It took Yuan Ji and Ling Feiyue more than a day to finally walk out of the misty valley to the other side of the mountains.
Along the way, they had encountered several fifth rank desolate beasts and even a single sixth rank primordial class desolate beast. Luckily for them, the encounters had ended quickly.
“Weird.” Yuan Ji said to Ling Feiyue. “We didn’t see any cultivators along the way?”
Ling Feiyue answered, “This is indeed a little strange.”
With their lightless profound art, they were moving faster than the majority of the trial cultivators. Moreover they could move without rest for several days and they could cover a greater pace than any cultivators that were below the fifth realm level.
At the same time the misty valley was fraught with desolate beasts and the lower level cultivators would not be able to move hastily as they needed to move cautiously.
And if they had encountered a battle, they would need time to recuperate and to dress their wounds. Even their injuries would slow them down.
Yuan Ji was muttering, “At most they only got seven days head start on us. Moreover there should be a dozen of the same level three trials that are opened at the same time so there should be a constant stream of cultivators.”
Ling Feiyue nodded, “You’re saying that although we have covered three days of walk but we have yet to see a single cultivator?”
Yuan Ji nodded lightly as he looked at his surroundings again, “Unless of course there is more than one path that is available.”
“I’m afraid that this must be the only conclusion.” Ling Feiyue concluded gently.
All of a sudden they saw fire in the mountains ahead.
“Hmm, someone is there?” Yuan Ji said.
“Just when we thought that there is no one else. Let’s go and take a look then.” Ling Feiyue immediately said.
With that, they had sped toward the source of the mountains.
When they had reached the location of the fire, they found out that it was actually several huge bonfires with hundreds of cultivators around in a boot camp.
They were quite astonished to find so many cultivators around.
When they had entered the boot camp, they did not attract too much of an attention as they were not the only golden celestials that were around.
It seemed that the cultivators had established a camp here.
Yuan Ji quickly found a lone cultivator as he greeted him, “Li Yuan here. This is my companion Ling Feiyang. We have just arrived here. May I know why there are so many cultivators in this place? Shouldn’t they be moving toward the portals of the fourth level trial?”
“Great Celestials. Mu Chen here.” The cultivator returned a friendly greet. “You aren’t the first group to ask me.”
Mu Chen sighed softly, “The majority of us are actually struck in this place and that is why we are here.”
“Oh?” Yuan Ji was curious.
Mu Chen explained, “You have better waited until daybreak and you will get your answers. In front of us is a valley with two routes. One route will lead to the Thunder Peaks where there are constant lightning storms. The other route is less dangerous but is guarded by an epic seventh rank desolate beast. If we cannot defeat that seventh rank desolate beast, we can’t hope to reach the end of this trial.”
Then he pointed at the cultivators in the camp, “Half of them have actually met with defeats and everyone is now regrouping to fight the epic desolate beast again in another three days.”
He sighed softly, “We are just back from a fight only yesterday and a third of us did not make it back. Now the survivors are recuperating and nursing their wounds. If the two Great Celestials will be able to join us in three days’ time, we will have a greater chance of success.”
Yuan Ji thanked him, “We will definitely consider. After all an epic seventh rank desolate beast is beyond the two of us to handle.”
After thanking him, Yuan Ji and Ling Feiyue walked off together.
They soon found a spot in the camp to sit down together to discuss their next course of action.
Yuan Ji turned to look at her, “So what do you think?”
Ling Feiyue was aware that Yuan Ji was now looking at her so she averted her eyes, “Can you sit a little further from me? We are two ‘men’. Don’t sit so close to me.”
Yuan Ji laughed softly, “Precisely because we are two men and that is why I am able to sit so close to you.”
Ling Feiyue hummed coldly, “You are definitely not a cultivator of the heart and is more like a street rascal.”
Yuan Ji grinned, “In front of the Goddess Ling Feiyue, I am definitely a rascal…”
“Feiyang!” Ling Feiyue whispered softly. “Don’t say out my name, badass rascal.”
Yuan Ji laughed, “So what do you think of this?” In the end, he did not even bulge from his sitting position and he was still as close as ever to her.
Ling Feiyue pondered for a while before she said, “It seems that one is a lightning trial while the other is an epic desolate beast trial. Either one is actually easy so don’t be fooled. In the past, I didn’t manage to get past the fourth trial to the fifth trial.”
Yuan Ji asked her, “So what is this lightning trial?”
“For the lightning trial, we need to go through the lightning zone. If we are unlucky then we will be struck by the lightning and may perish. It will actually depend on our luck whether we can avoid the lightning.”
Yuan Ji frowned lightly, “Actually both trials require luck. The epic desolate beast won’t be easy at all.”
“Indeed but it is the most favored trial to overcome the fourth trial. It is because everyone expects the others to die in their stead. Therefore everyone is praying that the desolate beast won’t be targeting them. But the odds of getting kill by the epic desolate beast are actually much higher than the lightning.”
Yuan Ji nodded, “Moreover if we are struck by the lightning, we may still exit the trial intact. But if we are trampled or eaten up by the desolate beast then we may very well end up dead permanently.”
“So you have decided on the lightning trial?” Ling Feiyue asked curiously.
Yuan Ji nodded, “We have a higher odd of survival with the lightning trial actually.”
He heaved a soft sigh as he looked at her, “Are you alright if we take the lightning trial?”
Ling Feiyue smiled gently, “Why not?”
“You are not afraid?” Yuan Ji asked. “The lightning can be terrifying and our hearts may not be able to take it. I can teach you my sect heart intricate formula for controlling your heart beat to resist the lightning.”
“No need.” Ling Feiyue smiled gently. “I will be alright.”
Yuan Ji frowned lightly, “You have a cheat? What do you mean?”
Ling Feiyue giggled softly, “Have you forgotten that I had to overcome the lightning tribulation in order to become a great saintess? This lightning trial is actually far weaker than the lightning tribulation.”