At this moment, the tug-of-war between Xu Ke and the Dragon Essence had entered a white-hot phase.

Every time the Dragon Essence circulated through his meridians, he forcibly absorbed a strand of it. He felt as if he were squeezing water from a dry sponge. Except, he was likely doing it inside a blazing furnace. He feared the Dragon Essence would burn him to ashes before he could finish wringing out the sponge.

By now, blood was already trickling from the corners of Xu Ke's mouth, and the veins on his forehead and neck bulged prominently.

This is not good... Xu Ke realized that something was terribly wrong. If he continued like this, trying to defy the heavens and overcome the erosion of so much Dragon Essence on his own was nothing but a fool's dream. I have to find outside help!

Xu Ke's eyes shot open. "Elder Zhou, please ask Boss Duan to come in."

"Alright." Zhou Hongsheng nodded hurriedly. He didn't know what Xu Ke wanted with Boss Duan, but he would do as he was told.

Wu Ming immediately turned and ran out of the room.

Xu Ke closed his eyes again, but even more blood spilled from the corners of his mouth. More terrifyingly, blood began to seep from his nostrils as well. If this dragged on any longer, he would soon be bleeding from all seven orifices.

Seeing this, a chill ran down Zhou Hongsheng's spine, his expression growing increasingly anxious.

Just how terrifying is this Dragon Essence? For Xu Ke to pay such a heavy price just to suppress it... This is the Medical Saint's disciple, potentially the future pillar of the country's entire medical field! If he dies from the Dragon Essence while trying to save me, I'll spend the rest of my dwindling life drowning in regret every single day.

***

After leaving the room, Wu Ming practically flew down the stairs and rushed into the living room. Seeing him appear, everyone waiting anxiously stood up at once.

Zhou Qingzhi quickly approached. "Elder Wu..."

"Young Master, the Old Master has recovered. There's no need to ask!" Wu Ming knew what Zhou Qingzhi wanted to ask and answered directly to spare them the suspense.

When he finished speaking, expressions of ecstatic joy spread across everyone's faces. Wang Qiya's elation was practically bursting forth, and Duan Chongfeng was about to stand up and offer his congratulations.

But at that moment, Wu Ming looked at Duan Chongfeng and said concisely, "Boss Duan, Xu Ke's in trouble. Come with me, quickly."

The joy on Duan Chongfeng's face froze. "What?"

"Hurry!" Wu Ming turned and ran back upstairs.

Duan Chongfeng circulated his True Qi and instantly kept pace.

After the two left, the expressions of everyone present changed drastically, and the room lapsed into silence. They had never imagined that Xu Ke would truly live up to the name of Divine Doctor, so easily curing a problem that had stumped countless other physicians. But they had also never imagined that Xu Ke himself would get into trouble!

At this moment, Wang Qiya's face turned deathly pale.

What should I do? Should I call my sister and Uncle Wu?

***

「In the room.」

Wu Ming's round trip took less than thirty seconds. Duan Chongfeng hurriedly followed him inside. As soon as he entered, he saw Xu Ke sitting cross-legged in an extremely wretched state. Seeing Xu Ke's dire condition, Duan Chongfeng's expression turned grave. "Young Brother, what's going on?"

Xu Ke was not in a meditative state. Hearing the voice, he opened his eyes and forced the words out through clenched teeth, "Brother Duan, I need your True Qi to help me."

The outside help he was seeking was indeed Duan Chongfeng.

"Help you? How?" Duan Chongfeng was taken aback.

"Channel your True Qi into my body and help me suppress the Dragon Essence," Xu Ke said, gritting his teeth. In just that short time, the amount of blood at the corners of his mouth had increased.

"Impossible! You're taking a desperate risk!" Duan Chongfeng's expression changed dramatically. "Innate True Qi and Postnatal True Essence are not the same thing. If you don't control it properly, it could backfire on you."

Wu Ming's face was also grim. "He's right, Doctor Xu. This is extremely difficult."

