Chapter 10: Hearts Intertwined

Before the sun had fully risen, Qin Liang returned to his private courtyard and gently laid the beauty on the bed.

At this moment, Jiang Xuehan’s body had nearly half of her meridians blocked, teetering on the brink of death.

The earlier intervention had undoubtedly worsened her condition.

What made Qin Liang’s expression grim was that the blockage in her meridians was caused by an incredibly terrifying cold poison, freezing half of her meridians. A slight misstep could allow it to invade her internal organs, resulting in death.

It went without saying that each outbreak of this cold poison subjected her to excruciating agony.

Qin Liang could hardly fathom how Jiang Xuehan had endured all these years; her willpower must be extraordinarily strong.

“This fifth-grade Dao root is almost frozen to death by the cold poison, and the Cleansing Pill has no effect,” Qin Liang said heavily. The Dao root was the foundation for cultivators; if it were destroyed, one would be rendered useless.

Without hesitation, after securing the doors and windows, he sat cross-legged and began extracting one of his own Dao roots.

With tens of thousands of Dao roots within him, removing one should not significantly affect his foundation.

Snap!

“Ugh!”

A crisp sound echoed inside his body, and Qin Liang groaned, his face turning pale as blood seeped from the corner of his lips.

In his palm appeared a colorless, transparent Dao root, swirling with profound and surging energy, as if it connected the grand Dao of heaven and earth, and maintained a latent bond with his remaining Dao roots.

The moment this Dao root touched Jiang Xuehan’s body, it eagerly took root.

The crystalline root began to grow wildly, soon intertwining throughout her body.

It spread through her meridians, flesh, bones, and even deep into her soul, permeating every corner.

Silently, the cold poison surged to freeze this new Dao root as well, but it met resistance.

Although this cold poison could harm a fifth-grade Dao root, it posed no threat to a ninth-grade Dao root.

Whoosh!

The Dao root, imbued with sentience, whipped like a long lash, releasing a dense essence of spiritual energy, surging like a mighty river, instantly pushing back the terrifying cold poison as if engaged in a fierce battle.

As the ninth-grade Dao root took hold, Jiang Xuehan’s complexion gradually regained its color.

Before long, the cold poison was enclosed by the Dao root and sealed deep within her dantian.

The fifth-grade Dao root was thereby rescued and slowly restored its vitality.

However, having been soaked in the cold poison for years, it had nearly transformed into an ice root. Full recovery would take substantial time, but at least the issue of the blocked meridians was finally resolved.

“Phew!”

Seeing Jiang Xuehan’s breath stabilize, Qin Liang exhaled a breath of turbid air and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

Removing one Dao root had not depleted his foundation but had left a wound.

“Within seven days, I must absorb spiritual essence again to heal this wound, or it will leave an incurable root of illness, detrimental to my future martial path,” Qin Liang pondered, feeling no regret. Compared to Jiang Xuehan’s life, this was insignificant.

While waiting, Qin Liang brewed several bowls of medicinal soup and fed them to Jiang Xuehan.

An hour later, she finally awakened.

Initially confused about her surroundings, she soon sensed an unprecedented vigor, as if her body had been transformed. Her condition had improved greatly, seeming capable of unleashing the full power of a fifth-stage Spirit Refiner.

If she were to encounter Zhong Wei, who burned his Dao root, again, she was confident she could easily slay him.

“My Dao root…” Jiang Xuehan discovered the extraordinary nature of the Dao root and was astonished.

She climbed out of bed and, seeing Qin Liang by her side, immediately warned, “What have you done to me?”

Only then did Qin Liang realize he had not changed clothes and was still masked.

“Xue’er, it’s me,” he said, removing the black mask to reveal a slightly pale face, looking dangerously ill.

“You…” Jiang Xuehan was stunned, her mind swirling with countless questions.

Was it Qin Liang who had fought Zhong Wei that night? Hadn’t he just detected his Dao root? How could he battle a fourth-stage Spirit Refiner? And what of the exceptional Dao root within her?

“How are you?” Seeing the blood at Qin Liang’s mouth, Jiang Xuehan’s expression was full of concern.

After exchanging words, she finally understood the situation.

Her blocked meridians had been cleared, allowing her cultivation to advance, but the cold poison of unknown origin still lingered within and needed urgent eradication, or it would remain a grave hidden danger.

Qin Liang informed her that the new Dao root inside her was ninth-grade, leaving her shocked for a long time.

Only then did she grasp Qin Liang’s Dao root rank, a secret that the Dao Stele had concealed from everyone.

If Li Qiumei and Jiang Yutong, mother and daughter, knew, having missed such a prodigious son-in-law, she wondered how they might react—perhaps faint from shock.

“You gave me your Dao root, but what about you?” Jiang Xuehan nestled into his arms.

“I’m fine, don’t worry,” Qin Liang smiled reassuringly. “With this Dao root inside you, our hearts are connected. Even if we’re thousands of miles apart, I’ll know your safety, and that will bring me peace.”

Jiang Xuehan felt comforted and warmth welling in her heart. Softly, she said, “Qin Liang, you’ve given so much for me. This debt, this love, I can only repay with my lifetime.”

Suddenly, Qin Liang asked why she had appeared suddenly in that courtyard.

She explained, “I happened to see a girl running out the door, suspecting they were up to no good again, so I hurriedly put on my night clothes and rushed over… Why did you risk it alone?”

“You did too,” Qin Liang laughed, tapping her forehead with his finger.

They shared a tender moment before Jiang Xuehan kissed Qin Liang on the lips and reluctantly left.

Not wanting to worry her, Qin Liang withheld his own condition. There were seven days left, enough time to find some spiritual essence.

He also had the ingredients needed for the Cleansing Pill.

The third Spirit Refining not only enhanced his strength but brought additional gains.

Through the lingering resentments, Qin Liang learned that the Tianhuang Cauldron was originally a medicinal cauldron, once used to refine many pills.

As a result, he acquired abundant information on first-grade pill formulas, including detailed steps as if he were originally an alchemist, merely recovering lost memories.

This was the greatest gain from this Spirit Refining.

The Cleansing Pill was one of these first-grade medicines, capable of cleansing the mind and purifying the soul, making it the best choice to eliminate the threat of resentment.

“In the future, as my cultivation improves, I may see formulas of even higher grades,” Qin Liang said with eager anticipation.

But soon, his expression changed.

A murderous desire lurking deep within threatened to spiral out of control. His eyes glowed like crimson gems, radiating fierce bloodlust and killing intent, while visions of mountains of corpses and seas of blood flashed through his mind.

“Within seven days, I must take the Cleansing Pill,” Qin Liang gritted his teeth, relying on strong willpower to resolve his determination.

Losing one Dao root weakened his suppression over the resentments—a bad sign.

He quickly sat cross-legged, circulating his cultivation technique to calm himself.

Half an hour later, Qin Liang stabilized his internal state and exhaled deeply, only to find his back soaked with cold sweat.

After a quick bath and changing into clean clothes, he strode out the door.

He planned to try his luck at the market, hoping to find the spiritual essence he needed.

Over one night, he had killed eight people, acquiring eight low-level Qiankun bags. Aside from some miscellaneous items and herbs, he had gained over five hundred spirit coins in total, hoping the medicinal herbs wouldn’t be too expensive.

Qin Liang was uncertain and thought as he walked, “If it really doesn’t work out, I might have to consider selling myself first.”