Ascending, when the cliff disappeared from view, this enormous platform revealed itself before Jian Chou.
A vast and boundless wilderness, yet it was a world of ice and snow.
Jian Chou changed direction, moving toward the platform—
Ice and snow that seemed to have remained for ten thousand years covered the entire platform. As she flew through the air above this platform, Jian Chou looked down and saw a grove of trees beneath the ice and snow!
This time, it was no longer like the flower field with only blooming flowers everywhere.
There were flowers on the trees, but they were already withered and incomplete, as if the season had arrived and they had finally finished blooming. On the branches, patches of emerald green covered everything, green leaves one after another. Between the remnant red and deep jade green, there were green fruits one by one.
Flowers fade, red remnants…
Green apricots?
This Killing Red Small Realm truly had quite a poetic feel.
However…
Jian Chou looked at the world beneath her feet and couldn’t help frowning.
This “Flowers Fade, Red Remnants” stage was somewhat similar to Yashan Arsenal, with ice and snow covering everything below. The difference was that the arsenal was entirely composed of glaciers and ice fields, while beneath these faded red flowers, it seemed to be covered by an apricot grove that had already borne fruit but wasn’t yet fully ripe.
Jian Chou withdrew her gaze from beneath her feet and looked far into the distance.
Unlike the flower field, at the end of this ice field, covering the apricot grove, was another high cliff.
Presumably, passing through this ice field would lead to the third stage—
Of course, Jian Chou had experience.
Since the Killing Red Small Realm was passed stage by stage, it definitely wouldn’t be so easy to get through.
What would appear this time?
While this thought surfaced in her mind, her speed didn’t slow down at all.
Ghost Axe swiftly cut through the wind, and she could see she had already reached the middle of this ice-covered apricot grove!
Until this moment, Jian Chou’s speed was still first!
On the stone disc, a full five light rays were speeding forward.
The slower ones were the almost silent one from the west, and the seeker from the mortal realm in the northwest, called Qin Ruoxu.
Qin Ruoxu being slow was understandable, but why was the one from the west, who had obtained spiritual fire in the previous stage, also slow?
Those who occasionally noticed this scene couldn’t help frowning and secretly speculating.
Actually…
Zhang Tang from the west was just an ordinary mortal.
Climbing up the cliff was indeed too difficult for him.
For quite a while, the light ray representing him didn’t move at all.
Jian Chou was also somewhat curious about this person from the west who had once called himself “this official,” but now wasn’t the time for curiosity—she was speeding forward!
Bang!
The ground suddenly erupted with endless ice mist, immediately blocking Jian Chou’s path!
A man wearing a green brocade hat on his head and with strange purple-red patterns painted on his face stepped into the void in mid-air.
That voice was neither male nor female, truly chilling to hear.
“My name is Ximen Lu, the guardian of this Flowers Fade, Red Remnants stage. To pass this stage, you must pick a green apricot and eat it. Those who don’t eat will be killed without mercy~”
The highly raised tone at the end carried an extremely sinister feeling, making one feel as if placed in an ice cave!
Jian Chou stopped warily.
This time was different from encountering the red-clothed woman last time…
Last time, she could sense the red-clothed woman’s power. This time, she could also sense just how terrifying this fellow calling himself “Ximen Lu” was!
An almost crushing aura enveloped everything!
His powerful presence had already covered the entire ice field the moment he appeared!
His slightly upturned eye corners, ridiculous green clothes, and green hat, and strange purple-red facial patterns all gave people a feeling of unfathomable depth and extreme discomfort…
He stood ethereally in mid-air, like an ordinary living person with specific and subtle expressions.
Having just tempered her body’s bones and achieved the second layer of “Human Vessel,” Jian Chou had been prepared to have a good fight after reaching the second stage, to take the ice vine jade essence she needed in one go. She hadn’t expected to encounter such a troublesome character!
The stone disc quietly rotated, floating beside her.
She didn’t respond to Ximen Lu’s words for the moment, only turned back to look at the stone disc—
At this moment, besides herself, four other light rays on the stone disc had almost simultaneously stopped moving!
Needless to say, everyone had encountered trouble.
Jian Chou finally withdrew her gaze and focused it back on Ximen Lu.
Pick green apricots and eat them?
Die if you don’t eat?
The ice surface was so thick that breaking through it wouldn’t be easy, not to mention this apricot grove had been buried under the ice for who knows how many years. Remembering those strange words she’d seen in the previous stage, Jian Chou didn’t dare believe these green apricots were edible.
Then…
If she didn’t want to pick green apricots and certainly didn’t want to eat them, how should she pass this stage?
Although just standing before this Ximen Lu gave her a suffocating feeling, Jian Chou…
Wanted to try!
Then…
Try?
A strange light burst from her eyes.
Jian Chou’s body tensed bit by bit, like a bow gradually being drawn taut!
Twang!
The moment she was fully charged with power, her body shot directly toward Ximen Lu’s position!
