Chapter 125: The Appearance of Xumiao!

Looking at Lu Zhe, whose gaze remained firm and spirited, the nameless man’s stern features slowly softened into a faint smile. Seeming somewhat gratified, the man walked slowly to Lu Zhe’s side after a moment. He looked at Lu Zhe’s "Heart-Fate Flame" and asked, "Even if you leave this place, what does it matter? Do you truly believe that with your current strength, you can refine the 'Extreme Mountain Fire Sunflower' that has matured over a millennium?"

Lu Zhe fell silent. After a while, he turned to look at his "Heart-Fate Flame," cupping it in his hands. The flame, which appeared so fragile that a single breath might extinguish it, continued to burn quietly and tenaciously. Its faint light shone with startling brightness in this chaotic, dark void, as if attempting to banish the boundless darkness. After a long pause, Lu Zhe stared into the flame and said, "I do not know if I can absorb and refine the thousand-year-old 'Extreme Mountain Fire Sunflower,' but I must fulfill what I have promised. No matter how many dangers or obstacles lie ahead, I will push through them, for I promised her that I would return to her side alive."

The stern-faced man arched an eyebrow. Like Lu Zhe, he looked at the flickering flame hovering before them and said, "If that is the case, then go back."

Hearing this, Lu Zhe was stunned. He turned to the man, who was still staring fixedly at the "Heart-Fate Flame," and asked with a voice trembling with excitement, "I can go back?"

The man did not speak. After watching the flame for a moment, he said, "Not only can I let you return, but I can also assist you in absorbing and refining the 'Extreme Mountain Fire Sunflower.'"

"Truly?" Lu Zhe’s voice trembled from the intensity of his emotions.

The man neither spoke nor nodded. He merely took a breath, then extended his left index finger and pressed it against Lu Zhe’s forehead. Lu Zhe was taken aback, looking puzzled. The man slowly turned his head, met Lu Zhe’s confused gaze, and said coldly, "You, go back."

As he spoke, the tip of his index finger suddenly flared with a dazzling, blinding light that forced Lu Zhe to squeeze his eyes shut. As the light intensified, Lu Zhe felt his body become weightless, while his mind felt as though it had been struck by a heavy blow; his head buzzed, and his consciousness began to fade. Just before his awareness slipped away completely, he faintly heard these words:

"Since you have chosen your goal, strive to walk the path. Do not be confused, for no matter when, I will, I will..."

Because his consciousness was too blurred, Lu Zhe could not hear the final part of the sentence before he lost consciousness entirely.

"Ah!" Lu Zhe, sitting in the medicinal pool, suddenly jolted awake, followed immediately by agonizing, scorching pain.

"Ugh!" Feeling the immense pain and heat radiating from within his body, Lu Zhe gritted his teeth until they clicked. Veins bulged one by one across his forehead and arms. He struggled to maintain his composure, desperately driving his spiritual core to draw out enough spiritual energy to suppress the violent medicinal potency. But no matter how hard he tried or how much energy he channeled, it was useless against the torrential force of the medicine. Still, Lu Zhe did not give up; he continued to force his core to draw out energy to combat the overwhelming power. Yet, compared to the raging river of medicinal energy, his own strength seemed insignificant.

*Do not give up. Absolutely not. Go back—I must return alive!* This was the only thought swirling in Lu Zhe’s mind. A man of honor must keep his word. Since he promised her he would return safely, how could he break his vow? If he could not even keep his promise to the woman he loved, how could he hope to gain the trust of the world? Though Lu Zhe had no interest in the world, having given his word, he would tame this violent, miraculous medicine at any cost.

"Thump."

The "Extreme Mountain Fire Sunflower," seemingly displeased by Lu Zhe’s attempt to suppress it with his spiritual energy, lashed out within his body. The impact snapped three of his meridians and left several surrounding ones fractured.

A mouthful of crimson blood sprayed from Lu Zhe’s lips. Instantly, his face turned deathly pale, drained of all color, and the blue medicinal pool he sat in was stained a pale purple by his blood.

"Stop!" Lu Zhe roared internally. His spiritual core spun rapidly, pouring out energy in a desperate, singular surge to smother the rampaging "Extreme Mountain Fire Sunflower."

Watching the incoming energy, the "Extreme Mountain Fire Sunflower" seemed to give a disdainful flicker, and the torrential medicinal power surged forward, obliterating Lu Zhe’s spiritual energy in an instant.

