Chapter 705: Medicine Supplies

The woman, if Hua Ci were a bit more mature, would likely be just like this. Lu Ye mused silently.

"I don't recognize you, young friend," the Little Medical Immortal began, "but your Overlord Saber Art truly captures the essence of your father's teachings. You've clearly surpassed him, showing that the Ye family has a worthy successor." Though her expression remained calm, her voice exuded a remarkable warmth and gentleness. Despite being a healer, she was also a ninth-level Cloud River Realm cultivator, which explained why Wu Xie hadn't resorted to brute force earlier. Wu Xie was confident he could defeat her if it came to a fight, but he knew it wouldn't be easy.

She had clearly observed Lu Ye's battle with Wu Xie at the valley entrance, so recognizing the Overlord Saber Art was no surprise; Ye Ying had, after all, frequently visited the Medicine Valley for remedies over the years. "You flatter me, fellow Daoist," Lu Ye responded, collecting his thoughts.

The Little Medical Immortal frowned slightly. "Your father addresses me as senior sister; you should call me senior. I am much older than you might think." Impossible! Absolutely impossible! Even if the Little Medical Immortal were extraordinarily unsightly, Lu Ye would have no qualms about calling her "senior." But seeing Hua Ci's face made it utterly impossible for him to utter the word.

"My sister's old ailment has recurred, and it appears much more severe than before. Please, fellow Daoist, could you help us?" Lu Ye said, pretending not to have heard her earlier statement, then added, "And this Brother Zhuang..."

"He's beyond saving," the Little Medical Immortal stated, not even sparing Zhuang Bufan a glance. Zhuang Bufan's blood ran cold. His injuries were indeed critical, and healing pills had proven utterly useless. In this world, only the Little Medical Immortal could save him. If even she pronounced him beyond hope, then he truly was.

With a mournful expression, he pleaded, "Senior, I..."

"Though I don't know what you've done," the Little Medical Immortal continued, "your vital essence is severely depleted, and your soul is damaged beyond my ability to heal. You have approximately three months of life remaining. During this time, your cultivation will gradually decline until your spiritual power completely dissipates, and you wither away." Zhuang Bufan's heart sank even further. The Little Medical Immortal had assessed his condition without even looking at him, a clear testament to her legendary medical skills. The more profound her abilities, the more certain it was that her judgment was infallible.

Three months of life... Zhuang Bufan felt thunderstruck, his mind reeling in a daze. Just a month prior, he had been living a carefree life, roaming the world at will. Now, he was left with merely three months to live. Truly, life was unpredictable.

He was filled with profound regret. Why had he acquired that particular item, and why had his curiosity led him to try it, only to find his body so utterly ruined? Yet, there was no cure for regret in this world, and dwelling on it now was futile.

"Is there truly no other way, fellow Daoist?" Lu Ye asked, his brows furrowed. Zhuang Bufan was indeed a commendable person; despite his critical injuries, he had decisively intervened to assist mortals in peril. It was regrettable that such an individual was now left with only three months to live due to some unknown affliction. The Little Medical Immortal shook her head.

Lu Ye remained silent for a moment. Then, as if a thought struck him, he quickly retrieved a jade bottle from his storage pouch and offered it to the Little Medical Immortal. "Please take a look, fellow Daoist," he said, "would this be of any use to Brother Zhuang?" The Little Medical Immortal accepted the bottle, opened it to inspect its contents, and her delicate eyebrows arched in surprise. "You're willing to part with this?" she asked, looking at Lu Ye. The jade bottle held none other than Soul Cleansing Water.

The Little Medical Immortal had previously stated that Zhuang Bufan's vital essence was severely depleted and his soul was damaged, suggesting that Soul Cleansing Water could be beneficial. Despite their fleeting encounter, Zhuang Bufan's character was admirable. It would be a profound pity for such a person to perish. Thus, even though Lu Ye understood that the individuals he met in this secret realm might not be truly living, he couldn't resist offering assistance.

"Since I've offered it, there's nothing to be unwilling to part with," Lu Ye stated. The Little Medical Immortal responded, "With this item, I can alleviate his suffering, but a full recovery is entirely out of the question." A cultivator's body, she explained, was like a balloon; even typical injuries, if treated promptly, posed no major threat. However, in her assessment, Zhuang Bufan's "balloon" was now riddled with countless holes, a condition far beyond what Soul Cleansing Water alone could remedy. Zhuang Bufan must have employed a technique far beyond his own capacity, leading to these dire consequences.

"Brother Ye, please don't waste such a valuable item on me," Zhuang Bufan urged. "I, Zhuang, have lived a carefree life, unburdened by attachments. To have met someone like you before my death makes my life worthwhile." Despite the sudden blow, as a ninth-level Cloud River Realm cultivator, he quickly regained his composure. Although he didn't know the exact nature of the treasure Lu Ye had offered, anything that could elicit such a reaction from the Little Medical Immortal was clearly no ordinary artifact.

The Little Medical Immortal turned to him, speaking softly. "You would be wise to accept his generosity. Otherwise, within three days, the pain you've forcibly suppressed will inevitably drive you to madness, making life a torment worse than death!" Hearing this, Zhuang Bufan shivered. For many cultivators, matters of life and death were commonplace, and death itself was not always terrifying. But a fate worse than death was utterly unacceptable.

