Hundred Herbs Antidote? Lin Che's Rescue

Hundred Herbs Antidote? Lin Che's Rescue (Lin Che opened a can and obtained the "Hundred Herbs Antidote," curing Jiang Zhu's poison)

A pale azure Sword Qi skimmed past the Pseudo Healing Rabbit's ear, cleaving a half-inch-deep fissure into the grass. The rabbit clearly had not expected a powerful foe to suddenly appear. A trace of fear flashed through its ruby-like eyes, yet it did not flee. Instead, it arched its body, the pale purple Soul Power all over it growing denser as the black Poison Thorns at its claws sprang out again. It pounced at Lin Che's ankle—three times faster than when it had attacked Jiang Zhu!

"Seeking death!" Lin Che's gaze turned cold as he swept the Iron Sword sideways in his hand. "Azure Edge Slash!" A ten-foot-long azure-gold Sword Qi shrieked through the air, driving straight at the Pseudo Healing Rabbit's face. This time, he showed no mercy. The sight of Jiang Zhu's deathly pale face and black poisonous blood had already filled him with rage—this soul beast looked docile on the surface, but it was vicious and venomous. If he did not deal with it quickly, Jiang Zhu would not hold on for long.

The Pseudo Healing Rabbit reacted swiftly. It leaped to the side, dodging the Sword Qi, then pushed off the ground with its front paws and lunged at the Iron Sword in Lin Che's hand—it seemed to have realized that the sword was his weapon and wanted to destroy his reliance! Lin Che had anticipated this. With a flick of his wrist, he smashed the flat of his blade viciously into the Pseudo Healing Rabbit's back. With a muffled bang, the rabbit was sent flying, crashing heavily into a tree trunk. It Spurted Out a Mouthful of pale purple froth, yet still struggled to rise, its eyes brimming with madness.

"It can take a beating." Lin Che frowned. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jiang Zhu leaning against the tree trunk—her head drooped against her shoulder, her face white as paper. The black wound on her wrist was still bleeding, and the patch of poisonous blood dripping onto the grass had spread further. Even the nearby roots had begun to turn black. His heart tightened. He knew he could not drag this out with the soul beast; he had to make a Quick Battle, Quick Decision.

He drew a deep breath and sent a strand of Soul Power into his Dantian—the phantom of the Azure Water Sword solidified in his palm, and the bamboo-leaf patterns along its blade glowed faintly. This was the sign that Azure Edge Slash was charging. The Pseudo Healing Rabbit seemed to sense the danger and turned to flee deeper into the grassy slope, but how could Lin Che give it the chance?

"Trying to run?" Lin Che pushed off the ground, moving half a beat faster than usual. The Iron Sword in his hand drew an arc, and azure-gold Sword Qi spread like a net, enveloping the Pseudo Healing Rabbit's escape route. With nowhere left to retreat, the rabbit could only pounce at Lin Che again, its Poison Thorns aimed directly at his throat—this was an attack meant to take them both down!

Lin Che's eyes narrowed. Rather than dodge, he stepped forward. A strand of pale golden Soul Power suddenly gathered in his left hand—the phantom of the Universe Cauldron! Though he had yet to master the Universe Cauldron's offensive abilities, he could use its "gather and disperse" property to form a weak Soul Power barrier In Front Of him. Sure enough, when the Pseudo Healing Rabbit's Poison Thorns struck the barrier, their speed slowed instantly. Seizing the opportunity, Lin Che drove his Iron Sword forward with all his strength. Its tip precisely pierced the Pseudo Healing Rabbit's abdomen—an unprotected weak point without Poison Thorns!

"Squeak!" The Pseudo Healing Rabbit let out a shrill cry. Its body convulsed violently, the pale purple Soul Power all over it rapidly dissipating as the Poison Thorns at its claws slowly retracted. Lin Che pulled out the Iron Sword and watched as it fell to the ground, gradually losing its breath. Only then did he let out a sigh of relief and hurry to Jiang Zhu's side.

"Junior Sister Jiang Zhu! Wake up!" Lin Che crouched down and gently patted Jiang Zhu's cheek. Her skin was icy cold, and her breathing was so faint it was almost imperceptible. The black poisonous blood on her wrist had coagulated, yet it still emitted a faintly fishy odor. He placed his fingers on her pulse and found that the Soul Power in her meridians was like a stagnant pool, nearly stopped. A wave of frigid poison was spreading through her meridians toward her heart—if he delayed another quarter of an hour, not even an immortal could save her!

