Looking up at the unresponsive blue sky, Jie Shui lowered his head with a touch of melancholy.
“We can’t go back, can we?” He followed this with a nonchalant smile. “It’s fine. It was worth it anyway.”
“Yeah, it was worth it,” Gan RuÇŽnruÇŽn agreed with a smile.
She casually moved to lean against a tree to rest, but Jiang Ke’er suddenly pulled her away.
“The Otherworld is full of dangers. We must act with extreme caution here. Keep your protection secure and avoid touching anything in this place if you can help it,” Jiang Ke’er warned with a grave expression.
“Why?” the Little Demons asked in confusion.
Ruan Ruan added, “We’ve been waiting here without moving for 2 days just like you ordered, but we haven’t encountered any fierce beasts. It seems quite safe here…”
“Many dangers are invisible,” Jiang Ke’er said, shaking her head.
“Just like Spiritual Energy, you cannot see it, but it has a tangible impact on us. Bacteria and viruses are the same. Our Cultivation Bases haven’t reached the Seven Luminaries Realm yet, so we don’t have micro-level vision. We simply cannot see their existence.”
“What are bacteria and viruses? A type of toxin?” Ruan Ruan’s curiosity was piqued.
“Essentially,” Jiang Ke’er nodded.
“Even though disease has been extinct in Shenzhou for many years, we cannot be certain if viruses exist in the Otherworld that can harm Cultivators. If they do exist, our bodies would have zero resistance because we have no experience dealing with them. That would be a catastrophe for us.”
Jiang Ke’er remembered vividly that in her past life, every time an astronaut returned from space, they had to undergo thorough disinfection to prevent bringing back superbugs.
‘It’s an absolutely necessary step. I’m not being paranoid; if that one-in-ten-thousand chance occurs, it will be a disaster on the level of racial extinction.’
Ruan Ruan nodded, though she only half-understood.
The Cultivators of Shenzhou had no concept of disease.
From the day a person stepped onto the path of cultivation, illness was completely eradicated from their lives.
The only thing that could threaten them was toxin.
However, most toxins in Shenzhou were chemical in nature rather than biological like bacteria or viruses, meaning their contagious potential was mediocre.
This was why Jiang Ke’er’s Spore Poison was so effective; it was difficult for them to even comprehend.
“However, it is time to explore this world,” Jiang Ke’er said as she stood up.
“Remember to keep your masks and Protective Suits on at all times. Do not take them off even during battle unless it is absolutely necessary.”
“Understood, understood.” Although they didn’t take it to heart, the Little Demons still strictly followed Jiang Ke’er’s orders.
Before they began exploring this unknown Giant Tree World, Jiang Ke’er stood before the Little Demons. Seeing the lingering melancholy in their eyes, she said firmly, “Don’t worry, we can go back.”
“…”
The Little Demons didn’t respond, clearly harboring little hope in their hearts.
“Believe me. Sooner or later, Emperor Jing will beg us to return. It might be tomorrow, it might be next year, or it might be 10 years from now… but that day will come,” Jiang Ke’er said in a low voice.
“So, what we must do now is protect ourselves and live until that day arrives. No one should do anything impulsive or foolish.”
“Understood.”
Having received their affirmation, Jiang Ke’er felt slightly more at ease.
She was prepared for a long, drawn-out struggle.
However, she didn’t expect that day to come so quickly.
As one of the three strongest Dan Cultivators in all of Shenzhou, Alchemist Saint Liu Jinting had always believed that Medical Cultivators were merely remnants of history.
That overly cautious, low-efficiency method of treatment was clearly something only commoners who couldn’t afford high-grade Dan Medicine needed.
Why would high-level Cultivators need that? They could just come to him and buy a Nine-Turn Hundred-Refined Pill.
It handled everything—neutralizing toxins, replenishing Spiritual Power, and healing wounds. Why bother with a tedious Medical Cultivator?
The Cultivator Realm had flourished, and the Human Clan was at its peak! Every situation could be resolved with Dan Medicine; ordinary Medical Cultivators no longer had a reason to exist!
