Lin Shu’s face was frighteningly pale. If this continued, something bad might happen, so Wen Qiwu held back and didn’t rub salt into her wounds any further. But the Demon Domain Forbidden Technique was absolutely off-limits.
“I know the Demon Domain Forbidden Technique isn’t foolproof, but now I have no other options. She doesn’t want to see me? That’s fine. I just want her to come back to life…” Lin Shu painfully closed her eyes. She hadn’t lost her reason yet, and the source of her pain stemmed precisely from her clarity. After Wen Qiwu laid out the risks, she naturally understood that this path was unwise. But she was unwilling to abandon this sliver of hope.
The Demon Domain Forbidden Technique wasn’t anything good, so she figured there had to be a way to eliminate its side effects—or perhaps shift the cost onto the caster. She believed there would be a solution.
But Yun Heng had spent decades researching this secret technique and still hadn’t found a way to crack it. That hope was exceedingly slim.
This young woman before her was right. Reviving someone as proud as Zuo Lan into a half-human, half-ghost monster—Zuo Lan would rather self-destruct than live on in such a state. Lin Shu knew her stubborn temperament all too well.
And because she knew her so well, Lin Shu clearly recognized that Wen Qiwu’s words weren’t mere scare tactics. This method truly wouldn’t work.
Lin Shu trembled slightly as she bowed in salute, thanked her again, and turned to leave.
“If you’re not afraid of danger, you can search the Endless Tree Sea. Ancient records mention a True Immortal Realm predecessor from ten thousand years ago who survived nine deaths and returned to life, only to perish there. That senior might have what you’re looking for. The location is west of the Phoenix Lord Tomb,” Wen Qiwu said.
Lin Shu halted in her tracks. Astonishment mixed with a hint of joy crossed her face. Forgetting her usual impeccable etiquette, the Immortal Lord thanked Wen Qiwu and hurried away.
If not for all that messy business, Wen Qiwu naturally hoped Lin Shu could successfully revive Zuo Lan—but only through the proper path. Otherwise, it would harm both.
“She’s finally gone,” Yun Heng sighed softly. She carefully wrapped her arms around her little junior sister’s waist, her movements extraordinarily gentle. “Is there really a resurrection method in that tomb?”
Many things recorded in ancient texts were exaggerated or false. Yun Heng had only used them as stories to tell her junior sister. Whether they were true needed verification, but given her junior sister’s personality, this wasn’t a delaying tactic.
“I heard from a friend that there is. She went in before, but unfortunately, the immortal’s method of selecting an inheritor was extremely harsh. She nearly lost her life there.” The friend Wen Qiwu mentioned was Gao Fu. She was quite fortunate—when she escaped from the immortal’s tomb, she had only one breath left. By chance, she encountered Wen Qiwu emerging from the heart of the Endless Tree Sea, which saved her life.
Wen Qiwu had suddenly vanished earlier, so her friend must have been worried sick. She had tried sending a message via Messenger Spirit Sparrow to reassure Gao Fu but hadn’t received a reply yet.
So that was it. However…
“A friend?” Her junior sister had never left the East Zhao Domain since childhood. Any friends made after emerging from the Endless Tree Sea must have been recent.
“Her name is Gao Fu, from a cultivation clan in the Cang Sea Domain. I met her right after leaving the Endless Tree Sea.” Out of habit from her upbringing, Wen Qiwu briefly explained her new friend’s background. “This time, that child A Yue captured me and brought me back. I didn’t even get a chance to tell her before I disappeared. She must be frantic.”
Wen Qiwu sighed and glanced at the sky. Then she turned to Yun Heng. “Your wounds haven’t healed yet. It’s time for medicine.”
Heavenly Punishment had targeted Yun Heng’s life. Even a True Immortal Realm body was left covered in wounds under its assault. These past days, Wen Qiwu had been changing her senior sister’s dressings. Now that her senior sister was awake, asking her to do it herself… Wen Qiwu felt a bit embarrassed.
Yun Heng intertwined her fingers with her junior sister’s and obediently let herself be led back to the room. Wen Qiwu took out the medicine prepared by the Medical Immortal. Various corrosive forces lingered on her senior sister’s wounds, making them slow to heal, so she had to follow the instructions: change the dressings three times a day.
Yun Heng removed her outer robe. Faint scars were now visible on her neck and wrists. It had improved a lot; in the first few days, Wen Qiwu had nearly teared up every time she applied the medicine.
Wen Qiwu took out the ointment for external application. She hadn’t expected that in the time it took her to turn around, her senior sister had removed another layer. Her skin was so fair it was almost translucent—beautiful enough to make one forget to breathe.
She had applied medicine for her senior sister every day before, yet her heart had never raced like this. What was wrong with her today? Why was her heart so out of control?
And because she had just drawn Heart Blood earlier, Wen Qiwu hurriedly averted her gaze, afraid her heart couldn’t take it.
