Chapter 149: 147
He did not know how much time had passed before Ding Fan regained some consciousness.
The cold nature of the Azure Flame Beast's poison rapidly lowered Ding Fan's body temperature. Coupled with the harsh, bitterly cold environment at the peak of West Mountain, it did not take long before Ding Fan was frozen and lost consciousness.
At the last moment before he lost consciousness, Ding Fan realized that today he might truly be unable to escape his fate. At that time, the poison from the Azure Flame Beast had not yet been expelled, and once the poison invaded his heart after losing consciousness, even as a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator, he would surely face death.
However, after Ding Fan regained consciousness, he felt that his body was no longer suffering from the unbearable cold. Instead, waves of warmth enveloped him.
Although Ding Fan had regained consciousness, perhaps due to extreme weakness, he still could not open his eyes. At this moment, he had no energy to worry about other things. Using his Divine Sense to inspect himself, he was very relieved to find that the Azure Flame Beast's poison had not yet invaded his heart.
He immediately began to mobilize the True Qi within his body, trying to control the poison that had entered his system.
He did not know how long it had been when Ding Fan finally slowly opened his eyes and found that the snowstorm outside had stopped. The day had already brightened.
After a night of detoxification, although the poison from the Azure Flame Beast had not been completely expelled, it could no longer threaten his life.
Ding Fan wanted to stand up and move around. Stretching slightly, he discovered someone was holding him tightly in their embrace.
Ding Fan was momentarily surprised.
After careful observation, he realized that the person was none other than Lin Yanxi.
At this moment, Lin Yanxi's face was pale, her slim jade hands were covered with wounds, and she also had a ghastly wound on her lower leg.
Ding Fan's head was buried in Lin Yanxi's chest, with most of his upper body held in her embrace.
After thinking it through, Ding Fan understood. Last night, after being bitten by the Azure Flame Beast, its poison had quickly reduced his body temperature, and soon the external snowstorm had frozen him stiff. If Lin Yanxi had not used her body warmth to keep him warm and restore his consciousness, he would probably have already been dead.
But how did Lin Yanxi come to be here?
Ding Fan remembered that they had parted ways at the Land Temple, and then he had rushed off in pursuit of the Azure Flame Beast.
Could it be? Could it be that after they parted ways, Lin Yanxi had been tracing her way over here?
Thinking this, Ding Fan's face was filled with shock.
The distance from the Land Temple to this place was over twenty li of mountain paths.
Although it was just over twenty li of mountain trails, mountain paths are difficult to travel; this short distance was tougher than a hundred li of highway.
After all, Lin Yanxi was just an ordinary woman, her body so frail — could it be that yesterday she had come searching all by herself?!
In this forest, dangers abounded — wild bears, mountain spirits. And yet Lin Yanxi, a fragile woman, dared to come here alone…
There was no need to say more, just this act of searching alone was enough to move Ding Fan deeply.
Ding Fan immediately hugged Lin Yanxi tightly in his embrace.
At this moment, Lin Yanxi's face was extremely pale. Her body was somewhat frozen, and Ding Fan, using his Divine Sense to scan her, was somewhat relieved to find that Lin Yanxi was not in mortal danger, she was just too weak and had fainted.
However, Ding Fan dared not be negligent. Lin Yanxi was, after all, an ordinary person. She used her body to shield him from the wind and snow all night. If he did not quickly expel the Cold Qi from her body, Lin Yanxi would surely suffer long-term consequences.
Ding Fan then carried Lin Yanxi horizontally in his embrace.
Yesterday, while chasing the Azure Flame Beast, Ding Fan had spotted a karst cave. At this time, Lin Yanxi was very weak and could no longer withstand the cold.
Thus, after picking up Lin Yanxi, Ding Fan rushed down the mountain.
About ten minutes or so later, based on his memory from the previous day, Ding Fan found that cave.
It was a natural karst cave — though not very warm inside, it could at least provide some shelter from the cold air.
Ding Fan took out several sets of clothes from his storage ring, laid some dry grass as a cushion, and then laid his clothes on top before carefully placing Lin Yanxi upon them.
After settling Lin Yanxi, Ding Fan gathered some firewood. After building a bonfire and waiting for the temperature inside the cave to rise a bit, Ding Fan then removed Lin Yanxi's shoes and socks.
Cold Qi often enters the body through the feet, and now what Ding Fan needed to do was drive out the Cold Qi in Lin Yanxi's body.
Ding Fan kept rubbing Lin Yanxi's small feet in his hands while infusing True Qi into her body.
