Chapter 185: Pei Yue’s Medical Skill Breaks the Deadlock

Ye Zhao’s blade tip was still pressed against her chest, blood trickling down the crystal cracks. Pei Yue caught a glimpse of that crimson from the corner of her eye, her heart skipping a beat, but she didn’t stop moving.

She edged forward along the rock wall, her breathing suppressed to the faintest whisper. The guards in the southern passage were more numerous than expected—seven of them moving in a circular patrol, each gripping bronze Magical Artifacts. Those things glowed with a dim light, like antiques dug up from ancient graves, but their Spiritual Power Fluctuation was unnaturally strong.

Shen Yan’s voice came through the Communication Channel: “The northern self-destruct Countdown has been Initiated. Ye Zhao can’t hold on much longer. You must complete the Node disconnection within thirty seconds, or the chain defense will blow through the entire cave.”

Pei Yue didn’t reply, only gently squeezed her Medicine Pouch. The sound of fabric rubbing was masked by her foot grinding over crushed stone. She remembered this powder was mixed three months ago, originally intended to stabilize the heat circulation within Shen Yan’s body, but an accidental discovery revealed it could interfere with Spiritual Energy flow paths.

She crouched down, extending a wisp of Spiritual Awareness from her fingertip. The guards’ movements were fierce, but their breathing rhythms were terribly chaotic; one was even starting to gasp heavily. She recognized this symptom—forcibly driving external power causing Meridian swelling, Spiritual Power was already flowing backward.

These people weren’t experts; they were Puppets overdrawn by Magical Artifacts.

The corner of her mouth twitched slightly as she quietly opened the Medicine Pouch. Pale golden powder settled on her fingertip, light as fine sand. The wind direction was just right. She waited until three of them moved into a triangular formation, then flicked her wrist, sending the powder drifting out with the air current.

Colorless, odorless, dissolving upon contact with Spiritual Energy.

Ten breaths later, the guard at the front suddenly staggered, the Magical Artifact in his hand buzzing before exploding with a bang. He didn’t even have time to scream before collapsing to his knees, blood seeping from his facial features. The two beside him tried to help but were caught in the rampaging Spiritual Power—one slammed into the rock wall, the other directly spat out a mouthful of black blood.

Chaos instantly spread.

The remaining four guards immediately grew alert, but two were already beginning to feel dizzy and disoriented, their Spiritual Power out of control. One raised his hand to cast a spell, only for the Magical Artifact to backlash, twisting his arm on the spot. Only then did they realize something was wrong, retreating one after another, their formation in disarray.

Pei Yue seized the opportunity to charge forward.

Silver Needles slipped from her sleeve. Her fingers flicked in rapid succession, four needles precisely striking the Acupuncture Points of the last two conscious guards. Their bodies stiffened before going limp and collapsing to the ground.

She didn’t kill them, only sealed their Meridians. A Medical Cultivator had her principles.

She hurried to the southern Node stone platform, pressing her palm against the Rune surface. The Terminal vibrated faintly—the decryption Protocol transmitted by Shen Yan had finished loading. She took a deep breath, channeling a gentle stream of Spiritual Power into the crack while silently reciting the modified Channeling formula.

This was the Program she had revised overnight, combining the traditional Medical Cultivator’s “smooth Meridian energy guidance” with the Code Logic Shen Yan taught her, tricking the System into misjudging it as a legitimate maintenance operation.

The Screen lit up with a green glow.

【Southern Node: Cut Connection Countdown Initiated—30 seconds】

Success.

She let out a sigh of relief and was about to withdraw when her peripheral vision suddenly caught a faint glimmer from a Rune on the ground. That wasn’t a trace left by the guards—it was some kind of automatically activated warning mechanism.

Frowning, she quickly retrieved her needles and retreated. But just as she turned, the stone slab beneath her feet let out a sharp crack.

A trap?

She had no time to think further when a low-frequency vibration reached her ears. From the distant eastern passage, Luo Li snorted coldly, “It’s my turn now.” Immediately, Demonic Fire surged, illuminating half the rock wall.

Movement also came from the western direction, and Yu Xiaotang laughed over the communication channel, “Sister Pei is amazing!”

Shen Yan’s voice followed closely, “Southern side confirmed successful. Now watch the ground runes, don’t step on activation points. This place has linked mechanisms.”

Pei Yue nodded, about to reply, but suddenly felt her feet burning. Looking down, she saw the rune spreading, extending outward like a spiderweb.

She leaped away, but it was already too late.

