“Don’t panic. Calm down. You’re not going to die,” said Lin Dingchang while examining Xiao Yan’s internal condition.
Yet, he couldn’t find the root cause of the symptoms.
This kind of rootless affliction was the first he had ever seen. If it had been caused by an ambush or poisoning, there would at least be some trace. But Xiao Yan’s condition had no identifiable origin at all.
Hearing that, Xiao Yan spat out blood again. Easy for him to say when he wasn’t the one suffering—how could he possibly stay calm?
“Vital Qi is in decay, internal organs are shaken and damaged, meridians ruptured, and the heart is in intense pain… this almost resembles…” Lin Dingchang stroked his chin as a theory began forming in his mind.
Just then, another patient stumbled into the Heavenly Medical Hall.
“Elder… please save him!”
Two maidservants supported the incoming youth—he was clearly another Holy Son Candidate, face pale as a sheet. His condition seemed no better than Xiao Yan’s.
Lin Dingchang was surprised. “Another Holy Son Candidate?”
This new arrival was none other than Su Yichen—the eternal number two who had once threatened Chu Ying.
“Elder, our young master is the number two Holy Son Candidate. Please save him!” the maidservants pleaded tearfully.
Lin Dingchang’s brow arched. This one carried even more weight.
“Bring him over.”
Su Yichen was quickly laid beside Xiao Yan.
Xiao Yan, struggling with pain, saw Su Yichen and his eyes widened like copper bells.
“Huh? Your condition… it’s exactly the same as his!” Lin Dingchang exclaimed after checking Su Yichen’s state.
“What?!” Su Yichen struggled to open his eyes, only to see Xiao Yan beside him. He too was stunned.
“You two have identical symptoms… this might actually help me narrow things down,” Lin Dingchang said as he stroked his beard in thought.
“Have you two practiced any martial arts or techniques that cause severe backlash?”
Xiao Yan immediately coughed up blood and shook his head in denial, “Pfft!! Elder, I swear I’ve never practiced anything like that!”
Su Yichen couldn’t help but shout angrily, “Elder, don’t talk nonsense! I’m the number two Holy Son Candidate—on the verge of becoming the official Holy Son! Why would I practice techniques with backlash?!”
Lin Dingchang paid no mind to his outburst and calmly continued, “Yet the symptoms clearly indicate damage caused by multiple high-side-effect techniques… not just one.”
“If I’m not mistaken, your cultivation is already severely affected. You may soon lose your current realm.”
“What?” Both Xiao Yan and Su Yichen were completely dumbfounded.
At first, they thought someone had poisoned or ambushed them, but healing pills had no effect. Only when the pain became unbearable did they seek help from the Heavenly Medical Hall.
And now this was what they were told?
“Elder Lin, please save me! I’m a Holy Son Candidate, the pride of the Holy Land! I can’t lose my cultivation!” Xiao Yan cried, clutching his chest and struggling to sit up.
“Don’t move! I’m not going to just watch your realm fall,” Lin Dingchang quickly stopped him.
“If you say you haven’t practiced such techniques, then this rootless condition is hard to explain. However, not impossible to treat.”
Lin Dingchang smiled slightly. “Have you heard of the ‘Withered Tree Spring Pill’?”
The moment he mentioned it, Xiao Yan and Su Yichen’s pupils contracted.
“The Withered Tree Spring Pill is a top-tier Profound Pill, capable of healing any injury below the Soul Palace Realm. Though your wounds are serious, one pill is enough to fix everything.”
“Our Heavenly Medical Hall sells it for 30,000 contribution points each.”
“So, what do you say? Want one?”
The smile on Lin Dingchang’s face now carried the clear gleam of a businessman.
“Elder Lin, you must be joking! How could I possibly afford 30,000 contribution points?” Xiao Yan looked bitter.
He had spent almost all of his points on cultivation resources, and even accumulated over time, he hadn’t reached 30,000.
“Elder Lin, is there really no other way?” Su Yichen asked, barely holding back his frustration. Thirty thousand points was like demanding his life.
“If you can’t pay now, you can owe it. Pay back later when you’ve earned more. After all, our Heavenly Medical Hall is founded on compassion,” Lin Dingchang said as he twirled his beard.
The two of them twitched violently.
Compassionate? What did that have to do with wringing us dry?
“If you’re unwilling, then I can’t help you. The Heavenly Medical Hall may be responsible for saving lives, but we still have operating costs. We can’t provide free treatment.”
Lin Dingchang’s tone grew slightly stern.
“Moreover, if you delay treatment any longer, your cultivation might just…”
Before he finished speaking—
Their cultivation aura began to collapse!
Xiao Yan dropped even further—to the 8th stage Spirit Sea Realm!
In truth, their cultivation had already been slowly falling since the symptoms began, but they were too focused on enduring the pain to notice.
Now that it clearly dropped by a whole realm, panic flooded their faces.
“I’ll buy it! One Withered Tree Spring Pill! I’ll owe you if I have to!” Su Yichen cried out, desperate despite the pain. “Elder, will it restore my cultivation?”
“Of course,” Lin Dingchang nodded with a smile.
“I’ll take one too! Please, Elder, give me one!” Xiao Yan followed immediately. Since Su Yichen had agreed, there was no more hesitation. Thirty thousand points? They could pay it back slowly.
But if their cultivation dropped any further, especially with the Holy Son competition coming up, they’d have no chance left!
“Hehe, wise decision.”
Lin Dingchang handed them each a Withered Tree Spring Pill.
After taking the pill, the symptoms in their bodies quickly disappeared. Their internal organs were repaired, meridians restored, the heart pain gone, and their cultivation aura rapidly climbed back to their original realms.
“If you went to the Pill Refining Hall, this pill would cost you 35,000 contribution points, and they don’t allow credit.”
“But here at our Heavenly Medical Hall, we stick to our compassionate roots—cheaper prices, and you can owe us.”
Lin Dingchang smiled warmly at the two of them.
He had been worrying about his performance quota.
As an elder in the Heavenly Medical Hall, he needed to earn contribution points besides cultivating. He also had to pass internal evaluations from the Holy Land.
If his performance didn’t meet the standard, the Heavenly Medical Hall could be shut down.
Su Yichen and Xiao Yan looked utterly miserable.
So much for compassion—they now owed 30,000 contribution points! Who knew how many missions it would take to repay that debt?
Even so, they thanked the elder and prepared to leave.
But just as they stepped out, they saw two figures rushing over, carrying someone in a panic.
“Please, Elder! Save our young master!”