A fleet wandered about n.o.ble Cloud Province's borders.

n.o.ble Cloud Province had many mountains and a lot of rain, most of the cities precipitous, made up of hilly region as well, many areas were rugged mountain paths. From time to time, this caravan carrying spices and leaves would stop in some mountain regions and unload some goods, so their speed of advance wasn't that fast.

Gao Yanan was precisely within this troop.

Since she was the daughter of Yunqin's Grand Secretary Zhou, while undercover in this caravan, she was different from the others, knowing that the target of their escort was the middle-aged man whose face was white like jade.

She knew that this middle-aged man whose face was like white jade had many years of experience serving in the border army himself, so he was also the commander of this group she was currently in. Her status in this caravan was only that of an accountant girl, the only thing she had to worry about were Wenren Cangyue's troops who might come at any time. Normally, she didn't carry much responsibilities.

This type of province in the mountains, a plantains farmland that experienced heavy rainfall was something she had never visited before either. That was why when this caravan stopped in this mountain region once again, stopping in a large town. Just like usual, she began to stroll around like a normal young lady, examining the goods being displayed in the town's shops.

She was also someone who liked peace, a young lady who stood aloof from worldly matters.

Sometimes, when pa.s.sing by these quiet mountain towns, she couldn't help but think that if she was born here, living a simple and ordinary life… no matter how the outside world changed, no matter what kind of wars went on, none of it would have anything to do with her.

However, she knew that this was also her own wishful thinking, because there was no way of changing her unique cultivation apt.i.tude and family background. Moreover, when she thought a bit further out, she understood that if the wars outside really continued, the peaceful lifestyles of these towns that had many caravans pa.s.sing by would also be shattered.

Furthermore, she also understood clearly that even if she truly became an ordinary girl in this type of place, she might have many new things to feel annoyed over.

Everyone had their own things to worry about, there was no way everything went as one expected.

What was different was that both her and Lin Xi had an att.i.tude of appreciating this world.

Perhaps it was precisely because both of them had this type of mindset of stopping along the way to admire beauty, that they had a type of innermost mutual attraction to each other.

…

As she walked along the damp stone paved path, this tall and slender green-clothed pretty young lady seemed completely detached from worldly affairs.

What left her feeling shocked was that she suddenly saw a familiar figure.

If Lin Xi was at her side right now, he would also be extremely shocked if he saw this figure.

It was because this was a delicate and pretty woman who carried a bit of a bookish air, no makeup on her face, the young Medicine Department Professor An Keyi who was used to speaking with a reading voice.

Even though An Keyi normally didn't teach any cla.s.ses, Gao Yanan was still a Medicine Department student in the end, so there was obviously no way she would mistaken her for someone else.

When she saw An Keyi nod towards her from the distance, Gao Yanan walked over, a bit shocked.

An Keyi walked into an alley and then stopped in front of a triple well.

“Teacher, why are you here?”

Gao Yanan looked at this female professor who was currently wearing ordinary blue clothes and a pair of embroidered shoes, asking this in surprise.

Ordinary blue clothes and rough working embroidered shoes, this type of mountain woman attire, when on An Keyi's body, instead didn't seem all that rustic. Without the heavy and solemn aura of the academy's black robes, Gao Yanan was shocked to discover that this slightly curly-haired professor was actually extremely good looking, her figure also giving off a type of indescribable charm.

“Starting from today, I will be moving with you all and head west.” This woman who might be Medicine Department's youngest female professor, despite remaining detached from worldly affairs like most Green Luan Lecturers, she was also most likely the one who responded to questions the most seriously in all of Green Luan Academy. Moreover, she didn't waste any words, when she heard Gao Yanan's question, she didn't feel the slightest annoyance, only saying this as if she was repeating a lesson.

Gao Yanan naturally understood just how powerful this Green Luan Academy female professor was. With someone like An Keyi joining them, of course she would immediately feel pleasant surprise.

Only, she was a bit confused. When she saw that An Keyi didn't seem like she had any luggage on her either, she wondered why she brought her all the way here to tell her this.

Gao Yanan really wanted to ask this question, but she suddenly saw that An Keyi's eyes weren't looking at her, instead, as if she was just reading through a scroll like she normally did, she was seriously examining the triple well in front of her.

This mountain town's triple well was connected, but there were a bit of differences in gradients. The first opening was for drinking, the second to rinse rice and the third to wash clothes and other things. From the looks of it, the water in the first and second opening was extremely clean, both of them having some carps swimming about inside.

Gao Yanan saw that this bookworm female professor's eyes stopped over the first carp in the second well. She shockingly discovered that the body of this carp that was swimming through the water seemed to be covered in a fine layer of yellow sand, but as it continued to swim, this fine layer of yellow sand became less and less. The movements of this carp seemed to become more and more nimble, becoming no different from the ordinary carps.

…

Inside of Scorching Sun City was a tangerine mountain.

During dusk, Lin Xi, Jiang Xiaoyi, Bian Linghan and Meng Bai arrived at this mountaintop.

There were quite a few tangerine trees on this mountaintop, just that they were far from harvest. There were only some small underripe fruits hanging from the trees.

Meng Bai looked at these small underripe fruits that still couldn't be eaten, enjoying the cool mountain breeze as he asked Lin Xi next to him, “Lin Xi, did you want to come here to test out the power of the arrows?”

