Heaven Treasure Mountain . . .
Cha Shangxin couldn't help but retort, "That's hardly truthful. You've repeated that claim 753 times since our initial encounter. Yet, I've not so much as felt the graze of one of your fingers. I've had my fill of your lessons over the years. Here's a friendly piece of advice: if you intend to torment me, find some new insults to employ. This one has grown stale."
The two clans had been sworn enemies for years, and their members had engaged in a heated argument within the dense fog, which had commenced on the first layer and showed no signs of abating as they reached the second.
Even in this fog-choked environment rich in spiritual energy, they failed to remain silent. Initially, the rest of the group had merely listened, but before long, members from both Li Clan and Cha Clan had joined the fray, escalating a heated quarrel.
As the dispute raged on, their energy levels surged.
At a glance, it seemed as though they relished the commotion, but Cha Eun Xiao was growing increasingly exasperated.
He had never before encountered clans like these two. Their profound mutual enmity was undeniable, and the fervent desire for one another's demise was unmistakable. Yet, instead of fighting to the death, they contented themselves with incessant quarreling.
Even though they yelled and bickered, they refrained from unleashing fatal violence upon each other.
"Unbelievable," Han Bingxue and Cha Eun Xiao uttered in unison. They couldn't help but marvel at the spectacle.
They noticed something remarkable amid the relentless verbal barrage: despite the vitriol and abusive language, neither side insulted the other's families or ancestors. Regardless of the invective, they avoided any form of humiliation directed at familial or ancestral figures.
"Why don't they curse each other's ancestors?" Han Bingxue asked curiously. "No ancestors? No mothers? It's always a profusion of expletives against one another's mothers out there..."
As the inquiry was raised, both clans abruptly fell silent. Their voices ceased, and a peculiar quiet settled over the group.
Li Chongshan, with an air of awkwardness, said, "We're doing our best to refrain from insulting each other's families. Introducing familial or ancestral slights might provoke a life-and-death conflict... We do want one another dead, but we're unwilling to risk our own lives in the process. Such conflicts are unwise... so..."
Both Han Bingxue and Cha Eun Xiao were left dumbfounded.
"Unbelievable!" they exclaimed simultaneously, their sentiment undoubtedly one of praise.
It was the first time they had encountered such a philosophy. These clans despised each other, competed ceaselessly, and dedicated their lives to self-improvement and the advancement of their clans. They searched relentlessly for medicinal resources and were willing to sacrifice almost anything to elevate their clan's strength. Yet, they refrained from engaging in combat, instead resorting to endless bickering.
The root of this behavior, it seemed, was their fear of death.
Cha Eun Xiao was astounded, reflecting, "My word..."
"The world is indeed a peculiar place."
"Truth is often stranger than fiction!"
"More importantly, one of these clans is Cha Clan, my father's family..."
After an uncomfortable pause, Cha Shangxin remarked, "We do want them to perish, and we desire retribution. However, both our clans stand on the precipice of ruin. Initiating a conflict would only weaken us further... We cannot afford any losses."
Following this, both Li Chongshan and Cha Shangxin sighed deeply.
Cha Eun Xiao was left without words.
"Heavens above! I've heard Cha Liangchen and Li Qingzhou proclaiming how powerful Li Clan and Cha Clan are, asserting their status as one of the mightiest forces in Oracle District. Were they deceiving us? Have both clans already reached such dire straits?"
He contemplated this astonishing revelation. Suddenly, something illuminated their path.
"What's this?" he wondered.
This marked his maiden visit to the second layer of the Mountain of All Medicines, and he was taken aback by the illumination. While the fog persisted, a vast garden unfolded before him, featuring boundless verdant expanses and an array of splendid colors. The second layer of the mountain resembled a colossal grassland. Standing there, it felt as though they had left the confines of a mountain.
He managed to maintain a calm countenance, but internally, he was bewildered.
"This isn't merely a mountain... there's something more to this," he mused.
Could it be that the fabled myth of this mountain's self-created world was indeed accurate?
If not a self-created world, it must be a self-created space.
In contrast to the first layer, the second was far more extensive.
The second layer of the mountain proved to be at least twice the size of the first layer, a departure from the natural order. Conventionally, lower layers should occupy greater expanse compared to the higher ones. However, the current situation contradicted this principle entirely. Cha Eun Xiao had encountered many inexplicable phenomena in his life, but this was beyond his previous experiences. The only plausible explanation that crossed his mind was that this place constituted a self-created space, a concept that boggled his mind.
But if the second layer was already this vast, it led him to ponder the dimensions of the third layer. Would it be twice the size of the second? And the fourth layer? Perhaps even larger? It was inconceivably enormous.
One pivotal question loomed over Cha Eun Xiao: how many layers did this enigmatic mountain hold?
Pondering this question sent shivers down his spine.
"What secrets lie buried within the Mountain of All Medicines?"
In his second life, very few things had managed to evoke fear within Cha Eun Xiao. However, this mountain was an exception, stirring up emotions he had not felt in a long time.
As the twenty-two individuals ventured into this new layer, they appeared less cautious than before. Chaos erupted in the second layer as they proceeded, causing numerous beasts to flee in panic. Countless creatures ran among the vibrant flora, with several reaching levels three and four of spiritual development.
The animals surged like a receding tide, moving away en masse.
It was a magnificent spectacle.
The party appeared accustomed to such events, seemingly unfazed by the fleeing animals. They continued with their assigned tasks, showing little emotion in response to the scene unfolding around them.