Chapter no.37 In the Lighthouse

[ POV Change ]

As the first rays of the sun peeked over the horizon, the abandoned lighthouse stood tall and silent, a forgotten sentinel of the sea. The once-bright white paint had been chipped and worn away by the harsh saltwater air, leaving the wood a dull grey. The windows were shattered and the door hung crooked on its hinges, creaking in the gentle morning breeze.

The grass around the base of the lighthouse was overgrown and wild, with weeds and wildflowers taking over. A small, rickety pier stretched out from the shore, leading to a small boat that was barely holding together.

Despite its dilapidated appearance, there was a sense of peace and solitude that surrounded the abandoned lighthouse. As the sun continued to rise, casting a golden glow over the scene, it was easy to imagine that time had stood still here, and that the lighthouse keeper of long ago was still tending to his duties, his spirit lingering on the windswept shores.

Zhongli sat atop the lighthouse, his slender frame silhouetted against the morning sky. The air around him was electric with Spiritual Qi, each breath he took seeming to infuse him with a sense of peace and clarity. His legs were folded in a lotus position, his hands resting on his knees as he focused all of his attention inward.

As he sat in meditation, rings of spiritual Qi formed around him, each one representing one of the elements of Earth, Water, Fire, Metal, and Wood. The Earth ring was a deep, rich brown, a manifestation of connection to the ground beneath them. It pulsed and flowed, seeming to draw strength from the earth itself. The Water ring was a shimmering blue, a reflection of the fluidity and adaptability of the element. It flowed around Zhongli like a gentle stream, calming and soothing.

The Fire ring was a bright, flickering orange, a symbol of passion and transformation. It burned with an inner heat, seeming to ignite the very air around it. The Metal ring was a gleaming silver, representing strength and clarity. It shone with a bright, almost blinding light, cutting through the darkness like a sword. And the Wood ring was a vibrant green, a representation of growth and renewal. It pulsed with life, seeming to draw energy from the very essence of the earth itself and as they did, a strange black tar began to sweat out of his pores, as if it was being purged from his body. The tar was thick and viscous, almost like oil, and it coated his skin as it flowed out of him.

It was clear that this was the manifestation of the impurities that flowed throughout Zhongli's body, pushed out by the powerful forces of the elements. The Earth ring, with its deep, rich brown, seemed to draw out the toxins from his muscles and bones. The Water ring, with its shimmering blue, seemed to cleanse his bloodstream and flush out any impurities. The Fire ring, with its bright, flickering orange, seemed to burn away any illness or disease. The Metal ring, with its gleaming silver, seemed to sharpen his mind and clear any mental fog. And the Wood ring, with its vibrant green, seemed to revitalize his body and restore his energy.

As the black tar flowed out of Zhongli's body, he seemed to grow lighter and more at peace.

Inside the abandoned lighthouse, Lin Lai sat with her back to the wall, her eyes closed as she focused all of her attention inward. She was attuned to the rhythms and vibrations of the natural world, and as such, she was able to sense everything that Zhongli was doing atop the lighthouse.

She could feel the powerful forces of the elements as they flowed around him, each one representing one of the elements of Earth, Water, Fire, Metal, and Wood. She could sense the black tar as it sweated out of Zhongli's pores, a manifestation of the impurities that flowed throughout his body.

" Does his bloodline physique give him an affinity to all 5 elements?" Lin Lai whispered to herself as she thought about how Zhongli had cleansed his body of all the impurities with various elements. Normally the Earthly Yuan Realm where an individual cleanses the impurities from their bodies with their elemental affinity is quite a painful process.

She could still remember the pain of using her fire affinity to boil her blood to expel the impurities from her body, for the longest time she wished her affinity was water so it would have been easier to cleanse her blood.

For most, the Earthly Yuan Realm is the longest realm they would stay in even though the Earthly Yuan Realm doesn't have any stages rather it was because of the pain but Zhongli seemed to have perfected the entire realm because of his affinity to the 5 elements. While others would struggle to cleanse a certain body part due to their element like fire, Zhongli didn't have any struggle as he used all the elements to cleanse his body of impurities, effectively perfecting his body for the manifestation realm.

' Was this unknown bloodline physique the reason why he could cultivate without others knowing ?'

