Healing pills, potions, qi, and even a healing array. Bai Qi truly attempted everything he could but to no avail. The strange rash continued expanding, and its speed got quicker as the amount of affected skin grew.

He even tried to cut a small amount of his skin to see if that would help, but it did not. Although the rash appeared to only cover his skin, the pores and pathways below remained clogged even after cutting the skin off. Which confirmed the worse of his fears, he would lose all ability to absorb and even circulate qi as soon the rash covered his body entirely.

By the moment the rash covered half of his body, Bai Qi's usual calm countenance was on the verge of disappearing. There was only a single way to get of this strange malady and the medicine could be even deadlier than the disease.

The 'Judgement Palms' attack had been definitively one of the Yang element, and so any after-effects would be of the same one as well. Thus, they should be destroyed by the opposite, the Yin.

But Bai Qi counted only with a single thing of that element - the 'Ghostflame'. It had recuperated a fair bit during these last hours, and so should be enough. Still, using it against himself meant pulling all the stoppers on the 'Ghostflame'. With nothing stopping it from harming him more than needed.

He ran a test first, and even it provoked him a pain that made his impressive willpower waver. But... it worked.

Bai Qi could feel how the outside qi began gathering around the damaged zone. Still, this was a small test and one where he used the smallest wisp of 'Ghostflame' possible. Even so, his skin was badly burnt, and even the flesh below had suffered damage.

"There is no other way" Bai Qi muttered and with a nod full of determination, sent a strand of his consciousness into his dantian.

***

Three hours! Three hours of nothing else than self-torture. Even a smaller amount of time would have made many cultivators stop. But Bai Qi did not. Gritting his teeth, groaning, and even allowing himself to scream. But not stopping even for a moment.

Only when he finished, Bai Qi allowed himself to drop in both pain and exhaustion. No matter how strong Bai Qi or his willpower was, the procedure left its sequels.

Half of his body was now covered by the severe burns caused by the 'Ghostflame'. They extended from his neck, through the right side of his chest and back, his entire torso, right leg, and partially even on his right arm.

The burns left by a spiritual flame were not the same as ones from a normal one. Healing them required time, and until they were healed they would constantly hurt. And even limit his movements.

His left side and face appeared to have been drained of all blood, being paler than snow and glistening with sweat.

And as a reminder that probably would accompany him for a long time, a small streak of grey now crossed his previously pristine raven hair.

***

It was obvious that after such an experience, Bai Qi had no other plans but to rest and recuperate. But just as he dressed up and ran a few instances of circulation, a message talisman reached him.

"Big Brother Chen! Come quickly, Chang Kun is in danger!" Was the opening phrase of the message. And after getting acquainted with the contents, Bai Qi was forced to agree that indeed, Chang Kun was in danger.

___________________________________________________________________

Over five hours ago, Zhuan Min had been tasked by Chen Guang to look for two of her friends. Although she did not know why he had mentioned these two specifically, she was grateful for his concern about them.

A concern that probably she would consider unneeded, with both of them being experienced cultivators at the peak of the Soul realm. But that was before she saw the fight and learned the details.

An evil cultivator from the Demon Worshippers region was already bad enough, but he had also found a way to conceal his cultivation. If not for Big Brother being one of the strongest participants and meeting him before he could have harmed more people...

She knew most of the participants, and Su Yawen had been one of the strongest, probably only inferior to Mao Xun. Still, the latter was a mystery and had never got along with anyone except his Household cultivators.

***

After asking around near the lake, where a few participants were still gathered, she found out that neither of the two she was looking for had appeared. Still, someone recalled seeing Chang Kun challenging a Slate a couple of miles to the north on the previous day.

Even a small lead was better than none as her father usually said, and so, Zhuan Min departed the 'Clearmind' lake, moving towards the place.

She did not expect to see Chang Kun there and only hoped to meet someone that saw him or track his aura. After all, his elemental affinity made him unable to conceal it, and so even Zhuan Min's weak senses normally could perceive him when he was nearby.

***

One could only imagine her surprise when she found Chang Kun in the same place as he was seen on the previous day. But as she approached the standing figure surrounded by the golden light of an active formation, she gasped.

His hand was on the Challenge Slate, and the formation meant that he was still challenging it. Someone could be absorbed in a challenge and not notice the passage of time, but... The current Chang Kun was pale as a corpse and had not even the slightest aura around him. Why he had not forfeited? It was impossible to surpass a challenge without qi, and a lack of aura indicated the latter!

Zhuan Min knew that communicating or even reaching someone surrounded by one of these protective formations was impossible, even so, she tried to do it several times.

Her panic only grew stronger as she circled around the slate, and saw the other side of her friend. Previously unseen, but there was blood seeping from his left ear!

"Chang Kun!" She shouted while gathering all of the qi she could and using it to strengthen a punch she immediately landed on the formation.

She continued to shout and attack the formation, trying to make Chang Kun sense the disturbance through the sensing orb on his lowered hand. But it was all in naught.

