The Azure Snail Immortal Fruit would ripen at noon today. Though it was not an exceptionally rare treasure, a single Azure Snail Immortal Fruit could save you at least several dozen days of cultivation at your current level."
Dan Lingsheng's expression remained cold and stern as he conjured, one-handed, the illusion of a plant with crimson triangular leaves. Aside from those scarlet leaves, the most eye-catching thing about it was the strange emerald-green fruit growing on its branches, shaped like field snails.
"The Azure Snail Immortal Fruit bears blossoms and fruit once every year, but half an hour after ripening, the fruit falls and rots the instant it touches the earth. So before noon, you must reach Azure Snail Valley near the mountaintop. Each of you is to pick one Azure Snail Immortal Fruit, wrap it in an Azure Snail Tree leaf, and eat it. Remember, Biluo Fruit is cold in nature and contains toxins. You must rely on the Azure Snail Tree's leaves to neutralize them, so you may eat only one. If greed drives you to eat more, bear the consequences yourselves!"
This mountain peak is so steep! Luo Bei and the others studied it closely and nodded, but when Luo Bei turned back around, this thought inevitably surfaced in his heart.
The cultivation Dan Lingsheng had arranged for them today was to climb Heavenly Blade Peak and pick an Azure Snail Immortal Fruit that happened to ripen today. Yet the Heavenly Blade Peak before them was steeper than anything they had ever seen. The entire cliff face was nearly vertical, and the mountain path carved into it was like a heavenly ladder leading skyward. From afar, the peak truly resembled a blade standing upright between heaven and earth. Had there not been an iron chain beside the carved path to serve as a handrail, Luo Bei felt that even he might not have been able to climb to the top.
"Looks like, just as with gathering medicinal herbs, this is not merely to let the Azure Snail Immortal Fruit aid our cultivation. It is also meant to temper our will."
"Luo Bei!" Just as Luo Bei was thinking this, someone suddenly called out behind him. "Senior Brother Xuan Wuqi?" Luo Bei turned around in surprise and saw Xuan Wuqi standing on the mountain path behind him, breathing slightly hard, tiny beads of sweat covering his forehead.
"What, you didn't expect it to be me?" Xuan Wuqi looked at Luo Bei and the others and gave a proud, heavy snort. "The trial you underwent was one I underwent while facing the wall as well. Did you think I could not pass that trial?"
"Senior Brother Xuan Wuqi, that was not what I meant." Luo Bei was somewhat taken aback. Having never shared even the slightest similar line of thought with Xuan Wuqi, he found Xuan Wuqi's words utterly baffling.
"Ten days of facing the wall, punishment endured, and yet you still have such an aggressive temperament. Are those with profound cultivation all made by shouting it from their mouths?" Dan Lingsheng, who stood to one side watching Xuan Wuqi arrive, snorted coldly as well.
"Martial Uncle's rebuke is correct." Xuan Wuqi showed no displeasure whatsoever. He merely gave Dan Lingsheng a respectful bow. "This disciple, Xuan Wuqi, has received your instruction and humbly requests permission to join this trial."
Dan Lingsheng said nothing at first. He looked coldly at Xuan Wuqi for a moment before finally waving a hand. "Go."
"Thank you, Martial Uncle!" Xuan Wuqi walked toward Luo Bei in great delight. Looking at Luo Bei, he declared fiercely in his heart, Luo Bei, though my punishment caused me to lose ten days of cultivation, I absolutely will not lose to you!
"Senior Brother Lin Hang, why aren't you going?"
But Luo Bei's attention was not on him in the slightest.
The Azure Snail Immortal Fruit ripened at noon. Counting the half hour after ripening, Luo Bei and the others had only a little over two hours to reach Azure Snail Valley near the summit.
When Dan Lingsheng nodded and allowed Xuan Wuqi to join, Luo Bei, Cai Shu, and the others were already prepared to set off. But Luo Bei noticed that Lin Hang was standing still, his face somewhat pale, and could not help speaking up to ask.
"Luo... Luo Bei, Junior Brother... You... you go ahead first. I'll just walk at the back." Lin Hang spoke timidly.
"Why?" Luo Bei looked at Lin Hang in great confusion.
Lin Hang looked at Luo Bei, and only after a while did he finally explain haltingly. "I... I... climbed Heavenly Blade Peak last... last year too, but I... I couldn't make it up. The mountain path is narrow, and two people cannot go up and down at the same time..."
Listening to Lin Hang's stammering explanation, Luo Bei finally understood. Lin Hang had also undergone this cultivation exercise last year, but because his legs were impaired and the mountain path was too steep, he had been unable to climb it. One side of the path had no iron-chain handrail, and it was sheer and precipitous. Lin Hang feared that if he went first and could not climb any farther, those behind him would be blocked by him and unable to proceed.
So Lin Hang did not want to hold back the other martial brothers.
"It's nothing!" Once Luo Bei understood, he immediately said to Lin Hang, "Senior Brother Lin Hang, you have cultivated for another year. No matter what, you must have improved compared to last year. Besides, since your legs are inconvenient, you should stand in the middle of the group. That way, we can help you climb up together."
