Chapter 504: Countermeasures

The night was deep.

In the demon realm, the night was especially dark, the demonic qi even thicker, the yin‑cold, ice‑killing aura making it almost impossible to breathe.

Splash—

A sound of water flow came from the lotus pond; on a makeshift boat made of lotus stems, Heng Xian and Sun Bufan each sat on one side, keeping balance, with a withered lotus stem trailing behind them.

The lotus stems are used to start a fire; that is the purpose of their going out.

At that moment, a bright light came from a huge lotus bud in the darkness ahead.

Sun Bufan let out a breath: 'Damn, we're finally back, but we're exhausted—those few hammers just had it easy!'

Heng Xian said: 'What are you compared to a bunch of weaklings whose essence was sucked? Doing some work won't hurt you!'

Sun Bufan rubbed his nose: 'Just joking!'

At that point, beneath the thick lotus stalk as sturdy as a tree, Heng Xian nodded, and Sun Bufan, using his plump body, nimbly climbed up, quickly reaching the lotus bud where the fire was lit, then grabbed the simple rope attached to the stalk and pulled upward.

Heng Xian exerted force from below.

Together they pulled up a pile of dry, withered lotus stems.

Inside the already 'remodeled' lotus bud, a fire was lit, roasting the toad meat killed that day; not only did Dao Ye and Su Ji sit around it, but Lin Shuyu, Wan Baolu, Huangfu Taiqing, and He Bijizhi also woke, though each looked extremely pale.

Back?

Everyone greeted each other.

Mm.

Heng Xian nodded, together with Sun Bufan secured the lotus stalk, then walked to the fire and glanced at Lin Shuyu and the other two, asking: 'When did you wake up?'

Lin Shuyu's voice weak: 'Just now.'

Several people seemed to be chatting about something, but the topic seemed a bit gloomy.

Heng Xian asked: 'What are you all talking about?'

Dao Ye pointed at the fourteen unconscious disciples around them and said: 'We're discussing how to treat these kids.'

'Oh?' Heng Xian said: 'Go on!'

Si Tu Nan Fei said: 'We just thoroughly checked their condition and found their essence, energy, and spirit severely damaged; their meridians, qi sea, and inner elixir are likewise injured!'

Even if there were medicinal pills to treat these symptoms—for example, Junior Sister Lin and Junior Brother Huangfu only woke after taking such pills—but,

Their demonic wounds cannot be healed, and their vital energy is hard to restore!

Heng Xian thought for a moment, then said: 'Let's hear the specific rescue plan!'

Zhou Zhan Yi's square face grew especially solemn as he said: 'To treat them, we must first explain this environment; we need to find here a spiritual object to heal them, then replenish their vital energy and remove the demonic injury.'

But this demon realm is an independent world; what lies inside is beyond our current understanding.

Sun Bufan rubbed his palms together: 'So, after dawn we'll go out, adventure, explore, search for the spiritual object that can save them, and maybe we'll also find some treasures!'

Si Tu Nan Fei reminded: 'Exactly, but right now a deadly problem lies before us!'

Heng Xian exclaimed in surprise: 'What?'

Zhou Zhan Yi said: 'This is the demon realm; although humans can survive here, the lack of spiritual energy makes it hard to rely on our cultivation, forcing us to depend solely on physical strength, so we must be cautious in everything we do.'

Heng Xian nodded; he could feel his cultivation being heavily suppressed, as if the whole world rejected him, making it difficult to cast spells.

Dao Ye suddenly said: 'Not exactly; we aren't unable to cast spells, it's just very difficult!'

'Huh?' Everyone looked at him.

Dao Ye explained: 'Although the demon realm's spiritual energy is thin, it is not impossible to draw it in, just as the world of spiritual energy outside can also absorb demonic qi!'

As long as we adapt to this world, meditating three to five hours a day will restore enough spiritual energy for short‑term use!

