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The mist stirred. A string drawn. A streak of light tore through the ... .. ....., vanishing into the distant horizon.
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The air grew more thin the higher they climbed, every breath becoming more heavy. The breeze, once refreshing, now bit into their lungs like cold steel. No one from the village would've been able to get this far up… Lin Yue thought to herself. Below them, the green sea of bamboo with vertical black lines was replaced by jagged rocks and narrow ridges.
The group pressed on, step by step. The slope grew steeper, each foothold requiring more balance and strength. Now and then, a strong gust of wind howled past the cliffs, forcing them to crouch low and hold onto the rocks for safety. Once, a loose stone rolled under Nong Xuanfeng's foot, nearly sending him off balance before Chen Jie grabbed his arm, pulling him back just in time. They shared a shaky laugh afterward, but no one missed the way their hearts pounded from more than just exhaustion.
It was during moments like that they realized how far they'd come. Over a year ago, they were ordinary children—laughing, playing, learning mundane things, dreaming. Now, their strengthened bodies and flowing qi allowed them to tread where no mortal could stand. This climb wasn't just a challenge of endurance; it was proof of what cultivation meant—to step beyond human limits, to touch something higher.
"We're almost there," Hua Qingqing said.
But as the day stretched on and the mountain's slope grew treacherous, Long Tianyu finally raised his hand. "The winds are too unstable. We'll camp here tonight and do the last tomorrow."
They found a small overhang in the cliff—a natural shelter where they could hide from the cold and the danger of falling rocks. Together, they set up two tents, one for the boys and one for the girls. The ground was uneven, but they were too tired to care. After eating dried meat they had brought they decided it was time to sleep.
When the children gathered in their respectice tents, the laughter began.
Inside the boys' tent, Chen Jie elbowed Long Tianyu and grinned. "Hey, Eldest Brother," he said in a teasing whisper, "when are you going to tell Eldest Sister that you loooove her?"
Long Tianyu nearly choked on his own breath. His face turned red, the color spreading all the way to his ears. "B-Bah! What nonsense are you speaking? I know no such thing!"
Chen Jie and Nong Xuanfeng burst into laughter. "Ah, but your face says otherwise!" Zang Liu added with a smirk, sketching something invisible in the air. "If I could draw right now, I'd paint you as 'The Flustered Hero of Shadowjade Mountain!'"
"Zang Liu!" Long Tianyu groaned. The tent shook with noise and laughter for a long time.
In the girls' tent, it wasn't much different.
"Okay, okay," Hua Qingqing whispered, pulling her blanket closer. "Third Sister, what do you think about Xiao Chi? You've been talking with him a lot lately~"
Lin Yue's face went red instantly. "Uh—ah—I don't know! He's just… nice!"
"Nice, she says!" Wang Mei giggled, clapping her hands softly.
"Then what about you, Eldest Sister?" Lin Yue asked, desperate to change the topic. "Anyone you like?"
The question hit Hua Qingqing like a pebble to the chest. She froze for a second, eyes darting toward the other tent, where she could faintly hear Long Tianyu's voice laughing. A small smile tugged at her lips. "Mmm… no one worth mentioning," she said, turning over quickly.
The others exchanged knowing looks and burst into giggles that lasted long into the night.
—
Morning came slowly. The sun hadn't yet climbed over the peak, leaving the mountain in shadow, but golden light shimmered on the clouds next to the mountain.
They packed quietly, their laughter from last night replaced by calm focus. Nong Xuanfeng hoisted his large rucksack, his breath steady despite the thin air. "Good thing it's summer," he muttered, glancing at the bare rocks around them. "If there was snow, we'd never make it."
They began climbing again. Below them, the world stretched out endlessly. The village—once their whole world—now looked tiny, almost invisible beneath the waves of forest and mist. The Shadowjade Bamboo Forest, which had always seemed vast, seemed like it was now nothing but a small patch of green from this height.
They climbed higher, hour after hour. The air grew even thinner, but their bodies, strengthened by qi, adapted easily. Muscles that once would've trembled now felt alive with energy. Even when the wind cut across their faces, they stood firm.
Finally, when the summit seemed just a few hundred meters away, Long Tianyu stopped. He turned to face the group, his expression uncharacteristically serious.
"You all know," he said slowly, "once we reach the top… there's no going back to who we were before. We'll be different—not just as cultivators, but as people. We'll have crossed the line between what the village thinks is possible and what we know is possible."
The others nodded silently. Even Xiao Chi, usually the loudest, was quiet now. They understood. To reach that summit was to step into the unknown. No one had ever gone that far.
Long Tianyu's gaze softened, and a grin tugged at his lips. "So," he said, cracking his knuckles, "as your eldest brother, I think—"
But before he could finish, Hua Qingqing suddenly dashed forward, her laughter echoing down the cliffs.
"IT IS MY HONOOR AS THE ELDEST BROTHER!" Long Tianyu shouted in despair.
''Nooo, it is my honor as the eldest sister~'' Hua Qingqing shouted back playfully
"Wait, HEY! QINGQING!" Long Tiany screamed while sprinting after her.
She looked back mid-sprint, her smile radiant. "Hahaha! Brother Tianyu, you really can't catch up to me! You need to practice more!"
The others burst into laughter as Long Tianyu roared, exploding with qi from his legs and shooting forward like an arrow. Pebbles scattered under his feet as he gave chase. "You dare mock your eldest brother?! I'll show you—!"
But Hua Qingqing was already too far ahead. Her hair danced in the wind, her figure moving like flowing water, graceful and unstoppable. Each step she took seemed to blend with the rhythm of the mountain breeze.
Behind them, the others followed, some cheering, others sprinting as best they could. Wang Mei couldn't help but laugh as she ran, the exhaustion forgotten, replaced by pure exhilaration.
Long Tianyu finally saw Hua Qingqing disappearing to top. Despair overcame him.
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End of chapter 20 - Towards The Top