Xiao Yan’s gaze was tightly fixed on the shabby, gray-robed elder. After a moment, he smiled and clasped his hands, saying, “This elder should be from the Gold Devouring Rat Clan, correct?” The Tianmu Mountain Range had an effect of suppressing the entry of those with overly strong strength. The power of the elder in front of him clearly exceeded this boundary, meaning he couldn’t have come from outside. If so, he must be a local powerhouse. Since the entire Tianmu Mountain belonged to the Gold Devouring Rat Clan, it was reasonable to assume that this person was also from the same clan.
Hearing this, the gray-robed elder was taken aback for a moment before leaping down from the tree branch. He circled around Xiao Yan and said with a smile, “You’ve got a sharp eye, boy.”
Xiao Yan smiled. Remembering Nalan Yanran’s earlier words, he did not offend the elder, especially since the man seemed to possess a significant position within the clan. An offense would bring no good results. “Junior Xiao Yan is here. I caused a bit of a mess. Please forgive my rashness, elder,” Xiao Yan said with a slight smile. A jade bottle swiftly appeared in his hand, which he then politely handed over. “These are some ‘Qi Cultivating Pills’. I know they might not catch your eye, but they have a decent effect in restoring one’s Dou Qi.”
Qi Cultivating Pills were consumable medicinal pills of grade five. They provided some recovery of Dou Qi for even a Dou Royal or Dou Sovereign and were considered relatively high-grade consumable medicinal pills.
Seeing Xiao Yan’s gesture, the gray-robed elder was surprised once more. Upon hearing the name Qi Cultivating Pill, his narrow eyes lit up. Medicinal pills were exceedingly rare and precious to powerful magical beasts; therefore, Alchemists could only be humans. Although some magical beasts could concoct medicinal pills through their innate talents, they were few and far between. Although the grade of these Qi Cultivating Pills wasn’t particularly high, their ability to speed up Dou Qi recovery piqued the old man’s interest.
“Hehe, from the first time I saw you, I thought you were a likeable one,” the gray-robed elder licked his lips and chuckled. Without any pretense, he took the jade bottle from Xiao Yan and then, looking around, waved his hand. “Don’t worry. I’ll have someone clean up this place. As for these pesky things, I’ll help you clear them away.”
Xiao Yan nodded with a smile and bowed deeply to the gray-robed elder, saying, “In that case, thank you, sir.”
“Call me Jin Gu. No need for such formalities.” The gray-robed elder smirked and, after taking a closer look at Xiao Yan, suddenly said, “Boy, are you an Alchemist? This scent is not something an ordinary person can possess.”
Xiao Yan hesitated. The other party clearly had a special talent in olfaction. Deciding not to hide, he nodded slightly.
“Hehe, an Alchemist. That’s truly a rarity,” Jin Gu’s eyes gleamed mysteriously when Xiao Yan nodded. Then he said with a chuckle, “Go ahead. With that little girl’s spirit fox, navigating the maze will be no problem. But there are still quite a few obstacles to reaching the Celestial Mountain Blood Pond. Don’t worry, I’m not the kind to take without doing anything. I’ll let people make sure you’re taken care of.”
Hearing this, Xiao Yan was relieved. The potion was well given. It turned out the old fellow indeed held a high position within the Gold Devouring Rat Clan. Getting what he wanted, he didn’t linger further. Bowing to Jin Gu, he turned and entered the tree door.
As Xiao Yan disappeared behind the tree door, Jin Gu couldn’t help but stroke his pointed beard, lost in thought, and muttered softly, “This boy is an Alchemist too. I just don’t know if he meets our requirements. If he does, it could save us a lot of trouble.”
The moment Xiao Yan stepped into the tree door, his vision brightened, and a slight dizziness set in. When he came to, he was shocked to find the space around him filled with a thick, unyielding fog.
This fog was nearly ten times denser than inside the mountain range. What troubled Xiao Yan most was that even Soul Power struggled to penetrate it. Expansion was severely hindered, making it hard to scout.
