Delivering Medicine Under the Moon, The Finals Begin

"How overbearing that Nine Heavens Divine Thunder's power was."

"The thunderous energy entered the body, damaging the meridians and internal organs. It will likely take a long period of rest to fully recover."

Chu Yuhong nodded, looking at the unconscious Li Xiaoyu with eyes full of admiration and worry.

"Master, you should go rest first. I'll stay and watch over him."

Shang Zhengliang shook his head and sat down on a chair by the bed, showing no intention of leaving.

He looked at his disciple, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

He was proud of Li Xiaoyu's selflessness, yet also filled with trepidation over his reckless impulsiveness.

This child's temperament was ultimately too fiery.

As the master and disciple remained in silence, the door to the quiet room was gently pushed open.

A white figure, like a ghost under the moon, glided in soundlessly.

It was Lu Xueqi.

She had changed out of her white disciple robes and was wearing an elegant, moon-white long dress.

Her delicate and beautiful face bore a look of exhaustion.

She held a small white jade bottle in her hands.

"Senior Disciple Sister Lu?"

Chu Yuhong stood up in surprise upon seeing her.

Shang Zhengliang also turned his head, looking at the pride of Small Bamboo Peak with a complex gaze.

Lu Xueqi ignored them, her eyes fixed only on the figure on the bed.

She walked to the bedside, looking at Li Xiaoyu's pale face, and bit her lower lip with her teeth.

"Uncle-Master Shang."

She curtsied to Shang Zhengliang, her voice clear and cold, yet trembling.

"This is the Cold Jade Ointment my master ordered me to deliver."

"It is refined by our Small Bamboo Peak using the essence of Tear Bamboo, supplemented with century-old Ice Marrow, and has a miraculous effect on burns from lightning strikes."

Shang Zhengliang looked at the jade bottle in her hand, his heart stirred.

He knew that Cold Jade Ointment was a secret healing treasure of Small Bamboo Peak, incredibly precious.

Even for disciples of Small Bamboo Peak, Master Shuiyue would never bestow it lightly unless they were severely injured.

It seemed that Shuiyue, that old stubborn woman, was truly moved this time.

"Thank you, Junior Disciple Sister Shuiyue and Junior Disciple Niece Lu."

Shang Zhengliang nodded and took the jade bottle.

Lu Xueqi's gaze, however, never left Li Xiaoyu's face.

She desperately wanted to reach out and touch his face, but dared not.

She feared her cold touch might disturb him.

The atmosphere in the quiet room became heavy.

Shang Zhengliang sighed as he looked at Lu Xueqi's demeanor.

He knew that the feelings between these two children were no longer something an outsider could interfere with.

"Yuhong, let's go out first. Let Junior Disciple Niece Lu stay here with him for a while."

Shang Zhengliang gave Chu Yuhong a meaningful look, stood up, and walked towards the door.

Chu Yuhong was taken aback for a moment, understood his master's intention, and quietly withdrew, closing the door behind him with care.

In the quiet room, only the unconscious Li Xiaoyu and the standing Lu Xueqi remained.

Moonlight streamed through the window, falling upon them and casting long shadows.

Lu Xueqi stood by the bed for a long time.

As if having made up her mind, she sat down.

She opened the jade bottle, and a cool, fragrant scent permeated the entire room.

She scooped up a little of the emerald green ointment with her finger.

Her gaze fell upon the bandage on Li Xiaoyu's chest.

A blush spread across her cheeks.

But she did not hesitate.

She reached out and untied the bandage on Li Xiaoyu's chest.

She saw the hideous wound beneath the bandage.

Lu Xueqi suppressed her tears and gently applied the Cold Jade Ointment to his charred wound.

Her movements were cautious and incredibly gentle.

It was as if she were cradling the most precious porcelain in the world.

The ointment touched his wounds, bringing a wave of cooling relief.

Even in his unconscious state, Li Xiaoyu seemed to feel the comfort, his tightly furrowed brows smoothing out.

Watching his brow relax, Lu Xueqi felt a weight lift from her heart, and her hands became even lighter.

She did not know that, at this very moment, a heaven-shaking transformation was occurring within Li Xiaoyu's body.

