Great Wilderness Demon Lord

Dr. Sun paused, his tone growing increasingly heavy: "What's even stranger is that there seems to be another faint, pure primordial life force stubbornly holding on within Captain Xiao's body, like a candle flickering in the wind, protecting his heart and mind from being lost."

But this vitality is being constantly eroded and worn away by that enormous alien force.

Judging from his pulse, Captain Xiao's current unconsciousness is both a self-protective mechanism as his body cannot withstand the immense strain and impact, and possibly a struggle between his soul and some other force within him that is... beyond our comprehension.

"Is it possible to cure it? What kind of medicinal herbs are needed?" Li Xuan asked the most crucial question directly.

The military doctor, Sun, smiled bitterly: "Your Highness, this is no ordinary injury or illness. If it is merely a deficiency of qi and blood and a depletion of vital energy, even if it is severe, with the precious medicinal materials stored within the pass, supplemented by acupuncture at acupoints, and with gradual conditioning, there is always hope."

However, this strange power is now deeply rooted and almost integrated with Xiao Xiao himself. Forcibly removing it would likely break the fragile balance immediately, causing the strange power to erupt completely, with unimaginable consequences.

However, if we were to nourish its innate life force, we risk simultaneously empowering those other forces… This is a dilemma. I… currently have no safe solution.”

Another, slightly younger, military doctor added, "The soldiers who escorted Captain Xiao back also had similar pulse characteristics, only much weaker. It seems they were also slightly affected by that strange force, but because they were not deeply involved, their symptoms were milder. With a period of recuperation and the use of a formula to cleanse the heart and blood, they might be able to gradually get rid of it. But Captain Xiao, as the core member, is in a completely different situation."

The room fell silent for a moment. Only Xiao Yunlan's faint breathing and the occasional crackling of the charcoal fire could be heard.

Li Xuan looked at the unconscious young general on the bed, her phoenix eyes flashing with changing emotions.

She could guess where this "supernatural power" came from—how could such a terrifying power that reversed the cult's rituals come without a price? She just hadn't expected the price to be so heavy and bizarre.

"Use the best calming and strengthening herbs, and use gentle methods to stabilize his physical condition first, replenish his basic vital energy, and be sure to protect his heart meridian. As for that strange power..." Li Xuan said slowly, "For now, maintain the status quo and do not easily trigger it."

Mr. Sun, you must work in shifts day and night, closely observing changes in his pulse and recording any subtle abnormalities. Furthermore, the details of Captain Xiao's pulse observed today are classified as confidential and must not be disclosed.

"I understand," Doctor Sun solemnly replied.

Li Xuan then instructed the guards standing beside him: "Keep a tight rein on the matter of Commandant Xiao's recuperation here. No one is allowed to visit him except for necessary physicians and attendants."

His meritorious soldiers were to be properly resettled and generously rewarded, given a good rest, and instructed not to discuss the events of the previous night with outsiders.

"Yes, sir!"

Having arranged everything, Li Xuan took one last look at the unconscious Xiao Yunlan before turning and leaving the quiet room.

Han Zhong and Gu Yan were already waiting under the outdoor corridor.

"Your Highness, Commandant Xiao, he..." Han Zhong said with a worried expression.

"The situation is complicated, but their lives are temporarily safe," Li Xuan said briefly, her gaze turning to the darkening sky. "Vice Commander Han, has there been any new development in the fog beyond the pass? What's the situation with the routed Langrong troops?"

"Your Highness, the fog still extends, though there seems to be a slight, slow contraction at the edges. I have already increased the number of scouts and are monitoring it continuously for twelve hours."

The defeated Langrong soldiers had fled over a hundred miles away, their ranks scattered and showing no signs of regrouping. It seemed they were truly terrified and had no strength left to fight in the short term. Should our army…? A sharp glint flashed in Han Zhong's eyes, clearly indicating his reluctance to let the Langrong go so easily.

"No rush," Li Xuan waved her hand. "Let them escape. After this battle, the Black Claw tribe has been severely weakened. Even if He Chi escapes back, he will face internal accountability and power struggles. The Northern Territory will at least have a year or two of peace."

The most urgent tasks are to clear the battlefield outside the pass, assess the long-term effects of the poisonous fog, and... find out exactly what happened to Xiao Yunlan.

She paused, then looked at Gu Yan: "Mr. Gu, has the good news been sent out?"

"As Your Highness instructed, it was sent out by express courier." Gu Yan replied, then hesitated for a moment and said in a low voice, "Your Highness, Commandant Xiao has turned the tide this time, and his merit is unparalleled. However, the strength he used and the injuries he sustained are beyond what is reasonable. When the court bestows rewards, there may be criticism, or even... suspicion."

Li Xuan's lips curled into a slight, cold, and resolute smile: "Merit must be rewarded, and transgressions must be punished. This is the law of the court. Xiao Yunlan's merits are sufficient to earn him a marquisate. As for criticism and suspicion..."

"I am here, and the military affairs of the Northern Frontier are under my control. At least until he wakes up and can speak for himself, I will not allow anyone, for any reason, to harm him in the slightest."

Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried the authority of someone who had long held a high position and the determination to protect her own.

"Issue an order to the entire army: the great victory at Zhenhuang Pass is a great victory! Rewards will be given to the three armies! The compensation for the fallen soldiers will be doubled, and those who have made contributions will be recorded and rewarded in due course!" Li Xuan gave his final order, his voice echoing throughout the corridor.

"Yes!" Han Zhong and Gu Yan solemnly responded.

Night completely enveloped Zhenhuang Pass. Outside the pass, the gray-blue fog area emitted a faint, unsettling hazy glow in the darkness, like a wound on the earth that was difficult to heal.

Deep within the general's mansion, inside the pass, a comatose young hero is engaged in a silent struggle with an unknown dark force within him.

Meanwhile, in the capital city, thousands of miles away, news of this bizarre victory and the mysterious captain was being transmitted to the center of power at top speed.

The storm may seem to have subsided, but undercurrents are already stirring.

-----------------

Silence, a deathly silence.

It wasn't that external sounds disappeared, but rather that all senses were pulled into an endless, viscous darkness.

Xiao Yunlan's consciousness was as if it had sunk to the bottom of the deep sea. He could not feel the existence of his body, nor the passage of time. He only felt an endless sense of falling and suffocation.

However, in this absolute darkness and silence, the "sound" "exploded" in a more direct way.

It doesn't resonate through the ears, but rather roars, whispers, and tempts directly at the core of "existence."

"More power...you need more power..."

"Look, you did it! You drove out the powerful enemy and saved the fortress! You are a hero!"

"But you're not strong enough... You're still vulnerable in the face of real danger... Only by relying on us, by understanding us more deeply, can you protect everything you want to protect..."

"A fierce fighting spirit needs to be nurtured on an even more intense battlefield..."

"The cold glint of wisdom yearns for a more complex game of chess to illuminate it..."

"The shadowy figure of deceit yearns to traverse the deeper fog..."

"An intensely passionate fire yearns to ignite a purer belief..."

"The web of indulgence aims to encompass even greater pleasure and pain..."

"The hope for medicine lies in healing deeper wounds or cultivating more wondrous plants..."

"The deathly silence of the plague calls for the sowing of a more thorough purification and rebirth..."