The Hope That Binds

At Ji Mingxiu's feeble plea, Mo Yu and the others halted in their tracks, a collective sigh filling the room.

"Holy Lord, do not concede defeat!" Liu Mei urged. "Though there are no historical records of anyone recovering from the effects of the Bottomless Abyss's spiritual Qi, who's to say our efforts won't yield success?"

"Yes," added Han Xu, his voice firm, "even if the outcomes are modest, stabilizing Ji Ruxue's condition would be a victory in itself!"

"Ji Mingxiu, do not force me to admonish you. Now is not the time for despair or surrender," Mo Yu declared sternly.

The four Supreme Elders took turns attempting to rally Ji Mingxiu.

"No," Ji Mingxiu shook his head, "on my journey back, I exhausted every possible method, but none had any effect..."

Seeing Ji Mingxiu still resolute in his despair, Li Shang interjected angrily, "That's simply because your methods weren't effective! What if our strategies succeed?"