CH 362

362: Level Two

Though his heart was unwilling to give up, his body could not endure any further. His hands became still and he slowly sank.

Just as he thought it was over, a hand reached down and yanked him up.

“Cough!” This. . . this was a piece of wood drift.

Zo was saved. He opened his eyes to see a worried Feng Wu staring at him.

“Cough! I’m fine. Don’t worry.” He didn’t know if she heard him above the sound of the wind and waves, but he didn’t have the strength to speak any louder. He was an ordinary person so it had been hard for him to last as long as he had in the water.

Feng Wu nodded. She kept swimming forward, pushing against the violent waves, paddling with one arm and pushing Zo with the other. Though the resistance was strong, they were able to keep going forward. Others behind them, who were not as capable, slowly sank into the water. Only a few strong people, like Feng Wu, kept swimming desperately as they tried to reach the shore of the opposite island.

Luckily, the wind stopped after twenty minutes, and with it the giant waves that rocked the waters. Those still alive swam to shore.

“Ha. . . Ha. . . ” Zo was panting as Feng Wu dragged him onto the shore. The sky was still dark but the sea returned to its original calmness.

It was still so cold though. . .

Zo was shivering from head to toe. His body was in shock after such a long and hard swim, plus now his clothes were all soggy and clung to him, so he felt even worse.

Suddenly from somewhere near his side, a fire flared to life.

Feng Wu had opened her space ring and found a flint to make fire. She realized she could use her abilities again after reaching shore; so she had pulled out the flint, which could make fire and create warmth, with just a bit of qi or magic.

Zo could feel his body finally warming up again. A bit recovered, he walked behind a bush and changed into a fresh, dry set of clothes.

Feng Wu had already changed and was now looking around as she sat by the fire stone grilling a chicken.[notes]

It was a small, picturesque island with abundant wild fruit trees never seen before. They looked so delicious it was tempting to try one, but the people knew better than to try any. It wasn’t smart to eat unknown fruit. What if it was poisonous?

They started with more than two hundred people, but were left with less than fifty after the sea crossing. Most died in the water.

Zo sat down beside Feng Wu and ate the chicken thigh and bread she offered. He felt better now that he was warm and not hungry anymore.

“Feng Wu, thank you. I would have died like the everyone else if it weren’t for you.” Zo was grateful she saved him. He didn’t know why he didn’t see her with the Moon emperor in the previous life, so he could only assume she had encountered something and died early on.

Since she had saved him, he decided he would not let her die so easily this time around. He secretly made up his mind to do what he could to ensure she lived a good life and not die prematurely.

“You don’t have to thank me; we’re comrades.” Feng Wu looked at him seriously. She had considered him a comrade in arms when she agreed to team up with him. It was only natural to help your comrades when they were in trouble, so his effusive gratitude made her feel uncomfortable.

“Yes, we are comrades.” Zo smiled. There was a fragility to his smile but it was as pure and sincere as spring rain.

Those who survived and made it to the island were adjusting to the new environment and preparing for the trials ahead. But after waiting for two hours, nothing happened. They didn’t get a prompt for the second level.

The arduous trip to the island had tired everyone, but no one felt secure enough to let their guard down and rest. The island was an unknown and the people around them were strangers who they needed to guard against. There was no conversation. The group either meditated or cultivated in preparation for the second level.

Those still alive were mostly powerhouses.

A few magicians had chosen to fly over. They had poor physical strength so it made sense to gamble with the sky path. They would not have had the endurance to survive in the water if they lost their magic abilities. Flying was the best way for them to survive.

Feng Wu had no interest in the other people. She closed her eyes and went to sleep.

Who knew how much time passed, but some time later, the earth shook violently and split apart right down the middle. A ladder appeared, digging straight into the ground. It was dark and it was impossible to tell what was below.

Words, in big letters appeared. “Enter below to proceed to the next level.” That was it, nothing else was said about the requirements.

The people there looked at one another. Soon a big sword master walked down the stairs. Other people walked down after him, one at a time.

Zo ignored propriety between genders and pulled at Feng Wu’s sleeve to go down with the flow of people. The first level had been different from the way Ai Lin described it. He was certain she hadn’t lied to him, so for whatever reason, the sequence of events changed. Now he wasn’t sure what to expect. All he could do was to take one careful step at a time.

There was something creepy about the stairs. Zo felt like it didn’t matter if he moved forward or backwards, both directions would be dangerous. Thinking it would be safer to walk in the middle of the crowd, he cut in line and took Feng Wu to the middle.

The expression on his face was a little reluctant as he released her sleeve once they got there.

Feng Wu had grown serious when the stairs appeared so she didn’t notice.