Section 12: Am I a genius among geniuses?

Zhenjin slowly regained consciousness after an indeterminate amount of time.

Clear bird songs came to his ears, followed by a gentle breeze carrying the fresh scent of grass and trees.

Zhenjin was dazed for a moment before coming to his senses.

He first noticed that the excruciating pain that once tormented him had vanished, leaving only a dull ache.

He tried to lift his head, and the unbearable, terrifying dizziness dissipated completely.

Then he found his body wrapped in many bandages, particularly thick around his waist and abdomen, with faint traces of blood visible.

Zhenjin used his strength to prop up his upper body with difficulty.

He felt completely exhausted, as if he hadn't eaten in ten days, his mouth parched and extremely thirsty.

When he finally managed to sit on the ground, he was stunned.

He looked at his arms and hands.

Originally, his arm bones had suffered comminuted fractures, and the flesh had been smashed into mush by the Brown Bear. But now, they had almost completely healed!

Only the surface of both arms remained an abnormal red, as if they had been cooked.

"Zi Di really did it, miraculous!" Zhenjin couldn't help but marvel internally.

If it was magic or Divine Arts, it wouldn't have been too difficult. But here, Zi Di couldn't use her spell; achieving this with potions alone was incredibly powerful.

"Could it be that my fiancée is also a Potion Master?" Zhenjin couldn't help but speculate.

He looked around, but Zi Di was not there.

The young Knight quickly noticed that he was no longer deep within the cave. This was not the place where he had fought the life-and-death battle with the Brown Bear but closer to the cave's entrance.

Because of this, the ores were sparse here, the air was not scorching, and he could hear the bird songs outside the cave.

With the wind gently blowing intermittently from outside and listening to the crisp bird calls, Zhenjin's emotions surged.

His gaze fell on the cave entrance, where a blue and red wildflower tenaciously bloomed on the cave wall.

Zhenjin quietly watched it, his eyes gradually turning red, almost to the point of tears!

After being immersed in a struggle between life and death, such an ordinary scene made him cherish it all the more.

He looked at the most inconspicuous wildflower, watching its delicate petals gently tremble in the breeze, feeling a surge of emotion throughout his body.

This was the thrill of life!

"I am still alive, still alive!" The joy of survival washed over Zhenjin like the ocean covering the beach, endlessly overwhelming him.

After a while, Zhenjin's tumultuous emotions slowly calmed down.

He had new worries.

The place was still relatively dangerous.

Zhenjin did not forget the many Scale-Horned Black Panther corpses lying outside the cave. These fresh corpses would attract predators.

After these few days, Zhenjin felt the dangers of this island thoroughly. No matter how much he overestimated the danger, it would never be excessive.

The young knight wanted to stand up, but his attempts failed.

Sitting up was his utmost limit.

His whole body felt weak, particularly around his waist and abdomen, as if missing a large chunk, and his legs lacked any strength.

"You're awake!" a familiar voice called.

Zi Di appeared at the cave entrance, stunned in place, her face full of disbelief.

Zhenjin nodded to her and gave a faint smile.

Zi Di finally confirmed it was real, her emotions surged, and she rushed several steps, nearly falling into Zhenjin's arms.

When her delicate body fell into his arms, Zhenjin almost fell backward.

He patted his fiancée's petite shoulder, his voice much hoarser than before, "I listened to you; I didn't give up."

"Mm!" Zi Di nodded, releasing Zhenjin from her tight embrace, her purple eyes staring at him without blinking.

Their gazes met.

Zi Di affectionately said, "Lord Zhenjin, you are a true Holy Temple Knight!"

At that moment, the young Knight felt the girl's complete admiration and love, with no attempt at concealment.

Zhenjin gave a bitter smile and shook his head, "I can't be considered one yet; right now I can't even use fighting energy."

Zi Di affirmed, "My Lord, you will definitely remember!"

The girl's confidence in Zhenjin was more abundant than his own.

"My Lord, while you were unconscious, I cleaned up the battlefield and disposed of the Brown Bear and Black Panther corpses."

"I used the Brown Bear's blood to prepare a temporary potion. I spread the potion around the cave entrance; the area is now filled with the Bear's scent, which should deter other predators. We are temporarily safe here."

"Additionally, I ventured deeper into the cave and explored it thoroughly. There's only one path in this cave, proving your initial decision was extremely wise!"

Zhenjin nodded repeatedly, his worries finally eased.

"My Lord, how do you feel now?" Zi Di began to examine Zhenjin's wounds again.

"I feel good, just very weak," Zhenjin answered honestly.

He watched Zi Di busily working, feeling more and more appreciative of the girl.

Despite being at the Black Iron Level and unable to use magic here, she still had strong potion-making abilities.

It seemed that Zhenjin's fierce protection of the girl brought ample returns.

Without her help, Zhenjin might have been dead long ago!

Apart from appreciation and gratitude, another emotion swelled in Zhenjin's heart.

Zi Di and Zhenjin shared a close relationship, being betrothed. Zhenjin tentatively judged that their relationship was likely complex and had hidden implications.

Nonetheless, their shared life-and-death experience forged a bond that wasn't false.

