The elegant woman paid no heed to the couple's stunned looks.
Six Soul Rings lit up around her at once.
The Nine Heart Begonia Martial Soul cradled in her palms released a purple glow that fell over Qi Dao and Qi Father.
As the purple light enveloped father and son, their injuries began to heal rapidly.
Most striking was the savage knife wound across Qi Father's chest. Under the elegant woman's healing, it closed at a speed visible to the naked eye.
The fine lines covering Qi Dao's body like cracks in porcelain also began to fade, and color gradually returned to his pale face.
This was the Nine Heart Begonia Martial Soul. Though it had only one Soul Skill, its healing was extraordinarily powerful and could continue until its wielder's Soul Power ran dry.
Barely ten seconds later, the purple light around Qi Father vanished.
He looked down at the wound on his chest, disbelief written across his face.
I'm healed already?
So this is what a healing-type Soul Emperor can do?
Then Qi Father hurriedly turned to Qi Dao.
The porcelain-like cracks on Qi Dao's body had disappeared completely, but he still showed no sign of waking.
Another ten seconds passed before he slowly came to.
Qi Dao opened his eyes and instinctively looked around. At the sight of the people nearby, confusion flickered in his gaze.
His last memory was of cutting down the three fallen Soul Ancestors with a single stroke.
"A Dao, you're awake!" Qi Mother crouched beside him in delight, looking him over as she spoke.
"Mom!"
Seeing Qi Mother, then Qi Father beside her, Qi Dao couldn't help but smile.
They're safe. That's all that matters!
After a brief moment of confusion, Qi Dao stood up.
Qi Mother told him, "A Dao, this lady saved you and your father. Given the state you were in, even prompt treatment might have left you with lasting damage."
Qi Dao immediately turned to the elegant woman and said respectfully, "I'm Qi Dao. Thank you for saving our lives, ma'am."
The elegant woman smiled. "You were lucky to happen upon me here."
After a moment's thought, Qi Dao took a gold card from his pocket.
It was the card Xiao Chenyu had given him before he left, with a full fifty thousand Gold Soul Coins on it.
Qi Dao presented it with both hands. "Ma'am, this card holds fifty thousand Gold Soul Coins. Please accept it."
"Fifty thousand Gold Soul Coins may not mean much to you, but it's a small token of gratitude from the three of us."
The elegant woman had helped them out of kindness.
But Qi Dao couldn't simply accept it without offering anything in return.
At his words, the elegant woman glanced at the gold card in his hands, a hint of surprise in her eyes.
Everyone else was surprised too.
Qi Father and Qi Mother were plainly a pair of Commoner Soul Masters, yet their son could readily produce fifty thousand Gold Soul Coins.
How did that make sense?
After a moment, the elegant woman regained her composure.
She smiled. "Fifty thousand Gold Soul Coins can't be a small sum to you. Are you really giving me all of it?"
Qi Dao shook his head lightly.
"Spend a thousand pieces of gold, and they'll come back again!"
"Fifty thousand Gold Soul Coins is no small amount to me, but how could a mere fifty thousand measure the worth of my life and future?"
Qi Dao had to give Xiao Chenyu credit for this.
He hadn't expected to put Xiao Chenyu's gift to use so soon.
Only then did the elegant woman smile and take the card from Qi Dao's hands.
"What an interesting boy!"
"In that case, I'll accept it!"
A smile spread across Qi Dao's face.
"By the way, where are you headed?" the elegant woman asked.
"Heaven Dou City," Qi Dao replied with a smile.
"Oh!"
"Then we're going the same way!"
"Why don't you travel with our caravan? We can look out for one another."
"Thank you, ma'am," Qi Dao said. "We'd be glad to."
The elegant woman smiled and nodded, then returned to her carriage.
Qi Dao and his family joined the caravan.
On the way back to their carriage, Qi Dao looked over the caravan. His gaze finally settled on a banner embroidered with the character Ye.
Coupled with his parents' description of the elegant woman's Martial Soul, it was enough for Qi Dao to guess her identity.
She was probably Ye Lingling's mother from the original story.
Though the original story said little about Ye Lingling's family, even Ning Fengzhi held the Nine Heart Begonia in high regard as a support-type Martial Soul. Her family could hardly be without standing.
Qi Dao hadn't expected such a coincidence: running into the Nine-Hearted Begonia Clan's caravan halfway through their journey.
Still, he was fortunate it had been the Nine-Hearted Begonia Clan's caravan. If this injury had left him with a chronic condition, he would have wanted to cry but had no tears left.
That was why he was so grateful to the elegant woman.
Back in their carriage, Qi Father drove while Qi Mother curiously asked Qi Dao how he had unleashed that sword strike.
But Qi Dao couldn't explain the strike himself, so he offered only a few vague words.
Qi Mother didn't press him. Qi Dao immediately tried to recall what he had felt at the time.
He was certain he had entered the state of Man and Sword as One, but no matter what he tried now, he couldn't enter it again.
It was like waking from a dream: the memories ebbed away like a tide, leaving only a hazy impression.
Qi Dao was speechless.
So it was just a limited-time trial of Man and Sword as One!
Fortunately, the trial hadn't been useless.
Though Qi Dao had entered that state for only a moment, it had given him an entirely new understanding of Swordsmanship.
Three years ago, he had mastered Sword Qi and learned to send it flying from his blade.
A year ago, he had learned to cloak his sword in energy, making its edge even sharper.
But the Sword Intent Qi Dao sought had eluded him—until today!
In his desperate need to protect those dearest to him, Qi Dao had briefly entered the state of Man and Sword as One.
It might have been only a trial, but through it, he had grasped his first kind of Sword Intent.
Qi Dao extended a finger. A thread of pure white Sword Intent, fine as a hair, emerged from his fingertip.
Sword Intent reflected a swordsman's innermost will and convictions. Different people would naturally grasp different kinds of Sword Intent.
Some forms of Sword Intent focused on killing, while others focused on defense.
Qi Dao had sought to protect those dearest to him, so the Sword Intent he grasped naturally centered on defense.
Qi Dao named it Heaven Guard.
Heaven Guard Sword Intent!
By wielding Heaven Guard Sword Intent, Qi Dao could draw on the energy of heaven and earth to defend himself. Its defensive power was immense.
And the deeper his understanding of Heaven Guard Sword Intent grew, the more energy he could draw upon.
Besides, Heaven Guard Sword Intent was merely ill-suited to attack. It wasn't incapable of it!
After all, the best defense...
Was an attack!
Before you continue