Half an hour later, Zhao Yuxuan's figure appeared at the foot of Lingjiu Peak. Looking at the winding mountain path full of unknown challenges in front of him, he knew that this was a road he had never set foot on. The mountain breeze blew gently, bringing a hint of coolness, but it couldn't dispel the firmness in his heart.
Grandma Li Ruixuan stood at the foot of the mountain, her eyes full of concern. She shouted loudly to Zhao Yuxuan, "Child, Lingjiu Peak is not easy to climb. You must pay attention to safety." The voice echoed in the valley, with an undeniable seriousness. Zhao Yuxuan heard it in his ears, and a warm current surged in his heart. He took a deep breath and began the climbing journey carefully.
At this time, his hands seemed to possess magical powers and played a huge role. There was no need to apply anti - slip magnesium powder at all. As long as his eyes caught the rock points that could be grasped, his hands could hold them firmly like a powerful pair of pliers. Every grip was like a conversation between him and the mountain. He pulled his body up slowly. When he reached a place where he could stand, he would stop, take a slight breath, and then, like an experienced explorer, carefully observe the upward - extending path and think about the next route.
Time slipped away quietly during his climbing. Another hour passed, and the path of Lingjiu Peak gradually changed. The originally steep and terrifying section had become a slope, which made Zhao Yuxuan feel much more relaxed, as if the mountain had also become gentle under his efforts. His speed couldn't help but increase, and his steps became lighter. Before long, his energetic figure appeared on the mountaintop.
Standing on the mountaintop, Zhao Yuxuan was full of pride and ambition. He couldn't help but shout at the top of his lungs. The voice gushed out of his throat like a raging wave, spreading towards the surrounding mountains. The mountains seemed to be infected by his enthusiasm and kept reflecting his voice back. Thus, the voice echoed in this world for a long time, as if the mountains were cheering for his success.
"All right, Zhao Yuxuan, you've succeeded. Come down now." Grandma Li Ruixuan's clear voice came from the foot of the mountain, like a clear spring in the mountains, clear and loud.
Zhao Yuxuan rested on the mountaintop for a while to recover his strength a little. Then he began to prepare to go down the mountain. As the saying goes, "It's easier to go up the mountain than to come down." Descending Lingjiu Peak was indeed more challenging and dangerous than climbing it. Fortunately, he had just climbed it once and was already somewhat familiar with the mountain's terrain. He took each step very carefully, his eyes fixed on the path under his feet, and slowly made his way down. Although he also encountered some small bumps along the way, overall it was still relatively smooth.
Two hours later, the afternoon sun shone on the ground, and Zhao Yuxuan finally stood firmly on the ground at the foot of the peak. At this time, he saw Li Ruize and his wife and Lin Yaxuan walking towards him. Li Ruize and Grandma Li Ruixuan had relieved smiles on their faces, smiles full of recognition and approval for Zhao Yuxuan. However, Lin Yaxuan's eyes were full of amazement. Her eyes were wide open, as if she had seen something incredible. In her opinion, Lingjiu Peak was a dangerous peak that only eagles could fly up to in legend, and she could hardly believe that Zhao Yuxuan could successfully reach the summit.
Li Ruize looked at Zhao Yuxuan, with mixed feelings in his heart. Suddenly, he sighed long and slowly said, "Zhao Yuxuan, you've really been through a lot today. You may not know that Lingjiu Peak is no ordinary mountain. Several Miao people unfortunately lost their lives while climbing it in the past. If it weren't for testing your courage and ability, I would never have set such a condition." There was a complex emotion in Li Ruize's eyes, including both distress for Zhao Yuxuan and relief for his success.
Zhao Yuxuan just smiled slightly. The smile was like the warm sun in spring, warm and confident. He said casually, "But I'm still alive, aren't I?"
Hearing this, Li Ruize couldn't help showing admiration in his eyes. He nodded and said, "Yes, you're still alive, which means you've successfully completed the first condition I proposed. It's really very good."
Lin Yaxuan couldn't help but speak up at the side, "Grandpa, although Zhao the Bad Guy has completed the first condition, he will definitely not be able to complete the second one. Look, the once - every - three - years Shibazhai Assembly will be held in one month. You want him to obtain the title of 'Black Hawk Warrior'. But I heard that Zhao Qiang will still participate this time. You know Zhao Qiang's strength. As long as he is there, Zhao Yuxuan has no chance at all." Lin Yaxuan's tone was full of certainty. In her view, it was a fantasy for Zhao Yuxuan to defeat Zhao Qiang.
