Naturally, Mei Chao Bing also thought of this. The speed at which he himself advanced was simply too fast. Even if he considered that he was currently both cultivating in that he channeled the energy he took in once before passing it on and also transforming the same energy that should only account for doubling his speed. But he had advanced this far in just a few hours. If he continued at this pace, he might actually ascend to the next stage in another few hours or maybe in a few days at most. Then if he continued, wouldn’t it be possible to directly ascend to Heaven in a week or two?

No matter how you sliced it, this wasn’t normal. It also began to explain just why he was so important to his Master’s plan. Because right now, it didn’t actually seem like he was trying to release the person under that array. No, on the contrary, it seemed like this had little to do with that person, apart from the fact that they were siphoning their energy. But … why?

Mei Chao Bing took a deep breath, both to shake off the vexing feeling of that energy in his spirit veins and to clear his head so he could think. He felt that he was close to understanding all of this, to figuring out just what his Master’s plan had been all of this time and how he himself related to all of it. He just needed that one piece that connected all of it but … he couldn’t think of it. It was as if it was always just barely out of reach.

Even though he was incredibly frustrated, he kept his expression straight so his Master wouldn’t think further. What he’d need right now was a break from this torture and some sign that his Fen’er would be alright. If he had both of those, he’d probably be calm enough to think about this more deeply. But as things stood, he was always on edge, always uncomfortable.

Of course, it wasn’t easy to ponder such issues and see through them. In fact, the more he tried to force it, the further the truth might slip from his grasp. He had to give himself the time to realize this slowly even if everything in him screamed that time was already running out.

As much as he disliked it, Mei Chao Bing did exactly that in the end. He didn’t think about the issue further, pushing the thought away. Instead, he only focused on the task at hand, slowly taking in that twisted energy, transforming it, and passing it on. Soon enough, whenever he couldn’t take it any longer, he’d be able to take a break again. Even his Master hadn’t spoken up about that and Lei Chen seemed willing to wait a while. Maybe then, he’d be in the right state to think about it again.

Time slowly passed by and the unbearable feeling in his spirit veins slowly accumulated again. Even though he was looking forward to this break, Mei Chao Bing still didn’t rush it and waited as long as he had until he truly couldn’t bear it.

To ask for a break sooner, that was only asking for his Master to suspect he was harboring thoughts of rebelling that he shouldn’t. No, on the contrary, since Lei Chen had promised to give back the crystal containing Yun Bei Fen’s soul when they reached the next breakthrough, he ought to be trying harder to get to that point. And, well, to be honest, he did indeed want to get there faster.

Of course, he also knew the risks involved. By the time Lei Chen reached the Demigod stage, there would be two incredibly strong enemies for the righteous side gathered together. The only saving grace was that his Master likely didn’t even care about that and just wanted to use the opportunity for himself to ascend. Thus, it mattered little for the current fight between the factions.

Still, the danger was there and he couldn’t blindly trust that his Master wouldn’t do anything. After all, even if he didn’t stand as firmly in the camp of the demonic faction as those sects likely believed, he might have a vested interest in dealing with the Teng Yong Sect if not the righteous faction as a whole.

For cultivators, karmic ties were of utmost importance. This was why even someone with a functioning moral compass like Mu Qing would be in a bind when he had to decide between what was right and what his Master asked of him. After all, that person had saved his life and on top of that life-saving grace, he had even taken him in as a disciple, painstakingly raising and teaching him. That was a debt difficult to repay, one that could likely only be offset by giving his own life. Even his engagement with Xi Ju Hai couldn’t compare to it.

Mei Chao Bing opened his eyes, his mind strangely calm even though he felt as if there should be major waves. He … might have figured it out. The reason the Lin family was so special, why this plan couldn’t be done without him, what exactly his Master was aiming for with all of this … it suddenly seemed to make sense.

“I need a break.” Mei Chao Bing transmitted the last bit of energy currently cycling through his body, not taking in any further.

Lei Chen simply nodded lightly, not saying a single word. He simply kept his eyes closed, probably letting the energy circle in his own body, using this short amount of time to cultivate on his own even if it shouldn’t make much of a difference.

Mei Chao Bing closed his eyes again, trying hard to keep his expression straight so as to not give anything away. Anyway, even though he finally understood, he hadn’t found a solution yet. He’d need a little more time to try and come up with any possibilities. Well, not that he was entirely sure there were any but at least now, he seemed to see a little more hope.