The divine power moves were completely exhausted.

Fan Wubing withdrew his mind and opened his eyes.

["Great Oblivion Heart-Burning Technique" current cultivation progress: 41%]

[...Current maximum life value: 21724]

After absorbing two divine power moves, he gained exactly 5024 points of blood, but before that, there were just over 12,000 points... Where did the extra blood come from?

As he was about to check the prompts, a somewhat weak voice sounded in his ear,

"You're alright now."

Fan Wubing looked over and saw Fu Manman sitting beside him, looking at him gently.

Her face was a bit pale, her breath was much weaker, and her right wrist was wrapped in white cloth.

Fan Wubing immediately understood what had happened earlier.

He asked heavily, "Why?"

Fu Manman said, "You said you needed Qi, so I gave it to you."

"But... you could have given me immortal Qi, why this way? You let me... directly absorb your blood."

Fu Manman said, "This way should be the most effective for you. That's why I merged the immortal Qi into the blood and Qi."

Indeed, directly absorbing blood and Qi is the most efficient way.

"How did you know?" Fan Wubing looked at her intently.

Fu Manman felt a strong sense of pressure. This feeling suffocated her, giving a sense of antagonism. She suddenly panicked,

"I... guessed. You have no cultivation, yet your Qi and blood are very resilient... Earlier, when facing that Umbrella Demon, your Qi and blood recovered quickly. So I thought, could it be... I'm sorry."

"Why apologize?"

"Letting you absorb blood... this kind of thing, isn't good. I'm sorry." Fu Manman bowed her head.

Fan Wubing suddenly smiled.

Fu Manman looked at him in confusion.

Fan Wubing sighed, "I should be the one apologizing. Manman, why would you be willing to let me absorb your blood?"

"Because... of the rabbit."

"Rabbit?"

"When I was little. You gave me a paper rabbit."

Fan Wubing thought for a moment, there was such a thing,

"Just because of that?"

"Mm."

No, it couldn't be the only reason.

Fan Wubing squinted his eyes, "Manman. The rabbit that appeared earlier at Enlightenment Peak was yours, right?"

"Yes..." Fu Manman's voice was very soft.

"You've been keeping an eye on me?"

"..." Fu Manman pursed her lips and remained silent.

Fan Wubing sighed, thinking, to think this was the case... He stood up, looked at her and said,

"Manman. Don't do this kind of thing again in the future."

"Why?"

"Because you wouldn't refuse me. If one day I lose control, I might end up absorbing you to death."

Just now,

Fan Wubing felt that his "desire of the tongue" had become more restless than ever before.

The extremely high gains from directly absorbing blood made him afraid.

"I... am willing." Fu Manman said.

Fan Wubing looked at her, "Willing? You're only fourteen. Do you know what 'willing' represents? You don't understand anything, you're just at that naive age."

"Aren't you also fourteen?" Fu Manman was displeased.

"Have you seriously thought about why you're willing to let me absorb your blood?"

"Because I..."

Before she could finish, Fan Wubing suddenly furrowed his brow,

"Who's outside?"

Luo Qingyao pushed the door open, gave a dry laugh and said,

"It's me, Senior Brother. I just got back, heard from Senior Brother Jiang about what happened, and was coming to check on you."

Fan Wubing said, "Don't worry, I'm fine."

"Well... alright then. Senior Brother, I... I'm a bit tired, I'll go rest first."

With that, she quickly left as if escaping.

Fu Manman looked down elsewhere,

"You leave too, I need to rest."

...

"Junior Brother Wubing, how are you?"

Jiang Maodian approached Fan Wubing as soon as he saw him and hastily asked.

Fan Wubing laughed, "It's nothing. Look, Senior Brother Jiang."

He showcased his vigor and vitality.

Completely full, just like a person without any problems.

Jiang Maodian was left stunned,

"Junior Brother Wubing, truly not an ordinary person. Even though Junior Brother Wubing previously demonstrated genius-like agility at the Peach Branch Small Profound Realm and the sect's grand opening ceremony, inside and outside the sect, no one really paid much attention because you couldn't cultivate or had any cultivation. But now it seems... Junior Brother Wubing is more nimble than any of us imagined."

"Senior Brother Jiang, you're flattering me."

"Junior Brother Wubing is still this humble." Jiang Maodian laughed wryly, "If I could have made such contributions at your age, I fear I would have been insufferably arrogant."

