Nine Dragons Saint Ancestor

As for the aura left by You He, Yun Xiao believed that without him saying anything, Zhou Jicang would understand it himself, so there was no need for further explanation. His words deepened the regret in Zhou Jicang’s heart even more.

If I had known this would be the result, why did I insist on barging into the Stepping Heavenly Stone and even injure Xie Mingtao?

Not only have I unnecessarily offended a Floating Life Realm Middle Stage expert, but I might also have caused Lord Yun Xiao’s displeasure. It’s truly not worth the trouble.

"As for you..."

With Yun Xiao’s current strength, he naturally wouldn’t care too much about a Floating Life Realm Middle Stage Cultivator. Seeing his gaze shift, it eventually stopped on Xie Mingtao, pausing slightly.

Pfft, pfft, pfft...

Just as Xie Mingtao was feeling puzzled, he saw that the esteemed figure in his eyes directly moved his fingers like the wind, pressing several acupoints on his right rib.

"Tha... Thank you, Lord Yun Xiao!"

Feeling that the severe pain in his right rib had significantly eased in an instant, Xie Mingtao understood that it was this Lord Yun Xiao who had used the Medical Pulse Technique to heal him. Receiving such favor, he bowed once more in surprise and gratitude.

"How long have you been poisoned?"

But just as Xie Mingtao finished his words of gratitude, Yun Xiao asked a strangely confusing question, causing Zhou Jicang beside him to shudder violently.

"I... I didn’t poison anyone!"

Zhou Jicang’s face was full of panic. He was not a Poison Vein Master, and although his temper was somewhat hot-headed, he wouldn’t resort to such despicable acts of poisoning and ambush, and so he hurriedly denied it.

"It has nothing to do with you. He’s been poisoned for at least a year. During this year, you must have sought out quite a few Medical Pulse Masters or Poison Vein Masters, right?"

Yun Xiao’s initial words were directed at Zhou Jicang, then he turned back to Xie Mingtao. This statement made this dignified Heavenly Rank Floating Life Realm expert’s body tremble violently.

"I see, no wonder I was able to win so easily!"

Hearing Yun Xiao’s words, Zhou Jicang suddenly realized. He had been somewhat puzzled as to why a fellow Floating Life Realm Middle Stage expert, Xie Mingtao, would lose to him after only a few dozen moves. It turns out he was already severely poisoned.

"If I’m not mistaken, you volunteered to guard this Stepping Heavenly Stone waiting for my arrival, hoping to dispel the toxin you couldn’t eliminate, right?"

Yun Xiao spoke eloquently. With his keen mind, he quickly discerned Xie Mingtao’s intentions and almost perfectly deduced the situation.

"Lord Yun Xiao’s insight is unparalleled. Please save my life!"

Since his thoughts had been fully seen through, Xie Mingtao directly knelt in mid-air, pleading. That intense poison had tormented him for over a year, with no one able to cure it, making each day feel like a year.

Xie Mingtao had even consulted several Heavenly Rank Medical Pulse Masters or Poison Vein Masters, but the result was always helplessness, leaving him only to try his luck here.

Though directly going to Lianyun Mountain to find Yun Xiao would be more direct, Xie Mingtao knew that with that person’s current status and power, he had nothing valuable enough to offer.

There was no friendship between them, so why would Lord Yun Xiao detoxify him?

Over the years, Xie Mingtao had heard many things about Lianyun Mountain. It was not a charity. To recover from injuries, cure illnesses, or detoxify, one had to pay a great price.

So, Xie Mingtao could only take a desperate chance, volunteering to guard the Stepping Heavenly Stone as a dignified Heavenly Rank Floating Life Realm Middle Stage expert.

He hoped that one day the news of his guarding the Stepping Heavenly Stone would reach Yun Xiao’s ears, possibly granting him a slim chance of survival. Who on the Tenglong Continent could match Yun Xiao’s prowess in the Medical Pulse or Poison Vein skills?

"You’ve worked hard!"

To everyone’s surprise, as Xie Mingtao knelt on the ground, Yun Xiao only uttered these three simple words, then gently waved his right hand, saying, "Let’s go!"

Such an action left Ling Wan completely baffled. Inwardly, he thought, with his brother’s kind nature, since he had expressed his appreciation by saying "you’ve worked hard," there was no reason not to help.

Despite the fact that there was no written rule about keeping people out of the Stepping Heavenly Stone, by guarding it, Xie Mingtao was upholding Yun Xiao’s authority. Ling Wan knew that if his brother really acted, neutralizing the old man’s poison would probably cost him hardly any effort.

"Lord Yun Xiao..."

As Yun Xiao’s last words entered his ears, Xie Mingtao’s heart sank into the abyss, yet he didn’t know what to say, understanding that there was no obligation for the other to detoxify him.

Xie Mingtao could imagine if Yun Xiao really left, his last shred of hope would be completely shattered, and his fate would inevitably be death by the poison.

