Xiaoxiao's Slumber and Silence

The gloom at the edge of the Star Dou Great Forest was left far behind, but the stench of blood and the tension after a desperate battle between life and death clung to every staggering figure like gangrene in the bone.

Zhao Wuji carried the unconscious Xiao Xiaoxiao on his back. She lay limply against his broad shoulders, her face deathly pale, her breathing faint, and the blood beneath her nose already dried. She looked so fragile that she seemed as though she might shatter at a touch. Flender supported Zhu Zhuqing, who barely managed to hold herself up. Dark red blood still seeped through the bandages around her shoulder. Every step tugged at her wound, cold sweat soaking the hair on her forehead, yet she bit her lower lip tightly without making a sound.

Dai Mubai and Xiao Wu supported Tang San from either side. Though the wound on his back had received emergency treatment and the poison had stopped spreading, the intense movement still sent waves of pain crashing through him. His face was frighteningly pale, his lips cracked, and cold sweat continuously seeped from his temples. The numbness over most of his body had not fully faded, and he placed nearly all his weight on Dai Mubai and Xiao Wu. The wound where his Mysterious Jade Hand had gripped the spider spear was even worse, with flesh torn and curled back in a horrifying sight.

Ning Rongrong and Oscar stayed close beside them. The glow of Ning Rongrong's Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda flickered weakly as it did its best to provide faint boosts and comfort for everyone, while her own little face was filled with exhaustion. Oscar tightly gripped several Flying Mushroom Sausages, his gaze sweeping vigilantly over their surroundings as he remained ready for any danger that might emerge. Ma Hongjun brought up the rear, occasionally spitting sparks to drive away the weaker spirit beasts lurking in the darkness. The usual grin had vanished from his chubby face, leaving only solemnity.

No one spoke. There was only the sound of heavy breathing, disordered footsteps, and the mournful wail of the Night Wind through the treetops. The atmosphere was so oppressive it was hard to breathe.

"Hold on a little longer! We're almost at the outskirts!" Zhao Wuji roared, trying to encourage everyone, but his own voice carried unconcealed hoarseness and exhaustion. Even a Soul Sage found the continuous high-intensity vigilance and fighting taxing.

Tang San's consciousness was somewhat hazy. The agonizing pain in his back and the numbness in his body left him almost unable to think. Yet whenever his gaze passed over the silent figure on Zhao Wuji's back, a sharp pain would force him awake again. He remembered the spider spear that had silently stabbed toward him, the coldness of death's shadow descending in that instant, and even more clearly, the powerful Mental Fluctuation that had surged forth like a tide at the critical moment and precisely enveloped the lead spider.

That had been Xiao Xiaoxiao... She had practically risked the collapse of her spiritual foundation to buy him that single instant that turned death into life.

Why?

The thought surfaced uncontrollably. Though they had traveled together and fought side by side many times, he had always felt that this girl possessed a faint sense of distance and... an indescribable awareness, as though she knew many things. She had approached him with a purpose, and though he had noticed, he had never exposed it. But this time, her aid, so close to perishing together with him, had gone beyond the bounds of "purpose."

He owed her his life. This debt was too heavy.

"Cough..." Zhu Zhuqing could not help coughing. It tugged at her wound, and she let out a muffled groan of pain as her body swayed.

"Zhu Qing!" Dai Mubai hurriedly wanted to reach out and support her, but his movements were inconvenient while he held up Tang San.

"I'm fine." Zhu Zhuqing's voice was weak, yet it retained its usual coolness and stubbornness. She glanced at the unconscious Xiao Xiaoxiao on the other side, then quickly cast a look at the pale-faced Tang San before lowering her head again and silently adjusting her breathing.

Xiao Wu bit her lip as she looked at the three severely injured companions beside her, her large eyes filled with heartache and lingering fear. She braced Tang San's other arm with all her strength and said softly, "Xiao San, hold on a little longer. We're almost there."

Tang San struggled to pull out an almost twisted smile in response, but he could not speak.

At last, the forest ahead grew sparse, and scattered lights from the official road could vaguely be seen in the distance. Everyone's spirits lifted as they quickened their pace.

When they finally crossed the invisible boundary of the Star Dou Great Forest and felt the relatively peaceful, thinner Soul Power environment outside, everyone involuntarily let out a breath of relief. A sense of exhaustion from surviving disaster swept over them.

"Find a place... to make camp..." Master Yu Xiaogang's voice also carried unmistakable exhaustion. He quickly surveyed the surroundings and pointed toward a sheltered hollow not far away. "There. It should be relatively safe."

Everyone dragged their exhausted bodies into the hollow. Zhao Wuji carefully laid Xiao Xiaoxiao flat on a bed of dry grass. Flender also helped Zhu Zhuqing sit down.

Dai Mubai and Xiao Wu slowly lowered Tang San, letting him lean against a rock. The moment Tang San sat down, he could not help releasing a suppressed groan. His wound touched the hard stone behind him, making his vision go dark with pain.

"Careful!" Xiao Wu hurriedly tucked more soft grass behind his back.

"Oscar, sausages!" Master urged.

Oscar did not dare delay. He immediately made a large number of Recovery Big Sausages and Detoxifying Sausages, distributing them to the most seriously injured Tang San, Zhu Zhuqing, and the unconscious Xiao Xiaoxiao. Ning Rongrong also forced herself to prioritize the healing light of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda on the three of them.

Master checked Tang San and Zhu Zhuqing's wounds again, reapplied medicine, and rebandaged them. Only after confirming that the poison had indeed been contained, with no sign of further spread, did he truly breathe a sigh of relief.

