Chapter 266: Concerns

It was another two hours later when they returned to their dwelling, and by this time, the sky had begun to darken.

The environment of the dwelling was crude, with everyone having excavated their own cave chamber to serve as a place to stay.

Xu Chen did not have his own cave chamber and could only temporarily stay with his Fourth Senior Brother, Chen Yang.

Moreover, there was almost no furniture in the cave chamber; apart from a few simple stone tables and some cushions and bedding made of wild grass and animal hides, it could be described as having nothing but four bare walls.

However, Xu Chen not only carried a large amount of drinking water, food, pots, and pans with him, but even a set of bedding, which left everyone both surprised and envious, yet also unable to laugh or cry.

But after learning that Xu Chen possessed a Storage Bracelet with a space of three zhang, they could only express envy and understanding.

Even True Monarch Guilingzi was filled with emotion.

In the Mortal World, those capable of possessing such a large Magic Treasure for storage were all top-tier cultivators; even he only had a storage bracelet with a space of less than one zhang, and to prepare so many mundane items for eating, drinking, and daily needs when going out was something only an oddity like Xu Chen could do.

Yet, it was precisely because of Xu Chen's ample reserves that the group, having fallen here for years, decades, or even hundreds of years, was able to eat their first meal of true food from the Mortal World.

Xu Chen took out all the pots and pans he had brought and built a simple stone stove outside the cave chamber. Chen Yang and the others were as excited as a group of children, running back and forth to help gather some firewood. After Xu Chen ignited it with a Magic Spell, he set up an earthen pot to boil a pot of simple millet porridge.

While the porridge was boiling, a group of cultivators, all at least in the Danyuan Realm and looking like savages, sat huddled around the fire stove, watching without blinking, their faces full of excitement and agitation.

Even when the aroma of millet porridge began to waft from the earthen pot, the group could not help but continuously swallow their saliva, as if they had smelled the most tempting peerless delicacy in the world, their eyes wide and round, filled with incomparable anticipation.

Although Xu Chen had brought pots, pans, and various seasonings, he could not make more food at the moment because the environment here was harsh and everything was lacking; not to mention meat, even plant-based food was extremely scarce, and there was not much that could be eaten.

Whether in the valley near the breach or in the areas of white mist and the Dark Forest, while there seemed to be many kinds of Demon Beasts, most had accumulated a large amount of Underworld poison in their bodies, so they dared not eat them indiscriminately. Even those that could barely be eaten, they dared not eat much, because the more they ate, the faster their bodies and Soul would be corroded.

This was also the reason why a group of cultivators who were very powerful in the Mortal World now all looked like miserable skeletons.

While waiting for the porridge to boil, Xu Chen naturally kept communicating with the group to understand more about the situation.

Overall, Xu Chen's range of activity was larger, and he had learned even more.

True Monarch Guilingzi and these people had been trapped near this breach almost the entire time and dared not stray far, let alone venture deep into Minghuang to scout the situation.

During the exchange, Xu Chen also learned that the group had gone to the Dark Forest outside the breach yesterday because food had been very scarce recently, and they intended to hunt a Demon Beast that could be consumed. Unfortunately, not long after they arrived, they encountered several powerful wild beasts, and after a great battle, they were almost wiped out.

And the one who led to this precarious outcome was naturally Wang Daolin, that disgrace from the Spirit Treasure Temple of Qingcheng Mountain.

Therefore, amidst the public indignation, Wang Daolin was again pointed at and scolded severely by Chen Yang and the others, but he only acted timidly, lowering his head and not daring to answer, continuously sniffing and swallowing his saliva, completely playing the role of a dead pig that fears no boiling water.

However, among the group, Wang Daolin could be considered an oddity.

Because his aura was still relatively normal, and he had not practiced True Monarch Guilingzi's Ghost Cultivation Technique. However, decades of erosion by Underworld Qi and the lack of Spirit Qi replenishment had caused his Soul to be unstable, and his cultivation realm had dropped significantly, having almost regressed from the mid-Danyuan Realm of the past to a state barely maintained at the early Danyuan Realm today.

Therefore, although Xu Chen also despised this guy, he still felt some admiration.

This was perhaps the pride of a Danyuan Realm powerhouse.

If it were himself, with his cultivation realm constantly dropping and regressing for decades, he feared he would have long since been unable to resist starting to practice the Ghost Dao Technique along with True Monarch Guilingzi.

As the millet porridge in the earthen pot bubbled and steamed, the fragrance grew increasingly intense.

Half an hour later, the pot of millet porridge was finally cooked to the anticipation of everyone. Wang Daolin ran off happily to fetch a few stone bowls, and Xu Chen personally took action, using his vital energy to scoop a full, large bowl of golden, steaming porridge for everyone.

The group immediately could not help but each pick up a bowl and, without any image of a cultivator, buried their faces in them, slurping and wolfing it down.

Even True Monarch Guilingzi was the same.

"Seven hundred years, I never thought I would be able to eat a bowl of porridge from my hometown again. This is even more delicious than the chicken, duck, and fish I ate when I was a child!" True Monarch Guilingzi slurped down several large mouthfuls, unable to help but feel deeply comforted and filled with emotion.

"Senior, please don't mention chicken, duck, or fish, otherwise it will be even more painful!" Lu An said, his eyes brimming with hot tears as he drank.

"I don't want chicken, duck, or fish; if only there were another cup of Spirit Wine!" Wang Daolin seemed to have completely forgotten the situation where he had just been scolded severely, and could not help but chime in.

"What kind of nonsense are you dreaming of? If you dare to say another word, be careful, or I'll beat you to death!" Chen Yang stopped his movements and said in a great rage.

Wang Daolin shrank his neck and continued to drink porridge and refill his bowl, not daring to say another word.

