Chapter 179: Old Patriarch

Jiang Fan was startled. A bad feeling rose in his heart. Had something happened to Xu Yining?

"What's wrong with her?" Jiang Fan asked.

Li Qingfeng looked regretful and sighed, "Xu Yining left me yesterday to embark on a journey."

Traveling? Alone? Jiang Fan couldn't help but worry. Her strength wasn't formidable, and her beauty was exceptional. How dangerous would it be for her to travel alone?

"How could Peak Master Li allow this?" Jiang Fan asked, puzzled. Logically, Li Qingfeng shouldn't have agreed. It was hard to say whether Xu Yining would return alive from this journey.

Li Qingfeng looked into Jiang Fan's eyes, a hint of reproach in his gaze. "Since returning from the Saint Hall, she hasn't touched a drop of water for several days. If I didn't let her go, she would have withered away."

Jiang Fan felt a tremor in his heart. On that day, Xu Yining had witnessed Xu Youran and Chen Siling, who followed Jiang Fan, one catching up to her and the other surpassing her. Her past pride was shattered. Always strong-willed, she had suffered a significant blow. Her spirit had become dejected. Leaving Qingyun Sect to travel might help her find peace.

Li Qingfeng asked with a hint of inquiry, "Jiang Fan, can't you reconsider accepting her? Who hasn't made mistakes?" After all, Xu Yining was his disciple. He couldn't bear it and still wished to secure a good future for his disciple.

Jiang Fan cupped his hands and said, "Peak Master Li, you've misunderstood. I never blamed her. I agreed to the annulment of the engagement back then. She's merely caught in her own obsession and can't let go. As for accepting her or not, I believe marriage should be built on mutual affection. If there's no destiny between us, what's the use of forcing it?"

Hearing this, Li Qingfeng sighed wistfully. Knowing Xu Yining's current predicament, he couldn't blame Jiang Fan. He nodded gently and said, "Very well, you young people should resolve your own matters. However, if you ever encounter her and she is in trouble, please help her for my sake, as she is my disciple."

Jiang Fan nodded in agreement. Even if it wasn't for Li Qingfeng, for Xu Youran and Xu Zhengyan's sake, he would still help Xu Yining, provided she needed help.

***

At Sovereign Peak, in a heavily guarded side hall, Liu Wenchen carefully helped a pale, sixty-year-old elder. His eye sockets were sunken and dark, and his breathing was erratic. He looked somewhat weak.

But Liu Wenchen was extremely respectful, because this was the Grand Elder of Sovereign Peak and the previous sect master. With his strong support, Liu Wenchen had finally succeeded in becoming the sect master.

"Divine Doctor Shangguan, how is my master?" Liu Wenchen asked Shangguan Sheng, who was nearby, with concern. Just now, the Grand Elder had emerged from seclusion, extremely weak and barely breathing. He had urgently summoned Shangguan Sheng and also quickly called Liu Qingxian back, to prepare for any eventuality.

Shangguan Sheng nodded slightly. "The Old Sect Master is temporarily out of immediate danger. However, his old injuries from many years ago persist. If they are not eradicated, they will eventually accumulate and threaten his life." It turned out that even before he had abdicated, he had fought a great battle with the previous sect master of the Giant Sect. He had unfortunately suffered internal injuries, with severe damage to his heart and lungs, which had been difficult to heal ever since.

Liu Wenchen bowed and said, "Divine Doctor Shangguan, please heal my master. I will reward you handsomely."

Shangguan Sheng said helplessly, "My master, the Undying Doctor, examined the Old Sect Master back then. If even he was helpless, what can I do? This injury can only be stabilized."

Liu Wenchen sighed heavily in his heart. The reason the Grand Elder had repeatedly challenged his authority over the years was largely because the Old Sect Master's health was poor and unstable. Otherwise, if the Old Sect Master had been in peak condition, how would the Grand Elder dare to act so presumptuously?

At this moment, the Old Sect Master, Zhuang Yuanyin, spoke hoarsely, "Don't make things difficult for Divine Doctor Shangguan. My time is short. Forcing it is useless. I forced myself out of seclusion this time only to protect my Qingyun Sect for its final journey with my failing body." The news of the beast tide had spurred the Grand Elders into action. Some returned, others emerged from seclusion.

Liu Wenchen and Liu Qingxian remained silent, their hearts filled with sorrow. Zhuang Yuanyin's words indicated that his life was truly nearing its end.

"But with the beast tide approaching, my body remains frail," Zhuang Yuanyin's eyes showed a glimmer of hope. "Divine Doctor Shangguan, do you have a prescription that can stimulate my body's potential and temporarily restore me to my peak?" In his current state, he couldn't help Sovereign Peak or protect Qingyun Sect at all. If he could recover to his peak, he might still be of some use.

Shangguan Sheng stroked his beard thoughtfully, a troubled expression on his face. "There is, but medicines that overdraw potential are inherently potent and harmful to the body. Afterward, the Old Sect Master's body might decline even faster. This is by no means the best course of action!"

"It doesn't matter!" Zhuang Yuanyin said, completely unconcerned. Though his voice was weak, his will was firm and powerful! "If my frail body is to fail, I'd rather die in battle!"

Shangguan Sheng was moved. Without another word, he picked up a brush and wrote a prescription, handing it to Zhuang Yuanyin. He took it and saw that it listed rare and obscure treasures.

Liu Wenchen leaned in to look, and couldn't help but frown deeply. "These, I might be able to find one set of ingredients if I search all nine sects. But this beast whip with the bloodline of the Demon Emperor... that's probably impossible to find. Divine Doctor Shangguan, can this item be replaced with other medicinal ingredients?" The only known Demon Emperor bloodline currently is that of the Demon Emperor, the instigator of this beast tide. Kill his offspring and seize their beast whip? Who could do that?

Shangguan Sheng shook his head. "This is the most crucial main ingredient; it cannot be replaced." The people in the room fell silent. This prescription, it seemed, was merely a castle in the air, impossible to gather all the ingredients for.

Zhuang Yuanyin hit his leg in self-reproach and sighed to the sky: "It's all my fault for being too rigid back then, allowing that insidious fellow from the Giant Sect to exploit a loophole. It's one thing to burden myself, but I've also implicated my Sovereign Peak and my Qingyun Sect."

Seeing his self-reproach, Shangguan Sheng also sighed softly. Suddenly, he remembered something and couldn't help but chuckle, "Old Sect Master, why worry about the younger generation? Your sect has such an outstanding and peerless disciple. In ten years, Sovereign Peak will surely soar, renowned in all directions."

He thought of Jiang Fan. Such an astonishing and brilliant medical prodigy, once he matured, would surely become a prominent figure whose very stomp would make the entire Nine Sects change color, just like the Undying Doctor once was. With him presiding over Sovereign Peak, which of the other eight peaks would be qualified to contend?

Zhuang Yuanyin looked at Liu Wenchen in surprise. He meant, "Does our sect have such a formidable disciple?" Shangguan Sheng had very high standards and never praised people lightly. Liu Qingxian performed well enough, didn't she? She had even defeated Nangong Xiaoyun not long ago. But when Divine Doctor Shangguan saw her just now, he only offered a "not bad" compliment. Was the "outstanding and peerless" disciple he spoke of from their Sovereign Peak? If there really was such a disciple, why hadn't Liu Wenchen mentioned it?

Liu Wenchen looked bewildered and said, "Divine Doctor Shangguan, have you made a mistake? I have such an incredible disciple? How could I not know?"