Saving Life with Immortal Blood

Dai Qiao’s fingers twitched slightly. "He’s about to lose his life."

"He only has one breath left. Do you have anything to say to him?"

Dai Qiao’s expression was cold, but her fingers instinctively tightened around Hua Yuan’s shoulder.

Shen Hanqiu was flustered. Why did he feel that his Guide... was angry?

Dai Qiao asked, "If I save him, his life belongs to me, right?"

Shen Hanqiu was stunned again. "...Do you like him?"

Dai Qiao pressed two fingers together and slid them across the blade beside her. Fresh blood dripped from her fingertips, drop by drop.

Shen Hanqiu was startled and hurriedly pulled out a bandage. "What are you doing?"

He watched as Dai Qiao smeared the blood onto Hua Yuan’s lips, pressing down slightly so the blood flowed from her finger into his mouth.

The System: [Host, using Immortal Blood to save someone will damage your own cultivation base.]

Dai Qiao: It doesn't matter. I'll take it back from him later.

The System, thinking she didn't understand, patiently explained again: [Host, this damage is to your original cultivation limit; it cannot be recovered with Humiliation Points.]

"..."

Dai Qiao didn't respond. She simply tilted Hua Yuan’s chin up and watched his throat move slightly as he instinctively swallowed the Immortal Blood.

Then, she chanted a mantra, guiding the Immortal Blood to spread out and protect Hua Yuan’s heart meridians.

Shen Hanqiu didn't understand. "What are you doing?"

He carefully lifted Dai Qiao’s hand and applied the bandage to her wound.

Dai Qiao pushed Hua Yuan into Shen Hanqiu’s arms. "Saving him."

Shen Hanqiu caught him blankly. "...What?"

...

The battle against the contamination wave in Zone Z was a resounding victory. This was the first time in history that Sentinels and Guides had frontally defeated a large-scale contamination, an event of immense significance.

That night, the entire Z shelter celebrated joyously, welcoming back the Sentinels who had completed the gold-rank mission.

The Order Bureau also sent Guides to assist in the spiritual cleansing of the Sentinels.

Outside, there was jubilant rejoicing and bright lights.

Meanwhile, the red light of the hospital's operating room stayed on all night, only turning green as dawn broke.

Hua Yuan had passed the critical stage, but his spiritual manifestation had vanished; he had become a crippled Sentinel.

"Do you like him?"

Shen Hanqiu had sat with Dai Qiao outside the operating room all night. Only when Hua Yuan was out of danger did Dai Qiao stand up to leave.

Dai Qiao blinked, her face expressionless. "What do you think?"

Shen Hanqiu choked, a feeling of tightness in his chest making it hard to breathe. "..."

A cold wind blew past. Dai Qiao reached up to smooth a stray hair, organizing her thoughts. "Your spiritual power isn't just limited to S-rank, is it?"

Shen Hanqiu froze, his footsteps halting, his entire body involuntarily tensing up.

Dai Qiao’s finger still bore the bandage he had applied, and her wrist wore the spatial button he had gifted her.

The small thorny rose bloomed at both ends of the spatial button, looking even more exquisite under the bright moonlight.

Dai Qiao said, "Hua Yuan told me I am your Guide. Why do you think he said that?"

Shen Hanqiu pressed his lips thin and didn't answer.

The Guide seemed unhappy, but this was indeed his fault. He blamed himself for not knowing his limits and for silently declaring ownership.

Dai Qiao was clearly displeased:

"I helped soothe your spirit, yet you gave me an old item in exchange. Hmph."

Shen Hanqiu finally grew frantic. "It's not an old item, this is my—"

Dai Qiao raised a hand to signal him to be silent. "Forget it, I don't want to pursue it further. Whatever secrets you have, I have no interest in knowing."

"This spatial button was exchanged for my spiritual cleansing, so it is mine."

She lowered her hand, her cold gaze retracting. "When Hua Yuan wakes up, tell him that if he wants to restore his spiritual manifestation, he should come find me."

...What?

Shen Hanqiu looked up in shock, only to see Dai Qiao’s retreating back.

In a hazy moment, it seemed as if a tiny, pitiful crystal butterfly landed on her shoulder, folding its wings as if begging for a bit of mercy.

...

After arriving in Zone Z, Ling Feng used his contribution points to find a stable place to stay and rested for several days to recover from his injuries.

During those days, he initially felt a vague sense of anticipation, which later turned into helpless self-mockery.

He thought he would never have anything to do with that Guide again, yet early the next morning, he encountered her once more.