Chapter 117: The Enlightening Grass

Wang Zeyan and the others felt their heads ache at the thought.

Just imagine living every day under the threat of someone as terrifying as Lu Ming, knowing he might come seeking revenge at any moment. The pressure alone was enough to drive them insane.

“What are we supposed to do? Just wait here until he comes out and kills us one by one?” Wang Zeyan said, clutching his hair.

Lele and Yaoyao looked equally miserable. Never had they imagined that they would provoke such a terrifying figure. And when Lele remembered that they had even extorted a hundred thousand yuan from him, the bank card on her person suddenly felt as heavy as a mountain.

At that moment, Zhao Bing frowned.

“I don’t think this master is a vicious man. Once he comes out, we can plead with him sincerely. He should be willing to let us go.”

“But what if he refuses to forgive us?” Wang Zeyan asked miserably.

Zhao Bing sighed. “Then we can only leave it to fate. Offending a grandmaster is already terrifying enough, let alone one whose cultivation is clearly above the grandmaster level.”

“Ahh!”

Wang Zeyan let out a roar and tore out a clump of his own hair, his face contorted in agony.

Everything they had witnessed that night had completely exceeded their understanding. Only now did they realize that such terrifying people truly existed in the world.

And, as fate would have it, they had provoked one of them. They could neither flee nor stay, leaving Wang Zeyan caught in an agony of indecision.

“Young Master Wang, let me offer you some advice,” Zhao Bing said solemnly. “Wait patiently for the master to come out. Do not entertain any thoughts of getting lucky. Perhaps he will forgive us all.”

Wang Zeyan and Liu Shaokun stiffened. They exchanged a glance before sighing.

“All right. We’ll listen to you. Let’s just pray that this master won’t hold it against us.”

The two of them slumped down and began sighing heavily.

As for Lele and Yaoyao, they had long since run out of ideas. After witnessing Lu Ming’s overwhelming might, they had been scared out of their wits.

When they saw that the usually arrogant Young Master Wang and Young Master Liu were obediently waiting for fate to pass judgment, they had no choice but to do the same.

At that moment, Zhao Bing glanced at a group of men and women bound together not far away. He walked over, untied them, and asked, “How did you end up here?”

Still shaken, the group answered tremulously, “We don’t know. We were sleeping at home, and when we woke up, we were already here.”

Zhao Bing frowned. From the few words spoken earlier by Yao Gang and Miao Elai, he could only conclude that these people had been abducted by Yao Gang as a gift to Miao Elai upon forming their alliance. Beyond that, he knew nothing.

After thinking for a while, Zhao Bing said, “The danger has passed. There’s no need to worry anymore. We’ll wait here for the master to come out and see how he intends to deal with us. Is that clear?”

Everyone nodded in unison.

They had witnessed Lu Ming display his awesome power, battle a grandmaster and a monstrous beast, and kill Miao Elai. It was Lu Ming who had saved them. Even if they were allowed to leave, they still wished to thank him.

Besides, this place was remote and bizarre. If they were told to leave now, they would not dare to go. It was much safer to remain by the master’s side.

And so, the group stayed by the Tanwater Pool and waited in silence.

…

Lu Ming plunged into the pool and swam toward the bottom.

He knew that wherever such a spirit beast existed, extraordinary treasures were bound to be found. He could not afford to miss them.

Lu Ming continued downward. The pool seemed bottomless. Even after diving nearly a hundred meters, he still had not reached the end.

That depth was already beyond the limits of an ordinary human being. Any farther down, and the pressure would crush a person’s body.

But to Lu Ming, it posed no difficulty at all. Since he had not yet reached the bottom, he simply continued descending.

After reaching a depth of roughly one hundred and fifty meters, Lu Ming finally saw a faint glimmer of light.

He immediately dove faster, and at last his feet touched solid ground.

Only then did he discover that the light came from a plant more than a meter tall growing at the bottom of the pool.

The plant was extraordinarily strange. Its roots were embedded among the rocks on the pool floor, while its slender stalk bore leaves resembling sword orchids. Yet the entire plant was pure white.

The white branches and leaves swayed gently with the current. As they moved, they released tiny white sparks that drifted through the water, creating a sight both magnificent and wondrous.

The moment Lu Ming saw it clearly, he cried out in delight.

“Awakening Herb?”

