Am I really that famous now?

Looking into Tian Mingtang's eyes, which were filled with fervent admiration, Qi Xiu suddenly understood how those celebrities from his previous life felt when they encountered their fans.

"Actually, I was about to say..."

"Great Sage, please save my wife and me!"

THUMP. Tian Mingtang knelt before Qi Xiu, pleading loudly for help.

In his view, for a cultivator as powerful as Qi Xiu, a master in the Blood-Stained Realm and a revered figure ranked among the top ten of the Blood List, their minor injuries were nothing.

As long as he was willing to intervene, they would have a chance to live.

Looking at Tian Mingtang kowtowing repeatedly, Qi Xiu opened his mouth, intending to say something. But seeing the man's desperate, pleading expression, he could only sigh in resignation.

"Alright then."

Narrowing his eyes slightly, Qi Xiu scrutinized the couple's injuries.

Both had murky, lusterless eyes; clearly, their souls had been contaminated. Each also bore a festering, unhealed wound on their flesh.

Black blood continuously oozed from the wounds, and a faint light flickered at their edges—obviously their inner True Gang attempting to expel the demonic energy.

But this demonic energy was exceedingly stubborn.

With their inadequate strength, they could only watch helplessly as the wounds festered and worsened.

The physical injuries are simple enough; just removing the residual demonic energy from the wounds will suffice. But this soul contamination...

Frowning slightly, Qi Xiu pondered whether to use a Suppressing Talisman to erase it directly or to channel a stream of True Essence of Dragon and Tiger into them, allowing them to purge it themselves.

The former was straightforward and efficient; one Suppressing Talisman could neutralize all hidden dangers.

The latter, though more troublesome, offered a chance: if the couple could withstand the True Essence of Dragon and Tiger's refinement, not only would their injuries heal, but their Cultivation would also significantly advance.

However, to Tian Mingtang, Qi Xiu's contemplative silence seemed like hesitation due to difficulty.

Clenching his teeth, Tian Mingtang glanced at his wife behind him and declared with a look of grim determination, "If it's too much trouble for you, Great Sage, then please just save my wife. I beg you."

As he spoke, Tian Mingtang bowed his head heavily to the ground.

Behind him, Wanru was momentarily stunned by his words, then her eyes quickly welled with tears.

"My dear husband, you..."

"Don't worry, I can still make it to Half-Step Station." Raising his head slightly, Tian Mingtang squeezed out a reassuring smile and softly comforted his wife.

"Er, I..."

Feeling that Tian Mingtang might have misunderstood something, Qi Xiu opened his mouth, intending to clarify.

"Please grant us this mercy, Great Sage!"

"Sigh, alright then."

Seeing Tian Mingtang giving him no chance to explain, Qi Xiu slowly raised his hand, and a hazy, multicolored divine light shone forth.

Since our paths have crossed, it must be fate. In that case, I, Qi Xiu, shall grant you a fortunate opportunity.

With a wave of his hand, he channeled two streams of Hunyuan Dragon Tiger True Origin into Tian Mingtang and his wife.

The instant this supremely pure essence, embodying the principles of yin and yang, entered their bodies, the couple felt as if a frigid current and molten lava had been simultaneously injected into them. A vast, surging power coursed through their systems.

The wounds inflicted by the Demonic Artifact healed instantly.

The abundant, turbulent power continued to nourish their meridians and foundational bones.

Excess energy even emanated from their seven orifices, transforming into streams of colorful light.

Within just a few minutes, Tian Mingtang stared at his hands in disbelief. Not only had his injuries healed, but his Cultivation had also progressed significantly. More importantly, he felt as if his Aptitude had also improved slightly.

"Thank you for saving us, Great Sage!"

Without hesitation, Tian Mingtang and his wife quickly knelt before Qi Xiu, preparing to kowtow in gratitude for his life-saving grace.

"Enough. I didn't save you just for a few bows."

With a flick of his finger, an invisible force gently lifted the couple to their feet. Qi Xiu swept his sleeve, and a thick fog suddenly enveloped the three of them.

Using a fog spell to isolate them from the outside world, Qi Xiu then asked Tian Mingtang, "Tell me, what exactly is this Half-Step Station? You said you came here to save your lives—how does that work? Also, do you know of a place called Hundred Coffin Mountain?"

Facing Qi Xiu's barrage of questions, Tian Mingtang sat up straight and cleared his throat.

"To answer the Great Sage, Half-Step Station is essentially a way station drifting between the mortal realm and the Yellow Springs Path. The living can use it to enter the Yellow Springs, and certain entities from the Yellow Springs can use it to enter the mortal realm.

There are a couple of reasons why entering Half-Step Station can preserve one's life. Firstly, Half-Step Station exists in a fissure between the mortal realm and the Yellow Springs Path; it is both present and not truly part of either. Consequently, some old cultivators whose lifespans are nearly exhausted come to Half-Step Station to delay the passage of time. As long as one enters, the depletion of their lifespan can be temporarily halted.

However, deceiving the heavens in this way incurs a penalty. Because Half-Step Station exists outside both realms, it contains no spiritual energy whatsoever, so cultivators cannot advance their Cultivation while inside. Once they leave Half-Step Station, the deferred lifespan loss is deducted twofold. Furthermore, staying in Half-Step Station requires a daily payment of Yin Currency; otherwise, one will be forcibly expelled. Therefore, using this method to prolong life is merely staving off the inevitable and cannot last long.

We entered Half-Step Station hoping to use its spiritual energy-void environment to gradually let the demonic energy within our bodies deplete and dry up. Afterward, we planned to find a way to resolve the issues with our souls.