The group exchanged glances, all somewhat surprised.

Su Ji said: 'What about dueling with others?'

Dao Ye shook his head: 'Hard! Probably after just a few moves our spiritual energy would be exhausted!'

Heng Xian summarized: 'In other words, we meditate daily to recover enough spiritual energy, then go out to look for something that can cure them?'

Everyone nodded.

Sun Bufan laughed loudly: 'That sounds easy enough!'

Having said that, he grabbed a piece of toad meat from the fire: 'Almost done, I'll try it first!'

"Gua—ji" he took a bite.

'How is it?'

Everyone stared eagerly, especially Si Tu Nan Fei and the others, whose essence, energy, and spirit had been drained, leaving them extremely weak and in urgent need of something to replenish their strength.

Sun Bufan stared blankly, his expression dazed and confused.

Just as everyone began to feel tense, Sun Bufan suddenly exclaimed: 'It's delicious! Damn! Really, you guys try it!'

Everyone immediately cast aside their doubts and tore into the toad meat.

Heng Xian also tore off a piece, tasted it, and—well, the toad meat is naturally salty, giving it a feeling like barbecue from a past life.

After everyone ate and drank to their heart's content, the night had grown very deep.

Sun Bufan patted his big belly and ran to the makeshift door of the lotus bud, looked outside, and exclaimed in surprise: 'This world actually has a moon too!'

Everyone looked over.

Wan Baolu scratched his messy hair and said: 'It's been ages since I've seen the moon; open it a bit, let's take a look!'

Sun Bufan forced the lotus bud open a crack, and only a slender, clear beam of moonlight shone in.

Outside, the moon was unusually large and also unusually beautiful.

Dao Ye looked at Heng Xian: 'You, Shī Shèng, could compose a poem for this scene—nothing could be better!'

Everyone also looked at him.

Heng Xian, too lazy to think or plagiarize, casually recited a line: 'The morning mirror fears only that clouds will mar my temples; night chanting should feel the moonlight cold.'

After reciting, it felt damn fitting!

However, upon hearing it, everyone felt it wasn't satisfying enough, and it was meaningless.

Heng Xian had no choice but to plagiarize and mess up another poem: "Before my bed, bright moonlight, I suspect it's frost on the ground; I raise my head to gaze at the beautiful lady, lower my head to think of the maiden!"

After saying that, he unconsciously glanced at Lin Shuyu.

Lin Shuyu lowered her head slightly, as if thinking of nothing, yet also as if pondering the general meaning of the poem.

The others couldn't help laughing, and Si Tu Nan Fei said: "The first line has some atmosphere, but the second line is pure nonsense; Heng junior brother, your title of Poetry Sage deserves a discount!"

Heng Xian smiled: "I'm a bit rusty!"

"Haha, that's already good enough; if it were me, the last line would be even more roguish!" Sun Bufan laughed heartlessly, then his eyes darted, staring straight ahead, and he exclaimed: "Holy shit!"

Everyone instinctively looked outside.

Under the bright moonlight, a large mass of something suddenly fell from the distant sky, thick and dense, quite spectacular.

"What is that?" He Bi Zhi asked weakly.

Si Tu Nan Fei stared intently, his pupils contracting: "They're people!"

Everyone was startled, hurriedly walked to the flower-bud gate, and examined closely.

Sure enough, they were individuals, falling like dumplings being dropped; some seemed to have extremely high cultivation, barely controlling their bodies as they drifted down slowly.

Everyone exchanged glances; one could imagine how high the cultivation of those slowly falling people must be.

Su Ji said in a deep voice: "It's the people from the Flower Building, Gong Sun Family, and Northern Storage Sea clans who have caught up!"

"Let's go! Leave!"

Dao Ye called out.

Everyone immediately lifted the unconscious person, then one after another jumped down from the flower-bud gate, and each stepped on lotus stems, paddling forward.

(End of chapter)