Walking on a mountain path.
The male figure leading the way seemed to be under twenty, with a longsword on his back and empty hands, walking leisurely like a stroll at the foot of the mountain.
The girl following him looked about thirteen or fourteen, largely because her petite stature made her appear that age, when in actuality, Lin Jiangxian was soon to reach adulthood in a few more months.
Her steps were slightly labored, and it was clear that her physique was indeed poor, even somewhat breathless, which obviously did not suit the physique of a cultivator.
Nightfall had already darkened the sky.
They had started their journey up the mountain in the afternoon, walking intermittently for over two hours, deepening into the heartland, remaining silent as if by tacit understanding throughout the journey.
Suddenly, the youth stopped his steps, but even such a simple motion ended up startling Lin Jiangxian into retreating repeatedly.
With a look of helplessness, he turned around.
"I didn’t bring you deep into the mountains to sell you, why so nervous?"
In his experience, he had never seen anyone so afraid of him. Sister Lin here was the first, especially the way she looked at him, was more than just fear, but rather...
Somewhat as if looking at some kind of monster.
"Sorry... not nervous, it’s just that there are so many people around."
The girl took a couple of small steps to get close behind Jiang Feng, wiped the sweat from her forehead, then whispered in a hushed voice.
"Brother Jiang, a total of eight hundred seventy people entered the mountain before us, among them, two hundred twenty-one took our direction."
"Then along the way, we encountered seventy-nine people, indicating that at least one hundred forty-two are ahead of us."
"But among those seventy-nine people, nearly sixty of them stirred their spiritual energy when they sensed us nearing – they all wanted to make a move on us."
Her voice grew fainter, head bowed in embarrassment.
Clearly, these people harbored ill intentions seeing her weak cultivation; if not for Jiang Feng’s company, she feared she could have been robbed of her Token within half an hour of entering.
This was also why she was willing to spend seven days seeking someone to accompany her into the mountain. This content belongs to novęlfire.net
Without offering consolations, for some people with little confidence, consolation was nearly ineffective. Only by realizing their own value could they gain enough confidence.
Then, the youth took a step back, allowing them to walk side by side.
If judged solely from behind, the angle at which the two walked didn’t resemble siblings, but rather appeared more like an old father taking his daughter out for an excursion.
"Do you merely have an impression of them, or can you remember each person?"
"I can remember them all."
Although the girl’s voice was soft, it carried absolute confidence; had it not been for her ability to memorize anything at a glance, perhaps...
Her family would not have perished.
They chatted leisurely as they walked, and while Jiang Feng could not be said to possess a high EQ, he certainly knew what not to bring up; of course, annoying people intentionally was another matter.
Thus, it was impossible for him to ask such senseless questions as "Where’s your family?" or "What about your parents?" – many experiences are written on one’s face after all.
"Do you still remember how many participants have successfully achieved Foundation Establishment this time?"
"Fifty-eight, no, I should say, I felt fifty-eight who have established their foundation, they are all very impressive."
"More than anticipated, roughly half according to the ratio, which means the total number of people who established their foundations is about five hundred as I estimated. Do you remember if any of those seventy-nine people we passed on the road has achieved Foundation Establishment?"
"Five, but I can’t judge their specific realm."
Her response was without hesitation. Not being able to determine their exact realm was only natural; after all, her own strength was still too feeble.
Hearing this, the man merely smiled faintly and then casually swept his gaze back.
"Speaking of which, let’s stop for today. I’m a bit tired, and this damn place is weirdly cold in the winter."
The tall figure in front of her did not show any signs of flushed face or panting; indeed, this two-hour mountain trek was no different from a walk for him.
Moreover, his clothing was light. Ever since Jiang Feng took the Scarlet Pill, his body has always held a warmth, which has not dissipated to this day.
The disparity between Innate and Acquired was indeed vast; it’s – even if you give the village dog the highest quality Body Tempering Pill and two Scarlet Pills, that dog would have the potential to become the Howling Celestial Dog.
But since Jiang Feng had suggested it, she obediently stopped walking.
The young man casually chose a place facing south with the north elevation blocking the mountain wind, found two dead trees, and, mirroring the exact actions of his senior sister, raised his hand to use Spiritual Energy as a blade for direct cutting.
With precise control, Spiritual Energy surged from different acupoints in his palm at varying speeds to maximize power.
Before Lin Jiangxian’s eyes, the young man’s palms sliced through the wood like tofu, creating two stakes – a chair for each person.
She stared blankly at the movements of the man’s hands. It was not the act of cutting wood that impressed her, but Jiang Feng’s hands; clearly, she knew her stuff.
Spiritual Energy flowed unimpeded in his meridians, without any stagnation.
From the release of Spiritual Energy to its complete dissipation, the action was fluid, and the terrifying precision made it impossible to guess that he was a youth who had just started cultivating, instead resembling an intricately experienced old monster.