Shen Haoran and Ling Feng moved quickly. In the time it takes half an incense stick to burn, they had traveled from the depths of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect to its main gate, and then to the cave where Xu Hao was resting.
Upon entering the cave, they found the other Qi Refining Sect disciples gathered around Xu Hao. Hearing the noise outside, they had all drawn their weapons, but when they saw it was Shen Haoran, they let out a collective sigh of relief.
"Boss, you’re finally back!" one of the Qi Refining Sect disciples exclaimed, hurrying forward to greet him.
Shen Haoran nodded and walked to Xu Hao’s side. Seeing the faint rise and fall of his chest, he asked softly, "How is he?"
"He’s not in any critical danger. Thanks to your Healing Medicine, Boss, Brother Xu’s injuries have stabilized. But he shows no sign of waking up. The damage from overdrawing on his potential was just too great... Brother Xu might... he might never be able to cultivate again," the disciple said, his face falling as his shoulders slumped in dejection.
A heavy mood fell over the surrounding Qi Refining Sect disciples. Within the sect, Xu Hao had been like a big brother to them all. He always looked out for them and never mocked them for their lower status. The thought that he might now become an ordinary person, unable to cultivate—it was something even they, let alone Xu Hao himself, found hard to accept.
"Rest assured. As long as I’m here, Xu Hao will be fine," Shen Haoran said comfortingly, patting their shoulders as he sensed the oppressive mood.
"Boss, can you really help Brother Xu?" Hearing Shen Haoran’s words, a flash of joyful surprise lit up their eyes.
"Of course. Don’t forget, I’m also an Alchemist!" Shen Haoran said confidently. At this, the disciples leaped to their feet in excitement.
Watching the excited disciples, Ling Feng couldn’t help but give Shen Haoran a long, appraising look. These Martial Artists had once been his opponents, yet now they not only called him ’Boss’ but also trusted him implicitly. Ling Feng was forced to re-evaluate Shen Haoran’s charisma. ’To turn enemies into friends who trust you unconditionally... I’ve never met anyone like him!’
Just as Ling Feng was looking at Shen Haoran in this new light, he suddenly felt the Spiritual Power in the surrounding space spike. An incredibly pure Spiritual Power began to fill the cave. Then, he saw Shen Haoran take out an elixir.
"A Pill... Pill Cloud!" Seeing the elixir, Ling Feng couldn’t help but cry out, his mouth falling open in shock. The rich Spiritual Power from before was emanating from this very elixir.
The surrounding Qi Refining Sect disciples also stared at the elixir in Shen Haoran’s hand, their gazes burning with intensity. They were all shocked speechless. An elixir that had Refined into a Pill Cloud... that was something you only heard about in legends, and they couldn’t believe Shen Haoran actually had one.
"Boss, you’re not planning to use this elixir to save Brother Xu, are you?" a disciple asked in a low voice.
"Why not?" Shen Haoran nodded casually. He then knelt in front of Xu Hao, about to place the Pill Cloud elixir into his mouth.
But just then, a hand shot out and seized his wrist, stopping him.
Shen Haoran looked up at the disciple before him. It was Chen Feng, the Qi Refining Sect’s strongest member after Xu Hao and also his most loyal brother.
Chen Feng gripped Shen Haoran’s wrist and slowly shook his head. "Boss, you can’t. This elixir is far too precious. It’s not worth wasting on one of us. It’s a kindness we could never repay. Please, put it away. If Brother Xu were conscious, I know he wouldn’t let you waste such a valuable elixir on him either!"
"He’s right, Boss! This elixir is much more useful to you. There’s no need to waste it on us. Brother Xu would never agree!" the other Qi Refining Sect disciples chimed in. They were already deeply moved that Shen Haoran would even offer an elixir that had Refined into a Pill Cloud to save Xu Hao, but it was a debt they simply could not accept.
"Boss... they’re right!" At that moment, nourished by the abundant Heaven and Earth Spiritual Power in the cave, the previously comatose Xu Hao slowly regained consciousness. When he saw Shen Haoran preparing to save him with the Pill Cloud elixir, he was incredibly moved. But he knew exactly what such an elixir signified, and he knew his own condition even better. ’It would be a complete waste to use it on me!’
"Boss, we beg you, put the elixir away!" In an instant, all the Qi Refining Sect disciples knelt before Shen Haoran, pleading in unison.
Looking at the kneeling disciples, Shen Haoran chuckled softly. He gently pushed Chen Feng’s hand away, fixed his gaze on Xu Hao, and his voice turned serious. "Do you all really want to see Xu Hao become a cripple? Do you want him to live out his days in mediocrity?"
"We don’t, but Boss..." the disciples began, their expressions grim. But before they could finish, Shen Haoran cut them off.
"Then if you don’t, we must save him! And you will all remember this: you aren’t just my followers. You are certainly not my Puppets. You are my brothers! From the moment you first called me ’Boss,’ you became my brothers! What does it mean to be brothers? It means we share in every triumph, and I will bear every trial. What does it mean to be brothers? It means entrusting your life to one another. What does it mean to be brothers? It means we charge to the ends of the earth and conquer the world together! If I abandoned one of my own brothers today over a mere elixir, what right would I have to be your Boss? I would be utterly unworthy of being called your brother!" Shen Haoran declared, his deep voice resonating as he looked at Xu Hao and the others.
Shen Haoran’s words struck them like a heavy hammer to the heart. Brothers! That single word was enough to lay bare his intentions. They had always assumed Shen Haoran just saw them as cannon fodder, but hearing him speak now brought tears to their eyes. He truly saw them as brothers—the kind for whom you would lay down your life!
"When the day comes that I stand looking down upon the world, I want the men standing behind me to be the brothers who bled and fought beside me, not some bystanders cheering from the sidelines. So, Xu Hao, you must take this elixir!" Shen Haoran held out the Pill Cloud elixir, his eyes locked on Xu Hao.
"Alright!" Xu Hao’s eyes were red-rimmed. He lifted his head and swallowed the elixir from Shen Haoran’s hand without another word. Saying anything more would be needlessly sentimental; what mattered most now was proving his resolve through action. ’I will not become a burden to Shen Haoran. I will not drag my brother down!’
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