A Stroll Through the Dragon Ascending Mountain Range

Xiao Yun did not walk quickly; it was more like he was taking a stroll.

His gaze swept over the surroundings from time to time, taking in the pine trees, rocks, and streams. Occasionally, he stopped, crouched down, pressed his palm to the ground, closed his eyes to sense it for a moment, then stood and continued forward.

Shui Bing'er followed behind him, watching his strange actions, the doubt in her heart growing stronger and stronger.

"Senior Brother Xiao, what are you doing?" she finally could not help asking.

Xiao Yun did not look back. As he walked, he said, "Sensing the earth veins."

"Earth veins?"

"Between heaven and earth, spiritual energy circulates, just as qi and blood circulate within the human body." Xiao Yun pointed at the ground beneath their feet. "The channels through which spiritual energy moves underground are called earth veins. Where the earth veins are open, spiritual energy is abundant and all things flourish; where the earth veins are blocked, spiritual energy is thin and all things wither."

He paused, then continued, "What we need to find is a place where the earth veins converge. The spiritual energy there is the densest, and it's the most suitable for cultivation."

Shui Bing'er nodded thoughtfully. It was her first time hearing the concept of "earth veins," but what Xiao Yun said made a great deal of sense, and she could roughly understand what he meant.

The two continued deeper into the mountain forest. The trees grew denser and denser, the path narrower and narrower, until at last there was simply no path left.

Xiao Yun did not mind. He stepped through shrubs, crossed fallen trees, and wove between towering trunks. Shui Bing'er followed behind him. Though it was somewhat difficult, Xiao Yun was not moving quickly, so she