mynovelonline Chapter 87 Those who obey Heaven prosper, those who defy Heaven... get lost.
Chapter 87 Those who obey Heaven prosper, those who defy Heaven... get lost.
Deep in the Qinling Mountains, amidst dense forests.
"Retreat! Retreat now!!"
Elijah clutched his bloodied and mangled hand, his gentlemanly demeanor completely gone, replaced by boundless terror.
He gave the young man standing in the shadows, blowing dust off his fingers, a deep look, and gritted his teeth:
"Monster..."
With a command given, the mercenaries who had surrounded the crowd retreated like a tide.
They were as arrogant when they came, and as pathetic when they ran away.
They didn't even care about their unconscious companions on the ground, fearing that if they were a step too slow, they would be torn apart by that terrifying old man or that young man.
"Hey! Don't run away!"
Tian Jinzhong wasn't done fighting yet, and was about to give chase with his entrenching tool in hand:
"Grandpa, I've just finished warming up! Let's have two more rounds!"
"Alright, Second Senior Brother."
Su Wuxian reached out and grabbed Tian Jinzhong by the back of his collar, like pulling a frolicking husky:
"Don't pursue a desperate enemy."
"Besides, they're still useful. The Qinling Mountains are so vast, it's too much trouble for just a few of us to find these 'rats.' Let them take the message back and gather all the demons and monsters hiding in the shadows, then we can take them all out in one fell swoop."
Although unwilling, Tian Jinzhong obediently put away the shovel and spat out a curse:
"Pah! A bunch of cowards! They're not even as good as the monkeys on our mountain!"
......
Deep in the Qinling Mountains, on the edge of the mist.
This is a blank area on the map.
There were no roads, and even the tracks of wild animals were rarely seen. Only a thick, impenetrable white fog, like a wall, stretched between heaven and earth.
"arrive."
Grandma Jin Feng stopped in her tracks, leaning on her cane, her expression becoming unusually devout.
She turned around, looked at the group of "fully armed" people behind her, and said in a serious tone:
"Senior brothers, everyone. Ahead lies the 'Twenty-Four Solar Terms Valley'."
"But let me make this clear beforehand: the energy here is naturally formed, in harmony with the workings of the heavens. Once you enter the valley, you must strictly follow my footsteps; you cannot make a single mistake."
"If you take one wrong step, at best you'll get lost and wander into a maze, at worst..." Jin Feng pointed to the tree next to her, "just like that tree."
Everyone looked over.
At the edge of the mist, a large tree stood, its trunk twisted in a strange way, half charred black, the other half teeming with life, as if it had experienced both fire and rain.
That was a tear caused by the disruption of the Qi and blood circulation.
"Gulp."
Zhang Chulan swallowed hard and tightened his windbreaker.
"Um...Grandma, please lead the way, we won't wander off! Bao'er, hold my hand, don't lose it!"
"Let's go."
Su Wuxian didn't say anything more.
He was all too familiar with this situation.
……
Enter the valley.
The moment I stepped into the fog, the world changed.
The air, which was originally damp and chilly, suddenly became hot and dry.
"What's going on? Why is it so hot?"
Wang Ye wiped the sweat from his forehead and glanced at the thermometer on his watch. It had soared to 35 degrees Celsius!
It was still chilly outside in late autumn, but here it felt like the height of summer.
"This is the position of the Summer Solstice."
Grandma Jin Feng, walking at the very front, said without turning her head:
"The energy here will simulate the changes of the twenty-four solar terms, thus affecting people's senses and internal organs. Now, calm your mind, adjust your breathing, and go with the flow of this heat; do not resist it."
Everyone quickly did as instructed.
Only the king had a furrowed brow.
As a successor of the Feng Hou Qi Men school, he subconsciously wanted to calculate the location of this place.
"The character '巽'... wait, how did it become '离'? Wait, why is the '坎' position in the sky?"
The more Wang Ye calculated, the more alarmed he became, and the more confused he became.
The atmosphere here isn't static; it's dynamic!
It's breathing!
It's changing every second!
"vomit--"
Wang Ye suddenly felt nauseous and almost vomited.
"Snapped!"
A hand patted the back of his head.
Su Wuxian stood behind him and said calmly:
"Don't bother calculating."
"No matter how powerful Feng Hou Qi Men is, it's still just a 'technique'. But here... it's the 'Tao'."
"You think you can use your limited computing power to calculate the breath of nature? That's suicide."
"Clear your mind and feel with your body."
Wang Ye was startled and quickly dispersed the Qimen formation, taking deep breaths.
Sure enough, the dizziness disappeared.
The procession continued onward.
This short distance of a few hundred meters was extremely difficult to traverse.
