Liu Qingyang laughed silently against the rock wall for quite a while, until his cheeks felt sore and the exhilaration in his chest finally began to subside.
He took a deep breath, working hard to adjust his facial expression. He forcibly suppressed the joy that was nearly overflowing, replacing it with a complex expression of numbness amidst humiliation and a hint of resignation amidst grief. Only then did he slowly turn around to face the center of the cave once more.
Lowering his eyelids, he found a corner neither too close to nor too far from the others and sat down silently cross-legged. With his hands resting on his knees, he maintained a posture of a lamb to the slaughter, resigned to his fate.
To any outside observer, this appearance was naturally the manifestation of someone who had lost all hope after being subdued.
On the high platform, when Liu Changhe saw his son finally calm down and stop facing the wall in sorrow, the nameless fire in his heart subsided slightly, though his teeth still ground together in irritation.
"That brat... once the competition is over, see if I don't hang him up and give him a thrashing!"
A temporary silence fell over the cave, broken only by the faint fluctuations of spiritual energy as the group meditated and the subtle crunch of Duan Xianxing snacking on a spirit fruit.
Feng Qingping and Ling Suxin stayed by Feng Weilan’s side, keeping a close watch on his condition.
To be safe, Feng Qingping took a jade bottle from her storage bag and uncorked it. An indescribably bitter and strange scent instantly permeated the air.
Without changing her expression, Feng Qingping poured out several pitch-black pills and forced them directly into Feng Weilan’s mouth, completely ignoring the look of horror on Ling Suxin’s face beside her.
Watching this scene, Li Nanzhu’s mouth couldn’t help but twitch, her face once again contorted in a complicated, pained expression.
Over the past year, because Feng Weilan trained so desperately, getting injured had become a regular occurrence.
The number of times he had taken the third senior brother's pills was more than she could count on both hands. Just thinking about it made Li Nanzhu’s throat tighten and her stomach churn.
She really couldn't fathom why her fifth senior sister, Feng Qingping, still had so many pills made by the third senior brother on her person.
And looking at the situation, it seemed her supply was inexhaustible?
Just how cruel did one have to be to hand over so many 'lethal weapons' to the fifth senior sister?
After all, the other senior brothers and sisters avoided the third senior brother’s pills like the plague.
Feng Qingping, however, paid no mind to the reactions of the others. Her movements remained steady, her eyebrows not even twitching.
Almost the moment the medicinal power dissolved, Feng Weilan, who had been relatively peaceful in his coma, suddenly knitted his brows tightly.
Evidently, even in unconsciousness, his body instinctively recalled the terror of being dominated by such pills.
This reaction made Duan Xianxing grimace, looking as if he himself had tasted the flavor. He beat a hasty retreat of two steps, and Li Nanzhu also couldn't help but turn her head away, unable to watch.
However, the effects of these inhumane pills were immediate.
In less than the time it took for a stick of incense to burn, Feng Weilan’s eyelashes fluttered, and he finally opened his eyes slowly.
His gaze was initially scattered and dazed, as if he had just broken free from a deep nightmare.
But only a breath later, his eyes sharpened, rapidly scanning his surroundings.
"Am I... still in the secret realm?"
This was his first thought as his consciousness returned, carrying a trace of uncertain relief.
What he had feared most was being judged as having lost combat capability while unconscious and being forcibly teleported out by the secret realm's rules, resulting in his elimination!
Before completely losing consciousness, he had clung to a final shred of clarity to say to Second Senior Brother Zhu Yinxi, "Senior Brother... if things are beyond hope... don't worry about me... but... if there is even the slightest chance... I don't... I don't want to leave so early..."
He knew well that the Five Elements Dao Sect had fewer participants this time than other major sects; every bit of combat power was precious.
If a fighter like him were eliminated early, it would not only mean a loss of sect points but would also place immense pressure on his remaining fellow disciples.
He believed his fellow disciples wouldn't give up on him easily, but he also refused to become a burden to the team due to his heavy injuries, or worse, lead to even more severe consequences.
"Thank goodness... I made it..."
As his gaze swept across the group gathered around him, his tensed heart finally relaxed completely.
An unspeakable warmth and sense of security flooded his entire body.
His fellow disciples were all there! They had successfully regrouped!
He hadn't been made a sacrificial pawn, nor had he held everyone back!
This peace of mind allowed the will he had been forcing to hold on to relax slightly. Immediately, intense soreness and weakness surged from every part of his body, especially his internal organs. Although a gentle yet powerful medicinal force was continuously repairing them, bursts of dull pain still throbbed, reminding him of the severity of his previous injuries.
"You're awake?"
"Sixth Senior Brother, how do you feel?"
Duan Xianxing and the others immediately crowded around him, asking with concern.
Feng Weilan tried to move. Though his body was still sore and weak, and the injuries to his internal organs still throbbed, it was far better than the agonizing pain and frailty he had felt before losing consciousness.
He managed a weak smile, his voice still somewhat raspy. "I'm fine... I won't die."
His gaze then shifted to Liu Qingyang in the corner and Ling Suxin standing a bit further away.
Seeing these two outsiders, a flicker of unnoticeable surprise crossed his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by calm.
Though he had just woken from a heavy injury, his mind remained sharp. He immediately realized that since they were here peacefully, these two must have helped. Liu Qingyang’s presence, in particular, was quite peculiar.
He gave a slight nod to Liu Qingyang and Ling Suxin, speaking with sincere gratitude, "Junior Brother Liu, Senior Sister Ling, for this time... thank you both for your help."
Although he didn't know the specifics of what had happened, basic etiquette and gratitude toward potential helpers were necessary.
Liu Qingyang had been immersed in his persona of the aggrieved victim forced into the group, sitting with downcast eyes. But upon hearing Feng Weilan’s thanks—especially that sincere "Junior Brother Liu"—he almost couldn't hold it together!
He instinctively straightened his back, and a crack instantly appeared in the humiliated, numb expression on his face. A trace of uncontrollable smugness and pride quietly surfaced, and the corners of his mouth almost twitched upward.
"Hehe, Senior Brother Feng thanked me!"
He felt wonderful inside, believing his sacrifice just now had been worth it!
However, he quickly realized he was still acting and let out a loud cough. He lowered his head again, trying his best to put back on that expression of deep-seated resentment.
Ling Suxin was much calmer, simply nodding back at Feng Weilan. "It is good that Junior Brother Feng is alright."
After finishing his thanks, Feng Weilan took a deep breath and carefully turned his gaze toward Feng Qingping, who had stayed by his side the entire time in silence.
When his eyes met Feng Qingping’s calm, rippleless gaze, Feng Weilan’s heart involuntarily skipped a beat. The relief he had just felt was suddenly replaced by tension again.
He knew Feng Qingping too well. That calm gaze usually meant...
She was angry, or rather, she had been worried to the extreme.
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