Gong Sang Mo tosses up the stone in his hand before saying, "If one person pa.s.ses through right after another, the walls will remain open longer."
Yun Qian Yu"s eyes light up. Even a second longer will bring a huge difference to them.
She looks at Gong Sang Mo in admiration; no wonder his nickname is "fox". He is indeed smart.
Gong Sang Mo calmly accepts Yun Qian Yu"s admiring gaze. He stoops down and throws the stone to the jadeite pathway. Just as the walls are about to close down, he throws another stone, causing it to reopen and close, one more second slower than the time it previously took.
Both of them are ecstatic.
However, Gong Sang Mo is still not satisfied. He throws another stone and when the walls retreat, he throws another one causing the walls to close down once again.
Yun Qian Yu is so happy that she does not know how control her emotions.
This means that they will be able to buy themselves three more seconds. The time it will take for the walls to close will increase from 9 seconds to 12 seconds.
The problem right now is how to transport the two eagles.
After discussing between themselves, Gong Sang Mo and Yun Qian Yu turn to the eagles, "Later, Yu Er and I will help move you two out. Close your wings and do not move. Do you understand me?"
The male eagle nods. He hooted to his companion, seemingly saying something. After that, the female eagle seems to understand as well.
The two of them starts preparing, gauging the weights of the eagles.
The male eagle perches in front of the pathway. Gong Sang Mo throws a stone and uses his inner power to pushe the eagle along with Yun Qian Yu the moment the walls open.
The male eagle glides along the jadeite pathway, escaping it just as the walls clasp back together.
He excitedly flies up and dances in the air in grat.i.tude.
The female eagle is overjoyed that her partner is saved.
Her turn comes next.
When she is safe on the other side, only Gong Sang Mo and Yun Qian Yu are left.
Gong Sang Mo looks at Yun Qian Yu, "You first."
Yun Qian Yu shakes her head. She knows what Gong Sang Mo is intending to do. He wants her to go first so that he can help boost her from behind. However, their inner power is very precious right now. They cannot afford to waste it any longer.
However, Gong Sang Mo is also adamant to stay behind. He would never leave first and leave Yun Qian Yu by herself.
Yun Qian Yu knows that Gong Sang Mo will not budge, so she retreats a step, "Fine, I will go first. But, you cannot use your inner power to support me."
Gong Sang Mo looks at Yun Qian Yu for a long while, "Alright."
There are four stones in Gong Sang Mo"s hands right now. Yun Qian Yu takes two, "I will throw them myself."
Gong Sang Mo does not object to them; it does not matter who throws them.
Yun Qian Yu throws the first stone. Just as she throws the second stone, she uses her other hand to press Gong Sang Mo"s acupuncture point. Then, she uses her inner power to catapults herself to the other side.
As she flies, she leaves Gong Sang Mo a parting word, "Sang Mo, your acupuncture point will automatically be unlocked after 10 seconds."
Gong Sang Mo did not think that Yun Qian Yu would do that. He could only watch her anxiously.
Yun Qian Yu uses her entire energy to fly through the pathway. Just as she is about to reach the end of the tunnel, she slips on one of the stones that they threw. She falls forward. The walls start closing down.
Gong Sang Mo, who can only watch, immediately sees red.
Just as the walls are about to close down on her, one of the eagles cleverly drags her out by biting her in the arm. The very second Yun Qian Yu leaves the tunnel, the walls closes down.
At that moment, Gong Sang Mo"s acupuncture point is relieved. Without even waiting, he throws a stone and rushes to follow Yun Qian Yu. His speed is downright mindblowing.
Yun Qian Yu who did not even get to sit down quickly turns to him, "Had I known you would be that fast, I would"ve asked you to carry me over."
Gong Sang Mo turns around and finds the walls closing down behind them. His speed was only due to his worry and anger.
Yun Qian Yu gets up, her arm that got bitten throbbing miserably.
The male eagle is anxious as well; Yun Qian Yu"s arm must be bruising really badly right now.
When Gong Sang Mo sees her grimacing, all his previous anger immediately disappears. He pulls open her sleeve, revealing her bruised arm. He glares at her in exasperation.
"It hurts," whines Yun Qian Yu daintily.
This is the first time she has ever acted this delicately.
Gong Sang Mo is immediately mollycoddled by her sweetness, his anger immediately disappearing.
He helps ma.s.sage the bruised part, "I will ma.s.sage it for you, bear with me for a while."
