In the dead of night, Chen Ben remained unconscious, his face turning purple. Under the onslaught of corpse poison, his breath grew increasingly faint, barely that of a normal person. Chen Ben's mother wept incessantly until she finally fainted, being sent down the mountain by Lin Zhao's men for care. Under the clear moonlight, Lin Zhao sat alone by the lotus pond of the Natural Residence, frowning in silence.
"My lord."
With the sound of footsteps, Chu Yu arrived beside Lin Zhao, kneeling slowly on one knee, his eyes red. "You mustn't blame yourself. This is all my fault. I shouldn't have let Chen Ben come down North Mountain with me... If it weren't for my momentary lapse in judgment, Chen Ben wouldn't have ended up like this. I will accept any punishment you deem fit, my lord," Chu Yu said.
"Chu Yu, rise."
Lin Zhao's voice was soft. "Let's not rush. I've already sent Wu Zhi to the Mohist ancestral hall to seek help. Perhaps the experts there will have a way to detoxify him."
"Mm..."
Not long after, a beam of sword light arrived from the east, descending before the Natural Residence at Snow Domain Heavenly Pond. It was Wu Zhi, returning on his sword, accompanied by an elder with white hair, clad in the attire of a Mohist Grandmaster, an old immortal of the twelfth realm of the Mohist school.
"My lord!"
Wu Zhi respectfully said, "This is Senior Qin Heng from the Mohist ancestral hall, the most skilled elder in Yin Yang medicine there."
"Lin Zhao pays his respects to Senior Qin Heng!"
Lin Zhao quickly rose and said, "There's no time to lose. Please, Senior, treat Chen Ben immediately!"
"Alright!"
The twelfth realm Mohist old immortal nodded. "Lead the way!"
"Yes!"
Lin Zhao walked ahead, leading Qin Heng into the study. Upon seeing Chen Ben's injuries, Qin Heng's brow furrowed. "This is no ordinary corpse poison. It's a chilling corpse poison tempered for thousands, even tens of thousands of years. I fear this is a technique of the direct lineage of the Coffin Bearers... Fortunately, this young man's physique is strong, or he would have succumbed to the poison and be dead by now."
"Old Senior!"
Lin Zhao frowned. "Is there any hope?"
"Difficult."
The Mohist old immortal said, "This kind of icy corpse poison is rarely seen. There are no records of its antidote in any medical texts or secret tomes in the mortal realm. I can only write you a prescription. If you follow it to gather and decoct the herbs, perhaps it will help him survive the night. If he can pull through, then it will depend on his own resilience. If his fate is strong enough, he will endure; if not... even an immortal might not be able to save him."
"Alright, thank you, Old Senior!"
Lin Zhao quickly took out a sheet of white paper and his Thousand Riders Roll Snow, dipped it in cinnabar, and asked the old immortal to write the prescription.
The Mohist old immortal glanced at the Thousand Riders Roll Snow and smiled inwardly. It seemed the legends were true. Lin Baiyi of Snow Domain Heavenly Pond had indeed reincarnated. The young man who once slew the thirteenth realm Bai Lan had grown up. It was a pity he couldn't offer much more help, only write a prescription to do his best.
Once the prescription was written, Lin Zhao immediately handed it to Chu Yu. "Take the teleportation array to Baidi City and find the best apothecary to gather the herbs. Quickly!"
"Yes, my lord!"
Chu Yu turned and rode the wind down the mountain.
The Mohist old immortal cupped his hands. "Since that is the case, I can offer no further assistance. I shall take my leave."
"Wu Zhi."
Lin Zhao respectfully said, "Escort the Old Senior back to the Mohist ancestral hall."
The sword cultivators of the upper five realms were extremely fast when flying on their swords and consumed little spiritual energy, making them the best escorts. This would save the old immortal the trouble of using his own methods to fly back.
...
Not long after, Chu Yu returned, setting up a fire by the lotus pond to decoct the medicine. Lin Zhao repeatedly reviewed the decocting method on the prescription, ensuring its accuracy. While he watched Chu Yu prepare the medicine, Mu Zha and Xiang Ji stood not far away, their fists clenched, their hearts heavy. Chen Ben was Mu Zha's disciple, so he was most concerned. Xiang Ji had never seen Lin Zhao so anxious before. Both their hearts were heavy.
Tong Yu and Wang Yue stood outside the window, looking at Chen Ben through the glass. Worry was etched on their pretty faces. If Chen Ben couldn't pull through this time, they would never see that honest young man practicing martial arts and swordplay on the mountain paths of the Villa on the Summit again. Before, the two girls would often "bully" Chen Ben on the mountain paths, but now, seeing his pitiable state, they felt a deep sadness.
"Sister Wang Yue."
Tong Yu's delicate brows furrowed. "Will Chen Ben make it through?"
"I don't know..."
Wang Yue pursed her red lips and turned to look at the tightly-browed Lin Zhao. "But I've never seen our Mountain Master like this... he's completely lost his composure."
Tong Yu's eyes welled up. "Brother Lin Zhao is such a good, good person... If something happened to us, he would be just like this..."
Wang Yue's nose twitched, and she nodded with a bitter smile. "Mm... Mm..."
...
An hour later, the medicine was ready. Lin Zhao personally carried it into the room. Chu Yu gently held Chen Ben's body, pried open his mouth, and slowly poured the medicine in. Chen Ben's complexion improved slightly afterward, but it was short-lived. Within the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn, his face once again turned a deep purple. The Mohist old immortal's prescription could only treat the symptoms, not the root cause.