He almost instantly recalled the plant’s origins.

The Awakening Herb was an exceedingly rare plant even in the cultivation world. It was said that cultivating beside it could open the seven apertures and illuminate the mind, greatly aiding a cultivator’s progress. It was a priceless treasure.

No wonder that centipede had been able to use such a technique as condensing astral energy into physical form. It had all been thanks to the Awakening Herb. After cultivating here for countless years, who knew what kind of terrifying existence it might eventually have become?

Lu Ming was overjoyed. He immediately went to the Awakening Herb, sat down cross-legged, and began to cultivate.

The herb’s white starlight slowly descended upon his body before fading into nothingness.

…

The next day at noon, Wang Zeyan and the others stared fixedly at the surface of the water.

After a while, Liu Shaokun said, “Do you think the master might have drowned?”

Wang Zeyan and the others nodded.

“It’s possible.”

After all, human beings could not survive underwater for such a long time. Judging by their understanding, the conclusion was perfectly reasonable.

Zhao Bing, however, said, “A grandmaster could remain underwater for three to five months without a problem. Given the master’s cultivation, he could probably stay down there for an entire year. Stop making wild guesses.”

“What are we supposed to do, then? If the master stays down there for a year, are we supposed to wait here for a year?” Wang Zeyan asked with a frown.

Zhao Bing sighed. “There’s nothing we can do. No matter how long it takes, we have to wait. Who told us to offend a grandmaster?”

“I can wait, but I’m starving. What are we supposed to do about that?” Wang Zeyan cried.

Since they did not dare to leave, Wang Zeyan and the others had made up their minds to wait until Lu Ming emerged and beg for his forgiveness.

Otherwise, living every day beneath the immense shadow of a grandmaster would leave them unable to eat or sleep. They would probably drive themselves mad.

But they still had to eat. Otherwise, before the master ever emerged, they would starve to death right there.

Zhao Bing nodded. “That’s not a problem. I’ll find something for everyone to eat. You can wait here in peace.”

“Go, go! I’m practically starving to death!” Wang Zeyan urged, waving him away.

Zhao Bing nodded and dashed toward the mountainside on one side of the valley.

Before long, he came running back with two roe deer over his shoulders.

Basic wilderness survival was no challenge for a special forces soldier and practitioner of internal martial arts.

When Wang Zeyan and the others saw him return with the deer, they were overjoyed. They immediately sprang into action, gathering firewood and lighting a fire.

A short while later, Zhao Bing had butchered both roe deer and placed the meat over the flames to roast.

He then went to the burned ruins and rummaged through the debris. Not long afterward, he returned with a smile, holding a bag of salt.

Everyone was delighted. At that moment, a bag of salt was worth more to them than any seasoning in the world.

Zhao Bing spread the salt evenly over the venison and slowly turned the meat over the fire.

Half an hour later, the air was filled with the rich aroma of roasted meat. Wang Zeyan and the others could no longer restrain themselves. They tore off pieces and began eating despite the heat.

Zhao Bing also called over the group of men and women and gave them some venison to fill their stomachs.

They had been hungry for far too long. They devoured the food ravenously, and before long, the two roe deer had been stripped clean.

After eating his fill, Wang Zeyan lay flat on the ground and muttered, “Master, please come out soon. Whether you’re alive or dead, at least give us an answer.”

Time passed slowly, and before they knew it, a month had gone by.

Wang Zeyan and the others were now unshaven and haggard. Lele and Yaoyao were covered in grime, their original appearances almost impossible to make out.

One day, the group crouched beside the Tanwater Pool. Wang Zeyan called toward the water.

“Master, we’re about to collapse! If you still refuse to come out, what on earth is so interesting down there?”

After saying this, Wang Zeyan shook his head. He had no idea how many times he had uttered similar words over the past month, and this time he held out no hope at all.

Yet at that very moment, the water suddenly began to churn.

Wang Zeyan and the others froze. Then they immediately knelt to one side and stared nervously at the surface.

Suddenly, a figure burst from the water and leaped dozens of yards into the air.

The figure soared high above them and hung suspended in midair. In his hand, a sword of flame condensed into existence. With tremendous force, he swung it forward.

A wave of fiery sword energy surged forth like a swath of dancing sunset clouds. In an instant, it sliced away a section of the mountain opposite them.