Li Ruize's face also became solemn. He frowned and exchanged a glance with Grandma Li Ruixuan, and then the two walked aside. They talked in low voices, very softly, as if they were afraid of being overheard. After a while, Li Ruize walked back to Zhao Yuxuan again, his expression becoming serious. He said earnestly, "Zhao Yuxuan, in the past, when we let you participate in the 'Black Hawk Warrior' competition, we really didn't take Zhao Qiang into account. You should know that Zhao Qiang is two years older than you. Since he was a child, he has been carefully taught martial arts by his father, and all the martial arts masters who taught him are the most famous and powerful ones in the Miao area of western Hunan. Moreover, when he grew up, he also went out to learn the fighting techniques of the Han people. He is now not only the number - one martial artist in our Miao family but also has won numerous awards in national competitions. And you have only been practicing martial arts for a few years. No matter how fast your progress is, it is almost impossible to defeat Zhao Qiang. The condition I proposed is really too harsh. Well, I'll find you another Miao opponent. As long as you can defeat him, it will be considered as fulfilling the condition, and then I will tell you the secret of the Miezu Stone." Li Ruize's words were full of helplessness. He thought that he was also thinking for Zhao Yuxuan in this way.
He thought that Zhao Yuxuan would readily agree after hearing this proposal, after all, it was a relatively easier choice. However, he saw Zhao Yuxuan lower his head and fall into deep thought. Zhao Yuxuan was having a fierce struggle in his heart. He knew Zhao Qiang's strength, but he also didn't want to easily give up the opportunity to fight against a strong opponent. After a while, Zhao Yuxuan suddenly raised his head, with firmness in his eyes. He said without hesitation, "No, I still want to fight Zhao Qiang again."
As soon as these words were spoken, Lin Yaxuan laughed "Ha - ha" twice. The laughter echoed in the air, full of sarcasm. She thought that Zhao Yuxuan was simply overestimating his own capabilities.
Zhao Yuxuan heard the sarcasm in her laughter, but he was not angry in his heart. He just smiled and said, "Senior sister, do you think I can't defeat Zhao Qiang?"
Lin Yaxuan said disdainfully, "Zhao Yuxuan, don't think that just because you can climb Lingjiu Peak, you think you're so great at everything. Wanting to defeat Zhao Qiang is just like daydreaming."
Zhao Yuxuan was still very calm. He said, "Okay, if I win, you call me 'Brother'."
Lin Yaxuan heard this and laughed easily again, "If you can win Zhao Qiang, don't say one 'Brother', even three will do."
Zhao Yuxuan immediately said, "Okay, then three times."
Lin Yaxuan tossed her head and said provocatively, "Three times it is. But if you lose, you have to say loudly in front of everyone, 'I'm just a bragging bad guy.' Do you dare?"
Zhao Yuxuan said without hesitation, "Say it then. What's there to be afraid of?"
Lin Yaxuan immediately said excitedly, "Good, this bet is settled. Grandpa and grandma are witnesses. No one is allowed to go back on their word. Let's clap hands as an oath." Saying this, she stretched out her snow - white, slender hand like a proud peacock.
Zhao Yuxuan also stretched out his hand without hesitation and clapped hands with her. The crisp sound of clapping hands rang in the air, as if it were a witness to their agreement.
Li Ruize and Grandma Li Ruixuan saw the two making a bet. They looked at each other, with a hint of surprise in their eyes, but they didn't interfere. In their view, this was a battle of wills between the young people, and they also wanted to see how things would ultimately develop.
After that, everyone went back to Xingyao Manor together, and the days passed calmly as before. However, Zhao Yuxuan felt that Li Ruize seemed to be more and more worried. He often saw that Li Ruize's face was full of gloom. Zhao Yuxuan was very puzzled. He had been thinking about what was causing Li Ruize's anxiety. Although he hadn't figured it out yet, he believed that he would soon know the answer as time went by.
Every day, Zhao Yuxuan would still come to the foot of Lingjiu Peak to practice. Once, Lin Yaxuan was full of curiosity and followed him to have a look. She saw Zhao Yuxuan practicing some movements like aerial somersaults. Those movements looked a bit like the graceful postures of gymnasts and also a bit like the somersaults of actors in an opera troupe. Lin Yaxuan's eyes were full of curiosity. She really couldn't understand what Zhao Yuxuan was doing. In her opinion, Zhao Qiang was so tall, strong, powerful, agile, and had countless fighting experiences. With Zhao Yuxuan practicing like this, she couldn't believe that he could defeat the powerful Zhao Qiang.
In the blink of an eye, a month passed quickly like flowing water. It was the Beginning of Autumn again, and it was also the day when the once - every - three - years Shibazhai Assembly was held.