Chapter Four: The Fountain of Life
Ye Qingyu bowed respectfully, her eyes full of hope, entrusting her wishes to the mysterious ancient Celestial Exile of the Heavenly Dao, praying for His blessing to descend.
Unfortunately, after a short wait, the valley remained silent.
No response...
A bitter expression appeared on Ye Qingyu’s face, her beautiful eyes reflecting sorrow as she realized how naive she had been. The ancient Celestial Exile, who had merged with the Heavenly Dao, had transcended the mortal world; perhaps all his emotions had fused with the heavens and earth—no joy, no sorrow, no anger, no feelings at all.
Such a terrifying and hidden existence must surely look down on the world with indifference, regarding all things as mere grass, watching the rise and fall of heaven and earth without concern.
How could he possibly pay close attention to a group of homeless young cultivators?
Perhaps his earlier intervention was merely a whim, or a benevolence bestowed by chance when the Heavenly Dao operated—a blessing encountered but not to be sought.
Thinking this, Ye Qingyu’s eyes grew moist. She watched silently as the two elders lay gravely wounded, her slender hands clenched tightly, pearly teeth gently biting her rosy lips.
...
Qin Feng, unaware of Ye Qingyu’s thoughts, walked for a while and went to the kitchen, returning with a bowl of medicinal broth.
He looked at the group of tiny people beneath the mountains inside the box, feeling a headache—how should he feed the medicine to the two middle-aged little ones?
Pouring out the bowl would surely cause a flood, sweeping away all the flowers, trees, birds, beasts, and the little people in the valley.
After pondering for a moment, Qin Feng tried something—taking a chopstick, he quietly poked a small hole in a hidden spot near the group.
Then, he dipped the chopstick into the medicinal broth, stirring it a few times to pick up some liquid, and carefully dripped several drops into the hole on the ground.
Instantly, as the medicinal liquid passed through the box, mysterious patterns faintly glowed on its surface.
The next moment, the medicine seemed to undergo a mystical transformation, turning pitch black and exuding a faint, refreshing fragrance.
The drops fell like gentle rain, containing threads of life energy, quickly filling the hole in the ground, forming a small medicinal spring that occasionally rippled.
“Pouring in the medicine triggered a change in the mysterious box...”
“Hopefully, it will have a good effect...”
---
Qin Feng’s eyes shifted, finding Ye Qingyu, who had just bowed respectfully, and gently blew her toward the spring-filled hole.
...
Inside the box’s world, in the valley, Ye Qingyu’s tears fell as she stood silently to the side, grieved by her inability to heal her companions. Suddenly, a breeze swept past.
The gentle wind carried her body irresistibly toward a secluded area.
In a blink, Ye Qingyu saw a pitch-black medicinal spring bubbling up from a small hole in the earth, its fragrance wafting throughout the valley.
The spring nourished the surrounding wild grass, causing it to grow rapidly. Within moments, the ground was covered with fresh flowers, blossoming in vivid colors.
The scene before her eyes seemed to appear out of nowhere, brimming with vitality, leaving Ye Qingyu’s mouth slightly agape, her gaze astonished.
“Is this... the blessing of the Heavenly Dao?”
Ye Qingyu stood in a daze, blinking her beautiful eyes, her expression growing excited as she looked up to the sky—only thick clouds were visible.
Yet she felt certain that high above, an ancient Celestial Exile was merging with the Heavenly Dao, his eyes shining like the sun, gazing down upon the mortal world.
The compassion and sympathy in his gaze seemed to echo in Ye Qingyu’s heartstrings.
“Take a vessel and gather some of the medicinal spring. Bring it to your companions...”
A vast, gentle, and dignified voice echoed faintly between heaven and earth, reverberating within Ye Qingyu’s heart.
“The ancient Celestial Exile of the Heavenly Dao has bestowed his blessing once again...”
Gratitude appeared on Ye Qingyu’s face; her lips moved as if to speak, but she hesitated, finally bowing again with heartfelt sincerity:
“Thank you, Honorable Celestial Exile of the Heavenly Dao...”
Just moments before, she had thought the ancient Celestial Exile, merged with the Heavenly Dao, might be emotionless and indifferent to the world.
Ye Qingyu blushed with shame, feeling she had been disrespectful, that she should not have presumed to guess the thoughts of the ancient Exile.
Ashamed, Ye Qingyu lowered her head; her beautiful eyes, like clear water, reflected her rosy cheeks, making her beauty incomparable.
“Hurry along now...”
Qin Feng looked at Ye Qingyu twice, finding the girl quite endearing—her feelings always written plainly on her face, never hidden.
With a glance, he could tell exactly what she was thinking.
“Mm!”
---
Once more, the mighty and dignified voice echoed faintly in Ye Qingyu’s ears. She nodded heavily, turned, and fetched a bowl from the house, filling it with the medicinal spring.
Carefully, she took a sip to test its effects, and life energy surged through her body, nourishing her blood, meridians, bones, and organs.
Having fled to this wild valley, Ye Qingyu had fought several times, leaving hidden wounds in her body.
Yet under the spring’s nourishment, within moments, her internal injuries were healed, and she felt refreshed in spirit.
“Mm~~”
Instinctively, Ye Qingyu let out a comfortable, low sigh.
“This...”
Qin Feng heard the inviting murmur in his ears, and when he looked at Ye Qingyu’s delicate face, tender as white tofu, her voluptuous figure radiating youthful energy, his own vitality soared.
Regrettably, Ye Qingyu’s body inside the box was too small. Qin Feng took a deep breath, forced himself to calm down, and turned away to gulp down several mouthfuls of cold water.
After her soft sigh, Ye Qingyu instantly realized the ancient Celestial Exile was still present, and her thin skin flushed with embarrassment.
She bit her lip lightly, so shy she wished the earth would swallow her.
Unable to remain where she was, Ye Qingyu, blushing, carried the bowl of medicine to the two gravely wounded elders.
The burly Iron Uncle, seeing this, looked at the porcelain bowl filled with medicinal spring in Ye Qingyu’s hand, his face puzzled as he asked:
“Qingyu, niece, what is in that bowl?”
As he spoke, the faint fragrance wafting from the bowl, full of spring vitality, drew the attention of all the cultivators around.
They inhaled gently, feeling their bodies light as air, as if soaring on the wind, ready to ascend like immortals.
“This is the medicinal spring bestowed by the ancient Celestial Exile...”
Ye Qingyu briefly explained the sequence of events, handing over the bowl.
“What! This is the spiritual medicine bestowed by the ancient Celestial Exile of the Heavenly Dao?!”
Iron Uncle was so excited he spun around several times on the spot.
He took a deep breath of the medicine’s fragrance, feeling utterly comfortable.
“Wonderful! The ancient Celestial Exile of the Heavenly Dao has shown us mercy, granting this blessing, bestowing the medicinal spring. Now, Old Zhu and Old Liu can be saved!”