To tell the truth, the pain is nothing for Yun Qian Yu. However, it is heartwarming to see someone treating her with so much care.
The male eagle lowers his head in regret when he sees that mark on Yun Qian Yu"s arm.
Yun Qian Yu pats his wings comfortingly, "Thank you for saving me."
The eagle immediately looks at her with sparkling eyes.
Gong Sang Mo rubs her arm for a long time before finally stopping, "This is what you get for showing off."
Yun Qian Yu smiles while clicking her tongue. She points at the pathway in front of them, "We have no idea how much time we have left, we should go."
"That will be the only time, alright."
"En." Yun Qian Yu knows that he is referring to her pressing his acupuncture point and putting herself in danger. Never mind him, even she regrets her action.
Both of them bow in front of the three Seniors. Since they cannot retrieve their remains for them, they can only show respect.
Gong Sang Mo holds Yun Qian Yu"s hand as he drags her to the pathway.
The pathway is really long. By now, both of them have regained around 2 layers of inner power, so they are not as nervous anymore.
They reach an exit not long later. Both of them are shocked. What sort of test is this? Medicinal test?
The entire cave is filled with flowers and herbs. Yun Qian Yu and Gong Sang Mo are both good at medicine, so they naturally know that these herbs are all precious and rare.
They stand there frozen. There is a stone table in the middle of the cave.
There is a jade box on top of the table, along with mortar and pestle.
They exchange a look before walking towards the table.
The box is not locked, so Gong Sang Mo is able to pry the lid open. A silk brocade sits prettily inside the box.
Gong Sang Mo picks it up and spreads it open. The silk is actually a letter!
"Child, reading this letter means that you have pa.s.sed the previous tests. Everyone actually has something called a "heavenly pulse" within us. Once you unlock it, you will be able to connect and align your dantian. You will be able to achieve your every desire magnificently. The first two tests were in order to exhaust your inner power. The third test will enable you to regain you inner power to prepare you for the last test. You will need to use your inner power to unlock the matrix formation in the last test. Have you seen the flowers around? There are 36 different flowers and herbs in this cave. You must take equal amount of each and refine them to turn them into a pill. You will eat it at the very last stage. At the stone platform at the end of the test, you will need to re-cultivate Xue Lian Han Gong once again. Child, if your Xue Lian Han Gong has reached the ninth level, congratulation. You are successful. There will be a time limit for this test. These flowers cannot be exposed to air for long. I have organized everything such that all the exits and entrance will be closed every 6 hours. You will not be able to breath. Be mindful. If you cannot leave within the time limit, you will not be able to leave this place alive."
Yun Qian Yu and Gong Sang Mo drinks in every words. This trial is just like the trial in Tian En Temple; only the worthy can leave alive. Once successful, the boons that you get will be tenfold.
Gong Sang Mo puts the silk back to the box. Then, he drags Yun Qian Yu towards the flowers and herbs.
No one has managed to enter this cave for the past 100 years since it was built, Yun Qian Yu and Gong Sang Mo are the first ones. The plants have grown wildly all over the place.
The two of them divide the task. Each of them picks herbs from different sides, picking two of everything. Then, they bring everything back to the table.
However, the mortar and pestle are not big enough to accommodate all the herbs and flowers.
Gong Sang Mo points at the jade box, eliciting a laugh from Yun Qian Yu.
They place the herbs inside the mortar. Gong Sang Mo tries to pick the mortar up, but it refuses to budge even after he uses force. Only then do they realize that the mortar and pestle are part of the table itself.
They understand the Senior Ancestor"s worry. He didn"t want greedy people to take the mortar and pestle away, causing people after them to have nothing to crush the herbs with.
They don"t linger much on it and immediately begins working. They begin grinding, and when the mortar seems to be unable to take more, they begin crushing the herbs using the jade box, having put aside the letter beforehand.
Both of them are very quick and efficient and before long, all 36 types of herbs and flowers have been crushed.
At that very moment, they begin hearing the sounds of the doors booming.
Gong Sang Mo immediately channels his inner power and combines the pastes together. Yun Qian Yu helps him out and refines the mixed paste into two pills.
Gong Sang Mo then puts the letter back to the box, for the next lucky people to read.
Then, they call the two eagles and rush out.
The moment they step out of the cave, the exit is sealed.
Both of them sigh in relief.
