Death... and me

"Cough, cough. Didn't Elder Tiria use a pill to eliminate the Umbral Energy?"

Tiria nodded.

"I did. However, there was too much of it inside my body, so the pill could only eliminate part of it. I was too careless in the battle a few months ago. Because of that, I was hit head-on by one of the Umbral Sect Core Elders, Furen Posin. That's why I got into this condition."

Rean nodded.

"I see... To be honest, I'm impressed that elder Tiria is still alive. You said you got infected by it a few months prior. Considering the amount of Umbral Energy, I don't know how you can even walk."

Tiria laughed after hearing that.

"Once your cultivation goes further, you will be able to control Spiritual Energy much better. In my case, I basically created a barrier of Spiritual Energy that prevents it from spreading or drain too much life force. As long as I have enough Spirit Stones, I can continue like this for quite a few more years. However, I won't be able to enter a battle in my condition, so I need to get rid of it as soon as possible."

Tiria then looked at Rean.

"Then, out of nowhere, a Kid capable of dealing with Umbral Energy without alchemist pills appeared right in front of me. How could I let this chance pass?"

Rean nodded.

"I understand. Anyway, that thing inside you is quite complicated. I had to use almost all my energy just to take the Snow Crane's one. But yours is just too strong. I definitely don't have the cultivation necessary to eliminate it in one go. However, I shall tell you in advance that it is excruciating. If Elder Javiu wasn't holding the Snow Crane, it definitely wouldn't let me finish. Still, all of these aren't the main problem..."

Rean stopped at that moment. He really couldn't bring himself to say the next words.

"What is it, do you need something else? If it is spirit stones to recover, you don't need to worry. I have plenty. I can also give you quite a few Sect points. Helping a Core Elder with an issue like this is definitely worth the work."

Javiu also tried to convince Rean.

"She is right, you should take this chance while you can. With Elder Tiria's cultivation, she will eventually get the Umbral Energy removed. It's just that you could accelerate the process several times."

When Rean heard that, his eyes lit up.

"Does that mean that Elder Tiria doesn't really need my help, she can heal on her own?"

Tiria nodded.

"I can, it's just that it will take at least ten years of constant care, and chances are that it will take even more without the help of more pills. If the sect needs my help during it, I would not be of much use. Umbral Energy is not that omnipotent. As long as it is contained, a Divine Soul Realm cultivator can eventually expulse it from his or her body. Of course, the Snow Crane definitely wouldn't be able to do it since she isn't a Stage Five Demon Beast yet."

Rean nodded.

"Great! Then you should totally heal it yourself!"

Tiria and Javiu were taken aback. Did he hear anything they said just a moment ago?

"Why don't you want to help?"

Rean shook his head.

"Trust me, you definitely will prefer to do it on your own."

Elder Tiria's eyes narrowed.

"Kid, cut the crap, just tell me what you need, and I'll arrange it. If you keep wasting my time like this, I won't give you a single Sect Point for healing Nana."

Rean scratched the back of his head after hearing that. In the end, he dropped his head while coughing.

"Cough, cough... Well... the problem is that I'll need to make... direct contact, no clothes on the way. Also... we both know that you haven't been hit close to your neck, but right over the right breast. That means..."

Finally, Tiria and Javiu understood why Rean was so reluctant to mention it. Doesn't that mean that Tiria would need to show one of her breasts to the kid and let him... grab it? Even Tiria felt like it would be too much. Before, she had just allowed him to touch her clothes' surface, and his hand wasn't really between her chests per see, but more close to her neck instead. That's why she could bear with it at first.

"I told you, didn't I? Just take your time and heal it properly. Your body has this natural spiritual energy barrier, so I can only treat it if I touch the right place directly. At least, that's my limit with my actual cultivation. Let's pretend that we didn't discuss it, shall we?"

Javiu didn't say anything, but he also felt that Rean was right. That would be stepping too far.

In the end, Elder Tiria also nodded.

"We shall... forget it..."

Rean finally let out a sigh of relief.

'I really can't deal with this kind of situation. If Tiria had gone ahead with it, I think my heart might have stopped.'

There you have, your 41 years old virgin soul. Rean really couldn't step that far. If it meant losing his Sect Points for healing the Snow Crane, then he could only accept it.

Tiria left sometime later, leaving only Rean and Javiu behind.

Javiu could only show a weird smile at Rean before saying.

"Don't mind it much. I'll make sure to deliver 300 Sect Points for helping with the Snow Crane's condition. I would give you 1000 if I could. After all, the Snow Crane is almost a Stage Five Demon Beast. Unfortunately, to give you this much, I would need to tell the real reason. For your own safety, it is better if I don't."

Rean didn't mind. 300 Sect Points was a lot more than he needed at the moment.

It was already night time, so Rean bid farewell to Elder Javiu and made his way back to the Iron and Blood district... or so he tried.

Suddenly, his body was enveloped by a powerful spiritual energy. Before he could say anything, he was dragged through the skies at high speeds.

The G-force was so great that he almost fainted! Finally, he stopped after a minute or so. His blurry vision and mind slowly came back to normal. But just as he was about to contact Roan through their Soul Connection, he saw a familiar face in front of him.

"This... Elder Tiria, is there something?"

Elder Tiria's face began to get a little red as she struggled to speak. But she ultimately opened her mouth.

"Let's go ahead with your plan."

Rean felt that perhaps, it would have been better to pass out.

---

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