"Medicine… medicine…" With trembling hands, Su Mei retrieved a blood-red pill from her Universe Bag and placed it in her mouth.
After swallowing the pill, Su Mei's condition eased somewhat, though it was far from optimistic.
She hurriedly struggled free from Chu Feng's embrace, sat cross-legged on the ground, and clasped her hands together, forming a series of mystical hand seals to condense a special formation array for healing herself.
"This formation array is so eerie… Xiao Mei, what's wrong with you?"
Chu Feng said this only in his mind—he didn't speak it aloud, because he could tell that Xiao Mei needed absolute concentration to maintain the healing array, and he couldn't afford to disturb her.
But Chu Feng was still deeply worried. He noticed that not only was the blood Xiao Mei had vomited strange, but the formation array she was condensing was equally bizarre. This was a very bad sign.
"It's backlash." At that moment, Eggy's voice suddenly rang out.
"Backlash? What kind of backlash?" Chu Feng immediately pressed.
"Forcibly injecting cultivation, plus mental power on top of that—how could there not be backlash?"
"Think of it this way: the fact that they're alive at all, and that they can use the power that blind old man fed into them, is nothing short of a miracle. That old man really does have some tricks up his sleeve."
"But even so, their lives are in constant danger. Even if they manage to survive, their lifespan will be damaged, and at any moment they could suffer this kind of backlash." Eggy explained.
"Eggy, is there any way to save them?" Chu Feng asked urgently. After all, Xiao Mei, Zi Ling, and the other three were among the people he cared about most in the world. He couldn't bear the thought of them enduring this kind of suffering for the rest of their lives—or even dying because of it.
"The path of cultivation is, at its core, the process of taming ever-stronger powers and making them your own. But before they're tamed, those powers are wild—even lethal."
"Throughout the ages, countless cultivators have gone astray in their pursuit of power, even losing their lives."
"That's why whether you're cultivating martial arts or mastering barrier techniques, you should always proceed step by step, with patience and composure. Only power gained in this way is the most stable and truly usable."
"Anyone who tries to cut corners is defying the natural order. They may succeed, but they will inevitably pay the price."
"If you're asking me whether there's a way to ease their pain—yes. What Xiao Mei is doing now is exactly that: a method to alleviate the suffering. It was likely taught to her by that blind old man who helped her take the shortcut."
"But if you're asking me whether there's a cure, I can only say—no. At least, I don't know of one." Eggy said.
"That…" Hearing this, Chu Feng's face went pale as ash. He watched Xiao Mei sitting on the ground, her face twisted in agony as she fought against the backlash with every ounce of her strength, and all he could do was stand by and watch—utterly powerless. His heart was a tangled mess of emotions, aching beyond words.
"Chu Feng, but you don't need to worry too much. As the saying goes, the world is vast and full of wonders, and the world of cultivators is even more fantastical—nothing is impossible."
"Maybe, beyond the skies, there exists a powerful Spirit World Master who knows how to counteract this kind of backlash?" Seeing Chu Feng's furrowed brow, Eggy tried to comfort him.
Chu Feng could tell, of course, that Eggy was only trying to make him feel better. Although she couldn't guarantee that no method of saving Su Mei and the others truly existed, at least until such a method was found, their backlash would remain a weight on Chu Feng's heart.
After that, Chu Feng could only watch as Su Mei continued her healing. The process took a full two days.
Throughout those two days and two nights, Chu Feng stayed by Su Mei's side without moving, never once closing his eyes to sleep.
Fortunately, after two days and two nights, Su Mei's condition had not only improved—she seemed to have made a full recovery, looking exactly as she had before the backlash struck.
"Xiao Mei, you're finally okay." Only when Su Mei finally dismissed the formation array and opened her eyes did Chu Feng speak.
"Brother Chu Feng, I'm sorry for worrying you. But don't worry—I'm really fine. It's just a small problem." Su Mei forced a smile as she spoke.
"A small problem? Xiao Mei, don't lie to me."