Chapter 32

Chapter 32: If the sky falls, Xie Chenzhou’s mouth will hold it up

The time flow in the secret realm was different from the outside world. A day in the outside world was just a moment here.

The sky here was always bright, Sang Nian didn’t know how long she had been climbing, the cliff stretched long and far to the sky, as if it would never end.

Shen Mingchao followed behind her, at first he could still argue with her, but later, his eyes went blank, he could only gasp for breath.

But seeing Sang Nian’s calm expression, he gritted his teeth and continued forward.

Outside the light curtain, the elders were in an uproar:

“They actually climbed up, these two have such strong willpower!”

“In my opinion, the little girl named Sang Nian is even better.” The Second Elder said, “If it weren’t for her, Shen Mingchao would have given up long ago.”

He happily said: “My vision is indeed good, I’ve decided to take this disciple.”

“Taking a disciple is a matter of mutual consent, you can’t just be eager and impatient.” The Seventh Elder said lightly, “What if she likes my Hidden Sword Peak?”

The Second Elder raised his eyebrows: “Are you trying to steal her from me?”

The Seventh Elder smiled: “What do you mean steal? I’m just giving her more options.”

The Second Elder was about to explode, the Fifth Elder motioned for everyone to be quiet, and said in a low voice:

“But don’t you think her eyes and brows… look a bit like Jing Xian, and she has the Scattered Snow Sword in her hand, could it be that she is really…”

Everyone looked at each other, their expressions varied.

There was a little movement from below the cliff.

Xie Chenzhou slowly opened his eyes, his gaze falling on the edge of the cliff.

There, a hand covered in scars was groping around, looking for a flat foothold.

He got up and walked over.

“Who?” A shadow fell, Sang Nian looked up, squinting her eyes, she asked tentatively:

“Xie Chenzhou?”

Xie Chenzhou stood against the light, his expression couldn’t be seen:

“Yes.”

Sang Nian was startled, “You’ve been waiting for me here all this time?”

Xie Chenzhou didn’t speak, he looked down at her.

The girl’s face was flushed, her forehead and nose were covered in sweat, a few strands of messy hair stuck to her cheeks, she looked both pathetic and pitiful.

But those black and white eyes were incredibly bright.

They contained something he had never seen before…

Life force.

Like the grass in early spring, or the trees in midsummer, or the green apricots on the branches, it was so vibrant it was unbelievable.

Xie Chenzhou was slightly lost in thought.

“No, brother, you really have no eye for detail.” Sang Nian complained, “It’s fine if you don’t help me up, but at least don’t block the way.”

Xie Chenzhou’s gaze shifted to her hand.

He had only seen the injuries on her hand from afar, but now that he was close, he realized that the girl’s fingertips were covered in a thick layer of blood, her nails were full of dirt, and her knuckles were stiff from prolonged gripping.

He looked for a moment, then bent down and grabbed her hand.

Sang Nian used his strength to climb onto the last rock, stumbling forward a few steps.

As she was about to bump into his arms, she quickly dodged to the right, landing on the ground with a thud.

Xie Chenzhou was about to go over, but another hand stretched out from below the cliff, shaking like a sieve.

“Commoner… kind person, please pull me up too.”

Shen Mingchao said weakly:

“I have no strength left.”

Xie Chenzhou chuckled softly, ignoring him.

Shen Mingchao sniffed, his eyes were red: “Please, brother.”

Xie Chenzhou’s face was full of disgust, he grabbed his hair and pulled him up, “If you dare call me that again, I’ll kill you.”

Shen Mingchao cried out in pain, covering his head and falling onto him.

Xie Chenzhou kicked him away, “Get lost.”

Shen Mingchao spun around twice in place, slowly falling beside Sang Nian, his movements were sadly melancholic, like a broken-winged butterfly.

A tear rolled down his cheek:

“I’ve never been treated so unfairly in my whole life.”

Sang Nian silently moved away, “Then you’re being treated that way now.”

Xie Chenzhou walked over to her, “Three days.”

Sang Nian: “What?”

Xie Chenzhou: “You took three days to climb up.”

After listening, Sang Nian solemnly gave him a thumbs up:

“I’m so awesome.”

Xie Chenzhou: “…”

“You waited for me here for three days?” she asked.

“Who said I was waiting for you?” Xie Chenzhou said, “I was just enjoying the scenery here.”

“Alright, alright, you’ve been enjoying the scenery here for three days, looking at the cliff, right?” Sang Nian got up and patted the dust off her clothes, “But how did you know I would climb up?”

Xie Chenzhou took out the paper crane she had given him, a faint light connected the two of them.

“I almost forgot, it can tell you my location.” Sang Nian sighed, “You really have patience, I thought you would have left like everyone else.”