"In that case, I thank you, Brother Ye, and you, Senior," Zhuang Bufan said with a respectful bow. The Little Medical Immortal gave a faint nod, put away the jade bottle, then looked at Ye Liuli. "Her condition is a chronic ailment," she stated. "I cannot cure it completely, only alleviate it. However, the prescription is prepared; you can come to me for the medicine tomorrow."

"Thank you, fellow Daoist."

"There's no need for thanks," the Little Medical Immortal replied. "It is a healer's duty to treat the sick and save lives. However, you will also need to pay for the remedies."

Zhuang Bufan quickly interjected, "May I inquire about the cost? I, Zhuang, possess some assets..."

"You cannot afford it," the Little Medical Immortal interjected, her gaze now on Lu Ye. "Today, you repelled Wu Xie and killed a Heavenly Abyss Sect cultivator. The Heavenly Abyss Sect will undoubtedly not let this matter rest and is highly likely to return. My Medicine Valley has always been a place of peace; I do not wish for anyone to fight within it and disturb its tranquility."

"I understand. Rest assured, fellow Daoist, the Heavenly Abyss Sect will not trouble you."

"That would be ideal," the Little Medical Immortal replied, then resumed her work. "There are straw huts outside; find one for yourselves and settle in."

Lu Ye then led Yi Yi and Zhuang Bufan away, locating two nearby straw huts where he settled Ye Liuli and Zhuang Bufan respectively.

"Lu Ye, that wasn't Sister Hua Ci, was it?" Yi Yi asked from inside their hut.

"Of course not," Lu Ye replied, shaking his head. Yi Yi, still incredulous, asked, "But how can someone so remarkably similar exist in this world?" It was beyond mere similarity; they were practically identical, save that the Little Medical Immortal appeared slightly more mature than Hua Ci.

If it were simply a matter of facial resemblance, that would be one thing, but their voices were also nearly identical, which was truly perplexing. Lu Ye's eyes flickered as he considered something, then he murmured, "Perhaps it's not just a simple resemblance..."

"What then?" Yi Yi asked, bewildered. Lu Ye shook his head. Though he harbored some suspicions, he couldn't ascertain the full truth. If his theories proved correct, it would indeed be quite fascinating. Across the entire cultivation world, he had only a handful of close companions: Yi Yi, Hua Ci, his Second Senior Sister, Fourth Senior Brother, the Sect Master, and Madam Yun. Among these, he had known Hua Ci since their humble beginnings. Although their differing cultivation paths meant they didn't spend much time together, they had faced life and death alongside each other. Even after long periods apart, there was never any sense of estrangement.

It was undeniable that Hua Ci could make him lower all his defenses and evoke a deep sense of intimacy. Even if it was just the same appearance and voice as Hua Ci... Many things remained puzzling for now, but Lu Ye simply could not believe that two distinct worlds could harbor such astonishingly similar individuals. It defied all logic.

"Look after Liuli," Lu Ye instructed, then stepped out of the straw hut. "I'll go pay for the medicine." Outside the Little Medical Immortal's straw hut, a long queue had formed. Cultivators seeking treatment moved in and out ceaselessly, those waiting filled with anticipation, and those emerging brimming with profound gratitude—a clear testament to the Little Medical Immortal's extraordinary abilities.

Typically, cultivators seeking treatment at Medicine Valley paid for their remedies with a wide variety of items, essentially offering whatever they possessed, though most commonly it was spirit stones or pills. The Little Medical Immortal, however, did not request such payments from Lu Ye. She had made it quite clear: given today's events, the Heavenly Abyss Sect would undoubtedly not let the matter rest and was highly likely to return. Therefore, Lu Ye's payment for the medicine would be to fend off the impending trouble from the Heavenly Abyss Sect. *That woman, she has so much confidence in me?*

Lu Ye found it puzzling. What made her believe that he, a mere sixth-level Cloud River Realm cultivator, could possibly withstand a behemoth like the Heavenly Abyss Sect? Was it simply because he had repelled Wu Xie with a single saber strike? That seemed hardly convincing. Unless she knew some of his secrets—for instance, his mastery of array formations, a skill far surpassing anyone else in the entire Dragon Ascension Realm. Things were becoming increasingly convoluted and mysterious.

Nevertheless, Lu Ye had no intention of declining. After all, fending off potential external threats was not particularly challenging for him. He had personally established all the grand arrays in Return to Heaven Valley. Setting up new ones for the Medicine Valley now would be effortless, especially since his proficiency in array formations had significantly surpassed his previous level.

He circled the Medicine Valley, surveying the surrounding terrain and topography. Through his senses, Lu Ye distinctly detected a pure and concentrated spiritual energy flowing beneath the valley. This undoubtedly indicated the presence of an earth vein. This discovery sparked a thought in Lu Ye's mind. Previously, when he established arrays, he relied solely on the formations' inherent power. However, truly accomplished array masters could harness earth veins and spiritual veins, allowing their formations to intertwine with these natural flows. This integration would significantly amplify the arrays' power. As long as the earth vein or spiritual vein remained intact, the array would persist. He hadn't attempted this before primarily because his skills weren't advanced enough. But now, he possessed the ability to try. If he could establish a grand array rooted in the Medicine Valley's earth vein, its power would far exceed that of the formations in Return to Heaven Valley.

Furthermore, this endeavor would also contribute to the advancement of his array mastery. By applying his knowledge in such practical ways, he could further consolidate his understanding and fully absorb the vast insights he had received from the Hundred Array Pagoda.