CHAPTER 22: FIRE POISON OUTBREAK, NANTIAN WAN'ER

Lu Chen was already close to the heart of the Fire Region. The surrounding beasts were growing stronger by the step. Even the weakest among them had reached the Qi Regulation Realm. He trod carefully, doing his best to avoid the higher-level ones.

Suddenly, his aura waned; his qi reserves had plummeted. Unbeknownst to him, the Yang Ocean Pearl in his Heavenly Pool had been slowly igniting under the intense heat ever since he'd entered the Fire Region. Now, it was burning uncontrollably.

"Pfft!"

Lu Chen coughed up a mouthful of blood and collapsed to the ground.

Wind Dragon sensed a violent disturbance shaking the Hunyuan Greatsword deep within Lu Chen's Heavenly Pool. He urgently called out, "Little Lu, what's wrong?"

Lu Chen responded, "My... Heavenly Pool... it's in chaos... So hot.. It's... so hot...."

Lu Chen's mind was growing increasingly muddled, and he kept repeating the same words.

Just then, a young woman called out from afar, "Grandpa, look! Someone's collapsed over there. Let's go see if he's okay!"

The elderly man in front of her quickly tried to stop her. "Wan'er, don't go! It could be dangerous."

"It's fine, Grandpa. He doesn't look like a bad person. Let's at least go see if we can help him."

"But your illness—"

Before the old man could finish, the young woman had already run toward Lu Chen.

Seeing her approach, Wind Dragon called out to Lu Chen, "Lu Chen, wake up! Someone's coming!"

But Lu Chen didn't respond. The Yang Ocean Pearl inside him had gone completely out of control, flooding his Heavenly Pool with frenzied fire-attribute spirit qi. The Green Sovereign Divine Tree and the Yin Ocean Pearl worked frantically to stabilize the imbalance, struggling to contain the raging heat.

Barely holding onto consciousness, Lu Chen looked up at the young woman running toward him.

She had bright, expressive eyes, delicate brows, and long, jet-black hair that cascaded down her back. She was dressed in a flowing white gown and gave off a faint chill, tinged with a frailty that suggested a long struggle with illness.

The young woman knelt beside him and leaned down to check his breath.

"Are you hurt?" she asked gently.

Lu Chen kept murmuring, "So... hot..."

Though his mind was foggy, he could feel her warmth. She didn't feel like someone he had to fear.

The young woman quickly pulled him into her arms and let her own chilling aura wash over him, trying to bring down his temperature.

"Wan'er, why are you doing this? You're a patient yourself, and now you're trying to heal someone else?" the old man called out, his voice heavy with worry.

The young woman didn't turn around. She continued to hold Lu Chen in her arms and said softly, "Grandpa, you don't need to say more. It's exactly because I'm sick... that I can understand his pain."

The old man let out a long sigh and finally gave in, "Fine, fine. I'll treat him. But first, let's find a quieter place."

Wind Dragon hovered above Lu Chen's head. As a weapon spirit, he remained invisible to ordinary eyes unless he chose otherwise. But he could sense that the young woman carried a rare and comforting aura. All he could do now was hope the two would be able to save Lu Chen.

Lu Chen's consciousness was quickly fading. The only thing he could still see was the young woman's face. Something about her presence calmed him. He felt safe. He held onto that feeling as he slowly drifted off to sleep in her arms.

***

When Lu Chen woke up again, he found himself in a room, his entire body soaked in a medicinal bath.

The young woman quickly rushed to his side when she saw him regain consciousness. "You're awake! Feeling any better?"

Lu Chen stood up in the medicinal pool and looked around. "Where am I? Who are you?"

The last thing he remembered was collapsing in a magma-filled cave.

"A-ah! Put on your clothes first!" the young woman cried out, quickly turning away and covering her eyes.

Lu Chen looked down and realized his clothes were gone. He quickly got out of the pool and put them back on.

"Wind Dragon, what happened?"

Wind Dragon perched once more on top of Lu Chen's head. "Little Lu, they're good people. That day you collapsed from your injuries, and this young woman was the one who saved you."

After getting his head around what had happened, Lu Chen turned to the young woman and thanked her sincerely, "My name is Lu Chen. Thank you for saving me. May I ask your name, miss?"

She turned around to face him. Lu Chen had already changed into a clean set of clothes.

"My name is Nantian Wan'er. You can just call me Wan'er. My grandfather, Nantian Xiu, and I were out here gathering herbs when we happened to find you."

"Nantian Wan'er? Nantian? Are you from the Nantian Region? I have a sworn brother with the same surname, called Nantian Yijian. You two might know each other."

She shook her head. "No... I don't know him. The Nantian Region is huge. I've never heard that name before."

It was the first time Nantian Wan'er had ever spent so long alone in a room with a man. As Lu Chen's warm breath reached her, her ears turned red. She quickly lowered her head, trying to hide her embarrassment.

"Your little dragon is so cute," she said, seizing the chance to change the subject. "It's been circling above your head ever since you passed out."

Lu Chen and Wind Dragon both looked at her in surprise. "You can see Wind Dragon?" Normally, unless Wind Dragon revealed himself on purpose, no one else should have been able to see him.

"I can. I've always had a natural affinity with spirit and demonic beasts. Even the fiercest ones never harm me," Nantian Wan'er said softly.

Wind Dragon carefully examined her aura.

He murmured in shock, "This aura... Could it be... the bloodline of the Phoenix Ancestor? That bloodline was thought to have vanished long ago. I didn't expect to find it here."

Lu Chen noticed Wind Dragon's stunned expression and asked, "Wind Dragon, what is the Phoenix Ancestor bloodline?"

