An immeasurable time seemed to have passed before Alex stirred from his unconscious state, his senses slowly knitting back together.
The once darkness of the night had given way to the radiant embrace of the day, the sun arcing high in the sky and casting its golden rays across the barren expanse of the voidland.
He found himself lying supine, his face turned towards the vast firmament, his body grounded on the hard, cold earth.
As he opened his eyes, the scorching brilliance of the sun unexpectedly seared his retinas, causing him to squint reflexively and draw his eyelids shut.
After a moment of adjustment, he slowly lifted his lashes again, allowing his vision to gradually acclimate to the intense sunlight.
Pain, sharp and relentless, radiated from all corners of his body.
His clothes, torn and charred, clung to his form, soaked through with blood from numerous wounds that were still stubbornly refusing to heal.
The lingering scent of smoke and iron filled his nostrils, a grim reminder of the battle that had just transpired.
With a herculean effort, Alex managed to rise to a sitting position, grimacing at the pain that this simple action elicited.
His hand, trembling slightly from the strain, reached towards a small bag tied to his waist.
He rummaged through its contents before finally extracting a healing pill.
With a pained gasp, he tossed the pill into his mouth, hoping for some respite from his injuries.
"It seems a spatial ring might be my next pursuit," Alex mused aloud, the thought emerging from the depths of his mind as he considered the inconvenience of his current situation.
His waist was a disorganized jumble of bags, each one containing crucial items - his Qi core, his sect's identity token, a spare uniform from the Cloud Moon Sect neatly folded in a compact parcel, a bottle of water, and several other trinkets.
The sight of him, laden with such oddments, could easily evoke an image of a mad man, or worse, a heavily burdened slave.
The moment the healing pill dissolved on his tongue, a soothing warmth began to spread through his veins, momentarily alleviating his discomfort and allowing him a brief respite from his pain.
But his moment of tranquility was abruptly shattered when a sudden force struck his shoulder, a palm landing with enough power to send fresh waves of agony coursing through his body.
"Ohh, you've awakened," a voice echoed, the sense of familiarity it carried was as unmistakable as the rising sun.
A pained cry escaped Alex's lips, his shoulder throbbing from the unexpected blow.
The voice, unexpectedly casual given the circumstances, belonged to none other than Chen Wei.
"Ohh, I see you haven't recovered from your injuries. I thought you must have recovered by now," Chen Wei remarked, a note of surprise lacing his voice as if he had assumed Alex's injuries would have been healed by now.
"Indeed, the injuries have yet to recover. I'm not some celestial being bestowed with swift recovery, am I?" Alex mused angrily upon hearing Chen Wei's words.
Yet his visage betrayed no sign of his inner vexation. The brief wince of pain distorted his face momentarily, but then, he swiftly regained his serenity. "Where are the others?" he queried.
"Ah, you mean Wu Li..."
"No need to play coy," Alex interjected, his tone laced with annoyance. "I'm inquiring about them. Who else could I possibly be referring to? Where are they?" He paused, contemplating, "It's rather peculiar how you always manage to weave Wu Lina into every conversation, are you that obsessed"
"Ah, them..."
"Indeed, them," Alex echoed, his impatience growing. "Surely, there are no other individuals present?" He sighed internally, "Such a desire to deliver a solid blow to this man's head, perhaps it would serve as a reset of sorts for his seemingly malfunctioning brain," he mused silently.
"They are over there," the man pointed in a particular direction. Following the trajectory of his finger, Alex's gaze landed on the group.
He spotted Wu Lina along with the rest of the group, all of them seemingly idle, as though they were waiting for him.
Their boredom was palpable, even Xiao Se had resorted to using his long sword as a makeshift shovel, idly excavating tiny stones from the rugged terrain.
"The others are prepared. They've been waiting for you to regain consciousness," Chen Wei added, drawing Alex's attention back to him.
"I can see that," Alex responded, "Let's proceed then." Despite the pain that pulsated through his body, he knew he could still serve as bait to lure the Qi beast into their trap.
He wouldn't have to engage in combat, merely act as a decoy, which was feasible even in his injured state.
With great effort and gritted teeth, he attempted to rise.
Though the healing pill was gradually repairing his injuries and the pain was less severe than when he first awoke, it was still a debilitating sensation.
His body had taken a serious toll from the previous day's battle, to the point where he had been knocked into unconsciousness.
After an arduous struggle, he finally managed to stand upright.
As he prepared to join the group, he noticed Chen Wei's eyes on him, the man's expression a mix of perplexity and surprise.
Curious, Alex turned back to face him, his eyes questioning.
Noticing Alex's inquisitive gaze, Chen Wei blurted out, "Are you... Are you intending to join them in your current state?"
"In what way do you mean?" Alex queried in return.
Chen Wei, looking flabbergasted, continued, "Well, your attire... Have you taken a good look at yourself? Do you plan on joining them dressed like... this?" His surprise was evident in his tone.