Chapter 22

Rather than saying that Gu Xuyao was asleep, it was more like he had entered a different state of meditation. The Yimeng Pill could help quasi-cultivators enter a wondrous realm to search for the materials needed for the Immortal Root.

The sun was bright, the breeze gentle, and the green grass spread across the fields, with lush trees reaching towards the sky.

It was a scene of tranquil harmony, but Gu Xuyao looked around and could not see where to find the materials for the Immortal Root.

He naturally did not forget the purpose of his journey. If he could not find anything nearby, he could only continue down the only path ahead.

Bird calls came intermittently, making it impossible to tell how far away they were, even for a hunter like Gu Xuyao.

"Willpower, bone structure, soul..." As Gu Xuyao walked, he felt increasingly lost. "How can it be so intangible..." Condensing the Immortal Root was more difficult for cultivators than the two basic practices.

He didn't know how long he had walked, but the scenery on both sides of the path had not changed much. In such a situation, the more serene it was, the more eerie it felt.

Fortunately, the soft earth under his feet became damp, indicating the presence of water nearby, based on his experience in the forest.

Feeling the change, Gu Xuyao decided to investigate.

After briefly determining the direction, Gu Xuyao left the path. The grass underfoot was not like the sword-shaped blade grass in the Red Mud Zone; it was much shorter and gentler when it brushed against his ankles.

After a short while, a small river indeed appeared ahead, with clear water flowing gently.

Although the scenery was beautiful, there was nothing unusual. After standing and observing for about the time it takes to eat a meal, Gu Xuyao sighed deeply and was about to turn and leave.

At that moment, someone suddenly kicked him from behind with great force. Caught off guard, Gu Xuyao fell into the river.

The cold sensation immediately spread throughout his body. Having learned to swim in the Red Mud Zone, he was not at risk of drowning in this small river. After stabilizing himself, Gu Xuyao climbed back onto the shore.

"Who are you?! Why did you attack me?!" Standing not far from Gu Xuyao was a fat man, about the same age as him, wearing tattered clothes. His round belly bulged out, and his face was full of false smiles, just like Gu Xuyao, looking at the other.

"Oh, young man, I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." The fat man laughed and apologized.

Gu Xuyao frowned, feeling extremely annoyed but not lashing out. After all, this was the world brought by the Yimeng Pill, and every small detail was important. Moreover, this fat man was the first person Gu Xuyao encountered here, and he might be the key to finding the materials.

"Hehe, young man, I knew you would be magnanimous. Thank you. By the way, I got lost in this forest. Can you take me out of here?" The fat man's expression never changed, as if it had been glued on.

Gu Xuyao nodded impatiently and was about to return to the path, but the fat man suddenly flashed and pushed Gu Xuyao into the water again.

Caught off guard, Gu Xuyao did not expect to be attacked again by the fat man and fell into the river once more.

The river water felt even colder, but it did not prevent Gu Xuyao from climbing back onto the shore.

"What are you doing?!" As soon as Gu Xuyao got on shore, he was about to start cursing, but before he could finish, the surroundings began to distort and change. When they stabilized, Gu Xuyao found himself in a small room of the Taiheng Sect's training hall.

Confused, he quickly realized that the effect of the Yimeng Pill had worn off.

"Ten pills, and one is already used, and nothing has been accomplished yet..." Looking at the nine remaining pills on the table, Gu Xuyao felt even more pressure.

After calming his mind, he took another Yimeng Pill and reappeared in the forest, with the fat man still smiling broadly ahead.

"Young man, I'm really sorry, I'm really sorry. I don't know what happened, I slipped and bumped into you. Are you okay?" His face showed no remorse, only a forced smile, which made Gu Xuyao feel even more disgusted.

But he still suppressed his anger and walked towards the path: as long as he left the river, the fat man couldn't push him in again, right?

"Hey, hey, young man, where are you going? Didn't you promise to take me out?" the fat man hurriedly said.

"There's a path ahead that can lead out."

"Really, I'm so sorry, but I dropped something in the river. Can we follow the river until we find it, and then leave through the path you mentioned?"

At this point, Gu Xuyao naturally wanted to refuse harshly, but the situation forced him to agree. Thus, the two slowly walked along the river.

