Making this decision was a huge risk for Ye Tiancheng. They couldn't even confirm their own lives could be protected, yet they dared to fantasize about saving all living beings. Such a thought shouldn't belong to a mature man, but rather to an ignorant, chuunibyou teenager.
However, heroes are always different. Only with such a thought that defies the world can one become the savior of all.
"Alright, Master. You and I will cooperate. It should take us 24 hours, a day and a night, to recover our abilities, and then we'll find a way to save those beings in the sea of fire."
"Good, then let's hurry. Every second wasted means another life lost. We shouldn't delay any further."
Before entering cultivation, Ye Tiancheng told Pang Zi to be a good guardian. If the raging fires of Black Wind Mountain continued to burn, many monsters would be thoroughly enraged, possibly even acting recklessly out of panic.
In such a situation, their current hiding place in the wombat's burrow was not safe either. Those monsters could charge in at any moment. To protect themselves, someone had to stand guard.
Only with Pang Zi acting as the guardian could Ye Tiancheng and Lin Xue cultivate in peace. This was the most secure method for now.
"Pang Zi, hold your shovel tight. This time, we're truly relying on you. Only if you protect our safety can Lin Xue and I cultivate with peace of mind."
Pang Zi glanced at the animals lying around, swaying and falling. Due to lack of oxygen and drowsiness, they were already preparing to sleep.
If danger truly arrived, those animals would be useless. They were destined to be eaten. At the critical moment, it would still be up to Pang Zi with his shovel to control the entire situation.
"Everything today rests on my shoulders, Pang Ye. No matter what anyone says today, I must hold my ground. If you want to harm my Brother Ye, or Miss Xue'er, you'll have to step over my dead body."
Pang Zi's eyes widened like copper bells, staring intently, watching the cave entrance for any intruders.
After about two hours, during which Pang Zi constantly observed the surroundings, Ye Tiancheng and Lin Xue had already entered cultivation, completely detached from the outside world.
As for those animals, they were all sleeping soundly, clearly having no defense against these three humans. That's why they slept so soundly; if they had even a little caution, they wouldn't dare to sleep so easily.
These animals were truly friendly towards humans. It seemed that every weak life deserved respect. Pang Zi had also decided that while protecting Ye Tiancheng and Lin Xue, he would also protect these little animals.
Pang Zi was even getting a little sleepy. Just as he was about to rest a bit, it wasn't normal to maintain such alertness all the time. He decided to take a nap first. Suddenly, he felt something trying to invade, carrying a dense demonic aura.
Pang Zi quickly gripped his shovel tighter and saw a bat-like monster fly in. The creature was completely dark and had a pair of wings. It looked incredibly horrifying, many times more terrifying than a bat.
Pang Zi charged forward with his shovel and struck the bat directly. The bat let out a scream, then fell to the ground. After a few twitches, it lost its life.
"Dare to mess with Pang Ye? Let's see if you have the ability. If Pang Ye can't beat you to death, then you must have a tough life!"
This shovel was truly useful. In the matter of subduing demons and monsters, it was indeed quite powerful. Even Pang Zi, an ordinary person, felt very capable using it with such ease. It was not easy, as ordinary people usually couldn't wield divine artifacts.
More monsters emerged afterward, but without exception, they were all flattened by Pang Zi's shovel. He was having a great time.
Once the passion for combat was ignited, it was not easy to extinguish that fire.
As some small monsters flew towards the cave entrance below, Pang Zi was practically seeing red. He couldn't imagine how terrible the situation would be without the shovel in his hand. It was truly perilous.
Soon, everything quieted down, leaving only bodies and debris scattered everywhere, looking very messy and horrifying. Fortunately, this battle was won, with no casualties. Pang Zi was definitely on the winning side.
"So exhilarating! It seems the feeling of becoming strong is indeed different. To think of harming a single hair on Pang Ye's head is truly wishful thinking!"
After the satisfying fight, he felt a bit tired. In this situation, Pang Zi thought about resting a bit. Human stamina is limited. Pang Zi was just an ordinary person. The biggest taboo for an ordinary person is to overexert themselves. Doing things beyond one's capabilities will ultimately harm oneself and others.
"I'm exhausted."
Pang Zi leaned against the wall, closed his eyes, and gasped for breath, looking very weary. He felt a sense of emptiness.
This was probably the legendary "body drained." He needed some time to recover.
Pang Zi sat by the wall, closed his eyes, and large beads of sweat rolled down his face. It took a long time before he stopped panting.
"Brother Ye, it's a pity you're cultivating now and can't see my heroic deeds. Honestly, it's quite a shame."
