
The three women, excited, poked each other and hugged tightly, cheering continuously.
Tears, like broken pearls, finally fell at this moment.
Of course, these were tears of joy.
As Eddie set down the exhausted Little Wenli, the mysterious beauty had already put her veil back on.
Even though Eddie hadn't paid much attention to her face earlier, he had caught a glimpse.
He hadn't looked closely, but now, recalling her features, she resembled the beautiful dean a lot, almost like the same person, just healthier and with different hair. Eddie couldn't tell any difference between the mysterious beauty and the beautiful dean...
Could they be sisters?
But he had never heard about the dean having a sister!
Eddie, of course, wouldn't ask the mysterious beauty directly; he pretended he hadn't seen her true face.
"Good job, darling!" Princess Jean picked up Little Wenli and gave her two kisses. Eddie felt embarrassed, surprised that the usually aggressive princess liked children.
Little Wenli's cheeks flushed with exhaustion. She wriggled out of Princess Jean's embrace and transformed into a rainbow light, returning to Eddie's body to continue her rest.
Eddie, worried about the cold ground, quickly picked up Mother Grace.
After a moment of thought, he warned the three women, "Let's never mention this incident, as if it never happened!"
Seeing Eddie emphasizing this to her, Princess Jean immediately protested loudly, "Why are you looking at me? I'm not a blabbermouth. Do you think I'd spill it? I hate that suspicious look of yours. Stop staring, or I'll punch you!"
She raised her little fist in protest.
Laura, the city lord, quickly tried to smooth things over, "It's nothing, just saving a life. I don't see anything wrong with that. Saving a life is a good thing!"
The mysterious beauty bluntly said to Eddie, "Stop overthinking and rid yourself of those evil thoughts!"
Eddie secretly wiped away a cold sweat, relieved there were no misunderstandings, but worried the women might overthink later.
He carefully adjusted the straps to gently carry Mother Grace, while Princess Jean also carefully picked up Inan.
The four of them looked at each other, feeling overwhelmingly exhausted.
After successive battles, first at the Cloud Top Heavenly Pool in Despair Province, a narrow path against the powerful warriors of the Demon Palace, their bodies hadn't fully recovered yet, then they had to save Mother Grace.
Now that she was safe, they all felt incredibly tired. Eddie had also fought an extra battle with Tucker and had unlocked his innate potential, leaving him in pain all over.
He led the way, carrying Mother Grace, followed by a weary Princess Jean carrying Inan.
Laura, the city lord, and the mysterious beauty supported each other, walking behind.
It took Eddie over an hour to cover the ten-plus kilometers through the underground cave, reaching the spot where they had killed the enchanting woman and the wolf-clawed man.
Eddie stored both bodies in the Witch's Ring. The three women found it strange but didn't ask.
"This secret passage might be related to the Heavenly Ladder; otherwise, there wouldn't be such a confining force here," speculated the mysterious beauty.
"If we have time later, we should come back and check it out thoroughly. The actions of the Myriad Demons are very suspicious; we need to be extra careful…"
"Let's talk about it later. I'm too tired now; I just want to rest," Princess Jean quickened her steps to walk beside Eddie.
"Luckily, your brother Inan isn't heavy, or I wouldn't have the strength to carry her out. Hey, little swindler, you... "
"you don't like this kind of thing, do you?" The mysterious beauty and Laura didn't speak but pricked up their ears to eavesdrop.
"I don't have time to waste words with you!" Eddie felt like all his bones were falling apart. Mother Grace, usually so light, now felt as heavy as a mountain.
"Let me carry her for a while!" Laura, always understanding, offered to help.
"No need!" Eddie stubbornly refused, feeling it wasn't right for the women to carry someone while he walked empty-handed.
When they reached the underwater passage at the bottom of the lake, Eddie couldn't hold on any longer.
He set Mother Grace down, needing a rest before he could carry her through the long underwater passage...
Princess Jean and Laura were also exhausted, even more so than Eddie. They sat down and immediately fell asleep, leaning against each other. Only the mysterious beauty sat alertly, guarding against any emergencies...
When Eddie looked at her, the mysterious beauty snorted, "Sleep!"
In his sleep, the faces and laughter of Princess Jean, Laura, the mysterious beauty, and Inan kept flashing through his mind.
Eddie found them very mischievous, hiding even though they were right beside him, appearing only occasionally.
He tried to catch them but couldn't. Drifting deeper into sleep, Eddie entered the world of dreams, where the giant Lolita, who had beaten him n+1 times before, was waiting for him.
Eddie realized that the giant Lolita's current training was of the Innate Realm, but it was entirely different from his own.
Her control skills were a hundred times better than Eddie's.
The power of the first level of Innate, under her control, was so exquisite that it left Eddie in awe...
