Chapter Ninety-Three: Nine-Refined Rejoining Ointment

At that moment, the water beside Miyu Yoki had already begun to bubble, as though it were on the verge of boiling.

Her face, too, had started to twist in unmistakable agony.

Lu Ming came to her side and wrapped an arm around her slender waist. The instant Miyu Yoki sensed his presence, she clung to him at once, winding herself around him like an octopus and holding him in a tight embrace.

Their bodies pressed close together within the slick, milky liquid, and by then Miyu Yoki’s eyes were soft and languid, her face flushed a vivid red.

Her entire body was scorching hot, as if it might burst into flames. She held Lu Ming tightly, drinking in the powerful strength radiating from him.

The lake surface undulated gently.

As time passed, the crimson on Miyu Yoki’s face gradually faded, and the heat in her body lessened.

Lu Ming also slowly came to a stop, carefully studying Miyu Yoki and examining the changes within her body.

Once he confirmed that there was no longer any problem, Lu Ming climbed ashore, put on his clothes, and stood quietly, looking at Miyu Yoki lying motionless upon the water, lost in thought.

Earlier, when he realized that something was wrong with her, he had immediately activated his Eye of Insight.

He discovered that within Miyu Yoki’s body there was a mass of black mist-like energy coiled in her dantian, violently conflicting with the power of the spiritual liquid.

He soon understood that this was the power she had gained long ago while cultivating ninjutsu.

It was not an orthodox path, for the art she had practiced was the ninjutsu inner method known as Ghost Path, a rather obscure branch of ninjutsu, known to few and cultivated by even fewer.

This technique produced results quickly, which was why Miyu Yoki had been able to become one of the top ninjutsu masters in Fusang at such a young age.

However, once cultivated to a certain level, that power would recoil upon the body itself. For that reason, this obscure ninjutsu inner method was seldom practiced even in Fusang.

Seeing the problem, Lu Ming had dispelled that black energy with his own pure, overwhelmingly yang vital energy.

From this point on, Miyu Yoki’s strength would temporarily diminish, but she would no longer suffer backlash from that force. So long as she diligently cultivated the Great Five-Elements Escape Art, her future achievements would be beyond measure, far surpassing anything she could attain through Ghost Path.

Not long after, Miyu Yoki recovered. She rose from the water and came ashore.

Naked, she knelt at Lu Ming’s feet and said with utmost humility, “Thank you, sir, for saving me.”

“Why did you cultivate such a self-destructive technique?” Lu Ming asked with a frown.

Miyu Yoki lay prostrate on the ground and replied, “The Yoki family has lacked outstanding martial strength in modern times. With the great families of Fusang all watching us hungrily, I had no choice but to cultivate this technique in order to deter those with ill intentions.”

Lu Ming sighed and shook his head.

Miyu Yoki had sacrificed herself entirely for her family. If she continued cultivating this technique, even if it did not kill her, it would eventually erode her mind and turn her into a madwoman lost to inner demons, leaving her to a miserable end.

It seemed that in this world, everyone had hardships that could not be helped.

With another sigh, Lu Ming leaped onto the green boulder and began cutting into it with his palm like a blade.

In an instant,碎石 flew everywhere, and soon a piece of fine jade, about the size of a basketball, was revealed.

The jade was warm and translucent, of excellent quality. If sold outside, it would fetch an astronomical price, enough to secure a lifetime of comfort for one person.

Yet Lu Ming did not stop. He continued to carve away the surrounding stone, and little by little, a lump of jade marrow, only the size of a fist, emerged.

The jade marrow was crystal-clear throughout, and within it, wisps of white mist seemed to swim ceaselessly, dreamlike and enchanting.

Lu Ming knew that this was the heavenly and earthly spiritual essence contained within the jade marrow, and that was where its value lay.

He tucked the jade marrow into his pocket and sighed.

How wonderful it would be to have that kind of dimensional space. Then he would not need to mutter under his breath, stuffing one thing here and another there.

By then, Miyu Yoki had already dressed.

Lu Ming crossed over the lake, cast one regretful glance at the spiritual liquid within it, and shook his head before heading outside.

Once the jade marrow had been removed, the spiritual liquid would soon disappear as well. What a pity.

A short while later, the two of them reached the entrance of the cave.

