Seeing this, Ian couldn't help but smile. Only after this close contact did he realize that these Martial Saints weren't as aloof as he'd imagined—in fact, they were all quite amiable, much more to his liking.
Of course, what Ian didn't know was that the reason these Martial Saints treated him so politely and as an equal was entirely because of his potential. If it were any other Grandmaster-level martial artist, would these Saints be so courteous?
A small flame appeared in Ian's hand, and he used it to disinfect the golden needles he'd used earlier.
Once the needles were disinfected, he began treating Venerable Dragon Sword.
The other four watched the process intently, their expressions thoughtful.
Before Ian cured Harvey Huangpu, none of them took his golden needle technique seriously. But now, if Ian offered to trade his needle art for their strongest cultivation method, they'd agree without hesitation. After all, even once Ian healed their hidden injuries, they'd inevitably get hurt again in the future—so this golden needle healing method was, in their eyes, priceless.
What they didn't realize was that while the golden needle method did help with their internal injuries, it would actually take months to fully heal them. The real cure was still the Radiance of Life.
"Pa! Pa! Pa!"
Ian's hands kept rhythmically patting Venerable Dragon Sword's body, the motion full of a special cadence. Venerable Dragon Sword, meanwhile, felt incredibly comfortable, his eyes half-closed and his face blissful.
"All done!"
Ian sent a thread of Radiance of Life into Venerable Dragon Sword's body, then wiped away some sweat he'd deliberately squeezed from his forehead.
"Senior Brother Dalong, how do you feel?"
Melody Empress asked.
Venerable Dragon Sword stood up straight, stretched his arms and legs, and a series of crackling pops rang out. His face was full of satisfaction as he laughed, "Amazing—I've never felt so refreshed! It's like a burden I've carried for years has suddenly vanished!"
"Which of you wants to go next?" Ian looked at the remaining three.
"Why don't you rest for a bit first?" Melody Empress said with concern.
"It's fine," Ian waved his hand. "It takes some energy, but not that much."
Hearing this, the others' impression of Ian improved even more.
Next, Melody Empress received Ian's treatment, followed by Tanner Nangong, and finally Adrian Zhuge.
When the treatments were done, all five wore blissful smiles.
But Ian couldn't quite hide the trace of exhaustion on his face.
"Little Huang, I have a bottle of pills that restore mental energy. Try them out." Seeing Ian's fatigue, Melody Empress walked over and pressed a bottle into his hand.
"Thank you, Senior Melody." Ian quickly thanked her.
"It's just a little thing, no need to thank me."
"Haha, Little Huang, I've got a bottle of pills to restore true qi too. Try them out! When you finish them, come back for more!" Venerable Dragon Sword also stuffed a bottle into Ian's hand, looking very generous.
Then Adrian Zhuge, Harvey Huangpu, and Tanner Nangong each handed Ian a bottle of pills. Though Ian couldn't see what was inside, he knew anything gifted by Martial Saints wouldn't be ordinary.
Just then—
Xander Xuanyuan walked in carrying a large tray of dishes.
"Time to eat!"
Suddenly, he noticed his old friends' expressions—they all seemed a bit more spirited than before.
"Did you guys eat some immortal pills? Why are you all so full of energy?"
Venerable Dragon Sword said proudly, "Feels even better than immortal pills!"
"Definitely better than immortal pills!" Harvey Huangpu nodded.
"What's going on?" Xander Xuanyuan looked baffled.
"Old Xander, watch this!"
Tanner Nangong called out, then suddenly a vivid blue flame rose from within him, wrapping his whole body and flowing around him like water.
Xander Xuanyuan stared intently for a while, then exclaimed in surprise, "Your Cosmic Void Divine Flame is running so smoothly—there's not a trace of stagnation. Did your internal injuries heal?"
"That's right—not just Senior Nangong, but all of us have had our hidden injuries healed!" Melody Empress said with a smile.
"Really?" Xander Xuanyuan's once-muddy eyes suddenly flashed with light, and he went from an ordinary farmer to a peerless powerhouse.
"It's all thanks to Little Huang—he healed our injuries," Melody Empress continued.
"Little Huang can do all that?" Xander Xuanyuan looked genuinely excited.
"You think we're making it up? The five of us are living proof!" Venerable Dragon Sword said.
"Then, Little Huang, could you treat me too?" Xander Xuanyuan looked at Ian with anticipation. Years ago, when he broke through to Martial Saint peak, his hidden injuries worsened so much he hadn't dared fight in ages. All that farming might look fun, but it left him feeling stifled.
"Of course!"
Meeting Xander Xuanyuan's gaze, Ian smiled and nodded.
Fifteen minutes later, Xander Xuanyuan stood up from his chair, shook himself, and suddenly his slightly hunched frame straightened, growing several dozen centimeters taller—he looked well over two meters now.
"Pop!"
He took a step forward and slapped the air. The void in front of him shattered like a sheet of paper.
"Hahaha!"
"I can finally fight without holding back!"
Xander Xuanyuan threw his head back and laughed, looking absolutely ecstatic.
Seeing this, Ian was a bit surprised—he hadn't expected Xander Xuanyuan, at his age, to have such a wild side.
Melody Empress smiled and explained, "Little Huang, you probably don't know, but old Xander was famous as a battle maniac in his youth. He once charged alone into the Demon Domain, slaughtered over ten thousand devils, and even killed eight demon generals. In the end, he was besieged by two demon kings but still escaped alive. All these years, being unable to fight at full strength because of hidden injuries drove him crazy—now that you've healed him, the Devil Race is in trouble again!"
Hearing Melody Empress's explanation, Ian genuinely felt a surge of admiration—charging into the Demon Domain alone and slaying so many devils took incredible courage.
And to escape unharmed after killing so many demonfolk—that was even more impressive.
Xander Xuanyuan shrank back to normal human size, smiled at Ian, and said, "Don't listen to her exaggerate. The only reason I got out alive was thanks to a special movement technique. Little Huang, interested in learning it? If you master this body art, even a Great Grandmaster won't be able to catch you if you want to run!"
"I'm interested—very interested!" Ian replied eagerly.
"Alright, here's the manual for my technique. Take a look, and if anything confuses you, just ask!" Xander Xuanyuan tossed Ian a beast-skin booklet.
Ian opened it and saw page after page of movement and qi circulation routes.
"Alright, you can study the technique later—let's eat first." Xander Xuanyuan said.
"Okay."
Ian put the booklet into his storage ring and sat down at the table with the six Martial Saints. If any student saw Ian sharing a meal with six Martial Saints, their eyes would probably pop out of their heads.