CHAPTER 41: CHAPTER 41: EAGER TO RETURN

Lu Chengfeng regulated his breath for about two hours, feeling a warm sensation in his chest, as if he was soaked in a hot spring, his whole body relaxed, and the light injuries from before were no longer a problem.

He slowly completed his exercise and stood up, looking ahead to see that the pile of firewood had burned out. The massive snake body had been reduced to a heap of scales, a tattered snakeskin, and a few venomous fangs.

The remains of the Snake Demon were all collected and placed aside, while in the campfire, there was a thick layer of black ashes, left after burning those poisonous bugs.

"Junior Brother Lu, are you awake?" Tan Xiong was munching on some pre-prepared beef jerky, holding a wine gourd, eating and drinking with relish.

Seeing Lu Chengfeng awaken, he took out a few strips of dried beef from his pouch and handed them over, "I suppose you didn’t prepare food beforehand. The wild animals in the forest were tainted by Demon Qi during the beast tide and are inedible, so just eat a bit to fill your stomach."

After an intense battle and then focusing his energy on healing, Lu Chengfeng had indeed consumed a lot of energy, and he felt a bit hungry. He smiled as he took the offering, saying, "Thank you, Senior Brother, I’ll go ahead then."

The other three also had some rations with them, mostly meats. Martial artists have substantial energy needs, and fighting in the jungle consumes even more Qi Power, so they mostly carried dried meats, accompanied by some drinks, both convenient and replenishing.

"Junior Brother Lu, try our Fiery Burn and Ice Spring Brew. A mouthful of ice, a mouthful of fire, such a taste is not something ordinary people can experience."

Xu Changge said, regardless of Duan Li’s agreement, taking a Red Gourd from his hand along with his own Jade Gourd and handing them over.

"Then I must try it!" Lu Chengfeng’s eyes lit up. After taking the two wine gourds, he first poured a mouthful of Fiery Burn from the Red Gourd.

The entry was smooth and lasting, yet once the wine entered his stomach, it was as if a fire had ignited, burning all the way to his five viscera and six bowels, turning his entire face red.

"Hahaha, Junior Brother, don’t just stand there in a daze, hurry and drink the Ice Spring Brew." Xu Changge, having anticipated this, laughed and reminded him promptly.

Lu Chengfeng then hurriedly gulped down the wine from the Jade Gourd, which was icy cold upon entry, refreshing and full of the fragrance of grass and wood.

Once in his stomach, a chill dispersed, countering the Fiery Burn. The cold and heat intermingled, subjecting him to another layer of torment.

After about a dozen breaths, the scorching and chilling sensations gradually faded, leaving only a lingering warmth that nourished his Essence, Qi, and Spirit.

Lu Chengfeng felt enveloped in a hot spring again, with not a part of his body not feeling wonderful.

"Good wine, truly good wine!"

He couldn’t help but exclaim. This novel experience aside, what was even more remarkable was the slight enhancement of his Inner Strength, making it clear this wine was not mundane but a rare treasure.

Tan Xiong shook his head saying, "Junior Brother Lu, you mustn’t overindulge; you can have at most three sips of these two wines, no more."

"The Fiery Burn and Ice Spring Brew are unique Spirit Brews of the White Rainbow and Chixiao Peaks, made by combining the mystical cold and hot springs on the mountains with various Treasure Medicines, and are invaluable aids in the Inner Strength cultivation for disciples of those peaks."

"If someone were to drink only one, it would cause an imbalance of Yin and Yang, doing more harm than good. Drinking both creates a unique taste and slightly enhances Inner Strength, but it is quite wasteful and has a long-lasting effect, easily leading to drunkenness."

Lu Chengfeng then realized the preciousness of these wines and immediately handed the wine gourd back, "Since it’s such a treasure, it shouldn’t be wasted like this, please take it back, Senior Brother."

"Ah, Senior Brother Tan, that’s not right. Good wine needs to be enjoyed together to savor its true taste. What’s a few sips of wine when we have fought side by side?"

Xu Changge did not take the proffered gourd, instead encouraging, "Junior Brother, just enjoy it; you can take three more sips, otherwise, if you get drunk, Senior Brother Tan will surely blame me."

Lu Chengfeng couldn’t help but burst into laughter, "Drinking alone is no fun. Let’s drink together."

He handed the Jade Gourd to Duan Li, holding the Red Gourd himself, saying, "Senior Brother Duan Li, I toast you."

Duan Li was a reticent sort, somewhat aloof but not dismissive. He took the wine gourd without a word and tilted his head back, gulping a few mouthfuls.

"Hahaha!" Lu Chengfeng also drank heartily, another mouthful of Fiery Burn making his chest feel like a furnace, "Refreshing!"

The two drank deeply and then exchanged gourds, the meeting of ice and fire creating a truly unique flavor.

"Senior Brother Tan, join us!" Xu Changhe laughingly snatched the wine gourd from his hand, gulping a few mouthfuls.

The group laughed and swapped wines, having just fought together, growing closer in the moment.

Lu Lingxi, however, did not join them in drinking. Her temperament was cool, and she only had a few bites of her own snacks, drank some water, and meditated, not taking part in their merriment.

After resting, they packed up the Demon Snake’s remains. Tan Xiong said, "These Demon remains are also rare treasures, capable of being made into Soft Armor and weaponry, and since we just killed a Snake Demon, we have Demon Qi on us. Other Demons and beasts won’t dare come near."

"Let us return and hand over the items to the sect, and there will naturally be rewards."

Lu Chengfeng understood this was an explanation directed at him and asked in surprise, "Are we heading back already? Isn’t it a bit early?"

Xu Changge laughed, "Junior Brother Lu, do you really think other teams can slay a demon as quickly as we did?"

"If not for Senior Brother Tan, it typically takes enduring dozens of waves of beast tides and days and nights of tracking to locate a Demon Beast."

"You’ve seen how formidable the Snake Demon was; without Senior Brother Tan, we would have had to form a Sword Array, relentlessly pursuing it until its injuries worsened and it died."

"On ordinary days, a Demon Beast siege may last three to five days, or even ten days to half a month to achieve results."

Lu Chengfeng was a bit stunned by these words but then realized that given the Demon Snake’s strength, this seemed more likely. If Demon Beasts were easy to kill, they wouldn’t need to mobilize all True Inheritors.

"We were lucky to come across a Demon at the edge of the swamp this time."

"Moreover, we were able to lock onto the Snake Demon’s position only because I caught its breath. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have been so smooth." Tan Xiong said, "Let’s head back first. Junior Brother Lu, upon returning, be sure to wash with soapberry and sulphur stone to cleanse away the Demon Qi."

"At 5:00 AM tomorrow, we’ll meet at the Dragon-breaking Stone and take advantage of this beast tide to kill a few more Demon Beasts and earn some merit."

Lu Chengfeng naturally had no objection, thinking of how worried his beautiful wife must be at home, feeling an urgent longing to return.