"Let's not talk about that. How is Senior Brother Jiang's recovery?"

Jiang Maodian nodded, "The two divine martial arts techniques inside my body have been repelled, and with Junior Brother Wubing helping me channel my energy and sort out the meridians, I've been recovering quickly. I estimate I'll be back to normal in two or three days."

"That's good to hear."

"It's really thanks to you this time, Junior Brother Wubing."

"It's nothing, we're part of the same sect. Moreover, Senior Brother Jiang previously held back four demons alone to buy us time to retreat, which is why you got injured."

"Now we need to carefully discuss our next steps."

"But the two of them have already fallen asleep."

"Asleep?" Jiang Maodian was a bit flustered, "How can they sleep at a time like this?"

Fan Wubing felt a bit guilty, "Maybe they were just too exhausted today and a bit tired."

...

The next morning.

The five gathered in Jiang Maodian's room.

Luo Qingyao, who usually liked sitting next to Fan Wubing, sat far away this time, and Fu Manman even had her back to him.

Anyone could feel that the atmosphere wasn't great.

Jiang Maodian was puzzled, weren't Junior Sister Manman and Junior Sister Qingyao on good terms with Junior Brother Wubing? Why are they intentionally distant this morning, not even greeting him? Forget it, it's better not to guess about the affairs of young men and women...

"Now, basically everyone seeking fortune knows that slaying demons can earn fortune. The entire Peach Blossom Spring is in an uproar, with people searching everywhere for demons. More than ten demons have already been slain. Correspondingly, quite a few fortune seekers have been killed by demons too."

Jiang Maodian said,

"Let's analyze the situation. Currently, it seems the strongest of the demons are about the Seventh-Layer Golden Core. As long as we're not surrounded, the threat isn't too great for us. The biggest threat comes from other fortune seekers. Especially Luofu Mountain and the Green Blade Sect, they've really torn the facade this time."

He gritted his teeth,

"Dammit. In the future, I must find a chance to kill Xu Lengshi and Yi Shanhe."

Though he looked gentle, being a sword cultivator, he harbored quite a killing intent. But conversely, he was especially protective of his fellow disciples.

Fan Wubing said, "They probably have the same thought. The rules set by Mr. He also state that life and death in Peach Blossom Spring are at one's own risk. If they fear retribution from Senior Brother Jiang later, they will surely try to eliminate us in the Peach Blossom Spring."

Jiang Maodian's face turned grim, "You're right. So, the next two days of my recovery are crucial. We can't let them find us."

Fan Wubing: "Then, we need to change locations."

"There are some vacant courtyards by the artificial lake in the east of the city. Let's rent one to stay temporarily."

"Alright."

After making such a decision, the five swiftly left the inn and headed east of the city.

...

On the way, Fan Wubing noticed Fu Manman beside him seemed a bit lost, almost bumping into people while walking, so he called her,

"Manman. Manman!"

Fu Manman snapped back to reality, looked at Fan Wubing, and lowered her head, "What is it?"

Fan Wubing asked, "How is your recovery?"

"Very good, don't worry."

"I'm sorry. About last night. I know you meant well, it's just that such things... indeed aren't very appropriate."

Fu Manman looked elsewhere, "I don't mind. Everyone has secrets. I do too." She hesitated for a moment and then said, "Really, you don't need to worry about me. I naturally recover quite fast."

It was indeed so.

In Fan Wubing's perception, her Qi and blood, although slightly weaker than at their peak, were much better than after yesterday's blood loss. Most cultivators of the same realm couldn't recover so quickly.

He didn't press further, "That's good."

"I care a lot about..."

"Care about what?"

"Care... whether you care about me, that's why I'm upset with you." Fu Manman summoned the courage to ask, "You're worried about me, aren't you?"

This wasn't something difficult to admit, Fan Wubing nodded,

"Yes. If something happened to you because of me... it would be a great loss for the sect."

"Because of the sect?"

Fan Wubing felt Fu Manman today was a bit... "relentless"? Usually, he would ask one question, and she'd answer one. But today, she was especially proactive as if she was determined to ask something out of him.

"Because of you."

"Oh."

Fu Manman didn't say anything more, her steps became a bit lighter.

Behind, Luo Qingyao seemed a bit downcast. She occasionally lifted her head, gazing towards the direction of the shantytown, but most of the time, she was looking at Fan Wubing's back and Fu Manman beside him.

She murmured softly,

"Things never go as I wish... It's always like this... always..."

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