As time passed, the creatures at the bottom of the canyon gradually disappeared, followed by the stripping of bark and roots.
In their desperate situation, these evil cultivators, whose character was already questionable, revealed their ferocious fangs.
Noble cultivators of immortality, often fighting over a wild fruit or a few pieces of bark, would frequently resort to violence, even taking lives.
For evil cultivators, no life was to be wasted, and it also meant a few good meals.
Due to the lack of spiritual energy replenishment, the magical power within these evil cultivators dwindled with each use.
After several months, most of the evil cultivators had depleted their magical power.
Now, the battles between evil cultivators had reverted to the most primitive methods: smashing with fists, scratching with nails, and striking with sticks and stones.
With everyone employing such combat styles, body-refining cultivators and zombies naturally gained a significant advantage.
Xiao Fei had no shortage of food and drink, hiding in his cave and eating heartily every day.
He had cultivated a mu of spiritual grain and several types of vegetables in his space, but lacked meat.
However, he was not content with his current situation and would often leave his cave, relying on his physical advantage to compete with other evil cultivators for bark and roots.
After snatching them, he didn't even bother to eat them, casually tossing them into his cave to dry and use as firewood.
This kind of mass movement was about participation; it was more enjoyable to share happiness than to enjoy it alone.
Currently, there were only two people in the entire canyon bottom who could eat their fill.
Xiao Fei was one of them, and the other was the Golden Core evil cultivator who had plundered everyone's storage bags.
The Golden Core evil cultivator was now like the owner of a gold mountain; the possessions of so many Foundation Establishment cultivators were enough to sustain him for at least several years.
The Golden Core evil cultivator was now radiant with health, looking down with a cold gaze at everyone's struggles and fights, feeling a great sense of superiority.
Xiao Fei dared not display such superiority at this moment.
Even less could he let anyone know that he was hiding in his cave, secretly enjoying good food.
Therefore, competing for bark with everyone was an essential daily activity.
Although the Golden Core evil cultivator possessed many riches, they were like stagnant water; even a mountain of gold and silver would eventually be spent.
Xiao Fei was certain that once the Golden Core evil cultivator's resources were depleted, he and the other Foundation Establishment cultivators would become the Golden Core evil cultivator's next meal.
He wondered if the other party ate zombie meat.
In the world of evil cultivators, there seemed to be little regard for food hygiene and safety.
Xiao Fei guessed that the other party likely ate zombie meat.
One day, Xiao Fei was in his cave, having just finished a cup of spiritual wine, with a piece of flatbread in his hand, which he was slowly chewing.
He had rarely felt before that ordinary spiritual wheat flatbread was so delicious.
Especially when he saw others fighting for bark, the sense of happiness would increase a hundredfold.
Feeling the unique fragrance within the spiritual wheat flatbread, Xiao Fei was completely enveloped in happiness at that moment.
Suddenly, he shoved the flatbread in his hand into his mouth, swallowing it whole without chewing, his lips tightly closed as he forced it down.
Just then, the Black Wind Demon appeared at the entrance of his cave.
The Black Wind Demon had recently allied himself with the Golden Core evil cultivator and had become somewhat arrogant, no longer showing much respect for Xiao Fei. Without obtaining Xiao Fei's permission, he walked straight in.
"Fellow Corpse-Driving Daoist! What's wrong with you?"
Xiao Fei had swallowed the piece of flatbread too quickly and was now choking, his eyes rolling back. He could only tilt his head back, stretch his neck, and pound his chest with his fist.
After a long while, Xiao Fei finally recovered his breath.
"I was feeling so hungry just now, I swallowed a piece of bark too quickly and choked."
The Black Wind Ancestor showed a semblance of false sympathy, feeling incredibly smug inside.
"Aren't you, the Corpse Driver, very arrogant? Now you're reduced to swallowing bark and chewing roots."
"That's why one must know when to be pragmatic. Look at me, I haven't tasted bark in a long time!"
The Black Wind Demon's face showed a smug expression, his sense of superiority making him unable to restrain himself.
"Just the day before yesterday, Senior Golden Core saw that I was diligent in my tasks and rewarded me with a handful of spiritual rice. I counted them, and there were as many as 53 grains.
