Xiao looked up at the towering mountain that stretched into the sky and thought, 'Do I really have to climb that? It looks like it'll take months to reach the top.'
He glanced around, taking in his surroundings. The trees next to the mountain were impossibly tall, their tops vanishing into the distance, far beyond where Xiao could see.
Knowing he would have to wait for Jing to wake up and guide him, Xiao sat down, popped a pill into his mouth, and began cultivating.
As he absorbed qi from the stars, Xiao was amazed by the sheer volume of energy flowing toward him. He was gaining five times more qi up here than he ever had gotten before just at the foot of the mountain, a clear indication of the mountain's unique properties.
'The closer I am to the stars, the more qi I'll be able to absorb,' Xiao mused, imagining how fast his cultivation would progress at the mountain's peak, where he assumed the sect resided.
Xiao drooled at the thought of the speed at which he could cultivate if he reached the top. For now, though, he continued to wait for Jing to awaken while focusing on his cultivation.
Six hours later, Jing finally stirred. He sat up, looking around in confusion. Sensing this, Xiao stopped cultivating and addressed him.
"Where are we?" Xiao asked.
Jing, now fully aware of his surroundings, replied with a sigh of relief, "We're in the dimension of the Sheanmen Sect."
Xiao's curiosity piqued. "How do I sign up for the sect?"
Jing gave him a knowing smile. "All you have to do is climb that mountain with me, and they'll let you join. Just know, everyone in this sect has had to go through this, and people have died in the process. But I wouldn't have brought you if I didn't think you could handle it."
Xiao glanced at the mountain again and then back at Jing. "How did you pass?"
Jing's expression turned mysterious. "I have my ways," he said, before starting to walk toward the mountain.
"Wait!" Xiao called, quickly hurrying after him.
As they began their ascent, Xiao noticed the thick fog blanketing the mountain. Soon, he lost sight of Jing entirely.
'Did I just get left behind?' Xiao sighed but pressed on, determined. 'No matter, I'll pay him back for this later,' he thought with a smirk, summoning the infinity edge to his hand, ready for any sneak attacks.
He moved cautiously, sometimes climbing over rocks as the terrain became steeper. Memories of his past life training came flooding back, and despite the difficulty, Xiao felt confident in his abilities.
However, the fog obscured everything ahead, leaving Xiao with no clear direction other than up. He continued climbing, his hands gripping the cold stone. At one point, his hand slipped on a rock, causing him to twist his body to regain balance.
After a deep breath, Xiao searched for another handhold on the mountain, but just as he reached out, something shot toward him at an incredible speed.
He barely had time to react. With his free hand, he unleashed a burst of qi, deflecting what appeared to be a black bird that had attacked out of nowhere.
Xiao knew his life was on the line. The black bird had attacked once, and if it started shooting qi, things would turn dire fast. He had to act, even if it meant taking a dangerous risk.
With a swift motion, Xiao plunged the Infinity Edge deep into the mountain, ensuring it was securely anchored. Then, he stood on it, balancing carefully. His heart raced, but he couldn't afford to hesitate, not now.
He glanced around, ready for the bird's next strike, but it was nowhere to be seen. Confusion washed over him. Just as he was about to resume climbing, a sharp instinct, honed through countless battles, blared in his mind like an alarm.
Without thinking, Xiao flooded his arm with qi, readying himself for a devastating counterattack. His body tensed, every nerve alive with anticipation.
'I wish I could control the elements already,' Xiao thought bitterly. But he had chosen Time Spiritual Root which didn't grant him elemental powers, at least not yet. Still, that didn't mean he was helpless. He had Time Acceleration, and right now, it could mean the difference between life and death.
The bird returned, moving even faster than before, a streak of dark fury in the sky. But to Xiao, everything slowed to a crawl. The screech of the bird, the rush of wind—it all stretched out, leaving him a window of time.
'I won't waste this chance,' Xiao thought, his mind focused.
Recalling the technique Jing had once used against him, Xiao condensed his qi into a small, deadly sphere—a Qi Bullet. Perfect for a fast-moving enemy like the bird.
The air around him seemed to pulse as the qi bullet formed in his hand, dense and lethal. Then, with a flick of his wrist, he sent it flying at insane speed.
The bird sensed the attack and veered to the side, its reflexes sharp, but not sharp enough. The bullet clipped its wing, and with a loud screech, the bird spiraled downward, crashing into the rocks below.
It was a Victory but barely as Xiao knew that if the attack landed then he might've fell.
Xiao exhaled in relief, but the tension didn't leave him. This mountain was full of hidden dangers, and he wasn't foolish enough to think this was the last of them.
Keeping his sword unsheathed, he used it to help him climb, stabbing it into the rock face to haul himself up faster.
His eyes scanned the mountain's surface, searching for a cave or any natural shelter he could rest in. If he couldn't find one, he'd be forced to carve out his own. Even though he didn't need sleep like a mortal, safety was a priority. He needed a defensible position, somewhere he wouldn't be vulnerable to an ambush.
The climb became a slow grind, each step taking him higher into the thickening fog. Time seemed to stretch, and the higher he climbed, the more the air felt oppressive, as if the mountain itself was trying to push him down. But Xiao was relentless, his will like iron.
Then, he decided to take another risk, one that could either save time or cost him everything. Gathering his qi, he channeled it into his feet, focusing the energy to try walking up the mountain's vertical face. One slip, one mistake, and he would plummet to the base but yet the thrill of the challenge spurred him on.
For a moment, he hesitated. 'Is it worth it?' The thought echoed in his mind, but he shook it away.
He loved the risk and even lived for it. Taking a deep breath, he pressed his qi-enhanced feet against the mountain and began walking upward, defying gravity, trusting his qi and instincts to keep him steady.
The world around him seemed to blur as he pushed himself harder, faster. Each step felt like a gamble, but with every successful movement, his confidence grew. Xiao grinned, his eyes locked on the summit above.
But this was the Mountain of Trials, and it had no intention of letting him reach the top so easily...