Ma Hongjun said nothing, closing his eyes to feel the changes within his body.
A sore, swollen sensation spread from his thigh bones to his spine, then from his spine to his ribs, shoulder blades, and skull. Every bone in his body ached, throbbing in waves. But just as Shao Xin had said, it was only soreness, with no stabbing pain.
After the medicinal power of the Bone-Tempering Grass passed through his bones, the Blood-Activating Vine began to take effect.
A warm sensation rose from every limb and bone, flowing slowly along his meridians like a warm stream running through every dried-up riverbed. The hidden injuries left behind by the Evil Fire's long-term scorching of his meridians, those tiny wounds Ma Hongjun normally could not even feel, began to heal slowly under the nourishment of the Blood-Activating Vine.
It felt wonderful. He nearly failed to stop himself from moaning aloud.
The sore swelling remained, but the warm current wrapped around it.
Then came the medicinal power of the Spirit-Focusing Flower. A cool breath poured in from the top of his head, traveling down his spine and straight into his dantian. His mind abruptly cleared, like drinking a bowl of ice water in the heat of summer, every pore in his body opening up.
Soreness—warmth—coolness. The three sensations intertwined within him.
Ma Hongjun kept his eyes closed, soaking motionlessly in the water. Shao Xin stood at the kitchen doorway with a pocket watch in hand, lowering his head to check the time every so often.
A quarter of an hour passed.
"Hongjun, it's time to get out," Shao Xin called.
When Ma Hongjun opened his eyes and stood up from the water, his legs felt a little weak, but not from lacking strength. He simply felt so comfortable after soaking that