One person: Starting with the Snow Drinking Blade

As the sun set, it bathed the entire valley in a warm orange-red hue. The autumn wind blew as before, the grass rippled, and the stream murmured. Everything seemed the same as before, yet also completely different. In her eyes, the world was more vivid in color, clearer in sound, and she could even "see" the movement of the air. And her "perspective" on all of this held an unprecedented detachment and tranquility.

Nie Lingfeng walked up to her and handed her a water bottle. He looked somewhat tired, clearly indicating that the hour-long "interference" had not been easy for him either.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

Chen Duo took the water bottle, sipped the water, and moistened her parched throat. She remained silent for a long time before softly replying:

"...I'm so tired." That's the truth; the physical exhaustion and mental depletion are real. "But...inside (referring to the body and mind)...it seems...clearer. Those 'noisy' things (referring to lingering toxins and chaotic emotions)...are not so easy to 'jump out' anymore."

Nie Lingfeng smiled, a smile of satisfaction and anticipation, like seeing a rough gem finally begin to shine after being carved.

"That's right," he said. "That's the meaning of 'breaking through barriers.' External disturbances and internal obstacles are all pebbles that polish the mirror of the heart. The rougher the pebbles, the brighter the mirror will be. You did very well today, far exceeding my expectations."

He paused, his gaze fixed on the distant mountains shrouded in twilight: "However, that's not enough. A clear mind reflects all things; that's the skill of 'guarding.' Next, you need to learn how to use this 'clarity' to actively 'guide' and 'control' the inherent forces within you. You can't always passively 'suppress' and 'appease' them."

Chen Duo raised her head, her emerald eyes reflecting the last rays of dawn in the twilight: "...Control?"

"Yes, control it." Nie Lingfeng withdrew his gaze and looked at her. "The primal Gu poison in your body, although dangerous, is essentially a very special and pure 'energy.' The Medicine Immortal will cruelly 'plant' it in your body, turning it into a tool of destruction. But the tool itself is neither good nor evil; the key lies in the person using the tool and the method of use."

He took the Snow Drinking Blade from his waist—this was the first time Chen Duo had ever seen him take off the blade voluntarily. The blade was still wrapped in coarse cloth, but when he gripped the hilt, an invisible, indescribable aura of sharpness and desolation subtly emanated from it.

"Like this knife," Nie Lingfeng said slowly, his fingers gently tracing the blade wrapped in coarse cloth. "It can slaughter living beings, staining them with endless blood, becoming a demonic blade feared by all. But it can also cut through shackles, protect what is cherished, and become a light that cleaves through darkness. The difference lies in what the person wielding the knife holds in their heart, and what they use it for."

He looked at Chen Duo: "Your 'Gu poison' is the 'knife' you were born with. Before, others wielded this knife, using it to hurt you, and through you, to hurt others. Now, the hilt should be in your own hands. And the first step you need to take is to use the clear mirror of your mind that you have just honed to truly 'understand' this 'knife,' feel every bit of its sharpness, every wisp of its chill, understand its 'temperament,' and then... try, gently, to grasp it."

Chen Duo's gaze fell on the knife in Nie Lingfeng's hand, then returned to her own hands. Her emerald eyes flickered with a light that held confusion, contemplation, and a faint yet unwavering ignition... a curiosity and eagerness to try.

"What...should I do?" she asked.

Nie Lingfeng hung the Snow Drinking Blade back on his waist, walked up to Chen Duo, and gently touched her brow with a finger.

"Close your eyes. Recall the state of mind you just maintained. Then, don't look at those uncomfortable, black 'toxins,' try to perceive their deeper... 'power' itself. Cast aside the judgmental label of 'toxin,' and perceive its 'quality,' its 'nature,' its... 'fluctuation,' just like perceiving the speed of the wind, the flow of water, or the temperature of fire."

His voice had a strange, guiding power.

Chen Duo closed her eyes again, sinking into introspection. The Mirror of the Mind appeared, reflecting within her body. This time, she did not focus her attention on those dark, sticky, and uncomfortable "black areas," but instead tried, as Nie Lingfeng had said, to perceive what lay beneath that "blackness."

