The storm had not stopped.
Thunder rolled endlessly above the mountains as rain poured down like the heavens themselves had broken open.
Inside the secluded chamber of the Healing Pavilion, however, the outside world felt distant.
The room was silent.
Only the faint sound of Lin Xianwu's breathing could be heard.
It was weak.
Too weak.
His body lay still upon the jade healing platform placed in the center of the chamber. Ancient runes carved into the stone glowed faintly beneath him, releasing a soft spiritual warmth meant to stabilize injured cultivators.
Yet even that powerful formation struggled to hold his life together.
The crimson glow of his Inner Flame Core flickered beneath his skin.
Faint.
Unstable.
Like a dying ember that could vanish at any moment.
Standing beside the platform was the Supreme Lady of Darel.
Her soaked robes had been replaced with long dark ceremonial garments, their embroidered flame patterns glimmering faintly under the lantern light.
Her expression remained calm.
Composed.
But her eyes… never left Lin Xianwu.
Outside the chamber, the Supreme Master, Lucifer, Luna, and the elders waited in tense silence.
No one dared enter.
Because the Supreme Lady had given a single order.
No interruptions.
Inside the chamber, she slowly raised her hand.
Her slender fingers hovered above Lin's chest.
For a moment, she simply watched him.
His pale face.
His unmoving body.
His fragile breath.
"You reckless fool…"
Her voice was quiet.
Soft enough that no one else would ever hear it.
Then her expression hardened slightly.
Emotion had no place here.
Right now, only precision mattered.
If she made even the smallest mistake…
Lin Xianwu would die.
Slowly, she took a deep breath.
Then she began.
Step One — Sealing the Broken Meridians
She placed both palms above Lin's body without touching him.
A faint golden light appeared around her hands.
Spiritual energy began to flow from her body — not violently, but in controlled streams.
Thin threads of flame energy drifted downward, entering Lin's damaged meridians.
The moment her energy entered his body—
She frowned slightly.
The damage was worse than expected.
Many of his spiritual pathways had collapsed entirely. Others were twisted or torn apart.
If she forced energy through them, the remaining pathways would shatter.
So instead of pushing forward…
She slowed down.
Carefully guiding her flame energy through the smallest intact channels she could find.
Her control was flawless.
Like a master surgeon working with threads of light.
One by one, she began sealing the cracks in his meridians.
Not repairing them completely yet.
Just stabilizing them.
Preventing them from collapsing further.
Minutes passed.
Then an hour.
Her breathing remained steady.
But tiny beads of sweat had begun to form on her forehead.
This level of control required immense concentration.
Finally—
The unstable tremors within Lin's meridian network began to calm.
The first stage was complete.
She exhaled softly.
"Good… you're still holding on."
Step Two — Awakening the Dying Flame
Now came the dangerous part.
She moved her hand to hover directly above Lin's dantian.
Deep within that location lay the shattered remnants of his Inner Flame Core.
If the flame completely died…
Nothing could save him.
Her eyes closed briefly.
Then she gathered her own flame energy.
Unlike ordinary cultivators, her flame was ancient and powerful.
A flame born from countless years of cultivation.
But right now, she couldn't release it freely.
Lin's body wouldn't survive that.
So she did something far more difficult.
She divided her flame.
Separating it into hundreds of tiny sparks.
Each one no bigger than a grain of sand.
Slowly… carefully…
She guided those sparks into Lin's core.
The dying crimson flame inside him trembled the moment they entered.
For a second—
It almost went out.
Her eyes opened sharply.
"Don't you dare extinguish now."
Her voice carried quiet authority.
As if commanding the flame itself.
Then the tiny sparks of her energy began circling his broken core.
Not feeding it.
Not forcing it.
Simply surrounding it.
Protecting it.
Encouraging it to awaken again.
Several minutes passed.
Nothing happened.
Then—
A faint flicker appeared.
The dying ember twitched.
Once.
Then again.
Her shoulders relaxed slightly.
