Li Meirong didn't respond. In all honesty, she herself wasn't so sure how exactly she had stayed alive.

How many days, months, years had she diligently cultivated without a speck of progress? All this while, she had been disheartened, thinking that she had reached the cap of her potential.

Li Meirong got up and briefly assessed her wounds. Even though she suffered from pain all over, she found no bruises or cuts, and the gash on her chest vanished as if it had never existed. The only thing she noticed was smooth skin smeared with dried blood, partly covered by a torn and tattered robe.

In the exact same manner as the time she had merged with the blue flames, she became completely revitalized once more.

'Finally, do you understand? Yes or no?' The bell asked out of the blue.

"Yes. I levelled up. You're my golden core." Li Meirong whispered, astonished by her own words.

She knew that she must have ascended to a higher cultivation stage, because the last time she did, back when she had merged with the flames, it was practically the same experience. A complete revitalization following a near-death experience.

The bell uttered a short ding-a-ling sound.

All the while, the humongous Pitcher Plant had halted in his place, shivering all over in excitement.

Chou rattled his leaves and nearly dropped Ben Mo by accident. He transformed into a toddler form and leapt to Li Meirong's side, latching himself onto her leg in a fierce embrace, meanwhile Ben Mo had been all but forgotten. "Master is alive! Master is the bestest master in the whole wide world! Don't do this to Chou again! This plant nearly experienced a heart attack!"

Li Meirong gathered Chou into her arms and showered his forehead with small kisses. "I'm sorry for giving you a fright, Little Chou. Did you behave while I was unconscious? Did you listen to my orders?"

Chou's cheeks took on a reddish hue. He bashfully pushed at Li Meirong's chin with his small palm and nodded enthusiastically. "Of course, Chou always listens!"

"Good boy." Li Meirong stroked Chou's hair, smiling faintly, "Where is Ben Mo?'

Thud!

Suddenly, Li Meirong and Chou simultaneously detected a dull, thudding noise of a heavy mass crashing to the earth.

They swiftly turned towards the direction of the sound and saw Liang Rou Yan laying on the ground face down, her arms and legs jerking in an uncontrollable movement.

The mushrooms growing out of every corner of Liang Rou Yan's skin developed into their adult state, darkening in colour to a muddy brown. Each of her wide-opened eyes obscured by a large coffee-coloured lid.

A collection of fungi sprang forth from her parted lips, leaving her in a horrid state. Frothy saliva foamed from her mouth, her throat making a sickening gurgling sound.

Ben Mo stationed himself atop Liang Rou Yan's shaking back, standing taller and more imposing than the other mushrooms environing him. He tilted his wide cap to Li Meirong in a form of salute. 'Welcome back Master.'

Liang Rou Yan's seizures stopped within a breath of time. She dropped dead within an instant.