Chapter Sixteen: Only Two Points of Energy Left
On the left side of the mountain wall, thirteen figures stood in a line, gazing down at Zhou Yi and Song Hai below, who appeared as tiny as ants. Fortunately, these onlookers were all masters; their inner strength enhanced their vision, so that the bedraggled state of Zhou Yi and Song Hai was plain to see—every detail, down to the glistening beads of sweat clinging to their eyelashes, was perfectly clear.
Yet, instead of disdain, admiration shone openly on their faces as they watched the two below, smiles breaking out across their features. “Remarkable—truly remarkable!” The leader laughed, his brows relaxed, the former sternness vanished. The others smiled as well, cheerful and pleased, a stark contrast to the imposing dominance they’d shown in the grand hall earlier.
“These two children—they really are extraordinary!” someone exclaimed.
“Extraordinary, indeed! Judging by their appearance, they must be only eleven or twelve years old,” another observed.
“That’s right—so young, and yet they’ve made it here. It’s no small feat!” Looking down at Zhou Yi and Song Hai, the group praised them, marveling at the accomplishment; what ninety-nine point nine nine nine... nine nine nine percent of people could never hope to achieve had been done by two children, not yet in their teens.
So, no matter how battered and exhausted they appeared now, they were dazzling enough; every drop of sweat on them would make the vast majority of people blush with shame.
......
“Inhale… exhale…”
“Inhale… exhale…”
“Inhale… exhale…”
Zhou Yi drew deep breaths to regulate his body, sweat obscuring his vision so thoroughly that all he could see was a sticky mire, nothing else. He gave up trying to see, since he couldn’t anyway. One hand gripped Song Hai, the other felt along the mountain wall as they pressed forward—the path was singular, so there was no danger of losing their way. He kept a sliver of awareness outside, but let the rest sink deep within his thoughts.
Name: Zhou Yi
Spirit: 1
Body: 1.12
Qi: 1.005
Energy: 70
Martial Art: Nameless (Blade Technique) 0/100
Because of his exhaustion, Zhou Yi’s memory faltered; he could not recall when he and Song Hai had set foot on this path—it felt as though it had happened ages ago, so distant that the memory blurred. Yet, his mind stayed clear enough to recognize this as a symptom of fatigue: his body had reached its limit, and the illusion followed.
He focused his thoughts inward, gazing at his attribute panel, and was surprised to find his Body stat had increased by a full 0.1—a direct result of this arduous journey. Although he could not remember how long they had been on this path, he was certain they had not traveled far. Neither his nor Song Hai’s body could muster much speed; he reckoned that if they moved faster than a snail, it was already commendable.
But even a stretch so short had raised his physical constitution by a tenth—a result that utterly satisfied him. All the hardship endured along the way seemed worthwhile, no matter how great, when faced with such a gain. And this wasn’t his only reward: his golden finger, the talent cells he relied on as his foundation for the future, now numbered seventy, and his energy was full.
Seventy points of energy, seventy talent cells—enough to push the cells to one hundred and reach the first threshold of cellular transformation.
Without hesitation, Zhou Yi willed it, and his attribute panel changed:
Name: Zhou Yi
Spirit: 1
Body: 1.12
Qi: 1.005
Energy: 41
Martial Art: Nameless (Blade Technique) 0/100
In one go, Zhou Yi increased his cell count by twenty-nine, bringing the total to ninety-nine—just one cell shy of the first heavenly threshold. With his remaining energy, he could easily reach one hundred, but he refrained.
To reach one hundred cells was simple with his current energy, but to complete the transformation required not just the quantity, but matching energy as well. That is, to transform one hundred cells, he needed both one hundred cells and one hundred points of energy. By calculation, he’d need a hundred and one points of energy, but he had only forty-one, sixty short.
“Whew!” Zhou Yi exhaled deeply, his gaze resolute. Next, he needed to accumulate the remaining sixty points of energy.
“But there’s another issue: I can’t push my cell count to one hundred yet, because once it reaches that number, the cells will automatically begin upgrading, and I don’t have enough energy.”
“Yet, I have only ninety-nine cells; even if all are full, I can only accumulate ninety-nine points of energy—leaving me two short.”
“This means I must find a solution before my energy is maxed out, or I’ll be stuck at this bottleneck, wasting precious time—something I absolutely cannot accept.”
“So, what method can solve this problem?” Zhou Yi mused, rubbing his chin.
……
Outwardly, Song Hai’s dazed, puppet-like body suddenly stirred. His tightly shut eyes, as if fueled by some unknown force, slowly opened. Though fatigue lingered in his gaze, Song Hai had unmistakably awakened.
He looked wearily at Zhou Yi’s faltering form ahead, and in his dull eyes a spark of life flashed. Lowering his head, he glanced at Zhou Yi’s hand, which held his own, and after a long pause, he whispered weakly, barely audible, “Yi…”
……
“That boy woke up?” On the cliff, those watching instantly noticed when Song Hai opened his eyes—someone called out loudly.
“He looked nearly dead just now, but suddenly he seems revived!” said another, eyes fixed unwaveringly on Zhou Yi, echoing the surprise.
“It’s said that the third segment of the Wind Pass hides a great treasure. Everyone who traverses this path gains a gift of fate. It seems the legend is true.” Hearing their queries, the man standing to the left of the leader spoke gravely, eyes fixed on Song Hai.
“A great treasure? What is it?”
Clearly, the words “great treasure” lit up the hearts of many, prompting eager questions—if only they could claim it for themselves.
“Don’t even think about it!” The leader, reading their thoughts, cut them off without turning. “You cannot obtain this treasure!”
“Why not?” Though the words discouraged them, some remained stubborn and pressed for an answer.
“The treasure is bestowed only to those who walk the Wind Pass—it cannot be claimed by others.”
“Unless you are willing to abandon all your martial arts, become ordinary, and traverse that path yourselves.”