Fang Hui bought three apples and gave one each to Ming Li and Qian Li.

Qian Li asked how much he paid, and Fang Hui replied: “Five yuan.”

“Fool!” Qian Li looked at him with exasperation.

Fang Hui flipped through his book, apparently finding nothing worth reading, and returned to their previous topic, asking Qian Li: “From what you said, it doesn’t sound like you hate your father?”

Qian Li bit into his apple with crunching sounds: “I despise him!”

Fang Hui said, “Then it’s simple. After you finish eating, lie down, close your eyes, and imagine 108 ways for him to die. You’ll fall asleep quickly.”

Qian Li was speechless: “You sound like you have experience.”

Fang Hui tossed his apple into the air and caught it, unusually pulling his lips into a slight smile.

After finishing his apple, Qian Li chatted intermittently with Fang Hui, and eventually lay down and fell asleep.

Neither Ming Li nor Fang Hui slept.

One read a book, the other watched the mountain.

After a long while, one looked up, the other looked down, and their gazes met.

In their silent eye contact, both expressed the same meaning: Why are you still awake?

Fang Hui asked first: “Not tired?”

Ming Li shook her head.

“Tomorrow’s mountain challenge won’t be easy,” Fang Hui said.

Ming Li leaned against the tree, raising her hand to point out several star lines in the void that caught Fang Hui’s attention. She said, “You’re not tired either.”

Fang Hui looked toward the sky: “My Spiritual Court meridian is more sensitive than most people’s, making it difficult for me to fall asleep.”

When spiritual power was overly strong and difficult to control, this kind of situation would indeed occur.

Junior Sister Qing Ying often had this trouble.

Due to her exceptionally strong Spiritual Court meridian, she seemed to have endless energy, rushing back and forth between the Seven Sects all day long. Whenever fellow disciples or academy heads needed help, she was always the first to volunteer.

In others’ eyes, Qing Ying was lively, adorable, helpful, and extremely kind.

In Ming Li’s eyes, Qing Ying was: Junior Sister has been forced to consume spiritual power again today; I hope she can sleep tonight.

Chen Zhou had many responsibilities, but they all involved governing Yao Guang Academy, so he couldn’t easily ask Qing Ying to share the burden. Only her elder brother, who spent his days fighting outside, would take Qing Ying along with him.

Several times after getting into trouble and being defeated, he would also bring Zhou Zixi along.

Upon their return, they were punished and sent to the Disciplinary Hall for several days.

Since her elder brother wasn’t technically a Bei Dou disciple, the Disciplinary Hall had no authority over him, so he calmly left under the watchful gazes of Qing Ying and Zhou Zixi to find his sister.

Even so, Qing Ying still often couldn’t sleep.

When she couldn’t sleep, she would seek out Ming Li, and the two would lie together on the outdoor bamboo mat in the courtyard at night, chatting and watching the stars.

Qing Ying, with her hands folded under her chin, tilted her head to look at Ming Li: “My primary star meridian is Thunderous Roar, but my Spiritual Court meridian power is stronger. Yet I can’t learn the spirit techniques of the Circulating Qi meridian well and cannot specialize in the Eight Meridian formations. Senior Sister, what else can I do?”

Ming Li sat with her knees bent, one hand supporting her chin, the other lightly touching the star lines in the void to modify the formation.

Though she was multitasking, she still answered thoughtfully: “Having a powerful Spiritual Court meridian is advantageous for specializing in any meridian. You have many options. Your difficulty with the Circulating Qi meridian isn’t due to lack of talent, but because you don’t like it.”

“But I just don’t have the patience to learn the Circulating Qi meridian,” Qing Ying rolled over, coming to Ming Li’s side and pressing on her skirt. “I don’t know why, but whenever I practice the Circulating Qi meridian, I get distracted, lose control, and can’t focus.”

Ming Li said seriously, “This indicates that your control over the Pulse of the Heart meridian is unstable, preventing you from concentrating. Either train with Senior Brother for a while, or practice with me?”

Qing Ying struggled with the decision: “That’s a difficult choice.”

Ming Li: “No rush, take your time. I’ll be free for a while.”

After considering, Qing Ying said, “I’ll train with Senior Brother for a period. If I choose you, Senior Sister, I’m afraid other disciples might become jealous.”

