Chapter 124: The Seven-Day Pact

After Old Li brought Li Zijian back to the room, the rest of us each went to our own rooms to sleep. The night had been exhausting, and after showering, I fell asleep as soon as I lay down.

That sleep was deep and restful, and I didn’t wake until the next morning when Li Zijian came to call me.

“Brother Yao, you must be worn out. It’s already past ten,” Li Zijian said, sitting on the sofa in my room, smoking.

“How are you? Are you alright?” I asked. It was clear now that Li Zijian had probably been controlled last night; otherwise, he wouldn’t have done something so foolish.

“Ah, I really don’t know what happened last night. I have no memory of it at all,” Li Zijian replied, sounding much better. As he told me stories, I changed clothes and washed up.

Yesterday, Old Li had hired a whole fleet of business vans. There was still a long journey ahead today, and we likely wouldn’t reach home until the afternoon.

It was nearly eleven when Li Zijian and I met up with Chen Chen and Old Li. They had already eaten and brought me a few buns.

We sat in the new business van, and I took a seat at the back, eating the buns without caring about appearances. Though this van wasn’t as comfortable as the one from Li Zijian’s family, it was still fairly upscale.

The four of us sped down the highway. Besides the voices of Li Zijian and Chen Chen chatting, I felt a sudden urge to cultivate.

I entered a meditative state quickly, perhaps because the car was moving fast and the spiritual energy I absorbed fluctuated.

By chance, I saw that white orb again. It was no longer as large as before, now reduced to the size of a small ball of thread.

Every time my wounds healed quickly, it was thanks to this white orb. But if it disappeared completely, what would happen to me?

Time passed slowly, and I gradually opened my eyes.

The car was about to enter our city. Old Li decided to drop me off first, saying my home was far.

When I was dropped off at the foot of Xuanfeng Mountain, I got out of the car.

Thus ended this perilous journey. In the end, apart from nearly dying, there was nothing gained.

I stopped thinking about it and turned to climb the mountain.

Yesterday, Second Grandpa mentioned that it had rained here, so the mountain path was muddy and slippery; a moment's carelessness could send one sliding down.

Once I reached the mountain, I saw Nangong Xi.

Due to the damp ground, she had laid a mat and was sitting on it practicing cultivation.

But I didn’t see Second Grandpa; perhaps he had gone up the mountain.

---

I emerged from the thicket and entered the courtyard. Nangong Xi heard my footsteps, opened her eyes, and looked at me.

“Where’s Second Grandpa? Not at home?” I asked, sitting on a stone bench. She took a sip of tea and replied,

“Second Grandpa went up the mountain early to pick mushrooms. He said this season’s mushrooms taste best.”

She spread her hands, and I glanced toward the mountain, considering searching for Second Grandpa since I had nothing else to do.

I realized I couldn’t sit idle. According to Second Grandpa, if I could focus on cultivation for a year or two, I’d emerge as a master.

I glanced at my torn clothes, then went to my room to change into a pure white robe.

Looking at Nangong Xi practicing, I felt conflicted but finally decided to stay home.

I spent the entire day cultivating in my room until Second Grandpa returned at dusk.

He carried a large bag of mushrooms, enough to last us a while.

“Mushrooms are delicious...” he said.

For the days that followed, I cultivated daily, occasionally accompanying Second Grandpa up the mountain to gather herbs.

Time flew, and I advanced from Spiritual Flower rank five to rank six, just a step away from the Spiritual Lotus realm.

Nangong Xi had also improved, reaching Spiritual Flower rank four, and her swordsmanship was becoming refined.

We stayed like this for over a week. The Ghost King’s month-long deadline was almost up. I wondered if any classmates had failed to obtain the Ghost King’s token.

Now, the Ghost King appeared less frequently, and the once lively group chat had gone silent for a long time.

Sometimes, it felt as if the Ghost King had vanished, no longer able to control us.

Yet the memory of being dominated by the Ghost King remained vivid; nobody wanted to risk it again.

Today was the last day of the month. At eight in the evening, while I was cultivating, the familiar WeChat notification suddenly rang.

I glanced at my phone—it was truly the Ghost King.

“How are you, classmates? Seems you’re all well. Now, let me announce the results.”

The next moment, the Ghost King sent a list with over a dozen names, reducing the group chat from around twenty to just ten people.

I looked at the list and saw Chu Yao was still alive, which surprised me. But now, as long as Li Zijian and Chen Chen survived, that was all I cared about.

After a while, just as I was about to sleep, another message arrived from the Ghost King.

“Please gather at the Ancient Tomb in South City seven days from now. Latecomers will die.”

The place sounded ominous, but at least we had seven days to prepare.

I searched for the Ancient Tomb on my phone and found it was not far from our city. The tomb’s owner was unknown; it was considered a minor tourist spot.

---

Looks like I’ll need to study some finger techniques and blade skills in the next few days.

Playing games in an ancient tomb, I suspect spirits will be involved, so finger techniques are essential.

If it’s a game among classmates, then blade skills are even more important.

After sorting out my thoughts, I lay on the heated brick bed and fell asleep.

The next morning, I woke with the first rays of sunlight.

The air was pleasant, perfect for a walk, but I had no time. Upon waking, I sat in the courtyard, reading the Skywalker Finger Techniques.

Flipping to the page after the Five Thunder Technique, I quickly scanned it and realized this was a defensive technique.

Moreover, this page had a bold name:

“Eight Trigrams Arhat Formation!”

Just from the name, it was clearly an advanced form of the Eight Trigrams Formation.

The Eight Trigrams Arhat Formation was about as difficult as the Five Thunder Technique; both required more than rote memorization.

This finger technique couldn’t be mastered quickly, so I’d have to spend the next seven days learning it.

First, I memorized all the movements, then began to practice them in sequence. But this was far from enough—after learning the movements, there were many mental techniques to master.

When my temples began to ache, I put the Skywalker Finger Techniques back in my ring and switched to practicing blade techniques.

By then, Second Grandpa and Nangong Xi had woken up. The three of us each practiced our own weapons.

After breakfast, I reviewed all the moves I’d learned, counting it as a refresher.

Whenever I grew tired, I’d look up at the sky and mutter quietly,

“When will I be able to fly...?”

But my whisper was overheard by Second Grandpa, who said,

“Who says you can’t fly? Cultivators like us can fly too.”

I perked up and asked,

“How can we fly?”

“They say that after the Spiritual Lotus realm, there’s another stage. Those with high comprehension can fly at that stage. But there are exceptions...”