Clear Stream, Unfathomable Hearts

The Azure Snail Immortal Fruit would ripen at noon today. While not an exceptionally rare item, a single Azure Snail Immortal Fruit could save you at least tens of days of cultivation effort given your current level.

Dan Lingsheng, his expression still cold and stern, conjured an illusion of a plant with crimson, triangular leaves in his hand. Besides the red leaves, the most striking feature of this plant was the cluster of emerald green, snail-shaped fruits hanging from its branches.

"The Azure Snail Immortal Fruit flowers and fruits once a year, but the fruit will fall half an hour after ripening. It will rot upon touching the soil. Therefore, you must reach the Azure Snail Valley near the mountaintop before noon. Each of you will collect one Azure Snail Immortal Fruit and eat it wrapped in the leaves of the Azure Snail Tree. Remember, Azure Snail Fruit is cold in nature and contains toxins. The leaves of the Azure Snail Tree are needed to neutralize them. So, you can only eat one. If you get greedy, you will bear the consequences yourselves!"

"This peak is so steep!" Luo Bei and the others observed carefully, nodding in agreement. But when they turned their heads back, Luo Bei couldn't help but have a thought surface in his mind.

The cultivation exercise Dan Lingsheng had arranged for this day was to climb Heavenly Blade Peak and pick an Azure Snail Immortal Fruit that was ripening today. The Heavenly Blade Peak before them was steeper than anything they had ever seen. The entire cliff face was nearly vertical, and a mountain path carved into it resembled a ladder to heaven. From afar, the peak truly looked like a blade standing between heaven and earth. If it weren't for the iron cable beside the carved path that served as a handrail, Luo Bei thought he might not have been able to climb to the top.

"It seems, just like collecting herbs, this isn't just about the Azure Snail Immortal Fruit aiding our cultivation, but also about tempering our will."

"Luo Bei!" Just as Luo Bei was thinking this, someone called out from behind him. "Senior Brother Xuan Wuqi?" Luo Bei turned around in surprise. It was Xuan Wuqi standing on the mountain path behind him, slightly out of breath, with small beads of sweat on his forehead.

"What, you didn't expect it to be me?" Xuan Wuqi looked at Luo Bei and the others, letting out an arrogant snort. "The trials you are undergoing, I went through them when I was facing the wall. Do you think I couldn't pass those trials?"

"Senior Brother Xuan Wuqi, that's not what I meant." Luo Bei was somewhat taken aback. Having never shared even the slightest similar thought with Xuan Wuqi, he was completely bewildered by Xuan Wuqi's words.

"Ten days of facing the wall, and after punishment, you still have such an aggressive attitude? Are people with profound cultivation only loud-mouthed?" Dan Lingsheng, standing to the side and watching Xuan Wuqi approach, also let out a cold snort.

"Martial Uncle, your reprimand is well-deserved." Xuan Wuqi showed no displeasure, merely bowing respectfully to Dan Lingsheng. "Disciple Xuan Wuqi has learned his lesson. I request to join this trial."

Dan Lingsheng remained silent for a moment, looking coldly at Xuan Wuqi for a few seconds before finally waving his hand. "Go."

"Thank you, Martial Uncle!" Xuan Wuqi walked towards Luo Bei with immense joy. Looking at Luo Bei, he said heavily in his heart, "Luo Bei, although I was punished and cultivated for ten fewer days, I will absolutely not lose to you!"

"Senior Brother Lin Hang, why aren't you moving?"

But Luo Bei's attention was not on him at all.

The Azure Snail Immortal Fruit ripened at noon. Including the half-hour after ripening, Luo Bei and the others only had a little over two hours to reach the Azure Snail Valley near the mountaintop.

While Dan Lingsheng was agreeing to Xuan Wuqi's request to join, Luo Bei and Cai Shu were already preparing to set off. However, Luo Bei noticed Lin Hang standing still, his face a little pale, so he couldn't help but speak up to ask.

"Luo... Junior Brother Luo Bei... you... you guys go ahead, I'll just be at the back." Lin Hang said somewhat timidly.

"Why?" Luo Bei looked at Lin Hang, completely puzzled.

Lin Hang looked at Luo Bei, and after a moment, finally explained haltingly. "I... I... went... to climb this Heavenly Blade Peak last year too, but I... I couldn't make it. The mountain path is narrow, and it can't accommodate two people going up or down at the same time..."

Listening to Lin Hang's hesitant explanation, Luo Bei finally understood. Lin Hang had undergone this training last year as well, but due to his leg mobility issues and the steepness of the path, he couldn't climb it. And this mountain path, without a handrail on one side, was vertical and steep. Now, Lin Hang was afraid that if he went first and couldn't climb, the people behind him would be blocked and unable to proceed.

It turned out Lin Hang didn't want to hold back the other martial brothers.