"What do I do? Grandpa Gu said that deadly poisons capable of sealing Soul Power require special antidotes. All I have is the Clear Miasma Pill, and that's completely useless..." Sweat broke out on Lin Che's forehead. He turned his Cloth Bag inside out. Other than the Clear Miasma Pill Gu Rong had given him, Spirit Herb Tea, and gauze for sword practice, there was nothing that could counter this deadly poison. He looked at the wound on Jiang Zhu's wrist, then at the Pseudo Healing Rabbit's corpse on the ground, and suddenly remembered something—when he had encountered Shadow Scout in Spirit Bamboo Valley, the system had saved him by opening a can. Could he rely on the system again now?

He immediately focused his mind and called out to the system in his consciousness. Sure enough, a light blue screen Appeared again. This time, there was no bronze can on it, only a line of small text:

[Detected "Soul Devouring Poison" (a poison exclusive to mutated Healing Rabbits) in an allied target. You may consume 5 points of Soul Power to open an "Emergency Rescue Can" and obtain the corresponding antidote.]

"Emergency Rescue Can? Great!" Lin Che chose to open it without hesitation. Five points of Soul Power flowed out of his Dantian and into the screen. Instantly, a phantom bronze can glowing with Green Light Appeared. Its surface was engraved with dense herbal patterns, far more exquisite than the novice can from before.

"Crack!" The can split open, and a jade-green streak of light flew out, landing in Lin Che's palm—a thumb-sized porcelain bottle. A yellowed paper label was attached to it, bearing four small words: "Hundred Herbs Antidote." The bottle contained a pale green liquid that Emitted a rich herbal fragrance, calming the mind with a single breath.

[Hundred Herbs Antidote: Can neutralize over 90% of beast toxins on Douluo Continent, especially effective against toxins from mutated soul beasts. After consumption, guide it with Soul Power to accelerate the expulsion of toxins.]

Without the slightest hesitation, Lin Che removed the stopper and carefully fed the Hundred Herbs Antidote to Jiang Zhu. As soon as the pale green liquid entered her mouth, her throat moved instinctively, swallowing the antidote. Lin Che held his breath and stared intently at her reaction. After about the time it took to drink half a cup of tea, Jiang Zhu's complexion finally changed. It was no longer deathly pale; instead, a faint blush Glowed on her cheeks. The black wound on her wrist also slowly faded, changing from black to dark purple, then pale purple.

"It worked!" Lin Che was overjoyed. Remembering the System Prompt to "guide it with Soul Power," he immediately sent a strand of gentle Soul Power into Jiang Zhu's pulse. The moment it entered her meridians, it fused with the Hundred Herbs Antidote's energy. Like a warm current, it slowly washed through the toxins in her meridians. He could clearly sense Jiang Zhu's previously stagnant Soul Power beginning to flow again. Though still weak, it was no longer a lifeless pool.

Just then, the Healing Scepter lying in a nearby thicket suddenly lit up—the vine patterns on its shaft glowed faintly green, similar to the color of the Hundred Herbs Antidote, while the crystal at its tip shimmered as though responding to the antidote's energy. Lin Che froze for a moment, remembering Elder Jiang Yun's unusual reaction to the scepter. This scepter really is not simple. It can even sense the antidote's energy.

After about another cup of tea's time, Jiang Zhu's eyes finally opened slowly. She looked at Lin Che in confusion, her voice hoarse like sandpaper scraping together. "Lin... Senior Brother Lin Che? I... I'm not dead?"

"Don't talk. You've just been detoxified and are still very weak." Lin Che quickly helped her sit up and let her lean against his shoulder. "That rabbit was mutated and poisonous. I saved you with an antidote." He pointed at the porcelain bottle on the ground, then at the Pseudo Healing Rabbit's corpse. "How do you feel now? Is anything uncomfortable?"

Jiang Zhu Shook Head and Lowered Head to look at her wrist—the wound had turned pale pink and was no longer bleeding. The Soul Power in her meridians also flowed much more smoothly. Though she had not recovered to her peak condition, she could barely gather Soul Power now. Seeing the Healing Scepter nearby, she reached out at once. As if sensing her call, the scepter flew automatically into her palm. The vine patterns on its shaft still glowed with faint green light, and the crystal at its tip was brighter than before.

"Thank you, Senior Brother Lin Che." Jiang Zhu's eyes reddened. She remembered the despair she had felt just now. If Lin Che had not appeared in time, she would have become a corpse on the grass. "If it weren't for you, I..."

"No need to thank me. We're both disciples of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Helping each other is only natural." Lin Che interrupted her, making his tone as relaxed as possible. "Rest for a while. I'll deal with that rabbit's corpse so other disciples don't get poisoned if they run into it."

He stood and walked over to the Pseudo Healing Rabbit's corpse. Just as he was about to bury it, he suddenly discovered a pale purple Soul Core in its abdomen, emitting weak Soul Power. He remembered Gu Rong saying that the Soul Cores of mutated soul beasts might have special uses. He carefully dug it out with his Iron Sword and placed it in his Cloth Bag—perhaps Elder Jiang Yun could study it later and see whether a medicine to prevent this poison could be developed.