Lin Lai gazed down with her mind filled with many thoughts but out of all of them, she tried to think of a way to control Zhongli as it was obvious that he was continuing to grow into someone she couldn't kill even now, she wasn't sure if she could kill him so she needed to gain his trust but Zhongli wasn't like any man she had seen, he didn't lust after her nor did he care even after she played the helpless maiden? He seemed to be only listening to her because she was useful in terms of knowledge and techniques but what happens when she isn't useful, would he kill her?

Lin Lai wondered before chewing on her nail.

' I need to turn myself from someone is useful to someone necessary in that man's eyes before he surpasses me. But how ?!'

The room was quiet, except for the sound of Lin Lai's fingers drumming lightly against her cheek as she considered her options.

Suddenly, the door to the room swung open and a petite girl walked in. Lin Lai turned to face her, a look of slight contempt on her face.

"What do you want?" Lin Lai asked, annoyance creeping into her voice.

The girl, who was dressed in a dull black tracksuit and carrying a large backpack, smiled innocently.

" I'm sorry, big sis but some of our other sisters are uncomfortable with that man."

" Don't worry, I'll kill him if he even dares to touch one of my sisters." Lin Lai lied through the skin of her teeth causing the petite girl to nod and leave.

" Sorry for bothering you, I'll just leave."

Lin Lai sighed as she couldn't help but be surprised that so many of her fellow jail mates had survived at this point but it didn't matter as they still trusted her and she was going to use that trust to lead this small group as her meat shields.

....

Xiao Wen'an descended the rickety stairs of the abandoned lighthouse with caution, her feet faltering on the splintered wood. The old structure groaned beneath her, its walls and floors bearing the weight of both the years and the harsh realities of the outside world.

As she made her way down to the kitchen, the smells of the sea and the savory stew being cooked by one of her fellow survivors wafted toward her, making her stomach growl with hunger.

" Looks like something delicious is being made."

" Oh, Wen'an did you ask big sister about that man ?"

" Of course, she said that she would kill him if he did anything to us."

" Haha, as expected of big sister."

" Hey, did you see if that man was handsome or not ?"

" Ling Ling !" Xiao Wen'an screamed out in embarrassment as she pushed her friend.

The room was filled with different responses to Zhongli's stay from indifferent to absolutely terrified.

On the broken and molding couch, a green-haired woman sat while clenching a towel in her hand as she looked around the room.

' Seriously, why don't these idiots see that monster is staying near us? That bitch, Lin Lai would rather feed us to the dogs than protect us, these delusional women don't know what danger we are in." The woman, Zheng Ating had sweat drip down her face as she thought of Zhongli. All the horrors she had experienced in this place were projected onto Zhongli as she viewed him as if he was the devil himself.

" Oh, do you think we should bring big sis and that man some stew ?" Xiao Wen'an suggested.

" Of course"

Zheng Ating suddenly looked up at the stew and she couldn't help but smile.

' This, I could use this.'

Slowly sneaking towards the stew pot and the bowls, Zheng Ating pulled out a bottle of White Yin Widow Spider Poison before pouring it into the two bowls meant for Zhongli and Lin Lai.

Glancing at the group of women, Zheng Ating thought.

' I am doing this for all of you.'

Ling Ling grabbed the duo's bowels and exclaimed.

" Hey, I am going to taste this, you know how much big sis dislikes spicy things."

Ling Ling exclaimed as she grabbed a spoonful of stew but as she brought the first spoonful to her lips, something seemed off. The taste was bitter, almost metallic, and Ling Ling couldn't shake the feeling that something was very wrong.

Despite her misgivings, she took another tentative bite, hoping that her initial reaction had been unfounded. But as the soup hit her tongue, she couldn't deny the truth any longer. This stew was poisoned.

Ling Ling's face twisted in disgust as she dropped the spoon and clutched at her throat. She could feel the poison coursing through her veins, her body convulsing as it fought against the deadly substance.

She tried to cry out for help but no sound escaped her lips. Her vision began to fade as she slumped to the floor, the bowl of stew spilling out beside her. And with one final, ragged cough, Ling Ling drew her last breath, her body going limp as the poison claimed her life.

The other females rushed to her side, shock and horror etched on their faces as they realized what had happened. But it was too late. Ling Ling was gone, her life taken by the insidious poison that had lurked in the very sustenance meant to nourish and sustain them. And at that moment, the abandoned lighthouse seemed more desolate and haunted than ever before.