Swiftly, a light streaked across!
Jian Chou threw a punch!
Boom!
The air seemed to be torn apart by this punch!
From her flesh and blood, wisps of spiritual energy spread out; from her bones, tiny sparks of fire emerged.
The moment Jian Chou threw this punch, spiritual energy and sparks intertwined together, actually all fusing into this one punch!
After reaching the second layer of “Human Vessel,” Jian Chou’s body had undergone a terrifyingly significant change. Just this hard-hitting punch could produce such wonderful changes. If she cultivated all the subsequent layers to completion, how spectacular would that be?
In that instant, Jian Chou’s gaze was even brighter than the sparks shooting from her fist!
Ximen Lu, standing at the end of her punch, strangely curved his lips upward.
The green hat on his head sat crookedly, and he also tilted his neck crookedly, as if examining the angle of Jian Chou’s punch.
Then…
He slowly extended his fist.
This punch appeared extremely slow to Jian Chou.
However, when it arrived, it was like lightning!
Bang!
In just an instant, the two fists collided!
Crack.
A familiar sound rang out, but this time it didn’t come from the opponent—
It was Jian Chou herself.
The bones of one hand felt like they were about to be shattered by this punch!
Jian Chou couldn’t help frowning—it hurt to the bone!
Ximen Lu’s fist was truly hard enough!
Boom!
After this punch, Jian Chou’s entire body flew backward!
However fast she had come, she flew back just as fast, even faster!
Behind her was the hard ice surface. Jian Chou knew well that falling would end badly.
Ghost Axe was timely controlled by her, falling behind her to support her back, which was about to hit the ground. The axe blade scraped across the ground, striking up a shower of ice shards!
She retreated a full hundred zhang!
Only then did Jian Chou slowly stop, barely stabilizing herself.
Looking up again, Ximen Lu, who had been in front of her, could now only be seen as a blurry shadow.
But…
Jian Chou was certain that in the instant she looked up, the opponent was smiling!
An ant is trying to shake a tree, not knowing her limitations.
The gap was truly too great…
Fighting was impossible.
Jian Chou suppressed the surging qi and blood in her body and finally looked down at her feet.
“Hehehe…”
Ximen Lu stood in place without moving at all, but his bone-chilling laughter drifted over.
“In this realm, I, Ximen Lu, am an invincible existence. This stage is designed by the ancestor to let others taste the sour and bitter flavor of green apricots… Don’t struggle anymore. Pick green apricots—perhaps you can pass through earlier…”
Undoubtedly, this was very sincere and stubborn advice.
Jian Chou wasn’t clear about the true strength of the Killing Red Small Realm’s master, but she was extremely clear that she couldn’t defeat him.
Indeed…
She still had to follow this stage’s rules.
Jian Chou slowly straightened her body and looked at her feet.
The thick ice surface hid everything.
Those small green apricots were all hidden beneath the ice…
Jian Chou lifted her fist to examine it. The earlier collision had left damage on her bones, but just moments later, faint sparks emerged from her bones—it was some of the azure lotus spiritual fire absorbed during the tempering process!
When the spiritual fire passed through, the cracked bones erupted with tremendous pain and melted!
However…
After the bones melted, the spiritual fire immediately receded.
Thus, the melted bones immediately cooled down.
Solidified.
The damaged bones returned to their original state, their color even more lustrous than before.
Seeing this, Jian Chou couldn’t control the corner of her mouth from twitching.
This heart-rending, lung-splitting agony was truly frightening every time…
However, it could be called abnormal!
The hard bones, already extraordinary to begin with, now had exceptional healing ability!
The abnormality of “Human Vessel” truly lived up to its reputation!
Even though cultivation involved countless sufferings, now seeing the bones’ formidable strength, Jian Chou had only one thought—
Worth it!
Continuous breaking, continuous burning, and healing—this could make bones even harder…
Then…
What reason did Jian Chou have not to smash the ice?
She looked at the ice surface, directly threw away her axe, immediately concealing it in her brow center, then punched the ice surface while her tense, long legs also swept directly toward the ice!
Bang bang!
Two tremendous sounds in succession!
The ice surface immediately exploded with…
Ice shards.
But only ice shards.
Earlier, she could punch a three-foot crater in a cliff wall, but now…
When the ice shards finished flying, only a shallow dent could be seen.
This ice surface was hard enough indeed.
Shaking her numb fingers, Jian Chou frowned.
“Hehe…”
A bout of gloating, strange laughter came from the distance. Ximen Lu laughed extremely cunningly.
Jian Chou looked up and also revealed a purely benevolent smile.
Hard?
Hard wasn’t the way.
The way was—
Hard, and able to become even harder!
Amid Ximen Lu’s strange laughter, Jian Chou directly swung her long leg, using force twice as fierce as the previous time, suddenly crashing toward the ice surface!
Boom!
Ice shards flew chaotically!
