C1457 Order of Healing

In the southern expanse of the Land of Quiescence, a myriad of palaces and edifices lay scattered amidst the Fireheart Mountains, stretching on for thousands of miles. Numerous red peaks bore the marks of chiseled caverns, with people frequently entering and exiting.

This was the Order of Healing—the sacred heartland for every herbalist in the Everlands, including Yin Xueqi. Before the towering stone temples, Yu Yuan, Loong Jie, and Yin Xueqi descended from the sky.

Yu Yuan stood at the center of the plaza, addressing the gathered herbalists and counselors of the sect with a smile. "My name is Yu Yuan. Three hundred years ago, I was known as Hong Qi."

"I have come to meet my senior brother, Zhong Chichen!"

With that declaration, he fell silent, patiently awaiting the Order of Healing's response.

"Hong Qi!"

"He has returned!"

Excited chatter filled the air as the news spread rapidly among the crowd.

Yu Yuan gazed upon the familiar landscape with a mix of emotions, taking in the sight of the mountains and the scent of sulfur that hung in the air. Suddenly, he was overcome by a profound tremor.

The old lecherous dragon, now in human form with distinctive golden horns on his forehead, noticed Yu Yuan's sudden change in demeanor and asked, "What's wrong? The Order of Healing, with only Zhong Chichen in the Unbound Realm—and he's hardly ever present—shouldn't be enough to astonish you, right?"

"No, it's not this place," Yu Yuan replied, taking a deep breath.

"Is it White Bone?" Loong Jie inquired cautiously.

Yu Yuan nodded.

His dramatic shift in expression was triggered by the sight of Yuan Qingxi's deference to White Bone, the words he overheard, and the painting Yuan Qingxi had presented. After conferring with his Lunar Spirit, Yu Yuan speculated, "I might need to venture into the Defiled World at any moment."

He braced himself for the worst, ready to instantly teleport to the Dragon Slaying Stage using the mystical link between his main body and the stage, hoping to find a way out from beneath the earth.

Loong Jie exclaimed in alarm, "Is it that grave? You, the God of Ghosts, and White Bone faced peril while exploring the Defiled World together? Could it be that the Origin Deity you spoke of, accompanied by the Voidweaver and Diggs of the Shadowkin, have all emerged?"

"No..."

Yu Yuan hesitated to explain, as the situation beneath the earth remained murky, and he hadn't fully unraveled the true identity of White Bone.

Time passed, and suddenly, his connection to his Lunar Spirit was severed.

He could no longer sense the presence of the Lunar Spirit or the Dragon Slaying Stage, leaving him unable to communicate or discern what White Bone and Yuan Qingxi, the esteemed Ancestor of the Bloodbrawlers, were up to.

Feeling uneasy within the Order of Healing, he asked, "Are you familiar with Yuan Qingxi?"

"I am. He's one of the two remaining Ancestors of the Bloodbrawlers," Loong Jie replied, his expression growing grave. "What's the matter? Did you encounter him in the Defiled World?"

Yu Yuan nodded in confirmation.

"Yuan Qingxi has spent years wandering the extraterrestrial Star River, rarely returning. What about him?"

After a moment of reflection, Loong Jie said, "He has outlived me; he's a true ancient being. The arcane practices he follows within the Bloodbrawlers allow him to reincarnate. Each time he does, he continues to master their arcane arts, living on through this cycle."

"Living until now?" Yu Yuan was astounded.

"Yes, he claimed to have been a formidable member of the Bloodbrawlers during the human resistance against the Nagas. Like us, after the Dragon Slaying Stage was established, he was unable to attain the primordial spirit, so he resorted to reincarnation to survive."

"It seems that reincarnation is a closely guarded secret of the Bloodbrawlers."

"Without achieving the primordial spirit, he would face death. His only escape is through repeated reincarnations. But with each reincarnation, while memories remain, all power is lost, necessitating a fresh start in cultivation."

"In truth, this is fraught with peril. If his secret is discovered, he could be vanquished in his vulnerable state."

"That Yuan Qingxi has managed to live for tens of thousands of years after multiple reincarnations, and even advance to the Unbound state, is nothing short of miraculous and aberrant."

"He is indeed an exceptional individual."

