Chapter 185: Chapter 42: Summit of Tian Gang Mountain_1
Xuan Yue giggled and whispered in Ah Dai’s ear, "Of course not! If you channel your sacred aura-infused fighting spirit into me, I’ll be warm, right? Moreover, I can bestow upon myself the Divine Blessing! It’s the same if I sleep on your back too. Let’s get going, so we don’t leave a bad impression on that youngster." She referred to Liao Yi as "youngster", despite the fact that Liao Yi was older than both her and Ah Dai.
Ah Dai nodded and said, "Alright, let’s go now. We can rest properly once we reach the Tian Gang Sword Sect."
"Big brother Yan Shi, do you guys need to rest?"
Shaking his head, Yan Shi replied, "Since this brother suggested we leave now, let’s do that. I’m also looking forward to meeting Teacher Xi Wen as soon as possible. With this brother leading the way, we can reduce the detours we take along the way."
Liao Yi said, "Alright, stick close to me, I’ll lead the way." He then lightly stepped off the ground and gently drifted ahead. Ah Dai, carrying Xuan Yue, and the Yan Shi brothers hurriedly followed. All three were more gifted than Liao Yi in terms of their abilities, they were just unfamiliar with the path. With Liao Yi leading the way, there was no need to discern the direction, making their journey much easier.
The further Liao Yi walked, the more astonished he became. Among the fourth-generation disciples of the Tian Gang Sword Sect, he was among the outstanding few. However, compared to these few young alien race individuals from the Federation of Suo Domain, there was clearly a large gap. Even the stout dwarf could easily keep up with him, making his initial disdain instantly disappear. He slowed down a bit and headed toward Tian Gang Mountain.
The night shrouded them, and the faint chill of the night mist swarmed their bodies. Ah Dai, fearing Xuan Yue might be cold, constantly channeled his True Qi into her, helping her ward off the cold dew of the night. Actually, Xuan Yue was not so afraid of the cold. She was dressed more warmly than the others, and she was warmed by Ah Dai’s body heat. The mountain cold didn’t greatly affect her. Regardless, the feeling of True Qi entering her body was very comfortable, and in the blink of an eye, she was sound asleep, always feeling safe with Ah Dai. Despite the awkward posture, she slept sweetly.
After almost half a night, deep into the night, Liao Yi led the party to the foot of Tian Gang Mountain. Due to the late hour, Ah Dai and the others could barely make out a large mountain standing before them, with a much gentler slope than the mountains they had seen earlier. Liao Yi stopped at the foot of the mountain, and with a flash of his shadow, Ah Dai and the others landed next to him. Yan Shi stared at the mountain intently, "Is this Tian Gang Mountain? How come there’s no road?"
A slight smile appeared on Liao Yi’s face as he explained, "Tian Gang Mountain covers a vast area, and only the side facing the Empire of Huasheng has a main road leading up. If we were to take the main road, it would be a considerable detour. This is just the back mountain, there’s a small path leading up to the peak. We can reach the top by climbing from here."
Feeling Xuan Yue’s steady breathing on his back, Ah Dai tightened his grip and said, "Big brother Liao Yi, then please lead the way."
Liao Yi nodded and led the three into the dense forest at the foot of Tian Gang Mountain. Just as he had said, there was a winding and twisting path within the forest. They followed the path upwards. Although they were climbing, it felt like strolling on flat ground for them as they scaled the mountain quickly. Halfway up the mountain, Liao Yi finally stopped, took a seat on the ground to catch his breath and said, "We have plenty of time, let’s rest for a while." His True Qi had just barely reached the third level and he was exhausted by the prolonged climb. Yan Shi and Yan Li also felt somewhat tired. Though their fighting spirits were robust, they did not possess the inexhaustible characteristic of True Qi. Slightly panting, they sat down to rest. Among them all, Ah Dai, who was carrying Xuan Yue, seemed fine. Although somewhat tired, the endless cycle of True Qi within his body, transforming from liquid to gas and then recirculating from gas back to liquid, continually provided him with the strength to move on.
Ah Dai carefully lowered Xuan Yue’s legs and gently turned around to cradle her in his arms. He held her close as they sat down. The halfway point of Tian Gang Mountain was a few degrees colder than the bottom, so he feared Xuan Yue might catch a chill. As he embraced her, he placed his hand on her back and gradually injected True Qi into her. A faint white light enveloped the two, standing out in the darkness of the night.
Liao Yi stared at Ah Dai, shocked. He was well aware of the characteristics of True Qi. The True Qi that Ah Dai was emitting had reached the stage of photonization and gasification, a stage that could only be manifested by reaching the fifth level of the Life-Life Decree! He rubbed his eyes in disbelief and moved closer to Ah Dai, asking in a low voice, "Young brother, are you using the True Qi of our Tian Gang Sword Sect?"
Ah Dai nodded and gestured for silence, not wanting to wake the sleeping Xuan Yue in his arms.
Liao Yi lowered his voice, saying excitedly, "Then, may I ask, whose disciple are you, sir? I don’t remember having seen you before! Your True Qi seems to have reached the fifth level, almost on par with my master, this... this can’t be possible..." In the Tian Gang Sword Sect, the second-generation disciples generally maintained their Life-Life Decree at the seventh or eighth stage. The third-generation disciples were in the range of fourth to fifth levels. Only a few disciples of good talent who started early had reached the sixth level. Even among the fourth-generation disciples, including Liao Yi, only three had reached the third level. Despite this, they had all received praise from Sect Leader Xi Wen. The feature of Life-Life Decree is that it is extremely difficult to practice, but each advancement to the next level boosts one’s power significantly. Moreover, its foundation is exceptionally solid. Unlike some other sects, the practitioners of the Life-Life Decree often gain advantages only in the later stages.
