There are countless sword cultivators but mages are hard to come by, especially talented ones like Cheng Sheng. And now, Ling Yun.
Cheng Sheng naturally knows Ling Yun idolizes him and wants to be like him – both a sword cultivator and a mage. Ling Yun is definitely promising because although the Yuling Sect is just new, Ling Yun's foundation is already good. Yu Wen isn't idling, either. Since he decided to build a sect, then he definitely will see through it until the end.
Cheng Sheng, suddenly, felt emotional. He can see the Xinfaxian Sect in the Yuling Sect. Before, it was just Xie Lan and Fan Wen, too, like Yu Wen and Ling Xi right now of the Yuling Sect. But, in the blink of an eye, the Xinfaxian Sect grew bigger with them four disciples – Fei Yin, Cheng Sheng, Li Tian and Feng Mo, to start and later Lei Qing, Lei Ling and You Rou added, turning into seven disciples under Fan Wen's tutelage.
Cheng Sheng believes that the Yuling Sect will be like the Xinfaxian Sect. Thus, he took Ling Yun in as his disciple.
"Training the disciples yesterday also made me realize that each and every one of us has different meridians, and also practices different cultivation techniques." He spoke as he continued the topic. "Take the cultivation world as a tree for example. Each sect is a branch, and the cultivation techniques makes each sect create smaller branches which represents as the disciples." He looked at them. "What I wanted to say, there will be hundreds or thousands of branches that will be produced. If cultivation techniques can create more branches, then why can't the medicine?" he asked as he took a step forward. "There are also different kinds of medicines, and also methods to use these medicines." He looked at each one of them who are listening intently. "Finally, I have reached a conclusion: these enemies also have their own methods, be it in cultivation or medicines. Naturally, they also have different poisons or, like the Devouring Worms as 'weapons'. So – " he took a deep breath. " – I will create a new medicine." He said.
"What medicine?" they asked.
"A combination of ours and theirs." Cheng Sheng answered.
"… huh?" they muttered as they looked at him blankly, didn't get what he meant.
It was then that Fei Lin and Xi Ling arrived, along with Wu Bai.
"We've brought what you asked." Fei Lin spoke. He and Xi Ling placed the familiar boxes on a table while Wu Bai tiredly sat beside Feng Mo and hugged the other to seek comfort before he closed his eyes to rest.
He was exhausted.
"Thank you." Cheng Sheng nodded at them.
"Cheng Sheng, isn't these…" the sect leaders and elders spoke.
Cheng Sheng nodded. "Yes. The Devouring Worms." he told them.
Their expressions, as expected, turned green in disgust, and pale in horror. "What… what do you want these disgusting and terrifying worms for?!" they asked.
Tang Teng who doesn't like insects are dry heaving on the side. Fortunately, the foods he have eaten earlier have already been digested. Or else, he would definitely humiliate himself and his sect right then and there.
"As I have said, I will combine what's theirs to what's ours." Cheng Sheng answered as he walked towards the table but then suddenly stopped.
Everyone looked at him. They thought that Cheng Sheng stopped because he was disgusted by the Devouring Worms, and stopped with his idea of using them to make medicine.
"That's right." Cheng Sheng muttered when he remembered something. He turned to them, particularly to He Run. "Sect leader He. Your son is already awake. I apologize, I forgot to inform you." He told him and apologetically smiled.
He Run's eyes widened in shock. He didn't even uttered an excuse as he immediately ran.
"He's in the infirmary… ah. There he goes." Cheng Sheng sighed when he saw He Run disappeared. he called a waiter waiting by the side and told him to tell He Run where the infirmary is. Then, he turned back to the sect leaders and elders.
"Sect leader He's son woke up…" they muttered in a daze.
"You really have finally found a way to cure the enemy's mental, and might be spiritual, attacks?" Sun Yu asked as he looked at Cheng Sheng in surprise.
Cheng Sheng nodded as an answer. "I refined that parasitic mask… or a mask parasite? Ah, whatever." He muttered and frowned. "I used most of my energy that recovered when my cultivation is now advancing again…" he sighed in pity and regret.