As for the Hundred Coffin Mountain the Great Sage mentioned... that is the final resting place for many who are near death and unwilling to pass on..."

"What do you mean by that?" Qi Xiu's gaze sharpened as he pressed for more.

"Actually, we've never been there ourselves; we've only heard about it from a few friends. Hundred Coffin Mountain is a secret location on the Yellow Springs Path. If you have enough Yin Currency, you can have a coffin custom-made in Half-Step Station, and then someone will escort you to Hundred Coffin Mountain. Then, you can personally bury yourself there."

"Bury oneself?"

"Yes! As long as you bury yourself in Hundred Coffin Mountain inside a specially made coffin, both your physical body and soul will enter a state akin to being frozen. Even someone on the verge of death, if buried in Hundred Coffin Mountain before they pass, can have their life indefinitely extended until the moment the coffin is reopened. Many dying old cultivators, seeing no hope of extending their lifespan in Half-Step Station, choose to purchase a coffin and journey to Hundred Coffin Mountain to bury themselves there.

Although doing so is hardly different from being dead, people ultimately cling to hope. Perhaps one day, their descendants or friends will find a way to extend life and resurrect them. It's just that, of the many buried in Hundred Coffin Mountain over the years... it seems not a single one has ever been revived."

When mentioning Hundred Coffin Mountain, Tian Mingtang's voice carried a hint of dread. After all, if Qi Xiu hadn't appeared, he and his wife would likely have been interred together in that secret place.

So that's how it is. If Hundred Coffin Mountain is such a place, then the message from Second Senior Sister makes sense. Eldest Senior Brother must have sustained injuries so grievous that he couldn't return to the sect and had to hastily bury himself in Hundred Coffin Mountain to temporarily prolong his life.

Hearing Tian Mingtang's description of Hundred Coffin Mountain's purpose, Qi Xiu felt a slight sense of relief. If Eldest Senior Brother was indeed in Hundred Coffin Mountain, then at least until he left that place, his life wouldn't be in immediate danger.

But just as this worry eased, another question surfaced in Qi Xiu's mind.

No, that's not right! If Eldest Senior Brother was gravely injured and is prolonging his life in Hundred Coffin Mountain, then what about Second Senior Sister? Could it be... both of them suffered severe injuries?

Recalling the fragmented script on the Magic Letter, Qi Xiu clenched his fists, his brow furrowed.

Someone, or something, had injured Eldest Senior Brother Wei Wujie and Second Senior Sister Nangong Qingqiu so severely that they couldn't even return to the sect. They had to hide in Half-Step Station, burying themselves to temporarily extend their lives. Could it be the work of a Dao Expert acting in secret?

As their junior brother, Qi Xiu was well aware of Wei Wujie's and Nangong Qingqiu's strength.

Eldest Senior Brother Wei Wujie was at Blood-Stained Peak. He had traveled across the seven provinces of Great Xuan, learning a plethora of skills from various schools. Furthermore, after consuming a Divine Skill seed, he even gained the formidable Divine Power of the Yellow Dragon Body.

Second Senior Sister Nangong Qingqiu possessed the strength of Blood-Coated Eightfold. She mastered profound and mighty Thunder Magic and possessed the rare gift of divination and astrology. Moreover, she was exceptionally sharp and brilliant.

To injure these two to the brink of death... aside from a Dao Expert, Qi Xiu couldn't imagine anyone in the Blood-Stained Realm possessing such power.

I need to find their enemy, but not now. The urgent task is to find Eldest Senior Brother and Second Senior Sister as quickly as possible and bring them back to the sect.

Having made his decision, Qi Xiu produced a bag of Dao Gold and handed it to Tian Mingtang. "Now that your and your wife's injuries have healed, you shouldn't need to go to Half-Step Station anymore. How about I buy your Yin Currency with these eight thousand Dao Gold?"

"Ah? No, no, that won't do!"

Hastily retrieving the Yin Currency from his person, Tian Mingtang presented it with both hands. "Great Sage, you saved my wife's life and mine. For such immense kindness, forget Yin Currency; we would willingly go through fire and water for you. How could we possibly take your Dao Gold?"

Seeing Qi Xiu about to say more, Tian Mingtang simply stuffed the Yin Currency into his hand. "Since the Great Sage has never been to Half-Step Station, how about I accompany you? It's always better to have someone familiar along."

Nodding, Qi Xiu found this agreeable. "Very well. In that case, consider this me hiring you. This Dao Gold can be your payment."

He tossed the Dao Gold to Tian Mingtang. Seeing Tian Mingtang still reluctant, Qi Xiu said directly, "What's wrong? Do you look down on me?"

"Not at all, not at all! Thank you, Great Sage!" Eyes brimming with gratitude, Tian Mingtang handed the bag of Dao Gold to his wife, Wanru. "I'll accompany the Great Sage. You stay here and wait for us."

"Why? I can also..."

"Be obedient! Entering Half-Step Station means an additional toll of half your lifespan; what would you go there for?" For the first time, Tian Mingtang asserted his husbandly authority. After his firm command, he tenderly smoothed the stray hairs on his wife's forehead. "Wait for me to return. We'll continue to strive in our Cultivation, and we'll definitely break through the Blood-Stained Realm."

"Alright, then I'll wait here for you."

Cradling his wife's face, Tian Mingtang planted a firm kiss on her lips, then turned and quickly strode to catch up with Qi Xiu.

"You certainly dote on your wife, don't you?" Qi Xiu teased with a smile as Tian Mingtang caught up.

Taking a deep breath, Tian Mingtang glanced back at the figure gradually being swallowed by the dense fog. "She's the only wife I have. If I don't cherish her, who will?"

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