When I Lay Flat, the Female Lead Panicked - Chapter 22
Chapter 22: The Guardian
After waving goodbye to the wolves, Luo Xiaoxiao looked up at the endless staircase leading to the entrance.
She sighed softly, having long guessed that this mountain climb was inevitable. She finally resigned herself and stepped onto the stairs.
The Immortal Gate, a test of ascending the heavens, was all about ascending. She climbed the stairs one by one, stopping and resting along the way. When she was tired, she would rest. When she was hungry, she would eat.
Because she was worried that there might be a time limit in the Immortal Gate, Luo Xiaoxiao didn’t dare to rest for too long. As soon as she recovered her strength, she would hurry and continue walking.
She didn’t know exactly how long she had been walking. Moving forward without knowing the end was an extreme test of her mental state.
Her calves felt sore, and the black hair at her temples was drenched in sweat.
The heavy panting even made her throat feel rough, constantly giving off a metallic taste.
Yet, every time Luo Xiaoxiao struggled to climb to a new spot, thinking she was about to reach the top, she would turn around and find another new staircase, reminding her that the end was still far away.
There were no objects to accurately track time inside the Immortal Gate, and the surrounding light didn’t seem to be getting dark.
She gritted her teeth and persisted. When she finally reached a place with a wide view, where she could see the forest below that had become much smaller in her eyes, she was panting.
She had just marveled at how amazing she was for climbing so high. But the next second, as she turned around, the scenery changed.
Towering, majestic mountains shrouded in clouds and with no visible end were now in her sight.
And the mountain she had worked so hard to climb for a long time was, in fact, only a small part of the way to the foot of the mountain.
“…” Her expression started to crack. Luo Xiaoxiao’s face, which was red from climbing, was both puffy with anger and on the verge of tears.
Damn it! I knew it wouldn’t be that simple. As expected, it was waiting for me here…
Waaah… I’m so exhausted.
Goddammit! It’s not a matter of whether I conserved my strength or not!
Even if she had, she couldn’t climb such a high mountain… Waaah, she felt like her legs weren’t even her own anymore.
Did these immortal sects have to build their sects in such high places?
They themselves flew on swords with ease when they went out. Why did she have to climb a mountain?
Moreover, cheating was not allowed inside the Immortal Gate. The pills used for quick healing and replenishing stamina were refined from spiritual herbs, which contained spiritual energy. Obviously, they couldn’t be used.
This meant that she could only rely on her willpower to climb the rest of the mountain…
Aah! Who could climb this? Is there no kind person who can just mysteriously appear and fly me up?
Waaah, if I really climb this, will my legs still be my legs? Even iron legs wouldn’t dare to climb like this.
That’s enough. I really feel bad for myself.
She felt like her heart was forcing her to make a choice between two options: continue climbing or die here…
She sat on the ground in a dejected slump. Luo Xiaoxiao was resting, exhausted from the climb.
She had no idea that when people on the outside saw her pitiful, exhausted appearance, they were more nervous than she was.
“Oh my gosh, who was it that suggested the participants should climb a mountain?!”
They were afraid that Luo Xiaoxiao, their little treasure, would get too tired and not want to continue, which would affect their plans to take her in as a disciple.
Xiong Li, Fu Yun, and Mu Ze, who were normally aloof, abandoned their composed demeanor. They were all nervous, pacing back and forth in a frantic state.
In the end, they had no choice. They all came up with the same idea by coincidence. They wanted to secretly persuade the beautiful Sect Master on the high seat to end the Immortal Gate trial early.
Among the three, Mu Ze was the one who couldn’t hold back the most.
Knowing that drawing formations would consume a lot of mental power, Luo Xiaoxiao probably didn’t have much physical strength left and was not suitable to continue.
So, without a second thought, Mu Ze looked at the white-haired beauty on the high seat and spoke respectfully.
Mu Ze: “Ahem, Sect Master, I have something I’d like to discuss with you.”
Ning Xueyan: “Oh? It’s rare to see Elder Mu have something to discuss with me. Heh… We’re all old acquaintances here, Elder Mu. Just speak your mind. Let me hear what important matter this is.”
Mu Ze: “Um… it’s not a particularly important matter, actually. It’s just… I’ve observed that the dozens of remaining participants in the Immortal Gate have excellent talent and have performed well enough.
Why don’t we… end the Immortal Gate trial early and go directly to testing their spiritual roots? I’ll send my disciples to fly down and bring them up. Sect Master, what do you think?”
“…” The groundless and incredibly absurd proposal made everyone present fall silent. They all looked at him with strange expressions.
What was even more bizarre was that this suggestion, which was so ridiculous it was almost insane, was enthusiastically seconded by the other two elders.
Xiong Li: “Um, ahem, I think what Brother Mu said is… um, very reasonable! Hehe. We can give it a try. It would be so much better. We’ll get to see the results early. It can also be a novel innovation. I’m really looking forward to seeing what talented children are in this batch.”
Fu Yun: “Right! I also think what Mu Ze said is good. I think the Immortal Gate is good enough as it is. There’s no need to make it so tiring. We should be a little more gentle with the new disciples and show our sect’s humanistic care. Don’t make them too tired… And actually, we don’t need to send disciples. I can go personally!”
