Soldiering away, Su You's cultivation was high, so he was able to barely maintain consciousness in the forest for a while. 

However, it would still be difficult to break a formation laid down by ten or more Nascent Soul stage Heavenly Venerables while maintaining consciousness. He could only redirect the scarecrow that contained part of his soul back to the pure land, where he could relax. 

However, the news he brought back sent many of the disciples into despair. They had hope before, but now they grieved for them being understandably abandoned. 

Someone cried out, "There's nothing to eat anymore. We're on the verge of starving to death after cultivating for so many years. What a joke." 

"What should we do? If the miasma lasts forever, will we be trapped here forever? Will the seniors come and save us?"

Su You suddenly laughed, his arm on his knee, sitting unconventionally. He said lazily, "I happen to have brought some food. After all, hunting is as easy as lifting a finger to me." 

Under these circumstances, Su You's food was definitely a great temptation.

Chi Muyao and Yi Qianxi stood at the very back of the crowd. 

In the beginning, everyone could be sustained using the spirit beast carcasses stored in their bamboo tubes. However, more and more people arrived and they couldn't bring out anymore.

If Su You had food, it would solve their current predicament.

Su You's cultivation was much higher than theirs. He would not lose himself in the forest, he just couldn't leave for now.

Hunting was still within his means.

Yu Yanshu looked at the others, weighing the pros and cons. "You won't hurt us again?"

Su You couldn't help but wonder, “Why would I hurt you? Are you guys particularly good-looking? Do you think I'd be happy to kill you?" 

“Then why did you hurt us before?” Yu Yanshu asked again.

"Oh, before, huh...I knew that he was with you, so I had the Luo Sha Sect bring all the captives here. I didn't expect them to be trash and get killed by you." Su You said, pointing at Chi Muyao.

Everyone's gazes followed him and made Chi Muyao panic for a moment.

Mu Ren asked angrily, "Why do you want to capture him?”

Su You replied simply, "He looks good."

That simple sentence made Chi Muyao a 'beauty that befalls disaster'.

All his efforts to save others and hunt didn't matter anymore because he was part of the reason they were trapped. 

Yu Yanshu glanced at the faces of the crowd and reminded them, "When something has already happened, you don't blame the people who made a mess but a fellow victim? How is that fair? He was one of the people sent here to help us. He has saved us and helped us these past few days. What are you all thinking?" 

Yu Yanshu's reminder gradually made everyone regain reason.

Yi Qianxi, who had been watching the whole time, sighed in relief. She whispered to Chi Muyao, "Hey—Why are you so popular with men?" 

"I'm not! A girl asked me for a Sound Transmission Talisman before." 

"But—"

"He doesn't like me, he just..." Chi Muyao touched the top of his head.

Yi Qianxi was taken aback. Her eyes silently widened. She understood why Su You always showed interest in Chi Muyao.

 With his healing ability, why wouldn't he?

At this time, Chi Muyao suddenly sensed something. He turned to look and saw a dark red blur traversing the forest. He immediately ran to the edge of the pure land.

Xi Huai came on his sword. His frown changed to a smile upon seeing Chi Muyao.

However, the sudden loss of spiritual energy upon entering the pure land sent him toppling from his sword.

Chi Muyao wanted to remind him at first, but Shukuang's genius master was so fast it was too late. He could only try to catch Xi Huai.

Luckily, Xi Huai came down once he saw him.

He wanted to avoid Chi Muyao's open arms at first, afraid of hurting him.

Unfortunately, he had no control and smashed into Chi Muyao.

The two of them crashed to the ground. Xi Huai quickly got up to check on Chi Muyao.

Chi Muyao fell on his back, which hurt a bit.

Xi Huai quickly asked, "Are you hurt? Is it serious?"

"No..." Chi Muyao quickly healed himself and examined Xi Huai. "How did you come in?" 

"I—"

Yi Qianxi suddenly coughed twice. "Cough, cough. Maybe you should change positions first. You have an audience."

Only then did they realise…

Chi Muyao was on his back on the ground, and Xi Huai was kneeling over him.

Chi Muyao quickly pushed Xi Huai away.

Xi Huai rose and examined Chi Muyao. He breathed a sigh of relief after.

Only then did he look around, then at his hands. Finally, he walked over and picked up his sword. "What happened to my spiritual energy?"

Chi Muyao patiently explained, "This is a buddhist pure land that activated after encountering the miasma. However, its purification is so powerful it affects even spiritual energy. Don't worry, it will come back once you leave."

Xi Huai didn't mind. He looked around. "You've been living here these days?” 

"Yes, almost two months." Chi Muyao then asked, "How did you come in without losing control?"

Xi Huai flashed the small lamp in his hand which was dim, showing it wasn't being used right now. However, everyone knew what it was.

A Soul Renewal Lantern, the most extravagant consumable item in the cultivation world.

As long as you held it, a moment's use consumed enough spirit stones to build three more Qing Ze Sects. For that one moment, you had to consume millions of spirit stones and a hundred years to craft the lamp itself. 

Of course, its use justified its cost.

