Elimination Round: Zhu Zhuqing Injured (Seeking Reads)

The preliminary rounds lasted for two months, ultimately determining the advancing teams based on their point rankings.

Although Shrek Academy's journey was bumpy and several matches were won by the skin of their teeth, they ultimately secured a spot in the next round, thanks to Tang San's increasingly mature command and the team's all-out efforts.

Following this was the one-month promotion tournament.

This was a stage to showcase individual strength and a test for the top students of each academy. Shrek Academy once again demonstrated their resilience; Dai Mubai, Tang San, Zhu Zhuqing, and others all delivered eye-catching performances, eventually breaking through to earn the qualification to participate in the final tournament held in Martial Soul City.

As a seeded team, Heaven Dou Royal Academy did not need to participate in these preliminary skirmishes and was directly granted a spot in the semifinals of the tournament held in Martial Soul City.

On the eve of their departure for Martial Soul City, Lin Yi made a decision: to leave Xiao Wu at Heaven Dou Royal Academy.

He called Xiao Wu to his side, his expression rarely as serious as it was then: "You cannot go to Martial Soul City."

Upon hearing this, a flash of confusion crossed Xiao Wu's eyes, followed by a sense of loss she herself had not even noticed.

Over the past few months, she had almost grown accustomed to staying by Lin Yi's side.

"Why?" she asked softly.

Lin Yi looked at her and, without concealment, pointed out the most fatal danger: "The Pope of Martial Soul Hall, Bibi Dong, possesses unfathomable strength, and her perception far exceeds that of Dugu Bo.

Although the Lovesick Heartbreak Red can mask your aura, I cannot guarantee absolute safety in her presence. Once your identity is exposed..."

He did not continue, but Xiao Wu already understood the consequences, and her face turned pale in an instant.

She thought of her mother... Martial Soul Hall's hunting of Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts was merciless. If discovered by the Pope, let alone Lin Yi, even the entire Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect would likely be unable to protect her!

"I... I understand." Xiao Wu lowered her head, her voice trembling slightly, "I will stay at the academy."

Watching Xiao Wu's obedient—or perhaps resigned—demeanor, Lin Yi felt a slight stir in his heart. He reached out to ruffle her hair, his tone softening: "Cultivate well, and don't run around."

After settling Xiao Wu, Lin Yi set off with the Heaven Dou Royal Academy group, led by Chief Meng Shenji, toward the holy land of soul masters—Martial Soul City.

The atmosphere in Martial Soul City was completely different from that of Tiandou City; a sense of invisible pressure permeated the solemnity. Patrols of Temple Knights were visible everywhere, and the air was thick with an atmosphere where faith and power were intertwined.

The tournament soon kicked off.

In the first match, Shrek Academy encountered a strong team from the Star Luo Empire. The opponents were formidable and ruthless, making the match exceptionally brutal.

Although Tang San eventually secured a narrow victory through the eerie and powerful nature of his External Soul Bone, the Eight Spider Lances, Shrek Academy paid a heavy price.

Several members were injured, most notably the agility-attack type Zhu Zhuqing, who had taken a heavy blow from the opponent's power-attack type soul master to create a winning opportunity for Tang San.

After the match, the atmosphere at the hotel where Shrek Academy was staying was heavy.

Lin Yi decided to go and take a look.

He carried the title of Ning Rongrong's fiancé from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, and since Ning Rongrong was the Sect Master's daughter, it was only right for him to show concern.

He arrived outside the small courtyard rented by Shrek Academy and happened to run into Oscar, who was rushing out with an anxious look on his face.

"Oscar, how is the situation?" Lin Yi called out to him.

Oscar froze when he saw Lin Yi, then, as if grabbing a life-saving straw, spoke rapidly: "Lin Yi! You're here! Don't you have healing soul skills?

Zhuqing is badly hurt; it seems like several of her ribs are broken. My Restoration Big Sausage can only stabilize her condition, but it can't set bones! Dean Flender and Teacher Zhao have gone out to find a soul master in Martial Soul City skilled in treating bone injuries and haven't returned yet! Rongrong is inside taking care of her, and she's in terrible pain!"

Lin Yi frowned slightly: "Take me in to see."

Oscar hurriedly led him into the room. Inside, Ning Rongrong's eyes were red as she used a wet towel to wipe the cold sweat from Zhu Zhuqing's forehead caused by the excruciating pain.

Zhu Zhuqing lay on the bed, her face as pale as paper, her lips bitten until they bled, yet she did not let out a single groan; only her slightly trembling body and tightly furrowed brows revealed the immense agony she was enduring. Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and the others were anxiously guarding outside the door.

Seeing Lin Yi enter, Ning Rongrong was surprised, then looked as if she had seen hope: "Lin Yi? Can... can you save Zhuqing?"

Lin Yi did not answer; he walked to the bedside and extended his spiritual power slightly to sense Zhu Zhuqing's condition. Indeed, three ribs on her left side were broken, and one was even slightly displaced. If not set and fixed in time, it would not only be unbearably painful but could also leave sequelae, affecting her future cultivation and combat.

"I can. Three ribs are broken; they need to be set," Lin Yi said in a deep voice.

"But... the Dean and the others haven't found a healing soul master yet..." Ning Rongrong said anxiously.

"I will do it," Lin Yi stated calmly.

"You?" Ning Rongrong and Dai Mubai at the door were both stunned.