That"s why the three-days limit exists. The pill can only be refined every six hours, once a person fails, the chance for them to leave is gone. If one fails, they will be locked inside the cave to die.
The limit is set to prepare the trial-takers.
The two of them walk along the pa.s.sageway while holding hands.
They both know the most important thing is waiting for them now.
The cave floor suddenly turns into stone steps. They climb it up.
After climbing for what feels like 10 storeys up, they finally reach the exit. They climb out into the open air.
This is the first time Yun Qian Yu learns to appreciate the cold, fresh air. "Sang Mo, if any other disciples want to try this out next, tell them to do it in the summer."
"Sure, not everyone will be as lucky as us," Gong Sang Mo looks at the two eagles following them.
Yun Qian Yu hugs herself, "I wonder where our outer robes fell."
Gong Sang Mo draws her against his chest to block her from the cold air.
When the two eagles hear her, they exchange a look before flying up in the air, looking for their robes.
Gong Sang Mo smiles, "Sometimes, animals are more compa.s.sionate than human."
"True," laughs Yun Qian Yu as she looks at the two giant white silhouettes in the air.
Gong Sang Mo checks their whereabout and discovers that they have gone around the giant stone arrays right to the opposite of where they had begun. The sun is high up in the air. It must be the noon of the third day.
Right in front of them is a twenty-metres round platform made of jade. There are 8 stone pillars circling on top of the platform while one is erected right in the middle of it. Snow lotuses are engraved on the pillars.
This must be the stone platform mentioned in Senior Ancestor"s letter.
"This is a matrix formation," Gong Sang Mo is better at reading matrix formation than Yun Qian Yu.
Yun Qian Yu can see that this is a cohesive array. This is generally used in battles when you are trying to ambush your enemies. This array will unite your inner power together.
"Let"s begin," suggests Gong Sang Mo.
"Alright," Yun Qian Yu is eager to cultivate Zi Yu Xin Jing. She wants to know how much breakthrough she has made.
Both of them steps onto the platform and sits cross-legged.
Yun Qian Yu shudders against the cold.
Gong Sang Mo frowns, "Will you be able to take it? Let"s wait for the eagles to return first."
She shakes her head, "No need. It won"t be cold once I start cultivating."
Both of them channel their inner power into the ninth pillar in the middle. They can feel the cohesive array beginning it"s work.
Yun Qian Yu takes out the two pills and hands one to Gong Sang Mo.
They both swallow the pills.
The pills taste very fresh and clean. The moment they swallow it, they can feel it beginning to work from inside their bodies. A burst of heat can be felt inside their stomachs and is emitted throughout their bodies, right into their heads.
Is this what the Senior Ancestor meant by unlocking the heavenly pulse? Neither of them resists the effect of the pills and simply embraces it.
Yun Qian Yu feels as though a door has been opened from her head. Her head feels clear and she feels like she is floating midair.
The heat gradually settles down and enters their dantians, slowing opening their heavenly pulses.
Yun Qian Yu immediately enters the world of cultivation.
This is their second time cultivating from scratch. No one cultivates as frequently as these two out there.
Since both of them have experienced Tian En Temple, both of them finished really fast.
If someone were to look at them from outside, they would see their temperaments and airs changing very rapidly.
By now, both eagles have found Yun Qian Yu and Gong Sang Mo"s coats. Each of them is carrying one.
However, since the cohesive array is going on, there is a protective circle around the stone platform. The array not only unites the cultivator"s inner power, it also protects them from outside influence. As long as Gong Sang Mo and Yun Qian Yu are not finished, no one can get near them.
The two eagles can only wait outside.
At the same time, a small crowd has gathered at the peak of the mountain.
Sheng Xue Tian Zun has been waiting there for three days without eating or drinking.
The Three Elders are also there.
Su Huai Feng, who originally needs to leave the mountain today decides to wait for his Senior Uncle with the rest of the people. Seeing the completion of Xue Lian Han Gong is an event that might only occur once every 100 years.
Feng Ran and Ji Shu Liu are also there.
The sun slowly falls to the west, causing the people"s hearts to sink with it. By the time the sun is about to set, their hearts sink to the bottom of their stomachs.
No one speaks up. No one is willing to acknowledge that the two people will never leave the trial alive.
At that moment, an unknown force can suddenly be felt from the bottom of the cliff. Everyone is excited. Sheng Xue Tian Zun stops meditating and stands up, looking at the bottom of the cliff.
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