Although he didn't know why, at that moment Yu Sheng felt a sense of ill fate emanating from the strangely-shaped robot—moreover, after the bulb went out this time, the malfunctioning robot didn't replace it with a new one, probably because it had finally run out of spare bulbs to carry around...Erin blinked while standing next to the malfunctioning robot: "I thought you could produce an infinite number of new bulbs."
The malfunctioning robot sighed helplessly, and a string of squeaks and creaks emitted from its chest.
When Hu Li saw Yu Sheng coming out, she turned into a streak of white light and joyfully clung to him. She rubbed her head against Yu Sheng's chest, sniffed intently, and looked up beaming: "Savior, are you alright?"
"I'm in great shape now," Yu Sheng replied with a cheerful smile, subtly moving his shoulder where the fox girl had bumped into him earlier, then raised his hand to touch the back of his head (with thick hair), "What about you all? Did you face any attacks while retreating? Did that rift change?"
"Nothing much happened," the fox girl shook her head, "The retreat went smoothly, and the rift didn't react to our actions. We were just discussing the rift's situation with Red, and the actions on the other side of the gate..."
As Hu Li hurriedly recounted what happened after the team crossed back through the gate, Yu Sheng walked back to where his "body" had previously been laid. He saw the oddly shaped blood-red spear still lying on the ground, a few of the council members standing not far away, and Kant and the chairman were casting him somewhat subtle glances.
Yu Sheng could roughly guess what those glances meant and responded with an awkward yet polite smile while waving at them: "Long time no see, well... maybe not that long..."
Then the chairman let out two dry coughs, quickly regaining his composure, his wrinkles smoothing out: "Ahem, since Yu Sheng has returned, let's finalize the subsequent actions on the other side of the gate.
"Firstly, following the Colorless Dragon's suggestion, we'll expand our exploration range in that eerie forest to understand whether there are any special operating mechanisms or accompanying entities. If that forest does indeed contain other 'fragments' similar to that mirrored rift, we can be prepared to respond.
"During this process, Red's main task is to understand the rift's condition but pay attention to the scale of interaction. Without sufficient preparedness, do not attempt to open or enter the rift rashly..."
As Yu Sheng listened, he nodded slightly and added: "It's best to involve Erin's Puppet Army in exploring the forest—although Tree Angel is currently silent, there are indications that it still reacts to the presence of the Omen Goddess."
When Yu Sheng said this, he thought about Erin attempting to contact Tree Angel while the team was descending from the Middle Layer of the Fault Zone, which prompted a response from the root canopy deep within the fault. Although there was no definitive evidence that the channel opening process was Tree Angel's conscious action, it at least proved that in Tree Angel's remaining instinctual response, the Omen Goddess's presence was still recognized as a 'friendly.'
"I'd like to add something," Baili Qing spoke up at this point, her gaze sweeping over the other four council members present, her tone solemn, "I recommend the entire Council undergo 'Blood Transfer.'"
The scene fell silent instantly.
Even Yu Sheng stood there baffled, unable to immediately comprehend the situation.
However, Baili Qing didn't keep everyone waiting. After a pause of two to three seconds, she continued to explain:
"This is to counter the spiritual contamination that might exist on the other side of the gate—Tree Angel's main body occupies the entire 'foyer.' While Ancient Saints like Lady Lucrecia are unaffected, others may become part of the forest without protection. It's well-known; this is Tree Angel's characteristic.
"Therefore, I suggest the entire Council receive the protection of Soul Wilderness—especially Red, because you'll need to check the condition of that mirrored rift, a task that undoubtedly requires crossing the gate and operating long-term on that side."
Baili Qing paused and then added: "Moreover, any other personnel who need to cross the gate for activities in the future must also undergo such protection."
"Ah, right, there's that too," Erin applauded upon hearing this, "I almost forgot that Yu Sheng was given blood a long time ago... it's been so long that I almost forgot..."
The chairman and others exchanged looks instinctively after hearing Baili Qing's words, with Kant furrowing his brow slightly, his expression seeming both hesitant and grave.
Yu Sheng wasn't surprised by this reaction; after all, the 'Blood Transfer' ritual essentially binds one's soul to the Soul Wilderness, which, according to Erin, was akin to boarding the travel agency's pirate ship. Given Kant and the others' special status and responsibilities in the Council, suddenly resorting to such measures naturally warranted extra caution.
After all, Baili Qing's initial acceptance of blood was a situation of necessity, and the current circumstances weren't as dire.
"Anyway, there's no rush to decide now," Yu Sheng gestured with his hand, "You all can go back and discuss this before making a decision..."
