Hu Liena's Pain?

In this manner, Hu Liena spent several agonizing hours.

Pink light fluctuated violently around her body, surging and fading by turns; it was clear that the absorption process was proving extremely difficult.

"Ugh..." Hu Liena bit her lip hard, her face etched with pain.

That seven-thousand-year spirit ring had already exceeded her limit.

As the hours ticked by, had it not been for the uninterrupted healing support from Lin Ze'an, she likely would have already perished from her body rupturing.

"Senior Sister, hold on!" Lin Ze'an sighed, his life force flowing continuously into Hu Liena's body to repair and protect her meridians from damage.

Watching his younger sister suffer, Xie Yue's face wore a rare expression of anxiety: "Junior Brother, will Nana be alright?"

Yan was also pacing back and forth, anxiously pleading: "Little Junior Brother, think of something."

If the little junior brother could find a way to help even a Title Douluo like Poison Douluo, surely he could do something for Nana, who was only at level forty?

Hearing this, Lin Ze'an sighed and turned to look at them: "Senior Brothers, you should know better than I do that this spirit ring exceeds Senior Sister's capacity."

"All I can do now is ensure Senior Sister remains safe, but I have no way to alleviate the pain during this process."

If he could directly help someone successfully absorb a spirit ring, the two rings beneath his own feet would not be purple, but red.

At the very least, he was not capable of that yet.

"You know that spirit ring absorption is a trial a spirit master must face alone."

"This is different from Poison Douluo's situation; it cannot be solved simply by me injecting life force."

Currently, the only way forward was to see if Hu Liena could suppress the power of the spirit ring and complete the absorption.

Otherwise, they would have to let his master intervene and forcibly interrupt the process, which would at least save her life.

In the blink of an eye, several more hours passed. When the sunset glow once again bathed the Sunset Forest, the spirit power fluctuations around Hu Liena finally calmed down.

The deep purple spirit ring slowly retracted into her body.

Relieved from her agony, Hu Liena let out a breath and said with a hint of excitement: "I succeeded."

Seeing this, Lin Ze'an also relaxed and withdrew his martial soul: "Congratulations, Senior Sister."

Xie Yue and Yan hurried forward, their faces filled with joy.

As for concern... with Lin Ze'an present, her physical condition was the least of their worries.

Hu Liena stood up and thanked Lin Ze'an, her eyes filled with sincere gratitude: "Little Junior Brother, I really owe this to you."

"If you hadn't kept my meridians stable, I wouldn't have lasted. I will remember this favor, Senior Sister."

Afterward, the group rested for a while, waiting for Hu Liena and Lin Ze'an to recover their spirit power.

Xie Yue looked at the sky and said to Lin Ze'an: "You've worked hard this time. Let's head to your home; after we visit your father, it will be time to return to Spirit City."

Hearing this, Lin Ze'an scratched his head: "But the carriage was smashed at the start. Are we walking there?"

Although they weren't very far from home, it wasn't exactly close either; walking the whole way would be exhausting.

At this, Hu Liena pondered for a moment and said to Lin Ze'an: "Let's go to a nearby town first and request a carriage from the local branch hall."

No one had any objections to this. After a brief rest, the four of them set off toward the nearest town.

Not to mention going to Lin Ze'an's home, the journey back to Spirit City would be long, so a carriage was essential.

Before long, the group arrived at the nearest town.

Lin Ze'an looked at the bustling scene in the distance and walked toward it with great interest.

The streets were lined with all sorts of stalls; the sounds of hawking, haggling, and children's laughter intertwined, while the air was filled with the aroma of various foods.

"It looks like today is a market day." Lin Ze'an looked at the scene, a nostalgic smile on his young face.

Time flew by; it had been a year since he last visited a market.

Although it was a bit noisy, he truly enjoyed this warm and lively atmosphere.

Hearing his words, Yan curiously leaned in and asked: "Little Junior Brother, what is a market day?"

Lin Ze'an paused, looking at Yan in confusion: "Ah? You don't know?"

Did he not know the term, or had he never seen such a market?

He hesitated and said: "Well... I don't know how to describe it, but on market days, there are more vendors and more goods available."

He pointed to the busy street: "Look, usually there might only be a few shops open."

"But on market days, people from nearby villages come to set up stalls, selling all kinds of things."

Hu Liena surveyed the surrounding stalls and remarked: "It is indeed very lively; you don't see markets like this in Spirit City."

As she spoke, Lin Ze'an walked off on his own toward a stall.

Seeing someone approach, the owner asked enthusiastically: "Young man, what can I get for you?"

Lin Ze'an glanced at the sign, retrieved a Gold Soul Coin from his soul tool, and handed it to the shopkeeper. "Four roasted Soft Bone Rabbits, please. Keep the change."

Seeing the Gold Soul Coin, the shopkeeper's eyes lit up instantly. He hurriedly replied, "Coming right up! I'll have them roasted for you in a flash!"

With that, he deftly produced four plump, pre-prepared Soft Bone Rabbits and skillfully set them over the fire to roast.

Yan walked over, eyeing the roasting rabbits. "Smells pretty good. Little junior, you like eating these?"

Lin Ze'an nodded. "I suppose so. The taste is quite nice; it used to be a snack I'd have to satisfy my cravings."

"My family wasn't exactly wealthy. Whenever I wanted meat back then, Dad would go hunting or buy a few Soft Bone Rabbits at the market to roast for me."

Thinking of his father, he turned his head to look in the direction of home.

He didn't know why, but even though he was almost home, he felt a strange, indescribable sensation in his heart.

Listening to Lin Ze'an, the shopkeeper flipped the rabbit meat while enthusiastically adding, "You've got good taste, sir. The meat of a Soft Bone Rabbit is exceptionally tender; its flavor is something no other meat can compare to."

Soon, the four golden-brown roasted rabbits were ready.

The shopkeeper wrapped them in oil paper and handed them to Lin Ze'an. "Here you go, young man, your roasted rabbit meat!"

Lin Ze'an took the meat and offered it to Yan and Hu Liena. "Senior brother, senior sister, want to try some?"

"Although Soft Bone Rabbits are quite common, the texture is actually pretty good. Think of it as a change of pace?"

Seeing his expectant look, Yan unwrapped the paper and took a direct bite. "Mm! Delicious!"

Although Hu Liena didn't care for such things, she took a small bite so as not to dampen the mood.

The next moment, Lin Ze'an's puzzled voice rang out. "Where is Senior Brother Xie Yue?"

He turned his head to look around, but he couldn't see any sign of Xie Yue.

Hearing this, Hu Liena pointed toward the tall building in the distance. "Seeing how high your spirits were, he went ahead to the branch hall. He'll come back to meet up with us in a bit."