He realized that the Innate formless sword qi could be controlled so effectively...
If he had known this earlier, he wouldn't have needed to explode with power to beat Tucker to a pulp.
The giant Lolita didn't speak, but her training brought Eddie into a whole new realm, giving him fresh insights and understanding.
If the Innate Realm could be compared to a house, then Tucker's second-level Innate strength was like a two-story building.
After being enhanced three times, Tucker nearly reached the third level, equivalent to two and a half floors.
Eddie, originally at the first level of Innate, didn't know how high he had reached after his explosive outburst, only remembering that he had almost instantly defeated Tucker.
Now, the giant Lolita showed Eddie a different realm. Although it was a single floor, the floor count didn't represent true strength...
If Tucker's two and a half floors were of standard height, the giant Lolita's display of the Innate Realm was like the towering city gate, much higher than Tucker's two and a half floors...
In fact, her display of the Innate Realm surpassed Eddie's concept. Her first level was expansive and mysterious, not just higher than Tucker's second level, but more than ten times so!
Her Innate Realm was incredibly rich and spectacularly diverse.
Eddie was also at the first level of Innate, but his felt like a wooden shack, while the giant Lolita's was like a grand, towering city gate.
Although both were at the first level of Innate, the aura, height, and potential were entirely different.
After seeing this, Eddie was not only shocked but also ecstatic.
He finally had some understanding of how wonderful the true first level of Innate was...
His previous rush to advance was a huge mistake. Instead, he needed to lay a solid foundation at the first level...
Eddie felt that if he could build a foundation like the giant Lolita's display, with such a realm as his growth base, then even building a skyscraper later would be no concern...
Foundation, Eddie finally truly understood.
What he needed was a better foundation.
Without a foundation, he would end up like Tucker, reaching the second level of Innate or higher, but stagnating because the foundation determined growth! A single-story house's base could never support a skyscraper!
Seeing Eddie's realization, the giant Lolita didn't beat him up as usual.
Instead, she demonstrated many techniques, so many that Eddie could hardly remember them all, patiently correcting his mistakes over and over.
Although she didn't speak, her physical demonstration, using the most direct body language, revealed to Eddie the various mysteries of the first level of Innate.
Eddie fully understood his shortcomings - healing abilities, mental connections, beast fusion, technique variations, and more. He found himself lagging in almost every area except combat skills.
Even in beast control, he was far behind the warriors of the Dragon Rising Continent...
If not for Little Wenli and the others being extremely intelligent and capable of fighting on their own, relying on his own command would be negligible...
For example, the control of the Shadow Bull revealed his inadequacy, and as for the Metal Beast, Eddie still didn't understand how to use it properly, always letting it attack on its own.
"I must lay a solid foundation; it's too important!" Eddie sighed to himself countless times.
Having witnessed the realm demonstrated by the giant Lolita, he felt like a country bumpkin who had come to the city and seen skyscrapers, cars, and planes for the first time. Looking back at his own humble straw hut and ox cart, he felt infinitely ashamed.
Waking up, Eddie found himself back in his home in White-Stone City.
Mother Grace was sitting at the table, feeding the little girls, giving one spoonful to the little girl and then to Little Wenli, occasionally wiping their mouths with a handkerchief.
Sophia was asleep at the bedside, seemingly exhausted.
"How did I get back here?" Eddie remembered falling asleep in the underground passage. Who carried him back?
The bored Grey Wolf lying at the door perked up upon seeing Eddie wake, joyfully bouncing around and barking as if it were the most loyal watchdog. Eddie broke into a sweat; the Grey Wolf seemed to have a good grasp of foreign languages, judging by its behavior, although its barks sounded just like a dog...
"Third brother, you're awake?" Mother Grace turned her head, almost dropping the bowl in surprise.
"Brother Eddie..." Little Frost excitedly leaped onto Eddie, cheering. Sophia woke up startled but silently hugged Eddie tightly, tears rolling down her cheeks.
"Ha, I told you this kid wouldn't die. Look, Rue, he's awake now!" Princess Jean and her cousin Rue rushed in from the doorway, faces full of joy.
Behind them, stuck in the doorway, unable to get in or out, were Haye Yew, Yehken, and the Ly brothers.
They rushed in together but got stuck.
Someone kicked their backsides, and they tumbled to the ground, followed by the Old Fox stepping over them to enter. The Old Fox had a smug grin, as if Eddie owed him 30,000 gold coins and promised to pay back today.
After Eddie had comforted the crying and laughing girls in the room, the Old Fox grabbed Eddie's shoulder, whispering sneakily, "Kid, you're in trouble now... Hehe, beg me, or I definitely won't help you. You need to beg with real sincerity!"
Eddie was baffled, in trouble?