“Here’s the medicine.” Wen Qiwu shoved the ointment into her senior sister’s hands. The faint blush on her face didn’t escape Yun Heng’s notice.
Yun Heng couldn’t help but smile. She wanted to touch her junior sister’s cheek, but the shy little phoenix nimbly dodged.
Yun Heng felt a bit regretful, but a little phoenix that wanted to escape couldn’t be caught. She couldn’t rush now, so she opened the ointment and applied it to her wounds. They weren’t fully healed, and pain radiated from everywhere on her body. But the joy in her heart made Yun Heng almost forget the ache.
She didn’t know what was added to this ointment, but it stung harshly on the wounds, making application even more painful. Yet even so, the curve of Yun Heng’s lips remained upward.
Today was the happiest day in her century-long ordeal— so wonderful it felt unreal. She’d endured too much suffering these years, always suspecting it was a dream. This pain, instead, reminded her it was real. Her junior sister had returned, and her nightmare was over.
Yun Heng was in high spirits until the little phoenix beside her, using busywork to mask her shyness, received a letter.
It was a reply from Gao Fu. She clearly hadn’t left the Endless Tree Sea yet; otherwise, Wen Qiwu’s Messenger Spirit Sparrow couldn’t have found her so quickly.
【Qiwu! I’m relieved you’re safe. Don’t rush to find me—handle your own matters first. The Myriad Forest Domain will stay open for a while; no hurry. If it’s urgent, I can come to you…】 Gao Fu had been terrified these days. With Wen Qiwu vanishing without a trace, she’d nearly mobilized people from the Cang Sea Domain to search the entire Myriad Forest Domain.
She hadn’t dared stray far, afraid Wen Qiwu would return and not find her.
Yun Heng listened to every word. The way she addressed her junior sister was exceptionally intimate. Hadn’t her junior sister said they’d only known each other a few days? Yet their bond was already this close. Yun Heng felt the ointment in her hand no longer tasted bitter—it was sour.
Wen Qiwu conjured a Messenger Spirit Sparrow and recorded her voice into it.
【A Fu, I’m about to set off for the Endless Tree Sea. By the time you receive this Messenger Spirit Sparrow, I should be almost there…】
Wen Qiwu had just recorded two sentences when she heard her senior sister, who was applying medicine nearby, draw in a sharp breath.
She hurriedly set the Messenger Spirit Sparrow aside and rushed to Yun Heng’s side. “What’s wrong? Does it hurt somewhere?”
“…This medicine stings when applied to the wounds.” The tough woman who hadn’t flinched under Heavenly Punishment now seemed more fragile than a delicate flower. As the ointment touched her wounds, she trembled slightly, as if it truly hurt badly.
Wen Qiwu was most susceptible to this. She fetched more ointment and carefully applied it to her senior sister’s wounds, gently blowing on them as she went. Replying to the message was thrown to the back of her mind—she might not remember it for who knows how long.
“Does it still hurt like this? Should I be lighter?” Wen Qiwu asked softly as she applied it.
“Much better this way.” After all, it was her junior sister personally applying it. Even if she dug out a chunk and fed it to her, Yun Heng would probably find it sweet.
Wen Qiwu was overly concerned, so only after carefully applying it to her senior sister’s shoulder did she realize her senior sister had removed her upper garments entirely, using only a thin quilt to cover herself.
The little phoenix’s ears flushed red as if dripping blood. Her medicine-covered hand trembled slightly, accidentally pressing too hard on Yun Heng’s wound.
“Sorry, sorry! Did I hurt you?” Wen Qiwu hurriedly blew on it gently.
Her breath was like soft feathers. Yun Heng’s wound tingled with itchiness and numbness.
“It doesn’t hurt anymore.” Yun Heng shifted slightly, and the thin quilt nearly slipped down. Wen Qiwu hurriedly wrapped it back around her senior sister, face red.
Was her senior sister testing her resolve?
“A Que, I can’t reach the medicine on my back. Can you help?” Yun Heng lifted her long hair, revealing her pale back marred with scars.
Her frame had grown much thinner. Wen Qiwu couldn’t imagine how she had endured such injuries.
Wen Qiwu reached out and gently stroked the wounds on her senior sister’s back. Seeing those horrific marks scattered her fanciful thoughts, leaving only heartache.
She took some ointment and slowly applied it. When she reached the most severe wound, she applied it while gently blowing.
They were pressed very close. Her breath still felt warm when it landed on Yun Heng’s back.
It was as if her junior sister was kissing her wounds. Yun Heng closed her eyes, her earlobes turning red. This time, her body truly trembled—it wasn’t an act.
Wen Qiwu assumed it was the pain from the wounds, so she even lightened her breathing. Little did she know, for her senior sister, this was another kind of “torment”—though Yun Heng was more than happy to endure it.
