Alert! The Dragon Lord has emerged from seclusion!

Master Xuanbing quickly stepped forward to check on Lin Chen's condition.

After a long while, he let out a long sigh of relief: "His life is not in danger, the broken meridians have been initially repaired, and yin and yang are approaching balance."

"It needs to be soaked in the pool for another seven days to strengthen its foundation and nourish its vitality."

He looked at the four women who were almost paralyzed, his eyes filled with relief and emotion: "You did a great job, working together, far exceeding expectations."

"Rest well now, and the valley will provide the best resources to help you recover."

Su Qingxue nodded, as if she wanted to say something.

But he finally couldn't hold on any longer, everything went black, and he lost consciousness.

Fortunately, things were busy but not chaotic inside the cave.

The disciples in the valley carefully settled the four exhausted women and Lin Chen into the quiet rooms that had been prepared beforehand.

……

Seven days have passed quietly.

Lin Chen's soaking in the Yin-Yang Creation Pool was coming to an end.

The powerful yet gentle Yin and Yang energies in the pool continuously nourished his newly formed but fragile meridians, replenishing his depleted Qi and blood.

The golden hue on his face had long since faded, replaced by a warm, jade-like pallor. His breathing was even and deep, and his chest rose and fell rhythmically.

It is still asleep.

Su Qingxue stood quietly by the pool.

She has recovered most of her health.

She was dressed in a pristine white dress.

A subtle calmness crept into his eyes.

For the past seven days, she has come here every day to guard the place for two hours, without saying a word, just watching the person in the pool.

Shen Qingqiu walked over carrying a medicine basket containing several freshly picked medicinal herbs.

"His newly formed meridians have stabilized by 80%, and his qi and blood have recovered by 60%. The most dangerous time has passed."

She placed the medicine basket on the stone platform by the pool, her tone as calm and professional as ever, "According to the calculations of the three elders, she should regain consciousness by noon tomorrow at the latest."

Su Qingxue nodded slightly, her gaze remaining fixed: "Where are they?"

"Ye Qingcheng suffered the greatest loss of her vital essence and is still in seclusion, but she is now out of danger and recovery is only a matter of time."

"Chu Ling'er's essence and blood are depleted and need to be slowly nourished. Fortunately, she is young and the valley has plenty of spiritual herbs."

"Qin Yurou suffered the least damage; she was able to get out of bed and walk around yesterday, and she should be helping out in the herb garden now."

Shen Qingqiu paused for a moment, then said, "As for you, you've produced the most Xuan Yin essence. Although your foundation hasn't been damaged, you still need to recuperate properly. You don't need to stay here every day."

"I'm fine." Su Qingxue then asked her, "What happened to the Netherworld Sect?"

Mentioning this matter, Shen Qingqiu's expression turned solemn: "According to intelligence from the valley, the Netherworld Old Ghost has fallen, the sect is leaderless, and internal chaos has ensued as people fight for power and resources."

"But even a centipede with a hundred legs does not die easily. Its spies and remnants scattered throughout the world are still there, especially the unfinished 'Seven Yin Gathering' plan, which may be coveted by other ambitious people."

"The three elders mean that once Lin Chen wakes up and his health improves, the valley will assist you in completely eliminating the remaining hidden dangers."

Su Qingxue nodded.

Just then, a series of light footsteps approached.

Qin Yurou came running over, her hands still covered in dirt, but her face was full of joy: "Sister Su, Sister Shen! The 'Seven Stars Accompanying the Moon Orchid' in the east corner of the herb garden has bloomed!"

"The senior disciple guarding the garden said this flower is rare and has a calming and soul-gathering effect, which might help Lin Chen's recovery!"

Upon hearing this, Shen Qingqiu's eyes lit up with interest: "Seven Stars Accompanying the Moon Orchid? That's truly rare. Its flower dew can indeed nourish the soul."

"I'll go collect some this afternoon."