Sect Master, other elders: “…” (Confused)
Wen He (squinting and scanning, his expression was blank as he scoffed): “Hmph, if you have a bastard son or daughter in there, just say so. Don’t pull this nonsense. The Tianyan Sect can still give you some special backdoors. You don’t have to be this crazy.”
Mu Ze, Fu Yun, Xiong Li: “Um…”
Looking at the male elders who were speechless after being rebuked by Wen He and who were all acting strangely today, Chu Qingjue’s mismatched beautiful eyes slightly lifted, showing a hint of curiosity.
Ending the Immortal Gate early? And being gentle with the disciples?
Heh, how funny.
During the previous few recruitment selections, these three had said with unfeeling faces that the Immortal Gate was too easy, the quality of the new recruits was too low, and that they should definitely increase the difficulty.
What? Now that they’ve reached this point, they’re suddenly feeling bad about making these future disciples climb a mountain to train their bodies and lay a foundation for the future?
Are they crazy? Or are they all sick again? Otherwise, this is too strange.
Are they hiding something? Do they really have a bastard son/daughter? Or…
Her sharp gaze went to the remaining few dozen people in the separated screens who had persevered through the early stages of the Immortal Gate.
Among the remaining people, besides Si Luoyu, who everyone was paying attention to and who had shown good talent and stable performance, who else was there?
Someone who could make these old men have such an obvious reaction and make them all feel so much sympathy and beg to change the rules…
Hm… It must be a powerful and outstanding child.
Thinking this, her gaze jumped between the dozens of remaining screens.
Soon, Chu Qingjue’s eyes locked onto the one who seemed particularly different from the others.
Compared to the others who were still trying to climb the mountain, in the corner of the screen, there was a cute, pretty girl who was sitting by the cliff wall with a blank look on her face, limp and dejected.
She looked as if she had lost the will to live, which was very amusing.
“Oh? This little girl…”
Her precious disciple, Qiutong, seemed to have told her that if she saw a very cute little girl, she should keep an eye on her. When they tested their talents and were recruiting, it would be best to bring her to the Serenity Peak.
She recalled Qiutong’s description of Luo Xiaoxiao’s appearance. It was a perfect match.
Chu Qingjue nonchalantly rubbed her smooth chin with her thumb and confirmed.
“That cute little girl must be her, right? I think her name is Luo Xiaoxiao.”
At the same time, as if she had the same idea as Chu Qingjue, Lan Muwan, who was elegantly seated and hadn’t made much of a presence during the elders’ conversation, also noticed Luo Xiaoxiao. Her light blue eyes shifted slightly as she thought.
“Hm, this must be the little girl Yu’er always talks about, right? She does have a very sweet and soft face. I could take her into our Zither Music Peak.”
Their eyes all silently turned toward Luo Xiaoxiao, and they all secretly had the idea of taking her in.
But as they retracted their gazes from Luo Xiaoxiao, Chu Qingjue and Lan Muwan’s eyes unfortunately met in midair.
“…” The moment their eyes met, it was like a collision between Mars and Earth, like Ultraman fighting Godzilla.
Sparks flew, and a thick smell of gunpowder instantly filled the air between Chu Qingjue and Lan Muwan.
They both gave each other a disgusted look. Seeing that the woman who was always at odds with her had also laid her eyes on Luo Xiaoxiao and seemed to have the same idea, Chu Qingjue and Lan Muwan’s originally calm feelings toward Luo Xiaoxiao instantly intensified.
And they secretly competed in their hearts. “She must get to Luo Xiaoxiao before this lunatic/idiot does!”
…
Mu Ze’s absurd suggestion was, of course, not accepted by Ning Xueyan in the end.
Luo Xiaoxiao, who was completely unaware that she had almost been flown up, finally gritted her teeth after resting a bit.
She wobbled and supported her soft legs to stand up, choosing to continue climbing.
There was no other way. She had already promised the female lead that she would make it up and asked her to wait.
Since the promise was already made, she had to follow through! She had to make it, even if she couldn’t!
Hmph! Just a mere Tianyan Sect, I’ll conquer you!
At the same time, Ning Xueyan’s gaze inadvertently swept over the screen where Luo Xiaoxiao was clenching her fists and cheering herself on.
When she keenly saw a familiar figure hiding in the clouds, silently watching over the girl below, a mysterious smile appeared on her crimson lips.
Heh, I knew my cold and beautiful disciple had a change of heart. She would give up her precious cultivation time to volunteer to be a boring guardian of the formation.
Tsk tsk, among these tens of thousands of people, I’m afraid the one she really wants to protect is just that one…
A look of interest flashed in her eyes as she looked at Luo Xiaoxiao. As the Sect Master, Ning Xueyan was not stupid.
She even knew exactly where the elders’ gazes were, who they were observing, who they were looking at, and who they were getting excited about.
And precisely because she knew, she was now even more curious about what kind of unexpected performance this person would have, who was so valued by the arrogant elders of the Tianyan Sect, and for whom even her talented and aloof disciple was willing to secretly guard.