Purging the Poison 

Juanxiu's heart was filled with anger as he looked at Yan Shenqing lying on the ground, paralyzed by the poisonous dagger thrown by Fang Huang. He wanted to confront Fang Huang and make him pay for his underhanded tactics, but as he looked at his comrade's condition, he knew that he had to focus on saving Yan Shenqing's life first.

The other students gathered around Yan Shenqing, their faces filled with worry and anxiety. They knew that the paralysis caused by the poison was not something that could be easily neutralized. Ban Zhao quickly searched through her bag, trying to find some medicine that could help, but to no avail.

The surroundings seemed to accentuate the emotion in the air. The sky was darkening, and the wind was picking up, causing the leaves of the nearby trees to rustle ominously. A feeling of despair began to settle in as they realized that they were running out of time.

Luckily, Yan Shenqing's body had been hardened by the Bronze Defense Body, so the dagger did not actually pierce through his flesh. However, that was enough to inject the poison; the strength of the poison was enough to paralyze him. Thanks to the absence of the Howling Vampire Gloomonster; otherwise, the veins of the plants will devour his vitality.

As Fang Huang saw that Juanxiu was not going to engage in a fight, he turned and fled from the scene with his fellow students from Irexerra University. The students from Hongpuhui watched as they disappeared into the distance, their relief palpable as they no longer had to guard themselves against any sudden attacks.

Their attention was then focused on Yan Shenqing, who lay motionless on the ground. His body was completely paralyzed, and he could not even speak. The other students from Hongpuhui looked around frantically, trying to think of a way to help their friend.

Ban Zhao was wringing her hands, her eyes fixed on Yan Shenqing's still form. "Do you think he'll make it?" she asked Liu Xie, her voice trembling with worry.

Liu Xie shook his head, scowling at her. "Don't be so negative," he chided her. "We have to believe that he'll pull through. But..." he trailed off, his expression darkening.

Li Bai was watching Juanxiu intently, waiting for him to speak. When Juanxiu remained silent, he couldn't help but speak up. "Is there anything we can do to save him?" he asked, his voice filled with concern.

Juanxiu sighed heavily, his gaze still fixed on Yan Shenqing. "It will be difficult," he said, "we need to remove his paralysis first. Otherwise, he won't be able to ingest whatever pill or elixir we give him. And we have to act fast. If the paralysis reaches his main organs, he will die."

Ban Zhao's face paled at Juanxiu's words, but she nodded determinedly. "Then we have to try," she said firmly. "We can't just give up on him."

Liu Xie snorted in agreement. "Right," he said. "We can't just sit here and do nothing. We have to do whatever it takes to save him."

Li Bai nodded solemnly, his expression grave. "Then let's get to work," he said, his voice determined. "We'll do everything we can to save Yan Shenqing."

Hearing the word "death," Wang Shaojun was shocked. Her mind couldn't process the thought of her friend and classmate dying right in front of her. Even though they had been told that people could actually die inside the Xuanwu realm, the idea still sent shivers down her spine. She looked at Yan Shenqing's motionless body on the ground, feeling helpless and scared.

Suddenly, she heard Juanxiu's voice breaking through her thoughts. "You have to protect me," he said. "I will be defenseless while I try to purge the poison out of his body. I need total concentration."

Wang Shaojun looked at Juanxiu, understanding the weight of his request. If they were going to save Yan Shenqing's life, they had to trust Juanxiu to do what he needed to do. She nodded, ready to do whatever it takes to protect him.

Juanxiu could create a formation to protect himself from any potential attacks while he worked to purge the poison from Yan Shenqing's body. However, this required him to continuously inject his qi into the formation to maintain its strength, leaving him defenseless and in need of total concentration. He also mentioned that expelling the poison would require all of his remaining qi, leaving him vulnerable if any further attacks occurred. This could actually be dangerous.

Liu Xie and Zhang Heng nodded in agreement as Juanxiu explained his plan. "You're right," Zhang Heng said, "we don't know if anyone else will try to cause trouble. We'll keep watch and make sure you're not disturbed."

Juanxiu turned to Ban Zhao and Wang Shaojun. "Hold Shenqing for me. Make sure he will be stable," he instructed. The two girls nodded, and they gently lifted Yan Shenqing's motionless body into a meditative sitting position. Ban Zhao held his upper body while Wang Shaojun supported his lower body.

Juanxiu then took a deep breath and focused all of his energy and concentration on purging the poison from Yan Shenqing's body. He injected his qi into Yan Shenqing's veins, tracing them carefully to find every bit of poison. He was completely focused, unable to sense what was happening in reality.

He traced every inch of Shenqing's veins, looking for the poison that had paralyzed him. Slowly, he felt his own qi begin to merge with Shenqing's, creating a steady flow that he used to purge the poison from his friend's body.

Juanxiu's focus was so complete that he couldn't sense anything happening around him, lost in the task at hand. But suddenly, he felt a sliver of poison so strong and aggressive that it threatened to overwhelm even his own formidable power. It was making its way to Shenqing's lungs, and Juanxiu knew that if he didn't act fast, his friend would be in mortal danger.

