Medical Sage

”You need me alive? Why?” Upon hearing this, Chen Fei furrowed his brows and slowly said, ”You would need someone who almost killed you to stay alive?”

”I’ve said I can compensate you. A living me is far more valuable to you than a dead one!” Zhen Jingkong’s firm and confident tone suddenly shifted to a dispassionate one. ”As for why you need me alive right now, it’s quite simple. Don’t forget where we are. That Flame Demon General isn’t dead yet, and he’s about to revive. Most importantly, he has already sealed off this area, leaving no exit. If I die, do you think you can leave safely?”

”What!?” Chen Fei’s expression changed instantly.

”The Flame Demon General is equivalent to a Foundation Establishment True Person in our Cultivation Realm, and that creature is on the verge of reaching the Commanding Realm,” he added calmly. ”Although he must be in an incredibly weak state right now, just like me, do you think you alone can withstand him once he revives? Or do you think you can escape from his seal?”

Hearing this, Chen Fei fell silent. After a long pause, he asked hesitantly, ”But what does that have to do with you?”

”Of course, it has a great deal to do with me,” Zhen Jingkong said, his tone turning complex as he murmured, ”If you’re willing to let me live, I will continue to reside within your sea of consciousness. When you inevitably encounter that creature, you can borrow my strength to ensure your safety. Of course, you can also use it in the future, but there will probably only be three or four chances. Any more than that, and I’m afraid my spirit will dissipate!”

”Let you continue to reside in my sea of consciousness?” Chen Fei’s expression changed as he shook his head. ”No! Isn’t that just inviting the wolf into the house?”

”Have you forgotten what else is in your sea of consciousness?” Zhen Jingkong laughed. A strand of nearly frozen, icy mist formed into a human arm and pointed at the shimmering Golden Blood. His expression was complex, but his voice remained calm. ”With it present, I am nothing more than your prisoner, unable to cause any trouble. More importantly, I believe a living Zhen Jingkong is infinitely more valuable to you than a dead one. I was once on the cusp of becoming a Great Formation Master and was hailed as the once-in-a-century Formation Dao Genius of the Qiannan Ancient Kingdom! If you are willing to learn from me, I will teach you everything I know.”

Chen Fei fell silent again. He had to admit, the offer was incredibly tempting.

Nearly a Great Formation Master and a once-in-a-century Formation Dao Genius of an ancient kingdom... He knew just how difficult and terrifying it was to earn such a title. And most importantly, that was his accomplishment from a hundred years ago! What about now?

”Can you really keep him under control?”

After a long pause, Chen Fei finally spoke again, but this time he wasn’t speaking to Zhen Jingkong. He turned his head tentatively to gaze at the drop of terrifying, mysterious Golden Blood that still shone brightly within his sea of consciousness. He had to admit, Zhen Jingkong was a powerful persuader and a skilled negotiator, leaving him unable to even think of a rebuttal. All that remained was overwhelming, irresistible temptation.

But one final worry remained: could the drop of Golden Blood in his body truly keep Zhen Jingkong under control forever? This man was a near-Great Formation Master from a hundred years ago. How terrifying, how powerful might he be now? He genuinely couldn’t imagine.

BOOM!

The terrifying drop of Golden Blood seemed to sense Chen Fei’s doubt and instantly flared with anger. To be questioned was an utter insult to such a divine object.

BUZZ!

The Sea of Consciousness trembled as if everything was being incinerated. A vast, overwhelming pressure, like world-creating, all-devouring lava, erupted and surged toward the icy blue mist that was Zhen Jingkong.

”No! Stop it, or I’ll die!” The icy blue mist representing Zhen Jingkong instantly shuddered, its voice horrified and no longer calm.

He could truly feel it—the pressure was too terrifying. If it engulfed him, if it so much as grazed him, he would die. It would be a complete and utter annihilation of his soul. How could he not be afraid?

HUM!

The radiant Golden Blood burst forth with great power again. Its light blazed intensely, as if a Divine Bird had soared into the sky, its shrill cry stirring the Nine Heavens and echoing through everything.

”Don’t! Stop!” Chen Fei was frightened by the scene, but he reacted at once, hastily calling out. Zhen Jingkong couldn’t be allowed to die. If he died, Chen Fei might never get out of this place. More importantly, he would lose a teacher who was nearly a Great Formation Master of the Formation Dao. That was a chance most people could only dream of, so Zhen Jingkong absolutely could not die!

The depths of the Sea of Consciousness shook so violently that Chen Fei’s Divine Sense was nearly expelled. The golden light from the blood transformed into a sea, its waters churning as the shadow of the Divine Bird danced restlessly above it, its cries echoing with displeasure.

Ultimately, however, it retracted like a setting sun, shrinking back into the depths of Chen Fei’s Sea of Consciousness as if it were sulking. The golden light faded with it.

PHEW!

The icy blue mist that was Zhen Jingkong’s Divine Sense heaved a heavy sigh. The hazy mist was still, as if he was speechless after surviving a catastrophe.

”This... I...” Even Chen Fei was stunned, too shocked to remain composed. Although the pressure hadn’t been aimed at him, he could still feel the destructive Divine Flame, the sheer Divine Might! He was numb, unable to truly comprehend it. What exactly was that Golden Blood, and what were its origins? It was simply too terrifying! If the Golden Blood had truly unleashed its power just now, forget one Zhen Jingkong; even ten of him would have been turned to dust by that single strike, with no chance to resist.

This proved that Chen Fei’s previous worries were entirely unnecessary. As long as Zhen Jingkong remained within his Sea of Consciousness, he was a prisoner.

”I hope we can cooperate happily. But you must teach me without holding anything back,” Chen Fei said, looking toward the icy blue mist.

”Do you think I would dare hold anything back now?” Zhen Jingkong’s voice was incredibly weak and hoarse.

He felt he had already overestimated the Golden Blood, but what just happened had still far surpassed his expectations. The Golden Blood was sentient? And the world-burning Divine Might it had just displayed... perhaps even a true Great Formation Master or an old ancestor at the Primordial Core True Lord Realm would have no choice but to bow their heads before it, right? This meant the drop of Golden Blood might be a legendary artifact of an even higher tier. An artifact of that level would be considered an invincible existence even in his former home, the Qiannan Ancient Kingdom. It was like an ancient mountain, weighing down on every heart, an existence that had ostensibly vanished from the kingdom for hundreds of years! And yet now...? If this Golden Blood was truly such a divine item from a higher tier, the news alone would be world-shaking. If word were to spread back to the Ancient Kingdom, the great powers—the Ancient Sects, other major Sects, and the Noble Families, with their legacies spanning nearly a thousand years—would all be driven completely insane! After all, this was no laughing matter! Legend had it that such supreme beings possessed boundless, omnipotent power, their might impossible to fathom. Even an old ancestor at the Primordial Core True Lord Realm would be as weak as an infant before them. Wasn’t that terrifying enough? Even during the peak of its prosperity hundreds of years ago, the Qiannan Ancient Kingdom had rarely, if ever, produced such a supreme being. That was why he understood. If the Golden Blood truly was... the implications would be both unbelievable and utterly terrifying!