"Don't move!"
Zhang Lexuan immediately spoke up to stop him, her tone carrying a rare severity, even a hint of... urgency?
Caelus's motion of putting on his clothes froze mid-air.
"If the cold Qi enters your body for too long, it will damage your meridians and Foundation, leaving hidden injuries. It's very troublesome."
Zhang Lexuan took a deep breath, trying hard to restore her voice to its usual calmness.
"Don't move. Let me apply the medicine for you first."
She said no more, retrieving a small white jade bottle and a roll of clean gauze from an exquisite storage spirit tool on her wrist.
As the Senior Sister of the Inner Court, who often carried out dangerous missions outside, she had long developed the habit of carrying various emergency medicines with her. Especially for this trip to the Extreme North Land, she had prepared specialized ointments to deal with extreme environments and frostbite.
In this aspect, a girl's meticulousness and thoroughness were displayed to the fullest.
Pulling out the stopper, a clear yet warm medicinal fragrance spread through the air.
Zhang Lexuan poured some of the translucent white ointment onto her palm, using a bit of Soul Power to warm and liquefy it slightly.
When her slightly cool, soft palm, carrying the warm ointment, gently made contact with the bruised frostbitten area on Caelus's back, both of them trembled slightly.
What Caelus felt was the warm sensation on his back, starkly different from the surrounding cold environment, and the somewhat inexperienced yet exceptionally earnest kneading pressure from her fingertips.
The ointment seemed to contain a peculiar energy. Initially cool, it soon transformed into a warm current, seeping thread by thread into the frozen skin and flesh, dispelling the stubborn cold Qi entrenched within, bringing an indescribable sense of comfort.
The corners of his mouth, which had been slightly pursed, unconsciously lifted into a soft, gentle curve.
This Senior Sister, whose outward appearance was aloof and who was revered and even feared by countless Inner Court Disciples, was actually far softer and warmer on the inside than she appeared.
Caelus thought to himself.
Indeed, how could a woman who, because of a promise made with the Dragon God Douluo Mu En in her childhood, stubbornly held onto Bei Bei for ten years, silently giving and waiting, be truly cold and unfeeling? Her heart actually valued sentiment and loyalty more than anyone's.
As for Zhang Lexuan at this moment, her feelings were even more complex and hard to describe.
What her fingertips transmitted was the feel of the youth's vibrant skin and the stiffness and chill of the frostbitten area.
She carefully controlled her strength, spreading the ointment evenly, trying to use the warmth of her palm to help the medicine's efficacy penetrate.
This was her first time having such close, even intimate, contact with a member of the opposite sex.
An unfamiliar feeling, tinged with a bit of panic, sprouted in her heart.
She could clearly see the smooth lines of muscle on Caelus's back, feel the warmth emanating from his body, even hear his steady breathing.
All of this made her feel somewhat at a loss.
But soon, she shook her head vigorously, as if trying to completely shake off those untimely distracting thoughts in her mind.
'This is just a senior sister caring for a junior brother. Nothing more,'
she emphasized to herself in her heart.
'He got hurt because he was considering my feelings. By reason and sentiment, I cannot ignore it. This is my responsibility.'
Thinking this, her movements became even more focused and gentle, as if trying to dispel all distracting thoughts through this meticulous process of applying medicine.
Beneath the ice wall, the cold wind still blew, but within this small sheltered spot, a faint medicinal fragrance and a silent, quietly flowing warmth permeated the air.
Caelus swiftly put on his upper garment. The warm sensation carrying the medicinal fragrance gradually dispelled the stiffness and chill in his back.
He caught sight of Zhang Lexuan slightly turning her body away, her gaze wandering, seemingly still feeling somewhat uneasy about the intimate contact during the treatment moments ago. The faint blush at the base of her ears, which hadn't fully faded, was proof.
His mind stirred slightly, and he took the initiative to break this somewhat awkward silence. His tone was calm and natural, as if everything that had just happened was an illusion:
"Senior Sister, what should we do next?"
Hearing this, Zhang Lexuan quickly gathered her thoughts, refocusing her attention on their current predicament.
She looked around. All she could see was a vast expanse of white. The wind and snow seemed heavier than before, visibility extremely low.
The heart-palpitating fluctuations of battle from the distance still faintly reached them like background noise, reminding them of the perilous environment they were in.
Her brows furrowed tightly as she analyzed calmly:
"Because of the Soul Beast tide and that One Hundred Thousand Year Spirit Beast, we've already deviated from our original evacuation route. Judging by the direction and terrain, I'm afraid we... have instead gone deeper into the Extreme North Ice Plain."
This was extremely bad news.
Getting lost in such a harsh environment and chaotic situation was tantamount to a hopeless predicament.
"We can't keep wandering aimlessly,"
Zhang Lexuan said gravely.
"The Extreme North Land is vast and boundless. If we completely lose our direction in this blizzard, we could very well be trapped and die here. For now, our only plan is to wait."
"Wait?" Caelus timely showed a questioning expression.
"Yes, wait for this turmoil to subside."
Zhang Lexuan nodded affirmatively, her expression solemn.
"The Extreme North is now in complete chaos. The powerful Soul Beasts that usually slumber deep within the glaciers and beneath the snow plains have all been awakened by the fluctuations from the core battlefield. That One Hundred Thousand Year Ice-armored Giant Crocodile we encountered earlier is proof. It's definitely not the only one that has been disturbed."
Her gaze swept over the surrounding ice plain, ravaged and scarred, her tone carrying deep apprehension:
"The Extreme North during this period is a hundred times more dangerous than usual. Countless powerful Soul Beasts are awakening, becoming restless, and even, like that giant crocodile, converging towards the center of the battlefield. If we act recklessly now, even encountering another eighty or ninety thousand year Soul Beast would be a disaster for us, given that neither the timing nor the terrain is on our side."
She paused, looking at Caelus:
"Therefore, we must find a relatively safe place to hide. Wait for this Soul Beast riot, triggered by the battle of top-tier powerhouses, to calm down. Then we can figure out a way to find a way out."
Zhang Lexuan's decision was the most rational and safest choice based on the current situation.
Even without Caelus as a 'burden,' with her strength as a Spirit Douluo, she wouldn't dare to easily approach the eye of that storm at this time.
The aftershocks of a battle at that level alone were enough to utterly destroy a powerhouse like her.
And this decision happened to suit Caelus's intentions perfectly.
He hadn't wanted to leave immediately in the first place.
What was happening in the Far North Core was closely related to the "Hall of Rebirth," "Nirvana Corpse," and even himself.
He needed to wait, wait for that optimal moment to act. Possessing the Spirit Ability This Moment, That Moment, the story and ending of the Extreme North Land would be written by him from now on.
"I understand, Senior Sister."
Caelus complied readily, appropriately showing a trace of gravity and trust on his face.
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