Venti wrapped Jean in wind and flew toward Liyue. As for Stormterror in the sky, no one knew where it had flown. As long as it did not attack Mondstadt, its destination did not matter.
...
Inside Liyue Harbor.
Su Han was in the courtyard, guiding Yaoyao in cultivating the Golden Light Mantra. Suddenly, a sharp gale whistled overhead. He looked up and saw that Venti had arrived. Coming so openly and without concealment was, in Su Han's memory, a first.
"Yo, what are you rushing over here for? I am telling you now, I do not have a manga update today."
"It is not about the manga. Su Han, I need your help."
Seeing Venti's serious expression, Su Han gradually realized something had happened. He put away his smile and asked, "What exactly happened?"
"Stormterror attacked again today. Most of our forces were on the front lines. Only Jean and I were in the rear, so…"
Venti sighed softly and waved his hand, calling Jean down from the sky.
The moment Su Han saw Jean's condition, he was stunned. The Knight-Captain's complexion was pale, the vigor she normally carried long gone. Her lips and skin were dark purple from poisoning. Worst of all, an Abyssal spike still remained lodged in her abdomen.
Su Han gritting his teeth. "How did this happen?"
"Before I explain, tell me whether you can treat her. I know you are furious, but you also know my power is limited. I still need strength to hold Stormterror back."
Venti understood Su Han's anger, but the urgent matter was saving Jean, not venting frustration.
Hearing this, Su Han circulated the Ice Heart Art frantically, trying to calm himself. About a minute later, he opened his eyes again and looked at Jean. He asked with confusion, "Why did you not bring Lumine?"
"Lumine? Who is that?"
"…"
Su Han was momentarily speechless. Only now did he realize there had been no contact between the two sides at all. Of course Venti did not know that Lumine could purify Abyssal corruption.
"Damn it. How did I forget this? But it is too late to return to Mondstadt. The toxin in her body has been suppressed, but she is already struggling to endure it. The poison is still spreading."
Su Han's thoughts raced. He then said to Venti, "Take Jean upstairs. I will think of a way."
"No problem. If you need anything, just call me."
Allowing Jean to be injured under his watch made Venti feel guilty. At this point, he was willing to do anything.
Yaoyao watched for a moment and asked, "Big brother, do you need my help?"
"No. You and Shenhe wait downstairs. Only I can handle this."
"Alright. But big brother, do your best. Yaoyao believes you can do it."
Seeing the little girl cheering him on, Su Han forced a smile and then walked upstairs.
Inside the room.
Jean was floating in the air, supported by a gentle cushion of wind. If she were placed on the ground, no matter the posture, the wound would be touched and her condition would worsen.
Su Han saw this and said, "At least you still have some conscience."
He did not immediately begin treatment. Instead, he opened the system interface to strengthen his skills. The Initiate level of Stellar Shift was far from enough to heal such a massive wound. Fortunately, since returning to Liyue, the manga's great popularity along with the goods delivered to Beidou had earned him four thousand points. Strengthening the skill should be possible.
"System, strengthen Stellar Shift."
"Yes, Host. This enhancement requires two thousand points."
Light flickered. Su Han felt his understanding of Stellar Shift rise. What he had known before were only the casting principles. Now, his mind held far more medical concepts.
[Notification: Your spell Stellar Shift has advanced from Initiate to Proficient.]
"System, continue strengthening."
Time was tight. Su Han dared not delay. One round of strengthening ended and he immediately began another.
His skill quickly reached Minor Accomplishment, at the cost of eight thousand points. Wanting to be safe, Su Han pushed the enhancement further. This time, it required twenty thousand points.
"System, strengthen the skill."
Su Han did not hesitate. Points were earned to be spent. More importantly, he refused to watch Jean leave this world.
[Notification: Your spell Stellar Shift has advanced from Minor Accomplishment to Great Achievement.]
With another surge of experience, Su Han's mastery of Stellar Shift reached a level equivalent to decades of immersion. When he looked at Jean's wound again, there was no fear in his eyes.
Su Han stepped forward and gently loosened Jean's clothing. Faced with the two bouncing white rabbits, he had no interest. Instead, he placed one hand on the Abyssal spike and the other on the wound.
"Out."
At the instant the spike was pulled free, Stellar Shift filled the wound. The tainted blood barely spilled before fresh flesh sealed it.
To lessen Jean's suffering, Su Han exerted Stellar Shift with full power. Within less than a minute, sweat soaked his back. He maintained absolute focus on the spell until her skin was fully restored. Only then did he exhale softly.
"Next is the Abyssal contamination. This is the true problem."
Su Han wiped his forehead and continued the treatment. With Lumine absent, he had no choice but to use an alternative method to purge the toxin.
The first method he thought of was using the Golden Light Mantra. With its immense control, he could condense the golden light into a needle and insert it into Jean's body to cleanse the poison. Since the golden light could resist Abyssal power, it should also be able to purify it.
"Let me try first."
Su Han took a deep breath and acted. A thread of golden light appeared in his hand. Under his will, it shrank continuously until it became the size of a needle.
He held the golden needle and lightly pierced Lumine's abdomen. The nearby darkness brightened noticeably for a moment, but only for a moment before returning to its original state.
"That works."
Su Han's eyes lit up. The attempt was effective. He continued, but the golden needles gradually lost their effect.
"Is the power too weak?"
He muttered and increased the power of the Golden Light Mantra. This time, it worked again, but the result was the same as before. The effect lasted only briefly before fading.
It felt as if the Abyssal toxin had resistance. The Golden Light Mantra worked at first, but the more it was used, the less effective it became. Increasing the strength of the golden light would harm Jean's body instead. For a moment, Su Han found himself troubled.
The sky outside gradually darkened, as if mirroring his mood. Time passed minute by minute. When a strong wind swept through, a silver light flashed outside.
Rumble.
Thunder rolled across the sky.
Su Han looked at the lightning outside and suddenly burst into laughter. "I almost forgot about you."
If the Golden Light Mantra was not strong enough, he could simply use the Fivefold Thunder True Law. It was a powerful method capable of commanding heavenly lightning. Heavenly lightning was the embodiment of righteous force. It could certainly suppress corruption like the Abyss.
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