Ye Wanqing's voice turned shrill with sheer terror. "Ye Qingxian! Hurry! Save Ling'er!"
Ye Qingxian flashed over and dropped to her knees beside Su Ling.
She held her palm above him as emerald light surged forth like a tide, and a tremendous wave of Life Energy swept through the dark alley.
Behind her, the phantom of a huge, intricate Nine Heart Begonia—seemingly formed from the purest essence of life—suddenly blossomed. Its radiance flowed, bathing the surroundings in a shimmering green glow.
"His core is gravely damaged, his Meridians are shattered, and his soul is cracked too... What savage Destruction Power."
She murmured, her expression graver than ever before.
Her hands flew through a series of seals. The Begonia's light grew brighter as strands of emerald radiance gently yet firmly seeped into Su Ling's battered body.
Under the nourishment of Life Energy, his hideous wounds began to writhe, close, and heal.
Time passed in silence.
At last, as Ye Wanqing's nails dug into her palms, leaving dark red marks,
the spiderweb of cracks across Su Ling's face disappeared completely. A trace of faint but genuine color returned to his deathly pale complexion.
His chest began to rise and fall steadily.
"Cough..." A faint cough broke the suffocating silence.
Su Ling's eyelashes trembled. He slowly opened his eyes, confusion and profound weakness in his gaze.
"Ling'er!" Ye Wanqing practically threw herself at him, clutching her son, whom she'd thought lost, tightly to her chest. Hot tears streamed down her face. "You scared me half to death!"
"Little Ling!" Tears spilled from Ye Lingling's eyes too. She knelt beside them, her trembling fingers afraid to touch him.
"Mother... I'm all right..." Su Ling's voice was hoarse. With difficulty, he raised a hand to pat his mother's back, then forced a faint smile at Ye Lingling. "Sister Lingling... don't cry..."
Ye Wanqing forced down the turmoil in her heart, helped Su Ling sit up, and fixed him with a razor-sharp stare. "Tell me, who did this? Who hurt you so badly?!"
Su Ling's gaze wavered as he avoided his mother's eyes. His voice was weak and unconvincing. "N-no one hurt me... Something went wrong while I was cultivating. I accidentally fell from a height... and then..."
The excuse was so flimsy that even he found it ridiculous.
Ye Wanqing furrowed her brows, clearly unconvinced.
But when she saw her son's evasive gaze, her heart ached. Helpless, she could only suppress the anger and doubts churning inside her.
Seeing this, Ning Fengzhi and the others let out long sighs of relief. Their backs were already soaked with cold sweat.
Ning Fengzhi stepped forward, doing his best to sound calm. "Madam Ye, it's a blessing that Young Master Su is safe and sound! Since this was a misunderstanding, we won't disturb his recovery any longer. Please excuse us."
He didn't want to stay a moment longer. Taking the still-shaken, ice-cold Ning Rongrong with him, he swiftly left with the relieved Sword and Bone Douluos.
The Shrek group fled after them, as though granted a reprieve, afraid that lagging behind would bring another catastrophe down upon them.
A few days later, at the Su Family estate.
Though Ye Qingxian had pulled Su Ling back from the brink of death, his core was damaged and his body remained extremely weak.
This time, Ye Wanqing was determined to keep him under her watchful eye.
He was confined to a bedroom deep within the estate's secluded courtyard. Several Soul Saint guards and trusted maids had been stationed outside and inside the courtyard to protect and watch him around the clock.
Even all of Heaven Dou City was now on high alert, with the Su Family Dark Guards searching everywhere for suspicious individuals.
Su lay on a soft brocade couch, appearing to rest with his eyes closed, but inside, he was as anxious as if he were being roasted over a fire.
The auction was tonight! The Little Silly Dragon was about to be sold!
It would've been fine if some major sect bought her, but if she fell into the hands of those disgusting, perverted nobles...
"System, scan my physical condition! Can I use the Destruction God Armor one more time? Even at the bare minimum!" Su Ling asked urgently in his mind.
[Host, Ye Qingxian's treatment saved your life and preserved your foundation, but the backlash from forcing the Destruction God Armor into action far exceeded expectations.] [And don't forget, your soul was shattered by Gu Yuena in your Previous Life. Though you have been reborn, those wounds have yet to heal.] [If you force it into action again, you may not be reduced to a shattered soul, but there's still a very high chance that you'll be unable to control the source of Destruction within it and fall back into a near-death state.]
The system's warning was cold and merciless, more serious than ever.
"No. I have to go and see for myself."
Su Ling fell silent for a moment, then a look of determination flashed in his eyes.
He knew what awaited Gu Yuena at the auction. It was more vile than hell itself.
He had to go! No matter the cost!
Night fell, and all was silent.
Su Ling quietly roused what little Destruction Divine Power remained within him, flickering like a candle in the wind.
"Urgh—!" Agonizing pain swept through his body!
Cold sweat soaked his shirt, and his body convulsed uncontrollably.
He clenched his teeth, stifling a groan as the taste of blood filled his mouth.
A deep purple light, seemingly capable of swallowing light itself, flickered across his body. Space warped and collapsed slightly around him.
The next instant, his figure tore through the void and vanished from the spot.
Almost at the same time, the Soul Saint guard outside snapped his eyes open. He spread his powerful Mental Power across the entire room, only to be left utterly dumbfounded.
Where was he? Had he vanished into thin air?!
The guard's expression changed drastically. He immediately blew the emergency whistle, its shrill alarm cutting through the night.
The entire courtyard lit up in an instant as dozens of figures rushed in from all directions.
Ye Wanqing was handling matters in her study when she heard the alarm. The pen in her hand snapped with a sharp crack.
She flashed to the doorway of Su Ling's room.
"What happened?!" she demanded, her voice betraying her panic.
The guard dropped to one knee, drenched in cold sweat. "Reporting to Madam! Young Master... his presence vanished in an instant! This subordinate detected no outside force entering!"
Ye Wanqing stared at the empty bed. Only a trace of warmth remained.
Her vision went black as terror and helplessness, enough to rend her heart, crashed over her like a tidal wave.
"Search! Turn over every inch of Heaven Dou! Mobilize every Dark Guard! Highest alert!"
She steadied her swaying body against the doorframe. Her voice was hoarse, almost choked with tears. "Little Ling... don't scare your mother..."
The Heaven Dou Grand Auction House blazed with lights and thrummed with activity.
Beneath the enormous dome, crystal chandeliers cast dazzling reflections. The air was rich with the scents of luxurious spices and gold coins.
Tonight's headline lot had been heavily hyped, drawing nearly every top power in the empire to gather under one roof.
In the box with the best view, Ning Fengzhi, head of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, sat in the main seat.
Sword Douluo Chen Xin and Bone Douluo Gu Rong stood silently on either side like guardian deities.
Ning Rongrong nestled beside her father, her eyes fixed on the glittering auction stage.
"The Soul Enlightenment Pill! Taking it can improve one's innate aptitude and Martial Soul quality, and repair damage to the soul and body."
"Father, can a pill this miraculous really exist?" Ning Rongrong asked softly.
For some reason, the memory of Su Ling lying in a pool of blood made her heart tighten.
If she could get this pill, could it heal his injuries...?
But how could that be possible?
In her Previous Life, she had never heard of any pill that could rival an immortal herb.
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