Qin Yurou nodded vigorously, then leaned over the edge of the pool to look at Lin Chen, and whispered, "Lin Chen looks much better... When will he wake up?"

"It'll be soon." Su Qing's voice softened almost imperceptibly for a moment.

Lin Chen, sitting in the pool, suddenly felt his eyelashes tremble slightly.

The three women's eyes immediately focused on each other.

Another one.

Immediately afterwards, Lin Chen's brows furrowed slightly, as if he were struggling with something heavy.

His fingers twitched unconsciously, the fingertips tracing the lukewarm pool water.

Su Qingxue subconsciously took half a step forward.

Shen Qingqiu held her breath.

Qin Yurou covered her mouth.

Under the unwavering gaze of the three men, Lin Chen opened his eyes with great difficulty.

At first, my eyes were a blank, chaotic void, reflecting the soft light of the spiritual stones on the cave ceiling.

Then, the focus slowly converged, first seeing the cave ceiling, and then the gaze shifted slightly to three slender figures by the pool.

His eyes were initially filled with confusion.

It was as if it were recognizing or recalling something.

Gradually, the confusion was replaced by a glimmer of clarity, followed by a deep weariness and an indescribable sense of complexity.

His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but he only managed to utter extremely hoarse and weak breathy sounds.

Su Qingxue immediately bent down, poured a cup of warm spiritual liquid that had been prepared in advance from the jade pot beside her, and carefully handed it to his lips.

Lin Chen took a few sips from her hand.

The cool liquid slid down my parched throat, bringing a refreshing sensation.

He tried several times and finally managed to make a sound, hoarse as if sandpaper were being rubbed:

"...Qingxue..."

Then she looked at the other two, "...Miss Shen...Yu Rou..."

"Don't speak hastily. You've been unconscious for seven days, and your body is still weak." Shen Qingqiu calmly stopped him, while quickly taking his pulse.

"The pulse is weak but has a foundation; the spirit has stabilized."

"But she still needs to rest."

Qin Yurou's eyes were slightly red, and she said with a sob in her voice, "Lin Chen, you're finally awake! You scared us to death..."

Lin Chen's gaze slowly moved across the three faces, gradually piecing together fragments of his memories before he fell unconscious—

The fierce battle at the Chu residence, Ye Qingcheng's forbidden techniques, the madness of the Netherworld Old Ghost, and finally, the blurry figures on the flying boat and the endless darkness...

"They..." he asked with difficulty, "Ye Qingcheng... Chu Ling'er..."

"They're all alive," Su Qingxue said succinctly. "They're recuperating."

The tension in Lin Chen's eyes seemed to ease a little, and extreme exhaustion surged up again, making his eyelids heavy.

But he forced himself to look at Su Qingxue, his voice low but clear: "...Thank you."

Su Qingxue paused almost imperceptibly, then said calmly, "No need. Saving you is also saving myself."

She put the jade cup back. "Rest a little longer. The three elders will come to see you later."

Lin Chen could no longer hold on, and his consciousness sank into darkness again, but this time, it was a peaceful slumber.

Seeing his breathing become even again, the three women breathed a sigh of relief in unison, a relaxed and subtle atmosphere of having accomplished something great together filling the air.

Qin Yurou wiped her eyes and smiled through her tears: "That's great... I'll go tell Sister Ye and Sister Chu!" She then ran off.

"Wait," Shen Qingqiu called out to her, "He just woke up and needs absolute quiet."

"We'll talk about it later, after the elders have seen it. You go to the herb garden first and carefully collect the dew from the Seven Stars Accompanying the Moon Orchid."

"Oh, right!" Qin Yurou smiled shyly, glanced at Lin Chen again, and then left quietly.

Shen Qingqiu turned to Su Qingxue: "Now that he has woken up, the follow-up treatment plan needs to be adjusted slightly. I'll go discuss it with my senior brother from the medicine hall."