He was fine, what was in trouble? Could it be the CPR he performed on Mother Grace that Princess Jean accidentally let slip?
But that was to save a life, and he had no other choice at the time...
Eddie saw Mother Grace wiping her tears of joy and felt relieved.
If she knew about the CPR incident, she would be embarrassed. Since she seemed fine, it meant Princess Jean hadn't mentioned it.
Besides, Princess Jean wasn't the type to blabber, even though she was a bit violent and liked to glare at people with her tiger-like eyes.
"The thing is, Titan, lying is wrong, especially to girls. Now you've deceived two girls, and their parents have come to demand an explanation. "
"What are you going to do? "
"You said you were unconscious, which was fine, but now that you're awake, there's no escaping it. I tell you, you're in big trouble!" the Old Fox said in a savior-like tone, patting Eddie's shoulder and tempting him.
"If you beg me sincerely, I might consider helping you out. But if you keep lying like before, don't blame me for not helping you. Think it through!"
"What nonsense are you talking about? I, an honest kid like me, would never deceive anyone!" Eddie retorted, causing the Old Fox to fall to the ground in disbelief.
"You dare say you didn't lie?" the Old Fox grabbed Eddie's collar.
"No, and if I did, it's because you taught me. You're the teacher; I'm the student. The saying goes, 'A teacher's laxity is to blame for a student's errors,'" Eddie responded confidently.
"You're ruthless!" the Old Fox raised his thumb at Eddie, "Let's see how you deal with the parents waiting outside!"
"I haven't stolen or robbed; what's there to fear?" Eddie tried to bolster himself.
"But you've led away their daughter... The girl's parents are waiting in the living room!" The Old Fox's expression was one of schadenfreude.
"What are you two whispering about? Since you're fine, I'll be going. Oh, and about the palace you destroyed, forget about it. I don't live there. But you broke my auspicious cloud and phoenix-patterned white jade vase, worth over 1600 gold coins. Pay me back when you can!"
Princess Jean, with her sixth sense, had heard Eddie's conversation with the Old Fox. Pretending not to have heard it, she handed Eddie a bill, suggesting he sign it.
"Nonsense!" Eddie tore up the bill and said to the stunned Princess Jean, "Who are we to each other? A broken vase and filthy lucre can't taint our pure friendship!"
"Who has a pure friendship with you?" Princess Jean fumed.
"No? Well, then, see you out!"
Eddie said, pushing Princess Jean towards the door. Cousin Rue, laughing, managed to persuade Princess Jean to leave.
Princess Jean, furious, wished she could bite Eddie, but considering the others in the room, she maintained a ladylike demeanor and said goodbye to Mother Grace.
Mother Grace also took Little Frost to the front room to share the good news, indicating someone was indeed waiting there.
Little Wenli transformed into a rainbow light and disappeared, while the Grey Wolf, finding Eddie too busy to pay attention, went outside to continue sunbathing and dozing off.
Eddie noticed Haye Yew and Yehken covered in injuries and asked in surprise, "What kind of devilish training did you go through to end up like this?"
Yehken replied, causing Eddie to sweat profusely, "It's nothing. We attacked Skinny Dog Ridge and fought against the disciples of the Myriad Demons, that's how we got these injuries... We almost didn't make it, but thankfully we were saved! It's only now I realize how weak I really am..."
Haye Yew, on the other hand, boasted proudly, "Though we didn't save anyone, I defeated two fourth-level braves and a fifth-level master. Glorious achievements! You should have seen it, I was commended at school a few days ago, and everyone who underestimated me was in awe. They don't know I was born to defeat the disciples of the Myriad Demons...
It's lonely being a master!"
Yehken and the Ly brothers kept their distance, letting him brag to himself.
Sophia silently chuckled.
"A few days ago? How did I get back? Have I been back for two days?" Eddie frowned, wondering if he had been in bed for two days.
"It seems Princess Jean carried you back. We're not sure about the details, but you've been unconscious for more than two days; it's been ten days, today is the eleventh," Yehken explained, causing Eddie to sweat profusely again. A dream that lasted eleven days?
"What's happening outside?" Eddie sensed a lot of warriors talking in the hall.
"Inan's aunt is here. It turns out Inan is a sister, not a brother..." Sophia thought it was time to reveal the truth to Eddie, unaware that he had figured it out the first day. She still believed her naive brother couldn't tell the difference due to his lack of social exposure.
"Ah, no way? Inan is a girl?" Eddie tried to act surprised but not too exaggeratedly, to avoid making Sophia laugh.
"You fool, you wasted a great opportunity to flirt. Now it's too late... I'm going to kill myself!" Haye Yew cried, banging his head against the wall, looking like he was determined to commit suicide with no one stopping him.