Despite Loong Jie's disdain for the Bloodbrawlers and the Terra Fiend, he couldn't help but acknowledge Yuan Qingxi's remarkable stature.

"Reincarnation, the Bloodbrawlers' most guarded secret..." Yu Yuan murmured to himself.

Suddenly, a woman with a full figure, appearing to be in her forties, hurried over, escorted by a group of herbalists from the Order of Healing. Deep wrinkles framed her eyes, and her face bore many signs of hardship.

"Qi, is that you? Have you returned?"

Clutching her skirt, which trailed on the ground, her eyes brimmed with happiness. Upon reaching Yu Yuan, she gazed intently at him and exclaimed, "It is you! You've finally come back!"

Yu Yuan cried out with delight, "Auntie Nan!"

Xia Nan's wrinkles became more pronounced as she smiled. She nodded vigorously and gave Yu Yuan's shoulder a pat, comparing his height to her memory, "You've grown taller and even more handsome! Qi, do you remember the events of the past? They said you've been reincarnated, but I could hardly believe it. I thought it was just gossip."

"But seeing you now, looking into your eyes, I'm convinced!"

Xia Nan's face was alight with joy as she spoke.

Yu Yuan felt a great weight lift from his heart with her arrival, though he had braced himself for the worst. The worst being the Lunar Spirit perishing in the Defiled World and the loss of the Dragon Slaying Stage.

With his current level of cultivation and state of being, even if the Lunar Spirit were to be destroyed in the Defiled World, he had the means to reconstitute it. Knowing the core wasn't at risk, he allowed himself to relax, his worries easing.

The Xia Nan before him was a venerable member of the Order of Healing. When he first joined the Order, it was Xia Nan who looked after his daily needs. She was the one who first taught him to distinguish between herbs, sharing the unique properties of various spiritual plants.

Yu Yuan had held deep respect for Xia Nan since his childhood, a sentiment that never wavered. Even when he was betrayed by the Bloodbrawlers and became an object of universal dread, Xia Nan was the only one who could converse with him, persuading him not to indulge in senseless slaughter.

"I never thought I'd see you again, that you'd still be with the Order of Healing, still alive... It's truly wonderful," Yu Yuan expressed his heartfelt joy.

Without the Dragon Slaying Stage in his possession, he couldn't fully discern everyone within the Order of Healing, so he had been unaware that Xia Nan was still among the living.

Xia Nan's survival was an unexpected delight. Knowing that Yuan Qingxi was behind his master's death and his senior brother's disappearance, he realized his animosity towards certain members of the Order of Healing had begun to wane.

Even Chu Yao's betrayal seemed less unforgivable when viewed from a different angle.

"Who is this?"

Upon seeing Loong Jie, Xia Nan tensed up, her demeanor cautious.

The golden horn on Loong Jie's forehead was unmistakable, a clear indicator of his identity.

A dragon capable of assuming human form was no small player within the Order of Healing.

"I am Loong Jie. Yes, exactly as you're thinking. I'm the venerable patriarch of the Nagas. I was once confined in the Extraterrestrial Sword Prison, and it was Brother Yu Yuan who aided my escape."

The lecherous dragon affirmed Xia Nan's gaping surprise, smoothly disclosing his identity.

"Loong Jie!"

Xia Nan, along with the Order of Healing's experts and the assembled counselors, were left in awe.

The name Loong Jie resonated throughout the Everlands!

He was known to all.

After a pause...

"Your senior brother isn't here. Chu Yao, having detonated his Solar Spirit in the extraterrestrial Star River, has been in seclusion recently. If you really need to see him, I can summon him." Xia Nan's eyes conveyed deep-seated grievances. "Chu Yao mentioned your dissatisfaction with him. Qi, I don't mean to scold you, but your behavior back then was quite regrettable!"

She rambled on about Yu Yuan's misdeeds during the latter days of his Solar Spirit, expressing how everyone lived in fear, dreading they might be the next to perish.

"Enough already," Yu Yuan interjected, finding it hard to harbor anger in her presence. "Lead me to the sect master's herbalist grounds. I need to investigate something."

"Follow me."

Xia Nan took the lead, with Yu Yuan, Loong Jie, and Yin Xueqi trailing behind.

Before long, Yu Yuan reached his destination.

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