Chapter 307: Handling the Aftermath
Qiu Hou’s condition was horrifying.
His flesh appeared partially dissolved. Countless tiny tree roots were embedded in his mangled body, like leeches feeding as they devoured him bit by bit. The roots had burrowed too deeply—some had even pierced into his heart.
The dense, writhing mass was so grotesque that even Tong Zhou, who normally feared nothing, felt his scalp prickle.
What now?
Just pull him out?
Those things were connected throughout his entire body. If they tore them out recklessly, who knew what would happen?
Xu Zhi took one look and understood.
She turned to Chu Xiaoyue. “President, use your ability to sever these tendrils. Make sure that once cut, Qiu Hou won’t continue bleeding. Can you do that?”
“After we pull him out, Senior Su Ran will handle the treatment. Ji Muge, you help as well.”
“Me?” Ji Muge pointed at herself in disbelief.
She was a pure offensive-type [Heart]—a combat maniac. She had no healing abilities whatsoever.
“I need you to use your blood to lure out the remaining tendrils still inside Senior Qiu Hou. Draw them out,” Xu Zhi assigned calmly.
“…That, I can do.” Ji Muge nodded.
Chu Xiaoyue said nothing, but her actions spoke for her.
A flash of cold light burst within the pit. Every tendril attached to Qiu Hou was instantly severed. A thin layer of frost coated his body, sealing the wounds and preventing further blood loss.
“Carry him. Move. We’ll treat him after we leave this area.”
The moment the roots were cut and Qiu Hou was removed from the danger zone, the surrounding trees seemed to roar in fury.
The ground trembled faintly.
Xu Zhi glanced around and immediately sensed trouble.
A massive number of roots were surging toward them.
They had to leave—now.
“Go!”
Shu Yushan hoisted Qiu Hou. Chu Xiaoyue cleared the path ahead. Tong Zhou covered the rear.
They sprinted back the way they had come, attempting to escape the domain of the massive trees.
The other directions were uncertain—there was no guarantee how far they would need to run to exit the danger zone. Only the path they came from was relatively clear.
The pursuing roots were fast.
Tong Zhou had no idea how tree roots could extend that far, but he smashed every tendril lunging toward him. With Xu Zhi’s assistance, he wasn’t overwhelmed.
They ran nonstop for roughly half an hour.
Finally—
The massive trees vanished from sight. Only ordinary trees remained.
The roots could no longer reach them.
The pursuit stopped.
“Alright… let’s rest a bit.”
Xu Zhi exhaled lightly.
Her hair was slightly disheveled, her blade still clutched tightly in her hand. Even though the environment was relatively safe now, she didn’t relax.
Compared to the others, however, she looked the least battered.
Qiu Hou was a bloody mess—barely recognizable.
Tong Zhou, having guarded the rear, had suffered the brunt of the retreat. His clothes were torn, face smeared with dirt, his body covered in whip-like wounds.
Ji Muge wasn’t in great shape either. As the weakest overall among them, even with teammates shielding her, she had sustained numerous injuries.
Aside from Xu Zhi, only Chu Xiaoyue remained relatively composed. She hadn’t even used her full strength, focusing primarily on protecting the others.
“What now?” Ji Muge asked Xu Zhi.
She didn’t even realize she had instinctively turned to the freshman instead of the supposedly “invincible” student council president.
Xu Zhi thought briefly.
“Qiu Hou is unconscious. Once the frost melts, the tendrils inside him will resume feeding.”
“Senior Su Ran, maintain his vital signs.”
“Ji Muge, cut a larger wound on your arm. Hold it in front of him.”
“Your vitality is stronger than his right now. The tendrils will be drawn to you.”
“President, Tong Zhou—I need you to crush every tendril that emerges. Don’t let a single one enter Ji Muge’s body.”
“Understood.”
They moved immediately.
As the frost covering Qiu Hou gradually melted, Ji Muge didn’t hesitate.
She slashed a nearly ten-centimeter gash into her own arm.
As a [Heart]-attribute Transcendent, her vitality was naturally more robust. To [Cup], her blood was far more tempting than Qiu Hou’s weakened state.
The tendrils inside Qiu Hou reacted almost instantly.
They writhed violently, drilling out from his flesh and leaping desperately toward Ji Muge’s bleeding arm.
The sight was nauseating.
From the blood-soaked boy’s body emerged over a hundred threadlike “worms.”
Tong Zhou clenched his jaw, suppressing the urge to look away, as he and Chu Xiaoyue annihilated every tendril mid-air.
Crush. Freeze. Shatter.
Not a single one reached Ji Muge.
“Alright. That’s all of them. Senior, can you heal him now?” Xu Zhi asked.
Ji Muge finally relaxed and allowed her regenerative ability to activate.
Su Ran examined Qiu Hou carefully, frowning.
“It’s difficult. Besides severe blood loss, his body has been damaged by some Transcendent power. To heal him fully, we must eliminate whatever energy remains inside.”
Xu Zhi’s eyes flickered.
“I can handle that.”
She knew exactly what lingered within him—
Residual [Cup] energy.
Left unchecked, it would keep him unconscious. Worse, prolonged exposure could infect him, turning him into a follower.
But [Lamp] could disperse it.
She didn’t elaborate.
Instead, she stepped closer and placed a finger gently against Qiu Hou’s forehead.
Through [Eyes of Secret], she pinpointed the remnants of [Cup] energy and guided her own [Lamp] attribute into his body, dispersing the corruption piece by piece.
Fortunately, Qiu Hou was unconscious and already contaminated. His body did not resist foreign energy strongly.
There was slight rejection—he twitched faintly—but with Su Ran stabilizing him, no further harm was done.
“Done.”
For Xu Zhi, this level of precision was no longer difficult.
If others knew she could manipulate Transcendent energy inside another person’s body with such accuracy, they would be stunned.
Su Ran attempted healing again.
This time, it proceeded smoothly.
She let out a breath of relief.
“Good thing we have our junior.”
Xu Zhi smiled modestly.
Ji Muge glanced at her from the side.
Is this little devil… actually a good person?
They didn’t know that Xu Zhi had concealed the existence of [Cup].
They didn’t know she had erased every trace of its aura from Qiu Hou.
Now, no one would realize they had encountered [Cup].
After all—In the Lost Land, Transcendent creatures devouring flesh and blood was commonplace.
Humans were merely another form of prey.
No one would suspect the long-vanished [Cup].
For now—The thought of [Cup] had not yet entered their subconscious.