Pang Zi only intended to rest his eyes, but when he woke up, he found he had fallen asleep.
This was too embarrassing. Pang Zi quickly glanced at Ye Tiancheng. Fortunately, Ye Tiancheng was fine, and Lin Xue was also cultivating. Everything was calm, with no abnormalities.
Pang Zi's worried heart finally settled. He didn't know how the large fire on the surface was progressing, but at least they were still safely alive here.
Ye Tiancheng suddenly woke up. The moment he opened his eyes, he was enveloped by a feeling of immense emptiness. That powerful emptiness primarily stemmed from his stomach; he was so hungry it hurt his stomach. Ye Tiancheng desperately needed to replenish his energy. If it were any later, he feared he would starve to death.
"Pang Zi, I'm glad we're all still alive. I want to eat something. My stomach is so hungry."
Pang Zi naturally complied with Ye Tiancheng's request, immediately agreeing, "Alright, Brother Ye, I'm relieved you're awake. We still have plenty of food, no need to rush. Eating more is fine; the important thing is not letting you go hungry."
"My own brother truly cares for me."
Pang Zi quickly took out some dry rations. In such harsh conditions, it was difficult to ask for something hot, but besides dry rations, there was also chocolate. This could be considered a very rich meal.
"I never knew chocolate could be so delicious. It's truly amazing. I was almost woken up by hunger several times during cultivation, but thankfully I persevered. However, the feeling of hunger is truly unbearable."
Ye Tiancheng ate almost ravenously. For him, being able to eat now was a blessing from heaven. Filling his stomach was the most important thing.
When Ye Tiancheng realized he had eaten too much, he immediately felt something was wrong. Their food was limited, and if he didn't control himself at all, both the others and the small animals would face the danger of running out of provisions.
"I'm sorry, Pang Zi. My cultivation consumed too much energy. You know my way of replenishing energy is different from others. I usually rely on eating, and I almost lost control of myself."
Pang Zi looked at Ye Tiancheng with a smile. He would never truly blame his brother for anything he did wrong, but rather felt his brother was doing quite right.
"It's alright, Brother Ye. You're not just eating without working. Later, you and Miss Xue'er will have to save all the beings in Black Wind Mountain. You two have a heavy responsibility and must enjoy the best resources."
Although Pang Zi's words offered Ye Tiancheng some psychological comfort, he dared not be too willful. Even though his stomach was not yet full and a thought kept clamoring in his mind to eat more, Ye Tiancheng still managed to control that overwhelming, uncontrollable hunger.
"Alright, let's save some. Later, when Xue'er wakes up, we'll go up and check. I believe we can rescue all the creatures in Black Wind Mountain."
Ye Tiancheng entered cultivation again, but after only a few hours, both Ye Tiancheng and Lin Xue woke up simultaneously.
"Master, it's time for us to act. If we delay any longer, I fear nothing will be left in Black Wind Mountain except for these weak creatures in the underground caves."
Lin Xue never forgot that Black Wind Mountain was teeming with monsters on the surface, but there were also many normal small animals. Those little animals were pitiful, each wanting to live, but so weak.
"Alright, eat something, and then we'll set off. The fire is still spreading and completely uncontrollable. We shouldn't think about controlling it; let's hurry."
"No need. During my cultivation, I relied on mountain dew for forty-nine days, without a single normal meal, and I survived. My cultivation method allows me to not eat, so don't worry, I'm very healthy."
"Then let's go."
After such a long period of cultivation, both of them were full of energy. At this point, they didn't need to worry about anything else. They had to rush up and put out the fire first.
The master and disciple quickly reached the ground. The fire had been burning for some time, yet it showed no signs of subsiding. Instead, it seemed to burn more intensely.
Lin Xue gently raised her hand, and an umbrella flew up. Then, a surge of spiritual energy enveloped the umbrella and began to spin. Ye Tiancheng sent a stream of true energy to assist, and the entire Black Wind Mountain was covered in a white mist.
Their actions began to take effect. Some of the fire was extinguished, and then it continued to spread, extinguishing more and more fires. Some small animals that had not yet been burned to death were successfully rescued at this moment. Ye Tiancheng's face showed a look of joy.
"Excellent, we've finally saved them. Thank goodness nothing happened. It was truly terrifying."
Ye Tiancheng initially lacked confidence that he could succeed. When he actually achieved it, he even began to doubt himself. Everything seemed to have happened too smoothly.
"Master, that's wonderful! Much of the fire has been extinguished. Let's keep going, and we'll definitely be able to save all the creatures in Black Wind Mountain."