Five minutes later.
Fifteen li south of Pompey.
Dragon Tree and Zong Hu appeared at a spot far from Pompey, one that was "absolutely safe."
Neither spoke, and both wore rather grim expressions.
Zong Hu was squatting on the ground, his right hand gripping his left hand tightly. His entire left palm was covered in a mass of dark gray energy that continuously eroded his flesh, carbonizing and peeling away his skin bit by bit. At that moment, Zong Hu was using mana to try to dispel the energy, but because it was highly unusual, progress was slow. He could only patiently deal with it little by little.
As for Dragon Tree, he appeared uninjured, perfectly normal from head to toe. He was currently gazing at the sky at a forty-five-degree angle, watching as more and more Volcanic Ash blackened it, as though admiring a beautiful oil painting—only this way could he keep the blood in his nostrils from flowing out.
After more than ten seconds, Dragon Tree finally felt that he had removed the mass of energy inside his nasal cavity, allowing the wound to heal. He sniffed loudly, then lowered his head to look at Zong Hu.
Zong Hu had risen to his feet by then. He glared over with irritation and said, "This time, it was entirely your responsibility. You need to explain it to my lord in person."
"I..." Dragon Tree opened his mouth to argue, but when he saw the look on Zong Hu's face—the look of someone ready to hit him—he spread his hands. "Fine, fine, call it my fault. It's not like I expected it either. Who knew there was a monster hidden inside the volcano?"
"That wasn't a monster. I think it was a person." Zong Hu's face darkened. "If I'm not