Ming Li asked: “Really?”

Qing Ying nodded: “Yes, like Zixi. If I train with you for a while, preventing him from discussing Eight Meridian formations with you daily, when Ye Yun and I later ask him to help us go down the mountain, he definitely won’t be willing.”

“Zixi, huh,” Ming Li said somewhat wistfully. “He’s not that petty.”

“He’s extremely petty, and he clings to you even more than I do,” Qing Ying said, sitting up alongside her, swaying her head and humming. “I think he just wants to monopolize you, Senior Sister. Every time I offer him something related to you in exchange for his help going down the mountain, he always takes the bait. Even Senior Brother uses this trick.”

Ming Li was startled: “My brother doesn’t also…”

Qing Ying said, “He started it!”

Ming Li: “…”

Her brother had always been quite adept at selling out his sister.

Ming Li asked: “What trouble has my brother gotten into recently?”

“Nothing much, just challenging people to fights everywhere, dominating many students from Guo City during the Martial Academy trials, and finally being blacklisted by the Martial Supervision Alliance, forbidden from participating in Martial Academy trials,” Qing Ying counted on her fingers. “Due to roaming the wilderness and feuding with earth ghosts, he was chased from the north to the south… hey, chased from the north to the south!”

Ming Li laughed outright, without restraint.

The two were laughing non-stop about her brother’s foolishness when the person in question arrived outside the courtyard with Chen Zhou. Chen Zhou symbolically knocked on the wooden post at the entrance, looking at the two inside and saying, “Dinner time.”

Ming Li tilted her head: “Senior Brother, you’re the only one who hasn’t had dinner at this hour.”

Chen Zhou waved his hand dismissively: “Then let’s have a midnight snack. Zixi just said he’ll cook.”

The two in the courtyard immediately stood up.

Her brother asked Ming Li, “What were you laughing about?”

Ming Li looked at him once and couldn’t help laughing again. Afterward, her brother kept muttering to her about his embarrassing history of being chased from the north to the south.

In her long yet brief life, what Ming Li cherished most and wholeheartedly protected was not the world’s common people, but these ordinary daily moments.

*

The morning sun rose, its light scattering upon the treetops of the mountain peak. The morning bell rang on Ghost Dwelling Mountain, its ancient and clear sound spreading throughout heaven and earth, audible even in the city below the mountain.

Students who had been sound asleep on the ground sat up with a start upon hearing the bell and began packing their belongings, preparing for the mountain challenge.

Qian Li yawned as he got up and looked toward Ghost Dwelling Mountain. Hearing the bell sound was like having clear spring water poured over his head, washing away a day’s impurities, relieving fatigue, and instantly refreshing the spirit.

This was Nan Que’s famous Spirit-Quieting Bell.

It rang only at Chen hour (7-9 am) daily, crisp yet deep, calming the mind and invigorating the spirit. Its sound carried across heaven and earth, audible throughout Nan Que Qi Zong.

Even non-Nan Que disciples often came at specific times to hear the bell, intending to cleanse themselves of worldly concerns, calm their minds, and focus their spirits.

The students who had waited a night at the foot of the mountain began moving toward the notice board for the mountain challenge. Today, the disciple supervising the mountain challenge was Lin Xiao from Nan Que’s Zhen Dwelling.

With a friendly face, he patiently explained the rules while he and other disciples distributed mountain entry tokens: “Inside are four levels of mountain formations, corresponding to different challenges. Only those who pass all tests can see the entrance to Ghost Dwelling Mountain, meaning the challenge is successful. Then we shall meet again.”

The entry tokens were wrapped around each person’s left wrist. Upon passing the notice board and entering the mountain, they would already be within the formation.

Lin Xiao added: “If anyone wishes to withdraw, simply crush the entry token, and you’ll immediately exit the formation.”

Many people entered the mountain. Ming Li looked up and saw a sea of heads as far as her vision reached.

First Level: Ascending the Mountain.

Within the mountain was a grand pathway to the sky, spacious enough to accommodate nearly a thousand people. At the end of the path stood a statue of the Vermilion Bird with outstretched wings, seemingly about to soar into the sky.

Students scratched their heads in confusion: “How do we proceed?”

“There’s only this one path, just go up,” said someone who then stepped onto the stone steps of the grand path and walked upward with an unchanged expression.