"It's alright!" Luo Bei said to Lin Hang as soon as he understood. "Senior Brother Lin Hang, you've cultivated for another year. No matter what, you must have improved from last year. Moreover, since your legs are not convenient, you should be in the middle of the team. We can help you, and climb up together."

"This... how can this be, what if I..."

"Did you use the Divine Speed Talisman I gave you last time? If you used it, it's fine. I still have some with me. If you really can't keep up, I'll help you stick on a couple of Divine Speed Talismans, and you'll definitely be able to get up. The Azure Snail Immortal Fruit has such benefits, we can't miss out."

"Right, Senior Brother Lin Hang, you should be in the middle."

"Yeah, if we go, we go together..."

Lin Hang had been refusing to go, but after hearing Luo Bei say that, and then hearing Cai Shu and Ling Dong Shan and the others say the same, he stopped talking. He lowered his head and quietly walked behind Luo Bei.

At this moment, the Divine Speed Talismans Luo Bei had given him were in his embrace, carefully wrapped in a square cloth.

He hadn't been willing to use these Divine Speed Talismans even when he went to Tianzhu Peak to find herbs last time.

But what made him stop insisting wasn't these Divine Speed Talismans, but the fact that he couldn't bear to reject Luo Bei's sincere friendship and kindness any longer.

The words of the other martial brothers also moved him deeply. He lowered his head, not out of his usual timid humility, but because he was on the verge of tears.

Lin Hang felt that ever since Luo Bei arrived, everyone had slowly started to treat him better. Now, they no longer showed him mockery, but care and help. But as he thought this, he didn't realize that a large part of this was also due to himself. Because he was one of the few who had passed that cruel trial. Even living so humbly in Shushan, he still refused to poison those around him.

And the relationships among those who passed the trial had become much closer than before, without them even realizing it.

Perhaps, true friendship is only forged in true trials.

"Senior Brother Lin Hang." Just as Lin Hang was following behind Luo Bei, on the verge of tears, Gongyang Jinbo, the most restless and mischievous among the seven people including Xuan Wuqi, suddenly chuckled. "Senior Brother Lin Hang, you shouldn't be at the back. Junior Sister Cai Shu should be at the back."

"Why?" Lin Hang, Luo Bei, and the others didn't understand for a moment and were stunned.

"Because it's fine for us men to look at another man's backside, but if Junior Sister Cai Shu were climbing in front, we... it would seem a bit indecent." Gongyang Jinbo chuckled.

"Gongyang Jinbo! What are you talking about!" As soon as Gongyang Jinbo finished speaking, Cai Shu jumped up. "Do you want to die? Didn't that Gnawing Tiger scratch you enough last time?"

"Haha, Junior Sister Cai Shu, I was wrong." Gongyang Jinbo said while laughing and jumping away, begging for mercy. "You are magnanimous, I won't dare next time."

"Hmph, if you speak nonsense again next time, I'll tear your mouth apart. What did you call me? Did you eat too much and become a glutton, forgetting that I arrived at Shushan before you?"

"Oh... I forgot. Only Luo Bei can call you Junior Sister. Senior Sister Cai Shu..."

"Strange, why don't I feel that sense of being unable to climb this time? Has my cultivation truly improved so much?"

Luo Bei and his group were struggling up the mountain path of Heavenly Blade Peak, using both hands and feet. Although they were all sweating profusely and panting like oxen, Lin Hang felt as if his internal organs were about to leap out of his mouth. But what surprised Lin Hang, who was in the team, was that he didn't have the feeling of being unable to climb, which he had experienced last year when climbing this mountain.

Now, after only an hour, despite resting twice along the way, Lin Hang had climbed halfway up the mountain following Luo Bei. Looking up again, after a few hundred more meters, the steep mountain path would end, and they would reach a flat mountain ridge.

So, this time, barring any accidents, he would be able to climb to the top.

In fact, what Lin Hang lacked most now was not anything else, but confidence and the affirmation of others. His aptitude was not as poor as he imagined. His slow progress in cultivation was largely due to a lack of confidence and recognition from others.

And Luo Bei never lacked these things.

Looking from behind, Lin Hang saw that Luo Bei's entire back was soaked with sweat. He could also hear Luo Bei's heavy breathing, but Luo Bei's back gave him an incredibly powerful feeling. Just this back alone gave Lin Hang confidence, making him feel that by following Luo Bei, he could definitely reach the Azure Snail Valley!

"Senior Brother Xuan Wuqi's willpower is truly firm!"

Luo Bei didn't know what Lin Hang was thinking. Xuan Wuqi was in front of him. This arrogant and stubborn youth had climbed ahead of Luo Bei. It was clear that Xuan Wuqi's stamina wasn't much better than Luo Bei's. However, for the last few hundred meters of steep mountain path, Xuan Wuqi had managed to climb it in one go without resting. He turned around on the slightly flatter ridge, looking at Luo Bei.

Seeing Xuan Wuqi like this, Luo Bei was also deeply inspired and climbed up in one breath.

