Chapter 2988: Healing The High Elder - Walker Of The Worlds

"Not just one. Many." Yan Dao shook his head. "The chamber is a prison of sorts. But a sacred one. It’s said that Daoist Star Slayer was the one to create it during the early days of our sect... He visited it often to train himself as well as to allow the swords to calm down. But one day he came out with the foundation for the Astral Severance Sword." Lin Mu’s fingers curled slightly at the mention. "Then perhaps it is meant for more than just punishment. It is a proving ground." "Indeed," Yan Dao smiled, wincing. Lin Mu didn’t respond immediately. His gaze lingered on the elder’s wound, then lifted to the man’s eyes. "You need to heal first, Elder. Then we can talk about swords." Yan Dao chuckled. "You’re more cautious than I was." The healing elders sighed in relief as Lin Mu’s words seem to placate the High Elder more than theirs. With the High Elder placated, the Healers could finally begin their work. Within the cool halls of the Healing Pavilion, a calm, herb-laden atmosphere clung to the air, yet tension buzzed beneath the surface like a taut string. Lin Mu stood silently by High Elder Yan Dao’s bedside, his sharp eyes watching as the senior healers administered rare pills and healing concoctions. The wounds across the elder’s torso, a brutal gash that spanned shoulder to hip, remained stubborn despite their efforts. One of the elders furrowed his brow and murmured to his companion, "The sword intent is still entrenched within the wound. No matter what pill or salve we apply, the qi refuses to circulate properly. The tissues reject regeneration." The second nodded grimly. "This is beyond what common techniques can resolve. We’ll need to isolate and expel the lingering sword will before full healing can begin." They turned toward High Elder Yan Dao. "At this rate, it may take a month before we can fully extract the residual intent, Elder Yan Dao. Your movement must remain restricted until then." The old man gave a dry, irritated sigh. "A month of being bedridden..." he muttered. "That’s more troublesome than the pain itself. I’ve too many duties to tend to—lectures, cultivation chambers, formations needing reinforcement..." It was then that Lin Mu stepped forward, his expression thoughtful. "If the elder is amenable," he said calmly, "I may be able to assist." The two healers looked up, their brows raising. One of them asked with surprise but no accusation, "You possess healing arts, Daoist Lin Mu?" Lin Mu gave a small nod. "I learned several during my time at the Silent Lotus Temple. Among them is a sutra focused on total restoration—especially where external and internal injuries overlap." High Elder Yan Dao looked over with a raised brow, curiosity piqued. "You’ve studied Buddhist healing as well?" "The Silent Lotus Temple trained everyone in balance. The path of compassion, just as much as the path of resolve," Lin Mu replied. "With your permission, Elder Yan Dao, and with the approval of the Healing Hall, I will attempt a treatment." The two elder healers exchanged glances, silently judging Lin Mu’s composure, his confidence—not arrogance, but certainty—and the reputation that now preceded him. After a moment, they both nodded. "Very well," one said. "We will monitor from the side, just in case." Lin Mu took a deep breath and walked forward, sitting beside the jade bed. He placed his hands in a mudra, closed his eyes, and began to chant softly. The words, though ancient and obscure, carried a resonance that filled the entire chamber. They were not loud, nor overwhelming. They simplywere. TheHealing Heart Sutra. Lin Mu didn’t wish to create too much of an uproar so he deliberately kept his chanting obscure, preventing others from hearing the words properly. As the sutra flowed from Lin Mu’s lips, the atmosphere shifted. A gentle, natural aura enveloped the room. The light of the sun filtering through the windows seemed to brighten, even though it hadn’t moved. The scent of the herbs intensified, as if responding to the vitality in the air. Every breath taken by those present felt cleaner, deeper. The target of that vitality, though, was High Elder Yan Dao. A green-gold glow began to emanate from Lin Mu’s hands, flowing like liquid qi across the elder’s wounded form. It didn’t surge. It seeped, like spring water nourishing parched roots. The glow slid across the gash, and the sword intent buried within twitched in protest. Lin Mu’s control was absolute. He directed the sutra’s restorative energy with a precision honed not just by knowledge, but by instinct. He didn’t push the sword intent out forcefully. Hecoaxedit free, cleansing each layer of tissue while slowly restoring qi flow. The healers watched in wide-eyed amazement. One of them muttered, "This... isn’t just healing. This is harmonization." Indeed, it was. Lin Mu skillfully maintained a balance—letting just enough vitality flow to catalyze the regeneration, but never so much that he exhausted himself. To overextend the Healing Heart Sutra was to burn one’s own qi stores. But Lin Mu showed no sign of strain. High Elder Yan Dao groaned—not in pain, but surprise—as he felt the burn in his flesh ease. The tug of sword will against his meridians vanished, and the heaviness in his dantian faded. Within just a few minutes, the massive wound knit together entirely. The skin sealed. The flesh below strengthened. The ghost of the sword will that had haunted his wound was gone. Lin Mu exhaled softly and opened his eyes. "...Done." The elder healers stepped forward with haste, placing diagnostic talismans and casting spiritual probes over Yan Dao’s body. After a moment, one of them gasped. "His wound... it’s gone. The internal damage—purged." "And look here," said the other, lifting the elder’s arm and peering at an old scar across the shoulder. "Even this old sword fracture from three hundred years ago... it’s gone. His meridians have been cleared of blockages!" They turned to Lin Mu in disbelief. "You didn’t just heal the latest wound. You healed everything."