Death... and me

Malaka and Calina quickly returned to Rean and Roan's side with Kentucky. With Rean's Fourth Form of the Life Style and the high concentration of Decaying Energy due to the Surge, no one could hope to have a higher detection range than him. Soon, Rean's group began to hear some sounds from a distance.

"Fuck! Are you sure this path is okay? It doesn't matter how I see it. There is too much Decaying Fog here."

"Don't worry, We only used our Anti-Decaying Energy pills by the time we arrived at the Cave's entrance. It should give us enough time to reach the Vermilion Pool. Besides, everyone will be afraid of the concentration of Decaying Fog here. Other than Decaying Demon Beasts, we should have a free pass to the Ver-"

It was then that the guy's voice stopped. Inside his Spiritual Sense, five figures appeared. Not only that, but they were looking directly at him.

"Are you kidding me?"

But soon, his companion noticed that he kind of recognized those silhouettes.

"Wait! I know them. It's twins."

Rean, Roan, and Malaka also looked at the newcomers and were taken aback.

"Tuve and Weren!"

It turned out that they were the other two members of the Sect that came with this time around.

"What are you guys doing in a cave like this one? Can't you see the amount of Decaying Energy?"

Rean asked the same thing back.

"That's our question. We took this path because we knew no one would use it. How come you two chose this place?"

Tuve and Weren looked at each other for a second before looking back at the twins' group.

"We basically did the same thing. However, we are still in the Middle and Peak stage of the Core Formation Realm. Your group is full of Foundation Establishment ones. It's a lot more strange for you guys to be here."

Rean and Roan nodded. Weren couldn't be blamed for thinking like that. A Foundation Establishment cultivator definitely wouldn't take a cave with so much Decaying Fog like this one in normal situations.

"Don't worry, we are fine. In fact, we are probably a lot better than you two."

Weren and Tuve were surprised by those words. But when they scanned Rean's group, they noticed that their bodies had no concentration of Decaying Energy whatsoever. This was shocking to them since even the Anti-Decaying Energy Pills couldn't eliminate 100% of it. The usual way to do it was to go to a place without any Decaying Fog and use one's Spiritual Energy to slowly drive it out.

"It's true... How are you doi- Ah!"

Weren seemed to have remembered something.

"Don't you have that weird Light Element Affinity? That's the reason you guys are fine at the moment, right? I can't think about anything else."

Sure enough, Rean and Roan were famous even in the Inner Sect.

"Senior Weren is correct. I didn't know about it before I entered the Profound Abyss, though. It also came as a surprise for me when I noticed that I could get rid of Decaying Energy with my Light Element."

Tuve then looked at a certain girl that was together with them. White hair, taller than the twins, silver-white eyes. He was sure he had not seen this girl back in the settlement gathering. Of course, Rean and Roan gave her other clothes for her to wear a long time ago. It would be quite idiotic if she was still using the traditional clothes of the Imperial Family.

"And this girl is?"

Rean then introduced her.

"She is someone we rescued from a demon beast attack. Her name is Freta Azule. Her Sect Members couldn't hold the pressure, so they left her behind. It was through sheer luck that she bumped into us."

Weren nodded.

"Is that so?"

Weren and Tuve didn't know if it was true, nor did it matter at the moment. What interested them was the fact that Rean could use Light Element to resist Decaying Energy. They selected this Cave as a gamble to reach a vacant Vermilion Pool. They weren't sure if their Anti-Decaying Energy Pills would be enough to go all the way in and then come back. But if Rean helped them, that would make things several times easier. Besides, there was another thing that they needed from Rean's group later.

"By the way, Rean. I know it is extremely shameless for me to ask this after we got separated from you, but can you help us with your light element as well? Tuve and I will owe you a favor."

Roan then sent a Spiritual Sense Message to Rean.

'Accept it. I have something I want them to do.'

Rean nodded. They were members of the same Sect as him, and it was not like they had any grudges to start with. Even if Roan had opposed it, he would have helped them anyway. Besides, the Sect Master had never said that they had to follow him and Roan around.

"No problem. There is indeed something that I will need the seniors' help with, so I'm more than glad to help you."

Tuve and Weren were delighted. That's what they exactly needed. Rean then approached the two and extended his hands.

"Give me your hands."

Tuve and Weren did as Rean said. Right after, Rean controlled his Spiritual Energy to gather the Light Element around. Following that, he sent a wave of Life Element inside their bodies, which immediately began to clean the Decaying Energy that had accumulated there. Of course, the lack of Light Element around and the prolonged exposure to the Decaying Fog made it take quite some time.

Around three minutes and a few Spirit Stones later, Rean finally finished taking care of the whole issue.

"Done. Now you two should have even more time before you need to take your Anti-Decaying Energy Pills."

Weren and Tuve couldn't help but feel impressed by Rean's abilities. Not only was there no Decaying Energy in their bodies anymore, they even felt a lot more invigorated.

Weren then looked at Rean before asking.

"Thank you. Now, tell us. What is it that you need our help with? As long as it doesn't delay our travel to the Vermilion Pool, I don't mind acting right now."

Rean then looked at Roan.

"In fact, the one who needs the seniors' help is my brother."

They all looked at Roan as he approached them.

"Let me tell you something else. We have here a map that shows the location of several Vermilion Pools. If we keep following this Cave, there will be two Vermilion Pools in the end. This should be enough for all of us to use. Not to mention that we probably won't need to care about someone else appearing due to the Surge and the Cave Entrance we selected. However, if you follow the wrong path, you might not find anything at all. How much are Rean's favor and the correct path information worth in the seniors' eyes?"

Tuve and Weren were shocked to hear that.

"Wait? Are you serious? Do you really have such a map?"

Roan nodded and waited for their answer.

Still, Tuve couldn't help but ask.

"Aren't you afraid that we will simply take the map from you by force? We are from the same Sect, but we all need the Vermilion Pools, you know?"

Roan snorted in response.

"I invite you to try it."

Weren, on the other hand, decided to put an end to those antics.

"Tuve, shut up! It's thanks to them that we now have a realistic chance of getting into a Vermilion Pool. Even if you want to take their map by force, I won't stay put and simply ignore it. Besides, I know you well enough to understand that your pride wouldn't allow you to do it either."

Tuve scratched the back of his head after hearing that. It was true that he didn't have that intention, but he also didn't like the fact that a kid was leading the conversation.

"Fine! Tell us, what is so important that you are willing to even show us the correct path to one of the Vermilion Pools?"

Roan nodded before sending them a Spiritual Sense message. As soon as the two heard that, they looked at Roan as if he was crazy.

"Are you out of your mind?"

Roan laughed. But just as he was about to continue talking...

[Rean, Roan! The Universal Restraint is here. Get away from everyone else!]