Book 13: Chapter 129

The stalemate was sustained for around four hours. I urged Teng to retrieve his thread and rest because his face was as white as a sheet. He needed a short break before he could even speak.

Teng: I confirmed

He confirmed there is a device in there as we suspected.

Teng: Hmm?

I elaborated, But it really will be a challenge. Teng will run into the engraving one way or another, and that will impact his mental state. Even if I guide him, he will only be 50% faster. As you all saw, four hours is our limit even with three helpers. We now need a day to recover enough to make another trip inside.

Teng: ???

Thats only the first problem. He missed a fair number of spots inside, so well likely have to start again from scratch tomorrow.

Teng: Why didnt you just do it yourself?

Because your internal energy is better than mine.

Teng: ???

The situation isnt uplifting. If we use the current method, well need, at least, five days to determine the shape of the key. If we include the time needed to make the key Even if Elder Lianhua knows how to make the key, its no easy task to combine black aurum and frost jade to make a key, not to mention the lack of tools here.

Ouyang Xiucai: The effort invested is in our hands. The outcome in heavens hands. Doing something is better than nothing, right?

Lang Qing grinned. Worst comes to worst, we die. Quaking in our boots isnt going to achieve anything.

Yuan Kou simpered. Exactly. Everyone here lives life with their pants over their heads. Who here fears death?

Stop trying to make yourself a hero! Youre about their level in combat. And, youre more afraid of death more than anyone else! Also, why would you wear pants on your head?! Keep them over your legs! Stop trying to use pugilistic world proverbs without understanding them!

Lang Qing and Ouyang Xiucai did make good points, though. The worst outcome was death, and we controlled our efforts.

Ouyang Xiucai smugly pointed out, Moreover, while we dont have tools, havent the people with tools offered themselves up to us?

I looked over to the group of Fiends Genesis members in the distance. Tian Xiaogua fidgeted and let his eyes dart around more than anyone else, so I marched over. Perfect timing. We want to talk to you, too.

***

Negotiations didnt always go smoothly. Despite explaining the situation and Jiang Chens intentions, there were a surprisingly large number of Fiends Genesis members refused to join us, although the number wasnt unexpected. Based on my observations, they were loyal to Fiends Genesis, or even something else, not Jiang Chen.

Based on what I had been told, Jiang Chen was a relatively foreign existence to Fiends Genesis members. Although he was the leader of the Seven Stars and acted as the brains of Fiends Genesis, he only ever showed himself or interacted with grunts to give out orders. His operations positioned Fiends Genesis as a mere disposable p.a.w.n. Perhaps it was his att.i.tude towards them that galvanised them to treat him the same way. I, therefore, leveraged this point to persuade them to join our cause.

In my information, I spiced up information on Jiang Chen, switching perspectives to paint him as the bad guy. If you listened to my version, even if you didnt know Jiang Chen, youd likely want to skin him alive, let alone they who didnt exactly like him.

In the end, they decided they wanted to discuss it amongst themselves further. Luckily, they agreed to lend us the tools for making a key, promised not to fight over the food for five days and to not sabotage us.

I went to wake up Elder Lianhua while Teng was resting. Elder Lianhuas injuries werent a concern long ago; she couldnt wake up purely because I sedated her. She just took the black aurum and frost jade once I filled her in. She didnt even ask us what type of key she needed to make. I just a.s.sumed she knew what she was doing.

Teng was able to draw a much more detailed map after exploring the hole again the next day. Part of his success was attributed to his personality. Unfortunately, that was also an issue. Due to his personality making him extra vulnerable to mental attacks and to a greater degree the more detailed he wanted to get, the greater the engraving impacted him. As a result, his progress was slower compared to the first day. The second problem was that his internal energy regeneration rate was compromised. He emptied his tank yesterday; there was no way he could have a full tank again within a day.

Since Yuan Kou had to protect Tengs consciousness on top of supplementing internal energy, he was even more fatigued than Teng despite his internal energy being more developed than Tengs. I did my best to avoid pa.s.sing the job to Ouyang Xiucai and Lang Qing as Fiends Genesis would have more fire power than us if the two of them were incapacitated. Elise, Su Qi and the others were competent in their own right, but a victory without damage wouldnt be possible in a fight.

Frustration only mounted with the pa.s.sage of time. I never thought Yan Jiangnan would be the first one to offer to help me.

Senior, I wish to help in any meagre way I can.

And what can you help me with?

Everything I have now is thanks to you. How can I by and watch from the sidelines when you are doing everything in your power to help us escape this mire?

Because he appeared so sincere, I hesitantly said, You know resurrecting someone is a pipe dr-

I know it is impossible.

You knew?

Yes. Yan Jiangnan bitterly smiled. You are too kind.

No, no, youre truly at the end of your road. Even though I think its cruel, I still have to kill you later.

You have always hinted it between the lines, so this one pretended to be ignorant. Resurrection is an uncertainty. I

I patted Yan Jiangnan on the shoulder. I didnt lie. Resurrection is actually possible. Having said that, the method and meaning of it probably isnt what you imagine it to be. Whether its the resurrected or resurrect-er, neither of them will like the results. You shouldnt research it or count on it.???????n?v?l.co?

Yan Jiangnan looked downtrodden.

What were you saying you would help me with?

Ah, right, I almost forgot. What is your current challenge?

What else but Tengs state?

That is what I wanted to talk about. Your isolation caused your oversight. You have a treasure in your hands.

I do now?

Are your concerns not the slow replenishment of internal energy and vulnerability to the engraving?

Yeah.

See?! Have you forgotten how I recovered so fast from my injuries, developed my internal energy at an expedited rate and improved rapidly in my learning of a mental discipline?

Y-youre talking about

Yes! Yan Jiangnan beamed. Unknown pill!