They knew Lin Yi was an auxiliary-type soul master with healing abilities, but delicate work like setting bones could not be solved by ordinary Healing Light.

"My soul skill can accelerate healing, but setting the bones requires first returning the fractured and displaced bones to their correct position," Lin Yi explained. "This requires technique. If you trust me, I will act. If you don't, then wait for your Dean to return, but for every moment of delay, she suffers more and the risks increase."

Zhu Zhuqing opened her eyes weakly. Looking at Lin Yi's calm and earnest gaze and feeling the piercing pain in her body, she gritted her teeth and said in a faint but clear voice: "I... trust you."

Dai Mubai opened his mouth at the door, wanting to say something, but seeing Zhu Zhuqing's painful state and thinking of Lin Yi's unfathomable strength and background, he ultimately swallowed his words. There was indeed no better way right now.

"Good." Lin Yi nodded, then looked at Ning Rongrong and the others at the door: "Setting the bones requires contact with the injury, and there cannot be any clothing in the way. All of you, get out."

"What?" Dai Mubai was the first to explode. "Take off her clothes? No way!"

Ning Rongrong was also stunned!

A flush of abnormal redness instantly appeared on Zhu Zhuqing's pale face, and a flash of shame and resistance crossed her eyes.

Lin Yi's expression remained unchanged, his tone as calm as it was near-indifferent: "Any other soul master would need to do the same to set the bones. If you insist on this and it leads to the bones being set incorrectly, leaving behind hidden dangers, who will take responsibility? Or, if any of you have a better way, you can say it now."

His gaze swept over Dai Mubai and Ning Rongrong, carrying an unquestionable pressure.

The room fell into silence. Indeed, no one had a better solution. They didn't know when the healing soul master they were looking for would arrive, but Zhu Zhuqing's injuries could not afford the delay.

Zhu Zhuqing closed her eyes, her long eyelashes trembling as if she were undergoing an intense internal struggle. A moment later, she opened her eyes again; although there was still shame, there was more of a sense of resolve.

She looked toward Ning Rongrong and gave a slight nod.

Ning Rongrong understood her meaning. Biting her lip, she said to Lin Yi, "You... you must heal Zhuqing!" Then, she pulled the still-reluctant Oscar along, pushed Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and the others out from the doorway, and finally, after casting one deep look at Lin Yi, she retreated from the room and gently closed the door.

Inside the room, only Lin Yi remained with Zhuqing, who lay on the bed, her body slightly stiff from nervousness and shame.

"Pardon the intrusion," Lin Yi said before walking to the bedside. He first released his First Soul Skill, and a soft Healing Light enveloped Zhuqing, easing her intense pain slightly and allowing her body to relax a little.

Then, he reached out his hand, his movements steady and swift, and unfastened the black combat suit on Zhuqing's upper body, which had already been soaked through with sweat. As the clothing fell away, the girl's smooth, delicate skin—fragile from her severe injuries—was exposed to the cool air, along with the area on her left ribcage that was visibly sunken and angled at an unnatural degree.

Zhuqing squeezed her eyes shut, her teeth biting her lower lip until it turned pale. Her body trembled uncontrollably, and a flush of humiliation spread from her cheeks to her earlobes and neck. This was the first time she had been so... defenseless before a man.

Lin Yi's gaze remained clear and focused, devoid of any distracting thoughts. He took a deep breath and placed his warm palm over Zhuqing's injured rib area, his mental energy highly concentrated as he precisely sensed the locations of the fractures and the extent of the displacement.

"It will hurt a little; hold on," he reminded her in a low voice.

The next moment, his hand exerted sudden force, pressing, pushing, and snapping the bone back into place with precision and speed!

"Ngh—!" Zhuqing let out a muffled groan. The sharp pain caused her to arch her body instantly, and the cold sweat that had just been wiped from her forehead began to pour down again, yet she gritted her teeth and refused to cry out.

Lin Yi did not stop; his hands moved like the most precise instruments, resetting the remaining two broken ribs in quick succession. The entire process was fast, accurate, and steady!

Once the bones were set, he continued to release his Pure Lotus Bloom soul skill, the gentle energy seeping inward to nourish the fractured bones and accelerate their healing. At the same time, he pulled over a clean cloth strip and skillfully bandaged and secured the area for her.

After finishing all this, Lin Yi gently pulled her clothes back up, covering those shocking wounds and the... fleeting glimpse of skin.

"It is done. The bones are set, and my soul power will continue to nourish them for a while. From here on, just rest quietly; do not engage in strenuous activity." Lin Yi's voice carried a trace of imperceptible exhaustion from the continuous, high-precision mental control and soul power output.

Zhuqing slowly opened her eyes. Feeling the pain within her body—which, while still present, was no longer the tearing, misaligned agony from before but had shifted to the dull ache of the healing phase—she knew she had been saved.

She looked at Lin Yi's calm, ripple-free face, her eyes filled with an extremely complex mix of emotions: gratitude, shame, humiliation, and something... indescribable.

"Thank... you," she managed to utter, her voice as faint as a mosquito's hum, before immediately closing her eyes again, as if she dared not look at him any longer.

Lin Yi said nothing more and turned to open the door.

Outside, the group waiting anxiously immediately crowded around.

"How is Zhuqing?" Dai Mubai asked eagerly.

"The bones are set, but she needs to rest," Lin Yi said indifferently, then looked toward Ning Rongrong.

"She cannot participate in the competition!"