"You could've called us!" Fan Wen told him. The others nodded in agreement.
Cheng Sheng turned and stared at them. "… true. I could have." He muttered and slapped his forehead. "Damn it. I forgot!" he frowned.
Everyone. "…" it must be he's really that busy… they thought.
"Anyway, after refining that parasitic mask, since I didn't kill it and purified it, He Shun woke up." Cheng Sheng continued. "But, Ho Ting's, as well as Xi Ming's, case is different." He told them. "So, after refining that parasitic mask, I thought of using these Devouring Worms, too, and make a medicine out of them." He pointed the boxes. "Since what they ate are brains… ehem." He coughed and looked away when he saw their expressions turning green and pale. "I think that these worms could be use as nourishments and I will feed it to Xi Ming and Ho Ting whose mental states are in a bad condition." He explained.
Their faces twisted in disgust as they thought of the worms turning into magic pills. They silently and tacitly agreed to not tell Xi Ming and Ho Ting about this when they wake up. They looked at Cheng Sheng who opened a box.
They can tell that Cheng Sheng is a practical person. The enemies used the Devouring Worms to attack them, yet he will use it as a medicine to treat patients. If the enemies would know this, they definitely would hasten their actions to kill Cheng Sheng.
But, the sect leaders and elders believe that Cheng Sheng is someone who won't easily be killed despite his current low cultivation, that which is now showing signs of recovering after five years being in a stagnant state. Aren't they also there to protect Cheng Sheng? Not to mention Fei Yin who has, finally, returned… thus, no one can kill Cheng Sheng!
"Cheng Sheng… thank you!" He Run spoke with tears in his eyes when he returned with the weak-looking He Shun. Qi Lan is following behind them, acting like a guard with his muscular arms crossed over his chest.
Everyone turned, including Cheng Sheng who closed the box after he looked at the Devouring Worm inside as if he is inspecting something.
"Right. Sect leader He. I also have to thank you because if not for this incident, I won't have discovered something." Cheng Sheng spoke as he turned to Ling Yun. "Go separate them by the color of their thread – red, white and black." He told him. "Red for those who have eaten, white for those who have not but still alive. And black for those who are dead." He explained.
Ling Yun enthusiastically nodded albeit what he is going to check are the Devouring Worms. This is the first task Cheng Sheng gave him, so he has to perform well! And so, he started sorting the boxes, not caring what is inside them.
Ling Xi covered his eyes, as if ashamed of watching his nephew behaving stupidly. Yu Wen patted his shoulder to comfort him. "Only Yun-er can see those threads with his naked eye. We have to use Visual Origin Talismans." He told him. "Also, this can train Yun-er's eyes." He added.
Ling Xi has no choice but to agree.
"It's us who should be thankful. Shun-er." He Run called his son.
"Elder Cheng… thank you very much for saving me." He Shun weakly told him. He is supported by his father.
"If you say so." Cheng Sheng shrugged. "Here, a gift." He told them.
"This is…?" He Run and He Shun skeptically looked at the magic pill inside an open box.
Qi Lan glanced at it and looked away. The others also knew it and their lips twitched, but they didn't say anything. They already know what it is.
"This is the magic pill I created from the corpse of that parasitic mask which soul I refined to not hurt your son's soul and mind." Cheng Sheng explained.
Slowly, He Run's and He Shun's faces turned color and twisted. Everyone could see that they are authentic father and son since not only their faces, but also their expressions are the same. Just that one looked older and one is younger.
"No… no need." He Run spoke with much difficulty while He Shun hid behind his father fast despite his still weak body, as if running away from a demon when it's just a magic pill.
"I already made lots of medicine from these…" Cheng Sheng spoke. "Then…" he turned to the silent Qi Lan behind them.
He Run and He Shun looked at Qi Lan with pleading and grateful gazes.
Qi Lan's brow twitched. "… thanks.." He said and hurriedly closed the box after he received it.