Amongst the Spirit Sword Mountain’s twelve peaks, Clear Sky Peak was the broadest. It accounted for more than half of the total area of the Spirit Sword Sect. It was the place where the sect’s spirit grass and herb grew, and where the immortal animals and spirit beasts lived.
The Clear Sky Peak was divided into Big and Small Clear Sky Peaks. Within the Small Clear Sky Peak was the Immortal Path, which is adjacent to the Cloud Wave Map and the four independent realms.
Small Clear Sky was mainly used to cultivate some lower level spirit grass or spirit beast. In addition, because there were barriers upon barriers that restricted all the spirit beasts or monsters in certain areas, it could be used as an excellent ground for disciples to train and gain experience, as long as one wouldn’t break free from the designated path. As for the Immortal Path, it was actually its most unimportant function.
Today, Yue Yun led a team to this Small Clear Sky Peak—not Big Clear Sky Peak because there were many category four or category five monsters roaming around in there. In the past, there had been several similar training teams who ended up becoming those monsters’ snacks. While inside the Small Clear Sky Peak, the strongest monsters were only, theoretically, category two or three. Although Yue Yun and his team may not necessarily win against those monsters, with the help of his Martial Sister, they could still easily make their escape.
“Okay, I’ll stress again about the main point of this experiential learning. Please don’t think of me as long-winded; because this is our first experiential learning, so a little bit more caution is warranted. Although there were numerous restriction spells placed in this Small Clear Sky Peak to ensure safety and security, almost every couple of years, there would be casualties. This experiential learning is definitely not a game, do you guys understand?”
Before the entrance of the Clear Sky Peak, the mild-mannered Yue Yun showed his rarely shown grim face. When he heard his Master’s account of this place, he was so scared that he didn’t want to do a review. After being frightened by him like that, except for the calm-collected-and-at-ease disciple in red and white, the few newcomers revealed a nervous look and immediately professed that they would strictly follow the advice of Yue Yun and his Martial Sister and so on.
“Successor Disciple is indeed Successor Disciple, not only did he already know the ins and outs of this experiential learning beforehand, but he also has such a confident expression; he must have already reached the Foundation Establishment Stage!”
Yue Yun sighed in his heart as he considered his Master’s words about not bothering with this disciple in red and white. It seemed that there was indeed some grain of truth in that...
Thus, he had to ignore this Successor Disciple and chose to finish his explanation about the experiential learning.
“This experiential learning is expected to last for five days. Our schedule is as follows: in the next three days, we will pass through the Full Moon Valley until we reach the entrance to the Azure Dragon Gorge, and then we will return via the Lotus Pond. During the course, all of you can collect whatever medicinal herbs you want -- Of course, the premise is, you have to have the ability to do it. Don’t bother to collect if you would just end up wasting it. You guys can also participate in the fights along the way, but you must assess your ability and act accordingly. Moreover, you have to strictly follow my and Senior Sister Huo Ying’s instructions.”
“Understand.”
“No problem.”
“Mm.”
“Okay.”
“Yosh!”
Upon hearing the last affirmation, Yue Yun was shocked; he thought, “The hell! What does ‘yosh’ mean!? Successor Brother, don’t scare me like that!?”
But when he saw Wang Lu’s smiling face, Yue Yun could only helplessly shake his head as he said, “Come on, let’s go.”
Thus, they began their journey towards the Clear Sky Peak with Yue Yun and Wang Lu leading at the front, and Huo Ying guarding at the rear.
The entrance part of the Small Clear Peak was protected by countless restriction spells, protecting the team from monsters and ferocious beasts at the mountain. The team formed a single line and steadily walked safely along the mountain path. However, Yue Yun, who walked at the front, often chose the seemingly dangerous, rugged and secluded path, which made the several blue and white and black and white newcomers somewhat uncomfortable.
It was especially difficult for the two blue and white female disciples of the Carefree Peak since their cultivation talent was limited unlike their Senior Sister Huo Ying, who walked the jagged and slanted path as if it was a flat road. They also couldn’t be like their Martial Brothers Zhu Qin and Wen Bao who used their four limbs to help them climb without the slightest care of being dirtied by the soil.
This trek was really awkward and uncomfortable for them.
Leading the way at the front, Yue Yun inwardly sniggered, “What a newb! Although their cultivation level is not that bad, they lack the experience; they couldn’t even apply their skills into this trek for one bit. Granted, even being at the ninth level of the Qi Cultivating Stage is still not enough to make them walk as if this is a flat land, nevertheless, they have passed the Body Refining Stage, so they should have the strength of a Xiantian Stage martial art master… But, I’ve never heard a Xiantian Stage expert climb a mountain with this much difficulty!”
The Body Refining Stage at the Spirit Sword Sect was used to create a solid foundation for the disciples. However the two years into the Xiantian Stage was achieved mostly through accelerated processes, so these newcomers were still unfamiliar with their new power.
However, their Successor Brother was true to his status; even though he was still in the second level of Body Refining Stage, he climbed the rugged mountain path with ease; he easily kept a steady distance with Yue Yun, who was already in the sixth level of the Qi Cultivating Stage. “Hehe, he is indeed a Successor Disciple.” Yue Yun mused.