"My Lord, your current condition is stable. You feel weak because of a lack of rest. As long as you consume enough food and water, you should be able to walk normally in a few days," Zi Di assessed seriously after examining him.

"It's all thanks to your potions," Zhenjin praised.

Zi Di shook her head, "At that time, conditions were urgent, and the potion-making setup was too rudimentary. Honestly, I had no confidence; I just gave it my all, never expecting such miraculous results! Perhaps..."

Zi Di hesitated, her beautiful purple eyes staring at the young Knight, shining with undisguised curiosity and scrutiny.

Zhenjin smiled, "What do you want to ask? Don't hold back."

Zi Di immediately asked, "My Lord, are you truly at Silver Cultivation, not gold?"

Zhenjin pondered, "Why do you suspect that?"

Zi Di explained, "My Lord, it's possible my potion had an effect, but I think that is highly unlikely. I believe it's more likely you inherently possess a strong life force!"

"Such a Life Foundation isn't something at the Silver Level, but a gold life. Surviving this ordeal relied more on your self-healing ability."

"You think my cultivation isn't at the Silver Level but gold?" Zhenjin frowned slightly.

He couldn't help but look at his arms again.

Now, his arms appeared almost as good as new.

The young Knight vividly remembered the severe injuries his arms had suffered.

His abdominal wounds had also been serious, but according to Zi Di, the wounds had vanished, with new pink skin grown.

Honestly, this level of healing was just a step short of limb regeneration.

"Did the potions really have such potency?" Zhenjin couldn't help but doubt.

His heart skipped a beat, "Could it be that my talent is extraordinarily remarkable, beyond the Silver Level, possessing gold cultivation?! Am I a genius among geniuses?"

"If so, why would I hide such a talent?"

"Could it be to avoid being prematurely killed in the bud, so I endured until now?"

Faced with these recurring doubts, Zhenjin couldn't find an answer, only shaking his head with a bitter smile.

He told Zi Di, "Your speculation is plausible, but I can't answer you. Because my memories have only partially returned."

Unfortunately, the young Knight, as the primary party, didn't know the truth either.

Zi Di fetched a water bag, and Zhenjin took it, sipping slowly.

"My Lord, how does drinking the water feel?" The girl looked with concern and nervousness.

Zhenjin carefully savored the water, pondering, "No painful sensations; it seems normal."

Hearing this, Zi Di exhaled a sigh of relief, "That's good, but we still need to observe."

Zhenjin only drank water without eating, and even drank cautiously, only a small portion.

Despite barely quenching his thirst, Zhenjin understood the necessity.

Externally, his injuries seemed well-healed, but the internal condition couldn't be observed with the naked eye.

Without magical aid or being a professional healer, Zhenjin couldn't force out his fighting energy.

After drinking a bit of water, Zhenjin lay back down to rest, gradually relaxing.

Upon deeper exploration of the cave, Zi Di concluded that the cave had been excavated by the Monkey-tailed Brown Bear, which constantly consumed the ore within the mountain to gradually form the cave.

The cave's length indicated that the Monkey-tailed Brown Bear had lived there for a long time.

Being a Silver-level beast, its presence established enough authority to intimidate nearby predators, forming a fixed territory.

Especially after beating the Scale-Horned Black Panthers, no predators dared to invade for a while.

After all, these wild beasts didn't know the Brown Bear had been killed by Zhenjin.

For now, the surroundings seemed temporarily safe. The cave could serve as a stable camp.

Zhenjin woke up late morning and, by noon, had replenished more water, drinking slightly more this time.

By afternoon, he felt the urge to urinate.

However, his body was still weak, unable to stand.

"My Lord, let me help you," Zi Di, closely watching Zhenjin, noticed his little embarrassment and understood immediately.

Zhenjin could only lie down, urinating with Zi Di's help.

"My Lord, I am your fiancée; you don't need to feel awkward." Despite her words, Zi Di's cheeks blushed a lovely red, her forehead hair slightly standing as though her whole head was steaming.

Zi Di not only helped Zhenjin dress but also examined his urine.

"My Lord, it seems your recovery is good. You can safely drink, though eating still needs caution," Zi Di reported happily.

Zhenjin nodded, feeling a bit of joy himself.

The body's digestive and urinary systems were crucial. Zhenjin would rather lose both his arms than have digestive or urinary problems. Losing arms was inconvenient, but digestive and urinary issues could be life-threatening.

By nightfall, Zhenjin began eating.

The coarse dry rations were far from "delicious," but Zhenjin ate with satisfaction, feeling a spontaneous happiness.

In truth, the young man was famished and could have eaten several cows.

But he restrained himself and only consumed a small portion initially, following the water-drinking process.

On the second day, after waking, he regained some strength, able to stand but unable to walk far.

No dizziness was felt, just a lack of strength.

He even felt his arms were heavy, almost burdensome.

The young Knight did not force himself. Wisdom and patience were virtues Holy Temple Knights esteemed.

He ate a bit in the morning and more at noon.

By evening, he successfully defecated.

Though Zi Di wished to help, Zhenjin insisted on doing it himself this time.

After observing, Zi Di rejoiced, "My Lord, your recovery is remarkable, reflecting capabilities beyond the Silver Level."

Zi Di's purple eyes stared intensely at the Knight, glowing with fervor.