Chapter 30

Xu Dong was stunned by the scene before him. What was this? It was a waterfall! This waterfall was located on the eastern side of the main peak of Gray Cloud Mountain, with an edge that curved like a crescent moon. At first glance, it was over a hundred meters long. The river water surged from underground, flowing at an extremely fast speed, rushing madly, and then plummeting down, crashing heavily into the bottom a hundred meters deep, splashing up countless white mists. The sound was like a series of闷雷 (thunderclaps) rumbling in the heart.

Just the momentum was more impressive than the Angel Falls he had seen on TV in his previous life!

At this moment, Xu Dong also noticed that on the shore of the waterfall, amidst the water's impact, there were visible wet and slippery stones, each about the size of two feet. They dotted from one side to the other. A person with nimble legs might be able to hop across these small stones to the other side. However, one had to be cautious, as a slip could easily result in being swept off a hundred-meter cliff. With such force, one could be instantly shattered into pieces.

Xu Dong considered himself a person with great courage, daring to fight criminals in his previous life and single-handedly climbing the mountain to kill dogs in this life, even daring to clash with the sharp blade of a first-rank soldier. However, standing by the waterfall and feeling its overwhelming power, he felt an unprecedented fear and panic, almost turning to leave.

It was at this moment that Big Bear from North Corner suddenly spoke, "You asked me how to best consume the Divine Power Fruit. As far as I know, only by breaking through the human body's limitations can the Divine Power Fruit achieve its best effect, stimulating the most flesh and blood power. Your goal is to comprehend the agility-type flesh armor power, so what you should do most is break through the speed limitations."

Xu Dong thought Big Bear must be crazy and said with a bitter smile, "You really overestimate me. If you mean for me to break through the speed limit by crossing this waterfall, then I must tell you, I can't do it, I really can't, even if I risk my life!"

Big Bear suddenly laughed, "Why can't you do it? I always feel that as long as someone can do it, more people can succeed."

Xu Dong's mouth opened wide in an O shape, "No way, is there really someone who can cross this path that isn't even a path?"

Big Bear nodded solemnly, "As long as the speed is fast enough and the grip of the feet is strong enough, one can pass safely. This happened a long time ago in North Corner Village. The person's age was similar to yours, and he also obtained a Divine Power Fruit by chance. To become stronger, he endured great hardships and successfully crossed this path of despair in just three days, reaching the other side of the waterfall."

There was actually such a formidable person? It must be said that after Big Bear's words, Xu Dong's mood immediately changed in a strange way. This change was like a cancer patient hearing that someone had successfully survived under a certain doctor's surgery. Even if there was only a slim chance, they would hope for the doctor to perform the surgery.

Seeing Xu Dong's change in expression, Big Bear smiled slightly, "As for who that legendary person is, I'll tell you after you cross it. But I can assure you, he is already famous throughout the entire Central Continent. Also, your time is not very flexible, but with my help, you can complete it in three days. So... a young man should run in the waterfall!"

Big Bear had a deep understanding of Xu Dong's rapid recovery ability. With sufficient food, he had completely recovered from his arm injury in just one day. As long as he had a breath left, he would not die here. After all, as an old hunter, it was not difficult for Big Bear to obtain enough food from Gray Cloud Mountain.

Even so, Xu Dong stood for a long time before firmly pressing his lips and deciding to attempt this path of despair.

To be safe, Big Bear tied a hemp rope around Xu Dong's waist, with the other end wrapped around a thick tree nearby. He pulled it hard to ensure it was secure. This way, even if he slipped and fell, he wouldn't be swept away, but he might still collide with the rope and break his arms or legs. Then, Xu Dong dared not wear shoes and had to go barefoot.

After dawdling for about ten minutes, Xu Dong finally gritted his teeth and approached the waterfall. Walking barefoot on the grass was slightly painful. The rushing water splashed onto his feet, giving a cool and cold sensation. Whether it was the cold water or the fear, his entire body was covered in goosebumps, and his scalp felt like it was about to explode.