After climbing for quite a while, the group occasionally turned to look back. The entrance to the Small Clear Sky Peak was covered by the sea of clouds...The newcomers finally realized how big and tall this Small Clear Sky Peak was.
“Senior Brother Yue Yun, how long do we still need to walk?”
One blue and white female disciple couldn’t help but ask. At this time, she was already out of breath and her face had turned red, dripping with fragrant perspiration. Her two hands were covered with sludge and green moss, and her hair was disheveled. In short, she appeared to be in an extremely difficult situation.
The team leader, Yue Yun, turned his head and laughed. “What’s the matter, Junior Sister Wen Yin, can’t hold on anymore?”
Junior Sister Wen Yin bit her lips. “That’s not it. It’s just…”
Actually, it was actually that, she somewhat couldn’t hold on anymore. In this trek, Yue Yun seemed to make things difficult for them by always picking the most inhumane path possible. From time to time, he even led them to climb vertical cliffs up to a hundred meter high with nothing but their hands and feet… Even a genuine Xiantian expert couldn’t afford to fall from such a height.
Amongst them, Wen Yin was the one who struggled the most. From the talent point of view, her spirit root couldn’t be compared to Yue Xinyao’s spirit root; from the foundation point of view, compared to the other two Martial Brother and Sister from the Misty Peak, her cultivation had only reached the ninth level of the Qi Cultivating Stage. Although she could be considered as an Immortal Cultivator, but amongst the various methods that she learned… nothing could come in handy. Although she had studied the Amazing Step Method, she had never formally practiced it, so she simply couldn’t use it! And even if she could use it, she couldn’t withstand the rate of energy consumption of that method with her ninth level of Qi Cultivating Stage.
A few hours later, the girl’s heart was filled with regret. “Had I known it would turn out to be like this, I wouldn’t have been in such a hurry to sign up to participate in this experiential learning. This trip is deliberately trying to make things difficult!”
Yue Yun chuckled. “Very well, since people are tired, let’s rest for a while.”
Everyone secretly heaved a sigh of relief, looked for a place to sit and then took a deep sigh.
However, before they could even catch their breath, they heard Yue Yun began to open his mouth to preach again. “According to our scheduled course, we should pass through the Full Moon Valley within three days and arrive at the Azure Dragon Gorge.”
The rest of the team looked at each other, not knowing what his intention was. However, Wang Lu had already grasped the problem; he cheerfully laughed and asked, “With our current speed, would we still be on schedule?”
Yue Yun nodded his head. “Yes, we would—but only if we don’t take any sleep in these three days.”
“Three days without sleep!?”
Wen Yin and her little friends were shocked! [1]
Yue Yun laughed. “Moreover, after we reach the Azure Dragon Gorge, we still have to return via the Lotus Pond within two days. So, in theory, we should not take any rest in the entire journey on this trip.”
“Not taking any rest in the entire journey!?”
“Of course, based on your cultivation level, I know it would be hard for all of you to walk for several consecutive days without taking any break, thus…” Speaking to this point, he couldn’t help but laugh. “Thus, everyone needs to pick up their speed so you can give yourself a time to rest. If we can rush to the Azure Dragon Gorge in a day, I can take you to go sightseeing for two days.”
“Sightseeing my ass! You’re just pulling our legs!”
The several newcomers could not sit still despite their physical strength far from recovering yet. Having the urge to continue their journey, they hastily stood up. Yue Yun uttered a long laugh and once again walked in the front of the formation, and this time, his walking speed was several times faster than the previous.
When push comes to shove, people could show their hidden potential. Wen Yin initially thought that she was already extremely exhausted, but when they started to walk again this time, a new strength seemed to pour into her body, allowing her to closely follow behind Yue Xinyao. Although she was in agony, she was never left behind.
In this arduous trek, Wen Yin gradually understood the significance of this experiential learning. Simply put, it was to push out the potential in someone in order to break the barrier in their cultivation. These newcomers, who had reached the initial stage of the Qi Cultivating Stage, had obviously passed the Body Refining Stage. However, in this rugged and steep mountain path, even Yue Xinyao, who had reached the eighth level of the Qi Cultivating Stage, was not as good as still-in-the-second-stage-of-the-body-refining-stage Wang Lu in terms of stamina. Frankly speaking, they were short of practice!
For common sects, perhaps they would be dismissive of this kind of foundation training for the disciples in the Body Refining Stage and Qi Cultivating Stage, doubting their advantage. If they have a free time, they might as well spend it on meditation to further their cultivation. This kind of training would indeed be useful for disciples in the eighth or ninth level of the Qi Cultivating Stage; however, when they reached the sixth level and above, they could learn all kinds of magical spells which could easily aid them in traveling over land and water, so there was no need to waste the time in this kind of activity.