"This... this, how could that be? What if I..."
"Did you use the Divine Speed Talismans I gave you last time? It doesn't matter if you did; I still have some with me. If you truly cannot hold on later, I'll stick two Divine Speed Talismans on you. You'll definitely be able to make it up. The Azure Snail Immortal Fruit has such effects—we cannot let this chance slip away."
"That's right, Senior Brother Lin Hang. Stay in the middle."
"Yes, if we're climbing, then we climb together..."
Lin Hang had initially kept refusing to go, but after hearing Luo Bei's words, then hearing Cai Shu, Ling Dong Shan, and the others say the same, he spoke no more. He lowered his head and silently moved to stand behind Luo Bei.
The Divine Speed Talismans Luo Bei had given him were at that very moment in his breast, carefully wrapped in a square piece of cloth.
He had not been willing to use those few Divine Speed Talismans even when he had gone to Tianzhu Peak to search for medicinal herbs last time.
Yet what made him stop insisting was not those few Divine Speed Talismans, but that he could not bear to keep rejecting Luo Bei's sincere friendship and kindness.
The words of the other martial brothers moved him as he had never been moved before. He lowered his head not from his habitual humble cowardice, but because he could no longer hold back the tears that were about to fall.
Lin Hang felt that it was only after Luo Bei arrived that everyone had gradually begun treating him better. Now, what they gave him was no longer mostly mockery, but concern and help. Yet as he thought this, he did not realize that much of it was also because of himself. He was one of the few who had passed that cruel trial. Even though he had lived in Shushan with such humility, he had still refused to poison those around him.
And the few who had passed that trial had, without realizing it, grown much closer than before.
Perhaps true friendship could only be born amid true trials.
"Senior Brother Lin Hang." Just as Lin Hang followed behind Luo Bei, on the verge of tears, Gongyang Jinbo—the most lively and mischievous of the seven, including Xuan Wuqi—suddenly giggled. "Senior Brother Lin Hang, you should not have been at the very back to begin with. Junior Sister Cai Shu should be at the back instead."
"Why?" Lin Hang, Luo Bei, and the others could not make sense of it for a moment and could not help staring blankly.
"Because it does not matter if we men look at another man's backside. But if Junior Sister Cai Shu crawls ahead of us, then we... that would seem somewhat improper." Gongyang Jinbo grinned.
"Gongyang Jinbo! What are you saying!" The instant his words fell, Cai Shu sprang up. "Do you want to die? Was that Gnawing Tiger not vicious enough when it clawed you last time?"
"Haha, Junior Sister Cai Shu, I know I was wrong." Gongyang Jinbo jumped away laughing as he begged for mercy. "You have a generous heart. I won't dare do it again next time."
"Hmph. If you talk nonsense again next time, I'll tear your mouth to shreds. What did you call me? Did you eat so much that you turned into a rice bucket and forgot that I arrived at Shushan before you did?"
"Oh... I forgot. Only Luo Bei can call you Junior Sister. Senior Sister Cai Shu..."
Strange. Why don't I feel like I simply cannot climb up this time? Could it be that my cultivation has truly improved by quite a bit?
Luo Bei's group advanced with great difficulty along Heavenly Blade Peak's mountain path, using both hands and feet. All of them were drenched in sweat and panting like oxen. Lin Hang felt as if he were gasping so hard that his internal organs might leap from his mouth. Yet what surprised him was that, unlike when he had climbed this peak last year, he did not feel as though he could not climb any farther after only a short distance.
Only an hour had passed. Though they had rested twice along the way, Lin Hang, following Luo Bei, had already climbed more than half the height. When he looked upward again, he saw that after only a few hundred more meters, the steep mountain path would give way to a level ridge.
So this time, barring mishap, he would definitely be able to make it up.
In truth, what Lin Hang lacked most was not anything else, but confidence and the recognition of others. His aptitude was not nearly as poor as he imagined. His slow progress in cultivation was largely due only to his lack of confidence and lack of recognition from others.
And Luo Bei had never lacked those things.
From behind, Lin Hang could see that Luo Bei's entire back had been soaked through with sweat. He could hear Luo Bei's incomparably heavy breathing too, yet Luo Bei's back gave him an immensely powerful feeling. That back alone gave Lin Hang confidence, making him feel that if he followed Luo Bei, he would surely reach Azure Snail Valley!
"Senior Brother Xuan Wuqi's will is truly firm!"
Luo Bei did not know what Lin Hang was thinking. Xuan Wuqi was ahead of him. This proud and stubborn youth had insisted on climbing in front of Luo Bei, at the very head of the group. Clearly, Xuan Wuqi's stamina was not much greater than Luo Bei's. Yet over the final several hundred meters of steep mountain path, Xuan Wuqi actually forced himself to climb without resting even once. He made it to the somewhat level ridge, then turned around and looked at Luo Bei.
Seeing Xuan Wuqi like this, Luo Bei too was greatly encouraged and forced himself upward in one breath.