It was difficult at first. The long-held belief that "toxins = danger = need to be suppressed" was deeply ingrained. But with a more refined mind and will after just experiencing "breaking through barriers," she forced herself to detach herself from judgment and simply "perceive."

Gradually, some different "feelings" emerged.

Beneath that gloomy blackness lay not utter stillness. It was indeed filled with the characteristics of erosion, chaos, and destruction, but deep within these unsettling qualities, she vaguely glimpsed an extremely subtle, extremely condensed, seemingly ancient life-giving force… a kind of “vitality”? A kind of chilling, yet seemingly capable of dissolving the boundaries of all things… a kind of “penetrating power”? A kind of silent and stubborn presence, like the most tenacious mineral vein deep within the earth… a sense of existence?

This feeling is very vague and hard to describe, yet it is absolutely real.

"Can you feel it?" Nie Lingfeng's voice seemed to come from a distant place. "That is one of the aspects of 'power' itself. It has no labels of good or evil, just like a stone can be used to hit people or to build houses. Now, try to use your heart's mirror, not to 'suppress' or 'illuminate' it, but to gently... 'touch' it, like touching a flowing stream with your fingers, just feeling its presence and flow."

Chen Duo carefully guided the serene and peaceful "intention" emanating from the Heart Mirror, like the gentlest tendrils, to explore a relatively calm area of ​​residual poison within her body.

When that sense of "tranquility" truly comes into contact with that cold, concentrated, and corrosive "power"—

There was no fierce conflict or engulfment as expected.

The "power" seemed startled by this unfamiliar yet peaceful "touch," shrinking slightly and radiating an even stronger chill and resistance. But the "tranquility" of the mirror of the heart, like the gentlest light, simply "shone" upon it quietly, without applying pressure or attempting to change it.

The standoff lasted for a moment.

That icy power seemed to "sense" that there was no malice or attempt to suppress within this "tranquility." Its resistance slowly weakened; though still cold, it was no longer so aggressive. It even began to respond to the "touch" of the "tranquility" in an extremely faint, almost imperceptible way, as if two completely different "frequency" were attempting the most basic "communication."

Chen Duo's heart skipped a beat!

An unprecedented and strange sense of connection was established between her and the power within her that had always been seen as the source of calamity and pain! Though extremely weak and unstable, it was indeed a connection! Not confrontation, not suppression, but... perception and communication!

She "saw" that, under the "illumination" of the clear light of the mind's mirror, the dark area seemed to have faded by an extremely subtle amount, and the unsettling, corrosive feeling had also lessened by a negligible amount. It wasn't being purified or dispelled, but rather... it seemed to have become somewhat "docile"?

Just then, something unexpected happened!

Perhaps it was this unprecedented "connection" and "communication" that triggered a deeper change. Deeper within Chen Duo's body, those core toxins most tightly intertwined with the essence of her heart and lungs, seemed to be disturbed by this "abnormal" fluctuation, and suddenly began to surge violently!

A terrifying aura, far colder and more violent than usual, filled with destruction and madness, erupted from the depths of her heart and lungs like a sleeping beast being completely enraged, surging wildly through her meridians! Wherever it passed, the meridians that Nie Lingfeng had just cleared and nourished felt like they were being torn apart, and her internal organs felt as if they were being pierced by ice spikes!

"puff--!"

Chen Duo suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood! The blood was not bright red, but had an eerie bluish-black hue. When it fell to the ground, it made a soft "hissing" sound and corroded the golden autumn grass!

Her vision went black, her heart mirror trembled violently, instantly becoming covered with spiderweb-like cracks, almost completely shattering! Her consciousness was completely overwhelmed by the surging pain and the destructive, icy torrent!

"Not good! Backlash!" Nie Lingfeng's expression changed drastically! He hadn't expected that Chen Duo's first attempt at deep perception and communication would trigger such a violent reaction from the core poison! This was more dangerous than anything he had anticipated!

