CHAPTER 154: CHAPTER 155: LAND OF THE IMMORTAL GODS (3000 WORDS)

Crash!!

As Ji Heng moved, the sound of metal colliding echoed from the mist.

Lockchain?

Lu Ren stepped forward, and only upon reaching the edge of the bluestone did he discover that beneath the dense cloud mist that lingered around this large bluestone all year round, there was an iron chain hidden, stretching deep into the mist, its destination unknown.

Is this telling me to step onto the chain?

Isn’t this ridiculous? What kind of era still employs such formalism?

As for traversing this lockchain, Lu Ren felt little concern; during his earlier pursuits of thrills on the tower’s arm, as he rapidly gained skill levels, he had already experienced it. Although this chain was somewhat challenging, for Lu Ren now, it posed no feeling whatsoever.

Is this elaborate setup just to reflect the difficulty of becoming an Immortal?

Claiming to be among the ranks of Immortals?

Lu Ren silently criticized in his heart.

However, one must admit that in ancient societies, indeed, someone like Ji Heng would undoubtedly be seen by ancient people as cultivators from the mountain caves and paradises.

Because the perennial mist that shrouded, along with the chain extending into the mist, seemed to portray a vision leading to the unknowable depths of the cloud, appearing quite artistic.

Even with Lu Ren’s current visual acuity, he couldn’t discern the chains concealed beneath the mist.

This thick iron chain gently swayed, continuously extending deep into the mist, its endpoint undisclosed. Meanwhile, Ji Heng’s silhouette moved atop the chain as if walking on flat ground, his steps sliding rather than rising, appearing to others as if literally walking on clouds and mist, quickly disappearing into the dense fog.

Lu Ren maintained a calm expression, determined his initial footing, and without hesitation, stepped lightly onto the chain.

The iron chain was roughly five centimeters wide, without any rust marks, seemingly recently maintained. He glanced back at the connection point with the cliff, raising his eyebrows involuntarily.

This seemed quite up-to-date; the foundation at the cliff connection was deeply reinforced with concrete, maintaining a solid and enduring structure, its surface aged to resemble the surrounding rock in color. Without careful observation, one couldn’t discern any differences. Without such a setup, it would likely be challenging to support this chain extending at least a hundred meters.

It’s said that this place has existed for a thousand years, how people managed to cross it before remains unknown.

The lockchain was well-crafted, evidently made using modern metallurgical techniques. This is worth mentioning; modern metallurgy isn’t something ancient times could envision. Lu Ren applied slight pressure, noticing no sway from the chain.

It indeed spared him some effort.

With his steps subtly moving, his figure leaped like a wild goose spreading its wings, landing upon the chain that extended infinitely into the mist, steadily advancing step by step.

For him now, the outstanding level of Phoenix Falcon Fist endowed him with physical attributes, reaching agility entirely unattainable by ordinary Martial Path practitioners.

Moreover, due to the skill panel, he could fully exploit this, achieving ultimate extremes impossible for Martial Path practitioners with Great Success in Fist Technique — micro level control over the body, sensitivity to Power, and acute perception of the external world, inconceivable to ordinary Martial Path practitioners.

For Lu Ren now, even walking a finer tightrope posed no issue, let alone a chain half an inch wide. His only concern was whether it could bear his weight.

A frame weighing three to four hundred pounds was unimaginable for an average person; this wasn’t mere fat, but sturdy bones, resilient muscles, and a powerful assembly of his organs.

Lu Ren moved as if walking on flat ground, gradually submerged into thick fog, continually consumed by the mist, visibility surrounding reduced to a meter, the iron chain beneath barely visible, yet Lu Ren showed no discomfort. Every step and landing was preceded by his tiptoe touching first, followed by his sole.

As he continued onward, reaching roughly the mid-point, the previously stable chain began swaying, making his whole figure resemble a wave, constantly undulating.

In contrast, Lu Ren moved with the chain’s sway, his legs flexing and straightening over subtle movements.

Overall, he resembled an old tree growing atop the chain.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh!!

Reaching between two mountain peaks, surrounded by cliffs rising and falling in layers, with animal roars and bird chirps occasionally resounding from below.

However, between these peaks, at high altitude, right at a wind tunnel, gusts occasionally blew through, turbulently stirring the mist and shaking the chain beneath his feet.

Yet Lu Ren appeared unaffected, standing firmly as though rooted to the chain, moving with its sway, his steps unhalted.

"Ding, due to your heightened concentration, your Spiritual Proficiency increased by +1."

"Ding, standing on the high chain with no support on either side, you grasped the rudiments of advancing or retreating."

"Ding, your Phoenix Falcon Fist skill level improved."

