Right now, because of Xu Jialuo's attack, everyone here had dropped what they were doing and stopped to watch, looking for an opportunity to escape this place.
But this woman alone seemed not to have noticed Xu Jialuo at all, continuing to focus intently on hauling spirit stones.
Moreover, unlike the others, she had not gotten herself filthy from head to toe. Her clothes were even still quite clean.
She still maintained the bearing that a martial cultivator ought to possess.
A woman like this was completely out of place in a place like this, yet at this moment she was doing the same work as everyone else—hauling spirit stones.
Perhaps from hauling spirit stones for too long, not only was her complexion as pale as paper, but she was also extremely frail. Her soul had already been corroded by the spirit stones, and the damage was severe.
Yet even so, this woman still had a man strapped to her back.
She was actually carrying a man on her back while working.
Compared to the woman, that man was even weaker, continuously letting out wheezing coughs—he looked just like a person on the verge of death.
The moment Chu Feng saw this woman and this man, his heart ached, and his eyes grew slightly misty.
Because he knew these two people. They were Chu Feng's benefactors, respected elders whom he held in the highest regard.
They were Ying Mingchao and Zi Xunyi.
Back in the day, Ying Mingchao, Zi Xunyi, Wang Qiang, and Zhao Hong had all come to the Great Thousand Upper Realm together with Chu Feng.
But because of the strange vortex inside the Heavenly Staircase, they had been separated and scattered.
Chu Feng had been pulled into the world within the Yuan Sea Divine Mountain.
Wang Qiang had once appeared inside the Void Divine Tree.
As for Zhao Hong, Ying Mingchao, and Zi Xunyi, there had been no word of them at all.
But Chu Feng had felt that the vortex was somewhat peculiar. Since both he and Wang Qiang had passed through that vortex and gained certain opportunities, then Zhao Hong, as well as Ying Mingchao and Zi Xunyi the couple, should have gained opportunities as well.
Yet Chu Feng had never imagined that the next time he would see Ying Mingchao and Zi Xunyi, it would be in a place like this.
Two figures who had once commanded the world in the Hundred Refinements Mortal Realm—here in the Great Thousand Upper Realm, they had been reduced to the status of slaves, laboring for these bandit beasts.
And their fate was this wretched.
"Senior."
Chu Feng called out softly.
His voice was very low, even trembling slightly, because at this moment his heart was aching for Ying Mingchao and Zi Xunyi. Not only was his voice trembling—his very heart was trembling.
Yet even this faint call was enough to make Zi Xunyi, who had been working, freeze in an instant.
Then she whipped around and fixed her gaze on Chu Feng.
"Chu Feng, it's really you."
Upon seeing Chu Feng, Zi Xunyi was overjoyed. She hastily set down the spirit stone in her hands and hurried over to Chu Feng, seizing his wrist and examining him up and down, carefully and thoroughly. Her eyes were filled not only with delight but also with concern.
Even though she herself was in such a miserable state, she was still worrying about whether Chu Feng was doing well.
Looking at Zi Xunyi like this, Chu Feng felt a pain in his heart as though a blade were cutting through it—it was unbearable, yet he still forced a smile: "Senior, it's me. I'm Chu Feng."
"Mingchao, Mingchao, wake up quickly—look who's here."
Under Zi Xunyi's calls, Ying Mingchao struggled to open his eyes. His gaze was vacant, as though even his eyesight had been damaged. But when he saw Chu Feng, a different kind of light actually bloomed in those eyes.
"Chu Feng, is it Chu Feng?"
"Xunyi, have you found Chu Feng?"
Ying Mingchao's voice was extremely weak—even his voice had changed.