Su Wen extended his Soul Sense, letting it sink gently into April's injured arm.
What he saw made his brows knit.
Most of the flesh had already begun to rot... blackened, greenish, and blistered, as if it were slowly melting from the inside.
Beneath the surface, corrupted qi writhed like living filth, gnawing at her meridians without mercy.
Near her shoulder, a thick wall of foreign spiritual qi stood like a crude dam.
It was clearly the result of April's own resistance combined with the desperate efforts of the physicians. They had forcibly sealed the poison's advance…but only barely.
Thin tendrils of tainted qi still leaked through, seeping forward like foul water through cracked stone, consuming everything in their path.
Su Wen withdrew his Soul Sense and spoke calmly, his tone calm and precise.
"This poison… it reeks of decay. Yin-oriented. It dissolves flesh painfully. Filled with impurities and corrupted qi."
Several physicians exchanged glances... some mocking, some pitying, others helpless.
A few nodded unconsciously, because everything he said was correct.
But others scoffed.
"We already know that," one muttered under his breath.
A senior alchemist let out a quiet, mocking chuckle."Knowing is meaningless. Can you treat it?"
A younger apprentice whispered, loud enough for all to hear,"Even senior alchemists gave up. What can you do?"
A ripple of sneers passed through the group.
Lance's expression twisted, humiliation and fury burning behind frantic eyes. His fists clenched until his knuckles whitened.
"If you can't help, keep quiet," he said, voice cracking.
None responded. Some shrugged; others looked away.
One physician sighed theatrically."We tried. She's done for. You're wasting everyone's time."
Another added cruelly,"If you can't accept it, take her elsewhere. Don't waste a bed here..."
Lance's shoulders trembled.
He glanced at April... pale, black-veined, teeth clenched against unbearable pain.
"If you can't help," he repeated, voice shaking, eyes burning crimson,"then keep quiet."
With a sharp motion, he drew his spear. Flames roared to life along the tip.
"Otherwise," he said coldly,"don't blame me for turning all of you into ashes."
"Otherwise," he said coldly,"don't blame me if I turn all of you into ashes."
The temperature in the room surged.
Every physician and alchemist shuddered as overwhelming pressure crashed down... a Spear God's aura, wreathed in crimson flames, piercing straight into their souls.
Only now did they realize: the man before them was no ordinary cultivator.
Heads dropped instantly.
No one dared breathe too loudly.
The hall fell into deathly silence... icy and rigid against Lance's blazing fury.
Yet none of them noticed the beautiful woman in blue robes standing near the entrance.
Her delicate hands trembled, fingers hovering just an inch from her sword hilt.
She was moments away from drawing it... ready to cut out the tongues of anyone who dared mock her husband.
She wanted to act… desperately.
But she held herself back, afraid of distracting him at the worst possible moment.
From his perch, the silver-eyes young man observed silently, eyes narrowing at Lance.
'That fire… I could use it to warm my food', Big Fatty Bai mused absentmindedly, still wrestling with his pile of meat bowls.
Su Wen, however, remained calm.
He looked at Lance and nodded slightly.
"You have a Fire-based Intent," he said evenly."Good."
All heads turned toward him, confused and startled.
'Why was this person talking about fire intent at a moment like this?'
Su Wen continued, voice steady, "This poison is Yin-attributed, mixed with decaying and corrupted qi. The best counter is a Yang element… like fire or lightning."
A murmur ran through the hall.
"Since the alchemists need time to refine a pill, our first priority is stopping the poison... especially from reaching her heart. If it does, she won't survive."
He gestured."Use your fire intent to form a wall at her shoulder. Block the poison completely, even the leaks. Once contained, her life will be safe."
He added calmly,"We could cut the arm to save her life… and later, with a higher-grade healing pill, it could be fully regenerated. But it's not too late yet, I can try saving her arm."
Silence fell again.
Every healer and alchemist stared, stunned.
None had considered using elemental intent to block poison.
None had dared suggest cutting off the arm to save her life; after all, they were ordinary physicians and alchemists, bound by conventional methods, and had never even seen a pill above Grade 3.
Lance felt a massive weight lift off his chest. He rushed to April's side and knelt.
"It will hurt a little," Su Wen said gently, placing a wooden stick between her teeth. Then he looked at Lance."Pain is temporary… her life matters most."
Lance nodded, gratitude swelling in his chest. He silently thanked the stranger for the kind, steadying words he desperately needed.
With determination burning in his eyes, he summoned his fire intent to his fingertips, carefully directing it to the weak spiritual barrier, letting the flames shoulder the pressure.
"Mmmnuhh… mmfhh…!"April's muffled cries filled the air as the fire intent clashed with the corrupted poison.
But Lance did not stop. Her life depended on him.
Moments later, a faint sizzling echoed from her shoulder... the poison was fully contained.
Yet Lance had to maintain the fiery barrier.
He couldn't move. He couldn't waver.
Nor could he use his fire intent to purge the poison, for doing so would turn her arm into a battlefield and risk destroying it completely.
All eyes shifted to Su Wen.
Those who had mocked him, dismissed him, and lost hope now saw a simple, elegant, creative method they had never imagined.
Shame burned across their faces.
Su Wen glanced at Lance, who maintained a calm expression despite the flicker of pain in his eyes.
He spoke gently, teasing to lighten the tension:"Fellow Daoist, don't worry. Your… dao companion will be fine."
April, still trembling from the pain, froze for a split second... then her cheeks flushed a vivid red.
She didn't speak.
Instead, she shut her eyes tightly and turned her head to the right.
Lance, however, reacted even more violently.
His ears turned crimson as he stammered in a voice softer than a mosquito's buzz,"S-she's not my dao companion… yet."
He quickly looked away, like a shy maiden the night before her wedding..
Silence.
Pure, suffocating silence... so thick it felt as if time itself had frozen.
Everyone in the room stared at the pair with expressions so complex they bordered on existential despair.
Just moments ago, they had been witnessing a terrifying Spear God... crimson flames, overwhelming killing intent, pressure that made souls tremble.
And now?
A pair of blushing idiots flirting in the middle of a life-and-death medical emergency.
Several healers screamed internally.
A few felt the urge to vomit from the emotional whiplash.
Others wanted to dig a hole through the floor and bury themselves forever.
The person suffering the most, however, was Su Wen... who stood closest to them.
He felt an overwhelming urge to gouge out his own eyes… and possibly his tongue.
'Why did I tease them?''Why did I open my mouth?'
Regretting every choice that led him here, he returned his attention to April.
She hesitantly opened her eyes and met his.
Completely out of the blue, he asked,"Do you like spicy food?"
Everyone froze.
…Food? Why now?
April, assuming he was trying to distract her, gritted her teeth and played along."Yes… I like spicy food."
Su Wen nodded thoughtfully."How spicy?"
"A lot…" she said, voice tight as she endured the pain.
Satisfied, Su Wen gave a final nod and walked out, refusing to remain another second in this battlefield of embarrassment.
He stopped beside an attendant and spoke quietly, tone businesslike:"Please prepare the following spirit herbs for me: Phoenixflame Chili, Crimson Sun Ginger, Red Coriander, and Ashbone Lotus Seeds. All Grade 3, Yang-oriented. Known for anti-toxic properties…"
He paused, then added calmly,"…and their fiery taste."