Yu Haizhen, with her vast knowledge and experience, exclaimed with emotion: “Spirit Liquid!”

When spiritual energy becomes too concentrated, it transforms into liquid, called Spirit Liquid. In ancient times, this continent had many Spirit Liquid pools, but none can be found nowadays. Yet this ordinary-looking small basin could refine Spirit Liquid!

Indeed, she could see that the Fire Spirit Core placed in the basin was shrinking at a speed barely visible to the naked eye. The rich fire-attribute spiritual energy contained within was being absorbed by the basin and transformed into Spirit Liquid.

Even someone as composed as Yu Haizhen couldn’t help but show great joy on her face.

This was the hope of survival!

Her gaze moved downward, noticing two characters carved on the basin, which she read aloud: “Hong Lu?” Moreover, they were inscribed in Celestial Demon language, or rather, in the language of an ancient race.

Was this truly a relic from ancient times? She looked at Chen Da Chang, scrutinizing him up and down: “I never expected you to possess so many treasures.”

Seeing that his assumption was correct, Chen Da Chang also breathed a sigh of relief. This was Feng Miao Jun’s spirit-gathering basin, previously consecrated with demon blood. It could extract Spirit Liquid from anything placed inside, making cultivation much more cost-effective than using spirit stones. However, Feng Miao Jun had never fully developed its greater potential. As a queen, she didn’t lack spirit stones, so when she left this time, she had placed the spirit-gathering basin along with other miscellaneous items with Chen Da Chang.

Unexpectedly, it could be put to good use in this situation.

He didn’t say much more. After a thick layer of Spirit Liquid had gathered at the bottom of the basin, he removed the Fire Spirit Core.

The core had visibly shrunk by two sizes.

He then took a cup to collect the Spirit Liquid and handed it to Yu Haizhen: “I hope it helps.” The Spirit Liquid extracted by the spirit-gathering basin was exceptionally pure yet extraordinarily gentle, most remarkably maintaining its original attributes unchanged. For Yu Haizhen, this might be even more effective than the blood tree honey.

She took it and gazed at the Spirit Liquid in the cup for a long while before saying softly: “Thank you.”

She had been prepared to face death with dignity, not expecting this sudden turn of events that would allow her to survive against all odds.

“No need,” Chen Da Chang shook his head. “Just let me go.”

Yu Haizhen’s face suddenly turned tomato red, but he had already turned and walked out.

Even a clay Buddha has a temper. He was only in his early twenties, at an age of hot-blooded vigor. After saying these words, he finally vented his frustration.

After drinking the Spirit Liquid, Yu Haizhen would need to immediately circulate her energy and techniques to expel the corpse poison from her body in one go. Chen Da Chang understood this, so he instructed the crane demon to protect Yu Haizhen while he went outside to hunt a roe deer.

The forest was quiet, and catching such large prey was not easy.

As Chen Da Chang walked along the animal trail by the stream, he suddenly slowed his pace, sensing something amiss:

The surroundings were too quiet.

This was a dense forest where birdsong was often heard in the empty mountains. Even in this season, there were frequent calls of birds and beasts. But now, the surroundings were so quiet you could hear a pin drop, with only the faint crunch of his footsteps in the snow.

Just as this thought crossed his mind, a massive figure suddenly lunged from the snowy ground to his right rear!

It was a snow bear with non-fluffy fur marked with several black spots. Standing, it reached a height of two zhang but curled up in the snow, it resembled a snow-covered rock. Even if a person stood beside it, they might not realize it was a living creature.

Despite its bulky frame, it pounced without making a sound, its six-cun-long sharp claws aiming for Chen Da Chang’s head. If struck directly, even an adult man’s chest would be pierced through, not to mention the terrifying force of the bear’s paw, which could flatten a person with one swipe.

Fortunately, Chen Da Chang was alert. Without looking back, he leaped forward several zhangs, just barely avoiding the giant bear’s strike.

However, before he could land, a dark light flashed in the forest, and a sword tip two fingers wide, concealing a cold gleam, lunged straight for his eyeball.

An ambush!

He drew his blade to block this attack, using the force to swing outward, but suddenly a bright light flashed in front of him. Chen Da Chang knew he was in trouble—unable to dodge while in mid-air, he raised his left arm to shield his face.

Intense pain shot through as two steel needles simultaneously pierced his arm, penetrating three fen into his flesh.

At the same time, he heard a familiar voice chattering: “Catch him, force him to surrender the State Preceptor!”

That voice was… Hu Tian?

Chen Da Chang was startled. Looking up, he saw the little monkey sitting on a pine branch. From behind it emerged one figure after another, varied in form, but all were cultivators.

Including the snow bear, there were at least twenty or so.

Without a doubt, these were all reinforcements brought by the monkey.

“Wait…” Chen Da Chang had barely uttered two words when he felt a numbing sensation in his arm, which spread to half his body. Looking down, he saw that the wound had already turned black.

The needles were poisoned, and the toxin was particularly fierce. “Yu Haizhen, she…”

Before he could finish speaking, the snow bear swung a paw at him, intending to teach him a lesson. Chen Da Chang tried to dodge, but his head was dizzy, and he was struck across the arm by the bear’s paw. Blood immediately gushed out.

“Yu Haizhen is unharmed!” Chen Da Chang quickly finished his sentence, knowing that these words were his only chance for survival.

But Hu Tian, determined to vent its anger, gestured wildly, ordering everyone to tear off his limbs.

Just then, a fierce wind suddenly rose above everyone’s heads, and then there was an additional person on the snow bear’s back.

A woman.

She landed on the bear’s back like a snowflake, sitting right on its neck, her hands simultaneously pressing on its temples.

The giant bear roared in fury, shaking its head while swinging a paw at her. She didn’t persist, floating lightly to another cultivator who was approaching Chen Da Chang, and with one punch sent him flying!

While the attention of the other Xi Kingdom cultivators was drawn to her, Hu Tian was lifted by the soft fur at the back of its neck. Then a languid voice came from the tree: “Everyone stops, or I’ll crush this monkey.”

Everyone looked up to see a man standing on the pine branch, his slender five fingers gripping the little monkey’s neck.

Given Hu Tian’s special status, the Xi Kingdom cultivators hesitated. But the little monkey bared its teeth and screeched: “Don’t worry about me, finish these people and save the State Preceptor!”

The Xi Kingdom cultivators all had flickering gazes.

These two suddenly appeared individuals who were highly skilled, but with superior numbers on their side, perhaps victory wasn’t impossible?

However, at that moment, one figure after another emerged from the depths of the forest, numbering about ten or more.

The Xi Kingdom cultivators looked closely and saw that among them were many familiar faces—these were Wei people, who had been fighting alongside them against Yan just days ago.

Upon seeing the newcomers, Chen Da Chang immediately called out: “Young Miss!”

Feng Miao Jun immediately pressed against his neck to check his pulse, then grabbed his arm to remove the silver needles, examining them carefully before suddenly giving a cold laugh, “Such powerful poison, who ambushed you?”

She was always protective of her own, and the Xi Kingdom cultivators surrounding Chen Da Chang had already touched her reverse scale.

Chen Da Chang pointed with his hand, and she flung the poisoned needles back at that person.