Chapter 261: Surviving a Great Disaster

The group rested and waited by the small lake for nearly an hour, but there was no sign of the Demon Monarch Youtong.

Given that the vicinity was not particularly safe, Xu Chen decided to follow True Monarch Guilingzi and the others to their dwelling.

This place was about three hundred miles deep within the gap; no Black Mist could be felt in the surroundings, and one could even see the stars above Cangming. Apart from the vast, churning white fog in the distance and the towering, majestic mountains reaching into the sky, there were also many plants growing that looked quite normal, and even a small stream flowing out from the great mountains.

The few man-made cave chambers were no different from the meditation rooms of the various Immortal Sects in the Mortal World.

Around the dwelling, a plot of farmland about two or three mu in size had been cultivated, planted with many crops that looked like ordinary produce. Additionally, there was a small Medicine Garden where some strange flowers and grasses even had fluctuations of Spirit Qi, which made Xu Chen, who had endured months of darkness and cold, feel a long-lost sense of excitement and surprise.

Seeing the look of surprise on Xu Chen's face, True Monarch Guilingzi said, "There are all kinds of Demon Beasts everywhere here, and spiritual items are rare. These are some useful Spirit Grasses and Spirit Medicines we have continuously collected and cultivated over the years. However, the varieties are few and the quantities are very limited. Because there are no Spirit Stones or items rich in Spirit Qi for cultivation, they grow in a messy way. Not to mention refining pills, they are far from enough even to be used as daily food. Therefore, my cultivation has been constantly regressing; perhaps before my lifespan is exhausted, I will completely run out of Spirit Qi, leading to the collapse of my Primordial Spirit."

Xu Chen felt the same way, knowing that the situation of True Monarch Guilingzi, Chen Yang, and the others was not good, and that they must have lived very painfully over these years. Therefore, after touring the vicinity, he sat down in the cave, took out over a hundred Spirit Stones, and presented them to True Monarch Guilingzi, saying, "After falling into Minghuang, the items I carried were actually nearing exhaustion. Ordinary Spirit Pills are of little use to you, Senior. After you refine these Spirit Stones, they can help stabilize your realm. As long as we work together, there might still be a chance to escape back."

True Monarch Guilingzi was overjoyed and accepted them without declining.

For him, he had not seen or enjoyed items like Spirit Stones, which were pure supplements for Spirit Qi, for several hundred years. When he first fell in, he also carried many Spirit Stones and Spirit Pills, but in order to find a way out as quickly as possible, he kept searching everywhere and fought fiercely with a large number of Nether Beasts and Demon Beasts, so the Spirit Stones and Spirit Pills were quickly exhausted. The following several hundred years were purely spent on holding on.

Fortunately, his cultivation was profound; by killing some Demon Beasts that carried Spirit Qi and refining some unique spiritual items from the Minghuang Boundary, he had slowly survived all these years.

For him, he tried his best not to use Spirit Qi on a daily basis.

Because for a Spirit Realm Great Cultivator, a single Magic Spell would consume a huge amount of Spirit Qi, and without replenishment, he could not afford the consumption at all.

Today, however, he was suddenly besieged by several powerful Demon Beasts. To save others, he had consecutively released several large-scale lethal Magic Spells, causing the Spirit Qi accumulated in his body to be almost completely exhausted.

To replenish this Spirit Qi, according to the current conditions, it would take at least half a year.

Yet, replenishing this Spirit Qi would have only been a matter of a dozen or so Spirit Stones in the Mortal World.

But here, it was extremely difficult; it was essentially gambling with his life and his entire cultivation and lifespan.

Therefore, these Spirit Stones from Xu Chen were truly like life-saving Spirit Pills to him.

As for Chen Yang and the others, Xu Chen also gifted each of them over ten Spirit Stones and a few Gathering Qi Pills.

In reality, he did not have many Spirit Pills left either; only three bottles of Gathering Qi Pills remained. But fortunately, he had little need for pills on a daily basis, and he still had some Spirit Liquid and several hundred Spirit Stones, allowing him to hold on for quite some time.

He had just looked at the Medicine Garden outside; although the quality of the Spirit Medicine was not high, it did not look much different from those in the Mortal World. As long as he could correctly identify their attributes, and with the many Second-Tier and Third-Tier Spirit Medicines he carried, he might be able to refine a few batches of Spirit Pills after some research to temporarily replenish his stock.

Having received these Spirit Stones and Spirit Pills from Xu Chen, which were not too many, everyone was pleasantly surprised and excited, especially Lu An, who was endlessly grateful to Xu Chen.

As a former rogue cultivator, he had never had more than ten Spirit Stones on him, let alone Second-Grade Gathering Qi Pills.

Zhong Hui's emotions were slightly more stable, but her personality was very forthright, and she stated that if they could return to the Mortal World, she would be willing to follow Xu Chen and serve him like a beast of burden.

This proposal was promptly rejected by Xu Chen.

After all, she still had a nominal master-disciple relationship with True Monarch Guilingzi, and furthermore, he did not need a helper with such poor cultivation at the moment.

After experiencing this journey through Minghuang, Xu Chen's standards were now very high.

Not to mention reaching the strength of Demon Monarch Youtong, one had to at least be a powerhouse like Tu Jiu or the Old Witch Master to be qualified to be his henchman.

To celebrate this miraculous gathering that could be called a blessing from the heavens.

Xu Chen took out a pile of bottles and jars of various sizes, containing Spirit Tea, Spirit Wine, and Spirit Flower Dew.

These spiritual items were all obtained from Yuqing Hall back then.

