The formation shattered, and with it, the flying restriction formation disappeared. Wang Hong released Little Peng, mounted its back, and soared into the sky, aiming to quickly leave this troubled place.
Not far into his flight, he noticed signs of a recent battle ahead. Two Daoist Masters lay on the ground.
Guiding Little Peng to descend, Wang Hong confirmed the identities of the fallen cultivators: Xu Gang and Tian Qing.
Xu Gang's chest had collapsed, with his internal organs, including the heart and lungs, shattered. His body was ice-cold, life extinguished for quite some time.
On the other side, Tian Qing had several wounds, a sizable pool of blood surrounding her motionless form, now congealed.
Approaching, Wang Hong carefully examined them. Xu Gang was beyond revival, but Tian Qing, surprisingly, clung to life. Immortal cultivators possessed formidable vitality, despite multiple fractures and internal injuries, blood drained from her body; she somehow remained alive.
Using a Storage Bag, Wang Hong stored Xu Gang's body, then administered healing pills to Tian Qing. His supply of effective healing pills was limited since his Jade Marrow Mushroom had not matured, and he lacked potent healing pills at the moment.
Despite temporarily preserving her life with the healing pills, Tian Qing's injuries were severe. Wang Hong couldn't simply leave her unattended.
Wang Hong hadn't even dealt with his own broken bones; only his right hand was operational. Deciding to find a secluded spot to address their injuries, he could better handle any unforeseen dangers along the way.
Seated on Little Peng's back, Wang Hong gently enveloped Tian Qing with his spiritual power, lifting her securely.
After half an hour, Wang Hong found a concealed location. Using a Flying Sword, he created a mountain cave. Inside, he sealed the entrance with a large rock, leaving a few small openings for ventilation.
He first aligned his fractured bones and bandaged himself. Such injuries were considered minor for Immortal Cultivators. With some healing pills and two to three days of rest, he would recover. However, his left hand would remain inconvenient for a while.
Once he tended to his own injuries, he began assisting Tian Qing.
After feeding her several healing pills, Tian Qing was temporarily stabilized. Wang Hong didn't know the exact details of the earlier events. However, given her current statewith over two hundred bone fragments, more than twenty fractures, and numerous areas prone to bleedinghe couldn't leave her untreated.
Due to the multitude of injuries, Wang Hong assisted Tian Qing in removing her Daoist Robe for easier cleaning and bandaging. What he saw left him shocked, his heart racing, face flushed, and fingers trembling.
It wasn't about mental fortitude but rather genuine unfamiliarity with such sights, despite his age.
Struggling to control his distractions, he began cleaning Tian Qing's wounds. Due to nervousness, his trembling hands occasionally misplaced the bandages.
What should have taken half an hour stretched to two as he finally managed to dress all her wounds.
Tian Qing's original Daoist Robe was in tatters. From his Storage Bag, Wang Hong retrieved a replacement, carefully helping her put it on.
As he wiped away the blood stains from her face, he noticed Tian Qing's attractive features. Previously overshadowed by Yun Qingya's brilliance, she had gone unnoticed by many.
Comparing her to someone like Yun Qingya, possessing both talent and charisma, there were few equals in the world.
Thinking of Yun Qingya, Wang Hong found himself bewildered by the attack they had just experienced.
Yun Qingya was highly regarded by the Golden Core Elder, taken in as a disciple. It was baffling why she would betray the sect, colluding with outsiders to harm fellow disciples. Moreover, there should be a binding force akin to a Blood Contract when registering for Foundation Building. Was Yun Qingya not afraid of such consequences?
Unable to comprehend, Wang Hong decided to let it go for now. After all, this incident didn't seem specifically targeted at him.
Tian Qing remained unconscious, her wounds freshly bandaged, requiring a day or two of rest before she could move.
The decision to save Tian Qing stemmed from a sense of camaraderie among sect members and, practically, to have an additional witness. If he reached their destination alone and the sect questioned him later, it would be difficult to explain.
Wang Hong sat in a corner of the mountain cave, taking stock of the spoils. Most intriguing was the hefty black rod wielded by the Brawny Man. As fellow body cultivators, if the man could use it, Wang Hong should be able to as well.
He retrieved the three-foot-long rod with one end thick as an adult arm and the other the size of an egg, convenient for gripping. The main material was wood, adorned with dark golden metal patterns.
Weighing it in his hands, it was around twenty thousand jin. With his current strength of one hundred and fifty thousand jin, he could swing it effortlessly.
Although just a low-grade Spiritual Weapon, it was a boon for Wang Hong in the current situation.
After stowing the weapon, he rummaged through the Brawny Man's Storage Bag. Despite being a mid-level Foundation Building cultivator, he only carried thirty thousand Spirit Stones. Other items were mostly low-value demonic beast materials. The pills were clearly from Qingxu Sect, and several items belonged to Xu Gang and Tian Qing.
Turning to Jiang Qing's Storage Bag, Wang Hong found even less a single low-grade Spiritual Weapon and miscellaneous items barely worth a thousand Spirit Stones. Disappointed, he put away both Storage Bags.
A day later, Tian Qing finally woke up. Expecting certain death, she found herself safe in a mountain cave, her injuries expertly treated.
"Hmm..." Something felt off. The Daoist Robe was oversized, and the clothes underneath were wrong. She quickly scanned herself with Divine Sense, realizing her injuries were tended to without any untoward incidents. She breathed a sigh of relief, simultaneously feeling self-reproach for doubting Wang Hong's intentions. Despite being saved, her thoughts had strayed in inappropriate directions. Blushing, she expressed her gratitude, "Thank you, Senior Brother, for saving my life!"
Tian Qing attempted to get up to bow in gratitude, but the pain throughout her body made her stumble back down.
"No need for formalities, Tian Qing. We are fellow sect members; it's my duty," Wang Hong gently assisted her to lie back down.
Although awake, Tian Qing was still weak. Wang Hong gave her another healing pill, and she thanked him profusely.
Tian Qing tactfully avoided mentioning the awkward situation of wearing Wang Hong's clothes. In the Cultivation World, there wasn't a custom of revealing one's body before marrying someone.
After two days of recovery, Wang Hong's injuries were fully healed. Although Tian Qing hadn't completely recovered, she could already control her flying instrument. The two set off once again towards the Boundary Mountain Range.
[Read at /shanefreak, and heartfelt thankyou for your support!]