Others followed, but many collapsed to their knees after just one step, unable to move further and crying out in surprise.

Qian Li and Fang Hui turned back in astonishment to find that many people were in the same situation, while Ming Li had not yet moved, quietly observing the Vermilion Bird statue at the end from within the crowd.

“What’s happening?” Qian Li scratched his head.

Ming Li withdrew her gaze, glancing at the others who were kneeling and sweating, and said: “The first trial is screening the Awakening level. Powerful star force within the passage makes it difficult for those below Five Meridian Awakening to move.”

People with Five Meridian Awakening or above felt no pressure walking along the passage and moved freely.

Those below, however, had a different experience. The pressure on their shoulders and backs made them sweat profusely. Their feet seemed bound by thousand-pound stones, making each step incredibly difficult. Either they couldn’t advance, or they couldn’t withstand the pressure of the star force and fell to their knees.

Ming Li stepped onto the stairs and headed upward. Qian Li occasionally looked back at the people behind them: some of the young men his age chose to withdraw, others gritted their teeth and persisted, but eventually succumbed to the invisible pressure of the star force, kneeling and falling one after another, their eyes filled with unwillingness.

The talent gap between people manifested clearly in the contrast between the young men kneeling and those walking high above.

*

When Lin Xiao arrived at the entrance of Ghost Dwelling Mountain, he found that several academy heads were already there.

The heads of Zhen Dwelling and Ghost Dwelling were watching the few people leading on the mountain path. A beautiful woman sitting nearby, carefully applying color to her nails, asked: “Are there any good prospects with Eight Meridian Awakening today?”

“Yes,” the head of Ghost Dwelling said thoughtfully, “more than one.”

“Oh?” Li Yansi, the head of Wing Dwelling, looked over with interest. “How many?”

The head of Zhen Dwelling answered slowly: “Three.”

Lin Xiao, who had just reached his master’s side, raised his head in surprise.

Li Yansi activated her Heavy Eyes meridian to look down the mountain. By now, there were three to five people at the Vermilion Bird statue, including the first young man to step onto the stone stairs. He had never once looked back, and upon reaching the end, clicked his tongue, untied the wine gourd from his waist, and began drinking in large gulps.

The head of Ghost Dwelling said, “He is one of them.”

Lin Xiao immediately pulled up the registration information from the Martial Supervision Alliance: “Qiu Hong, from Wind Thunder Martial Academy.”

The head of Zhen Dwelling looked at the young man to the left of Qiu Hong, who was bent over with his hands on his knees, panting heavily. Unlike the others who had reached the top with ease, he looked utterly exhausted, covered in sweat. He reached out and patted Qiu Hong beside him: “Good brother, let me have a drink.”

Qiu Hong gave it to him, and the young man took a large gulp, then spat it all out: “Why are you drinking alcohol in broad daylight?”

“If you’re not drinking, don’t waste it!” Qiu Hong snatched it back anxiously.

Lin Xiao looked at the registration information: “Cheng Jingbai, from Feng He Martial Academy.”

“This kid…” Li Yansi withdrew her gaze and blew on her nails. “Others are sweating and struggling to move due to the star force pressure, but he’s panting even after reaching the Vermilion Bird platform simply because of poor physical stamina.”

“The last one,” the head of Zhen Dwelling said, looking at Ming Li, who was still walking upward. She wasn’t hurrying at all, strolling casually, causing the unwilling young men behind her to look on with envy and jealousy.

Li Yansi praised: “This little girl is just to my liking.”

Lin Xiao said, “Zhou Li, from Genius Martial Academy.”

The head of Ghost Dwelling nodded: “Eight Meridian Awakening, truly a genius, haha!”

No one responded to his pun.

The head of Ghost Dwelling pretended nothing had happened as he stroked his beard, then suddenly exclaimed in surprise: “There’s one more.”

The fourth was a young man who had just stepped onto the stairs. He carried a basket on his back filled with various fruits, running up swiftly while shouting: “Cheng Jingbai! You still owe me four fifty! Pay up quickly!”

Lin Xiao quickly pulled up the information: “Dou Lanmin, from Cloud State’s Nan Que Branch.”

Dou Lanmin was running so fast while trying to avoid others struggling upward that he accidentally bumped into Qian Li. Just as Qian Li steadied himself, he heard Dou Lanmin say: “Sorry, sorry!”