“This must be the so-called maze. Indeed, quite troublesome,” Xiao Yan murmured, his gaze sweeping the surroundings.
As he spoke, he suddenly felt a cool sensation in his palm. Nalan Yanran’s gentle voice came from beside him, “Don’t panic. It’s me.”
Tensed arms slowly relaxed. Following the direction of the voice, Xiao Yan saw no one, but the touch on his hand told him Nalan Yanran was indeed beside him.
“There’s no need to look. The maze obstructs vision. Even if we are close, we can’t see each other. I’ll lead you. With the Spirit Fox guiding, it’s not hard to leave.”
Knowing Xiao Yan’s doubts, Nalan Yanran’s voice explained gently.
Xiao Yan nodded slightly, relieved. Fortunately, he had met Nalan Yanran. Otherwise, he too would have been trapped in this maze.
Amidst the dense fog, the soft touch of his hand was like holding a fine piece of jade. The tenderness was almost irresistible, but Xiao Yan quickly suppressed the emotion, focusing inward as Nalan Yanran led him forward.
After about half an hour of silent progress, Xiao Yan noticed the fog thinning around them.
“We’re getting out of the maze,” Nalan Yanran’s relieved voice echoed.
A light breeze blew, causing the dense fog to dissipate, revealing the surroundings.
Before them stood a magnificent peak. The two now found themselves halfway up the mountain, flanked by gold-furred giant rats scurrying along the treacherous trail.
“These are the Gold Devouring Rats. Do not harm them, or you’ll anger the clan,” Nalan Yanran cautioned.
“Alright,” Xiao Yan nodded.
“Let’s go. Halfway up is the Celestial Plateau. Beyond that, the Gold Devouring Rat Clan has set up various challenges. Only those who successfully pass them can reach the Celestial Mountain Blood Pond at the summit.”
Nalan Yanran, clutching her white fox, pointed to the midsection of the mountain with a sweet smile.
“The Celestial Plateau?” Xiao Yan’s eyes narrowed. So this was the Celestial Plateau that Tang Ying had mentioned, and likely the place where they might collaborate, perhaps through these very challenges.
“At the plateau, there will probably be many people. The challenges set by the Gold Devouring Rat Clan are often difficult. While those who reach this point are not weak, overcoming the challenges is still quite daunting,” Nalan Yanran smiled.
Xiao Yan also smiled, his eyes glinting with excitement. “In that case, let’s proceed. We mustn’t let others take the eight spots first…”
With that, he tapped his toes on the steep stone steps and his figure shot upward like a black shadow, followed closely by Nalan Yanran.
The middle of Tianri Mountain was a vast, rock-built platform. At its end, a stone staircase led to the mountain’s peak, guarded by rat-headed sentinels. On the platform, twenty or so figures were scattered, forming groups of different sizes, some alone, some in threes, and some in larger groups.
Their gazes frequently swept over the entrance, aware that the closing of the maze would soon lead to the start of the challenges.
Among the crowd, a colorful figure with a regal, phoenix-like presence stood out, drawing attention. She was none other than Miss Feng from the Wind and Thunder Pavilion.
As she spoke idly with someone, her eyes occasionally flicked over the entrance, a hint of ridicule on her lips. After a while, she shook her head lightly. It seemed she had overestimated him; he hadn’t even made it to the Celestial Plateau…
The sound of a bell rang out, and a small, elderly figure stepped forward, glanced around, and spoke listlessly, “Time’s up. The challenges begin.”
As the man spoke, the colorful woman fully withdrew her gaze. As expected, he relied on his formidable soul, an advantage meaningless in the Tianmu Mountains.
Just as everyone’s gazes shifted, a whistling sound cut through the air. Two figures, like arrows, burst from the stairs and landed lightly on the platform. A clear, cheerful laugh followed.
“Apologies for being a bit late. Hope we haven’t delayed the start of the challenges?”
Upon hearing the laughter, the colorful woman’s eyes narrowed, and she slowly turned to face the smiling young face. After a moment, she huffed and looked away.
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