Chapter 945: Chapter 945
Shen Tianjun did not speak, only turned his head and said to Shen Da, "Let everyone withdraw first, carry Ye Qing to the pill room, and go to the backyard to invite your mother to come help in the pill room."
"Understood!" Shen Da nodded, arranged for personnel to carry Ye Qing to the pill room, and then ran off to the backyard to find Old Madam Shen.
The Shen family members, seeing Ye Qing carried away, also dispersed one by one. Yet everyone remained astonished by what had happened to Ye Qing. Shen Tianjun instructed men to arrange rest for Black Bear, then picked up Ye Qing's Seven-Star Ancient Sword and headed toward the pill room.
Initially, Shen Qingyi followed the others to leave. However, just as Shen Tianjun reached the pill room entrance, he saw her standing there.
"Qingyi, why are you here?" Shen Tianjun asked.
"Grandfather, how is Brother Ye?" Shen Qingyi's face was filled with anxiety. "Can you… can you resolve the Twin Life Gu?"
"Perhaps. I can't say for certain," Shen Tianjun sighed and said, "The power of the Twin Life Gu is too overwhelming. I can only do my best. Qingyi, you should go wait for news. The Twin Life Gu is no trivial matter. To dispel its effects, I must give it my all without any distractions. You staying here might negatively impact me while treating him!"
Though Shen Qingyi wanted to stay and monitor Ye Qing's condition, upon hearing Shen Tianjun's words, she did not dare linger there, worried that her presence might divert Shen Tianjun's attention. If this led to Ye Qing's death, she would never be able to forgive herself.
"Grandfather, you… you must save Brother Ye," Shen Qingyi tearfully said.
Shen Tianjun sighed, reaching out to gently stroke Shen Qingyi's hair. "Grandfather will do his utmost."
Shen Qingyi nodded and reluctantly turned to leave the pill room. Watching her frail figure depart, Shen Tianjun couldn't help but sigh deeply again. He could tell his granddaughter's feelings for Ye Qing ran deep. If something truly happened to Ye Qing, could she handle the devastation?
Shaking his head, Shen Tianjun entered the pill room. Old Madam Shen was already seated inside. Upon seeing Shen Tianjun arrive, she immediately rose and said, "Old man, how did all Inner Strength in this kid's arms get drained so thoroughly? Not a trace left. What on earth happened?"
Shen Da also looked at Shen Tianjun in surprise. Earlier, Shen Tianjun had only remarked, "So that's what happened," but hadn't explained the details, leaving Shen Da baffled.
Shen Tianjun approached Ye Qing, holding the Seven-Star Ancient Sword in his hand, and said, "The Inner Strength in his arms was completely absorbed by this Seven-Star Ancient Sword!"
"What?" Both Old Madame Shen and Shen Da widened their eyes, exclaiming in astonishment. This Seven-Star Ancient Sword could actually absorb a person's Inner Strength?
Shen Tianjun stared at the Seven-Star Ancient Sword and said, "It seems the legends are indeed true!"
"What legend?" asked Old Madame Shen in curiosity.
"According to folklore, the seven stars on the hilt of the Seven-Star Ancient Sword were left behind by Guiguzi as part of a mysterious formation. It is said to absorb human strength to unleash immensely powerful attacks—the force is extraordinarily frightening," Shen Tianjun explained. "Earlier, Ye Qing must've accidentally triggered this formation, leading to his entire Inner Strength being absorbed by the Seven-Star Ancient Sword, which then unleashed its terrifying power. One strike cleaved the carriage in two and left a deep fissure in the ground. The power of that single sword strike is enough to leave one standing tall among all under heaven!"
Old Madam Shen and Shen Da exchanged glances. The strength of Old Madam Shen far surpassed Shen Da, yet even she admitted she couldn't achieve such a feat. The power of Ye Qing's strike indeed left a shocking impression. Could it be true, as Shen Tianjun claimed, that the Seven-Star Ancient Sword could absorb human Inner Strength and deliver a lethal blow?
"If this is the case, then the Seven-Star Ancient Sword must be the strongest among all famed instruments under heaven!" Shen Da marveled, "With this sword's power, even Cui Yulong holding the Ink Pattern Black Gold Blade surely wouldn't stand a chance!"
Shen Tianjun nodded slightly. Though Cui Yulong's skills were formidable, this sword's strike would be too overpowering for him. After all, the strike concentrated all of Ye Qing's strength—how could it be simple?
"But it comes with drawbacks too!" Old Madam Shen retorted. "A single strike absorbs all of a person's Inner Strength. If this strike fails to dispatch the enemy, wouldn't the sword-wielder be left defenseless afterward? This aspect of the Seven-Star Ancient Sword seems like a trap!"
"It's not quite so," Shen Tianjun shook his head and said. "Ye Qing was drained because his Inner Strength level is too weak. This sword doesn't absorb all of one's Inner Strength; rather, it halts absorption upon reaching a certain level of force, then unleashes the attack. If Ye Qing's cultivation level matched Cui Yulong's, he could sustain ten strikes. With your deeper Inner Strength, wielding this sword for fifty strikes wouldn't be difficult. Should anyone reach the cultivation level of Helian Tiehua, unleashing thousands or even tens of thousands of strikes would pose no problem."