"How is Xiaoxiao?" Tang San swallowed the sausage and felt the warmth dissolve through his body, restoring a little strength. He immediately looked toward the still-unconscious Xiao Xiaoxiao nearby and asked hoarsely.

Master crouched beside Xiao Xiaoxiao, his fingers resting on her wrist as his brows furrowed tightly. "Her Spiritual Power has been depleted far too severely, damaging her foundation. Her body itself is fine, but when her consciousness will awaken... that is hard to say. She needs rest and must not suffer any further stimulation."

Everyone's hearts sank again. Injuries involving Spiritual Power were the most troublesome, especially when the foundation had been damaged.

Tang San pressed his lips together as he looked at Xiao Xiaoxiao's lifeless face, his expression complicated.

The night deepened. A bonfire was lit in the hollow, driving away some of the cold and darkness. Ma Hongjun was responsible for adding firewood, while Dai Mubai took over Zhao Wuji's watch after bandaging his own wounds. Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong looked after Zhu Zhuqing and Xiao Xiaoxiao. Oscar continued making sausages to ensure their supplies.

Tang San sat leaning against the rock. The pain in his back had eased somewhat under the effects of medicine and Soul Power, but the numbness in his body and the exhaustion in his mind remained intense. He closed his eyes and tried to circulate the Mysterious Heaven Skill to speed his recovery, but scenes from the forest kept flashing through his mind: the sharp teeth of the Gold Devouring Rat, the cold compound eyes of the Ghost Shadow Spider, the spider spear stabbing toward him, and... Xiao Xiaoxiao's final resolute gaze.

He suddenly felt a tightness in his chest.

A waterskin was held out before him. Tang San opened his eyes and saw Xiao Wu crouching beside him, worry written across her face.

"Drink some water, Xiao San," Xiao Wu said softly.

Tang San accepted the waterskin and took several sips. The cool water slid down his dry throat, making him feel somewhat better.

"Sister Xiaoxiao... she'll be okay, right?" Xiao Wu looked at Xiao Xiaoxiao's pale face in the firelight and asked quietly.

"...Yes." Tang San answered in a low voice, his gaze falling in that direction as well. "She will."

Xiao Wu looked at Tang San's profile. He rarely showed such obvious worry and... some complicated emotion. She blinked her large eyes as if she wanted to say something, but in the end swallowed the words and merely sat silently beside him.

On the other side, after taking her medicine under Ning Rongrong's care, Zhu Zhuqing also drifted into a drowsy sleep. After checking the surrounding perimeter, Dai Mubai returned and sat not far from Zhu Zhuqing. As he watched the flickering bonfire, lingering fear and ruthlessness flashed in his evil eyes. This Spirit Ring Hunt had cost too much.

Flender, Zhao Wuji, and Master sat in a circle farther away, discussing something in low voices, their expressions all extremely grave. This incident had exposed that although the students' strength had increased rapidly, they still lacked experience when facing truly sinister and cunning spirit beasts.

The night grew deeper. Aside from Dai Mubai, who stood watch, and Ma Hongjun, who added firewood, everyone else gradually fell asleep from exhaustion or entered a half-conscious state of meditation.

Tang San, however, could not sleep at all. The wounds on his back and the stabbing pain in his palm constantly reminded him of the day's dangers. His gaze drifted uncontrollably toward Xiao Xiaoxiao again.

The firelight danced across her face. Her long, thick eyelashes cast faint shadows beneath her eyes, and the lively, sly eyes she usually possessed were tightly shut, making her seem unusually quiet and unusually fragile.

He recalled how she always liked whispering with Xiao Wu, and how she would occasionally look at him with a hint of curiosity and... what he had once believed to be ulterior motives. He recalled her flushed, embarrassed expression when Xiao Wu teased her at the Training Ground. He recalled the deliberately casual yet unmistakably nervous look on her face when she handed him Osmanthus Cake.

And finally, that reckless Mental Shock.

Tang San watched in silence for a long time. Then, extremely slowly, enduring the pain in his back, he took something out of Twenty-Four Bridges Moonlight Night.

It was a tiny, unremarkable metal component. Fresh polishing marks still covered its surface, and it gleamed faintly in the firelight. It was a small piece from a new type of Hidden Weapons he had been studying, made of special material with a certain calming effect. He had originally intended to... wait until it was complete...

He rubbed the cold little component between his fingers and hesitated for a moment. In the end, he still shifted his body with difficulty and moved closer to the bed of dry grass where Xiao Xiaoxiao lay.

His movements were very light, afraid of disturbing her or aggravating his own injuries. Amid the steady breathing of Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu, he carefully tucked the tiny metal component into Xiao Xiaoxiao's cold palm.

After doing all this, it was as if he had exhausted all his strength. Another layer of fine sweat appeared on his forehead. He leaned against the rock beside her, closed his eyes, and did not look at her again.

The bonfire crackled as the night gently enveloped this group of scarred young men and women. No one saw this small gesture. Only the mountain wind quietly brushed past, stirring the loose strands of hair before Xiao Xiaoxiao's forehead and the slightly disheveled hem of Tang San's clothes.

Xiao Xiaoxiao remained unconscious, but deep within her Sea of Spiritual Consciousness, which had been overdrawn and nearly depleted, an exceedingly faint coolness carrying the crisp scent of metal spread like a stone dropped into an ancient well, sending out a barely perceptible ripple.

The night was still long. But dawn would eventually come. And some things had already quietly changed at the edge of life and death.