However, they hadn't gone far when the fat man made another request. "Young man, I'm tired. Can you carry me for a while?"

"No, walk yourself." Gu Xuyao replied firmly.

But the fat man, upon hearing Gu Xuyao's response, sat down on the ground like a child and refused to move.

In a helpless situation, Gu Xuyao finally gave in, picked up the heavy fat man, and immediately sank into the muddy ground.

"Hehe, sorry, I'm a bit heavy. Thanks, young man." The fat man said apologetically. "By the way, young man, you should walk faster. Otherwise, the more you sink into the mud, the harder it will be to move."

The fat man was right. When Gu Xuyao carried him, the ground changed, becoming like a swamp. To avoid being swallowed by the swamp, Gu Xuyao had to run forward with all his might.

However, after only a few steps, Gu Xuyao felt a powerful force pushing him into the river. Unable to resist while running, he fell into the water again.

The fat man, however, did not fall into the water.

"You..." Veins bulged on Gu Xuyao's forehead and neck, and he was about to lash out.

"Oh, oh, young man, forgive me, I didn't mean to. Maybe I'm too heavy. You were running too fast, and I lost my balance, causing you to fall into the river."

Even if the fat man hadn't said that, Gu Xuyao wouldn't have dared to do anything to him. After falling into the river three times, Gu Xuyao had already determined that the fat man was testing him in the forest.

Without saying anything, he silently picked up the fat man again. The cold river water made his muscles stiff, but it didn't affect his movements. After running for a while, his blood started flowing again.

However, just as his blood circulation improved, the fat man repeated the same trick, exactly the same!

The only difference was that Gu Xuyao woke up in mid-air before falling into the water, and the effect of the pill dissipated again!

"This time it was even faster..." The time it took for the pill's effect to wear off was getting shorter, which meant Gu Xuyao had less time to find the three materials.

After taking another Yimeng Pill, Gu Xuyao returned to the forest.

"Splash..." As soon as he returned, he felt a bone-chilling cold. The cold river water had a much stronger impact this time, almost causing Gu Xuyao to cramp.

This time, Gu Xuyao didn't say anything when he climbed back onto the shore. He silently walked to the fat man, half-squatted, and let him climb onto his back.

The fat man still had a playful smile, enjoying the jolts as Gu Xuyao ran.

The river was long, and Gu Xuyao kept running, being pushed into the water by the fat man, getting up, the pill's effect wearing off, and taking another pill...

"Ha, ha, ha..." Panting heavily, Gu Xuyao had already taken the eighth pill. The cold of the river water was becoming increasingly deadly, and he was almost unable to bear the cold temperature.

"Only two pills left, but this damned river has no end in sight, and I haven't seen any sign of the thing the fat man mentioned. Could all of this be a fabrication?" Gu Xuyao thought, feeling increasingly weary from repeated falls into the water. "Did I choose the wrong direction from the start? Is the fat man just a distraction?"

"Young man, I'm sorry again. Come on, let's continue." The fat man saw Gu Xuyao stagger to him but didn't half-squat, thinking Gu Xuyao was waiting for his apology.

His blood circulation was getting slower, and Gu Xuyao didn't know if he could get up again after falling into the water. He knew that if he continued to serve the fat man, falling into the water was inevitable.

With no other choice, only one Yimeng Pill remained. If he abandoned the fat man now, Gu Xuyao didn't know where to find the materials for the Immortal Root. His only hope was that his choice was correct.

Picking up the fat man, Gu Xuyao started running again, but his speed was much slower than before.

Unexpectedly, Gu Xuyao did not fall into the water again. After running for a while, he reached the end of the river, a waterfall.

The waterfall was so long that Gu Xuyao couldn't see its end when he looked up. The mist created by the falling water made the surroundings look like a fairyland, but the crashing sound was somewhat annoying.

"Ha, ha, there, there, my thing is there!" The fat man jumped off Gu Xuyao's back, pointing to inside the waterfall.

Gu Xuyao followed the fat man's finger and could vaguely see a small cave behind the waterfall. However, it was impossible to see what was inside the cave from the waterfall.

"Can you see what's inside?" Gu Xuyao asked irritably, increasingly feeling that the fat man was deceiving him. "Besides, the cave is not connected to the river. If your thing fell into the water, why would it be in the cave?"