The sound of the Skill Proficiency System rang in his mind, which did not surprise Lu Ren. Since the last battle with Huang Jixuan, where he received immense stress and stimulation, his body seemed to gradually unlock a certain shackle hidden deep within, as the skill level of the Phoenix Falcon Fist on the attribute panel continued to rise.

It began gradually unsealing, with surges of new power emerging from unknown depths within his body, like an emergency response in an extreme state, the body actively unsealing the power hidden within to cope with the crisis.

This state puzzled Lu Ren for quite some time.

His body was undergoing a certain transformation, subtly altering his physique, yet as the Phoenix Falcon Fist skill level continued to climb, the immediate feedback from his body became distinctly perceptible.

As for the prompt in his mind, Lu Ren wasn’t overly surprised. Currently, the demand for his body’s attribute growth was immense, which was merely the effort of steady perseverance, far from achieving a qualitative change.

He had a premonition that if he practiced step-by-step, it would take quite a long time to achieve the premise of qualitative change. Without the skill level prompt on the attribute panel, he might not feel the progress toward Bright Awakening at all.

No wonder it is said that the Great Perfection of Fist Technique stands at the peak of the human body, while Bright Awakening is above the nine heavens. To reach Bright Awakening, one must rely on the peak of the Human Path to step into the void, tread step by step, and ascend to the nine heavens.

This reveals just how difficult it truly is.

Throughout history in Huaxia’s thousands of years, how many could step into Bright Awakening?

It’s truly fortunate for the country to have four martial path specialists guarding it!

One only wonders how mystical the Bright Awakening cultivators, who walk the path of Borrowing False to True Cultivation through Spiritual Meditation, are?

The high-altitude chain was hidden in the clouds and mist, incredibly slippery. For sufficient friction, Lu Ren had no choice but to take off his newly bought shoes and throw them into the air.

Lu Ren let out a breath; these shoes were the first pair worth five hundred yuan he bought for himself after receiving his salary, yet he had to discard them just to meet a high-ranking member of the Security Bureau here.

No way!

Once he returned, he must report it for reimbursement.

Amidst his wandering thoughts, Lu Ren, like a rolling ball, let go of his hands and feet, moving forward at an extremely rapid pace. Ji Heng had just set foot on the ground when Lu Ren landed right behind him, glancing around.

Ji Heng was incredibly surprised, not expecting Lu Ren to cross the chain in one breath and arrive swiftly.

One must know that the high-altitude suspension chain, constantly shrouded in mist, had become incredibly slippery, with high-altitude strong winds causing the chain to sway violently.

Ordinary people standing on it could scarcely hold out for two seconds before falling into the abyss, unlike Lu Ren, who seemed to tread on flat ground, even appearing somewhat relaxed and at ease.

Ji Heng couldn’t help asking, "Have you practiced this before?"

Isn’t that obvious? A normal person encountering this for the first time, even relying on their agility, would have to grip with both hands and feet to advance; it’s totally a trap of a thing!

Yet he wondered what these people were thinking, preferring to live in such desolate and perilous areas.

Constantly grumbling in his heart, Lu Ren outwardly remained calm and said, "Previously, to subject my body to a greater stress response, I’ve practiced in similar environments."

Ji Heng slightly raised his eyebrows, with an expression of unsurprising.

"Follow me."

The two advanced step by step, with Lu Ren gradually seeing more clearly as the mist faded away, until a cave almost three meters high came into view, with signs of artificial carving around, appearing neat and tidy, unlike a naturally rugged and folded cave.

Upon entering the cavern, it did not seem dim or gloomy, as beams of light shone down through pre-made openings on the top, allowing everything within the cave to be clearly visible.

As they continued to venture dozens of meters, the cave’s space gradually expanded, eventually reaching the size of a basketball court.

"This is the place. Go in; Taoist Ji is waiting for you inside."

Stopping, Ji Heng turned around and said to Lu Ren, then entered first.

Lu Ren slightly nodded, hesitating no further, and stepped into the cave.

Contrary to his expectations, the cave was not dark; it was incredibly bright, allowing him to walk a dozen meters inside.

What met his eyes were stalagmites hanging naturally from the cave ceiling, with stone tips dripping faintly milky white liquid, which slowly dripped into a small pond below. Nourished by sunlight, the cave was filled with various vegetation, making it feel like an immortal realm. The air subtly felt gently flowing, fresh and not stifling.

This construction was truly a masterpiece of unparalleled craftsmanship.

Of course, what astounded Lu Ren the most were the Taoist statues carved on the cave walls, which were so lifelike as if they contained Essence, Qi, and Spirit, giving an illusion of wanting to step down from the cave walls.

It’s often said that if a clay statue receives devout homage and recitations over years, some anomalies naturally occur.