The Great Doctor Girl

"Do you think we can really preserve the legacy of Yi medicine?" I asked softly, a hint of confusion in my voice.

Huang Junze gazed at me with unwavering determination: "We definitely can. We have our children, we have each other, and we have the power passed down for thousands of years. As long as we work together, there is no obstacle we cannot overcome."

Looking into his resolute eyes, my unease gradually dissipated. Yes, we are not alone and helpless; we have family, friends, and that weighty mission.

Night deepened, and the old house fell silent. I lay in bed, unable to sleep. Moonlight streamed through the window, casting a silvery glow on the floor, as if whispering an ancient prophecy. I knew that from this moment on, our lives would be turned upside down, the future filled with unknowns and challenges. But I firmly believed that as long as our family stayed together, nothing could stop us from moving forward.

I don't know how much time passed before I drifted off to sleep. In my dream, I saw the children grow up, radiating powerful spiritual energy. They stood in the center of the light, protecting the legacy of Yi medicine and blessing all living beings. Huang Junze and I watched with satisfaction, our hearts filled with pride and joy.

Suddenly, a rapid ringing of the telephone jolted me awake from my dream. Huang Junze quickly got up to answer the phone, his expression instantly turning serious. After hanging up, he turned to me and said, "We received news from the lab that the balance model of the Star Marrow Gray is showing abnormal fluctuations, and the frequency of these fluctuations is somehow related to the mysterious symbols projected in the Bronze Academy."

My heart tightened, and I quickly got up and dressed. As soon as I stepped out of the room, I saw Qingyao and Bixuan in the living room, already fully prepared. Their magical artifacts gleamed coldly in the night. Qingyao shook the Azure Dragon Jade Pendant in her hand; its clear chime dispelled some of her drowsiness. "I sensed the unusual movement of spiritual energy and knew something was wrong. Count us in." Bixuan silently tucked the Black Tortoise Jade into her sleeve; the black ribbon in her hair moved without wind, her eyes filled with vigilance and determination, clearly already prepared for any crisis.

The four of them headed to the laboratory together. Along the way, the city lights flashed past the car window, but my mind wasn't on the night view at all; I was filled with worry about the unknown dangers. Huang Junze drove with dragon scale patterns appearing and disappearing, his brow furrowed, his hands gripping the steering wheel tightly. Every subtle movement revealed his inner tension and focus. In the rearview mirror, Qingyao's azure dragon phantom and Bixuan's black tortoise shadow intertwined to form a protective barrier. Qingyao's eyes were sharp, constantly alert to any unusual movements around her, while Bixuan's expression was solemn, her hands forming a mudra in front of her chest to maintain the stability of the barrier.

Upon arriving at the lab, the staff on duty looked even worse than described on the phone. On the holographic projection of the control panel, the fluctuating curve of the astral gray had transformed into a wildly pulsating jagged pattern, and the dark red warning light stained the entire room blood-red.

"The resonance frequency has exceeded the critical value by three times!" The researcher's voice trembled. "At this rate, a spiritual energy storm will be triggered within thirty hours at most, and the spiritual veins of the entire city will be shattered." His words were filled with fear, large beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, and his hands frantically operated the control panel, trying to find any way to alleviate the crisis.

Bi Xuan suddenly stepped forward, her fingertips tracing the projection. The patterns on the Xuanwu Jue resonated with the vibrational frequency: "This isn't a natural anomaly. Someone has set up a Xunfeng Lightning-Attracting Array at the former site of the Bronze Academy. The Star Marrow Ash is merely the trigger." Her voice was calm and steady, but a hint of worry flashed in her eyes. Just as she finished speaking, the laboratory's glass window shattered, and a gale-force wind, carrying black rain with a sulfurous smell, poured in. Shards of glass flew everywhere, scraping the ground with a piercing sound.

Qingyao immediately summoned the Azure Dragon Jade, its emerald light forming a barrier to keep out the wind and rain. She stared at the churning dark clouds in the sky: "It's the work of the Li Huo Sect. I've seen these array patterns on the tattered pages of their ancient books." Her hair was blown about by spiritual energy, and the azure dragon behind her emitted a low roar. Her eyes were filled with anger and determination, as if she was ready to fight to the death with her enemy.

Huang Junze raised his hand and drew a three-dimensional star map, golden lines resembling meridians winding upwards along his forearm. When the phantom representing the Bronze Academy overlapped with the trajectory of spiritual energy fluctuations, everyone gasped simultaneously—the detonation point was precisely set at the most vulnerable spacetime rift of the Four Symbols Seal. "They want to take advantage of the instability of the Star Marrow Ash to forcibly tear open the earth vein seal." His dragon scale pattern suddenly lit up, casting a huge dragon shadow on the ground. His voice was deep and powerful, but his tone revealed a sense of urgency.

Suddenly, a piercing alarm sounded, and an anonymous email popped up on the monitor. Qingyao opened it first; dark red Xuanwu runes flowed across the screen: "Hand over the Qi Meridian Extraction Chapter of the *Heavenly Physician's Silk Manuscript* within three days, or detonate the seventy-two spiritual energy hubs." The email attachment clearly showed the core design of the spiritual energy communication array, each node marked with energy parameters sufficient to destroy a city. Looking at this information, my heart sank; I could almost see the horrific destruction of the city.