"Hmph, you were still slower than me." Yet in Xuan Wuqi's eyes, Luo Bei, who had no desire to compete with him, became someone deliberately trying to contend against him once more.
Their clothes were drenched through with sweat.
After climbing those final several hundred meters and reaching the ridge, the first six of them were soaked from head to toe!
Cai Shu, who looked the most delicate and soft, was instead at the back, with only the cloth over her back dampened. Clearly, Cai Shu had the strongest foundation.
"HAHAHAHA!" After Luo Bei and the others panted like oxen for a while, they saw one another's bedraggled appearances and suddenly could not help bursting into laughter together.
"That should be Azure Snail Valley."
Amid the laughter, Luo Bei suddenly spotted a sunken valley near the summit ahead, glowing deep red from afar.
"It smells so good!"
"Yes, such a rich fragrance!"
Before they even reached the valley, Luo Bei and the others had already caught a dense fragrance, carrying what seemed to be a trace of fresh sweetness. Merely smelling it made their hearts open and their spirits brighten.
"So beautiful!"
The moment they entered the level valley, everyone was struck dumb.
The entire valley was densely covered in Azure Snail Trees more than twice a person's height!
The Azure Snail Trees had palm-sized crimson leaves, while the dead leaves scattered on the ground were golden yellow. At present, the valley floor was blanketed in a thick layer of golden leaves, with hardly any weeds. Since the valley was close to the summit and well-ventilated and dry, walking upon the thick leaves felt just like stepping on the rare carpets found in wealthy households.
Above their heads was a vast sea of red, while beneath their feet lay a sheet of gold.
The violent clash of colors deeply shook them all.
"Biluo Fruit!"
Suddenly, Gongyang Jinbo gave a cry of delight. Everyone immediately saw that among the equally crimson branches hung sparse emerald-green fruits, shaped like field snails. Their skins were thin, and a watery sheen showed through from within. That fresh, sweet fragrance came from these Biluo Fruits.
From the color alone and the fragrance in the air, Luo Bei and Cai Shu could both tell that the Biluo Fruits were already ripe.
"Pick the fruit first."
Luo Bei immediately chose one and, following Dan Lingsheng's instructions, wrapped it in an Azure Snail Tree leaf before casually handing it to Cai Shu.
Cai Shu accepted it naturally. Luo Bei picked another for himself, but just as he wrapped it in a leaf, he suddenly heard Ling Dong Shan cheer again. Looking in the direction of the sound, they discovered that a clear little stream wound its way through the valley.
After two hours of arduous climbing, everyone was thirsty enough to smoke. The sudden sight of this clear little stream made them all cry out in delight and run toward it.
"Wonderful! Wonderful! Let's first take a few mouthfuls of mountain spring water to quench our thirst, then savor this Azure Snail Immortal Fruit properly." After laughing heartily, Gongyang Jinbo bent down to drink. "Wait." Ling Dong Shan, who had been the first to discover the stream, instead called out hesitantly to stop him. "The water may be clear, but we do not know whether drinking it will cause trouble."
At his words, everyone hesitated. Yet as if heaven itself had specially risen to refute Ling Dong Shan, shortly after he finished speaking, a gray squirrel suddenly leaped down from an Azure Snail Tree not far away. Like a dragonfly touching water, it took several sips from the stream, then jumped back into the tree and vanished from sight.
"Looks like there's no problem." Luo Bei and the others stared for a moment, then could not help looking at one another and snickering.
"Tastes great!" Gongyang Jinbo was the first to take a huge gulp, putting on the expression of someone savoring fine wine.
Luo Bei smiled and took a drink as well. The stream water was crisp and cold, carrying a trace of the sweetness unique to mountain springs.
"Haha, then let's drink our fill together!"
Miao Mu simply submerged half his face in the stream and opened his mouth to drink deeply.
But at that moment, to Luo Bei and the others' surprise, several youths dressed in black robes, who appeared perhaps one or two years older than them, entered their sight.
These people seemed to have come down from the summit. From their clothes, Luo Bei and Cai Shu immediately recognized them as disciples of the Jingshen lineage, like Zong Zhen and the others.
Caught off guard by the arrival of others, Luo Bei's group all stared blankly at these people without realizing it.
But before they could make any move, the youths in black robes acted as though they had not seen them at all. They walked directly past them at a short distance and went to the upstream portion of the stream where Luo Bei and the others were.
"Senior Brother Hong Jing, the stream water here is wonderfully cool. Why don't we soak our feet together?"
Ignoring Miao Mu and the others who were still drinking, one of the black-robed youths—a fair-skinned youth with slender brows and a sharp, fierce-looking face—said this to a round-faced, narrow-eyed youth beside him. Then, as if no one else existed, he removed his shoes and socks and soaked his feet in the stream.
"Sure, let's soak our feet together." The others smiled as well, taking off their shoes and socks one after another and placing their feet in the stream, stirring the water about.
These people came here deliberately to pick a fight! Luo Bei and Cai Shu exchanged a glance, and in that instant, this thought surfaced in both their minds!
Before you continue