He was a staunch supporter of Emperor Jing’s actions in eliminating Medical Cultivators. Dan Cultivators were more than enough!
Therefore, when he heard that a royal patient required his personal attention, he didn’t take such a small matter to heart.
In several centuries, he had always cured every ailment and neutralized every toxin he encountered.
He had never run into a difficult or strange case.
It was almost boring.
He arrived at the military camp on his private Cloud Boat.
When the army doctor saw his face, the man’s face flushed with excitement as he said in a trembling voice, “It is the Alchemist Saint! Lord Liu Jinting! Please, come in!”
Liu Jinting gave a slight nod and strode into the tent where the patient was kept, maintaining a dignified posture.
As soon as he entered, he heard a fit of violent coughing, mixed with the patient’s weak, raspy hiss: “Water… give me water…”
A maid nearby hurriedly handed over a large bowl of water.
The man, who was as thin as a rail, sat up and gulped down the entire bowl in the blink of an eye.
But shortly after the water reached his stomach, his face suddenly turned a deep purple.
He threw his head back, and the water he had just swallowed sprayed out like a fountain, mixed with bright red blood!
The jet of water instantly soaked the clothes of both the maid and Liu Jinting.
Liu Jinting frowned. “Has he been like this the whole time?”
“Yes,” the maid replied, looking as if she were used to it.
“He keeps screaming for water, but he can’t keep a single drop down. Everything he drinks gets sprayed back out. The army doctor and I have had to change our clothes several times; they’re all being washed by the river right now.”
Liu Jinting vaguely felt that something wasn’t right, yet it didn’t seem entirely wrong either.
He took out a handkerchief to casually wipe the bloodstains from his robes, then sat down beside the man and peeled back his eyelids to look.
“The whites of the eyes are bloodshot, which indicates that the blood vessels and meridians have ruptured. He cannot withstand potent restorative pills and needs gradual recovery,” Liu Jinting said as he stood up with a confident smile.
“It is a blood-clotting toxin. He needs pills that can clear blockages. Such pills are indeed rare and expensive on the market, and their effectiveness is usually poor, so it’s normal that you were unable to handle this.”
“Then…” The army doctor looked at Liu Jinting expectantly.
Liu Jinting stroked his beard and smiled.
“Fortunately, I have a few exclusive secret recipes.”
“That’s wonderful!” the army doctor cried out in joy.
“Take this bottle. Administer the medicine 3 times a day. If he spits it out, hold his mouth shut and use your Spiritual Power to help him dissolve and absorb it.”
As he spoke, Liu Jinting tossed over a small ceramic bottle. The army doctor caught it and kowtowed repeatedly toward Liu Jinting in gratitude.
“As expected of the Alchemist Saint! You saw the root of the problem at a single glance and provided the perfect remedy!”
Liu Jinting had heard such flattery so many times he was tired of it, yet it still felt pleasant.
He waved his hand. “Enough. I’m heading back. Notify me if there are any other problems.”
“Wait!” the army doctor suddenly called out, glancing at the hem of Liu Jinting’s robes.
“Forgive me for overstepping, Senior, but this toxin is fierce. Perhaps you should… change your clothes before you leave?”
“You’re overthinking it,” Liu Jinting laughed heartily.
“The toxins in this world ultimately have an upper limit to their potency. Unless they reach a certain dosage, they cause absolutely no harm to the human body. For instance, all Dan Medicine contains Dan Poison. Toxins have already accumulated within you and me; the dosage is simply too low to matter.”
“Uh…” The army doctor hesitated.
“Don’t dwell on it. If the toxins in his body were that potent, he would have been dead long ago, and so would you. Spraying this tiny amount is nothing to worry about, especially with me here,” Liu Jinting said, patting the army doctor on the shoulder with a smile.
‘That’s true. He is the Alchemist Saint, after all. Why am I worrying for him?’
Seeing Liu Jinting’s reassuring and confident smile, the army doctor immediately felt at ease.
He bowed and said, “Then I shall not take up any more of your time, Senior.”
“Mhm. I still have a few other patients to see. I’m off.”
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