"You old man, being a Floating Life Realm Middle Stage expert, can’t you sense that the poison in you has already been neutralized?"

Just as Xie Mingtao felt despair and Ling Wan and Zhou Jicang gazed at each other in confusion, a soft voice suddenly came from the side. When the few of them looked up, they saw a graceful young girl with a sweet and inviting smile.

"It’s... it’s lifted?"

Xie Mingtao immediately recognized her as Liu Hanyi, one of the Twin Charms of Medicine and Poison from Lianyun Mountain. However, in his current state, he had no time to care about her identity. With this reminder, he was both shocked and delighted.

"Unbelievably... it really is lifted, this... this..."

Upon circulating his Meridian Qi through the major meridians within his body, Xie Mingtao’s face instantly displayed an expression of extreme shock, mixed with disbelief, and even a sense of self-doubt.

"Big brother, your skills are too miraculous!"

Seeing Xie Mingtao’s fluctuating expression, Ling Wan, even though slow to react, realized that when Yun Xiao had pointed to his right rib acupoint earlier, he had unnoticeably dispelled the lethal poison within him, and couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise.

Even Lu Yanji was shocked, for even though he was a Heavenly Rank Advanced Poison Vein Master, he had not noticed the detoxification method Yun Xiao used.

Perhaps only Liu Hanyi, with her Immortal Poison Body, was extremely sensitive to various toxins, allowing her to be the first to discover the change within Xie Mingtao’s body.

However, if Liu Hanyi were to try to dispel the poison afflicting Xie Mingtao herself, it would be impossible to do it in such a light and invisible manner, such outstanding skill was simply unbelievable.

"Lord Yun Xiao’s life-saving grace, Mingtao will never forget and will dedicate his life guarding the Stepping Heavenly Stone, preventing outsiders from treading on it!"

Feeling that there was indeed no trace of poison within him anymore and that his Meridian Qi circulation had returned to normal, Xie Mingtao no longer doubted and bowed to the coarse clothing figure’s back, his voice filled with gravity.

"As you wish!"

For such a trivial matter, Yun Xiao didn’t care much. Whether the other continued to guard the Stepping Heavenly Stone was a matter of little consequence to him.

Still, Yun Xiao didn’t stop Xie Mingtao’s decision to guard the Stepping Heavenly Stone. On the continent, there was still a need for some faith and reverence. Perhaps the existence of the Stepping Heavenly Stone could indeed provide a good manifestation of such reverence.

Take Zhou Jicang as an example; after this incident, it was believed that he would behave much more restrained for a period. For him, this might not be a bad thing.

"Lord Yun Xiao, he is likely leaving the Tenglong Continent, isn’t he?"

Xie Mingtao, rising in the sky, watching the numerous figures disappearing into the depths of Chongxiao River, couldn’t help but have a tinge of melancholy and nostalgia.

"Brother Ming Tao, would you mind if I join you in guarding the Stepping Heavenly Stone?"

Just as Xie Mingtao was lost in thought watching the vanishing figures, a voice came from not far beside him, finally bringing him back to his senses.

"Haha, I couldn’t wish for anything better!"

Seeing the resolute look in Zhou Jicang’s eyes, Xie Mingtao couldn’t help but laugh twice. The two of them, it seemed, not knowing each other without fighting, might fight shoulder to shoulder from now on.

But both of them, as yet unaware, that over time, the guardians of the Stepping Heavenly Stone grew in influence, eventually becoming a formidable force on Tenglong Continent.

Of course, these are stories for another time. As Yun Xiao and his group left the riverside of the Tenglong Continent and set foot on the opposite shore of Chongxiao River, what is awaiting them, at least to Xie Mingtao and the others, remains unknown.

......

Splash, splash!

The water below surged, and numerous figures swept across the sky, these figures were none other than Yun Xiao’s group. Except for him, none of the others had been to the depths of Chongxiao River before and were now filing curiously around.

Within Chongxiao River, there didn’t seem to be any danger. It seemed that there were not many Water Vein Demons at the riverbed, and even if there were, they were frightened by such an overwhelmingly terrifying aura that they dared not emerge.

"Up ahead is where the Chongxiao Stairs are located!"

Yun Xiao, familiar with the route, when spotting the land up ahead resembling a coastline, immediately spoke with gravity, serving both as an introduction and a reminder to those about the imminent danger.

Although he had seen the Half-step Holy Spirit escaping into the Chongxiao Stairs that day, much could have changed over time, even he was swirling Meridian Qi cautiously.

The group moved swiftly. Soon, they descended and set foot on the sand by the riverside. This time, the Chongxiao River water behind them hadn’t disappeared, relieving Yun Xiao greatly.

"It seems that the Half-step Holy Spirit has not come out!"

Yun Xiao glanced around, the potent Heavenly Rank Advanced Soul power sensing no unusual aura, he was able to speak with affirmation. At least outside the Chongxiao Stairs, it appeared there was no danger.