Xie Chenzhou said with a straight face: “I was just enjoying the scenery.”

If the sky falls, this person’s mouth will hold it up.

Sang Nian held back the urge to roll her eyes, “Let’s go, let’s go, hurry up and go to the next level.”

The forgotten Shen Mingchao wanted to get up and catch up with them, but in the end, he could only turn over weakly, urging:

“Sang Nian! This prince orders you to wait for me!”

Hearing his voice, Xie Chenzhou’s footsteps paused slightly.

Sang Nian waved to Shen Mingchao without turning back:

“Remember, you owe me sixteen bottles of Gathering Yuan Pills and twenty bottles of Spirit Spring Water, you have to pay me back, with interest.”

Their figures gradually disappeared from sight, Shen Mingchao lay back in a huff, pounding the ground:

“I didn’t say I wouldn’t pay you back, what’s wrong with waiting for me? You stingy ghost!”

Sang Nian is a stingy ghost!!!

The entrance to the third level was on the mountaintop.

Passing through a vortex-shaped door, the scene in front of them changed instantly.

The white clouds, lush green mountains disappeared, replaced by a long corridor.

Sang Nian: “Just keep walking forward.”

Xie Chenzhou nodded.

The two of them walked side by side into the corridor.

It was very quiet around them, they could clearly hear each other’s breathing.

Suddenly, Xie Chenzhou asked casually:

“He called you Sang Nian.”

Sang Nian: “Huh?”

Xie Chenzhou: “The one who climbed up with you.”

She was confused: “You mean Shen Mingchao?”

Xie Chenzhou: “You’ve already exchanged names.”

Sang Nian nodded: “Yes, yes, that’s right.”

Xie Chenzhou: “You let him call you Sang Nian?”

Sang Nian said: “Yes.”

He suddenly chuckled, his voice slow:

“So your relationship is that good.”

Sang Nian waved her hand: “I’m about to be annoyed to death by him, he talks so much, he’s been asking questions all the way, as if he’s someone important to me.”

Xie Chenzhou was silent for a moment, then suddenly quickened his pace, leaving Sang Nian behind in an instant.

【Ding~ Xie Chenzhou’s favorability -1】

What’s with the minus one?

Sang Nian was dumbfounded, she ran after him:

“Don’t walk too fast, I can’t keep up.”

Xie Chenzhou’s speed increased even more.

Sang Nian was anxious: “What if we get separated if you do this?”

Xie Chenzhou didn’t know what was wrong with him, he just felt that everything was wrong, everything was annoying.

He sneered: “If we get separated, then we get separated.”

Sang Nian was puzzled:

“Are you angry? Why?”

Xie Chenzhou: “I’m not.”

Sang Nian: “You are.”

Xie Chenzhou: “I’m not.”

Sang Nian also got angry: “You are!”

“Um, you two, can you pause the argument for a moment?”

A weak voice came.

Sang Nian turned her head and saw a man wearing the Xiaoyao sect uniform.

She realized that she and Xie Chenzhou had unknowingly walked out of the passageway and arrived at the edge of a wide river.

The river was turbulent, an ancient stone bridge spanned the water.

The Xiaoyao sect disciple said: “This is the final level of the selection, the rules are simple, just walk across this bridge.”

“We’ll argue later.” Sang Nian said to Xie Chenzhou, “Let’s cross the river first.”

Xie Chenzhou didn’t say a word and walked onto the bridge.

He took one step, his face changed slightly, and he stopped in his tracks.

Sang Nian walked briskly, “Go on, what are you standing there for?”

Xie Chenzhou swallowed the bloody sweetness in his throat without showing any sign of it, and took another step forward.

His face suddenly turned pale, but his expression remained unchanged, he followed Sang Nian steadily.

They crossed the bridge smoothly.

The Second Elder, who was eagerly waiting on the other side, greeted them warmly, his expression was particularly kind when he looked at Sang Nian:

“You have passed all the tests and officially become disciples of the Xiaoyao sect.”

Sang Nian was surprised: “It’s that easy?”

“Easy?” The Second Elder laughed, “Do you know what this bridge is called?”

It wasn’t written in the book, Sang Nian honestly shook her head.

“This bridge is the famous Little Xiao Naihe Bridge, it was built by the first patriarch of the Xiaoyao sect who went to the underworld and brought back stones from the bank of the River of Forgetfulness, it can discern good and evil, and can recognize people’s hearts.”

The Second Elder said leisurely:

“If the person who crosses the bridge is burdened with killing karma, with all seven sins of greed, anger, delusion, hatred, love, evil, and desire…”

“Then every step they take will be like breaking bones and tendons, a thousand cuts.”

“Such pain, no one can bear.”