That comment from Shen Tianjun instantly clarified the hierarchy of strength between individuals. Cui Yulong undoubtedly fell short of Old Madam Shen; in terms of Inner Strength alone, he was far behind.
"If that's the case, would Helian Tiehua's Inner Strength be hundreds or thousands of times stronger than mine?" Old Madam Shen exclaimed indignantly. "Are you implying my decades of effort have been in vain?"
"You're misunderstanding," Shen Tianjun shook his head. "Helian Tiehua's Inner Strength is considerably stronger than yours, but not by hundreds or thousands of times. His ability to continuously wield the sword stems from his Inner Strength recovery speed, which surpasses the absorption speed of the Seven-Star Ancient Sword. For him, the energy expenditure is inconsequential!"
"Ah, I see," Old Madam Shen finally understood. Shen Da, hearing this explanation, was equally taken aback. He hadn't realized that upon reaching Helian Tiehua's cultivation level, Inner Strength recovery rates could be so astonishing. No wonder the mere mention of a Peak Master's name commanded respect throughout the world!
"According to this, if Helian Tiehua wielded the Seven-Star Ancient Sword, wouldn't he be truly Invincible Under the Heavens?" Shen Da suddenly asked. "Each strike would be at full power. Who could withstand even a few blows?"
Shen Tianjun smiled faintly and shook his head. "Once you've reached such a realm, external tools become irrelevant. Your own cultivation level and understanding of the Dao are what matter. Even a famed instrument would be no different from a branch in Helian Tiehua's hand. Barehanded, his strength would match the force generated by wielding the Seven-Star Ancient Sword. The sword's ability to absorb Inner Strength and unleash absolute power gives people the opportunity to challenge masters stronger than themselves, but it doesn't mean its wielder will instantly be invincible!"
"I see," Shen Da nodded, finally comprehending the true significance of the Seven-Star Ancient Sword.
"Now that we've pinpointed the root of his exhaustion, what do we do next?" Old Madam Shen asked. "The Twin Life Gu is still inside him and could activate at any moment. Should we cut him open and remove it?"
"That won't work. The Twin Life Gu inside him will burrow into his organs to evade any perceived threat. If we rashly operate, it might bite through his heart. That would be fatal," Shen Tianjun paused and continued, "Moreover, it has already bonded with him through his blood. Even if we extract the Twin Life Gu, it will simply re-enter his body, and he'd remain unable to survive."
Shen Da asked curiously, "If we've removed the Twin Life Gu, can't we just kill it? How could it re-enter Ye Qing's body?"
Shen Tianjun looked at him and said, "The Twin Life Gu is ranked second among the Gu insects of the Miao Borderlands, second only to the Golden Silkworm Gu. Like the Golden Silkworm Gu, it is impervious to blades and fire. Even if you strike it with a famed instrument, you won't kill it. Worse, these insects are exceedingly aggressive. Anger them, and they'll turn on you. Once it burrows into your body, it'll gnaw through your organs, which is truly terrifying. Even in the Miao lands, no one dares to touch the Twin Life Gu!"
"Not even famed instruments can kill it?" Shen Da's eyes widened in disbelief. Famed Instruments could slice iron as if it were mud, yet could not kill a tiny insect? How could this be possible?
"What if we extract it and seal it away?" Old Madam Shen proposed. "Put it in a box made of Fine Steel, wouldn't that work?"
"That won't work either!" Shen Tianjun shook his head. "The most terrifying aspect of the Twin Life Gu is that once it enters the human body, it imprints a marker and leaves behind its eggs. If it stays out of the body for too long, these eggs will hatch and consume the host's organs, still causing death."
"Then let's remove the eggs too!" Shen Da suggested.
"That is the most challenging part…" Shen Tianjun explained, "When the Twin Life Gu enters the body, it spreads its eggs everywhere in the internal organs. To remove all the eggs, you'd have to extract every single organ!"
"In that case… let's forget about it…" Shen Da quickly waved his hands. Extracting all the organs would surely mean death.
"So by your reasoning, there's no way to save him?" Old Madam Shen glared in frustration. "Then why did you ask me to come here?"
"It's not entirely hopeless," Shen Tianjun said. "During my time in the Miao Borderlands, I heard of a method to temporarily suppress the Twin Life Gu."
"Temporarily suppressing it? No way to permanently eliminate it?" Old Madam Shen asked. "This young man surnamed Ye has been a lifesaver to the Shen family. We cannot simply stand by and watch him die!"
"He's Brother Li San's disciple. That alone obligates me to save him," Shen Tianjun said after a pause. "But I don't know the permanent cure. Right now, the only solution is to temporarily suppress the Twin Life Gu and send him to the Miao Borderlands, to the Gu Lands, to search for a method to completely eradicate it!"