Chapter 78: Aftermath

Chapter 78: Chapter 78: Aftermath

Li Jian glanced at Long Ning, who was still standing with her thumb raised.

"..."

Long Ning slowly lowered her hand.

"..."

The awkward silence lingered for another moment.

Then, as if the tension had finally caught up with her, Long Ning’s body suddenly swayed.

Her eyes lost focus, and she collapsed without warning.

"Hey!"

Li Jian hurriedly stepped forward and caught her before she could hit the ground.

Her body felt frighteningly limp in his arms.

"Long Ning?"

He called her name, but she didn’t respond.

Li Jian’s expression changed as he noticed how pale her face had become.

The poison had never been fully neutralized, and the little strength she had managed to recover was now completely exhausted.

’She must have pushed herself too far.’

He adjusted his hold, carefully supporting her as he checked whether she was still breathing.

Only after confirming that she was alive did he let out a quiet breath of relief.

"At least you managed to look cool before passing out..."

He muttered under his breath, glancing at her unconscious beautiful face.

"...But what am I supposed to do with you now?"

Just as the words left his mouth, a familiar notification rang out in his mind.

[Ding!]

[Host has indirectly saved Long Ning’s life and future potential.]

[Favor Debt Points +3,000!]

Li Jian’s eyes widened slightly.

’Three thousand?’

A moment later, a smile spread across his face as he looked down at the unconscious woman in his arms.

Her beautiful face was pale, her breathing shallow, and her body completely limp.

He hadn’t even needed to fight the demonic snake himself, yet he had earned three thousand Favor Debt Points.

’So this is what they mean by reaping the benefits without doing the work.’

Of course, Li Jian knew better than to think he had done nothing.

Without his intervention, Chen Lei and the other two might have fled instead of helping Long Ning.

Even if they had decided to stand their ground, they would never have worked together so effectively without his request to the system.

Their unexpected teamwork had bought Long Ning enough time to strike back at the snake, giving her a chance to survive.

And if Li Jian hadn’t helped arrange all of that, she might already have been dead.

’Still, three thousand points...’

Li Jian couldn’t help but feel that this trip to the Fragment Realm had been worth it.

After all, this meant he had gained another hidden card.

As long as Long Ning managed to become an inner sect disciple, she would be a reliable backer he could count on in the future.

With her talent and strength, it was only a matter of time before she rose through the sect’s ranks.

Li Jian glanced down at the unconscious woman in his arms.

’Looks like I should make sure she survives until then. After all, a dead backer isn’t worth much.’

He carefully adjusted his grip on Long Ning and glanced toward the direction the demonic snake had fled.

His smile gradually faded.

’Now, the real question is... what scared that monster away?’

But then Li Jian shook his head and put those thoughts aside for the moment.

Whatever had frightened the demonic snake away, it was no longer their immediate concern.

Right now, he needed to find somewhere safe to treat Long Ning’s injuries.

He glanced around the clearing.

The battle had left the surrounding trees broken and the ground covered in deep cracks.

Staying here was simply asking for trouble.

"Chen Lei! Wang Hun! Zhang Zhao!"

He raised his voice, calling out to the three men who had been sent flying earlier.

Not far away, the trio slowly picked themselves up from the ground.

"C-Coming!"

Chen Lei was the first to respond.

Despite the pain in his body, he hurried over with Wang Hun and Zhang Zhao close behind.

When they saw Long Ning unconscious in Li Jian’s arms, their expressions changed.

"Senior Sister Long, is she—"

"She’s still alive," Li Jian interrupted. "But the poison hasn’t been completely neutralized. We need to find a safe place before her condition worsens."

The three men exchanged worried glances before nodding.

Although they had spent most of their time causing trouble for other disciples, they weren’t foolish enough to ignore the seriousness of the situation.

Besides, if someone with a background like Long Ning died here, they would have a hard time explaining themselves to the sect.

"Let’s go. I’ll lead the way."

Wang Hun stepped forward, drawing his sword as he scanned the surrounding forest.

Li Jian nodded and adjusted Long Ning’s position in his arms before following him.

As they left the clearing, he glanced at the three men walking ahead.