The taste of spiritual rice is truly wonderful, fragrant, soft, and chewy, leaving a lingering aroma! Tsk, tsk, tsk!"
As the saying goes, "Eating without smacking your lips is like walking in brocade at night," the Black Wind Demon was diligently showing off to Xiao Fei, feeling a great sense of accomplishment.
Xiao Fei dared not offend the Golden Core evil cultivator now, so he could only patiently listen to the Black Wind Demon's boasting.
"The bark and roots in the canyon are almost all gone, aren't they? By then, you people will have to devour each other!"
"How many will survive then?"
After finishing his boasting, the Black Wind Demon finally remembered the important matter.
"Fellow Corpse-Driving Daoist, I am here on the orders of Senior Golden Core. Everyone is to gather by the lake. Those who disobey will be killed without mercy."
"May I ask, Fellow Black Wind, what is the matter at the lake?"
"Senior Golden Core intends to organize everyone to explore the lake. I have other matters to attend to, so I will take my leave!"
At one end of the canyon was a large lake, which Xiao Fei had visited a few times.
The lake water was extremely cold, and anything that entered the lake would sink.
During this period, some evil cultivators who were desperate with hunger tried to catch fish in the lake, but they all sank and none had returned alive.
The Golden Core evil cultivator, for some unknown reason, suddenly summoned everyone to explore the lake, clearly intending for them to be cannon fodder.
However, the canyon was so small, and there was no way to escape if they didn't go.
An hour later, all the cultivators in the canyon appeared before a lake.
"Everyone, I intend to explore the lake. Whoever can offer a good strategy will be richly rewarded by me."
As the Golden Core evil cultivator spoke, he took out a handful of spiritual rice from his storage bag and placed it in a jade plate before him.
For a moment, all the cultivators present had their eyes turn green. That was spiritual rice, rich in spiritual energy!
This was precisely what was meant by "poverty shortens ambition." In the past, none of them would have paid attention to a mere plate of spiritual rice.
But after eating bark, roots, and human flesh for several months, everyone was filled with longing for that plate of spiritual rice.
"Senior, I have an idea. We can tie a rope to a person and let them descend to the bottom of the lake to investigate."
A thin and gaunt cultivator quickly said.
"Good! It will be you! If you can catch fish or discover any spiritual items within, these spiritual rice will be yours."
The Golden Core evil cultivator pointed at the thin cultivator, took out a rope, ordered someone to tie it to the thin cultivator's waist, and pushed him into the lake without further ado.
The thin cultivator sank straight to the bottom of the lake like a stone, without even a ripple.
After a long time with no reaction, the Golden Core evil cultivator ordered his men to pull the rope and bring the thin cultivator ashore.
The thin cultivator was thrown onto the shore, motionless, completely dead.
"You! You! You! Go down!"
The Golden Core evil cultivator pointed out three more people from the crowd.
Those chosen turned ashen with fear, while those not chosen secretly rejoiced.
Several cultivators who wanted to impress the Golden Core evil cultivator stepped forward, tied the three, and pushed them into the lake.
A moment later, when they were pulled out, the three had followed the same fate as the thin cultivator, their lives extinguished.
At this point, the Black Wind Demon walked up to the Golden Core evil cultivator and bowed.
"Senior, your junior believes that the previous individuals were not strong enough. Perhaps a cultivator with a strong physique should try going down."
"Yes, yes! Fellow Black Wind's words are most reasonable."
The suggestion made by the Black Wind Demon was immediately agreed upon by everyone present.
At the same time, all eyes turned towards a certain strong, bronze-armored zombie who had never lost a fight for bark, with expressions of schadenfreude.
Xiao Fei felt as if he had been thoroughly screwed. He glared fiercely at the Black Wind Demon, realizing that the demon intended to use the Golden Core evil cultivator to get rid of him.
He mused that this Hei Si was quite vengeful. He had only killed him twice, and not even fatally. What was the big deal?
Indeed, there wasn't a single good person among the evil cultivators.
In this damned place, he couldn't fight back, nor could he escape.
Under the oppressive might of the Golden Core evil cultivator, Xiao Fei had no choice but to let a few cultivators tie the rope around him and push him into the icy lake water.