In a quiet courtyard within the Misty Cloud Sect, Elder Gu He resided.
"Elder Gu He, is Junior Sister going to be alright?" Inside the room, Nalan Yanran gazed at the Little Fairy Doctor, who was still asleep on the bed, her beautiful face filled with worry.
Gu He calmly examined the Little Fairy Doctor's condition, his expression unreadable.
After a moment, he spoke in a composed tone, "She's fine. She simply overexerted her Dou Qi. After some rest, she'll wake up."
Hearing this, Nalan Yanran felt a wave of relief wash over her. "That's good..."
After carefully tucking the Little Fairy Doctor back under the quilt, Gu He turned around, his face darkening slightly.
He looked at Nalan Yanran with a serious expression and asked, "Now, tell me. What exactly happened?"
Seeing Gu He's stern expression, Nalan Yanran felt a pang of unease. This was the first time she had seen Elder Gu He so visibly upset. Normally, he was refined and easygoing, but now his demeanor made it clear that he was truly angry.
After a moment of hesitation, Nalan Yanran began to recount the events of the day in detail.
As Gu He listened, his expression grew increasingly grim. The situation was far worse than he had anticipated—it was practically a disaster.
Seeing the anger on Gu He's face, Nalan Yanran's heart sank. "I'm sorry, Elder Gu He. It's my fault for dragging Junior Sister Xian'er into this. If it weren't for me, things wouldn't have turned out this way..."
Gu He remained silent for a moment, his expression gradually calming. He spoke in a measured tone, "What's done is done. There's no need to dwell on it. The important thing is that you both returned safely."
Nalan Yanran let out a sigh of relief as she noticed Gu He's expression soften.
"Take good care of the Little Fairy Doctor," Gu He instructed before leaving the room.
After Gu He departed, Nalan Yanran sat down beside the bed, her eyes fixed on the Little Fairy Doctor's serene face.
"Junior Sister, this time, Senior Sister owes you her life," she murmured softly.
The memories of the day's harrowing events in the dense forest still sent shivers down her spine.
If it hadn't been for the Little Fairy Doctor's sudden burst of strength, her cunning use of poison, and her swift combat skills at the critical moment, both of them would have surely perished.
While Nalan Yanran felt a lingering fear, she was also deeply astonished by the strength and resourcefulness the Little Fairy Doctor had displayed.
Dou Qi cultivation!
Flying dou techniques!
And the colorless, odorless Ten-Fragrance Soft Tendon Powder!
Reflecting on the Little Fairy Doctor's performance, Nalan Yanran found it hard to believe that this was the same Junior Sister Xian'er she sparred with during their usual training sessions.
The life-and-death battle had made Nalan Yanran acutely aware of the vast gap between herself and the Little Fairy Doctor.
"I've always prided myself on being a genius, but compared to Junior Sister Xian'er, I'm nothing," Nalan Yanran muttered, a bitter smile tugging at her lips.
The day's ordeal had dealt a severe blow to her confidence, but it had also humbled her.
She realized that her arrogance, born from her status in the Nalan family and the Misty Cloud Sect, meant nothing in the outside world. Out there, she was just another cultivator, and no one would show her any special treatment.
"This kind of situation must never happen again," Nalan Yanran vowed, her eyes hardening with determination as she looked at the Little Fairy Doctor.
…
Meanwhile, back in his room, Gu He's expression darkened once more.
"I was careless... I underestimated the dangers they might face," he muttered to himself.
He wasn't angry at Nalan Yanran. Rather, the thought of what could have happened to the Little Fairy Doctor filled him with anger.
If she hadn't handled the situation as skillfully as she did, he might have lost one of his precious disciples.
The idea of losing such a gifted disciple to a group of insignificant thugs was unbearable. It filled Gu He with a deep sense of anger and regret.
As he reflected on the events, Gu He resolved to be more vigilant in the future. He couldn't allow such a situation to occur again.
However, accidents like this were nearly impossible to predict. After all, Nalan Yanran and the Little Fairy Doctor had secretly traveled to the Sacred City of Jia Ma without informing him. Similar situations might arise in the future, and Gu He couldn't realistically restrict his disciples' freedom.
Moreover, he knew that keeping his disciples sheltered would only hinder their growth.
They needed to experience the world and face challenges on their own. But the thought of losing a disciple in the process was something Gu He couldn't accept.
He needed a solution—a way to protect them without stifling their growth.
As Gu He pondered, a thoughtful expression crossed his face. Suddenly, an idea flashed in his mind, and a smile slowly spread across his lips.
"I almost forgot about that," he murmured.
What Gu He had recalled was a supernatural ability called Void Projection, which he had obtained from a beginner's gift pack long ago.
This ability harnessed the laws of the space, allowing him to infuse a drop of his blood essence into a jade talisman, creating a Void Jade Talisman.
Once activated, the holder of the talisman could crush it, and Gu He would be able to project himself to their location. The projection would possess the same strength as Gu He himself, though it could only last for half an hour.
Still, half an hour was more than enough to resolve most crises.
Gu He had considered this ability before but had forgotten about it over time. The Little Fairy Doctor's near-death experience had reminded him of this invaluable power.
If the Little Fairy Doctor had possessed a Void Jade Talisman today, she would never have been in such dire straits.
"Let's refine the Void Jade Talismans today," Gu He decided.
Without delay, he retrieved several high-quality rouge jade bottles from his spatial ring.
Purple flames emerged from his palm, slowly melting the jade bottles into a pool of light blue liquid. The liquid then divided into three parts, solidifying into three exquisite cyan jade talismans.
Gu He used his divine flame to purify the talismans, removing any impurities until they gleamed like emerald leaves. Then, he extracted three drops of his scarlet blood essence and infused them into the talismans.
As the blood essence merged with the jade, a faint spatial energy emanated from the talismans, and the scarlet light gradually faded, leaving behind three pristine Void Jade Talismans.
"It's done," Gu He said with a satisfied smile as he held the three talismans in his hand.
…
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