Xu Chen also finished more than half of his bowl of fragrant porridge in one go, sighing with emotion: "Actually, this is also the first hot porridge I've eaten since falling into Minghuang. Before, I was only searching for a way out. Chicken, duck, and fish are indeed unavailable right now, but a cup of Spirit Wine is still possible!"

As he spoke, Xu Chen flipped his hand and took out a Jade Bottle.

The crowd was both surprised and delighted. Chen Yang hurriedly said: "Little Junior Brother, don't waste the Spirit Wine recklessly. We only just drank some yesterday; save it to drink slowly in the future!"

Xu Chen smiled and said: "Although that is true, this opportunity is rare after all. Let's be extravagant today and have one more cup each, and save the rest for later!"

"Then I'll go get the cups!"

Chen Yang scrambled up and ran happily into the cave chamber, soon bringing out six porcelain, earthen, and stone cups of various shapes, placing them on the simple stone table in front of Xu Chen.

Xu Chen opened the Jade Bottle, poured more than half a cup into each, and then used his vital energy to roll them in front of everyone, saying: "Although we didn't find any clues today, I believe we will eventually find them later. Let this cup of wine serve as a wish for success in advance. Everyone, please!"

The group was all excited, each holding their wine cups with both hands, and raised them together, saying: "Many thanks, everyone, please!"

"Please!"

Soon, everyone took a small sip, then each closed their eyes to refine it slightly for a moment, waiting for the vital energy to flow into their dantian, only then showing expressions of intoxication.

Chen Yang smacked his lips and said: "Spirit Wine is still the best. One sip, and I feel my vital energy has recovered quite a bit. If we could drink a cup every day, I fear our cultivation would soon increase and recover."

Lu An smiled and said: "Daoist Friend Chen, stop dreaming. I fear Daoist Friend Xu doesn't have much of this Spirit Wine either. To be able to drink a sip a month in the future would be satisfying enough; how dare we talk about a cup every day."

Chen Yang sighed immediately: "Sigh, I was just saying. If Little Junior Brother hadn't suddenly appeared, I feel I wouldn't have been able to go on living."

Zhong Hui looked at Chen Yang with a face full of tenderness, her cheeks slightly flushed as she said: "Junior Brother, there is no need to be so decadent. I am now full of confidence. After we get out, I still want to follow Junior Brother to see the Taiyuan Sect."

Chen Yang nodded and said: "That is natural. After I return to the mountain and report to my Master, Xuanfeng Zhenren, I will accompany Senior Sister to serve by the side of Senior Guilingzi. My status in the Taiyuan Sect will likely no longer be appropriate in the future."

Xu Chen felt slightly strange inside.

Seeing the situation between Fourth Senior Brother and Zhong Hui, he feared their relationship was not normal.

Seventh Senior Sister is still thinking about searching for him everywhere; it seems there won't be a good ending for her in the future either.

After all, the two have been trapped here, living together day and night for eight years, and have both changed their cultivation techniques to follow True Monarch Guilingzi in practicing the Ghost Dao Technique; it is indeed no longer suitable for them to return to the Taiyuan Sect.

However, with things this way, Eldest Senior Brother might have a few more opportunities.

But a moment later, Xu Chen threw these messy thoughts to the back of his mind.

When all is said and done, every outcome still depends on being able to return to the Mortal World.

If he couldn't go back, he had even thought about whether he would stay in the Wind Clan as a son-in-law.

It is evident that no matter how deep the feelings are, they cannot withstand the brutal beating of the environment and the erosion of time.

What's more, Seventh Senior Sister's feelings for Fourth Senior Brother might still stem from that one life-saving grace in the past.

In truth, it was just like the relationship between himself and Thirteenth Senior Sister Zhao Xuan; it was more of a bond between fellow disciples, without much romantic feeling between man and woman.

Thinking of men and women, a slender and beautiful face wearing a black dress and carrying a Sword Box suddenly appeared in Xu Chen's mind.

He wondered how Lan You and the others were doing now.

Recalling the life-and-death experiences he shared with Lan You, as well as the warm and leisurely scenes of staying at Yuqing Hall, where they spent their days together refining pills, eating, drinking, having fun, reading, and studying, Xu Chen could not help but feel his Soul fluctuate.

It seemed that, unknowingly, he had an indescribable feeling for Lan You, a woman who was cold in personality but actually gentle and generous, and there was always a lingering, faint concern for her.

He truly could not stay here for long; he had to think of every possible way to escape as soon as possible.

Thinking of this, Xu Chen drank the Spirit Wine in his cup in one gulp, then set down the pottery cup, turned his head, and said to True Monarch Guiling:

"Senior, just now in the mist, I mentioned that the Nether Human Race has a miraculous item that resists Nether poison. You have all been eroded by Underworld Qi for a long time and have accumulated a large amount of Nether poison in your bodies. If it can be removed as soon as possible, I believe everyone's strength will be quickly restored or even enhanced. Now that we are full and satisfied, why don't we start the experiment? What does Senior think?"

True Monarch Guiling was overjoyed upon hearing this. He also tilted his head back and finished the Spirit Wine in one gulp, then said: "That would be excellent! If we can restore our strength a day earlier, we will indeed have a better chance of finding an exit!"

Everyone was stunned for a moment upon hearing this, but in an instant, they were as excited as a pot boiling over and jumped up.

Chen Yang dropped his wine cup, grabbed Xu Chen's arm, and stammered: "Junior Brother, do you really have such a good treasure?"

Xu Chen nodded, flipped his hand, and a pottery jar about a foot tall landed gently on the stone table. The eyes and Divine Sense of the group immediately fell upon it, and then everyone looked at it with faces full of shock and uncertainty.

(End of this chapter)