I gripped the edge of the control panel tightly, the crimson lotus on my lower back protruding from my skin, burning as if it would scald through. Bixuan's Xuanwu jade pendant suddenly hummed, her expression changing drastically: "Not good! These coordinates coincide with the array eye that sealed the evil god back then. They're about to unleash more than just a spiritual energy storm..." Her voice trailed off, but we all understood that what we were about to face was a catastrophe capable of overturning the world.

Before he could finish speaking, the laboratory's foundation suddenly shook violently. Huang Junze immediately shielded me behind him, his dragon tail sweeping out and shattering the toppled lab cabinets into dust. Qingyao and Bixuan simultaneously formed hand seals, and the phantoms of the Azure Dragon and Black Tortoise hovered on the ceiling, barely managing to withstand the impact. The shaking grew stronger, dust fell from the ceiling, and the entire laboratory teetered on the brink of collapse, our situation becoming increasingly dangerous.

"Activate the Four Symbols Resonance Device!" I clutched my lower back, the crimson lotus flower throbbing with increasing pain. Sensing the bloodline of the inheritor, the metal control panel automatically raised four bronze beast heads. Qingyao and Bixuan exchanged a glance, then respectively inserted the Azure Dragon Jade and the Black Tortoise Jade into their slots. The instant their spiritual power flowed into the device, terrifying spatial-temporal turbulence erupted from the hologram. Within this turbulence, various strange scenes flashed before my eyes: ancient battlefields, mysterious runes, and chilling monsters.

I saw a scene twenty years in the future: a spiritual storm tore through the earth's crust, the Bronze Academy collapsed from the void, and Qingyao's Azure Dragon Jade and Bixuan's Black Tortoise Jade gleamed eerily amidst the ruins. Countless hideous evil spirits crawled out from the cracks in the earth's veins, leaving devastation in their wake. The terrifying scene sent chills down my spine, and a strong sense of mission welled up within me; we must stop all of this from happening.

"It's a double mirror trap!" My crimson lotus suddenly swelled, forcibly severing the spacetime projection. Blood seeped from the corner of my mouth, but I desperately protected us as we coughed violently. "They used the Xuanwu Water Mirror Technique nested within the Vermilion Bird Fire Array. We almost detonated the Star Marrow Ash during the reverse resonance!" A pained expression appeared on my face, but my eyes remained resolute. To protect everyone, I was willing to expend my own power.

Huang Junze suddenly gripped my icy wrist, his fingertips burning hot. The power emanating from his palm surged like a mighty river, coursing through my meridians and instantly calming the chaotic spiritual energy swayed by fear. "I'm here," he murmured deeply, his amber eyes reflecting my pale face. "Do you remember back in Canglan Mountain? How did we break the Seventy-Two Nail Formation?"

Memories surged like a tide. I had just come down from the mountain and didn't know that my union with him would enhance my magical power. I only felt boundless strength when I held his hand when I was about to collapse. At that moment, the words "I will fill the gap in your spiritual power" reached my ears.

Qingyao and Bixuan's magical artifacts suddenly shone brightly, and the Four Symbols Resonance Instrument emitted a groan of strain. Huang Junze abruptly pulled me into his arms, sweeping his leg out to shatter the control panel that was about to topple over. Metal fragments grazed his cheek, leaving a bloody gash, but were swallowed up by the scales on his body that instantly healed. "You guard the formation, I'll protect you." His nose was almost touching mine, his warm breath brushing against my ear. "Like we agreed, we'll never let the other face the darkness alone."

I looked up at the golden light burning in his eyes, and the crimson lotus on my lower back intensified its heat. This was a resonance only we understood—he was forcibly binding his energy to mine, using our hearts as the guide and our lives as the bond. When the first wave of spiritual energy storm struck the protective shield, his hand dug deep into my palm. The pain brought me back to my senses and allowed me to see the determination in his eyes.

"Do you still remember our vow?" he whispered amidst the roar, the dragon scales on the back of his neck gleaming in the light that mingled with the crimson lotus flames on my lower back. "I will protect you for all eternity!" His voice, resonating with the spiritual energy, reached Qingyao and Bixuan's ears. Bixuan's Xuanwu Jue burst forth with a ghostly light, and Qingyao's Azure Dragon phantom roared to the sky. At this moment, the spiritual energy of the four truly merged into one.

As the entire Qi Meridian Network activated, I felt his spiritual energy, like surging waves, continuously flowing into my meridians. Every bit of power carried his warmth, and the memories of the years we had shared. At this critical moment of life and death, his presence was like a stabilizing force, gradually calming my initially panicked heart. We didn't need any more words; a glance, a firm handshake, was enough to convey a thousand words.

The alarm blared piercingly, and cracks began to appear in the laboratory's protective shield. Qingyao suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, and tiny cracks appeared on the scales of the Azure Dragon Jade: "No, this formation is devouring our spiritual power..." Her face was as pale as paper, and her body swayed precariously, but she still forced herself to continue fighting against the formation.

Bi Xuan bit her fingertip and dripped blood onto the Xuanwu Jue, causing its dark light to surge: "Do you still remember the 'using one's body as an array' recorded in the Silk Manuscript?" Her suggestion caused the air to freeze instantly. This ancient forbidden technique meant sacrificing one's own spiritual power to the array. If it failed, we would be doomed.