"From a rational standpoint, I agree with the Colorless Dragon's assessment," the chairman spoke, "The Keystones of Boundary Land have begun to waver, and crossing this gate into the Old World to face our respective past shadows is an inevitable outcome—within this premise, we have little choice."
"Alright, I acknowledge that," Kant sighed, then turned his head, "Malfunction, Red, what are your thoughts?"
The malfunction slowly raised its bulb-shaped head. Perhaps influenced by the bulb burn-out, its reaction was somewhat sluggish, and the sound from its chest was slightly distorted: "I have no objections; when I learned... that Baili Qing had undergone blood transfer, I thought this day would come..."
Kant's eye visibly twitched: "Huh? How did you predict that?"
"Data modeling... tracking observation... and a bit of ample imagination," malfunction replied slowly, "I fully accept this."
Finally, all eyes fell on the always silent Vampire girl on one side.
However, Red seemed not to hear the voices around her, appearing a bit distracted, her gaze still lingering on that blood-colored spear.
Kant called her name a couple more times before Red snapped back to reality and belatedly understood the current situation.
"Ah, I agree," Red agreed readily after coming back to her senses, speaking while looking at Baili Qing, "Anyway, I didn't see any changes in Ah Qing after the 'Blood Transfer,' except that she worked overtime a bit more..."
Baili Qing said expressionlessly, "There was no need to mention the last part."
And so, the matter was settled.
To be honest, even Yu Sheng was a bit bewildered and his confusion lingered. After all, "giving the entire Council a Blood Transfer" was something he hadn't considered before today; Baili Qing's suggestion caught him off guard.
But since the matter was settled and the "Blood Transfer" itself was a necessary step for subsequent actions, what came next was straightforward.
Yu Sheng glanced around, "Shall we start now? Or do you need to prepare yourselves mentally?"
"We don't need any mental preparation," Kant glanced around, "We just don't know if there are any specific preparations needed for the Blood Transferring Ceremony? Specific materials or a venue required?"
Yu Sheng had already raised his hand, ready to call Luna to make a cut, but hearing Kant's question made him pause. His mind instantly started calculating things like material lists, ceremony costs, and labor expenses...
But just halfway through the list, he heard Baili Qing clear her throat beside him. She glanced at him expressionlessly before retracting her gaze, "Nothing is needed. No additional ritual materials or venue required."
Yu Sheng: "…"
Baili Xue's big eyes drifted over silently, staring at Yu Sheng without blinking. Though she said nothing, her look clearly conveyed, "Since we're joining your 'rogue ship', don't charge extra fees. Have some conscience; after all, we're all in this together..."
"Ahem, alright," Yu Sheng awkwardly touched the tip of his nose, thinking that one should not overexploit a single 'sheep'. Observing Baili Qing, who had apparently gained some experience, he then raised his arm, "Lu..."
Before he finished a syllable, Luna had already appeared and cut a neat wound on his arm. The incision was clean, the technique was skillful, and the bleeding was just right. Yu Sheng suspected that from when Baili Qing suggested the Council's collective Blood Transfer, the Holy Lady had been readying herself.
Several blobs of blood, seemingly with a life of their own, floated in mid-air, and under Yu Sheng's control, drifted toward Kant and the others.
Yu Sheng even adjusted his expression to look serious, "Drink, this is your destiny..."
Before he could finish, Fault raised an arm, "How do I drink it?"
Yu Sheng: "… You could also apply it on your body; it can be used externally."
Clearing his throat, he prepared to continue, "This is..."
Kant held the blood droplet with his hand, his eyebrows furrowed, "To be honest, this ceremony feels a bit sinister..."
The chairman shot him a sideways glance, "Are you really the one to say that?"
Yu Sheng: "…"
He took a light breath, just about to speak again when Red had already swallowed a blood bead in one gulp. The vampire girl smacked her lips, then suddenly turned to him, "Could I have some more? I ate it too fast and didn't savor the flavor..."
Yu Sheng finally couldn't hold back, glaring at her, "That's enough! Are you treating it as a meal?!"
Red pursed her lips and smiled, then lowered her head slightly as if carefully perceiving something.
After swallowing the blood drop, Kant looked puzzled and frowned, "Is this all we need to do?"
Yu Sheng gave him a slight smile.
The next second, the scenery of the real world collapsed noisily, the breeze of the Soul Wilderness brushed against their minds, the bells of the Great Cathedral rang, and Yu Sheng's figure stood beneath the Crystal Tree, opening his arms to them—
"Yes, this is all we need."