Hai Bodong waited alone outside the area where the poisonous mist was thickest. He had been waiting for almost two months, growing increasingly restless.
"Those two... surely nothing happened to them?"
"Surely not..."
The thickest poisonous mist still affected Hai Bodong far too severely. Even with half a Netherworld Insect Molt, he could not withstand it head-on. Devouring Heavenly Flames would also drastically alter the surroundings, so Sun Buxiao had told Hai Bodong to wait outside for him and Xiao Yi Xian.
Yet after the two entered the core area, an entire month passed without them returning.
Hai Bodong wanted to go in and check.
"...No, I can't keep waiting like this. I have to go in and find them."
After thinking it over for a moment, Hai Bodong threw caution aside, broke off a small piece of the Netherworld Insect Molt, and held it in his mouth, preparing to enter the core area.
But before he could do anything more...
He saw Sun Buxiao walking toward him from afar with Xiao Yi Xian in his arms.
"You two... succeeded?"
Hai Bodong hesitated slightly, glancing at Xiao Yi Xian, who was asleep in Sun Buxiao's arms.
"Yeah. I've just finished giving her injuries some preliminary treatment. She'll probably need to stay in bed for four or five days."
"After all, the Heavenly Flame burned her pretty badly on the inside."
Sun Buxiao sighed as he spoke.
He had still been a little careless. Whatever the case, he should have let Xiao Yi Xian imbue the Netherworld Poison Flame with her aura first. Forcing her to devour it immediately upon finding it had been a little...
Uh, but I suppose it was a blessing in disguise?
After all, Xiao Yi Xian's injuries had not ended up being particularly severe, while he...