You Can't Catch Wolves Without Bait

This group of people eventually managed to make contact with Yan Chixia.

The reason was simple: one of the two Daoist priests, despite the pain, reluctantly pulled a bright yellow pearl from his "pocket".

[Name: Earth Marrow Fire Pearl]

[Type: Curiosity/Consumable]

[Quality: Third Tier]

[Note: This is a marrow bead formed from a rare sliver of true yang fire energy that rose from the Mount Shu's veins and was imbued with jade, thus avoiding mixing with the impure energy of the earth. It has been condensed over a hundred years.]

[Exchange Requirements: 1200 Universal Points, 1 Common Exchange Card.]

[Additional Note: Before the internal Yang Fire is completely depleted, it can gradually recover on its own by placing it into the earth's veins for nourishment.]

[Note: "It is merely a small fire pearl, utterly useless. Only a treasure of true radiance and harmony, like the ten- Ten-Thousand-Year Warm Jade left behind by the Long Brows Adept, can resolve such a great calamity to the Primordial Spirit-- "]

This was naturally a treasure drawn from Newcomer Blind Box. In detail, it was also the reason why this user dressed as a Daoist priest made up his mind to exchange for a copy of "Introductory Wudang Nine Yang Scripture" from the Main God, the specific version of which was unknown.

At this point, however, he had no choice but to take it out prematurely, as a way of "pledgeing allegiance" to someone.

In many other cultivation eras, such a thing would probably be nothing more than a rare and ordinary Numinous Materials. However, in this world where the Dao is difficult to manifest and Yin energy is increasingly prevalent, such a jade marrow bead containing gentle Yang fire is a truly rare and precious item.

Even Yan Chixia himself could see the pain on the young Daoist's face. A look of shame appeared on his thick, Bearded Man face. He did not accept the gift, but he did not refuse this precious gift either.

Only when people got within a few steps of him could they smell that sinister, bloody odor.

It did not come from the swordsman's scabbard, nor from any wound on his body, but rather from the scent of fresh blood that must have been recently spilled somewhere.

After gaining some initial approval, the group was led by the bearded man to a secluded hut inside the temple. There, in a simply furnished room adorned with hanging Talisman and bells, and arrayed with red threads, they met two other people—

His face was pale, and there was a deep claw mark on his back, with black blood dripping from his skin. He lay quietly on the bed, clearly exhausted and almost unconscious.

And there was a middle-aged swordsman standing beside him, who also looked dejected, with more than half of his hair gray, but still full of vigilance.

Only after seeing Yan Chixia clearly did the swordsman relax slightly. He then used an invisible sword aura to press Yan Chixia and test his reaction. Once he confirmed that it was indeed Yan Chixia himself and not some other illusion, he finally felt at ease.

"Brother Yan, what was the situation outside just now?"

"It's nothing serious. It's just a couple of little devils who have their eyes on these living people, which is why they're playing those illusory sounds. They're not targeting us."

Yan Chixia gave a brief introduction to the group.

"This is the swordsman who once competed with me in swordsmanship; you may call him Xiahou. And the one on the bed is a righteous cultivator whose name I cannot reveal. He unfortunately suffered a calamity a few days ago, being hunted by demons. In the end, he had to use Earth-Escaping Grand Talisman to rush to my side with Xiahou, already severely injured."

"His spirit and essence were severely injured, and his physical body was also badly damaged. In addition, there was a sinister and venomous aura that had been deeply embedded in the claw on his back. Even though the few antidote pills left by his ancestors were used up, they could not completely remove it."

"If it weren't for the exceptionally profound cultivation within him that instinctively protected his heart meridian and several major acupoints, this young Daoist priest would probably already be dead and his cultivation extinguished."

"Now that things have come to this, I have no other choice but to use this simple little array to conceal his vital energy. I ask Xiahou to look after him, to go out into the mountains during the day to find medicine, and to return at night to continue to exorcise evil spirits and remove poison for this person."

"Saving lives is urgent, so today I have no choice but to shamelessly borrow this young friend's family heirloom pearl. Please remember this favor as my responsibility; I will never forget it."

The bearded swordsman frankly explained the reason behind the trip, even stating that his purpose was solely to treat the poison and wounds of the person on the bed, and that even if he couldn't save the person's life, the favor would still fall on him, Yan.

Hearing this, and combining it with the "message" given by the Main God at the time, everyone had already guessed who the young cultivator lying on the bed, still unconscious, was.

