Cooperation

"They're here." Lu Bai had long anticipated that these Phoenix Flying Ladies would come.

Because, looking at the current situation, there shouldn't be any Travelers within the Tianwu Holy Land; otherwise, they wouldn't appear so "weak" in the face of the Hundred Flower Grave's assault.

Under normal circumstances, a Traveler would have already headed straight for the Hundred Flower Grave to completely eradicate the force that dared to provoke the majesty of the Tianwu Holy Land.

It was precisely because no one had done so, or perhaps because those who tried had failed, that the Hundred Flower Grave was able to stir up such a massive trend.

In this situation, the people of the Holy Land were likely just as bewildered about the so-called "Upper Realm," eager to figure out exactly what had happened.

It was inevitable that they would find him.

"I didn't expect you to join the Phoenix Flying Ladies." Lu Bai looked at the woman; she was completely different now from the woman he had met at the Black Tiger Stronghold.

The main reason he had spared her life back then was that she had been pregnant.

Later, he had been willing to give her a martial arts manual because he was exploring methods to condense high-quality modules.

After killing a whole group of bandits, in the end, only one weak bandit had condensed a [Concealment] module with a rating, while the others had condensed nothing but mediocre ones.

Regardless of how she developed after receiving the manual, it was no loss to Lu Bai.

The current situation was actually one of the better outcomes.

Not only had she grown stronger without seeking revenge against Lu Bai, but today, she had even helped him out.

"Young Master Lu, greetings." Another Phoenix Flying Lady spoke with a very gentle expression, completely devoid of the imposing aura she had displayed during the day.

"You may call me Rou'er." Phoenix Flying Lady was merely the collective term used by outsiders; internally, they naturally had their own names.

Rou'er walked gently to Lu Bai's side and placed her hand on him, transmitting a stream of soft internal energy.

This internal energy flowed into Lu Bai's body, easing his pain and even accelerating his recovery.

"The duty of a Phoenix Flying Lady is not actually to fight, but to serve Heavenly Beings like you, Young Master," Rou'er said while transmitting her energy.

"Even though I'm not from the Tianwu Group." Lu Bai didn't bother with hypocritical denials.

During his previous battle with the bandit leader, the circulation of his vitality had broken through a limit. In certain terms, Lu Bai had reached the stage of Vitality Smoke.

Just like the previous Vitality Fragrance, even without using module skills, his entire body—especially his blood—carried a faint, pleasant scent.

And now, whenever he moved his body, a scarlet aura would seep out, beginning to rise like a pillar of smoke.

If someone with sensitive senses stared at Lu Bai now, they might even see blood surging toward them like a flood.

Of course, that was just an appearance. The core of it was that his physical data, such as stamina and endurance, had been enhanced once again, and his recovery ability had been greatly improved.

Having forcibly activated [Blood Burn: Volcano] twice, Lu Bai had originally estimated that he would need to lie in bed for ten days or half a month, perhaps even longer.

Yet, after lying down for only one afternoon, Lu Bai felt much better. With the help of those medicines and such, he would likely be back at full strength in about a week.

Now, with the treatment from the Phoenix Flying Lady's internal energy, his recovery speed would be even faster; he estimated he would be mostly recovered in five or six days.

This recovery ability far exceeded what he had possessed before.

Lu Bai even felt that once his injuries healed, the blood in his body would likely have been completely replaced.

At that point, he might become even stronger.

A breakthrough in realm wasn't something that instantly transformed the world and restored one to full health and state.

That wasn't a breakthrough; that was leveling up in a game.

A breakthrough in realm was more of a qualitative transformation; to become truly powerful, one still needed the replenishment of quantity.

Lu Bai's current recuperation was essentially the process of replenishing his own vitality.

At this stage, he even had a vague feeling that even without modules, he could ignite his vitality to a certain extent.

If so, the skill [Blood Burn] might be further optimized.

"Since you were able to come to this Lower Realm and didn't mingle with the rebels supporting the Hundred Flower Grave, you are naturally a guest of our Tianwu Holy Land." Rou'er had long since guessed Lu Bai's identity.

There were established protocols for people from the Upper Realm coming down to the Lower Realm; everyone knew who was coming down during this period and who would come during the next.

Many Phoenix Flying Ladies in the Holy Land would offer themselves to become the companions of "Heavenly Beings" in the Lower Realm.

Pillow talk was one of the easiest ways to gather information, so many Phoenix Flying Ladies actually had some knowledge of the Heavenly Realm.

"The portal can only be opened once every three months, and there are many restrictions on the number of people who can enter—no more than nine at most."

"Each time, the Upper Realm only dispatches three to five people to the Holy Land, and their arrival points are fixed within the Holy Land."

"So, Young Master, can you tell Rou'er what happened in the Upper Realm?"

The conflict erupting within the Tianwu Group and the theft of the Martial Forest's Dimension Key were not exactly state secrets.

Lu Bai gave a rough explanation in terms they could understand, and at the same time, he obtained some information from the Phoenix Flying Ladies.

There were only Phoenix Flying Ladies within the Tianwu Holy Land, and the first generation of them had already followed a Traveler to the Upper Realm.

This piece of information alone was highly valuable.

A Traveler was actually capable of taking people out of the dimension.

Beyond that, there were other valuable pieces of information.

Lu Bai gradually gained a sufficient understanding of the Tianwu Holy Land, this module breeding ground.

The Phoenix Flying Ladies all need to consume a special blood known as 'Phoenix Blood.' After consuming this blood, their bodies undergo a transformation, and they simultaneously gain a massive amount of internal energy.

It is roughly equivalent to the level of twenty years of diligent practice by someone of average aptitude; it can be simply thought of as twenty years of cultivation.

Beyond that, the clothes they wear actually possess combat-assist functions.

They may look like erotic lingerie, but they are actually high-tech combat-assist gear.

As for why they are styled as erotic lingerie, that is difficult to explain clearly.

Having transferred a significant amount of internal energy into Lu Bai's body, Rou'er was exhausted and bid Lu Bai farewell with a weary expression.

However, only Rou'er left; the woman Lu Bai had saved remained behind.

"Young Master Lu, you may call me Qi'er," the woman said as she approached Lu Bai's side. "For the coming period, I shall be your bodyguard."

This was also one of the things agreed upon previously.

The Phoenix Flying Ladies did not know when the Tianwu Group would be able to restore the passage, nor did they know what kind of people would be sent once it was restored.

Therefore, knowing that Lu Bai would be leaving in just over ten days, they hoped he could help pass on a message.

For the time being, they would do their best to protect Lu Bai.

As for other matters.

"Young Master Lu, I am all alone now."