Nantian Wan'er lifted her head, her curiosity piqued. She, too, wanted to know what made her bloodline so special.

Wind Dragon said, "I heard this from Lord Sixth[1]. In ancient times, there were five great primordial beings. One of them was the Eastern Pole Green Sovereign, which is your bloodline, Little Lu. Another was the Southern Phoenix Ancestor. All beasts in the world are said to have descended from him. Those born with the Phoenix Ancestor bloodline naturally command the respect of beasts. It grants them a kind of dominance over all beastkind."

He glanced at Wan'er again with a puzzled look. "But something doesn't add up. Anyone with the Phoenix Ancestor bloodline should be born with fire attributes. Yet she's completely enveloped in a cold, frosty aura... That shouldn't be possible."

Hearing this, Lu Chen looked at Nantian Wan'er more closely. He, too, sensed the cold and sickly air that lingered around Wan'er. Strangely, whenever he got close to her, he felt a soothing sense of safety. Even the Yang Ocean Pearl within his body would gradually settle and calm.

Lu Chen asked, "Wan'er, is there something wrong with your body?"

Nantian Wan'er replied, "I am not really sure myself. For as long as I can remember, I've always been weak. After reaching the Qi Absorption Realm, the more my cultivation grew, the stronger the cold energy in my veins became.

"Now I have to take Fiery Sun Grass every month just to suppress it. If I don't, the cold poison erupts at the end of each month. Unless I find something extremely hot to refine into a pill, or someone who can draw out the chill from within me, I have no way to contain it.

"My grandfather and I came here because we heard there's a place called the Fire Region within this secret realm. We're hoping to find something with intense heat to help suppress the cold poison in my body."

As she explained, Lu Chen couldn't help but draw parallels to his own condition. The two of them shared a similar affliction, though his situation required the Yin Ocean Pearl.

"If I can, I'll do my best to help you find it. By the way, where's your grandfather?"

"Grandpa Xiu went out to gather Fiery Sun Grass to refine my medicine. The end of the month is coming soon... Without it, the cold poison in my body will erupt again."

Lu Chen could still sense her shyness. He said gently, "I'm fine now. Let's head outside."

They stepped out of the room together and saw the old man in the distance, busy refining medicine.

The old man saw Lu Chen walk over. "Oh, you are awake. And it looks like you're feeling better."

Lu Chen cupped his hands respectfully. "I feel much better now. Thank you for saving me, Grandpa Xiu."

Nantian Xiu handed him a bowl of medicinal soup. "Your condition is similar to Wan'er's, so I tried treating you a little as well. But the fire poison in your body... that's something far more complicated. You'll need a different solution to truly get rid of it. Drink this. Rest for a few more days, and it should at least suppress the fire poison for now."

Lu Chen, fully aware of his own condition, nodded and finished the medicine before handing the bowl back, offering his thanks once more.

Over the next few days, Nantian Xiu treated him regularly, and Lu Chen's health steadily improved. Perhaps because they shared similar afflictions, his bond with Nantian Wan'er grew subtly, quietly shifting into something more delicate.

One morning, Lu Chen awoke feeling that the fire poison within him had been suppressed. He had already stayed here for quite some time, and worried the people of the Heavenly Mandate Hall might be growing anxious. He decided it was time to leave.

"Grandpa Xiu, I'm planning to head deeper into the Fire Region. If there's anything you need, I can help gather it on the way."

Hearing this, Nantian Wan'er immediately stepped forward, her face filled with concern. "You're going into the depths of the Fire Region? But... your injuries haven't fully healed yet..."

But soon, she realized how anxious she sounded. Her ears flushed red. She lowered her head and nervously fidgeted with the hem of her clothes.

Nantian Xiu saw this and immediately recognized it as a sign of a young woman's heart beginning to stir. Nantian Wan'er had followed him around since she was little, traveling from place to place in search of herbs and cures. She'd barely interacted with any unfamiliar young men. Now that she'd met someone like Lu Chen, it was only natural for feelings to blossom.

Nantian Xiu wasn't the old-fashioned type, either. Over the past few days, he had seen clearly that Lu Chen was a kind and respectful boy. Since the two of them even shared similar conditions, the idea of matching them together had quietly taken root in his heart.

"Young man, why don't we head into the depths of the Fire Region together? Wan'er still needs something infused with extreme yang energy for her treatment. If we go as a group, we can look out for each other. What do you think, Wan'er?"

"Yes..." Nantian Wan'er answered without thinking, but then suddenly realized what her grandfather was up to. Her face flushed even deeper as she lowered her head. "Grandpa, you're teasing me again. I'm not talking to you anymore."

Lu Chen didn't quite understand why Nantian Wan'er kept blushing, but he didn't mind the company. In fact, he welcomed it, especially when that company was someone who made him feel strangely at ease, like Nantian Wan'er.

"Sure thing, Grandpa Xiu. Let's travel together," Lu Chen said with a cheerful grin, scratching the back of his head.

"You hear that, Wan'er? The young lad agreed. Aren't you going to pack your things?" Nantian Xiu said with a teasing smile.

Nantian Wan'er's face instantly turned crimson. "Oh... Grandpa! Why are you saying that to me!" she cried in embarrassment and bolted from the room.

Lu Chen watched her flee, still grinning foolishly. "Why is Miss Wan'er blushing again? Is her cold poison flaring up? Should I go help her?"

Nantian Xiu couldn't help but burst out laughing at Lu Chen's innocent expression.

1. Term of address for the Sixth Ancestral Avatar ☜