The pharmacist finally stood before the 300-meter checkpoint. He had faltered, blocked by this natural barrier.
“Ah… so troublesome.” The pharmacist simply sat down cross-legged on the spot. With a helpless expression, he looked at the two figures still moving forward in the distance. “They’re all geniuses. They make traversing the Immortal Path look like a stroll in the park.”
“Please step aside.” A cold voice rang out behind the pharmacist.
The pharmacist turned around and saw a man clad in black. Raising an eyebrow, he said, “Brother, you look familiar to me!”
The man in black glanced at the pharmacist and said, “I don’t know you. Don’t try to fabricate a connection.”
The pharmacist was amused. He sized up the man in black, chuckled softly, and said, “Could it be that you are the one who spread the rumor in the primeval forest, falsely accusing the Mo siblings? I know you.”
The man in black’s pupils contracted sharply. The pharmacist casually glanced at him, and when he noticed the other’s reaction, he knew his statement was entirely correct. With a slight smile, he said, “Young brother, in life, you must conduct yourself with integrity and uphold your morals. Don’t always lurk in the shadows and play dirty tricks. Be careful, or you might end up mysteriously dying in the shadows, eternally deprived of the light of day.”
“You don’t need to concern yourself with my affairs,” the man in black sneered. He passed by the pharmacist and stepped onto the red jade steps!
Under the pharmacist’s gaze, Luohou was almost forced to his knees by the immense pressure. His knees were just inches from the steps, but Luohou persevered. He bit through his tongue, spitting out a mouthful of blood, and stubbornly endured the strain! With his body bent, he moved his legs and crossed the checkpoint!
“Mo Yi, brother. You’ve got another strong contender in the future.” The pharmacist sat cross-legged in place, calmly watching Luohou as he walked further and further away. He sighed, “Heaven will bestow a great task upon those it intends to use. It will test their will, exhaust their bodies…”
“Damn it… move!” The ugly man roared. He pounded his thighs with all his might, but his trembling legs refused to budge even a single step. He had reached his limit. No matter how much he pushed himself, it was futile.
“Why don’t you accept reality?” A calm voice came from behind the ugly man. He turned his head savagely, his eyes like those of a lion ready to pounce.
The man with the scholarly air of refinement walked past the ugly man with a light and breezy demeanor. “Once you’ve learned your limits, try to accept them. If you don’t even possess this basic mental fortitude, then what good is cultivating immortality? Go home and farm, peasant.”
The ugly man laughed in fury. He glared at the man with malice and said, “I’ve got your face memorized. If I ever see you again… make sure you keep your head down!”
The scholarly man turned around and bowed. “Brother, be careful… words can be dangerous.”
With that, he turned and continued walking.
Within the 300 meters of the Immortal Path!
Xiao Yan and Mo Luoxue walked side-by-side. They did not even glance at each other. All their focus was on each step: lifting their feet, placing them down, lifting them again, placing them down again! The distance between them never exceeded half a meter. They were evenly matched!
“Xiao Yanzi, the final checkpoint lies ahead. If you can cross it, you’ll be certain to have a top-grade spiritual root,” Qi Lao’s voice sounded faintly.
“Top-grade spiritual root… Qi Lao, do you think I can cross it?” Xiao Yan asked with a bitter smile. He felt like he was nearing his limit. Every step required his full concentration, and if he made the slightest mistake, he would fall to his knees.
“You’ll know when the time comes. Look, you’re there…” Qi Lao’s voice rang out softly. Xiao Yan held his breath and looked towards the distance.
“This is!” Xiao Yan and Mo Luoxue both stopped. They gasped as they looked at the spot in the distance.
A dry skeleton rested on a red jade step. The entire skeleton was as white as paper. Every bone was flawlessly connected—ribs, skull, leg bones, all were complete. Most peculiar of all, the skeleton was kneeling, its lifeless form bent over on the red jade step. Beneath its knees were spiderweb-like cracks.
“This is… the remains of someone who couldn’t bear to give up?” Mo Luoxue asked, touched. It took what kind of resentment and willpower to shatter the steps by kneeling on them? And this person had been willing to die here.
“Dust returns to dust, and ashes to ashes,” Xiao Yan said calmly. “What the predecessors couldn’t achieve, perhaps I can.”
“Try it,” Qi Lao urged.
Xiao Yan held his breath and took a step forward.
“Boom!!” In an instant, Xiao Yan was completely powerless against the invisible force that pressed him down. The Yellow River and Mount Tai were insufficient descriptions for this power. It felt like the entire universe had been placed on his shoulders! The suffocating pressure and weight nearly made Xiao Yan crack the red jade step by kneeling on it. At the last second, he managed to lean back, escaping the range of the red jade step!
Xiao Yan swayed, nearly collapsing to his knees. He stared at the red jade step in front of him, his face full of shock.
This… was not something a human could step on!
“You’ve reached your limit. Give up,” Qi Lao sighed softly. “Otherwise, your end will be like this skeleton. The reason the cultivators in charge of the Immortal Path Gathering left this skeleton here, as far as I can tell, is to teach future generations the lesson of ‘knowing when to retreat.’”
Xiao Yan’s pupils flickered with an unknown light as he asked, “Teacher, should we really give up? I don’t want to.”
Qi Lao chuckled softly and said, “What good is not wanting to? When I was young, I refused to accept the entire world, refused to accept the high and mighty Heavenly Dao. But I still couldn’t overturn it, couldn’t change it. It’s a matter of ability. Not everything can be overcome with so-called ‘belief’ or ‘willpower.’ Sometimes, a gap is a gap, and even the smallest difference can lead to a vast gulf.”
“Not everything can be overcome with belief and willpower… huh?” Xiao Yan mumbled, unconsciously repeating Qi Lao’s words.
Mo Luoxue’s ears twitched as she looked at Xiao Yan. She smiled, a smile of peerless beauty. For a moment, Xiao Yan was stunned by Mo Luoxue’s smile. It was like a barren tree blooming or an iceberg melting.
“Not everyone only has belief and willpower,” Mo Luoxue said softly, her lips opening slightly. “I’m different from you. At least I possess talents that ordinary mortals can’t even imagine.”
This was the first time Mo Luoxue had formally spoken to Xiao Yan. Although she didn’t know that the man beside her was the one she’d rejected three years ago, she remained as arrogant as ever, looking down on everything.
Mo Luoxue lifted her jade foot, and without any hesitation, stepped onto the red jade step!
A primal, ancient aura and pressure descended upon her! Mo Luoxue remained unmoved! Her face was as hard as ice, and her pupils gleamed with sharpness! Even if it was the entire universe? Even if it was the Heavenly Dao itself? She was a genius, and she had nothing to fear!
Under Xiao Yan’s stunned gaze, Mo Luoxue passed the red jade step and walked further and further away.
“This is… a true… genius!” Qi Lao’s voice trembled. “A top-grade spiritual root! I didn’t expect her to possess such terrifying talent on top of her bizarre physique!”
“My opponent… is like this, huh?” Xiao Yan looked at Mo Luoxue’s retreating back and chuckled softly. “The three-year agreement… is getting more and more interesting.”