Lin Xi shook his head, saying with a bit of self-mockery, “Either way, I already carefully examined them. All seven arrows are 'Wind Exceed' arrows, the runes can grant the arrow extra propulsion force, moreover allow it to move through the wind even more smoothly. Faster and smoother… regardless, together with this Little Black, it is the most powerful attack I can currently display. Seeing how it's my most powerful attack, regardless of whether I see it for myself or not, a single attack exhausting so much soul force… I might as well just save some of the suspense for later, save a bit of soul force.”

Meng Bai had a somewhat strange expression on his face, inwardly thinking that there wasn't anything that special about this small mountain. The scenery wasn't especially beautiful either. As such, he looked at Lin Xi, unable to help but ask, “Then what do you want to do?”

“We're here to cultivate.” Lin Xi gave Meng Bai a look. “Cultivate together.”

“Cultivate together?” Meng Bai was even more confused. Even if Lin Xi had some martial skills to share with them, couldn't he just do it inside the inn within the city? Why was there a need to run all the way out here? If it was just soul force cultivation, even though the mountains were pleasantly cool, it wasn't that cozy after all, so he feared that he wouldn't be able to enter meditation cultivation as quickly.

“Before reuniting with you, I already told Xiaoyi and Linghan that our opponent this time really is too strong, not even the academy able to have absolute grasp over the situation. That is why in matters of cultivation, I will force myself as well as Xiaoyi and Linghan a bit more.” Lin Xi looked at Meng Bai and said, “Xiaoyi and Linghan agreed to follow my arrangements, now, I wonder if you want to cultivate with us… Even though I feel like cultivation is for oneself, regardless of what we do in the future, even if it is used to flee, having higher cultivation is never a bad thing. I cannot force you to cultivate, I obviously have to listen to your opinion as well.”

Even though Meng Bai was inwardly cowardly, he was still extremely intelligent. In reality, it was precisely because his cultivation apt.i.tude wa.s.so  high and his head also smart, that his Internal Study Department's professor couldn't continue watching him continue like this, using some methods to force him into carrying out this type of mission, hoping that he could obtain some accomplishments in the future and not waste his astonis.h.i.+ng apt.i.tude.

Right now, he sharply sensed that Lin Xi's words contained a bit of a different meaning. As such, he immediately became a bit worried. “What kind of cultivation is it exactly?”

“What your Internal Study Department researches is precisely how to make the bodies of cultivators become stronger, how to increase soul force cultivation even higher… but I only have one method.” Lin Xi produced Lucky from his sleeves, stroking its head, indicating that Lucky can go play for a bit, look around these areas that were different from Great Desolate Swamp, at the same time continuing seriously. “When facing the true threat of death, anyone's potential will be squeezed out, moreover exceeding the limit one can reach normally. These times, for cultivators, are the best whetstones, the benefits obtained from cultivation much greater than normal.”

Lin Xi didn't want to waste any time. He pointed forward and said, “We can jump down from there.”

“Lin Xi, have you gone mad?”

Meng Bai's face suddenly turned snow-white, immediately sitting straight on the ground. “Jumping down from here… isn't this suicide?”

Jiang Xiaoyi and Bian Linghan's expressions changed slightly. They looked forward… in front of them was the only ravine of this tangerine mountain.

This Scorching Sun City's only mountain wasn't all that tall, but this ravine had at least seventy to eighty meters of elevation. In addition, the ravine was entirely solid earth and stone.

“It is precisely jumping down this type of ravine. Forget about us, even if it was a State Knight level cultivator, they still might not necessarily be able to live.” Lin Xi looked at Meng Bai somewhat helplessly. “If I want to cultivate, but I don't want to commit suicide… what I need to consider is how to jump from here, but still have a way of living.”

“If I was chased here and forced into a desperate situation by the enemy, having no choice but to jump, I would definitely choose these pine trees.” Lin Xi reached out his finger and pointed into the ravine.

At the bottom of the valley grew many sky reaching pine trees, extremely thick, extremely tall and extremely straight, the leaves spreading like a great umbrella.

Regardless of whether it was Meng Bai, Jiang Xiaoyi or Bian Linghan, they understood Lin Xi's intentions. Only Lucky didn't know what Lin Xi was saying while pointing at those pine trees. It only wondered if those pine trees could be eaten.

However, even Jiang Xiaoyi and Bian Linghan felt like what Lin Xi was saying was too crazy.

It was because those pine trees weren't that close to their cliff, even if there was a chance of reaching those pine trees after jumping with all their strength, these pine trees were quite tall, there was still sixteen to seventeen meters of elevation from the top of the cliff… moreover, they would only reach the softest and most tender tips of those trees.

They had to use all of their strength to see if they could reach one of the pine trees and then frantically grab some branches that could support their weight along the way; this was the only way they could survive and not directly fall to death.

With their cultivator reaction speed, there was obviously a chance they could succeed, but they couldn't afford to make any mistakes. In addition, there was a factor of luck, who knew if they would directly suffer serious injuries the moment they made contact with the pine trees, who knew if the branches they grabbed were st.u.r.dy or if they had been chewed through by worms?

This was extreme danger, just standing on the edge of the cliff and thinking about it made their entire bodies tremble with fear!

This was completely gambling with their lives.

“This is indeed quite dangerous, but you all promised me to absolutely trust me… this time, you all must trust me and jump together with me. I will promise you that all of us will succeed. Actually, what I am wondering about right now is if this mountain isn't tall enough, if the pressure on our minds is great enough.” Lin Xi took a deep breath. He first looked at Jiang Xiaoyi and Bian Linghan, asking, “Will you two jump with me?”