Then he turned with a completely different expression: “Cheng Jingbai!”

Qian Li was momentarily stunned and said, “The fruit-selling swindler from last night!”

Ming Li looked thoughtfully at the apple that had fallen from the basket into her hand during the collision. When she reached the Vermilion Bird platform, she casually tossed the apple back into Dou Lanmin’s basket.

Watching the noisy young people below, Li Yansi stretched her fingers with satisfaction: “Today wasn’t a waste.”

Qian Li, standing on the Vermilion Bird platform, looked back to see that they were separated from the struggling young men below by an unbridgeable distance. He turned his head to look at Ming Li beside him, realizing that even among the seemingly victorious people on the platform, there were distances that would be difficult to cross in a lifetime.

Of the originally teeming hundreds of people, half had now been eliminated.

The remaining half who had reached the Vermilion Bird platform looked ahead to where the Vermilion Bird statue now stood below them.

Second Level: Descending the Mountain.

By now, everyone had more or less guessed: if the first trial screened for Awakening, the second trial likely targeted Eight Meridian Full Boundary.

Before coming, Qian Li had only achieved the Three Meridian Full Boundary. After fighting with Snake Skeleton, Gray Scorpion, and others, he had reached the Four Meridian Full Boundary, making his injuries worthwhile.

But facing the stone path downward, he still hesitated, because the threshold for Nan Que Qi Zong was not merely the Four Meridian Full Boundary.

Beside him, people who had already stepped onto the stone path were showing signs of distress, kneeling under the pressure of the star force.

Even with Eight Meridian Awakening, anyone below Five Meridian Full Boundary would feel immense pressure during the descent.

Qian Li took a deep breath, fully prepared, and said to Ming Li: “Don’t walk yet. Let me scout the path for you.”

Ming Li only had Single Meridian Full Boundary, so walking here would certainly be more difficult for her.

Thinking this, Qian Li had just taken one step forward when he felt pressure pushing down on his shoulders. He frowned, secretly enhancing his physical form through his Body Technique meridian, and continued forward. After another step, he turned back to Ming Li and said: “This star force—”

Before he could finish, he saw Ming Li walking past him with an unchanged expression.

Her lifted hair showed no sign of pressure. Ming Li took each step with ease, and as she passed Fang Hui, she even said “Keep going” to encourage him.

Qian Li: “?”

This doesn’t make sense!

Isn’t she at Single Meridian Full Boundary? Why is she moving more easily than I am?!

During the ascent, Ming Li had noticed that the Pilgrimage Fire within her body strongly reacted to the abundant star force. Since the Pilgrimage Fire indiscriminately devoured the star force within Ming Li’s body, the pressure surging toward her during the descent was all consumed by the Pilgrimage Fire within.

At this moment, Ming Li was the person moving most easily among everyone present.

While others slowed down and struggled to move due to the star force pressure, she walked upright to the front with a leisurely pace.

Cheng Jingbai was trying to move forward when Dou Lanmin grabbed his collar, demanding payment. Both were restrained by the star force in the mountain formation, their every move like slow motion. When they saw Ming Li passing by with just a few relaxed steps, they widened their eyes in astonishment.

Qiu Hong was just three levels away from Five Meridian Full Boundary and had originally been leading the way. However, during the short journey, he became out of breath and couldn’t help but rest his hands on his knees to catch his breath. From the corner of his eye, he was stunned to see Ming Li walking past.

Her breathing was steady, without panting or fatigue, not even a drop of sweat on her forehead, strolling as if in her own back garden.

At the mountain entrance, Li Yansi watched in silence and asked the other two: “She’s at Single Meridian Full Boundary, right?”

The head of Ghost Dwelling nodded affirmatively: “She’s at Single Meridian, absolutely no mistake.”

The head of Zhen Dwelling said slowly, “This year is quite interesting.”

Compared to others moving forward under pressure, Ming Li leisurely reached the destination and then turned back to look.

Qiu Hong, who was a bit behind, asked her: “How many meridians have you reached Full Boundary in?”

Ming Li answered candidly: “Single Meridian Full Boundary.”

Qiu Hong was greatly shocked: “Then how did you walk so easily?”

Ming Li paused, then said: “I walked with my feet.”