Chapter 47

Running at varying speeds, Bai Xiaosheng arrived at the foot of the mountain in the early hours of the morning. He then turned around and headed back. However, as he just started moving, he felt a gust of wind coming towards him. He quickly adjusted his body in mid-air, like a swallow, and changed direction, landing to the side.

He turned his head and saw several figures quickly blocking his path, their steel knives in hand, obstructing his way.

Furrowing his brows, Bai Xiaosheng thought to himself, "People from the Qin Family Fort, they... yes, they are stalling for time..." Thinking this, he felt annoyed, and with a powerful kick, he sent snow flying, forming a curtain of snow that blocked the view of both sides. With a cold laugh, Bai Xiaosheng did not take the opportunity to leap over them but instead drew his long sword, leaped high into the air, and darted through the snow curtain.

A flash of sword light appeared, and the green blade was stained with blood, which splattered onto the pristine snow.

"Overestimating yourself!"

Leaving a cold laugh, Bai Xiaosheng did not stop but ran up the mountain. Behind him, the people from the Qin Family Fort were shocked; one of them had already fallen to the ground, blood gushing from his neck.

On the way down, there were ambushes and struggles, but they were not obvious. However, when it came to going up the mountain, the competition became more intense, and the fighting was more overt.

Many of the martial heroes did not come alone but brought their disciples and followers. Thus, they would not let others pass easily for a spot. Just like how Bai Xiaosheng encountered the people from the Qin Family Fort at the foot of the mountain, who were trying to block others to buy time for Qin Bo. However, they not only failed to stop him but also lost a life.

There were many such people. Not long after Bai Xiaosheng left, he heard the sound of a fight ahead. Looking in the distance, he saw several figures surrounding one person under the moonlight, fighting fiercely.

"Ha... interesting, interesting... really interesting!"

A voice full of joy came from the crowd. It seemed that the person was not only not angry about the obstruction and attacks but was quite happy. This person was none other than the old rascal Zhou Botong.

"That guy..." Shaking his head, Bai Xiaosheng quickened his pace and soon reached a short distance from the group. When they heard Bai Xiaosheng's footsteps, they immediately spread out, and Zhou Botong looked over. Seeing it was Bai Xiaosheng, he laughed heartily, "Brother Bai, it's you!"

Nodding and smiling, Bai Xiaosheng said seriously, "Old Rascal, we two may not be as strong as the five people ahead, but we are still outstanding. How about we have a race to see who reaches the peak first? The loser will teach the winner a martial arts technique. What do you think?"

Zhou Botong's eyes lit up, and he clapped his hands, "Good, good, let's have a race!" As he spoke, Bai Xiaosheng's eyes flashed, and he flicked his sword, sending a snowflake flying towards Zhou Botong, while he himself leaped up and ran up the mountain. "You despicable guy, using a sneak attack..." Zhou Botong's angry voice came from behind, but he did not play with the others and quickly chased after him.

Seeing this, the people blocking him were all shocked. "This guy is so formidable!"

"Bai Xiaosheng, you're cheating, stop for the old rascal!" Zhou Botong shouted from behind, but Bai Xiaosheng did not stop. Instead, he ran faster, maintaining his distance from Zhou Botong, making it impossible for him to catch up.

The two figures were extremely fast, their speed like the wind. Anyone who saw them automatically stepped aside. Those who could match their speed were not weaklings, and they would not obstruct others without good judgment, or they would be asking for trouble.

Thus, as Bai Xiaosheng and Zhou Botong ran, no one tried to stop them. This was also the reason why Bai Xiaosheng and Zhou Botong made the bet.

However, running up the mountain with full effort was a tiring task, even for Bai Xiaosheng and Zhou Botong with their internal energy. After running two-thirds of the way, their speed had already slowed down. But Bai Xiaosheng continued to run at full speed, and Zhou Botong, not wanting to be outdone, gritted his teeth and followed.

At this point, it was a test of skill and perseverance. In terms of skill, Zhou Botong was clearly more adept. As he ran, his speed slowed, but he moved like a monkey, hopping and jumping, which seemed to conserve energy and gradually close the distance between them. Bai Xiaosheng, despite his knowledge and martial arts, lacked experience and could not fully integrate theory with practice.

'If this continues, I'll definitely lose...' Bai Xiaosheng was annoyed. He turned his eyes and grabbed a handful of snow, forming two snowballs. He smiled and turned his head, then threw the snowballs at Zhou Botong's face.

"You're cheating again..." Zhou Botong was startled and bent his body, rolling to the side, pausing for a moment. Bai Xiaosheng took the opportunity to increase the distance between them, making Zhou Botong jump in anger.