One moment it's the bitterly cold "Great Cold," so cold that frost forms on people's eyebrows.
One moment it's a light drizzle, soaking you to the bone.
Then came the thunderous "Awakening of Insects," which unsettled everyone.
"This isn't walking...this is undergoing tribulation..."
Zhang Chulan was shivering from the cold, and snot was coming out of his nose.
In contrast, consider the three elderly people.
Grandma Jin Feng was familiar with the route, and although it was strenuous, she was able to persevere.
Zhang Zhiwei and Tian Jinzhong, on the other hand, relied entirely on their profound cultivation to withstand the attack; their bodies were protected by golden light, making them impervious to all magic.
The most relaxed one is Su Wuxian.
He strolled leisurely with his hands in his pockets.
Those violent seasonal changes, when they came to him, automatically became docile.
The heat swirls around him, while the cold avoids him.
He is like a pillar of strength standing firm in the eye of a storm.
"arrive."
After walking for an unknown amount of time, Granny Jin Feng finally stopped.
The fog ahead dissipated, revealing an extremely narrow path, so narrow it could hardly be called a road—the Nine-Bend Winding Cave.
It was a winding passage carved into the rock face, like a sheep's intestine.
The passageway was pitch black, exuding a chilling sense of oppression.
"This is the entrance."
Grandma Jin Feng pointed to the passageway:
"These are the rules left behind by the sect leader."
"If you want to see what he left behind, you have to 'crawl' over here. No matter who you are or how high your cultivation level is, you have to lower your head, bend over, and crawl over like a baby."
"This is a test of sincerity."
"Climb over?"
Zhang Chulan stared at the dog-hole-like opening, his lips twitching.
"Grandma, isn't this going to be too much of a hassle? Can't we just... blast this rock wall open?"
"You can give it a try."
Su Wuxian walked over and touched the rock wall:
"This rock face is connected to the entire Qinling Mountains' geological veins. If you blast it, the whole valley will collapse, and we'll all be buried inside."
"So you're really going to climb?" Tian Jinzhong was eager to try. "My new tactical uniform is quite durable."
Su Wuxian looked at the deep cave entrance and suddenly smiled.
His smile was tinged with helplessness and nostalgia.
"Rootless, oh rootless..."
"You bastard, you'll keep playing tricks on people even on your deathbed."
"What test of 'sincerity'? What about bowing and bending over?"
"Don't you just want to see those usually high and mighty superhumans crawling on the ground like dogs?"
Granny Jin Feng's expression changed: "Senior Brother! You mustn't be disrespectful to the Sect Leader! This is the Sect Leader's profound intention..."
"Profound meaning my ass."
Su Wuxian interrupted her, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes:
"His approach is indeed 'winding and meandering'."
"But it is also the human body's 'nine-turn large intestine'."
"He wanted to tell those who come after him that no matter what level you cultivate to, no matter what kind of immortal you become, in the end... you are still just an ordinary mortal who has to roll around in your intestines."
"Since we're just ordinary people, let's not put on airs."
Su Wuxian straightened his collar, then bent down and crawled into the hole first:
Let's go!
"Since we're on their turf, we should follow their rules."
"Experience it... what it feels like to roll around in your intestines."
Everyone looked at each other.
Even this ancestor has been tricked, what else can they say?
Go for it!
Zhang Zhiwei sighed and put away the thermos:
"Sigh, I'm getting old, and I still have to suffer like this."
Despite saying that, he still bent down and followed without hesitation.
Tian Jinzhong was even more excited, using both his hands and feet to climb faster than anyone else:
"Senior brother! Hurry up! Don't block the way!"
In the dark, narrow passageway, the heavy breathing and rustling sounds of people could be heard.
This is indeed a form of torture.
Oppressive, claustrophobic, as if it would never end.
But as Su Wuxian said, this is also a kind of baptism.
During this long crawl, identity, status, and cultivation are stripped away, leaving only the most primal survival instinct and the drive to move forward.
I don't know how long I climbed.
Finally, a glimmer of light appeared ahead.
and also……
A noisy, wild roar erupted.
"Squeak! Squeak squeak!"
Su Wuxian poked his head out of the cave entrance.
Below, one could see a vast, open valley.
But what awaited them was not treasure.
Instead, it was dozens of golden monkeys, holding wooden sticks, lined up neatly, their eyes gleaming with golden light...
"Wow."
Su Wuxian dusted himself off, stood up, looked at the group of monkeys, and gave them a bright smile:
"It seems the security guard at the gate..."
"arrive."
(There were some issues with the plot and outline, which caused problems in later parts of the story. These have now been corrected. Please reread Chapter 87. Thank you, everyone.)