"Hmph, still slower than me." However, in Xuan Wuqi's eyes, Luo Bei, who had no intention of competing with him, seemed to be deliberately trying to race him.

His heavy shirt was soaked with sweat.

After climbing the last few hundred meters and reaching the ridge, the first six people were all drenched in sweat!

On the other hand, Cai Shu, who looked the most delicate at the end, only had a damp patch on her back. It was clear that Cai Shu had the best foundation.

"Hahahaha!" Luo Bei and the others panted like oxen for a while. Seeing each other's disheveled state, they suddenly couldn't help but burst into laughter together.

"That should be Azure Snail Valley."

Amidst the laughter, Luo Bei suddenly saw a sunken valley near the mountaintop ahead. From a distance, it exuded a deep red color.

"It smells so good!"

"Yes, such a rich fragrance!"

Before they even reached the valley, Luo Bei and the others could already smell a rich aroma, which seemed to carry a hint of sweetness, making them feel refreshed.

"So beautiful!"

As soon as they entered the flat valley, everyone was stunned.

The entire valley was covered with Azure Snail Trees, each about two meters tall!

The leaves of the Azure Snail Trees were palm-sized and crimson red, while the fallen leaves on the ground were golden yellow. The valley floor was covered with a thick layer of golden yellow leaves, with hardly any weeds. Because the valley was close to the mountaintop and was well-ventilated and dry, walking on the thick leaves felt like stepping on a rare carpet in a wealthy household.

Above, there was a large expanse of red, and beneath their feet, a golden yellow.

This intense color contrast deeply shocked the group.

"Azure Snail Fruit!"

Suddenly, Gongyang Jinbo let out a cheer. The crowd then discovered that on the same crimson branches, there were sparse, emerald green fruits shaped like snails. The fruit's skin was very thin, revealing a watery luster from within, and it was this Azure Snail Fruit that emitted the sweet fragrance.

Just by looking at the color and smelling the fragrance, Luo Bei and Cai Shu could be sure that the Azure Snail Fruit was ripe.

"Let's pick the fruit first."

Luo Bei immediately picked one, wrapped it with an Azure Snail Tree leaf as Dan Lingsheng had instructed, and casually handed it to Cai Shu.

Cai Shu naturally accepted it. Luo Bei picked another one for himself. Just as he was wrapping it with a leaf, he suddenly heard Ling Dong Shan cheer again. Following the sound, they saw a clear stream winding and flowing through the valley.

After two hours of arduous climbing, the group was so thirsty they felt like they were smoking. Seeing the clear stream suddenly, they couldn't help but cheer and ran towards it.

"Wonderful! Wonderful! Let's have a few mouthfuls of spring water to quench our thirst, and then we can savor the Azure Snail Immortal Fruit." Gongyang Jinbo laughed heartily and bent down to drink. "Wait." Ling Dong Shan, who had been the first to discover the stream, hesitated and called out to him. "Although the stream water is clear, I don't know if it's safe to drink."

Hearing him say this, everyone hesitated. But as if heaven itself was refuting Ling Dong Shan, shortly after he finished speaking, a gray squirrel suddenly jumped down from an Azure Snail Tree not far from them. It lightly sipped a few mouthfuls of stream water before jumping back onto the tree and disappearing.

"It seems there's no problem then." Luo Bei and the others were stunned for a moment, then couldn't help but chuckle and look at each other.

"Delicious!" Gongyang Jinbo was the first to take a big gulp, acting as if he were drinking fine wine.

Luo Bei also smiled and took a sip. The stream water was clear and cool, with a hint of the sweetness unique to mountain springs.

"Haha, let's all drink our fill then!"

Miao Mu even submerged half his face into the stream and drank heartily.

But just then, to Luo Bei and the others' surprise, a few youths wearing dark colored clothes, who appeared to be one or two years older than them, appeared in their sight.

These people seemed to have come down from the mountaintop. Judging by their clothes, Luo Bei and Cai Shu immediately recognized them as disciples of the Jingshen lineage, just like Zong Zhen and his group.

Caught off guard by the arrival of others, Luo Bei and his group were momentarily stunned.

But before they could react, these youths in dark clothes walked past them as if they hadn't seen them at all, heading upstream towards the stream where they were.

"Senior Brother Hong Jing, the stream water here is very cool. Why don't we soak our feet?"

Ignoring Miao Mu and the others who were still drinking, one of the youths in dark clothes, with a fair complexion, slender eyebrows, and a sharp look, said to a round-faced youth with narrow eyes beside him. Then, as if no one else was there, he took off his shoes and socks and dipped his feet into the stream.

"Okay, let's soak our feet together." The others also laughed, and one by one, they took off their shoes and socks, soaking their feet in the stream and stirring the water.

"These people are here to deliberately cause trouble!" Luo Bei and Cai Shu exchanged glances, and the thought instantly flashed through both their minds!