He felt the strength in his palm and clenched his fist gently.
Only now did he feel that this body belonged to him.
The spiritual fire within continued to move slowly.
Its progress was very slow; one wouldn't notice its presence without careful observation.
The meridians the spiritual fire passed through were completely restored.
However, at this rate, it would take a long time to fully heal his injured meridians.
Zhang Ergou was no longer in a hurry.
There was nothing he could do but wait patiently.
All his hope was now placed on the spiritual fire within him.
This was certainly much better than having no hope at all.
So, Zhang Ergou lay on the bed, closed his eyes, and let the spiritual fire roam within him.
...
"Senior Brother Tiandao, do you think this kid Ergou might do something rash?" No sound came from the room for a long time.
Qiao Yunyan, who had been staring intently at Tiandao old man, couldn't help but consider the worst.
"Can't you think of anything positive?" Tiandao old man realized he had been swearing quite a bit these past two days.
Most of it was related to this kid Zhang Ergou.
"He's just temporarily unable to accept it. With Ergou's mindset, he'll be fine in no time."
Tiandao old man's tone was certain.
This kid Zhang Ergou wasn't someone who gave up easily.
Just to avoid losing to Liao Yiyi, he dared to use power that was not within his control.
To expect him to bow to fate, Tiandao old man felt it was a joke.
Hearing Tiandao old man's words, the others breathed a sigh of relief.
If Zhang Ergou were to be disheartened and give up, they truly wouldn't be able to accept it.
But the most urgent matter now was to find a way to save Zhang Ergou.
It was clear that Zhang Ergou had suffered a backlash from spatial power, losing a significant amount of his lifespan.
According to Tiandao old man, if a timely solution wasn't found, Zhang Ergou might not live much longer.
This news weighed heavily on everyone's hearts like a stone.
Liao Yiyi stood alone in a corner of the small courtyard.
Ever since she arrived, Liu Cuilan and Lin Yueru had not given her a pleasant look.
Clearly, in their minds, it was because Liao Yiyi initiated the challenge that Zhang Ergou ended up in this state.
They attributed all their grievances to Liao Yiyi.
Lin Yichen, Xiao Qingyu, Wang Teng, and the others naturally wouldn't provoke Liao Yiyi either.
Firstly, Liao Yiyi had an unapproachable, cold demeanor.
Secondly, the gap in their strength was too large, coupled with Liao Yiyi's challenge to Zhang Ergou.
It always made them feel a bit uncomfortable.
"Sister, what should we do now? Ergou has become like this?"
Chi Ling looked at her sister.
The sisters were equally anxious.
Although Chi Ling had been finding excuses to bully Zhang Ergou since he arrived at Lingyu Peak,
she never forgot the life-saving grace he had once bestowed upon her.
Now that Zhang Ergou lay on the bed, looking like he was about to die, Chi Ling's emotions were complex.
Chi Yu remained silent, quietly gazing towards the room where Zhang Ergou was.
At this moment, no one could think of a good solution.
If only the Sect Master were here...
"Hoo!" Zhang Ergou exhaled a breath of turbid air. The spiritual fire within had roamed for more than half a day.
Some of his meridians had been repaired, and he could feel some strength.
The feeling of losing control over his entire body was gone.
Zhang Ergou tried to circulate his cultivation technique, but it still didn't respond.
He knew he couldn't rush and stopped making futile efforts, continuing to wait for the spiritual fire to repair his meridians.
Another day and night passed.
During this time, Chi Yu and the others had entered the room several times, but each time they saw Zhang Ergou with his eyes closed.
They withdrew, knowing that as long as Zhang Ergou was not in any immediate danger, it was the greatest good news.
In the span of a day and a night, the meridians near Zhang Ergou's dantian were completely repaired.
His golden core also began to emit a glow.
Zhang Ergou was overjoyed and hastily tried to guide the spiritual fire towards the remaining unrepaired meridians.
However, to Zhang Ergou's dismay, the spiritual fire seemed to have a mind of its own.
It continued its journey at its own unhurried pace.
It completely ignored Zhang Ergou's guidance.
As if it was holding a grudge against Zhang Ergou, no matter how Zhang Ergou pulled or tugged, the spiritual fire paid him no heed.
After trying several times and finding no way to influence it,
Zhang Ergou simply gave up and continued to observe the spiritual fire's movements like a bystander.
"Ergou, you're awake?" Lin Yichen, who had just entered, exclaimed with surprise in his voice.
As he prepared to call others in, Zhang Ergou raised his hand to stop him.
"Your hand?" Lin Yichen was shocked. He clearly remembered that the last time Zhang Ergou woke up, he had no strength at all.
Had he recovered after sleeping for a day and a night?
Could it be that what Tiandao old man and Qiao Yunyan had called "tricky" was a lie?
Lin Yichen wondered if he was hallucinating, if he was just wishing too hard for Zhang Ergou to get better.
He couldn't help but pinch himself hard on the thigh.
A piercing pain instantly brought him back to his senses.
He wasn't dreaming; Zhang Ergou was indeed improving.
"Elder Tiandao and the others said your condition is very complex. Everyone has been discussing it for a day and a night, and they still haven't come up with a solution."
Seeing that Zhang Ergou didn't want him to alarm others, Lin Yichen pulled up a chair and sat by his bed.
"Perhaps they misjudged. By the way, how long have I slept?"
Unsure how to explain to Lin Yichen, Zhang Ergou changed the subject. In reality, he hadn't slept at all during that day and night.
"A full day and night. Everyone came in several times, and you never woke up."
Lin Yichen glanced outside the door.
"Martial Aunt Chi Yu and the others are very worried about you."
Zhang Ergou nodded. "Can we not tell everyone that I'm awake yet?"
"Why?" Lin Yichen frowned.
"As you can see, my body is recovering on its own. I'm afraid Elder Tiandao and the others will start researching it again if they find out."
To keep most people from knowing his secret, Zhang Ergou revealed a tiny bit to Lin Yichen.
But this tiny bit caused a huge shock to Lin Yichen.
"You mean your body is automatically repairing itself? Is that true?" Lin Yichen's eyes widened in disbelief.
This was a problem that even Tiandao old man and Qiao Yunyan found impossible to solve.
Zhang Ergou's own body could automatically repair itself, which completely refreshed Lin Yichen's understanding.
"Perhaps it's related to the body-tempering cultivation technique I practice," Zhang Ergou told a half-truth.
"I see." For the first time, Lin Yichen felt a curiosity towards Zhang Ergou's body-tempering cultivation technique.
"I'll go out now. I'll help you keep it a secret."
He had been in the room for quite some time, and if he didn't leave soon, others would definitely become suspicious.