He stepped forward, his right hand forming a sword-like gesture, and struck Chen Duo's brow with lightning speed! The pure and mellow internal energy of the Xuanwu True Scripture, the Ice Heart Technique, and the Wuqiu Yi Technique, mixed with a trace of the Qilin Marrow's nourishing and purifying power, surged in like a burst dam, forcefully protecting her collapsing heart and sea of ​​consciousness!

At the same time, he spread his five fingers on his left hand and pressed down in the air. An invisible, flexible and powerful field spread out from him, firmly imprisoning the highly corrosive bluish-black poisonous qi that was beginning to spread uncontrollably around Chen Duo's body due to the rampage of residual poison, preventing it from spreading and polluting the environment.

"Chen Duo! Calm your mind! Recite the Ice Heart Mantra! Follow my internal energy! Don't resist! Guide it, channel that rampaging power! Imagine it as a flood bursting its banks, you can't block it, you have to channel it!" Nie Lingfeng's voice was like thunder, exploding in Chen Duo's almost scattered consciousness!

Amidst the boundless pain and icy onslaught, Chen Duo heard Nie Lingfeng's voice. That voice was like a last straw. With her remaining will, she desperately tried to gather her fading consciousness, screaming the Ice Heart Mantra in her heart!

"A pure heart remains unperturbed even when the sky falls!"

The shattered Heart Mirror, supported by the Ice Heart Technique and Nie Lingfeng's powerful internal energy, stubbornly reformed. Although its light was dim and it was covered with cracks, it remained firmly in place!

She tried, following Nie Lingfeng's guidance, no longer desperately "suppressing" the rampaging power in her body as before, but instead guided the warm and powerful internal energy that Nie Lingfeng poured in, like digging a river channel, to painstakingly open up several "dredging" paths in her painfully torn meridians!

The process was excruciating, like being branded with a red-hot iron! But miraculously, when the raging, icy torrent of residual poison was guided into these newly opened, relatively "wide" "channels," its rampaging and destructive momentum was actually weakened! Although it was still frantically impacting the meridian walls, bringing continuous excruciating pain, at least it was no longer a aimless, destructive outburst!

Nie Lingfeng's internal energy acted like the strongest dam and the most skillful guide, protecting Chen Duo's vital heart and internal organs while constantly adjusting and widening those "channels," guiding the rampaging residual poison to circulate, dissipate, and settle within them...

Time seemed to slow down, almost to the point of stagnation, amidst extreme pain and struggle.

As the sun completely sank behind the mountains, twilight descended, and stars began to peek out from the deep blue sky. In the valley, only the sound of the stream remained, along with Nie Lingfeng's steady, mountain-like figure and Chen Duo's suppressed, blood-stained, painful breaths.

After an unknown amount of time, the violent residual poison within Chen Duo's body gradually weakened, like a receding tide. Although still surging, it no longer possessed the destructive power it initially had. It was temporarily "guided" back to its "nest" deep within her heart and lungs, where, although it still lingered, it temporarily returned to a state of "hibernation."

Nie Lingfeng slowly withdrew his fingers and internal energy field, his face pale and beads of sweat appearing on his forehead. The response just now, seemingly effortless, was actually extremely taxing. It not only required immense internal energy but also extremely precise control and accurate understanding of Chen Duo's physical condition. The slightest carelessness could have resulted in both of them being injured.

Chen Duo's body went limp and she fell forward, but Nie Lingfeng caught her in time. Her whole body was as if she had been pulled out of water, cold and soaking wet, with bluish-black bloodstains still remaining at the corners of her mouth, her face ashen, and her breath weak. But her eyes slowly opened.

Those emerald eyes were now filled with extreme exhaustion, lingering fear of pain, but strangely, two faint yet incredibly clear flames ignited within this chaotic backdrop.

It was the relief of surviving a catastrophe, the enlightenment after breaking through the limits, and even more so... a faint light that was almost like that of a "conqueror," a completely new understanding of oneself and the power within one's body!

She looked at Nie Lingfeng's tired yet concerned face so close to hers, her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but no sound came out.