This view was in complete opposite from the Spirit Sword Sect which heavily emphasized on this foundation training. They would rather cultivate slowly, but every step they took was steady and firm. This was the traditional style of those Ancient Sects in the Immortal Cultivation World. According to legend, each and every member of these ancient sects would always be better when compared to the other cultivators with the same cultivation level. Especially when compared to those sects who paid particular attention to the cultivation level, a cultivator from an Ancient Sect could challenge and win over a cultivator with higher cultivation level from those sects.
Whether this kind of foundation training was right or wrong, Wen Yin was still unclear, but… in this non-stop running and climbing, she felt that her strength had been growing rapidly, which, to her, was an amazing experience. Compared to practicing the qi cultivation on the Carefree Peak these past few months, this kind of forging-ahead-vigorously training was a much more joyful experience.
In particular, looking at the back figure of the Senior Brother Yue Yun, Wen Yin’s heart filled with yearning.
The difference in cultivation level between them was not much; he was in the sixth level of the Qi Cultivating Stage while she was in the ninth level, but the strength difference was too high, even though he had only entered the sect two years earlier than her. “Two years later… could I achieve Senior Brother Yue Yun’s level?” She secretly asked herself.
After a while, the Sun gradually fell on the western horizon and this wilderness trek became exceptionally difficult.
Yue Yun finally stopped and said, “I think we can have a rest now.”
The team immediately feebly sat down. From the morning till the present, they have almost run non-stop for the entire day! Moreover, they have yet to even drink and eat!
“First of all, congratulations to all of you. Through your hard work during the day, according to our schedule, we can have a rest for the night.”
Wen Yin could not help but clap to celebrate this.
“However, before all of you go to rest, there is something I need to tell you. And that is… I and Martial Sister Huo Ying didn’t prepare any dinner for everyone. So, if you guys are hungry, you should look for your dinner yourself.”
Wen Yin and her little friends were once again stupefied!
“Are you kidding me!? You didn’t prepare any food!? No wonder when you called all of us to gather in the morning, you especially asked us not to bring any food or water; it turns out you intentionally misled us! Martial Brother Yue Yun, so this is your true face!? We thought you’re a kind and honest man!”
“No need to worry guys, this Small Clear Sky Peak is very rich with edible fruits which can be found everywhere. As long as you’ve passed the herbology course, I believe it wouldn’t be difficult to fill your stomach. If you’re lucky, you might even pick a rare spirit grass.”
Immediately after Yue Yun finished speaking, a simple and carefree voice floated into their ears. “Oh, red berries eh? I can’t believe this fruit actually grows in this place.”
Then, a fat teenager named Wen Bao picked a few red haw fruits from the side and, without trying to clean them first, directly put them into his mouth.
The next moment, he immediately spat them out again and then coughed a couple of times.
“Why are these red berries so bitter?”
Yue Yun sighed. “Junior Brother Wen Bao, those are not red berries, but rather red chaste berries, which can’t be eaten directly. The fruit needs to be processed at least three times before the bitterness can be removed.”
Wen Bao asked with his typical blank look, “R-red chaste berries?”
At the same time, Wen Yin and Yue Xinyao looked at each other. They have heard about this red berry, but this was the first time for them to hear about the red chaste berry.
Yue Yun chuckled. “The Clear Sky Peak produce is extensive; over sixty percent of the Spirit Grass species can be found here. Even in the Small Clear Sky Peak alone, the variety of species is comparable to that of the Misty Peak and Carefree Peak. Newcomers, if you can recognize even a tenth of the vegetation in your immediate vicinity, it would be very good. By the way, can you tell me your grade in the herbology course?”
Wen Bao ruefully smiled. “Primary herbology course, C+.”
Yue Xinyao casually said, “Primary herbology course, A.”
Wen Yin pursed her mouth. “Primary herbology course, B.”
Then, it was Zhu Qin’s turn. “Intermediate herbology course, C-.”
Upon hearing Zhu Qin’s answer, Yue Yun was startled. “You’ve studied Intermediate herbology within two years? Not bad, your performance is much better than me.”
Although he showed his humbleness outwardly, he still sniggered inwardly. “But that was two years ago. In these two years, I’ve worked really hard, and now I’ve passed the advanced herbology with a B grade. This year, I expect it to change into A. My Junior Brothers and Sisters, please keep up your effort, hahaha!”
Then, he caught the sight of Wang Lu who was oddly silent all this time. Yue Yun thought that it wouldn’t be good to let this Martial Brother in red and white stay isolated even though he was a bit of a loner. So, he opened his mouth to strike up a conversation with Wang Lu. But then, from his peripheral vision, he saw the nearby Zhu Qin hurriedly trying to interrupt him. “Martial Brother Yue, don’t…”
Unfortunately, the words had already come out of his mouth.
“May I know your grade in herbology, Senior Brother…”
Wang Lu smiled as he replied, “Specialized herbology course, A+. Thank you for asking.”
Yue Yun almost sputtered expletives on the spot. “Are you f*cking kidding me!”
“Expert level with A-plus as a grade!? And this happened in just two years? Are you Shennong [2] coming to life!?”
Wang Lu modestly replied, “How could I? I am just a top student, nothing more.”
[1] Expression which describes her shock.
[2] Farmer God, creator of agriculture.