Long Xuanye slowly woke up.
His eyelashes trembled lightly.
The faint morning light passed through the gaps in the vines at the cave entrance, scattering mottled spots of light.
The air carried the faint fragrance of meat, mixed with the fresh scent of grass and trees.
Long Xuanye slowly opened his eyes.
What entered his sight was an unfamiliar rock wall.
He struggled to sit up, but the movement pulled at his wounds.
A tearing pain instantly spread through his limbs and bones.
He let out a muffled groan.
Only then did he realize that the sky was already bright.
He had actually slept until now.
A trace of surprise flashed through his heart.
He knew what kind of brutal training Cai’er had experienced.
In the wilderness, she would never let down her guard.
Those guardians, for the sake of tempering her, might even take the initiative to create danger.
She must have woken much earlier than him.
Just as this thought appeared, a small figure lightly walked in from the cave entrance.
In her hands, she held a rough stone bowl.
When Sheng Cai’er saw that his eyes were open, her glass-like eyes instantly lit up with joy.
“Xuanye, you’re awake.”
Her voice carried a trace of cheer as she quickly walked to the dry grass bed.
“I picked some wild fruit and hunted a low-level magical beast.
I made some meat porridge for you.”
She brought the stone bowl in front of Long Xuanye.
Steam and the smell of meat rushed toward him.
“I didn’t know what flavor you liked, so I found a place in the forest that produces rock salt, processed some, and added a little.”
Long Xuanye swept his gaze over the cave.
Sure enough, in a corner near the edge, there were several small pieces of rock salt residue that had clearly been smashed and refined.
Warmth rose in his heart.
He reached out to take the bowl.
“I can do it my—”
Before he finished speaking, Sheng Cai’er nimbly tilted her hand and avoided him.
She used a small wooden spoon to scoop up a spoonful of warm meat porridge and brought it to his mouth.
“You’re injured.
Your wounds are much worse than mine.”
The girl’s tone was gentle, but it carried a meaning that allowed no refusal.
“Be good and listen, okay?”
Long Xuanye originally wanted to insist.
But when he heard the words “be good and listen,” his movements froze.
He suddenly had a feeling.
If he refused again, this younger sister who had already treated him as family might say something even harder for him to handle.
After weighing it, he could only obediently open his mouth.
Seeing this, Sheng Cai’er’s lips curved into a satisfied smile.
“Your spiritual power is badly depleted right now, and your body still has internal injuries.
You absolutely cannot use spiritual power again these next few days.
You also have to pay attention to your wounds.
They can’t touch water.
I’ll help you change the medicine every day…”
As she fed him, she softly instructed him.
Long Xuanye listened quietly.
At first, he only felt heartache.
All these things were real experience she had gained through blood and tears while surviving alone in cruelty.
But as he listened, he sensed something was wrong.
Sheng Cai’er was explaining things in far too much detail.
So detailed that it sounded as if all he needed to do was become a complete cripple, sit here safely, and wait for her to arrange everything.
Long Xuanye fell silent.
Why did it feel like…
She was becoming more and more like his mother?
No, no.
He immediately denied it in his heart.
Cai’er was his younger sister.
It was only because his injuries had not healed and he temporarily needed her care.
That had to be it.
Once he figured this out, the slight awkwardness in Long Xuanye’s heart disappeared.
Right.
Cai’er was his younger sister.
A younger sister taking care of her injured older brother was perfectly natural.
After finishing a bowl of meat porridge, warmth rose from his stomach and drove away much of the chill caused by his injuries.
Sheng Cai’er put down the stone bowl and pointed to the other side of the cave.
At some point, a stone platform had appeared there.
It had been cut rather flat, with soft dry grass spread over it.
“Xuanye, come here.”
“I’ll rebandage your wounds.”
Long Xuanye instinctively wanted to refuse.
“No need.
I can do it myself.”
He supported his body, his tone carrying some insistence.
“I know how to do this.
When I was dealing with magical beasts in the forest before, I got injured quite a lot.”
Sheng Cai’er’s pretty brows lightly furrowed, then quickly relaxed.
She did not argue.
She only looked at him quietly with those clear eyes.
Then she softly said,
“Alright, Xuanye.
Be good.
Come to Mother.”
She patted the spot beside her, her tone gentle enough to drip water.
Long Xuanye: “…”
Every word he had prepared was blocked in his throat by those few words. Get faster updates on g.com.
In the end, he silently walked over while rapidly finding an excuse for himself.
Mainly because Cai’er’s skills are good.
Yes.
That’s it.
“Lie down.”
Sheng Cai’er spoke again.
Long Xuanye’s movements stiffened.
Still, he obediently rested his head on the girl’s soft lap.
Mm.
This was only to make it easier for her to work.
Sigh.
As the older brother, he really was considerate.
The girl’s movements were extremely gentle.
She untied the old bandages, carefully wiped the wounds with clean water, and her fingertips occasionally brushed across his skin, bringing a faint itch.
She leaned down and focused on treating the wound on his shoulder.
Her warm breath lightly brushed against his ear, bringing a soft, tingling comfort.
Long Xuanye closed his eyes.
But his mind quietly sank into his body.
With a slight movement of his fingertips, he could clearly sense that the Chaos Spiritual Stove occupying his sea of qi was releasing a warm aura.
Even while he had been unconscious, this miraculous spiritual stove had never stopped.
It was like a heart that would never rest, autonomously absorbing the wandering spiritual power between heaven and earth.
His innate internal spiritual power was only one step away from one hundred and two points.
His external spiritual power had already rushed to two hundred and two points.
He knew very well that this was the “dividend” from the spiritual stove’s first awakening.
It was impossible for it to keep rising this explosively afterward.
But this effect was already domineering enough.
Even if he did not cultivate, his internal and external spiritual power would slowly grow.
If he cultivated in peace, his efficiency would probably be several times higher than that of ordinary cultivators.
Thinking of this, Long Xuanye’s mood could not help but lighten.
With a thought, he silently sensed the power of “Creation of Chaos” again.
Blood profit.
That was his only thought.
Earlier, he had actually relied on this move to forcefully withstand an attack from that eighth-rank white-robed man.
Even if the other party had held back by an unknown amount, it was still enough to be proud of.
If it were used against a third-rank or fourth-rank opponent, this move might even be able to directly turn their attack into his own power.
Of course, its consumption of mental power and internal spiritual power was also terrifying.
Nearly fainting on the spot yesterday was the best lesson.
But no matter what, his current combat strength had undergone a complete transformation.
After the wounds were treated, Sheng Cai’er carefully smoothed the dry grass beneath him again.
Under the faint light inside the cave, the girl’s side profile looked quiet and beautiful.
Long Xuanye’s gaze fell on her.
The excitement born from his sudden increase in strength gradually turned into a warm current flowing through his limbs and bones.
He suddenly spoke, his voice very soft.
“Thank you, Cai’er.”