"There you are…"
Step Three — Rebuilding the Core
This was the most dangerous step.
If she miscalculated the flow of energy even slightly…
Lin's entire core could collapse.
Slowly, she placed her palm gently against his chest.
This was the first time she had touched him since entering the chamber.
A pulse of warm energy flowed into his body.
Her flame sparks began moving.
Guiding the fragments of his broken core together.
Piece by piece.
Fragment by fragment.
It was like rebuilding shattered glass with invisible threads.
Her breathing became heavier now.
Even for someone of her cultivation…
This process demanded enormous power.
The chamber slowly filled with soft golden light as her energy continued flowing.
The shattered fragments of Lin's flame core began drawing closer together.
Not perfectly.
But enough.
Enough to form a stable center.
Finally—
The faint crimson flame inside him grew slightly brighter.
Not strong.
Not yet.
But alive.
Truly alive.
She let out a slow breath.
"It seems… you're not ready to die after all."
Step Four — Synchronizing the Flame
The final stage.
She kept her palm against his chest.
Then she did something no one else in the world would dare attempt.
She allowed her own flame core to resonate with his.
Not transferring energy.
Not forcing power.
Simply… synchronizing.
Her flame and his.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then—
A deep warmth spread between them.
Her flame recognized his.
And his broken flame… responded.
The crimson light beneath Lin's skin slowly grew steadier.
Stronger.
His breathing deepened slightly.
The flickering instability that once threatened to destroy him began fading away.
She maintained the connection for several more minutes.
Ensuring the resonance was stable.
Finally…
She withdrew her hand.
The chamber returned to silence.
Lin Xianwu still lay unconscious.
But his breathing was no longer fragile.
His flame core… was no longer dying.
He would live.
For a long moment, the Supreme Lady simply stood there.
Looking at him.
The tension in her body slowly faded.
Then suddenly—
Her knees weakened slightly.
She stepped back and sat beside the platform.
The composure she had maintained for hours…
Finally cracked.
Her eyes fell upon Lin's peaceful face.
And for the first time in many years—
Her vision blurred.
A single tear slipped down her cheek.
Then another.
She quickly wiped them away.
But more followed.
Her voice trembled softly.
"You… stupid man…"
Her hand reached out slowly.
Gently brushing a strand of hair away from his forehead.
"Are you trying to leave me alone again?"
Her voice broke.
Memories long buried rose in her heart.
Years ago.
A farewell she never wanted.
A man who walked away without looking back.
And now…
Seeing him lying here again… on the edge of death…
Had reopened wounds she thought she had long forgotten.
Her fingers trembled slightly as they rested lightly on his hand.
"For so many years…"
She whispered.
"I told myself I didn't care anymore."
Another tear fell onto the jade platform.
"But the moment I heard you might die…"
She laughed bitterly.
"I crossed half the world through a storm just to reach you."
Her head lowered slightly.
"You really are cruel, Lin Xianwu."
Silence filled the chamber.
The storm outside had begun to quiet.
Only soft rain remained.
She sat there beside him for several minutes.
Watching his chest rise and fall peacefully.
Finally, she wiped away the remaining tears.
Her usual calm expression slowly returned.
But the softness in her eyes remained.
She stood up.
Looking down at him one last time.
"You're not allowed to die."
Her voice was firm again.
"Not until I decide what to do with you."
She turned toward the door.
But before leaving—
She paused.
Glancing back once more.
A faint smile appeared on her lips.
The kind she never showed anyone.
"Sleep well for now."
"Lin Xianwu."
Then she quietly left the chamber.
Outside, Lucifer, Luna, and the others immediately stood.
Their eyes filled with anxiety.
The Supreme Lady looked at them calmly.
"He will live."
The tension that had gripped everyone finally shattered.
Relief spread across their faces.
But none of them noticed something strange.
Inside the chamber…
The faint crimson flame within Lin Xianwu's core suddenly pulsed once.
Stronger than before.
And for a brief moment—
His fingers moved slightly.