"Old Rascal, how is this cheating? It's strategy! Ha ha..." Bai Xiaosheng laughed triumphantly, but before his laughter ended, he heard a gust of wind behind him. He was startled and rolled to the side, and the two snowballs that had been thrown at him hit the ground. He turned his head and saw Zhou Botong coming quickly with a smug look. "Damn, this guy is quick to learn!" Cursing under his breath, Bai Xiaosheng did not hesitate. He flicked his sword, sending a flurry of snow, and then quickly got up and continued running.

The two of them went back and forth, fighting fiercely, and Bai Xiaosheng maintained his slight advantage. However, the higher they went, the less obvious his advantage became, and Zhou Botong was now less than three meters behind him.

As the distance closed, Bai Xiaosheng was both anxious and pleased. He had noticed the skill in Zhou Botong's movements and the way he used force.

The shortest distance between two points is a straight line, but the most efficient path is not always a straight one, especially on a steep mountain. You need to learn to use the environment to your advantage. Zhou Botong's hopping and jumping were ways to use the environment, like jumping off branches to gain momentum. Understanding this, Bai Xiaosheng's running became more efficient.

Seeing the peak just ahead, Bai Xiaosheng was unwilling to be overtaken by Zhou Botong. Suddenly, he stopped, turned his body, and thrust his sword with the scabbard towards Zhou Botong. This sudden move startled Zhou Botong, who quickly rolled to the side. However, this was uphill, and he could not move forward, only backward.

Smiling, Bai Xiaosheng leaped forward, quickly increasing the distance between them.

"Bai Xiaosheng, you despicable brat, you're cheating again!" Zhou Botong, who had just gotten up, shouted in anger, but Bai Xiaosheng had already leaped to the peak. The Seven Disciples of Quanzhen, who had been watching from above, looked at him with strange expressions, making Bai Xiaosheng smile awkwardly.

Looking down at Zhou Botong, who was approaching, Bai Xiaosheng said, "Old Rascal, you're not smart enough to use strategy. Don't shout it out, it's embarrassing."

"You have the nerve to say that? You kept ambushing me, or you wouldn't have won." Zhou Botong was very unhappy, grabbed Bai Xiaosheng, and tried to hit him. Bai Xiaosheng dodged left and right, countering, "That's strategy, strategy. You, with your tofu brain, wouldn't understand."

"Damn you, you brat, you even dare to insult me, I'll beat you..."

The two of them wrestled, each landing a few blows. They were both out of energy, and the fight was more like a scuffle, making the onlookers chuckle.

After a while, both fell to the ground, panting heavily. Ignoring the others, Bai Xiaosheng sat down, closed his eyes, and began to meditate. Zhou Botong, not wanting to be left behind, also closed his eyes and meditated to recover his internal energy.

About half an hour after the two reached the peak, more people started arriving. This time, many more people came, one after another, seemingly without end. After about half an hour, Ma Yu shouted, "One hundred people are here!"

As he spoke, those still climbing the mountain felt a mix of disappointment and frustration, while on the peak, Ouyang Feng stood up and walked to a large green stone, shouting, "The second round begins!" He struck the stone with his palm, and the hard stone made a crisp sound, leaving a deep handprint, about half an inch deep.

"Such powerful palm force!"

His palm strike stunned everyone. Not just anyone could leave a half-inch deep handprint with a single strike.

"Old Toxin, showing off, huh? Watch me, Old Beggar." Hong Qigong leaped out and struck the stone with his palm from mid-air. A clear handprint appeared next to Ouyang Feng's, and its depth was no less.

"Old Beggar..."

Ouyang Feng's eyes widened, and his killing intent surged. Hong Qigong was not intimidated and glared back. The tension between them made everyone around them tremble.

At this moment, a gentle breeze blew, and Huang Yaoshi's body spun, silently turning from one side to the other, leaving another handprint on the stone. However, his handprint was slightly shallower than the others.

"Island Master Huang, what excellent lightness skills!"

Duan Huangye did not fall behind, and with a palm strike, he left the fourth handprint on the stone, which was not much different from Huang Yaoshi's.

With the four of them having made their moves, everyone naturally looked at Wang Chongyang, who had not yet acted. Wang Chongyang did not hesitate, waved his拂尘 (fly whisk), and slowly walked to the side of the stone, striking it with his hand.

His strike seemed as if he was patting someone on the shoulder, with no apparent force. However, when he pulled his hand away, the fifth handprint on the stone was even deeper than those left by Ouyang Feng and Hong Qigong.

For a moment, everyone's expressions changed, and the four of them looked particularly grim.