Chapter 41 Body Tempering True Monarch Cangling speaks pleasantly, but he has a very good memory...
As it turned out, Ruan Luoying's premonition was accurate.
After running for who knows how many weeks, although it was clearly spring inside the peak, it felt as if he had returned to the height of summer he had experienced before cultivating immortality. Sweat poured down his face, and his clothes were almost sticking to his skin. At first, Qiao Yanshen disliked this slippery feeling and would use his cleansing spell to wipe it away from time to time. But later he gave up and just kept tucking his hair behind his ears and continued running without stopping.
The two slowed down midway, and she ended up lagging behind Shen Lixia, clearly due to a difference in physical strength.
Despite finding the repeated ups and downs of the mountain unbearable, Qiao Yanshen continued to increase the pressure after realizing the gap between them, and surprisingly, a competitive spirit arose within him.
A quick calculation showed that this was the last lap, after which their task for the day would be complete. They had arrived at Guyu Peak around morning, but now the sun was high in the sky and the temperature was rising slightly, so it must be afternoon.
She seemed to feel a little more relaxed, and the flow of wind around her became lighter. Her five senses were clear, and she felt as if a turbid air had been filtered out, leaving only a gentle breeze, with a comfortable coolness that went straight into her lungs.
I didn't want to say goodbye to the physical fitness test for a year, but in the end, I was caught up by the feeling of finishing the long-distance run. Even this other world can't escape it.
But exercising is good, not for anyone else, but simply to be healthy and strong, to have the right to make choices about my own body, and not to suddenly become bedridden.
Reaching an open area, they found themselves on a flat plain with a winding stream, lush green grass swaying in the breeze, and grasshoppers flitting about. Sunlight streamed down, creating a vibrant scene. Qiao Yanshen slowed her pace and suddenly saw a dark figure dart out from behind a nearby tree. Immediately afterward, the boy who had disappeared from her sight also jumped out and quickly chased after the fleeing figure.
Upon closer inspection, she realized it was a fluffy rabbit.
It must be a wild rabbit from this mountain.
Qiao Yanshen sighed softly, thinking that Shen Lixia was faster than her and might have already completed twenty weeks, so he did not stop her, but only wanted to go up and complete the remaining week.
Before they even reached the steps, the rabbit, seemingly possessed by intelligence, knew how kind-hearted the suddenly appearing woman in white was. It leaped forward in two strides, plunging into Qiao Yanshen's arms, its ears trembling with shock. Qiao Yanshen stroked its soft fur, chuckling, "Li Xia, don't tease it. The creatures here have long been nourished by the spiritual energy of Guyu Peak; most have developed intelligence, unlike ordinary animals."
"I just wanted to race it." Shen Lixia reached out to pet the rabbit, but the little ball of fur kicked her away, and she couldn't help but put on a wronged look, "Senior Sister, look at it!"
“You…” Qiao Yanshen sighed softly, carefully bending down to put the rabbit down and let it run into the dense grass. The vegetation here was thriving; even the soft grass reached up to the calves, resembling a green ocean.
She reached out to brush the grass blades off Shen Lixia's clothes and pinched her flushed cheeks. "Are you done running? Wait a moment..."
Before she could finish speaking, the boy blinked, reached out and grabbed her wrist, pulling her along as they ran across the crisp, refreshing grass. The vast expanse of sky and earth suddenly seemed to shrink, and Qiao Yanshen's vision narrowed, focusing solely on the boy before her. She watched the blue ribbon on her shoulder flutter in the wind, watched her braids bounce lightly, as if everything else melted away in those golden eyes, and even the spring sunshine lost its color in its golden glow.
"Wait, wait a minute—"
Qiao Yanshen had no idea what she was going to do, and spoke awkwardly in a low voice, which dissipated in the whistling wind, an ineffective refusal.
The two ran all the way to the mountainside, where the stream widened and the water flowed more merrily, with white, shallow waves leaping up and covering the shadows of the fish swimming below.
Upon reaching this point, Shen Lixia stopped and turned around, saying, "Senior Sister must be close by now. It's already afternoon, so it's alright to rest for a bit."
As she spoke, she squatted down by the water's edge, gazing at the fish swimming among them. These fish were clearly living very well; each one was plump and healthy, and their movements were powerful, like flashes of silver light. Qiao Yanshen guessed what she was going to do, and was actually used to this person's unconventional style, so he didn't stop her. Instead, he closed his eyes and sat down cross-legged beside her.
A gentle breeze stirred, and she realized that her senses were unusually acute, as if she could even perceive the slightest traces of spiritual energy flowing through them. The sound of flowing water, the wind, and the movement of growing plants filled the air. The surroundings were momentarily silent, yet the sounds of various living things changing constantly emanated from them, as if she had become one with them.
Suddenly, influenced by her current state of mind, the spiritual energy within her body began to circulate slowly, gradually connecting with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth around her, creating a wondrous connection that drew it into her meridians for continuous refinement.
The direction of the wind was also affected by the spiritual energy, attracting the attention of Shen Lixia who was standing nearby. She turned to look at Qiao Yanshen and saw a light blue luster flowing on the surface, with the rich spiritual energy almost condensing into white light, constantly surging around her.
It is a sign of breaking through a barrier.
"So fast..." she muttered, then used her spiritual energy to avoid the water and walked into the stream. Her eyes locked onto a spot, and she suddenly reached out to grab it.
Instantly, the sound of water splashing filled the air, but the poor fish could not escape the clutches of evil and fell into Shen Lixia's arms.
When Qiao Yanshen finished breaking through his cultivation realm and his cultivation level had not yet stabilized at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, he opened his eyes and saw a young man grilling fish over a fire, staring intently at him, and Tang Huairou next to him with an expression as if the end of the world had come.