After dealing with the corpse, Lin Che returned to Jiang Zhu and helped her slowly to her feet. "Can you walk? I'll take you back to the Medicine Hall so Elder Jiang Yun can examine you again."

"Mm, I can walk." Jiang Zhu nodded, gripping the Healing Scepter. The Soul Power within it gave her considerable support. The two slowly made their way back. Sunlight filtered through the leaves and Fell Onto them, warm and gentle. The danger from earlier seemed as vivid as ever, yet it had created an unspoken understanding between them.

"Senior Brother Lin Che, where did your antidote come from? I've never seen a medicine that can neutralize Soul Devouring Poison so quickly." After walking for a while, Jiang Zhu could not help asking. She had spent three days in the Medicine Hall and had heard her grandfather speak of countless antidotes, yet none were as miraculous as the Hundred Herbs Antidote, capable of suppressing such a deadly poison almost instantly.

Lin Che's heart stirred. He had already prepared an explanation. "Grandpa Gu gave it to me. He said I had only just acquired a soul skill and might encounter danger, so he told me to carry an emergency antidote. I Did Not Expect it to actually come in handy today." He did not mention the system. Gu Rong had told him to keep it secret, and he did not want anyone else to know he possessed such a special ability.

Jiang Zhu did not doubt him and nodded. "Lord Gu Douluo is truly thoughtful. Once I return to the Medicine Hall, I must thank him properly." She looked at Lin Che's profile. Sunlight cast faint shadows across his face, making him seem steadier than usual. His calmness while fighting the Pseudo Healing Rabbit and his care when feeding her the antidote made a hint of warmth rise in her heart.

The two slowly returned to the Medicine Hall. As soon as they arrived at the entrance, they saw Elder Jiang Yun pacing back and forth anxiously. The moment he saw them, he hurried over. "Jiang Zhu! Are you all right? I heard from Zhao Lei that you went to the back mountain to search for a Healing Rabbit and hadn't returned for half the day. I thought something had happened to you!" He saw the wound on Jiang Zhu's wrist, then looked at Lin Che, his eyes full of concern.

"Grandfather, I'm fine. Senior Brother Lin Che saved me." Jiang Zhu quickly explained what had happened: encountering the mutated Healing Rabbit, being poisoned, and Lin Che saving her with an antidote. She concealed the special source of the Hundred Herbs Antidote, saying only that it had been an emergency antidote given by Gu Rong.

After hearing her out, Elder Jiang Yun patted his chest in lingering fear and gave Lin Che a deep bow. "Thank you, young friend Lin, for saving my granddaughter! Words cannot repay such a great kindness. If you ever need help from the Medicine Hall, just say the word!" He looked at Jiang Zhu's wrist and checked her pulse again. To his surprise, the poison had already been mostly cleared, and her Soul Power had recovered by more than half. "This antidote is incredible. It can neutralize Soul Devouring Poison to such an extent. Lord Gu Douluo truly possesses extraordinary means."

Lin Che hurriedly helped Elder Jiang Yun up. "Elder Jiang, you're too polite. I only did what I should have done. Oh, I also dug a Soul Core out of that mutated Healing Rabbit. Please see whether it can be used." He took the pale purple Soul Core from his Cloth Bag and handed it to Elder Jiang Yun.

Elder Jiang Yun took the Soul Core and examined it carefully. A flash of delight crossed his eyes. "Good stuff! Though the poison in this Soul Core is potent, it can be refined into an 'antitoxin.' If the disciples encounter mutated soul beasts again in the future, they can take precautions in advance! Young friend Lin, you not only saved Jiang Zhu, but also rendered a great service to the sect!"

Lin Che smiled and said nothing more. Watching Elder Jiang Yun help Jiang Zhu into the Medicine Hall, he finally relaxed—this time, he had not only saved Jiang Zhu but also unexpectedly obtained a mutated Soul Core. It had been a close call, but all had ended well. He touched the porcelain bottle in his Cloth Bag and recalled the prompt on the system screen. Suddenly, he realized that the system could not only provide him with cultivation resources, but also save people at critical moments. Perhaps, beyond his Dual Martial Souls, it was another important reliance.

The sun gradually climbed higher, and the glazed tiles of the Medicine Hall shimmered with seven-colored light beneath it. Lin Che turned and headed back to the West Courtyard, his Footsteps lighter than when he had come. He wanted to tell Gu Rong about what had happened today and ask about the uses of the mutated Soul Core. Also, he had a faint feeling that Jiang Zhu's Healing Scepter, like his Universe Cauldron, concealed a secret unknown to others—and one day in the future, that secret might change their fates.