Chapter 574: Backlash

　　A faint ripple formed on the water droplet.

　　T-that’s an affirmative answer! Chu Liuyue came to her senses after a long while. My guess is correct… The water droplet kept releasing force earlier, but it chose to launch a counterattack once the Messed Yuan Gravel crystallized! Not only can it recover the force it lost this way, but it can also swallow the Messed Yuan Gravel’s force for itself!

　　After staying silent for a while, Chu Liuyue said with much difficulty, “Y-you really refuse to take any losses…”

　　“Liuyue? Liuyue!” called Weichi Song anxiously when he saw no movement from Chu Liuyue.

　　Snapping back to her senses, Chu Liuyue opened her eyes and realized that both Qiang Wanzhou and Weichi Song were standing right in front of her, their faces filled with worry.

　　“How are you feeling?” asked Weichi Song as he carefully examined her condition out of fear that something had happened to her.

　　Although Qiang Wanzhou said nothing, his eyes remained fixed on Chu Liuyue throughout. He didn’t know what went wrong with the Messed Yuan Gravel at the last stage, for he had never encountered such a situation back when he was in Nan Jiang. But if something really had happened to Chu Liuyue earlier, he’d never be able to forgive himself.

　　“I’m fine.” Chu Liuyue hurriedly assured them before standing up and taking a look at her palm, where a scab had already formed over the bloody cut. She then spread her arms open, allowing them to examine her all over. “No need to worry. See? I’m all fine.”

　　“What was that about just now? W-why did that thing… enter your body?” Weichi Song dared not relax just yet as he turned to face Qiang Wanzhou, asking, “Wanzhou, you mentioned that although Messed Yuan Gravel isn’t poisonous to people, it can rapidly sap one’s force. What should we do now that it’s in Liuyue’s body?”

　　A warm current flowed through Chu Liuyue’s heart when she saw the stricken expression on Weichi Song’s face, which was always calm and composed. She tugged at his arm, saying, “I’m really alright, Master. If you don’t believe me, you can always take my pulse to check.”

　　Looking skeptical, Weichi Song placed his fingers on Chu Liuyue’s wrist. But the next moment, he glanced at her with uncertainty and surprise. W-why does it seem like she’s gotten stronger when she lost so much force earlier?

　　Chu Liuyue beamed at him. “Well? Is your mind at ease now?”

　　Weichi Song checked her pulse again, only to realize that there was indeed nothing wrong with her body. In fact, she was brimming with force.

　　He slowly released his hand as he muttered, “Yes…”

　　Chu Liuyue then looked in Qiang Wanzhou’s direction. “Are you relieved now, Little Zhou?”

　　Although Qiang Wanzhou wasn’t a heavenly doctor, he had extremely keen senses. Thus, he could tell that Chu Liuyue didn’t have the Messed Yuan Gravel’s strange aura on her and that she had, in fact, become a little stronger.

　　Weichi Song couldn’t help but ask, “W-what’s going on?”

　　How should I explain it to them? I can’t possibly tell them that not only am I unhurt, but I also swallowed the Messed Yuan Gravel’s force for myself, can I? Chu Liuyue’s head throbbed in pain as she opted for an ambiguous answer. “Uh… Speaking of which… I’m not too sure either…”

　　Weichi Song appeared enlightened though. “Perhaps the force in your body dissolved it?”

　　“I guess… That might be the case…” Chu Liuyue bobbed her head in rumination. There’s nothing wrong with this explanation since the crystal really did dissolve in my body. It’s just that its force became mine.

　　“Now, even without looking at Jiang Yucheng’s palm, we might be able to determine if this was his doing,” said Qiang Wanzhou all of a sudden.

　　Chu Liuyue asked curiously, “Why is that so?”

　　Qiang Wanzhou nonchalantly explained, “Because he’ll receive backlash from the force he gained from the Messed Yuan Gravel since you’ve destroyed it. At best, his cultivation might regress. At worst… His Yuan meridian might be destroyed!”