The fish was grilled and smelled delicious.
Tang Huairou sensed the cessation of the spiritual energy flow, turned to look at her, first saying "Congratulations," then stammering with uncontrollable tears, "This...this...this is Master's fish..."
The two remained silent for a moment. Shen Lixia took the lead, cut a piece from the grilled fish, and held it up with a knife to the woman in green in front of her. "Senior sister, eat."
Tang Huairou subconsciously took a step back, his expression one of unwavering defiance—this was blatant bribery.
Little did she know that Junior Sister Shen was both tempting her and threatening her. With her sword sheath resting on her shoulder, the person behind her calmly brushed a grasshopper off her body and then said calmly, "Senior Sister, instead of telling Aunt Ruan, why don't we keep it a secret together? Li Xia's cooking skills are excellent; she won't disappoint you."
That's true, the fish is indeed incredibly fragrant.
But this was raised by Ruan Luoying.
Besides, when did Junior Sister Qiao start acting like Junior Sister Shen?!
Just as the three were locked in a stalemate, unable to move, a familiar, gentle voice came from afar: "I can smell the fragrance from afar, could it be fish from the stream?"
The boys immediately felt a chill run down their spines, their breath caught in their throats, and they dared not move, all feeling incredibly guilty. However, the silver-haired woman in green simply walked around to the middle of them, looked at the pitiful yet fragrant grilled fish, and shook her head with a smile.
"It smells good. I'll eat more before I have to fast, otherwise I'll just be able to look on and cry."
Ruan Luoying's gentle expression showed no intention of holding a grudge, which relieved the three of them. Seeing this, Shen Lixia felt a little embarrassed and apologized, realizing she had gone too far in her play and shouldn't have bothered the small animals on Guyu Peak.
As for the grilled fish, I had no appetite for it, so I just left it there to wait for some fox to be attracted to it.
“This fish is indeed well-cooked, why not make it into a delicacy?” Ruan Luoying waved her hand. “Back when I was fasting in Huairou, I was craving something sweet, so I bribed a little monkey in the mountains with a pretty stone to pick peaches for her. I still remember that.”
Tang Huairou's face flushed, and she called out somewhat embarrassedly, "Master..."
"Sorry." Ruan Luoying reached out and pinched her apprentice's drooping face, then changed the subject with a smile, "Speaking of which, you two should have completed the twenty-week mission. So, come with me to Bailu Peak to practice physical skills. Huairou, you come too."
Upon hearing the name Bai Lufeng, Tang Huairou's face darkened further, as if facing a death sentence. "Master, are you going to punish my two junior sisters? They shouldn't have committed such a crime..."
"Oh dear, what nonsense are you talking about? The formation set up by Xiaochi is very effective. Since Xueya has entrusted me with this important task, I naturally cannot let her down. I should treat my two good students with the best hospitality."
Shen Lixia and Qiao Yanshen exchanged a glance, and immediately felt an extremely dangerous chill emanating from Ruan Luoying's every word.
Before they could think any further, Ruan Luoying had already drawn her longsword and said the most terrifying words to her disciples in the gentlest tone: "Anyone who arrives at Bailu Peak a second later than me will have twenty weeks added to their schedule tomorrow for every second they are a second later, and forty weeks for every two seconds they are a second later. I urge you three disciples to follow the Taihui Diligence Rules and hurry up."
With that, the woman in green gracefully departed, leaving only a trail of elegant sword energy. As a Nascent Soul True Monarch, she had already mastered the initial stages of spatial manipulation; her figure vanished in an instant, leaving the three of them momentarily stunned. They then tensed up and quickly followed on their swords. Shen Lixia, who was usually afraid of heights and unwilling to ride a longsword alone, unusually refrained from clinging to Qiao Yanshen this time. Instead, she closed her eyes and desperately followed Ruan Luoying's trajectory.
Cangling Zhenjun speaks pleasantly, but he holds grudges!
This impression was so profound that it left a deep mark on the two women, preventing them from ever trying to outsmart Ruan Luoying again.
However, Tang Huairou knew her master's character very well. When she said she wasn't angry, she truly didn't care. It was just that she was naturally mischievous, and since her two junior sisters were disciples of Mingji Zhenjun, they would definitely be even stricter.
After all, if Mingji Zhenjun himself were to come, it would probably only increase the pressure even more.
Despite their best efforts to catch up, the group managed to keep pace with Ruan Luoying and arrived at Bailu Peak at the same time, entering the palace of the Nine Branches True Lord.
Chi Yueying had already heard the news of their arrival, so she simply pointed to a path leading directly to the back of the palace and said, "The formation has been activated. Just go in."
After saying that, she lowered her head and began to fiddle with the complicated objects in her hands. Ruan Luoying waved her hand and used her spiritual power to throw the students all the way to the large array set up behind the hall. Then she leaped up the steps, sat down next to Chi Yueying, and observed the nimble movements in her hands.
The wooden strips were pulled out and pushed in one after another, with a mysterious clanging sound that reached Chi Yueying's ears. The sound was subtle, yet it seemed to ignite a spark of hope in her eyes, making her even more focused.
As the last wooden bar was pulled out and the entire mechanism collapsed, the other side of the grand formation was also triggered. In the blink of an eye, Shen Lixia found herself in a dense forest, looking around blankly. Finally, a huge black shadow approached and pulled her back to reality, their eyes meeting...
No, that's not right, it's five eyes.
This is a tiger with vertical eyes on its forehead, about one and a half times the height of a person.
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Author's note: Happy New Year!
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