For one Martial Artist to transfer their True Qi into another's body and then perform various actions required either years of cooperation or for their Cultivation Techniques to share the same origin. This was why combat methods like combined attacks, or a master helping an apprentice circulate their Qi, were only possible when one of these conditions was met.

However, Duan Chongfeng and Xu Ke had never practiced together, nor were their Cultivation Techniques from the same lineage. The most critical factor... was that one was a Postnatal Martial Artist and the other was an Innate Martial Artist.

If Postnatal True Essence were a four-meter-long saber, then Innate True Qi would be a forty-meter-long saber. For someone used to wielding a four-meter saber to suddenly try and pick up a forty-meter one to fight an enemy in a crisis... the first thing they would have to consider is whether they could even lift the blade.

Thus, for Xu Ke to ask for Duan Chongfeng's power to help suppress the Dragon Essence was, without a doubt, a fool's errand. If things went wrong, he might not only fail to handle the Dragon Essence but also be thrown into chaos by the True Qi Duan Chongfeng sent into his body.

"It's alright, Brother Duan. Trust me!" Xu Ke gritted his teeth. "If I don't do this, I will die tonight!"

He knew the risk was extremely high, but now he had no choice. Among those present, only an Innate Expert had the strength to suppress the Dragon Essence. And among the Innate Experts present, the only one he knew and trusted was Duan Chongfeng.

Furthermore, when Xu Ke had treated Duan Chongfeng at the Dapeng Commerce, he had become familiar with his True Qi and knew that their energies would not repel each other. So, with his own strength no longer able to suppress the Dragon Essence, he had no choice but to take this desperate risk, just as Duan Chongfeng had said, if he wanted any hope of surviving the night.

As for Duan Chongfeng's worry about him being unable to control Innate True Qi, Xu Ke wasn't too concerned.

After all, I was once an Innate Martial Artist!

***

Duan Chongfeng gritted his teeth. "...Alright."

Seeing Xu Ke's face growing redder by the second, and with Xu Ke's own insistence in such an urgent situation, he had to take the risk. Duan Chongfeng stepped forward.

Wu Ming hurriedly reminded him, "Don't give him too much at once."

"Understood," Duan Chongfeng nodded. He quickly moved in front of Xu Ke. "What should I do?"

Xu Ke closed his eyes, the blood from his mouth having already soaked the front of his clothes. "Press your hand to my back and transfer your True Qi."

"Fine!" Duan Chongfeng gently placed his palm on Xu Ke's back. Clenching his teeth, he cautiously squeezed a thread of Innate True Qi into Xu Ke's body.

As the True Qi flowed in, Duan Chongfeng's expression changed drastically. "What is happening?"

Innate Experts were capable of Vitality Essence Release. The most crucial part of this ability was that they could still sense their True Qi after it left their bodies, which was how they could injure people from a distance. Although Duan Chongfeng couldn't injure people from afar, he could still sense his True Qi. At this moment, he felt his strand of True Qi get annihilated the instant it left his hand and entered Xu Ke's body.

Just how chaotic are Xu Ke's insides? It can easily destroy even Innate True Qi! How has he managed to withstand such destructive force for so long? Duan Chongfeng was inwardly stunned. Just how monstrous is my young brother's strength?

He suddenly felt that Ouyang Shuang's death was not unjust at all.

"More!" Xu Ke shouted. If the Dragon Essence weren't so formidable, he wouldn't have been forced down this desperate path.

Duan Chongfeng fiercely gritted his teeth and, with determination, sent a large surge of Innate True Qi through his palm.

At that same moment, Xu Ke immediately accepted Duan Chongfeng's True Qi. Then, borrowing its power, he charged directly toward the Dragon Essence.

Behind him, Duan Chongfeng's mouth hung agape.

What's going on?

When his Innate True Qi entered Xu Ke's body this time, it wasn't destroyed. However, Duan Chongfeng wondered if his senses were deceiving him.

How can Xu Ke, a Postnatal Martial Artist, be manipulating my own Innate True Qi with even more skill than I can? Is this even my True Qi anymore?

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