There were even shallow bloodstains!
The earlier strange laughter stopped abruptly. Ximen Lu stared at this scene almost stupidly, as if doubting whether this challenger was mentally ill!
Unable to break through and getting injured—why use even more force?
Jian Chou only felt extreme pain, but…
She discovered that pain taken to the extreme was also a kind of exhilaration!
Injury, then healing!
She could become stronger!
What was there to fear?
I will forge ahead courageously!
Bang bang bang!
After the azure lotus spiritual fire re-emerged and burned the bones back together, Jian Chou attacked again!
Once, twice, three times!
…
The tremendous commotion was finally transmitted to other directions through the stone disc.
Northeast.
“Bang!” Once.
“Bang!” Twice.
“Bang!” Three times.
…
Monk Liao Kong stared with wide eyes in astonishment: “This sound is…”
Like smashing ice?
No way?
This benefactor from the east was so frightening?
He instinctively used his alms bowl to tap the ice surface.
North.
Golden Abacus tapped the ice surface: “Clang clang!”
A sound infinitely close to a metal collision!
Golden Abacus Qian Que felt his scalp tingle, and a chill rose from his spine.
With such hard ice, what exactly was that senior from the east using to smash it?
Just as his imagination ran wild, a slight crisp sound suddenly reached his ears…
Crack.
Like bone fracturing.
Northwest.
Qin Ruoxu simply couldn’t believe his ears.
He had finally climbed up the cliff with great difficulty, but hearing this sound similar to bone cracking, he couldn’t help saying in a trembling voice: “Could it be that the senior is… is using his body to smash ice…”
West.
Zhang Tang stood steady. Many voices came from the stone disc, but he ignored them all.
Raising his hand, lowering his eyes modestly, he smoothed out the wrinkles made on his official robes when climbing the cliff, bit by bit…
His appearance and posture became dignified again.
He walked forward slowly, his graceful bearing carrying an indescribable harshness, his narrow eyes calm and waveless.
Ximen Lu, wearing a green hat and green clothes, appeared before him.
“Hehe… To pass this stage, you need to pick green apricots from under the ice and eat them. You’ll be killed if you don’t eat them~”
Looking up, Zhang Tang gazed at him, then slowly lowered his eyes to look at the ice surface.
Beneath the ice, there were indeed many apricot trees bearing fruit.
His brow furrowed slightly, as if pondering how to pass.
But at this very moment—
The pale azure vertical mark at his brow center suddenly opened, and a tiny flame flew out from his brow, like a firefly, slowly floating down onto the ice surface.
Seeing this scene, Ximen Lu’s expression finally changed.
Whoosh…
Like an east wind blowing across the ice surface, instantly melting it, ripples appeared on a pool of spring water!
Beneath Zhang Tang’s feet, all the ice surface immediately dissolved, rippling like a clear lake!
Flowers fade, red remnants, green apricots, small—all soaked in this ice-clear lake water.
Ximen Lu’s mouth slowly opened wide, his gaze moving from the lake surface to Zhang Tang’s face, as if seeing something incredible!
“Bang! Bang!…”
The sounds from the stone disc never stopped.
The one from the east was still smashing ice.
South.
Every time that sound rang out, Meng Xizhou couldn’t help his teeth aching.
Terrifying…
He walked on the ice surface carrying his staff, gently tapping the ice with one end of his staff.
“Thunk thunk.”
Very hard, thick ice.
Could this be smashed through?
Meng Xizhou couldn’t help but doubt.
He lifted his fist to look at it—very big, very big, and looked very hard too.
Should he try?
That one from the east must be an expert, looking capable no matter how you looked at him. If he could use his body to smash ice, even seeming to break his bones, he must have his reasons.
Ice that couldn’t be broken with a staff might crack the moment it met his fist?
While he was thinking, another series of dense, fierce collision sounds came!
“Bang!”
“Bang!”
“Bang!”
…
Sound by sound, like matching his beating heart!
Surging hot blood was sent throughout his body by his heart’s powerful beating!
Meng Xizhou suddenly felt—
So hot!
All the blood in his body was about to burn!
Those collision sounds were right beside his ears!
This senior from the east was a real man!
He looked at his fist with burning eyes—
“Real men break ice—must use fists to smash!”
A resounding voice came from his throat!
In that instant, matching the collision sounds from the green light ray from the east on the stone disc, Meng Xizhou let out a long howl toward the sky!
“Ah—”
“Bang!”
Like a striving ape, he raised his arms high, swung his fist, and smashed down fiercely!
Ice shards mixed with blood mist scattered.
The stone disc suddenly fell silent for an instant.
One breath.
Two breaths.
Three breaths.
Meng Xizhou maintained that posture with a fist on the ground, bent over.
After three breaths, a pig-slaughtering scream suddenly erupted, as if it would break through the entire Killing Red Small Realm!
“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh it’s broken!”
On the stone disc, an eerie silence.