The roar of the waterfall was deafening, and Xu Dong could hardly hear Big Bear's shouts. He could only judge Big Bear's intentions from his mouth movements and gestures: Go on!

Damn it! I'll give it a shot!

Xu Dong pressed his lips tightly and stared at the nearest small stone, about a meter away, and jumped with all his might!

This stone, after being washed by the water for a long time, was covered with thick moss and was extremely slippery. The stone was so small that it could only support both feet standing together. When Xu Dong landed, he hadn't even firmly planted his feet when he felt a slippery sensation on the soles of his feet, and most of the downward force was dissipated, causing his body to tilt to one side.

Caught off guard, Xu Dong suddenly felt his ankle hit the hard stone, and the pain was excruciating. He fell into the cold water with a splash. The rushing water kept pushing him towards the cliff. Thinking of the terrifying height, his heart clenched, and he struggled desperately with his limbs.

At this moment, a huge force from the rope around his waist pulled him out of the water, and he was thrown onto the shore.

Big Bear, for some reason, showed a rare stern expression and pointed to the path of despair in the river, coldly saying, "Let's continue!"

Xu Dong, still shaken, calmed down. With the experience from the first attempt, he learned to land on his toes instead of the soles of his feet. According to the principles of physics, under the same force, the smaller the area, the greater the pressure.

However, this time, Xu Dong fell again and plunged into the water. More tragically, Big Bear didn't react in time, and it wasn't until Xu Dong was swept out of the waterfall that he pulled the rope. Despite avoiding death, he still had an intimate encounter with the waterfall wall, his nose bone swollen, and two streams of fresh blood gushed out.

Back on the shore, Xu Dong, in a fit of anger, didn't even wipe the blood from his nose and walked back to the shore, "Again!"

Finally, on the third attempt, he managed to jump onto the first stone. However, before he could celebrate, a wave of water splashed over his feet, and he fell into the water again, being swept out of the waterfall and landing with a swollen nose and bruised face.

Climbing back to the shore, Xu Dong was so frustrated that he wanted to smash the stones with a hammer and cursed, "Damn it! Jumped up and not even allowed to rest? Damn it, again!"

This time, the experienced Xu Dong managed to jump over three stones in one go. Although the path of despair had fifty-six stones, these three were just a small fraction, but it was still a significant improvement.

However, misfortune never comes alone. This time, Xu Dong unfortunately hit his little toe on a stone when entering the water, and it broke cleanly.

This injury, though not severe, caused great pain with every jump. Big Bear probably thought it wasn't worth wasting time hunting for a broken finger and decided to make do.

Xu Dong, however, suffered greatly. His little finger and thumb were both broken, and later, one of his arms was fractured.

After much effort, Xu Dong was still stuck on the seventeenth stone. This peculiar and infuriating stone was only the size of one foot, meaning he had to jump over a two-meter distance to the eighteenth stone in one go.

Xu Dong didn't want to use the small-step skill, as it would contradict his original intention and hinder his cultivation. Moreover, crossing the path of despair required more than just speed.

When both his arms were broken from falling and hitting the cliff, Big Bear finally showed mercy and went into the forest to hunt for food. His skills were excellent, and in just half an hour, he returned with a large wild boar weighing about four to five hundred pounds. Using his small knife, he skillfully skinned and gutted the boar, quickly cleaning the meat.

Building a fire and roasting the pork was also Big Bear's specialty. In about forty-five minutes, four golden, fragrant pork legs were handed to Xu Dong. Xu Dong wasn't hungry, but his hands were in pain, and cold sweat kept pouring down his face. He lay on the ground, tearing into the meat, and his body was continuously repaired by the efficient consumption skill.

When his body was about eighty percent recovered, Xu Dong, without hesitation, launched another attack on the path of despair. He was silent, declaring his determination and perseverance through his actions.

Big Bear, who had been watching from the shore, was also deeply moved by the young man's tenacity.