He had originally intended to give them as gifts to the three Elders and the group of Senior Brothers and Sisters upon returning to the sect, but before he could give them away, he had fallen into the Black Wind Ridge cavern right after completing his Foundation Establishment, so these seemingly useless recreational items were all kept.

And after falling into Minghuang, he had absolutely no time to enjoy them, so he had waited until today to take them out for the first time.

The group excitedly sat around a crude stone table, all watching eagerly as Xu Chen slowly rummaged through his Storage Bracelet to find several different porcelain cups, pottery cups, and even a water ladle of various sizes.

After placing one in front of each person, Xu Chen poured a cup of Spirit Wine for everyone, then raised his pottery cup and smiled, "Meeting is fate, and furthermore, being able to see Senior Guilingzi and Fourth Senior Brother today makes this trip to Minghuang not in vain. Regardless of whether we can find an exit to leave, today is worth celebrating. Everyone, please drink this cup to the bottom!"

"So fragrant! I have never drunk such Spirit Wine filled with Spirit Qi in my entire life!" Lu An kept sniffing, his face intoxicated and excited, his hands trembling continuously.

The others were almost all the same.

Trapped here for decades or even hundreds of years, not to mention Spirit Wine, they couldn't even see normal spiritual items. Even the spiritual items they did find were tainted by the aura of Minghuang and had already mutated; forcibly refining and absorbing them was actually a process of constant corrosion to the body.

In the depths of Minghuang, human tribes like the Wind Clan still had inherited Divine Blood Paste to resist the Youming Cold Poison, but here, they could only rely on their cultivation to hold on. With the constant erosion, their cultivation auras became increasingly abnormal, and each of them looked like neither human nor ghost.

True Monarch Guilingzi was actually even more excited; his pale, withered old face twitched violently. Holding the porcelain cup with both hands and looking at the amber-colored Spirit Wine rippling with spiritual light, he forcibly controlled his emotions and said with a trembling voice:

"This is exactly the Three-Grade Drunken Immortal Brew from Yuqing Hall. I used to drink it often. I never expected that after more than seven hundred years, when I am about to die, I would still be able to drink a cup. This is truly a great fortune in life. Little Friend Xu, I will not say words of gratitude. Just because of this cup of Spirit Wine, as long as there is a glimmer of possibility, I will help you escape from here and return to the Mortal World!"

Xu Chen quickly said, "I dare not accept that. Although we are strangers who met by chance, I am truly full of admiration for your imaginative cultivation attainments, Senior. Ghost Cultivation Technique can be said to have blazed a new trail and is truly a work of participating in the creation of heaven and earth, providing a path to the heavens for many Daoist Friends with insufficient aptitude. Ever since I came into contact with the Ghost Pill prescription, I had once inquired about your whereabouts, Senior, and had also thought that if one day I could meet you, it would be wonderful to be able to learn this strange technique properly. I never expected that today I would finally have my wish fulfilled. There is no need for anyone to say words of gratitude. This cup, I toast to you, Senior, and to everyone for surviving this disaster in Minghuang. Cheers!"

"Little Friend Xu, cheers!"

"Little Junior Brother, cheers!"

"Daoist Friend Xu, cheers!"

"Everyone, cheers~"

The five people raised their cups high. Without any food to accompany the wine, they drank it all in one gulp, filled with endless excitement and joy, and then everyone almost simultaneously closed their eyes and began to meditate and circulate their energy.

A cup of Three-Grade Spirit Wine was equivalent to a Three-Grade Spirit Pill, and since it was brewed mixed with Spirit Liquid, it was full of Spirit Qi. Once the cup was down, it instantly turned into rolling primordial energy, rushing straight toward their Meridians and dantian.

A full quarter of an hour passed before everyone slowly opened their eyes. On their pale, thin faces, a faint flush appeared simultaneously, and the fluctuations of primordial energy and Spirit Qi on each of them seemed to have become much stronger.

"What a wonderful feeling!" Lu An let out an incomparably joyful exclamation.

As for Zhong Hui and Chen Yang, although they opened their eyes, they were still staring blankly, seemingly still savoring the infinite taste of the cup of wine just now.

Xu Chen understood their feelings; it was just like when he first tasted Spirit Tea, full of surprise and admiration.

And for these cultivators who had not felt pure Spirit Qi for years or even hundreds of years, this realization was even more profound and exciting.

Waiting until everyone had completely sobered up from the aftertaste of the Spirit Wine, Xu Chen picked up the Jade Bottle containing the wine again, preparing to pour another cup for everyone, but True Monarch Guilingzi raised his hand to stop him, saying, "Little Friend, wait. One cup is enough. In our current situation, do not waste such good items. It is better to keep them as reserves; perhaps we will need a long time to find an exit."

Upon hearing this, Lu An and the others also nodded quickly. One by one, they spoke up, feeling unsatisfied but serious and earnest, stating that spiritual items in Minghuang were scarce, and these good treasures should be saved for emergencies.

Xu Chen thought that made sense, so he put several of the items away again, but still left a bottle of Spirit Flower Dew and a jar of Spirit Tea, smiling, "Senior is right. However, since meeting is not easy, how can one cup of Spirit Wine be enough? Let us taste a cup of Spirit Flower Dew, and then brew a pot of Spirit Tea. Only then will we not let down this miraculous encounter!"

True Monarch Guilingzi did not stop him this time, but nodded and said, "Little Friend is truly a person of genuine character. In that case, we will not decline!"

Thus, Xu Chen poured a cup of pink Spirit Flower Dew for everyone.

(End of chapter)