Lu Wuming spoke those words, but both of them knew in their hearts that his accusation was more of a playful pout than genuine criticism.
So Liu Buli didn't get angry with him. He just smiled helplessly, reached out, and ruffled Lu Wuming's hair. Then he gestured with his chin to the side and said, "Since we've made our agreement, and for the sake of your own happiness, we need to leave here now. Shouldn't you put in some effort?"
Hearing this, Lu Wuming immediately snapped back to attention. He quickly withdrew his thoughts and began to observe their surroundings with utmost seriousness.
Seeing that his "big dog" had started to focus, Liu Buli also looked around. He was still clutching the white snake jade pendant in his hand. Guided by the pendant, he easily found another jade pendant in a nearby crevice. Just as he had imagined, when the two jade pendants were placed together, they formed an Ouroboros pattern.
However, the other jade pendant was slightly different from this one. Although its main color was still pure white, at the tail, the other piece revealed a point of pure black, like ink.
When he found the jade pendant, Lu Wuming also peeked over. Upon seeing the other one's appearance, he proactively reached out and took it. Then he said to Liu Buli, "Master, I like the color of this one. The red one matches you better, so you keep that one, and I'll keep this one, okay?"
In fact, he didn't even need to say it. As soon as Liu Buli saw the jade pendants, he had already mentally decided on a similar distribution.
Hearing Lu Wuming's words, he couldn't help but chuckle. He had to admit that, at least in terms of preferences, they understood each other incredibly well.
He nodded, implicitly agreeing to Lu Wuming's request.
Liu Buli lowered his head and continued to search in the crevice.
When he withdrew his hand, a small furnace was in his palm.
The furnace looked no bigger than a hair ornament worn by a woman. Its golden exterior, illuminated by the spiritual energy, appeared quite exquisite and beautiful.
But upon seeing this item, Lu Wuming's eyebrows furrowed. He let out a displeased hum and muttered, "Is this a joke? It's just a model of an alchemy furnace. What good is this?"
He said it with complete sincerity.
Clearly, this was what he genuinely thought.
And it was precisely because he knew this that Liu Buli felt an unusual headache coming on.
He reached out again and gently tapped Lu Wuming's head. Liu Buli explained seriously, "Wuming, Master has told you long ago that even if you dislike using magic treasures, you should still learn and understand their existence. This item is like the sword used for flying. If you want it to become larger, it can. If you want it to shrink, it can become like this. Otherwise, how would you carry a furnace the size of a room with you when traveling? Would you have to buy a new furnace every time you needed to refine pills?"
Lu Wuming blinked.
To be honest, because Liu Buli had rarely left the Pill Sect for extended periods and had never refined pills elsewhere, he had never considered such matters. Naturally, he hadn't given them much thought.
Seeing his expression, Liu Buli guessed what he was thinking. He shook his head helplessly and injected his spiritual energy into the alchemy furnace in his hand.
Then, just as he had said, the exquisite, small furnace indeed expanded slightly. It was still small enough to be held in one hand; this was purely to demonstrate to Lu Wuming.
Seeing this change, Lu Wuming immediately showed a surprised expression. Liu Buli then retracted the furnace to its original size and gestured to Lu Wuming, saying, "Alright, we've got all the magic treasures we need. Now, the remaining task is how to get out of here. This doesn't look like a collapse of the terrain. It's more like a crocodile closing its jaws and swallowing us. So, if we continue along this path, will we find ourselves inside the monster's belly?"
Liu Buli's statement was initially meant as a joke, but to his surprise, Lu Wuming seriously sensed the surroundings and then nodded at him, saying, "Master, I have the same thought as you. And can you feel it? The closer we get to the front, the stronger the malice becomes. Such an intense sensation is rare, so there's likely something strange ahead."
Hearing Lu Wuming's words, Liu Buli began to sense it seriously. Previously, all his attention had been focused on the magic treasures. Now, calming himself down and sensing, he indeed found it to be as Lu Wuming described. The malice emanating from the front was so strong that he felt he had been too careless to ignore it.
He frowned and came to a conclusion. He said, "I dislike this aura. So, Wuming, you'll swallow all of it later."
It was a straightforward arrangement, and the content was very much in line with Liu Buli's mood.
Since both of them had fully accepted Lu Wuming's identity and his attack patterns, when encountering such situations, Liu Buli no longer bothered with roundabout methods. Instead, he habitually relied on his "big dog" to have Lu Wuming directly devour things. This not only enhanced Lu Wuming's strength but was also far more effective than purification of spiritual energy. It was a win-win situation, and Liu Buli saw no issue with it.
Since his arrangement had been stated, Lu Wuming naturally accepted it with pleasure. However, he leaned closer to Liu Buli's ear and whispered, "Master, I can indeed swallow all of them. But you can also sense it, this malice is greater than any we've encountered before. After I swallow it, I might not be able to control myself. I don't mind, but Master, are you prepared to endure my madness?"
Hearing his question, Liu Buli suddenly remembered what had happened after Lu Wuming had dealt with the monsters around the ghost city. He felt a twinge in his lower back, and the smile on his face faltered.
Looking at Lu Wuming's face, Liu Buli pondered for a moment and said, "Actually, I'm suddenly thinking that this aura isn't entirely unbearable. It's mainly my own fault for being too fussy. I've decided to correct myself starting today, right now. Let's just focus on finding a way out. We can leave this malice as it is; it's difficult to digest if swallowed, so let's forget about it."