Nie Lingfeng shook his head at her, signaling her not to speak. He helped her lie down slowly on the soft autumn grass, then took out a small jade bottle from his bosom, poured out a fragrant pill, and fed it to her.

"Don't talk, rest first and let the medicine take effect." Nie Lingfeng's voice was a little hoarse. "You were too risky just now. But... you did very well."

He sat down next to Chen Duo, watching the stars gradually light up in the night sky, and slowly exhaled a breath of stale air.

"You felt it, didn't you?" he said softly, "the 'quality' of that power. You also experienced how terrifying the backlash from forced communication can be. But you also did it; at the most dangerous moment, instead of simply suppressing it, you tried to channel it... even with my help."

Chen Duo lay on the grass, feeling the warm, soothing sensation of the medicine dissolving in her mouth, slowly repairing her damaged body. She gazed at the starry sky, her emerald eyes reflecting the starlight.

After a long while, she nodded very slightly.

Yes, she felt it. That cold, concentrated power, full of corrosiveness and destruction, yet containing a strange "vitality" and "presence." She also experienced it; trying to control this power was like taming a sleeping ancient beast. One wrong move, and it would backfire, leading to utter destruction.

But... that feeling of "connection," that subtle sensation when "guiding" the power—though violent, it seemed to be "guided"—was like a tiny, yet real, crack being torn open in her pitch-black path, letting in a ray of light.

Dangerous, but...full of possibilities.

"Rest now," Nie Lingfeng said. "That's enough for today. Remember everything that just happened—that sensation, that backlash, and the feeling during the final channeling. These are your real 'lessons' for the future."

Chen Duo nodded again and slowly closed her eyes. A wave of exhaustion washed over her, dragging her into a deep sleep. But before her consciousness sank into darkness, a clear thought, like a spark, ignited in her heart:

I want to... grasp that "knife".

I don't want to be manipulated by others to hurt me.

Instead, I will take it myself...

Three months passed in the blink of an eye.

On the last day, Nie Lingfeng gave Chen Duo her final treatment.

He forced out the last bit of toxins that could be expelled from his heart and lungs, then used a thin needle to prick his fingertip, squeezed out a drop of blood, and dripped it into Chen Duo's mouth.

"This is the last time you'll use my blood," Nie Lingfeng said. "From now on, you'll need to drink one drop of my blood every month to suppress the lingering toxins deep in your heart and lungs that you can't get rid of. As long as you drink it on time, they'll stay dormant and won't affect your normal life."

Chen Duo swallowed the drop of blood, feeling the warm current spreading through her body, and nodded.

"Every month...?" she asked.

"Yes, every month," Nie Lingfeng said. "So, you can't be too far away from me. You have to see me at least once a month."

Chen Duo looked at him, a complex emotion flashing in her emerald eyes.

"Will you... always be by my side?" she asked softly.

Nie Lingfeng smiled and ruffled her hair.

"Yes. At least until you don't need me anymore, I'll stay with you."

Chen Duo lowered her head and didn't speak, but her fingers secretly grabbed Nie Lingfeng's clothes.

It's very light, but very tight.

The three-month agreement has been reached.

Nie Lingfeng led Chen Duo out of the deep mountains.

Chen Duo is no different from any other person now. She wears ordinary clothes, her hair is tied in a simple ponytail, her complexion is rosy, and her eyes are clear. Only her emerald green eyes and the faint black lines that occasionally appear on her palms remind her of her past.

"Are you ready?" Nie Lingfeng asked.

"Mm." Chen Duo nodded.

"Let's go then." Nie Lingfeng took her hand. "Let's go see Third Brother and Fourth Brother, and then... start a new life."

The two walked side by side toward the edge of the mountain.

The sun was shining brightly, and the wind was gentle.

Three months ago, she was a Gu-body Saint Child wearing protective clothing, with empty eyes, who could turn to ashes at any moment.

Three months later, she was a girl who could laugh, cry, make choices, and look forward to tomorrow.

The road ahead is still long.

But at least, she can walk on her own now.

And there is someone by her side who will always be there for her.

This is enough.