I gain ten years' worth of cultivation every day, and even geniuses will only see my doorstep!

The airship was small, but there were too many wounded. The cabin was filled with people; some had severed legs, some arms, and some had holes in their chests. Lin Qing'er was amputating a miner's leg; his leg had been bitten off below the knee by a sea snake, with only a thin layer of skin connecting it. The miner was biting a wooden stick, which was covered in teeth marks, some parts of which had been bitten through. Lin Qing'er used a short sword to cut off the last bit of skin and threw the severed leg aside. She didn't look at the severed leg; she was using a red-hot iron to burn the wound. Smoke billowed out, and the miner fainted.

Yuan lay in the corner, an old cotton quilt beneath him. The quilt, gray and with a few holes, was brought by Li Qing from the teahouse, but better than nothing. Yuan's breathing was shallow and intermittent. Nidan squatted beside him, feeding him water. Water dribbled from the corner of his mouth; Nidan wiped it away with his sleeve and fed him again. Yuan's throat moved, and he swallowed.

Qin Yuan sat at the bow of the boat, his right arm resting on his knee. Lin Qing'er walked over, squatted down in front of him, and straightened his right arm. She wrapped bandages tightly from his shoulder to his fingers, layer upon layer. The black cracks were covered by the bandages, but Qin Yuan knew they were still there, still climbing upwards.

"Don't use this hand anymore," Lin Qing'er said.

Qin Yuan did not answer. He looked at the Void Sea. The sea was black, without waves, without light. Behind him, the firelight of Eternal Night City grew smaller and smaller, finally becoming a tiny dot and disappearing.

The airship sped forward. The sound of the oars cutting through the water was rapid, like a heartbeat. Abyss crouched at the stern, blood beginning to seep from his chest again, the red spots on the bandages widening. Li Qing sat beside him, pressing her hand against his chest. Her hand was small, unable to cover the entire wound, but she pressed firmly.

Shadows appeared on the sea. Not sea serpents, not octopuses. Hundreds of shadows, large and small, densely packed. They moved underwater, faster than a flying boat. Yuan awoke from his unconsciousness, his lips pale, his voice barely audible.

"They...are chasing us."

Qin Yuan stood up. His right arm was immobile, so he gripped the short sword with his left hand. Lin Qing'er tugged at his sleeve. "You can still fight?"

"If you don't fight, you'll die."

Qin Yuan jumped into the sea. The water was black and cold, and he could see nothing. He could sense the outline of the strange beast—not with his eyes, but with its body. The water currents as the beast swam lapped against him, and he swung his sword in the direction of the current.

He killed two sea serpents. The first one swam overhead; he pierced its lower jaw with his sword. The serpent struggled, its tail fin slapping against his back like a door. The second one lunged from the side; before he could draw his sword, he used his elbow to pin the serpent's throat. The serpent's mouth gaped open, its teeth grazing his scalp.

Black octopus tentacles wrapped around his waist. The tentacles were thick, their suckers clinging tightly to his skin, dragging him towards the seabed. The water pressure increased, his ears hurt, and his nose began to bleed. Lin Qing'er jumped in. She had an injury on her leg, but she jumped anyway. She used her short sword to cut off the tentacles; black blood spread in the sea like ink.

The suicide squad members jumped in as well. One by one, some carried knives, others hoes. They fought the monsters in the sea, turning the water a deep red with their blood.

Yuan lay on the ship, unable to fight. He closed his eyes, and malice emanated from his body—not as an attack, but as a perception. His voice was weak, but those on the ship heard it.

"Two lines on the left!"

"Three on the right!"

"There's something bigger behind!"

His perception was like a net, covering the entire sea. His voice grew softer and softer, but it didn't stop.

The airship finally reached the edge of the myriad realms. The seawater turned from black to blue, and the sky from gray to white. The shore was crowded with people, with Mud Egg leaning on his cane at the front. His chest was still wrapped in bandages, and his face was ashen, but he had come. When he saw the airship, his legs went weak, and he braced himself with his cane.

The wounded were carried off the boat. Qin Yuan was helped along; his right arm was completely immobile, his left shoulder was shattered, his right leg was broken, and he was covered in injuries. Lin Qing'er walked beside him, the notch in her ear clearly visible in the sunlight. Li Qing, leaning on a shovel, hopped onto the shore on one leg.

Yuan was unconscious when he was carried off the ship. He had two large holes in his chest, which had been stitched up, but the stitches were turning black. Lin Qing'er examined his wounds. "Internal organ failure, he won't live more than three days."

Mud Egg squatted beside the abyss, remaining silent for a long time. "He can't die. He owes us three hundred lives."

In his unconscious state, Yuan saw the Ancestor of Chaos. The Ancestor of Chaos stood in a vast expanse of white, where there was no sky, no earth, only white. Its face was blurred, and its features were indistinct, but Yuan knew it was it.

"You're back." The voice of the Ancestor of Chaos was very soft.

"Where is this?"

"This is the world after I die. Will you come and join me?"

Yuan didn't answer. He remembered Nidan's face, the taste of taro, and the sound of the old plum tree's leaves rustling in the wind. He opened his eyes. Nidan was feeding him water, water dripping from the corner of his mouth, which Nidan wiped away with his sleeve and fed him again. The water was warm and slightly sweet.

"I dreamt of the progenitor of chaos. He asked me to keep him company."

Mud Egg said, "You haven't paid back what you owe us. You're not allowed to die."

Yuan smiled. His lips parted, revealing grayish-white gums. "Taro...it's quite delicious."

Mud Egg paused for a moment. Yuan closed his eyes, his breathing becoming steady. He wasn't unconscious; he was asleep. Mud Egg placed the taro beside Yuan's pillow, stood up, and limped away. He didn't look back; his eyes were red, but he didn't cry.

Yuan survived for three days. On the fourth day, he opened his eyes and asked for water. On the fifth day, he ate half a bowl of porridge. On the sixth day, he asked Nidan for a raw taro, took a bite, chewed it for a long time, and then swallowed it. On the seventh day, Lin Qing'er said, "He's not dead."

Qin Yuan's right arm showed no improvement. The black cracks didn't fade; instead, they slowly spread. His fingers were completely immobile, and his entire right arm resembled a charred piece of charcoal. He sat under the old plum tree, holding a bowl in his left hand, drinking porridge. The porridge was cold, and he told Lin Qing'er not to heat it up.

Li Qing cooked for everyone in the teahouse. She kneaded the dough with one hand, holding the basin between her knees while stirring it with her right. Once the dough was ready, she cut it into small pieces and steamed them. She didn't eat the steamed buns herself, but gave them to the miners. The miners sat at the teahouse entrance, bowls in hand, silent.

Muddy sat under the old plum tree, holding a taro in his hand, but not eating it. He looked at the stone cell—Yuan was no longer there. Yuan had been moved next to Lin Qing'er's herb garden, lying on a wooden plank bed, covered with an old cotton quilt. The herbs in the garden grew very tall, some in bloom, their flowers small and white. Yuan reached out to touch them, but couldn't reach them. He couldn't get out of bed.

Qin Yuan sat on the bluestone, with Lin Qing'er leaning against him. The bandage on her ear had been removed, and the wound had healed, but a small piece of her earlobe was missing, like a leaf bitten by an insect. Qin Yuan's right arm hung at his side, his black fingers resting on his knee.

"Will your hand be alright?" Lin Qing'er asked.

Qin Yuan said, "I don't know."

Lin Qing'er grasped his left hand. "Then keep this hand. Just use it to serve me the bowls."