Chapter 153: A Test?
Chapter 153: Chapter 153: A Test?
Six people stood vigilantly before the so-called Six Paths Valley, waiting for the favor of the Martial Arts Powerhouse within.
The branches were in full bloom, and a round moon hung high in the sky.
But the six of them, mere mortals, did not dare let down their guard.
Because this place was simply too bizarre!
To say nothing of the valley’s interior; a faint, scalp-numbing sensation emanated from within, as if some peerless, vicious beast was coiled up inside.
The valley entrance wasn’t normal either.
What kind of valley entrance was covered in blood?
Among the six of them, five were adults, and only one was a youth.
All six could see that in the area at the valley’s mouth, thick with the pungent, metallic smell of blood, grew a strange and thorny plant.
That plant was absorbing the fresh blood from the soil!
And there was that mound of earth near the entrance, raised like a burial mound.
From time to time, a red mist wafted out of the mound, sending a chill down one’s spine.
Therefore, looking at the bizarre situation at the valley entrance, none of them dared to be careless.
Only when more and more people arrived, numbering around twenty or so, did everyone’s fear begin to dissipate slightly.
Some acquaintances were even chatting with each other.
"Isn’t that Earth Hook Hand? With your notorious record, you want to join Venerable Zhu’s ranks too?" A slender man holding a pair of scissors glanced at a young woman squatting on the ground.
"Venerable Zhu never said assassins couldn’t join." The young woman looked at him, her fingernails digging into the soil as her eyes roamed over the man’s chest, neck, and groin.
"And he didn’t say we couldn’t kill people here."
"You!!" The man grew wary. "I’m not afraid of you."
"Of course Double-Edged Sword isn’t afraid of me." The young woman retracted her gaze. "But this isn’t the Underworld. Neither of us has any Cultivation, so we’d better behave."
"Hmph." The man snorted coldly and turned his head away. "With a body as scrawny as yours, it’s impossible for you to cultivate the Martial Dao."
"That’s not for you to decide." The young woman’s expression was calm. "Last time I snatched that magnate’s head, I owed you one. But if you keep targeting me like this, I won’t hold back."
The two seemed to have quite a grudge. Upon hearing their conversation, the people nearby subconsciously moved a little farther away.
Assassins, creatures who hide in the darkness, were the most feared and also the most detested.
Just then, a black silkworm swung out of the valley on a thread of silk, as if on a swing.
"The Master of the Six Paths Palace has an order: Those who wish to enter the Six Paths Palace must stand still and not move!"
’Stand still and not move?’
Everyone was startled.
It was now spring, a time of new life, which meant there were countless insects. Not to mention, the nights were still slightly cold.
’And we have to stand still and not move?’
’How long do we have to stand?’
’Can we eat? Can we relieve ourselves?’
The most crucial part was that after speaking, the black silkworm hung motionless in mid-air by a silk thread from its tail, seemingly watching them intently.
The young woman who had just been called Earth Hook Hand silently stood up and became completely still.
The man who had been fiddling with his scissors also lowered his hands and stood in a slightly more comfortable posture.
Seeing this, the others all stood still as well.
Everyone seemed to have an epiphany. Perhaps this was one of Venerable Zhu’s tests.
And so, everyone stood up straight and remained motionless.
One had to understand that those who could run dozens of miles from Jianshui City to get here, all without any Cultivation, would not be lacking in perseverance.
The mortals all knew that an inheritance was hard to come by, so none of them would give up easily.
Meanwhile, Zhu Sisi hung at the valley entrance, watching their performance.
When she got bored, she would shoot out a silk thread into the valley to retrieve a mulberry leaf to munch on.
Time passed just like that.
Two hours, four hours, six hours...
Within the first two hours, someone couldn’t hold on any longer and ran off. Judging by their clothes, they probably came from a well-off family.
During the next two hours, newcomers arrived, and some of the original group left.
Even at the crack of dawn, Zhu Sisi still said nothing else, just kept watching from her spot.
As she watched, she nibbled on mulberry leaves, and the "CRUNCH CRUNCH" sound gradually filled the air, stirring a sense of irritation in everyone.
More and more people gave up, until only eleven or twelve were still holding on.
Some people sent word back, and soon the entire city knew of this Young Master Zhu’s rule.
Some people planned to wait until the third day to go, so they would have to stand for a shorter time.
However, most people still felt this was a minor test and didn’t delay.
But then, at noon on the second day, Zhu Sisi suddenly took off.
The reason was that Zhu Ge had asked about the situation and only then learned what Zhu Sisi had done.
"You little rascal..."
The Bone Monster Avatar didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. "Well, I suppose that works. But stop for now. Take note of how long each person stood, I’ll have a reward for them later."
"Okay, I’m keeping track," Zhu Sisi replied.
"Has the Strong Monkey King been refined yet?" Zhu Ge asked.
"Not yet, but her complexion has improved a lot. It seems she no longer needs to expend her lifespan," Zhu Sisi reported truthfully.
Zhu Ge felt a little more at ease upon hearing this.
It couldn’t be helped; life was full of hardships.
To obtain power that transcends one’s own class, one could only exchange it for an enormous price.
It was true for Zhu Ge, it was true for Yu the Scholar before him, and it was true for Liu Jianjian now.
’I wonder how much longer it’ll be before my main body finishes its enlightenment...’
Zhu Ge felt a bit anxious.
He wasn’t afraid of anything else; he was afraid his main body would starve.
He had to remember that his main body’s physical form was, after all, still mortal.
No matter how tough it was, no matter how much Body Refinement it had undergone, replenishing it with food was still essential.
It was said that powerful beings on any path could draw sustenance from the essence of heaven and earth, consume sunlight and moonlight, and feast on wind and dew, no longer needing mortal food to extend their lives.
So, if his main body starved for two or three days, it might not die, but it would definitely be weakened.
"Sisi, go tell them to stop, then ask Liusha about my main body’s condition," Zhu Ge instructed.
"Yes, Master."
Zhu Sisi immediately went to carry out the order.
At the valley entrance, earth and stones were piled up into a shape resembling a large burial mound.
Hua Liusha had piled it up, fearing that prolonged exposure to the sun would harm her very essence.
Within the mound of earth and stone, a red mist swirled, protecting Zhu Ge’s main body at the very center.
Not even sound could penetrate the mist from the outside.
Meanwhile, Zhu Ge’s main body was still practicing his fist techniques. His eyes were tightly shut, and profound fluctuations rippled with every movement of his hands and feet.
Zhu Sisi approached, and Hua Liusha immediately looked up to respond to her.
After the two communicated for a moment, Zhu Sisi left to record the duration each person had stood their post.
By afternoon, the Strong Monkey King within the valley had transformed into a single strand of hair, joining the thousands of others on Liu Jianjian’s head.
Liu Jianjian kept her eyes closed, nurturing her spirit. She regulated her breathing and meditated until evening before opening her eyes.
The joy in her expression was unconcealable, and her Cultivation had taken another great leap forward.
She didn’t rush to report to Zhu Ge, but first began to communicate with the Strong Monkey King.
Both the Strong Monkey King and the Sword and Axe Mantis were overlords within Red River Prefecture. Their territories were far apart, and they each possessed different information.
However, both had their own knowledge regarding the Plague God Sparrow and the Red River Dragon Python.
After Liu Jianjian had learned most of what she needed to know and asked about some gossip, she went to report to the Bone Monster Avatar.