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The medicine was mainly for internal injuries, but this man's external wounds were every bit as severe, and he was poisoned to boot. Judging by the poison, the giant snake lying dead beyond all doubt outside had a great deal to do with it. Ordinarily, she could have used materials from the snake, especially its gallbladder, to refine an antidote. But given the snake's level and the energy contained in its body, even if she managed to make one, his battered body probably could not withstand that tremendous energy. She had to set the idea aside for now.

Still, she had stored every part of the giant snake she thought might be useful. Most notable were its gallbladder and the crystal core that had grown alongside it, pure and beautiful as crystal and radiating unfathomable energy.

Thinking of her personal space, which had shut down in an emergency because it lacked energy, Ye Chuqi tossed the crystal core inside without a second thought. She could not take anything out of the space right now, nor could she contact the Heart of the Space Spirit, but she could still throw the core in. The space could judge what was good for it on its own, and the energy in that core would benefit it enormously. It certainly would not refuse.

With that energy to help, the space would surely recover and the Heart of the Space Spirit would wake before long. She had grown used to a voice chattering in her ear. Now that it was so quiet, she felt rather lonely.

Ye Chuqi was staring absently at the sky beyond the cave, wondering whether she should try roasting some of the giant snake's meat, when the breathing of the man who had been unconscious for days changed ever so slightly.

He quickly adjusted his breathing to pretend he was still unconscious, but Ye Chuqi was sharp, and her Divine Sense had been on alert all along. Of course she noticed the change at once.

He's cautious.

Even though he had only just woken, he had made that judgment in an instant. Without knowing the state of his own body, he had reacted on instinct.

Ye Chuqi acted as though she had noticed nothing. Just as he was assessing her, she was trying to work out where he had come from.

At the very least, he was strong.

The remains of the battlefield told her a great deal. The scattered limbs had not all been torn off by the giant snake; many bore the marks of blades. As for the signs of mingled ice and fire and the shattered ground, they were different from spellwork, but she could still tell what had caused them.

From the positions of the bodies, she could also see that after everyone else had died, this man had fought the giant snake with no thought of surviving himself. That was how the scene had become so brutal.

Most of his external wounds had been inflicted by humans. His internal injuries had come from fighting the giant snake. The snake, meanwhile, had died because someone had blasted apart its heart and meridians. Even its gallbladder and crystal core were riddled with cracks. The force of that blow must have been terrifying.

Ye Chuqi would not let her guard down simply because he was badly hurt. She had paid for that mistake years ago. Even when saving someone, she would not be foolish about it.

She finished brewing the medicine, set it beside him, and slipped quietly out of the cave. If he did not want to admit he was awake, she did not mind giving him time to react. She had yet to explore the surrounding area properly; she might as well go a little farther.

Only when Red Beard sensed that Ye Chuqi had left the range of his perception did he quietly breathe a sigh of relief.

This was not the first time he had woken. Before, though, he had clearly been unable to control himself. He could sense changes around him but could not make his body respond. This time, the moment he regained consciousness, instinct had let him take control of his reactions.

He had thought Ye Chuqi did not know and had kept up the act. Once she set the bowl of medicine beside him, he understood that she had known all along.

His little performance seemed rather

ridiculous.

He had not expected to come out of this alive. He knew how badly he had been hurt. Here in the deserted Ashen Wasteland, he had already suffered grievous wounds in an ambush, only to encounter a High-Rank Demon Beast. Remembering that final moment, he could not help curling his lips.

The movement tugged at the wounds on his face, reminding him how badly he had been hurt there too. First, someone had nearly cleaved off half his head with a blade. Then the High-Rank Demon Beast had blasted a cloud of poison straight into his face. Even if the wounds on his body healed with time, he doubted his face would be spared—especially his eyes. They were wrapped in thick bandages, leaving him in darkness.

His attackers had destroyed his Spatial Ring the moment they struck. To manage that, the other side must have paid a steep price. They had never intended to let him leave the Ashen Wasteland alive. The sudden appearance of a High-Rank Demon Beast had actually given him a sliver of hope. It was almost funny.

Who would have thought there was another human this deep in the wasteland?

The person who had saved him could not be ordinary. He did not know what methods she had used, but she had brought his injuries under control in so short a time. A taste of the medicinal broth still lingered in his mouth, yet he could not identify its ingredients.

She had not spoken once, as though she did not care who he was. Over the past few days, she seemed to have come near him only to give him medicine. She had scarcely spared him another glance.

Red Beard pushed himself up and felt around to check his injuries. The fractures in his right hand and both legs had been set perfectly. He could almost feel the aching itch of bones knitting together. It was extraordinary medicine—better than anything even Xiya could prepare.

Breathing still hurt a little. The High-Rank Demon Beast's tail had nearly crushed his chest, after all. But he could feel that most of his broken bones and damaged organs had already healed.

The bandaging on his head was rather drastic, though. It seemed to leave only his nose and mouth exposed so he could breathe and drink medicine. He could not help wondering if the damage to his face was even worse than he had thought.

When Ye Chuqi returned, the man who had nearly died of his injuries a few days earlier was sitting up, leaning against the cave wall with an ease that was almost leisurely. The medicine bowl beside him was empty.

Hadn't he considered that there might be something wrong with the medicine?

On second thought, of course he had not. He had been saved, and by now he must have some idea how well his body was recovering. He would have no reason to doubt the medicine she had given him. It was something others could beg for and still never obtain.

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