Her mind raced trying to remember anything that could be applied to this situation from the long explanations that both her father and Uncle Lu had given her, but she could not recall anything useful. As she lowered to the ground with dread written all across her face, she recalled Chen Guang's words - "Contact me if you think that any of them is in danger".

She wasn't sure that he could do something, but still reached for the message talisman, and after trying her best to explain the situation, activated it.

Looking at the departing talisman, Zhuan Min silently prayed - "Let Big Brother Chen have a way to help!"

___________________________________________________________________

It took Bai Qi an entire hour to arrive at Zhuan Min's location. Partly because he avoided the participants that filled up the 'Underground Forest', and partly because the burns did not allow him to move at full speed. Granted, activating his movement technique would allow him to ignore them, but at the same time, it would make him spend qi. Qi that he had not managed to fully replenish yet. Considering that he did not know how much would be needed now, it was for the best to not spend any.

He had used several pills earlier, but the more pills one consumed in succession, the less effect they would grant. As for his natural recuperation, it was first slowed down by the rash, and then he was forced to stop while using the 'Ghostflame' to deal with it. If he had not, then he could have damaged his pathways, as the flame had all the means to penetrate through the pores and enter someone's circulation. It was its most deadly effect after all.

With all the advantages like an almost Saint-level Soul and Consciousness, a body and qi pool of a peak Warrior Lord, amongst others, it was obvious that there would be a disadvantage as well. In Bai Qi's case, the amount of qi and time he required to fully recuperate after a fight was even higher than the ones of a Warrior Lord.

"How is he?" Bai Qi asked as soon as he approached.

"I do not know, but he is bleeding from the eye now!" Zhuan Min exclaimed while pointing at Chang Kun's face.

"It seems that the Challenge does not allow to forfeit, and from what is happening to him right now, I would say that he failed to surpass it before spending all of his reserves" Bai Qi reasoned while examining both the boy and the multi-colored slate.

The information he had gotten from the obelisk explained that some of the challenges could not be forfeited. No challenge could kill the participant, and so failing to surpass it would simply force you to stay inside until the zone closed.

From what Bai Qi saw, Chang Kun was either failing to realize or even worse, ignoring the fact that his qi had been spent. Without any qi to sustain his body, the latter began taking damage from the formation.

Any formation inflicted a small amount of pressure inside itself, simply because of the mindpower and qi infused into it. Normally negligible, as it would be hardly more than a hundredth from the infused quantity, it was still dangerous for mortals. And a Soul realm cultivator with no qi was hardly better than a mortal regarding defense.

"But why is he bleeding?!" Zhuan Min pointed at the two trails of blood.

"Because he did not think before spending all of his qi" Seeing that his answer was a bit harsh, he added "His aura can not be replenished, and so he is taking the pressure damage"

"Can something be done?" Zhuan Min looked at Bai Qi with teary eyes, and the latter nodded.

"But... how?" She asked while motioning towards the formation "It will not allow anyone to touch him, how can we help him?"

"From inside" Bai Qi said while approaching the Challenge Slate from the backside.

Before Zhuan Min could say or ask anything, Bai Qi raised a finger and said "What I will do is help him complete the challenge. I know a secret way to enter someone's else Slate, but no matter who asks you, you can never tell them that I know. Do you understand?"

"Unn" She forcefully nodded and her twin ponytails made a full circle around her head.

"Good girl. Catch!" Bai Qi lightly smiled and threw her several talismans before explaining "Set up the three illusion talismans around us and then use a concealment one. It should be enough to make no one see what I will do"

"I... I will stay and guard as well!"

"Mmm, good. Now, whatever happens, don't approach or touch me" Bai Qi said and sat down cross-legged before extending both of his palms and touching the Challenge Slate.

The obelisk contained an enormous amount of information about the zone mechanisms. He could not make use of most before touching the six obelisks and claiming the formation core for himself, but entering someone's challenge was possible. In fact, anyone could do so. Still, there were several reasons why no one had tried and discovered how to do so before.

Obviously, the reasons included that every participant was for himself or that the Challenge Slate would only give one reward. But the true reason was another one, the protective formation. If one tried to touch a slate while someone was challenging it, he would be rebounded by the formation. And even if forcefully resisted, the formation would still not consider one as a challenger. Thus, even if one entered someone's challenge, it would be without any protection. And so, any damage would be received physically as well.

"Not to mention that one has to know the correct method" Bai Qi muttered with a wry smile while wondering why the heavens he was about to risk his life for a boy that he had met for less than an hour.

But as he looked at Zhuan Min that had finished setting up the talismans and was now walking around the illusion-covered zone while keeping guard, his smile eased.

"Well, that's a reason as good as any" He mumbled and then started to recite in a low voice "I challenge the challenger for the right of this test. I challenge the challenger for the reward. I challenge the challenger because I am worthy" while transmitting his consciousness and his aura into the Challenge Slate.