Elder Xia's Discovery

"The miasma is getting denser..." Huan Xue anxiously whispered while observing Qiaolian's movement. The strange aura around her body had really started to form like yellow smoke, burning the air.

Inside this aura, Qiaolian could not hear anything other than an extremely loud thumping sound like her inner core was struck by a sledgehammer repeatedly.

THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!

She wanted to scream, to cry, to groan in pain... But, she found no energy to do such a reaction. She could tell that her internal organ is convulsing while the yellowish energy was trying to invade her body. All she could do was to endure!

'I've overestimated this harmful energy! AH--! How could it attack me so abruptly!' Qiaolian thought in disbelief while gritting her teeth. If the yellowish air around her body would dissipate, Huan Xue would surely see her mouth dampened with her own saliva combined with cold sweat trickling from her forehead. Her eyes were completely shut but her lips were slightly parted. And her breathing was extremely sluggish.

Half an hour passed, and Qiaolian felt like her rapid heartbeat was turning slow until it really ceased pulsating. Oddly, she was certain that she was not yet dead. Her consciousness was still present inside her inner core, trying to figure out how to deal with the miasma.

Unexpectedly, after the beating of her heart stopped, the unbearable pain also vanished.

Qiaolian never doubted her intuition. A body of a martial cultivator could be discarded. And they could still exist by means of their martial soul and martial spirit until they find a restore their physical form. Even without her heartbeat, she was still alive. Perhaps, the Scarlet Martial Elixir power within her was taking over without her knowledge.

She switched her focus and examined her elixir field. For some reason, there was no reaction from the entire space.

"So, it's only attacking my inner core. Ugh! I've never had time to learn how to deal with this harmful energy. There is no choice but to explore these cubes and see if the cultivation method that I need is here," Qiaolian expressed and she immediately touched a different cube.

However, unlike the last time, the cube did not display any dots that should indicate a number. "Huh? Nothing is happening? Could it be that I have to circulate my inner force to open these cubes?"

Unfortunately, she had refined all her inner force and only retain the yellowish energy inside her inner core. What bad luck! There was nothing she could use to activate any of those cubes.

Qiaolian appeared to be in a daze while pondering a solution to her situation. She stared blankly at the blood-red and bright silver aura of the elixir fields in front of her.

Meanwhile, Huan Xue was already carrying the physical body of Qiaolian in his arms. He entered the apothecary building and called Elder Xia.

In fact, the moment her heart stopped beating, her body plunged into the air and the yellow aura around her vanished without a trace. Her consciousness was too focused inside her inner core and elixir field that she was completely not aware of the reaction of her physical body.

"Master Xia!" Huan Xue's steps echoed in the hallway.

Every servant around immediately offered a customary bow to him. He glanced at them but did not stop walking until he saw Elder Xia approaching him.

"Lady Z--Xue lost consciousness? What about the miasma?" Elder Xia asked and tap his finger on Qiaolian's pulse. "There is no movement in her pulse! Ahh... T-This... What a pity. She actually did not survive against the miasma!"

"Master Xia, I don't believe she is dead. I can sense her. She had a great chance to survive against the miasma," Huan Xue spoke and entered an empty ward. He carefully placed her body on the bed and fixed her silky hair on the side.

"Huan Xue, didn't you say that Lady Xue had shattered her elixir field? The miasma is really something that is hard to fight. In fact, if it's a different cultivator, it would be instant death," said Elder Xia and looked at Qiaolian's peaceful face. She just appeared to be sleeping but with the absence of breathing.

"B-But, Master Xia, inspect Qiaolian one more time... I can sense her inner core is still there. And it was a mistake of me to assume about her elixir field. Earlier, I have seen three vigorous auras around her when I opened my eyes in the cultivation room. That should be her golden elixir field."

"Hmmm..." Elder Xia could not help but raised his eyebrow. He wanted to express his disbelief. Oh, how bad he wanted to say that the golden elixir field would not be something that a young cultivator could achieve. Such a feat would require hundreds or thousands of years of tempering their inner core to sustain different elixir fields.

However, the one speaking was Huan Xue. And he believed in his judgment.

Elder Xia became silent for a few seconds. He then move closer to Huan Xue's ear and whispered, "You saw three auras... W-Which aura did Lady Zhou release? Huan Xue, can you remember the color of the auras?"

"Hm. There is bright red, bright silver, and faint green."

"Hah!" Elder Xia suddenly felt an overwhelming emotion that was hard to describe. His line of vision went back to Qiaolian and he pressed her pulse again. "There is no movement of her pulse. She is not breathing. But, the presence of a golden elixir field, that might have forced her body to stop receiving the pain from the miasma and protected her soul and spirit. The Zhou Clan..."

Elder Xia eyes constricted and he suddenly covered his mouth with his palm. He could not believe what he had just realized. He finally understood how the Zhou Clan had met their demise!

"What about the Zhou Clan, Master Xia?" Huan Xue probed further after seeing the indescribable expression of Elder Xia. It was as if he was greatly astonished by something.

Elder Xia looked around to make sure no one could overhear his words. "Huan Xue, can you still remember the rumor that Lady Zhou is a Forged Practitioner? That must be related to the three auras you have seen. P-Perhaps, the Zhou Clan patriarch had sealed his elixir field within her body. It should be the bright red aura. For the bright silver aura, that should be the elixir field of his wife... Interesting... Truly interesting!"