Even the two "Black and White Impermanence" figures shifted their gazes slightly, as if they sensed something.

--It is obvious that this unfortunate fellow should be Zhiqiu Yiye, the Kunlun disciple mentioned in the Main God message who, having received his master's dying wish, descended the mountain not long after, only to encounter a sudden misfortune and be hunted down by demons.

However, Yan Chixia's words were sincere, and his words made everyone understand. The Daoist who took out the pearl felt less pained by Yan Chixia's boldness and openness, and instead felt a sense of solemnity in participating in such an important matter.

As the saying goes, you can't catch a wolf without risking your cub.

Now that we've made up our minds, what's there to hesitate about?

"Great Hero Yan, you flatter me. Subduing demons and monsters and saving lives are our duty. If this pearl can save this fellow Daoist's life, that will be its greatest merit."

The Daoist priest, with a "generous" expression, cupped his hands and said this, then carefully handed over the fire pearl.

The bead felt warm and smooth to the touch, and its bright yellow color, especially inside, seemed to emit a faint glow within the dimly lit room with its doors tightly shut.

A comforting, warm feeling gradually emanated from the area, a stark contrast to the surrounding gloom.

"Alright, thank you very much, young friend."

Yan Chixia received the precious pearl steadily, daring not to be negligent.

Although he was not a master of Daoist magic, he had been traveling the world for many years, slaying demons and monsters. In the past, he was a ruthless judge who was famous throughout twenty-six provinces. Even if he could not be described as "a veteran of countless battles who has seen it all", he still had the sharp eyesight of a swordsman and knew some basic common techniques.

He gestured for Xiahou, who was guarding with his sword, to step back and rest a while, while Yan Chixia himself walked to the bedside and carefully examined the wound on Zhiqiu Yiye's back a few more times.

The claw marks were so gruesome that large patches of flesh had been torn open, revealing the bone beneath. Even with the previous medicinal effects suppressing and mitigating the damage, the more severe areas remained a deep, charcoal-black.

Wisps of black mist, like living things, coiled and lingered between the skin and flesh, while spots of black blood continued to slowly seep out from within, naturally carrying an unusually "refreshing" stench that made one frown.

"Well--"

After glancing at it for a few moments, Yan Chixia frowned and said in a deep voice, "Xiahou, please lend me a hand. I will use my true energy to guide the yang energy within this pearl to heal him and remove the poison. I would trouble you to use your pure inner energy to protect this young Daoist's heart and main meridians, in case the yang fire is too strong and damages his foundation."

This swordsman, who was clearly different from the "Xiahou" in the movie in everyone's impression, nodded silently, put down his long sword, and only a concentrated intention quietly rose up, locking onto several vital acupoints and key points on Zhiqiu Yiye's body.

"Brother Yan, I have reflected on my actions. Please proceed with caution."

Upon hearing his words, Yan Chixia immediately took a deep breath and slowly channeled a surge of powerful true energy into the treasure in his hand.

Suddenly, the pearl's light shone brightly, and its bright yellow color turned into a richer, warmer orange, as if a spark of true yang fire had been ignited within it!

Even the temperature inside this little wooden house seemed to rise a few degrees!

"Truly extraordinary."

He uttered a sigh, but the swordsman did not place the pearl directly on the wound. Instead, he suspended it about three inches above it, using his true energy as a guide to carefully activate the yang fire energy contained within the pearl, thus enveloping the wound.

Unlike the violent nature of ordinary flames, this Yang fire, originating from the earth's marrow, carried a sense of calm and enduring vitality. The black energy that clung to the wound, upon encountering this energy, instantly melted away like ice and snow meeting the sun, emitting a soft hissing sound.

Even the young Daoist priest who was being scorched on his back unconsciously let out a cry of pain.

"Young friend, please be patient for a moment."

The two swordsmen who were attacking the child only apologized, but showed no mercy whatsoever.

After all, it was clear that the demonic energy was extremely stubborn, lingering deep within the wound, constantly resisting the yang fire energy that was being unleashed.

At the same time, the black blood from the wound gushed out more rapidly, but its color gradually changed from grayish-black to dark red, indicating that the internal poison was being gradually dissolved and forced out.

The fishy, pungent smell in the air then began to intensify.

But no one had time to pay attention to such trivial matters; they simply held their breath and stared intently at the mysterious scene of fire and poison clashing before them.