Tens of thousands of kilometers away from those ancient Sect ruins, there was a barren mountain where spiritual energy was thin and scarce. There was barely any vegetation to speak of, making the place look desolate beyond measure.
Martial artists rarely set foot in such a place, for there were no Heavenly Treasures or Earthly Materials here, nothing of value at all, so naturally it attracted no one to come and explore.
The mountain range was not large, spanning only a dozen li or so. It was similar in size to Dragon Cave Mountain from back in the day, but in terms of scenery and spiritual energy, it fell even shorter of comparison.
A streak of rainbow light hurtled in from the distance at great speed, and upon reaching this barren mountain, it banked sharply downward, plunging straight into a natural cave halfway up the mountainside.
The light dissipated, revealing three figures.
Every one of them looked utterly wretched, their bodies covered in bloodstains, as though they had just endured an incredibly grueling battle and barely escaped with their lives.
The three were, of course, Yang Kai, Qian Tong, and Fei Zhi Tu.
Tens of thousands of kilometers — that should be enough distance to be safe. It was not that Yang Kai did not want to run further, but Fei Zhi Tu's condition would not allow it. He could not afford to delay any longer, and this barren mountain just happened to provide them with a place to rest.
After rushing into the cave, Yang Kai immediately set Fei Zhi Tu down and let him lean against the cave wall. He reached out and pressed his fingers against Fei Zhi Tu's wrist, sending Holy Energy in to examine the severity of his injuries.
Of the three of them, Fei Zhi Tu's condition was by far the worst. His aura was wildly erratic, clearly on the verge of complete exhaustion.
After a moment, Yang Kai's brow furrowed, and his expression turned grim.
"Yang Kai, Old Fei, he—" Qian Tong stood nearby, frantic as an ant on a hot pan, utterly unable to tend to his own injuries. He gazed at Yang Kai urgently, demanding answers.
"Not good," Yang Kai replied in a heavy voice. He then looked up at Fei Zhi Tu and asked, "City Lord Fei, what secret technique did you use that could cause such devastating harm?"
"Heh heh..." Fei Zhi Tu let out a bitter laugh, his face pale as paper, and slowly shook his head. "It was not a secret technique. I have never cultivated such a heaven-defying technique."
"If it wasn't a secret technique, then could it be—" Qian Tong's face changed upon hearing this, as if something had suddenly come to mind.
"That's right. When we were captured, I took advantage of their inattention and hid an Exploding Origin Pill under my tongue!"
"An Exploding Origin Pill?!" Yang Kai's expression shifted as well. As an Alchemist, he was naturally familiar with the name of this spirit pill. It was a pill with extremely severe aftereffects. Although consuming it could temporarily boost a martial artist's strength dramatically, once the pill's effects wore off, it would inevitably cause unimaginable damage to the body.
It drew upon a martial artist's life force!
Very few people refined this kind of spirit pill, and even fewer consumed it, because taking it required the courage to court death in order to live.
No wonder Fei Zhi Tu had been able to shatter the restrictions placed on him in an instant and restore his strength — it turned out he had been harboring this pill in his mouth the whole time.
Understanding dawned in Yang Kai's mind.
As they spoke, the Exploding Origin Pill's effects seemed to have fully dissipated, and the aftereffects came crashing in.
Fei Zhi Tu's hair turned snow-white at a speed visible to the naked eye, and his skin became wrinkled and shriveled along with it. Deep furrows appeared across his face.
It was as if centuries or even millennia of time had flowed through him in a single instant.
Fei Zhi Tu had originally looked to be only in his forties, in the prime of his life, yet at this moment he had transformed into a decrepit old man, looking ancient and aged, on the very brink of death.
Even his cultivation base was gradually sliding downward — from the third level of the Void Return Realm to the second, then to the first, nearly dropping below that threshold entirely.
"Old Fei..." Qian Tong's heart ached with anguish. Having shared a life-and-death friendship with Fei Zhi Tu for several hundred years, he knew better than anyone where that Exploding Origin Pill had come from.
When the two of them were young, they had once ventured out together on an expedition and, by chance, obtained an Exploding Origin Pill. Qian Tong had scoffed at it, but Fei Zhi Tu had kept it. Who could have guessed that after two or three hundred years, Fei Zhi Tu would finally put it to use?
In that moment, Qian Tong felt both heartache and guilt. If he had been the one to keep that Exploding Origin Pill back then, then today it would be him suffering the pill's backlash instead — he would not have to stand here watching his old friend's life drain away, powerless to do anything about it.
Fei Zhi Tu had already been severely injured to begin with, and now with the Exploding Origin Pill's hidden toll erupting on top of the spiritual shock from the Blue Jade Bowl's destruction, he clearly would not live much longer.
"Old Qian, why the face like your parents just died?" Fei Zhi Tu cracked a grin. "I know my own condition. This time you and I were careless, and we dragged Yang Kai into it. But at least nothing truly catastrophic came of it — my old life being spent here counts as having some value. Old Qian, listen to me: the Heavenly Dao Alliance and the Thunder Temple dared to act against us this time in defiance of the world's wrath. They must have some backing behind the scenes."
"Backing? You mean—" Qian Tong's brow creased.
"It is only my own speculation, but whether it is true or not, I cannot say for certain. Don't be in a rush to seek revenge. My Moon Shadow Hall is not on equal footing with them. If we were to truly come into conflict over this matter, we would be the ones to suffer."
"Leave the matter of revenge to me. City Lord Fei, please calm yourself," Yang Kai reassured him.