"What is Senior doing at this moment?" Li Qingran propped her chin on her hands, staring at the ceiling.
She could vaguely sense that Chen Huaian was very busy and didn't have time to pay attention to her.
"A great figure like Senior must be fighting for the cultivators of the entire Cangyun Realm, like slaying some great demon or something…"
She thought to herself, her mind conjuring up an image of a white-haired, immortal-like old man riding a flying sword, elegantly cutting down a massive demon. The thought made her giggle foolishly.
If only…
Senior could be her master.
"No, Li Qingran, don't get greedy!"
She patted her head, warning herself.
Today, Senior had given her a full 12 spirit crystals, maintaining a high-level spirit-gathering array for six hours.
He had also forcefully raised her cultivation to the fifth level of Qi Refinement.
Thanks to the recovery of her meridians and internal injuries, the dissipation of spiritual energy from her dantian had slowed significantly.
However, her dantian was still shattered, like a basin with a hole in it—spiritual energy would always leak out bit by bit.
"I need to find a way to fix my dantian and spiritual roots," Li Qingran thought to herself. Although Senior was immensely powerful, she couldn't trouble him with everything.
If Senior was willing to help her, that was his decision, but she couldn't actively ask him for help.
She already had a plan in mind. The Qingyun Sect was definitely unreliable.
She needed to go to another sect, even a small one would do.
Those smaller sects might also have some ancient texts, and she might get lucky and find a way to repair her dantian and spiritual roots. If she really couldn't find anything, she'd leave the cultivation world, find a peaceful place to live in seclusion, and slowly gather clues about her enemies. Or maybe she could return to the Southern Dynasty and become a female general?
As for seeking revenge on her senior brothers…
Li Qingran hadn't thought about it.
Even before, she hadn't been a match for those senior brothers, and now her chances were even slimmer.
It might seem cowardly, but that was the law of survival in the cultivation world.
She had already given up on living before, so it didn't matter.
But now she wanted to live longer, to live until the day Senior finished his tasks and was willing to meet her, even if it was just to say one word to her.
She really wanted to thank him in person.
…
"Something's not right! Wasn't Li Qingran supposed to be thrown into a thatched hut?"
Song Jiaojiao frowned as she looked at the stone house at the foot of the mountain.
A cultivator's eyesight was excellent, and she could tell that the stone house was newly built, which meant someone was helping Li Qingran.
But who could be helping her?
The direct disciples of Chixiao Peak?
It wasn't impossible…
Although Mu Baishuang said those disciples hated Li Qingran to the core, what if they still cared for her and gave her some support?
If she killed Li Qingran, wouldn't she be making enemies of those direct disciples?
But she didn't want to give up on the Foundation Establishment Pill either.
After some deliberation, Song Jiaojiao decided to test the waters first.
She also wanted to see if those disciples had left any traps near Li Qingran's residence.
So she took out a half-zhang-long red incense stick from her storage ring.
This incense was called "The Beast's Call." Its fragrance spread far and wide, making it difficult for cultivators to detect, but it could attract beasts with keen senses of smell. Normally, this thing was used to lure demons during hunts, but sometimes it could also be used as a deadly weapon.
Originally, her plan was to rush into the thatched hut, kill Li Qingran, and then throw the body into the mountains for the beasts to devour, leaving no trace. But now that the plan had changed, she didn't dare to approach recklessly. She could only use "The Beast's Call" to let the beasts do the killing, even though the beast rampage caused by the incense might attract the sect's attention.
"Li Qingran, when the wall collapses, everyone pushes. Don't blame me."
Song Jiaojiao lit the red incense and flicked it with her finger.
The incense flew out and landed on a tree near the house.
After doing this, she quickly set up a concealment array to hide her aura.
Later, when the small-scale beast rampage occurred, there might be one or two powerful beasts, and this array would ensure her safety.
Now, all she had to do was hide in the shadows and watch the show.
It would take some time for the beasts to gather after smelling the scent.
Meanwhile, the girl in the stone house, deep in sleep, was completely unaware of the danger approaching.
…
5 a.m.
A faint light had already appeared on the horizon.
Chen Huaian was almost at the summit.
But his condition was terrible. The wind on Mount Tai was strong, and the temperature was low. Many tourists were sweating profusely halfway up the mountain, but as they neared the summit, the cold wind dried their sweat, and they began to feel cold. To warm up, they had to either quicken their pace or stop at a roadside restaurant for some hot porridge.
But Chen Huaian was different.
His face was pale, his entire body soaked in sweat. Every step was shaky, and sweat dripped from the hem of his drenched clothes.
This was from the pain.
Along the way, he had only eaten two pieces of bread and drank water—lots of water.
But although his steps were unsteady, each one was firm, no longer swaying.
His back was straight, and his calm gaze looked forward, the light in his eyes making him look like a pilgrim.
"Bro, let me carry you the rest of the way. Don't climb anymore!" Zhang Rui was almost crying. Tonight's experience would stay with him for the rest of his life. He had watched a patient with osteosarcoma endure excruciating pain, step by step, climbing the stone stairs without stopping.
Even the two middle-aged men were struggling to keep up, and the punk girl was panting heavily.
Zhang Rui often exercised and had good stamina, but his pressure was mainly psychological.
Every time Chen Huaian took a step forward, and he saw the sweat dripping from his clothes, his heart was tormented.
From beginning to end, Chen Huaian never complained.
He embraced their malice with a tolerant and peaceful attitude.
Behind Chen Huaian were not just the four viewers but also many other tourists. Many of these tourists had given up halfway up the mountain, but after hearing Chen Huaian's story, they spontaneously followed him, and the group grew larger and larger.
Now, near the summit, the group had formed a long line on the stone stairs.
"We're almost there," Chen Huaian looked up at the summit and smiled.
He had to make it to the top.
Because an hour ago, a level 57 big spender had said:
If he could reach the summit before sunrise, he would send 66 "Drumming Dragon Cities," each worth 2,888 yuan. After the platform's cut, he'd pocket 95,000 yuan. Combined with the smaller donations from other tourists, he could earn around 120,000 yuan tonight.
Of course, there was also the possibility that the big spender was just boasting.
Chen Huaian was open-minded about this. He was going to reach the summit anyway.
Whether or not the big spender sent gifts, he would do it.
He wasn't climbing Mount Tai just for the money.
He just wanted to see his limits in the time he had left,
to see how much heat he could still generate.
But when there were just 98 steps left to the summit of Mount Tai,
Chen Huaian's right leg suddenly erupted in excruciating pain.
He lost his balance and knelt on the stone steps.
Su Xiaoqian, who was behind him, instinctively looked at his leg. Her face changed, and she covered her mouth, letting out a scream.
"Ah! His leg… his leg…"
Chen Huaian gritted his teeth and looked down at his leg.
From his ankle to his knee, his right leg was twisted beyond recognition.
He…
had fractured it.