The power of the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder, swallowed by the Immortal-Slaying Gourd, was being rapidly broken down and purified within it.

The violent, destructive energy was suppressed, while the most primal, supreme-yang, and supreme-hard essence of the thunder was fed back out by the gourd, merging into Li Xiaoyu's limbs and bones.

This pure thunder essence acted like a catalyst, constantly tempering his meridians and strengthening his physical body.

The meridians Li Xiaoyu had damaged due to the backlash were repairing at an incredible speed, becoming tougher and wider.

His cultivation base was also climbing upward during this process.

Jade Purity Realm, Fifth Layer, Mid-stage!

Jade Purity Realm, Fifth Layer, Late-stage!

Jade Purity Realm, Fifth Layer, Peak!

Jade Purity Realm, Sixth Layer!

His aura grew increasingly powerful.

Lu Xueqi, in the quiet room, could not perceive any of this.

She remained focused on applying the ointment for him.

Moonlight flowed silently.

In this moment, time seemed to stand still.

After an unknown amount of time, Lu Xueqi finally finished applying the ointment to all his wounds.

After re-wrapping his bandages, she looked at his peaceful sleeping face, her heart filled with serenity.

Lu Xueqi reached out, gathering her courage to brush her fingertips across his cheeks, eyebrows, and lips.

"You must get better soon."

She whispered softly, her voice filled with lingering affection and attachment.

"I will wait for you always."

Immediately after, she stood up, took one last look at him, and turned to leave as quietly as a beam of moonlight.

She left behind only a room full of faint fragrance and a bottle of Cold Jade Ointment on the bedside table, proof that she had once been there.

On the bed, the corners of Li Xiaoyu's mouth seemed to lift ever so slightly.

The final day of the Seven Meridians Martial Arts Tournament arrived as scheduled.

On this day, Heaven-Reaching Peak was bustling with activity from early morning.

Starting at dawn, disciples from every meridian had already packed the central martial arts square until it was impenetrable.

Everyone's face was filled with excitement and anticipation.

Dragon Head Peak's Qi Hao.

Morning Sun Peak's Li Xiaoyu.

One was a long-renowned prodigy, hailed as the number one of the Green Cloud Sect's younger generation, an expert at the Eighth Layer of the Jade Purity Realm.

The other was the biggest dark horse of this tournament, having even defeated the tournament favorite and heaven-gifted daughter, Lu Xueqi.

This duel was full of intrigue and suspense.

Could Qi Hao defend his glory?

After suffering such heavy injuries, how much combat power did Li Xiaoyu have left?

Everything would be revealed today.

When Li Xiaoyu's figure appeared in the Morning Sun Peak ranks, the entire crowd erupted in gasps and discussions.

"Look! It's Senior Brother Li! He really came to participate in the finals!"

"His complexion is so pale; he still looks severely injured!"

"Indeed, the backlash from the Divine Sword Thunder Control Technique is terrifying. It's a miracle he kept his life; how could he recover in just two days?"

"It seems there is no suspense left in this final."

Everyone's gaze was fixed upon Li Xiaoyu.

He was dressed in a clean cyan Daoist robe, his figure still standing tall, but his face was indeed pale, and his steps appeared somewhat unsteady.

Seeing him like this, anyone would think he was merely forcing himself to hold on.

Shang Zhengliang and Chu Yuhong followed behind him, their faces filled with undisguised worry.

"Xiaoyu, are you truly determined to enter the arena? Your injuries..."

Shang Zhengliang had already tried to persuade him countless times along the way.

Li Xiaoyu merely smiled and shook his head. "Master, rest assured. This disciple knows what he is doing."

He naturally knew what he was doing.

After a night of recovery and the Immortal-Slaying Gourd's conversion and feedback of lightning energy, the injuries within his body had already recovered by seven or eight parts.

Not only that, but his cultivation had also broken through the barrier of the fifth level of the Jade Purity Realm during his recovery from destruction, stepping firmly into the sixth level!

As he was now, he was several times stronger than he had been during the semifinals!

The reason he displayed such a weak appearance was merely to confuse his opponent and provide a disguise for his upcoming plan.