In fact, Lu Liancheng, the chairman of Lushan City's Meridian Refining Master Guild, was the most formidable Meridian Refining Master Yun Xiao had encountered since his rebirth, at the Earth Rank Middle Level. At least in the Southern Domain of the Tenglong Continent, he was a character with considerable influence.

After all, Qian Sanyuan, the vice president of the Refining Cloud Mountain Headquarters, was merely an Earth Rank Advanced Peak Meridian Refining Master. Breaking through in the realm of Meridian Refining is undoubtedly more difficult than the cultivation of Meridian Qi.

Huff... Huff...

An invisible force swept out from Lu Liancheng's forehead, and the powerful Earth Rank Middle Level soul caused many people to feel a sense of oppression, a result of soul power suppression.

For the Meridian Refining Masters of Lushan City, they were already aware of Lu Liancheng's formidable Meridian Refining strength, so they were amazed but not surprised.

Moreover, everyone knew that as long as this expert took action, all troubles would easily be resolved. However, this rendered Liu Yu's previous actions as mere backdrop, poised for yet another embarrassment.

Perhaps only Yun Xiao kept his eyes fixed on Lu Liancheng's technique. From his sensing of the patient, the chances of such a method being effective were minimal.

Unfortunately, neither the onlookers nor Lu Liancheng himself realized this. Aside from the blind worship of these Meridian Refining Masters, at least in Lu Liancheng's heart, he was very confident in his own Meridian Refining Technique.

Strictly speaking, Lu Liancheng did not believe anything was wrong with Liu Yu's earlier judgment. This patient had been received by the Meridian Refining Master Guild for several days already. Since the medicine's toxicity hadn't fully erupted, it was used as the content of this assessment.

In Lu Liancheng's view, Liu Yu was simply not strong enough. With the Spiritual Rank Advanced Meridian Refining Technique, wanting to directly resolve the medicinal toxicity within the patient was indeed too difficult.

Now that he was taking over, it should be a simple matter to cure the patient. Lu Liancheng had such confidence, so he applied his preferred method without any hesitation, unaware that doing so might lead the patient more swiftly toward death.

No one noticed that as Lu Liancheng was applying his method, a figure quietly approached a few steps closer in that direction.

This figure naturally belonged to Yun Xiao. After all, it was a human life at stake. Since he happened upon this situation, if there was an opportunity, he would still try to save it.

Everyone present was captivated by Lu Liancheng's actions. Even those Meridian Refining Masters who were previously examining other patients consciously turned to look.

After all, witnessing an Earth Rank Middle Level Meridian Refining Master in action was a rare occurrence, and it might influence their own Meridian Refining Techniques. Some might even seize the opportunity, by observing Lu Liancheng's method, to break through to the next Meridian Refining Realm.

"Hmm? Something's not right!"

Roughly 15 minutes passed, and at a certain moment, Lu Liancheng's expression suddenly changed because he realized the patient's breath was becoming increasingly weak. In the end, even breathing seemed barely existent, as if it could stop at any moment.

"It seems something's off!"

Moments later, even among the onlookers, some with considerable soul power noticed differences, and their confidence in Lu Liancheng's infallibility shook.

People are not gods, and no one is omnipotent. Even an Earth Rank Middle Level Meridian Refining Master has limits; otherwise, how could higher-ranked Meridian Refining Masters exist on this continent?

No matter how much confidence everyone had in Lu Liancheng, ultimately, half of the designated time had passed since he took action, and the patient's complexion and breathing showed no sign of improving, instead growing ever fainter.

Everyone could guess what this scene suggested. If it continued like this, once the patient's breath ceased, not even the Daluo Immortals descending could save him.

In fact, many had already mentally sentenced the patient to death, as if even Lu Liancheng, an Earth Rank Middle Level Meridian Refining Master, was helpless, who in Lushan City could possibly surpass his competence?

As the person involved, Lu Liancheng's face grew more and more grim. Initially, he thought Liu Yu was just not capable enough. He believed his intervention would definitely reverse the situation, but he didn't expect such an outcome.

"Perhaps... truly beyond saving!"

Perhaps only within Lu Liancheng's heart was he more certain that salvation was impossible. At this moment, he did not place all the blame on Liu Yu, feeling a sense of guilt, lamenting that, had he known, he shouldn't have used this patient as assessment material.

