To Lei Qianjiao's anxious inquiry, Wu Tian could hear her but was unable to respond.
His physical condition was extremely poor, his body temperature having risen to over ninety degrees Celsius, with steam even rising from him.
When the pressure within his body reached its peak, Wu Tian could no longer endure it and let out a heart-wrenching scream.
It was the first time Lei Qianjiao had seen Wu Tian like this. She was completely panicked but had no idea what to do.
Wu Tian's screams lasted for nearly ten seconds.
Then, as if deflated, he collapsed to the ground on his side and lost consciousness.
Seeing Wu Tian, who had completely stopped moving, Lei Qianjiao's eyes trembled.
She tried to touch Wu Tian, but as soon as her hand brushed his skin, the scorching heat made her immediately pull her hand back.
"So hot!" she exclaimed in shock. "What on earth is going on? Why did he suddenly become like this?"
Afterward, she tentatively checked Wu Tian's body.
However, the more she checked, the more grim her expression became.
Finally, as if utterly terrified, she sat down on the ground.
Her already pale face lost all color.
Because from Wu Tian's body, she could not feel any life force!
In other words, Wu Tian was likely dead!
This horrifying sight made Lei Qianjiao's scalp tingle.
If it were in the past, Wu Tian's death would not have concerned her in the slightest.
But now it was different. She and Wu Tian had gone through life and death together, and their relationship had undergone a qualitative leap. How could she watch Wu Tian die?
After a two-second pause, she suddenly thought of something, quickly rallied herself, flipped her wrist, and a black pill appeared in her palm.
"I hope this thing will be useful."
She carefully placed the pill into Wu Tian's mouth and then used her remaining faint immortal energy to force the pill down into his stomach.
The pill began to take effect as soon as it reached his stomach. Under Lei Qianjiao's expectant gaze, Wu Tian soon began to cough!
"It really works!" Seeing this, Lei Qianjiao was overjoyed.
She quickly helped Wu Tian up and said, "Wu Tian, how are you feeling now? Are you any better?"
Wu Tian took a few deep breaths, then without a word, he suddenly sat up and entered a state of cultivation again.
However, this time, he seemed to be able to control the anomalies within his body.
The high temperature gradually receded from his skin, and the terrifying veins finally returned to normal.
A moment later, Wu Tian opened his eyes. His complexion had fully returned to normal, and it seemed that both his injuries and immortal energy had been completely restored.
He muttered to himself, "That was really close. I almost died here."
His tone was filled with lingering fear, clearly indicating that he had been on the verge of death just moments ago.
Seeing that he was out of danger, Lei Qianjiao quickly asked, "What exactly happened to you just now? Why did you suddenly become like that?"
"Do you know how scared I was just now!"
Wu Tian smiled slightly and said, "When I killed that ape, I also shattered its spirit core. As a result, the power within the spirit core entered my body."
"But that power was too immense. I tried several times to forcibly subdue it, but in the end, I couldn't, and I pushed myself to the brink of death."
"However, I have now controlled that violent power, so everything is fine."
"So that's what happened..." Lei Qianjiao said in surprise. "Does that mean you've completely absorbed the power of the spirit core?"
Wu Tian shook his head with a wry smile. "It's not that easy. It's good enough that I can suppress it now. How can I completely devour it?"
"This power needs to be slowly digested by me, but it's only a matter of time. Sooner or later, I'll be able to absorb it all."
Lei Qianjiao said in amazement, "If that's the case, then once you've fully absorbed it, won't your strength leap forward again?"
Wu Tian smiled and said, "Perhaps. According to my estimation, if everything goes smoothly, breaking through to a high-level immortal should be no problem at all."
Lei Qianjiao couldn't help but gasp.
She had started cultivating at the age of ten and became an immortal at twenty-seven. Now, more than twenty years later, she had only reached the high-grade immortal stage.
Among all immortal cultivators, her speed was already considered monstrous.
But Wu Tian, when he first arrived, was only at the lower-grade immortal realm. How many days had it been, and he was already about to break through to a high-grade immortal?
Such speed was truly enviable!
Seeing Lei Qianjiao's expression, Wu Tian guessed her thoughts.
He couldn't help but scratch his head and say a bit sheepishly, "But speaking of which, I'm really sorry."
"When we killed that big ape, your strength played the most crucial role. By rights, the spirit core should have been yours."
"But now I've absorbed its power. Have I stolen your opportunity?"
Lei Qianjiao was slightly taken aback, but she didn't dwell on it too much.
She shook her head and said, "You don't need to say that. You were the one who ultimately killed it, not me. So it's normal for you to absorb the spirit core."
"Besides, it's thanks to your skills that we didn't end up dying here, let alone absorbing the spirit core's power."
"So don't feel any psychological pressure."
Facing Lei Qianjiao's magnanimous attitude, Wu Tian's good impression of her deepened.
However, he couldn't feel completely at ease. After all, Lei Qianjiao had contributed greatly, and she deserved a share of the benefits. It wasn't right for him to take it all.
Therefore, he remembered this kindness in his heart and vowed to find a way to repay Lei Qianjiao someday.
Then, as if he had thought of something, he asked again, "By the way, speaking of which, there's one more thing I wanted to ask you."
"I remember I was almost dead back then, but how did I recover?"