Journey to the West: Treasure Vase of the Great Dao-Chapter 421 198 Key

"Indeed, in recent times, the child has suddenly begun to waste away before our very eyes, dwindling to the state you see now within just a few days. If this continues, I fear he may not survive much longer," said the middle-aged man.

Liu Qingyun turned to his junior apprentices and asked, "Have you discerned anything?"

The two youngsters, who had been engrossed in the small toys they had purchased, stood at attention like schoolchildren questioned by their teacher, their bodies tense and upright, nervously saying, "We haven't noticed anything."

They then received a stern look from Liu Qingyun, causing them to quickly lower their heads. However, since they were in public, Liu Qingyun did not intend to pursue the matter with the two youngsters but instead turned his gaze to Xiao Qi.

Xiao Qi, upon seeing his senior brother looking at him, quickly spoke, "Judging by the symptoms, it resembles the signs of a soul that has been overly depleted. Yet this person is a mere commoner, without a trace of mana. Where could he have expended his soul?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Qingyun nodded slightly and said, "It is indeed the symptoms of a soul that has suffered damage. Just now, I examined his soul with my Dharma Eye and saw that it was like a candle flickering in the wind, extremely weak, showing signs of near extinction."

To the ears of the middle-aged couple, Liu Qingyun's words were like a bolt from the blue. While they did not comprehend what 'soul' truly meant as discussed by their interlocutors, they could tell from the conversation that the situation was dire.

Fearfully, they asked, "Immortal Master, is there a cure for such an ailment?"

"Soul damage is tricky, but it is not incurable. There is naturally a way to recover. You are in luck; my master possesses Spiritual Water, a rare remedy in the three realms known for treating such injuries."

With a gentle summoning gesture, a small porcelain bottle appeared in his hand, containing the Spiritual Water that Lu Yu had extracted from the Water World.

Since the Treasure Vase of the Great Dao had created its world, the efficacy of various Spiritual Waters refined within had reached even higher levels. The once-simple Divine Water, having assimilated the energies of yin and yang and the power of rules, became an even more potent Spiritual Water. However, even in the Water World, such water was not abundant, and Liu Qingyun only had this small porcelain bottle in hand.

This was something Lu Yu had given to him as a precaution, a means to protect himself.

"Bring a bowl of water!" Liu Qingyun instructed softly.

The servants hurriedly obliged, and soon a large bowl with a rooster painted on it was brought in, filled slowly with clear water.

Liu Qingyun placed the clear water beside the bed, opened the porcelain bottle, and poured in a drop of Spiritual Water. Instantly, a peculiar mist spread in the air, its scent so refreshing that anyone who smelled it felt invigorated. Meanwhile, a small plant in the corner of the room began to grow wildly under the influence of the vapor.

The couple was thoroughly astonished by the miraculous scene unfolding before their eyes. They stared in amazement at the porcelain bottle in Liu Qingyun's hand, realizing that the mere essence emanating from a single drop had such a wondrous effect that the entire bottle must be worth a fortune.

"Give this bowl of water to your son to drink," Liu Qingyun instructed.

The maid by the side was about to pick up the bowl but was stopped by the woman, "Put it down, I'll do it myself."

"Yes, Mistress," replied the maid as she looked up and then obediently placed down the bowl, stepping aside to give space to the woman.

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The woman picked up the bowl and, with her husband's help, lifted her comatose child, tears involuntarily falling. That child, once so healthy, was now skin and bones. Holding her son in her arms, she could not feel an ounce of flesh, as if she were embracing a White Skeleton.

As a mother, there was nothing more painful than watching her own child barely clinging to life, her heart aching as if cut with knives.

She gently called out her child's name, carefully moving the bowl to her child's lips, her expression filled with fear, anticipation, and worry, as if she was holding a precious infant in the middle of a bustling market.

The comatose person was unable to eat normally, and the woman looked anxiously at her husband. Liu Qingyun saw this and with a light point of his finger, Wang Renan, still in a coma, suddenly opened his mouth, allowing the woman to successfully pour the bowl of water into her son's mouth.

The gulping sound rang out, as if a small river was flowing through Wang Renan's body; shortly after, his emaciated frame began to swiftly inflate like a balloon, his withered muscles regaining their normal appearance. In just a short time, Wang Renan's face returned to its former state.

The delicate face was rejuvenated with vitality, bringing tears to the eyes of the couple; their child had finally come back to them. The servants around them were also astonished by this scene, witnessing the immediate effect and realizing that the Immortal Master was truly capable of bringing the dead back to life and restoring flesh to bones, just as the legends said.

However, Wang Renan's body then started to wither away at a visible rate, causing the couple to panic and urgently call for Liu Qingyun's help.

Liu Qingyun, standing off to the side, frowned. It was his first encounter with such a situation, but without hesitation, he opened the porcelain bottle, and a drop of Spiritual Water flew out, landing in Wang Renan's mouth. The speed of withering immediately slowed down.

Seeing that it worked, Liu Qingqing pointed again, and two more drops of Spiritual Water flew into Renan.

Instantly, a golden light flashed from Wang Renan's forehead, the light piercing through the roof and shooting straight into the sky, falling among the clouds. Suddenly, an illusory stone door appeared, adorned with pictures of Holy Elephants frolicking and playing.

Not only were the couple stunned, but even Liu Qingyun and Xiao Qi were shocked by this spectacle, they exchanged a glance as they looked at the person lying on the bed in amazement.

"Could this be the mythical 'using a person as a key'?" Xiao Qi wondered aloud.

Liu Qingyun nodded slightly, leaving those around him puzzled, while the two younger ones eagerly embraced the spirit of not being ashamed to ask questions, quickly pestering Liu Qingyun for answers.

"'Using a person as a key' is a special Technique from ancient times, often used to guard tombs. It's an ability of the ritualists, who have the power to seal the key to a tomb within their own lineage, passing it down through generations. Until the time is right, no one could discover their identity, ensuring the safety of the tomb. When the appointed time comes, the means left by the tomb's master would act, causing their bloodline to stir up, absorbing the Mana from the master to open the door," Liu Qingyun explained.

"You must be the descendants of the ancient Holy Elephant ritualists. Now that the time has come, the key must naturally manifest from your bloodline. Sadly, over the endless years, your lineage seems to have lost the Technique of cultivation, and so the key lacks sufficient power to coalesce. When that happens, it consumes the power of the owner's Soul. And when the Soul is insufficient, the body will give all its energy to the Soul, which is why one becomes so weak."