As the chairman of the Meridian Refining Master Guild, Lu Liancheng wasn't worried about the patient's family or friends causing trouble. After all, he was a Medical Pulse Master; he possessed compassion. Watching a life slip away meaninglessly brought him a pang of guilt.

"Chairman Lu, Danzhong, Ju Wei, Ju Que,..."

At the moment when Lu Liancheng was filled with guilt, thinking that he had caused someone's death, a somewhat familiar voice transmission suddenly entered his ear, causing his body to shake.

At the same time, everyone saw a figure flash and then a familiar figure appeared at the place where Liu Yu was previously standing, facing Lu Liancheng across the wooden platform.

"It's Yun Xing, what is he up to now?"

When the crowd clearly saw the figure's appearance, they immediately exclaimed in surprise, and many faces even showed sneering smiles, thinking this guy was desperate for attention.

Everyone had witnessed Lu Liancheng's previous state clearly. Although he concealed his hopeless look well, the sick person's presence in front of him couldn't be hidden whatsoever.

Lu Liancheng's Meridian Refining Technique was evidently superior to everyone present, but human ability has its limits. In such circumstances, many Meridian Refining Masters with strong Soul Power realized that the patient might be beyond saving.

A patient that even an Earth Rank Middle Level Meridian Refining Master couldn't save—how could a guy who suddenly appeared think of intervening now? Could he possibly believe his Meridian Refining Technique is stronger than Chairman Lu Liancheng's?

Although the crowd was unable to clearly sense Yun Xiao's Soul Power at this moment, they instinctively believed that someone of his age participating in the Refining Cloud Mountain disciple selection couldn't possibly be distinguished.

After all, the Refining Cloud Mountain disciple selection occurs every three years, and gifted Meridian Refining Masters would have joined when they were younger. Why wait until they were four or fifty?

Even though Yun Xing had made a stunning performance earlier, the crowd only thought he happened to know something about the mutant yellow bile worms and barely passed by luck, which didn't indicative his refining skills were truly strong.

At least this guy named Yun Xing certainly couldn't surpass Chairman Lu Liancheng in refining techniques. This is unquestionable, as Lu Liancheng is already the strongest Meridian Refining Master in the Lushan City vicinity—an ingrained concept that can't be challenged.

Especially Liu Yu, who seemed somewhat relieved from his previous frustration as he knew that after his failure, Lu Liancheng was in a deeply bad mood. If that young man touched the bad nerve at such a time, there would definitely be consequences.

However, unlike the onlookers who had already given up, Lu Liancheng's heart moved when the unexpected voice transmission came through, and he instinctively reached out to tap a series of major acupuncture points.

Thump thump thump...

The patient on the wooden platform showed no change despite the odd acupuncture points, causing Lu Liancheng's newfound hope to be instantly shattered, thinking he had again overthought.

Bang!

However, at this moment, Lu Liancheng suddenly saw Yun Xing the Meridian Refining Master reach out his right hand and give a hard slap to the patient in front.

"What...what are you doing?"

Shocked to see this, Lu Liancheng's voice carried a hint of anger because he clearly saw Yun Xing still holding a mutant yellow bile worm extracted from the patient.

So Yun Xiao's slap was to directly hit that mutant yellow bile worm into the patient, making Lu Liancheng wonder, was it to hasten the patient's demise?

The patient, teetering on the brink between life and death, now faced additional turmoil from the mutant yellow bile worm, likely to die instantly—wasn't this guy here to disrupt? Was he trying to ease the patient's pain?

Lu Liancheng overthought it all, but by this point, he had no choice but to watch the other party's silent actions.

Thump thump thump...

The gentle sounds echoed again as Lu Liancheng saw Yun Xing tap the patient's body a few more times strangely.

The points Yun Xiao tapped seemed to be a continuation of those Lu Liancheng had touched earlier, causing a sudden realization to dawn without the initial bewilderment.

Because the combination of acupuncture points formed a mysterious Meridian Array, allowing energy interaction and invisibly enhancing the patient's aura.

Now Yun Xiao's Soul Power had achieved Earth Rank Low Level, proving his Meridian Refining Technique was also Earth Rank Low Level, enabling him to perform powerful Earth Rank Meridian Arrays without assistance.

In fact, even without Lu Liancheng's initial intervention, Yun Xiao could individually display this Earth Rank Meridian Array, but he held a favorable opinion of this Vice President, hence the earlier voice transmission to avoid humiliating Lu Liancheng—would the latter recognize this favor?