Victory or Defeat

Chen Xian fell like an unconscious scarecrow, headfirst, his entire face buried in the dirt.

His body was weak, his will clouded, and though he wasn't unconscious, he couldn't move. His limbs could only twitch slightly.

"This..." Shi Gangwei froze, his hands hovering in mid-air as he reached out to help Chen Xian.

Jiang Shuo hadn't made any overt attacks, so he never imagined Chen Xian's injuries would be so severe.

"His meridians are all severed. Drag him away," Wenren Qiang said, turning his head slightly to look at Chen Xian, who was sprawled on the ground. A hint of coldness flashed across his face as he slowly spoke.

"What?" Not only Shi Gangwei, but all the other Mad Saber Sect disciples wore expressions of utter disbelief.

Severed meridians meant a complete loss of martial arts for a warrior. Whether it could be healed was one thing, but even if he recovered, decades of cultivation would be lost forever, never to be regained.

For a martial artist, this was worse than death.

For a moment, most eyes turned to Jiang Shuo.

Compared to Jiang Shuo's shocking wounds, they felt more sympathy for Chen Xian.

"Jiang Shuo!" Seizing the moment of the Mad Saber Sect disciples' shock, Li Zicheng broke through the blockade and rushed to Jiang Shuo's side.

Just as the Mad Saber Sect disciples reacted and tried to intervene, Feng En's loud shout rang out, "What? Has the Mad Saber Sect forgotten our previous agreement? Or do you think Chen Xian is still capable of fighting?"

These simple words stumped the Mad Saber Sect disciples. They froze on the spot, exchanging glances, their confidence to stop the Hundred Flowers Sect gone.

Feng En seized the opportunity to lead the Hundred Flowers Sect disciples forward, surrounding Jiang Shuo.

"Don't move him yet, someone help quickly." Seeing Jiang Shuo's condition, Feng En frowned slightly and then gave orderly instructions.

They didn't immediately draw their swords, allowing the blades to remain in Jiang Shuo's body temporarily to stop the bleeding. Their primary goal was to rescue him, and they hadn't brought enough medicinal herbs. The urgent task was to get Jiang Shuo back to their sect for treatment.

After a quick assessment of Jiang Shuo's injuries, the Hundred Flowers Sect members prepared to take him away.

Meanwhile, Chen Xian had already been carried off by the Mad Saber Sect disciples. Seeing the Hundred Flowers Sect's actions, Shi Gangwei's eyes flashed with cold light, his chest heaving. "Martial Uncle Wenren, are you just going to let them leave like this?"

Not only had the Hundred Flowers Sect disregarded the Forbidden Ground rules and trampled on the Mad Saber Sect's dignity, but Jiang Shuo had also crippled Chen Xian's martial arts. Shi Gangwei was naturally furious.

"Scoundrel, haven't you embarrassed us enough already!" Wenren Qiang coldly uttered, turning his back and slowly walking towards the back mountain. Soon, his figure disappeared among the rocks and trees, leaving the mess to Shi Gangwei.

Shi Gangwei was seething with anger, and so was Wenren Qiang. As Shi Gangwei happened to run into him, Wenren Qiang simply took out all his rage on him.

Shi Gangwei watched as the Hundred Flowers Sect members gradually retreated. Though he gritted his teeth in hatred, Wenren Qiang's orders were clear, and he couldn't stop them.

"Hundred Flowers Sect, I won't forget this grudge!" Shi Gangwei narrowed his eyes, vowing silently in his heart.

Feng En led his disciples back to the Hundred Flowers Sect and immediately summoned the best physicians to treat Jiang Shuo.

Jiang Shuo's condition was dire. The long saber had pierced through his body, not only creating a large wound but also damaging his internal organs.

On the way back, Jiang Shuo had already lost consciousness, his body burning with fever.

Feng En and Liu Ruyan stood by his side, worried about Jiang Shuo's injuries while still feeling agitated from the fierce battle they had just experienced.

"How could Jiang Shuo possess such profound internal energy to shatter Chen Xian's meridians?" Liu Ruyan seemed to be talking to herself, but she was actually asking Feng En.

Jiang Shuo had become exceptionally strange after his "exchange" with Feng En, and Liu Ruyan suspected Feng En knew something about it.

Feng En narrowed his eyes but didn't answer.

Back then, when Jiang Shuo had expressed his desire to absorb Feng En's internal energy to deal with Chen Xian, Feng En hadn't believed him. When Jiang Shuo actually succeeded, Feng En was no less shocked than anyone else. Although Jiang Shuo hadn't explicitly asked for secrecy, Feng En, considering how profound the technique was, felt it was better to be cautious.

Liu Ruyan raised her delicate eyebrows, sensing a subtle strangeness in the atmosphere. She parted her red lips and said softly, "After interacting with you, Jiang Shuo gained the internal energy to repel Chen Xian. During the fight, he came into contact with Chen Xian, his internal energy surged, and Chen Xian's internal energy rapidly depleted... These are hardly mere coincidences, are they?"

Feng En pondered for a moment and then replied, "You are indeed intelligent."

Seemingly understanding something, Liu Ruyan didn't press the issue further. "Although this was a last resort, Jiang Shuo was still too conspicuous. As his Master, you should remind him to be more careful in the future."

"Naturally," Feng En replied. Then, as if by mutual agreement, they both fell silent, no longer discussing any details of the matter.

A short while later, the physician in charge of the treatment turned around, beads of sweat on his forehead. Feng En quickly asked, "How is Jiang Shuo's condition?"