Qiao Ling'er quickly stepped forward to examine Ye Yu and let out a sigh of relief.
Xia Ling asked with concern, "How is he?"
Qiao Ling'er swiftly activated her Heal-Heal Fruit abilities to treat him and shook her head. "The Captain isn't in any life-threatening danger. He's just exhausted his physical and mental energy. Rest is all he needs. Though his body is covered in wounds, now that I'm at level 27, a few treatments over a day will fully heal him."
This eased the worries of Xia Ling and the rest of the crew.
"That's a relief."
"As expected of the Captain. His injuries look severe, but they're actually not that bad."
"His physique and vitality are truly formidable."
...
Under Qiao Ling'er's healing, Ye Yu's wounds visibly closed at a rapid pace.
The Tyrant Feather Pirate Ship anchored near a deserted island free of Ferocious Beasts, waiting for Ye Yu to fully recover before setting sail again.
By now, the Mystic Realm incident had concluded. The nine cities involved had been completely destroyed, while Taiyuan City suffered only minor damage to its urban areas—with zero casualties. The people were endlessly grateful, holding this debt of gratitude close to heart. This included not just civilians but also many Pirates, as the city had housed quite a few when the Mystic Realm first appeared.
Across the world, numerous cities now sought the protection of the Dominant Feather Pirate Crew.
"We want to become part of the Dominant Feather Pirate Crew's territory too."
"Right now, too many cities are vying to join their domain. After all, this time, the Dominant Feather Pirate Crew proved their reputation. Ye Yu chose to challenge the Mystic Realm largely to protect his own territory—he wasn't even fully confident at the start."
"Exactly. If it weren't for the Dominant Feather's territory, Ye Yu wouldn't have taken such a risk. Other cities were under the rule of powerful Pirate Crews too, but they were abandoned—destroyed, with everyone dead."
"This incident made us realize that in a world like this, even civilians aren't safe. We need the protection of a strong Pirate Crew."
...
This was why so many cities now sought to become part of the Dominant Feather's domain. Not only had Ye Yu once again shocked the world, but he had also significantly elevated the crew's reputation, earning even more admiration and reverence.
Upon learning of this, Xia Ling arranged for their protection—so long as the regions weren't ruled by evil forces. After all, one of their ultimate goals was to become the Overlord of this world. Naturally, all territories would eventually fall under the Dominant Feather's rule.
Meanwhile, Lin Muxue's expression darkened. He had succeeded—and survived. His injuries weren't severe enough to incapacitate him for ten days or even half a month.
If he had been immobilized, his training progress would've slowed. But it seemed he would recover swiftly.
"Damn it," Lin Muxue seethed through gritted teeth.
Li Cang spoke up, "Xue Er, the rest is up to you. There's only a month left until the Duel Arena. Ye Yu has grown significantly, but the stronger he gets, the more advantageous it is for you."
Hearing this, Lin Muxue's anger subsided slightly. She smirked and nodded. "True. The harder he struggles to improve, the more he's just paving the way for me. Once I defeat him, the experience I'll gain will be immense. Even though Ye Yu's level is higher than mine now, in a month, I'll undoubtedly surpass him. His progress is slowing down, while mine remains steady. No matter how many opportunities he seizes, he won't outpace me in just a month. After this, I'll train even harder to widen the gap."
...
A day had passed, and Ye Yu's injuries had completely healed. The countless wounds that once covered his body were now gone without a trace of scarring—such was the formidable power of Qiao Ling'er's Heal-Heal Fruit.
Ye Yu was still sound asleep, having exhausted both his physical strength and mental energy in the battle. It was sheer willpower that had kept him going until the end.
Qiao Ling'er reminded them, "Although the Captain is strong and can go days without eating, this battle took a heavy toll. He needs nourishment, but he's in such a deep sleep now that it'll be hard for him to wake up. He'll likely sleep for another full day and night, so we'll have to help him eat."
At that moment, Zhou Xing brought in a spread of delicious, nutritious food.
Xia Ling said, "Leave it to me."
Qiao Ling'er and Zhou Xing left the room, leaving only Xia Ling and Ye Yu behind.
Xia Ling scooped up a spoonful of rib soup, but since Ye Yu's mouth was closed, much of the soup spilled out when she tried to feed him, making it difficult for him to drink.
After a brief hesitation, Xia Ling's cheeks flushed slightly as she thought, He's unconscious now—he won't know.
So, she took a sip of the soup herself, then gently parted Ye Yu's lips with her fingers before pressing her mouth to his, letting the soup flow into him.
Since Ye Yu was unconscious and couldn't chew, the food had to be liquid. Xia Ling continued this way—taking the soup into her own mouth first, then feeding it to Ye Yu, one mouthful at a time.
As Ye Yu consumed the food, his complexion and vitality visibly improved. Xia Ling was delighted. Qiao Ling'er had mentioned that if he ate enough, he might even wake up earlier.
An hour passed by the time she finished feeding him. Gazing at Ye Yu's face, Xia Ling couldn't help herself—she impulsively kissed his lips.
Though their lips had touched many times while feeding him, that had been for sustenance. This time, it was a real kiss.
Her face burned, and her heart raced. Earlier, she had used the food as an excuse, but this time, it was purely her own desire—completely different.
Xia Ling stayed by his side, keeping watch, when suddenly she froze.
Her eyes darted to the blanket covering Ye Yu—specifically, the part that had tented upward.
In an instant, she understood.
She turned her head away, but her gaze still flickered back. He must be having that kind of dream again, she thought, both embarrassed and exasperated.
Yet, even if it was that kind of dream, it was undoubtedly influenced by external factors—namely, what Xia Ling had just done.
She forced herself not to look, but the image of the raised blanket lingered in her mind. It's so... high, she couldn't help but marvel inwardly.
Just then, Qiao Ling'er, Zhao Yan'er, Zhang Tian, Zhang Na La, and Han Ling entered the room.
Xia Ling quickly sat in the middle of the bed, turning her back to Ye Yu to block the tented blanket and avoid awkwardness.
Zhang Tian and the others asked with concern, "Did the Captain eat?"
Xia Ling smiled faintly. "He finished everything."
They glanced at the empty plates and nodded. "Good."
"Thanks for your hard work, Sister Ling."
"Sister Ling, let me take over for a while. You should rest. Since the Captain can eat even while asleep, I'll handle the next feeding," Zhang Tian offered.
Xia Ling declined. "It's fine. I can manage. The Captain will wake up in at most a day—it's no trouble."
She certainly couldn't admit that Ye Yu couldn't eat on his own and that she had been feeding him mouth-to-mouth. That would be far too embarrassing.
"Alright then."
Xia Ling said, "You all go focus on your training. I'll take care of things here."
"Got it."
After Zhang Tian and the others left, Xia Ling let out a sigh of relief. When she turned back to look, she felt a headache coming on—he still hadn't woken up.
Dinner proceeded as before, with Xia Ling continuing to feed Ye Yu in the same manner.
Twenty hours passed, and by noon the next day, Xia Ling was once again holding a spoonful of soup in her mouth as she leaned down to feed Ye Yu.
At that exact moment, Ye Yu's eyes fluttered open.
(End of chapter)