As long as you held this lamp, you could hold off even the strongest of blows. You could say the Soul Renewal Lamp was a life saving artefact. Xi Huai used it once before against the Golden-eyed Heavenly Wolves.

Alas, it was too expensive for the average cultivator. Only three people had one in the entire cultivation world, and most people only heard about it.

However, Xi Huai used such a thing to charge into the miasma forest. His path was literally littered with spirit stones.

The only thought in Chi Muyao's mind right now was, I'm not worthy! Xi Huai, you prodigal son! 

The cultivators had hope when they saw Xi Huai before, thinking there was some way to leave.

But now it looked like this method was very exclusive. Xi Huai could only take one person out like this.

They didn't dare hope that one person would be them.

People looked down at Chi Muyao for being a 'calamitous beauty' who attracted the attention of a Demonic Faction disciple before.

However, now their renowned righteous path seniors abandoned them and sealed them in the mountain.

It was actually Xi Huai, a Demonic Faction disciple, who risked it all just to save Chi Muyao.

Now who could question their relationship?

Ming Shaoluo stood sickly in the middle of the crowd, uninterested in anything.

Since returning from the forest, her mood had been low. Tang Ming had also started avoiding her, and she didn't spare him a glance either.

Only the arrival of Xi Huai with the Soul Renewal Lamp to save Chi Muyao lit a spark in her.

If...this happened before she was reborn, would the person Xi Huai came to save be her? 

She was actually kind of jealous.

Turning to look at Xi Zihe…he only stuck by Han Qingyuan all day and he didn't have a chance to shine yet. 

But Ming Shaoluo knew Xi Zihe would have his moment and become someone to be reckoned with. However, she felt something different now.

If he hadn't gone insane, who would choose Xi Zihe over Xi Huai?

Just why did she ignore an excellent person who deeply loved her for an as-of-now nobody who wasn't interested in her?

If she turned back to find Xi Huai now, would he still love her?  Of course she didn't know Xi Huai was a one-dimensional character without sentience in the world before her rebirth. Everything was the plan of the original novel's author.

She was reborn, but she escaped the confines of the original novel. The Xi Huai before her was no longer the same.

From the moment Chi Muyao and Xi Huai met, everything went awry.

After gaining sentience, Xi Huai never even looked at her. All his feelings were devoted to Chi Muyao, yet she thought she could snatch him back.

Chi Muyao was worried right now. "There's a seal on the mountain. How did you get in here?"

Xi Huai was taken aback. "How did you know there was a seal?" 

"He said so." He pointed at Su You. 

Xi Huai glanced at Chi Muyao. "I'll answer you later."

Xi Huai looked at Su You. He didn't seem to recognise the twenty-year-old, because Su You liked to disguise himself as a youth. However, Xi Huai recognised the bell on Su You's ponytail, 

"Su You?" He raised an eyebrow and frowned. "The one at the Thousand Sect Conference auction was you, right?"

"Not bad, you guessed right." Su You propped his chin up and lazily talked to Xi Huai.

"En, who else in the cultivation world could it be?"

"You're right...”

"I haven't gotten you back for the star picking formation yet." Xi Huai remembered how Su You trapped Chi Muyao in the formation.

Chi Muyao was surprised he brought it up.

Xi Huai never did so before, but it seemed like he remembered.

Su You was also taken aback to hear that from Xi Huai. He smiled. "What, going to find your dad to beat me up?" 

"That's right. But I'll remember this. Maybe one day I'll take revenge by myself."

"Aren't you afraid I'll kill you before you reach Nascent Soul stage?"

"Then kill me. You'll be hounded by my dad until you die of old age." Xi Huai paused and snickered. "Wait, you're already old and near death, right? Your cultivation can't progress. Serves you right, you old bastard." 

Chi Muyao suddenly thought Xi Huai's talent for saying the wrong things was suddenly likeable when he was talking with Su You. 

Chi Muyao actually became happier the more he insulted the man.

Su You immediately became angry and leapt down to attack Xi Huai. 

In the pure land without spiritual energy, they could only compete using basic body techniques. Sans cultivation, they were actually equally matched. 

Chi Muyao knew Su You's body techniques were impressive and wanted to stop them, but to his surprise Xi Huai wasn't losing.

Xi Huai was tall and had the advantage in strength. He probably received training in martial arts too judging by his movements.

He moved like water, not giving Su You an inch.

Xi Huai had a clear goal when engaging with Su You. He snatched away Su You's bell and quickly retreated.

Su You seemed to go mad, roaring, "Give it back!"

This was the first time madness appeared on his normally nonchalant face. 

Of course Xi Huai wouldn't give it back. "You even carry this coffin around on a puppet doppelgänger? Is this bell a part of the original?"

Su You now was only a puppet doppelgänger, a fraction of the original. Even so, he carried a sliver of the bell—aka coffin, like he could only be at ease like this.

How could he have anticipated there would be a place that could nullify all cultivation and that he would lose to a junior?

How was he supposed to know there was a strange person in a cultivation world who learned martial arts?

"Don't touch it with your dirty hands!" Su You came over urgently to snatch it back. 

Xi Huai switched to dodging and sneered. "Now you know how I felt when he was in the formation."

It's time you got a taste.