The stone slabs across the entire area simultaneously lit up with red light. There was no audible alarm, but the terminal frantically refreshed warning messages.

Shen Yan urgently said, “Damn! You triggered the backup monitoring line, the main array is already refactoring defenses! Everyone speed up!”

Pei Yue gritted her teeth, watching the countdown numbers rapidly drop. Thirty, twenty-nine, twenty-eight…

She couldn’t stop.

She had to ensure this node was completely severed.

She crouched down, pulled a thin silver needle from her medicine pouch, and inserted it into the intersection of the runes. This was her improvised method—using the needle as a conduit medium to accelerate the spiritual power stripping process.

When the countdown reached fifteen, the needle began to glow red.

At twelve, green smoke emerged.

At nine, the needle tail broke.

But she pressed firmly on the interface until a stable green light shone.

【Disconnection Complete】

She finally released her hand, backing two steps against the rock wall. Her forehead was covered in sweat, her fingers still trembling.

In the communication channel, Shen Yan’s voice was low, “Well done. Now immediately evacuate your position, don’t go back the same way. The ground runes will track body temperature; your previous location will be locked three seconds later.”

Pei Yue nodded, about to move, but suddenly heard a faint clicking sound behind her.

She turned.

A stone slab slowly sank, revealing a copper pipe below. Liquid dripped from the pipe mouth, shimmering with an eerie purple glow.

Her pupils contracted.

That was… live program culture fluid?

Before she could react, Shen Yan’s voice suddenly rose sharply, “Pei Yue! Don’t touch anything! That’s the core material Ye Shi’er uses to make puppets!”

She froze in place, hand suspended mid-air.

Just then, the copper pipe suddenly exploded.

Purple liquid sprayed out, one droplet brushing past her arm. Her skin instantly numbed, as if countless tiny needles pierced it.

She groaned softly, instinctively shaking her hand, but that numbness was already crawling upward along her bloodline.

Shen Yan almost shouted, “Quick, seal the acupuncture points! Now!”

Her right hand trembled, but her left decisively pressed toward her shoulder. Silver needles emerged again, three consecutively sealing three main meridians. The pain cleared her mind somewhat, but her vision was already blurring.

She leaned against the wall, slowly sliding down to sit, murmuring, “I’m fine… I can still walk…”

The communication channel quieted for a moment.

Then Shen Yan’s voice changed.

No longer the calm commanding tone, but carrying a hint of panic.

“Pei Yue, listen to me. Don’t move now, I’ll switch to remote support immediately. If you dare faint, next time I won’t leave you a backup of the fire protection talismans I write.”

She tugged her lips, wanting to laugh but unable.

“You… you actually care about people…”

“Less nonsense.” He paused, “If you collapse, who will brew calming soup for me? Who will help me modify the mountain-protecting array? If you leave, who would I find?”

His voice grew softer and lower until it was almost a whisper: “You can’t fall.”

Pei Yue closed her eyes.

For a moment, she seemed to see him at the screen, ruffling his hair, his glasses askew and not bothering to adjust them, muttering, “This line of code should run.”

She took a deep breath, braced herself against the wall, and stood up.

“I haven’t fallen,” she said. “I’m still standing.”

She raised her hand and drove the last Silver Needle into her temple. The sharp pain cleared her mind, and her vision refocused.

The passage ahead was illuminated by Demonic Fire, and Luo Li’s figure flashed by.

She stepped forward to follow, her footsteps somewhat unsteady but not stopping.

Shen Yan was still speaking, his words rapid, as if typing code: “I’ve marked a safe route. Follow the left wall, avoid all areas glowing red. If you dare turn right, I’ll tell Ye Zhao about the time you secretly tampered with my Program.”

Pei Yue snorted lightly. “Go ahead and tell her. She already knows anyway.”

“You—” He paused. “So you two were in cahoots behind my back?”

“How else do you think I learned to use Channeling to fool the System’s detection?” She chuckled, her steps never faltering.

Up ahead at a corner, Yu Xiaotang poked her head out. “Sister Pei! Over here!”

She responded and was about to quicken her pace when she suddenly felt the numbness in her arm returning.

Looking down, she saw the drop of purple liquid sliding down her sleeve.

Her eyes sharpened, and she swiftly jabbed a needle into the crook of her elbow.

A bead of blood splattered out, mingling with the purple liquid as it dripped to the ground.

With a sizzle, a small pit corroded into the stone slab.

Staring at the pit, she murmured softly:

“This stuff… is poisonous.”

(End of Chapter)