Zong Ao flipped the vessel in his hand, and the emerald liquid poured out, each droplet falling distinct as raindrops, yet seemingly possessing a spirit of its own. It landed on Xueyue's body and seeped in through her pores.
Xueyue's perpetually pale complexion gradually took on a healthier flush as the liquid was absorbed, and the heartbeat emanating from her chest grew noticeably stronger than before.
Yang Kai watched without blinking, his heart settling slightly.
Zong Ao truly had some skill. Yang Kai could clearly sense that after this treatment, Xueyue's condition had improved considerably compared to before.
Only after the emerald liquid had been completely absorbed did Zong Ao step back two paces, a pained expression surfacing on his face—as if both the pill and the liquid were things of considerable value to him.
"Senior, is she cured?" Yang Kai asked with a mixture of surprise and hope.
"Cured?" Zong Ao gave him a sidelong glance and sneered. "You think the Mystic Yin Sun Water's poison can be cured so easily? You're far too naive! Mystic Yin Sun Water is a supreme treasure for cultivation, but it is also enormously destructive—any ordinary person who touches it will die! Even a Return Void Realm martial artist would be unable to withstand its power. This girl's physique seems rather unusual, and the artifact she's wearing is of extremely high grade—otherwise, she'd probably already be dead."
"You just now…"
"I was merely sustaining her life force. For one or two years, she won't die!"
"And after one or two years?" Yang Kai pressed urgently.
"That, I can't say for certain." Zong Ao shook his head slowly. "If a pill can be refined to save her, she'll recover. If not… well, you'd better prepare to collect her corpse."
Yang Kai's expression changed drastically. He quickly clasped his fists and said respectfully, "Senior, please see this through to the end and point me in the right direction!"
"Good person?" Zong Ao raised an eyebrow and burst into loud laughter. "I'm no good person! I helped sustain her life, and you'll need to pay a fair price in return. Hmm—if you can tell me where to find the Mystic Yin Sun Water, I might just be willing to point you in the right direction!"
Yang Kai didn't hesitate for a moment: "I can tell you!"
Hallika and Lin Mufeng wanted to keep the Mystic Yin Sun Water secret—that was their business. Yang Kai wasn't going to worry too much about that. For him, there was only one thing that mattered: Xueyue could not die!
Zong Ao nodded with satisfaction. "Good. Take me to the Mystic Yin Sun Water, and I'll tell you the method to save her!"
"Deal!" Yang Kai nodded firmly, then after a moment's thought added, "But that place is currently guarded by martial artists of the Hengluo Commerce Society. Hallika and Lin Mufeng and the others probably won't let you get near it."
"They dare! If I want to go, who would dare stop me?" Zong Ao's expression turned fierce, and he snorted. "At worst, I'll just give them a share of the spoils!"
He seemed unwilling to push the Hengluo Commerce Society too far. After all, the value of the Mystic Yin Sun Water was immense—if he tried to take it all for himself, it would certainly invite their retaliation.
Sometimes, taking a step back opens up a whole new horizon!
"However, before that, I need to go out for a while. Collecting the Mystic Yin Sun Water will require crafting some specialized containers." Zong Ao muttered as if talking to himself, then turned to Yang Kai and ordered, "Boy, you stay here. I'll be back in about half a month. We'll talk more when I return."
Yang Kai gave a slight nod.
Zong Ao was a man of swift and decisive action. Having said his piece, he set off immediately, vanishing in an instant—where he went, Yang Kai couldn't say.
But since he'd mentioned crafting specialized containers, he'd probably gone to seek out an artifact refiner.
Artifact refiners were just as noble as alchemists—equally rare talents. High-grade alchemists and artifact refiners in particular had always been the targets that major powers competed to recruit.
For someone like Zong Ao, knowing one or two highly skilled artifact refiners was nothing strange.
After Zong Ao departed, Hallika's voice suddenly called out softly from outside the palace: "Young brother! Young brother!"
He hadn't left after all! He'd probably been watching from outside the whole time, and when he noticed Zong Ao suddenly leave, he'd mustered the courage to come to the palace entrance to inquire about the situation.
Yang Kai went out and gave him a brief account. Upon learning that Zong Ao had set his sights on the Mystic Yin Sun Water, Hallika's expression changed dramatically and he immediately panicked, unsure how to deal with Zong Ao's covetous interest.
He didn't dare report the situation to the main star either. Young Master Xue's woman lay unconscious, her life or death uncertain—he needed to suppress the news, not report it truthfully!
Hallika's face was grim as he brooded for a while. He didn't blame Yang Kai for speaking too freely, and said instead: "Since Master Zong Ao has a method to save her, then you should stay here for now and wait for his return. I need to go discuss with Lin Mufeng and the others how to handle this matter."
With that, he left in a hurry.
Yang Kai returned to the room and sat on the edge of the bed, gazing at Xueyue, who lay as if in deep sleep.
This enchanting beauty now had a serene expression on her face, her breathing even and her sleep peaceful. Her exquisite, graceful figure was on full display.
Yang Kai reached out and gave her chest a firm squeeze.
He felt like he'd gotten the short end of the stick! If not for the soul chain, he wouldn't have needed to go through all this trouble, nor would he have had to worry about whether Xueyue lived or died.
What he found most unbearable was that even after saving Xueyue, once the soul chain was undone, he had no idea what attitude this woman would take toward him—whether she would fly into a rage and hunt him down for ten thousand years.
This unpredictable future left Yang Kai seething with frustration.