Having crushed his resistance, the "Extreme Mountain Fire Sunflower" seemed angered by Lu Zhe’s defiance. It began to rampage even more violently, intent on completely destroying the body of the human who dared to attempt to tame it.

"Pfft!" Another mouthful of blood erupted from Lu Zhe’s mouth. He looked blood-soaked, yet his face was as white as a corpse, enough to send a chill down anyone’s spine.

Watching the "Heart-Fate Flame" dim, the figure known as Xu Miao wore a grave expression. He looked up, and in the dark void before him, a massive, bright screen of light appeared, showing the dire state of Lu Zhe’s body.

Seeing the "Extreme Mountain Fire Sunflower" running wild, Xu Miao frowned, his expression growing heavier by the second. After a long moment, he said in a low voice, "This cannot continue, or it will destroy Lu Zhe’s body entirely." With a wave of his sleeve, he vanished from the chaotic, dark space.

"Ah!"

Lu Zhe let out a heart-rending scream. His fingernails dug deep into his palms, but compared to the agony within his body, this was nothing.

"Damn it! Why can’t I tame it?" Lu Zhe roared in his mind. He increased his output of spiritual energy to surround and intercept the medicinal power, but it was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot—entirely futile. Worse, as if thoroughly provoked by his persistence, the "Extreme Mountain Fire Sunflower" went mad, like a stampeding bull or a wild horse, smashing recklessly through his body, intent on ending the struggle quickly by burning his physical form to ash.

"No... I can't..." Feeling the madness of the medicinal power, Lu Zhe thought weakly. His cultivation was no match for a millennium-old "Extreme Mountain Fire Sunflower." It seemed he would have to break his promise.

"I'm sorry, Ling'er. I... I fear I cannot fulfill my vow." The twisted, pained expression on Lu Zhe’s face slowly relaxed, as if a taut string had finally snapped under the pressure. His face lost all signs of agony, and he even managed a faint smile.

He tilted his head back, ignoring the immense pain, and forced his eyes open to look at the ice-covered ceiling of the cave. His gaze was empty, devoid of any light.

"Hey, hey, hey. Which guy was just bragging about fulfilling a promise and returning alive? What, giving up already?" Suddenly, a voice echoed in his mind.

"It’s you," Lu Zhe thought dully. He knew without guessing that this voice belonged to the person who had been with him in the dark void—the one who looked exactly like him.

"It is not that I want to break my word, but I am truly powerless. My body has been nearly destroyed by the 'Extreme Mountain Fire Sunflower.' I have no energy left to fight it," Lu Zhe said, his voice hollow, like a dying old man facing his end with resignation.

"Truly, in the end, it still comes down to me," a voice filled with exasperation echoed in his mind. Before Lu Zhe could react, his consciousness blurred, and everything went black.

Lu Zhe’s head slowly slumped. Gone was the look of pain or resignation; in its place was a stern, cold expression.

He slowly opened his eyes. A sharp, piercing light flashed within them. A cold smirk curled the corners of his lips, and even his voice, when he spoke, was icy and entirely devoid of emotion.

"In the end, it still comes down to me."

As he spoke, a powerful surge of spiritual energy erupted from Lu Zhe’s body. This energy created a ripple that spread in all directions, like a massive stone dropped into a calm lake. It sent waves through the silent ice cellar, causing the medicinal liquid in the pool to splash violently. The energy wave rippled outward, shattering the fragile icicles on the cave ceiling and leaving deep cracks even in the thicker layers of ice.

"What is happening?" Sensing the sudden, powerful eruption of spiritual energy from Lu Zhe, Old Man You and the Medical Elder were startled, looking at him in confusion.

Lu Zhe’s appearance had changed drastically. His short, jet-black hair had suddenly grown, and as it lengthened, it turned a stark, snowy white. By the time it reached his shoulders, the hair was as white as frost.

"Is that his second personality?" the Medical Elder asked, stunned.

"Yes, though compared to the last time I saw it, the strength is vastly different. It is like looking at a completely different person," Old Man You said, swallowing hard, his voice trembling.

The two looked at each other, both seeing the shock in the other’s eyes, before turning back to Lu Zhe. Old Man You said, his voice quivering with disbelief, "This surge of spiritual energy is no weaker than our own!"

The Medical Elder did not speak, his eyes fixed on the transformed Lu Zhe in the pool. After a long while, he murmured, "I truly hope he can help him refine that miraculous medicine."