With a surge of energy, Juanxiu focused all of his strength on purging the poison from Shenqing's lungs. He felt the noxious substance begin to writhe and twist as if it found its mortal enemy, fighting his efforts to push it out of Shenqing's body. But he was determined, and slowly but surely, he felt the poison begin to retreat.

Suddenly, Yan Shenqing coughed violently, spitting up a mouthful of blood. Ban Zhao and Wang Shaojun gasped in shock, but Juanxiu knew that it was a good sign. The poison was leaving his friend's body, and the blood was evidence that it was being purged from his system.

Nonetheless, it was only a tiny amount of poison mixed on his system. Juanxiu still has a lot of things to do.

Wang Shaojun was worried sick, and her concern only grew as she watched Juanxiu injecting his qi into Yan Shenqing's veins. She knew how dangerous the situation was, and the thought of losing her friend was unbearable. She had to keep a straight face, though, for the sake of Shenqing's stability. Ban Zhao was doing the same, but she couldn't hide her tears.

Just as they thought everything was going to be alright, a student from Nevermore University approached them. His name was Ren Jianjun, and he was arrogant and rude. He saw that Yan Shenqing was weak and vulnerable and thought it was the perfect opportunity to exploit the situation.

"Hey, you guys," Ren Jianjun said as he approached them. "If you don't want any trouble, leave everything you gathered inside this realm. My friends and I won't bother you."

Liu Xie, Li Bai, and Zhang Heng glared at Ren Jianjun, refusing to back down. Li Bai spoke up, "You wish. Does your school only produce thieves?"

Zhang Heng tried to reason with them, "Friends, your demand is quite impossible. Why don't we just go on our own way and act like this never happened?"

The thin guy holding two small bent blades laughed, while the female student with the whip sneered at them. "Don't call us friends because we're not your friends. Hand over your stuff, and we'll go on our way," she said.

But Liu Xie despite of his reserved demeanor, couldn't hold back any longer. "How can we be sure that you'll let us go once we give you everything?" he asked.

The thin guy laughed again, "You can't. You just have to trust our words."

Li Bai scoffed, "Trust? From thieves?"

Ren Jianjun was getting angry. "This is the second time you've called us thieves. This is unforgivable," he said, drawing his sword.

The Hongpuhui students stood their ground, ready to defend themselves if necessary. They knew they couldn't let Ren Jianjun and his friends get away with their thievery, not when they had come so far and risked so much to gather the precious items within the Xuanwu realm.

As the Nevermore student Ren Jianjun charged towards Zhang Heng with his fluid martial moves, the Hongpuhui student stood their ground. Liu Xie unsheathed his sword and took a step forward, ready to face the woman with the whip. Li Bai swung his meteor hammer and faced the thin guy with the bent blades.

The woman with the whip lashed out with a ferocious crack, but Liu Xie was ready. He moved with the first movement of the Ethereal Blade, a lightning-fast maneuver that seemed to make him blur. The whip grazed his shoulder, but he managed to parry the attack and counter with a swift slice from his sword.

Meanwhile, Li Bai twirled his meteor hammer in a dazzling display of skill. The thin guy tried to strike him with his blades, but Li Bai was too quick. He deflected the blows with the meteor hammer and struck back with a powerful swing that sent the thin guy reeling.

As for Zhang Heng, he faced Ren Jianjun with a determined look in his eyes. The Nevermore student moved with a fluid grace that was almost like a snake, but Zhang Heng was no pushover. He evaded Ren Jianjun's attacks with quick footwork and countered with precise punches and kicks.

The battle was fierce and flashy, with the Hongpuhui students displaying their impressive martial arts skills. Debris flew everywhere as the students clashed, and Wang Shaojun showed off her amazing footwork as she parried the debris that came her way.

The Nevermore students were surprised by the tenacity and power of their opponents. They had underestimated the Hongpuhui students, thinking that they were pushovers. But as the battle raged on, it became clear that the Hongpuhui students were not to be taken lightly.

Ban Zhao remained by Yan Shenqing's side, making sure he was stable and safe. As the battle continued, Ban Zhao silently prayed that they would emerge victorious and make it out of the Xuanwu realm alive.

Meanwhile, Juanxiu was having a dilemma. The last sliver of poison seems to have an intelligence of its own. Juanxiu looked at Ban Zhao with urgency in his eyes. "Ban Zhao, I need your help. The last bit of poison won't move. I need you to use the Frostfire Aura with me," he said urgently.

It was a risky move, The Frostfire Aura requires extreme proficiency in fire and ice. One wrong move will fry or freeze Shenqing, killling him in the process.

As Juanxiu instructed Ban Zhao on how to use the Frostfire Aura, Ban Zhao's hands were shaking with fear. She knew that one wrong move could end Yan Shenqing's life. The stakes were high, and the tension was palpable.

Juanxiu tried to reassure her, "Trust me, Ban Zhao. You can do this. Just focus your Qi and channel it through your hands. Feel the poison and use the Frostfire Aura to disturb it, so I can catch and destroy it."

Ban Zhao closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She then placed her hands on Yan Shenqing's chest and began to channel her Qi. She could feel the sliver of poison, and it was more potent than she had ever imagined. She could feel her body trembling as she tried to control the Frostfire Aura.

Suddenly, Yan Shenqing's body convulsed, and Ban Zhao panicked. She didn't know if she was doing it right or if she was causing more harm than good.