Their coordination had been surprisingly effective during the battle.

Even now, they were instinctively watching different directions, making sure nothing could approach them unnoticed.

’The system’s requests really are useful.’

He had only wanted to give them enough courage and teamwork to survive the encounter.

He hadn’t expected the results to be this good.

’If I can find more ways to use Favor Debt like this, I’ll have plenty of options when facing stronger opponents.’

Of course, that would have to wait.

For now, he had an unconscious genius to keep alive.

Li Jian lowered his gaze toward Long Ning.

"Don’t die on me, Senior Sister. I’m still counting on you to become an inner sect disciple."

He muttered quietly, tightening his hold on her.

With that, the group left the Fragment Realm.

_

_

_

As they stepped through the portal, the inner sect disciple stationed nearby immediately noticed their battered condition.

His gaze swept over the group before settling on the unconscious woman in Li Jian’s arms.

His expression changed.

"Junior Sister Long?!"

He recognized her at once.

Long Ning was one of the sect’s most talented outer disciples, and her reputation was well known even among the inner sect as she had been favored by a rather powerful Elder.

Seeing her pale face and shallow breathing, he didn’t waste another moment.

"Wait here!"

He quickly took out a communication talisman and infused it with spiritual energy, urgently contacting an elder.

Li Jian had barely finished explaining what happened when a figure appeared in the distance.

An elderly woman with white hair and a wrinkled face arrived with astonishing speed.

Her gaze immediately fell on Long Ning, and her expression grew serious.

Without asking for any details, she stepped forward and took Long Ning from Li Jian’s arms.

"Leave her to me."

Before anyone could respond, the elderly woman examined Long Ning’s condition.

A moment later, she wrapped her in spiritual energy and swiftly carried her away.

The entire exchange happened so quickly that Li Jian barely had time to react.

He watched the elderly woman’s figure disappear into the distance.

"..."

Then he sighed and shrugged.

"Well, at least she’s in good hands now."

Only then did he finally relax his arms.

He glanced at Chen Lei, Wang Hun, and Zhang Zhao, who were still standing nearby.

The three men looked just as battered as he felt.

Chen Lei’s clothes were torn in several places, and his round face was smeared with dirt and blood.

Wang Hun had a few cuts across his arms, while his usual neat appearance had become disheveled, with his hair hanging loosely around his face.

Zhang Zhao was no better off.

His sleeves were ripped, his face was pale, and he kept one hand pressed against his side as though he were struggling to hide his injuries.

They looked more like survivors of a disaster than disciples returning from a treasure hunt.

Li Jian glanced over them before letting out a quiet breath.

"Looks like our part is over. For now, let’s just get some rest."

All three men nodded happily.

"Thank you, Brother Li!"

Seeing their grateful expressions, Li Jian reached into his storage ring and took out several recovery pills he had obtained from the cave.

"Here. Take these first. They should help with your injuries."

The trio stared at the pills in his palm before accepting them with genuine gratitude.

"Thank you! We’ll remember this kindness!"

"Brother Li, you’ve helped us more than once today."

"Don’t worry. We’ll repay you when we get the chance."

As the three men swallowed the pills, familiar notifications appeared before Li Jian’s eyes.

[Ding!]

[Chen Lei’s Favor Debt +100]

[Wang Hun’s Favor Debt +100]

[Zhang Zhao’s Favor Debt +100]

Li Jian’s expression turned strange.

He looked at the three men, who were now thanking him with even greater enthusiasm.

He couldn’t help but let out a quiet sigh.

He had practically arranged for them to get beaten up, yet somehow, they were the ones who felt indebted to him.

’What a twisted world we live in... Not that I mind.’

After exchanging a few more words, the group eventually went their separate ways.

Li Jian watched Chen Lei, Wang Hun, and Zhang Zhao leave before turning toward the residential area.

The sun was already setting, casting a warm orange glow over the sect’s buildings and mountain paths.

He walked at a leisurely pace, enjoying the rare moment of peace after the exhausting ordeal in the Fragment Realm.

However, instead of heading straight back to his own residence, he took a slightly different path.

There was somewhere else he needed to visit first... and that was Nangong Mei’s residence.