“Don’t say that!” Zhiting immediately stopped the senior sister.

Unlike the others, she knew that Li Qiye wasn’t actually a crippled mortal. The guy was an unfathomable master. Provoking him could result in great danger for their sect. 

Jiahui waved at her fellow sect members before starting the journey with Li Qiye on her back.

The rest followed her for a bit. Although the mountain looked like it was in front of them and that she would get there in no time, there was still quite a distance left.

This first path wasn’t difficult at all since she was still a cultivator that had trained for several years. Carrying a person wasn’t a problem even if she wasn’t an expert.

It took a long time before they made it to the foot of the mountain.

She looked up and finally felt its immensity. It towered in the sky with clouds floating even before the midway ridge. It seemed to be the center of the universe up there.

A winding path made of rocks existed from the base and headed straight for the peak. It was narrow and dangerously steep, only meant for one person at a time.

Zhiting helped Jiahui check everything one last time. They then tightened Li Qiye’s rope.

“Go now, I’ll be waiting for you right here.” Zhiting nodded after confirming.

Jiahui nodded and held Zhiting’s hands before waving goodbye again. Zhiting continued to watch the strange duo slowly moving up the pass. She didn’t look away until they have disappeared from sight.

In the beginning, Jiahui was relatively fast but this pace didn’t last long. After a short distance, she felt the same as a mortal, struggling and realizing Li Qiye’s weight.

Her power no longer worked so carrying a man took a lot of effort. Just imagine, a regular girl carrying a full-grown man up a steep pass? This was quite arduous but she persevered on.

She had labored breathing the more she went up. Alas, she didn’t want to give up. When she ran out of breath, she would take a short break before trying again.

This process only became increasingly harder. It was as if her legs were tied with iron weights. This was even before considering Li Qiye.

Every three steps made her gasp for breath, nearly suffocating. A while later, just one step took everything she had. She was drenched with sweat, on the verge of collapsing from dehydration.

She stopped to consume some recovery pills in order to make it through this torturous climb.

Soon after, she felt as if she was carrying a mountain. Her back was being bent. Moreover, there seemed to be a flame scorching her chest. This heat would spread and boil her blood - truly a terrible feeling.

The pass didn’t make it any easier for her either. The steepness required her to climb while tilting forward. Just one wrong step and she could fall down to an ugly death.

Several days have passed and she didn’t make it too far. She looked up and saw the peak still as unreachable as ever with no end in sight.

Anyone would feel the urge to give up under these circumstances. Her mind started wavering after each agonizing step. Her bones were cracking all over, on the verge of collapsing.

She gritted her teeth and didn’t want to give up despite her mind and body telling her to do so. Only a single thought kept her going, telling her not to listen to any excuses for giving up.

She started losing feelings as time went on. Though the weight on her back only increased, she no longer felt afraid. Each step was a tiny goal for her now.

This ultimate focus put her in a zen state. The weight encumbering her and the winding pass were no longer on her mind.

The only thing right now was her target - one step at a time. Each successful attempt made her feel a sense of improvement. The pain and resistance gradually increased but she had thrown these feelings away.

Of course, little did she know that Li Qiye was withstanding the brunt force of the suppression for her.

She alone couldn’t reach this point. The suppression at this level would have instantly rendered her into a bloody mist.

Only a minuscule pressure got through Li Qiye and landed on her. This wasn’t enough to crush her to death, only perfect to stimulate her latent potential. Li Qiye was controlling the amount of pressure that got through to the finest detail.

It was nothing for Li Qiye but Jiahui still had a hard time with it. This torture seemed to be lasting for an eternity.

However, as long as she remained unyielding, the pressure could force out her true potential and grant her a lifetime of benefits - akin to shedding one’s mortal shell and bones for something far superior.

The zen state took away emotions and physical feelings. Hunger was solved with rations and recovery pills. Thirst was quenched with the springs along the way. Fatigue went away after resting by leaning against the cliff.

This journey didn’t end as long as she still has a sliver of physical power and consciousness left. 

Along the way, she wasn’t aware of the pressure slowly growing and stimulating her potential at all. Her cultivation didn’t increase but her body was transforming. The pressure refined her bones and flesh on top of polishing her dao heart.

The sun rose and set repeatedly. She didn’t know how many days she has been up here. All in all, her only conviction was to accomplish one minor goal in the form of one step at a time.