"Is he truly beyond saving?"
Mu Zha stood nearby, his fists clenched, his body trembling slightly, his eyes red as he looked at Lin Zhao. "My lord, over the years, Chen Ben has been my first true disciple. I have passed down all my boxing techniques and philosophies to him. This child is honest and kind, he trains diligently, and he truly considers Snow Domain Heavenly Pond his home. If he dies like this, as his master, how can I face his mother..."
"Alright."
Lin Zhao patted his shoulder. "Let's all go out and let Chen Ben rest."
"Yes."
Everyone went outside. Under the lamplight, no one could sleep.
A short while later, a beam of sword light landed from the sky. It was Wu Zhi, returning.
"Still no hope?" Wu Zhi asked gently.
Lin Zhao shook his head, saying nothing.
Chu Yu said, "From now on, it will be as the old immortal said. It depends on Chen Ben's will to survive, on his own strength to endure. We can no longer help."
"..."
Wu Zhi remained silent, standing quietly beside Lin Zhao. She could clearly feel Lin Zhao's deep sadness.
"Wu Zhi, activate the Great Ju Que Umbrella formation to shield all auras within and outside Snow Domain Heavenly Pond."
Lin Zhao took a deep breath. "The demon race, the Coffin Bearers, they might be observing everything here."
"Yes!"
Wu Zhi raised her hand, and the Ju Que Sword flew into the air, hovering low above Snow Domain Heavenly Pond, casting a faint golden twilight over the area.
...
Much later, someone flew up the mountain. It was Xu Sheng, carrying a blood-stained saber in one hand and a winged demon clutched under his arm. He tossed the demon's corpse to the ground. "My lord, your subordinate just discovered a hawk demon. It was likely sent to scout Snow Domain Heavenly Pond and has been cleaved in two by your subordinate."
"Understood."
Lin Zhao nodded. "Thank you for your hard work, Old General."
"It's nothing."
Xu Sheng turned and went down the mountain to oversee military affairs. Wu Zhi frowned. "The demon race is sending scouts to gather intelligence at this time. What does it mean? We had a clear advantage in the battle against the Coffin Bearers, killing hundreds of them with minimal losses. It's illogical for the demon race to exploit this opportunity now."
"Mm."
Lin Zhao looked deeply towards the south. "The hawk demon scouting the mountain might not have been for the demon race. It's possible it was gathering information for someone else."
Mu Zha and Chu Yu frowned, not understanding the deeper meaning of Lin Zhao's words.
"Mountain Master!"
At that moment, Wang Yue suddenly ran over, her voice urgent. "Chen Ben is spitting blood!"
"Ah?!"
Everyone rushed into the study and saw Chen Ben coughing violently. Not only was he spitting blood, but blood was also flowing from his ears, nose, and eyes. It was thick and purple, with a faint stench. The wound on his chest had begun to harden, showing no signs of healing.
"The corpse poison is too potent..."
Wu Zhi's eyes were red. "I fear this child won't be able to hold on..."
"Chen Ben..."
Tong Yu and Wang Yue looked at the young warrior together, knowing this might be the last time.
"You all go out."
Lin Zhao said softly. "Let me speak with Chen Ben for a while."
"Yes."
Everyone retreated.
...
Lin Zhao sat on a chair by the bed, his posture straight.
"When you left the mountain, you said you wanted to kill demons with me. But so far, you've only killed ghosts, not a single demon... A man must see things through to the end..."
"Don't laugh at me, but I was only at the eighth realm back then. The first time I saw a ghoul, I got goosebumps all over. Truthfully, you're much stronger than me, your older brother. Not only is your cultivation higher, but you also have courage."
He tilted his head back, looking out the window, his voice trembling slightly. "Kid, you're only at the ninth realm. Haven't you seen the splendor of the upper five realms yet? Back then, Marshal Chen, a twelfth realm martial artist of the human race, was so powerful. With his Heaven-reaching Fist, he tore apart twelfth realm great demons for the human race. At the twelfth realm, he joined forces with the thirteenth realm Sword Immortal Lu Xinghe to fight seven thirteenth realm great demons of the demon race. What kind of spirit and courage did that require?"
"Chen Ben..."
His voice softened considerably. "In my heart, you are the same kind of person as Marshal Chen. I have very, very high expectations for you. I believe you, Chen Ben, should be the second Rebirth realm martial artist to emerge from Snow Domain Heavenly Pond, someone who can shatter the demon race's spine with a single kick. You haven't experienced all this glory yet..."
He raised his eyebrows and looked at Chen Ben. "Don't disappoint me, don't disappoint your mother. Live, okay?"
...
On the bed, the unconscious young warrior unconsciously clenched his fist.
The next moment, a golden radiance, almost imperceptible to the naked eye, descended from the sky and fell upon Lin Zhao. Lin Zhao looked up at the sky, his heart leaping. Every cell in his body felt as if it would explode. He distinctly felt a sense of loss and recovery, a power inquiring within him, wanting to return to his body. However, it seemed to have a second option: there were two people here who could serve as vessels!
"..."
Lin Zhao shook his head gently, indicating he didn't need it. Others needed it more than he did. Thus, the golden radiance that enveloped him underwent a refraction and was entirely bestowed upon Chen Ben!
With a faint "crackle," streaks of golden patterns appeared on his injured chest. Immediately after, a vast martial fortune gathered above the Natural Residence, while the purple hue on Chen Ben's body continuously receded, restoring his rosy complexion. His chest trembled with a "buzzing" sound, as if something was awakening, striving to break free from the shackles of fate!