Lin Yanxi's feet were cold and smooth. Although it was not the first time that Ding Fan had rubbed Lin Yanxi's feet, each time he could not help but admire the beauty of God's creation.
After infusing a trace of True Qi into Lin Yanxi's body, her originally pale face began to show some color.
Seizing the moment, Ding Fan skinned the Azure Flame Beast, dried the flesh with fire, and then used the beast's skin to cover Lin Yanxi.
After doing all this, Ding Fan found some stones, carved out a stone pot from them, and then boiled some mountain spring water…
…
Lin Yanxi felt pain all over her body, and then she slowly opened her eyes.
The moment she opened her eyes, it seemed like she remembered something. She then looked around.
"Brother Fan? Ding Fan..."
"I am fine, are you awake?" Ding Fan was just coming into the cave from outside, carrying two wild rabbits he had killed.
Lin Yanxi carefully examined Ding Fan, and only after confirming that he was fine did she let her guard down.
At that moment, Ding Fan handed her a cup carved from stone. "Have some water first."
Lin Yanxi was indeed very thirsty. She took the cup, which looked just like a regular piece of stone hollowed out on the inside. From its appearance, it seemed more like a stone bowl than a cup.
Lin Yanxi held the stone cup and began drinking...
Ding Fan had started to skin the rabbits.
His movements were swift. In just a moment, he had skinned both rabbits and put them in a stone pot to stew. A few minutes later, the aroma of the meat began to fill the air.
Watching Ding Fan busy cooking, Lin Yanxi felt a strange sense of happiness.
Although the cave was very simple, it seemed that as long as Ding Fan was there, everything felt wonderful...
It wasn't long before the rabbit meat in the pot was cooked. Ding Fan immediately served Lin Yanxi a full bowl.
By then, Lin Yanxi was indeed hungry. She hadn't eaten since yesterday.
After eating a piece of rabbit meat with chopsticks made from twigs, Lin Yanxi's beautiful eyes widened in astonishment. The rabbit meat was tender and fragrant, and even had a light, refreshing taste. It was hard to believe how delicious Ding Fan could make it without any seasoning.
Lin Yanxi didn't know that, back in the Cultivation World, Ding Fan had often eaten in the wilderness, so naturally, he had developed his skills in cooking outdoors.
"I went to gather some herbs earlier. I'll help you apply them to the wound on your leg."
A while ago, while Lin Yanxi was eating the rabbit meat, Ding Fan was preparing the herbs. After she had finished eating, he had already prepared the herbs.
Lin Yanxi nodded her head. Perhaps because Ding Fan had been massaging and treating her for some time, she had become accustomed to his touch.
The wound on Lin Yanxi's leg was behind her knee, and she was wearing tight pants, so in order to apply the medicine, she probably had to take off her pants.
After hesitating for a moment, Lin Yanxi simply took her pants off.
Because it was summer, Lin Yanxi only wore a pair of white shorts underneath. A captivating, musky fragrance of a woman began to spread...
If Lin Yanxi's feet could be considered perfect, then her legs could truly be described as a work of art.
Symmetrical, straight, fair, smooth...
Even Ding Fan, upon seeing such a pair, couldn't help but feel his throat itch.
"Ahem... May I apply the medicine now?"
Seeing Ding Fan somewhat distracted, Lin Yanxi's face turned red and hot.
She had never been so 'open' with a boy before. The situation was too awkward, too intimate...
Ding Fan awkwardly swallowed his saliva.
Ding Fan was not a lecherous man, but he was still a man in his prime. With such beauty before him, it was only his phenomenal self-control that kept him composed. Otherwise, anyone else might have already torn Lin Yanxi apart.
Gently, Ding Fan lifted Lin Yanxi's calf. The smoothness of her touch made his mind tremble even more.
Ding Fan silently recited the Heart Clarity Spell. Then, he carefully applied the prepared herbs to Lin Yanxi's calf.
Aside from that wound, there were several minor injuries on Lin Yanxi's legs, which Ding Fan treated before he finished.
In the wilderness, alone with a woman... Lin Yanxi's cheeks flushed when she recalled Ding Fan applying medicine on her.
Originally, she had been anxious to finish applying the medicine and to end this awkward moment quickly.
However, when Ding Fan really finished applying the medicine, stood up, and turned to leave, she felt a strange emptiness inside.
Could it be that she was also the type of woman who liked being touched by men on her legs?
At this thought, Lin Yanxi's face turned even redder...