There, Futu stood at the mouth of the cavern with his hands clasped behind his back, his face cold and murderous.

Meanwhile, Lin Xiao and Wang Shixin, together with the younger members of their respective families, stood staring eagerly at the cave entrance.

By now, the greenish hue on the faces of the Wang family members had completely faded, and the poison had been neutralized.

Their two families had come here without gaining any benefit at all, and had nearly died here in their entirety. They were all still shaken with lingering fear.

Fortunately, Lu Ming, that towering figure, had saved them. With the danger now gone, they saw Lu Ming walk back into the cave and naturally grew curious about what could be inside.

When Futu emerged earlier, they had already been startled.

With Lin Xiao’s cultivation, he could tell at a glance that after this man came out, his aura had become noticeably more steady and his cultivation had improved by a great deal.

And this had happened in just a few short hours. What miraculous treasure inside could possibly allow someone to advance so rapidly?

At that moment, their curiosity was scratching at them like a cat’s claws, and they were desperate to know what lay within.

But Lu Ming’s imposing might stood there like a mountain. Not to mention Futu guarding the entrance; even if no one were standing watch, they would not dare enter rashly.

If they enraged Lu Ming, the lot of them together probably would not even be enough to fill his teeth.

At that moment, Lu Ming and Miyu Yoki slowly stepped out of the cave.

Everyone’s eyes lit up at once.

Miyu Yoki, already beautiful and fair-skinned to begin with, now seemed to radiate a soft white luster all over her body, dazzling and sacred, like a saintly maiden.

Everyone was stunned. What on earth had been inside to change these two so drastically in just a few hours?

That question was like an unsolved mystery of the ages, lingering in their minds and tormenting them.

After coming out, Lu Ming looked at everyone and said, “There is a pool of spiritual liquid inside. Soak in it, and it will be greatly beneficial to your bodies. Go on.”

At Lu Ming’s words, everyone was instantly overjoyed. So there truly was something miraculous inside.

They hurriedly thanked Lu Ming, then raced one another into the cave.

The martial path is one of endless hardship; every step forward is difficult, and the higher the realm, the greater the struggle.

They had seen the changes in Futu and Miyu Yoki with their own eyes, and had envied them bitterly.

Now that they suddenly had such an opportunity themselves, how could they possibly let it slip away?

Watching the crowd pour into the cave in a rush, Lu Ming smiled and said, “We should head back.”

With that, he led the two of them away along the same route.

The next morning, Lu Ming arrived at the People's Hospital.

At that moment, the hospital director, Wang Deqiu, who was also the leader of Qin Lan’s medical team, was giving her a follow-up examination.

After a round of checks, Wang Deqiu smiled at Yun Ketian and said, “She is recovering very well. In another month or so, she should be able to get out of bed and move around. Then, with about another year of recuperation, she should be fully healed.”

Upon hearing this, Yun Ketian said with obvious delight, “Thank you, Director Wang.”

“Not at all. Since she is your friend, we will certainly spare no effort,” Wang Deqiu said with a smile.

But Qin Lan, upon hearing this, looked gloomy. No one understood her body better than she did.

What Director Wang called “fully healed” would only mean that her body had been restored to normal condition. From that point on, however, her power would be greatly diminished. Not only would further advancement be impossible; even returning to her former level would be unimaginably difficult.

For Qin Lan, this was unacceptable. A shadow had already settled in her heart.

Just then, Lu Ming pushed open the door and walked in.

Wang Deqiu was startled.

With security so tight here, how had this young man entered without making a sound?

Seeing this, Yun Ketian introduced him, saying, “This is Mr. Lu. He is Qin Lan’s friend, and also my friend. It is fine.”

Only then did Wang Deqiu nod.

Lu Ming nodded back at Wang Deqiu in greeting, then carrying a black box the size of a palm, he came to Qin Lan’s side and said with a proud expression, “Look what good stuff I got for you.”

Qin Lan glanced at it and said expressionlessly, “Cookies?”

Lu Ming nearly choked, then rolled his eyes and said, “This is the Nine-Reversal Tendon Rejoining Ointment I went through countless hardships, narrowly surviving death many times, to get for you. This divine medicine, once applied over the entire body, will not only restore your body completely to its former state, but also greatly strengthen your constitution. It truly is a rare and priceless miracle remedy.”