"You're awake!" Brother Ji shouted.
Lu Fei simultaneously snapped back to attention, his face filled with surprise.
"A-ahm..." As the two rejoiced, they heard the Lizard's weak cry. Immediately after, its eyes went black, and it collapsed onto the ground.
Lu Fei froze and picked up the Lizard.
However, the current situation didn't allow them to ponder further. They had no choice but to store the Lizard in the Beast Taming Scroll. Within the Beast Taming Space, contracted beasts could quickly recover their strength by sleeping and receiving treatment.
Lu Fei's conjecture was that with the Lizard's current proficiency in "Divine Healing," treating Fifth River's injuries would be extremely strenuous, hence the lack of instant healing. However, the effect of "Divine Healing" had still manifested, causing Fifth River to regain consciousness. Simultaneously, the Lizard had overexerted itself.
Fifth River slowly opened his eyes. His gaze returned to clarity, unlike the previous blood-red, frenzied look.
In his field of vision, the first thing he saw was Lu Fei.
"Who are you?"
Stop the nonsense. Don't ask if this is hell or heaven. If you dawdle any longer, we'll be going to hell! Lu Fei's thoughts flashed rapidly.
Immediately, Lu Fei covered Fifth River's mouth and stated concisely, "I'm a student from Cang Town Beast Taming Academy. I was participating in a trial and was inexplicably drawn in. This space is about to collapse, so let's find a way out first!"
Fifth River had also weathered his fair share of storms. Sensing the violent aura around him, he understood what was about to happen.
He nodded and said gravely, "The space here is about to collapse. Let's leave this place."
Lu Fei's eyes lit up, and he nodded frantically.
This big brother is a sensible person, unlike my nephew who talks too much, is rigid, and has OCD! Lu Fei mentally compared Fifth River to Huangfu Chenyi.
"Then how do we leave?" Lu Fei asked.
Fifth River lifted his backside, preparing to stand. Lu Fei, noticing his difficulty in movement, quickly went to support him.
At this moment, the mask on his face fell off again...
Lu Fei stared, dumbfounded, and immediately turned his head away.
He said flusteredly but considerately, "I understand the rules! It's too dark here, I didn't see anything!"
Damn... could this thing be welded on? Why would it just fall off... Lu Fei lamented his misfortune.
However, Fifth River did not lash out. "Heh, if you hadn't woken me up, I might have been buried here today. You are my benefactor, and besides, my face isn't much of a secret."
His voice was gentle, as if he were trying his best to suppress his unpleasant mechanical tone.
Lu Fei smiled, "You're too kind, senior!"
Fifth River stopped speaking. He raised an arm, and a contracted beast flew out from the Beast Taming Scroll.
It resembled a horse, with a white body but a black tail. Its form was streamlined, with a hint of a dragon's shadow, and even its claws were identical to a dragon's.
Lu Fei had seen this contracted beast when Fifth River was fighting Huangfu Chenyi.
"Dragon-Mottled, take us out of here," Fifth River commanded.
Dragon-Mottled let out a clear cry resembling a dragon's roar. In the next moment, a spatial portal, accompanied by waves of white light, appeared before them.
"Let's go," Fifth River said.
Lu Fei was eager to leave this damned place. Supporting Fifth River, he quickly departed the alternate dimension.
After a while, Lu Fei's vision suddenly opened up again.
Before him lay a vast canyon, bottomless. The masterful work of nature made the place appear incredibly magnificent.
Lu Fei took a deep breath and exhaled heavily.
Ah~ the sweet breath of freedom... he felt it from the bottom of his heart.
Having left the alternate dimension, he no longer had to face the threat of death. Fifth River still had many questions.
He signaled Lu Fei to put him down. The two found a clean rock face and sat on the ground.
"Young friend, the situation was perilous earlier, and I haven't properly thanked you. Now that we are out of danger, how would you like me to repay you?"
Fifth River was very forthright, getting straight to the point.
Lu Fei was initially delighted but quickly regained his composure.
Although this person couldn't defeat Huangfu Chenyi, being able to summon four powerful contracted beasts at once was already an impressive feat, making him someone to be cautious around.
He respectfully said, "You are too kind, senior. It was just a small effort. Please call me Lu Fei." He paused, not seeking credit, and said earnestly, "Can you still walk on your own, senior? My trial mission is not yet complete. If I return late, my companions will likely be very worried."
Hearing this, Fifth River secretly nodded, a hint of approval deepening within him.
This child spoke with uncommon refinement. Even when facing life and death, he remained clear-headed. He must be from a prominent family, otherwise, he would rarely have such experience.
"No rush. The trial grounds here have already been damaged, so this trial can only be terminated. Returning a little late is not a problem," he said, his gaze settling on Lu Fei. "You said you're from Cang Town? Which family's child are you? I'll personally visit one day."
He watched the change in Lu Fei's expression, expecting the latter to be very happy.
However, the other party remained impassive... This made Fifth River somewhat inexplicably surprised. Since the other party knew his identity, he should understand what his personal visit to express gratitude meant.
That represented the honor of a family! It mattered not which family in Cang Town; everyone wished to build a connection with Fifth River!
"Oh... oh..." Lu Fei came back to his senses. "I'm an orphan. I have no family."
Lu Fei replied naturally. He hadn't paid attention to Fifth River's mention of a personal visit; his mind was occupied with matters related to the trial.
Fifth River was stunned...
An orphan? No family? Why could such a sad matter be spoken so nonchalantly? He was a person with a heart of stone, but this young man... his heart seemed even harder.
Lu Fei didn't know what he was thinking, otherwise, he would have said, "It's difficult to explain this to you. Do you understand if I tell you that the parents who gave birth to me weren't strictly my parents?"
Fifth River did not dwell on his pain and changed the subject:
"By the way, did you see a silver-haired man in that space just now?"
Lu Fei pondered for a moment. After careful consideration, he still felt it was best not to conceal the matter, and there was no need to do so.
So he nodded and said, "I did see another person, but it was too dark inside, and I didn't get a clear look at his face."
Nice! A perfect answer... Lu Fei gave himself full marks for his response.
As expected, Fifth River did not suspect anything. He nodded slightly and continued, "Did you see him take anything away?"
No... Lu Fei subconsciously recalled... There wasn't anything worth taking away in that space, except for this dark, ugly egg.
After a moment of silence, Lu Fei decided to inform the other party about the egg. Firstly, he didn't know the origin of this thing. If it was something everyone would fight over, it would only bring him trouble. He didn't believe he was a chosen one blessed with luck; on the contrary, he was just an unlucky fellow who only engaged in high-stakes matches!
Secondly, since Huangfu Chenyi could sense Brother Ji hidden within his spatial ring, it was possible that Fifth River already knew the black egg was with him and was asking intentionally.
After careful consideration, he recalled, "Whether he took anything away, I'm not sure, but he stayed at the altar for a long time."
Fifth River's eyes narrowed, and a hint of sternness flashed in them.
It seemed that the unknown creature of this star domain had been taken away by Huangfu Chenyi... Fifth River looked up, feeling a sense of desolation.
He hadn't even managed to defeat the other party, and now even the unknown creature was taken by him. This trip to the Yanbei region was destined to be fruitless.
"Forget it, let's go back."
Fifth River let out a sigh.
Lu Fei ignored his self-muttering and said nonchalantly,
"However, there was only this ugly egg on the altar. He probably disdains it, so he didn't take it."
Fifth River turned back in confusion.
The next moment, he was dumbfounded.