N-A-A Chapter 153 Departure, Body Sect
Chapter 153 Departure, Body Sect
Huo Yutong has ended her seclusion.
When she returned to the Spirit Pagoda, Biji, Ziji, Xiao Xiao, and others were already waiting there.
All eyes were on her, their concern and joy evident.
Then Huo Yutong went to see her two teachers, Zhou Yi and Fan Yu, to inform them of her upcoming journey.
Later, in the secret chamber of the Spirit Pagoda, she focused her mind and calmed herself, successfully integrating the Ice Jade Scorpion's left arm bone into her body.
The next day, as dawn broke outside the Spirit Pagoda, many people had already gathered to see him off.
Fan Yu, Tang Ya, and Bei Bei stood together, as did Ning Tian and Wu Feng. The Spirit Pagoda companions and several senior students from the previous generation of Shrek Seven Devils also arrived.
Dai Yueheng stepped forward, his expression solemn: "Junior Sister Yutong, I will be graduating from the Inner Academy this year and joining the military. I don't know when we will meet again after this parting—I wish you a smooth road ahead and a bright future."
Ma Xiaotao gave a spirited laugh and patted her shoulder: "When we get to the inner courtyard, just say my name, and I'll protect you!"
Ling Luochen also said, "Yutong, I look forward to seeing you again."
The other senior students also offered their advice and blessings.
The Lan sisters had already written a letter home and sent it along with a guarantee letter from their academy teachers—this holiday, they would be going to the Body Sect with Huo Yutong for special training.
(The teachers at Shrek Academy thought they were going to the Spirit Tower headquarters for special training.)
Zi Ji led the three out of the city gate and into a quiet forest clearing.
"The journey is long, so I will take you to the Snow Demon Sect for a short rest before returning to the Body Sect."
Zi Ji said no more, her soul power surging slightly. "Get ready, I will use a flying soul tool to accompany you."
She stopped several times along the way to allow the three of them to catch their breath.
Until the early hours of the morning, the outline of a sect nestled among snow-capped mountains finally emerged in the hazy night.
Disciples from the Snow Demon Sect were already waiting to greet them, and quickly arranged hot food, guest rooms, and hot water for washing.
After a long journey, the three of them quickly fell into a deep sleep in the warm room.
Zi Ji greeted Du Bu Si and then left.
The next day, after breakfast, Poison Undying stood with his hands behind his back in front of the Snow Demon Sect.
"I am the Sect Master of the Body Sect, with the title 'Body,' a Level 98 Super Douluo—Poison Undying."
The Lan sisters' eyes widened immediately.
Poison Undying said no more, his soul power surging slightly. "Get ready, I will use my soul power to entrust you with this journey."
A powerful and steady surge of soul energy gathered beneath Yu Tong and the Lan sisters' feet, transforming into a tangible semi-circular platform that gently lifted the three of them up.
Poison Undying rose into the air, the platform followed, and then transformed into a streak of light, speeding northward.
He also stopped several times along the way to let the three of them catch their breath.
After several days of trekking, the distant mountain outlines became increasingly clear and steep in the field of vision.
When Poison Immortal led them through the last misty mountain pass, the sect renowned throughout the continent was finally revealed to the three girls without reservation.
It was not an ordinary sect built at the foot or halfway up a mountain, but rather it transformed the entire majestic mountain into its foundation and walls.
The massive complex of buildings spirals upwards along the mountainside, resembling the gnarled spine of a sleeping ancient beast.
The foundation is deeply embedded in the mountain rock, and the walls are thick, almost black boulders with a rough surface, covered with the marks of wind, rain and time, carrying a silent and overwhelming sense of power.
The higher you go, the more exquisite and precipitous the buildings become, with flying eaves and brackets protruding sharply from the cliffs, like the claws of a giant beast reaching for the sky.
The most breathtaking sight is the main peak where the sect's main body is located.
A colossal fortress, constructed entirely of a mixture of some kind of dark gold metal and dark gray rock, sits atop the peak like a crown.
Outside the fortress, countless crisscrossing, thick chains and beams can be seen. They are not decorations, but real structures that support and strengthen the building, full of the ultimate power and stable aesthetics that the "body" martial spirit advocates.
A nearly vertical, wide stone staircase, like a ladder to heaven, leads straight from the foot of the mountain to the main gate of the sect deep in the clouds.
On both sides of the stone steps stand statues of various shapes and sizes.
They are not deities or auspicious beasts, but rather lifelike human figures with bulging muscles, assuming different cultivation or combat postures. They seem to have eternally solidified the bodies and wills honed to the extreme by generations of powerful figures in the Body Sect, silently interpreting what it means to "take the body as the foundation and strength as the supreme virtue".
The Lan sisters had long forgotten to breathe. They tilted their heads back, their gazes blankly following the lines of the building that seemed to disappear into the clouds. A sense of insignificance and awe gripped their entire bodies.
Huo Yutong gazed at the dark gold fortress atop the mountain, her eyes flashing.
This is where teachers grow and take charge; it is the sacred ground of the "essence" of the Way.
Du Bu Si took in the reactions of the three girls, a barely perceptible hint of arrogance befitting a sect leader on his face.
His voice was booming, echoing faintly through the valley:
"We're home."
"Keep up, this 'Ascension Steps' is your first lesson upon entering the Body Sect."
Having said that, he took the lead and stepped onto the massive stone steps that seemed to lead to the heavens.
Huo Yutong exchanged a glance with the Lan sisters, suppressed the excitement in her heart, and followed closely behind.
The long stone steps stretch towards the main peak, like a gray-white dragon leading to the clouds.
The Lan sisters initially moved with a light step, but as time went on, their soul power and physical strength began to deplete rapidly—after all, they were still only Great Soul Masters.
Huo Yutong deliberately slowed her pace and stayed beside them: "Let's walk slowly, the teacher won't mind."
Lan Susu and Lan Luoluo nodded, panting, with fine beads of sweat already seeping from their foreheads.
"Ascending the Steps" is a mandatory course for every disciple of the Body Sect, testing not only physical strength but also mental fortitude.
From ahead came the calm voice of Poison Undying: "Xiao Tong, keep going. If they can't hold on, someone will take care of them."
He had already sent the letter back to the Snow Demon Sect through the sect, and he did not conceal his presence during this trip.
At this moment, he could clearly sense several hidden gazes watching him from the shadows—those were the sect's deacons.
"Yutong, you go first, we can manage." The Lan sisters struggled to stand firm, their eyes still resolute.
"Okay, Susu, Luoluo, see you at the top of the mountain."
Huo Yutong no longer hesitated, took a deep breath, and suddenly quickened her pace, her figure light and steady as she swept across the dozen or so steps.
Her body, having undergone the transformation of the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion's torso bone and the Gold of Life, is already far stronger than that of other Soul Masters of the same level.
Although he was only a Soul Master, he possessed a physique and stamina comparable to a Soul Emperor.
Although Du Busi did not turn around, he clearly heard the footsteps following closely behind him, and a hint of admiration flashed in his eyes once again.
Time slipped away quietly amidst heavy breathing and footsteps.
Far behind them, the Lan sisters were drenched in sweat. They supported each other, their consciousness blurred by exhaustion, but their steps did not stop. Step by step, they left solid marks on the endless stone steps.
Luo Hong, the steward hidden in the shadows, nodded slightly, his eyes filled with appreciation.