"This must be the legendary Cloud-topped Stairway," Hu Bayi said from the side.
"What do you mean by Cloud-topped Stairway?" Shirley Yang stood before Hu Bayi, her eyes wide as she looked at him.
While Shirley Yang was knowledgeable in physics, biology, and even trivia, she knew nothing about Taoism or other forms of Feng Shui.
"Cloud-topped Stairway is a saying from Taoism," Hu Bayi explained. "It refers to a stairway that passes through the clouds, leading directly to the Golden Summit. Along the way, there might be some winding paths, and those windings are the tests to reach the Golden Summit. Passing these tests signifies reaching the pinnacle and gaining the perspective to look down upon the world."
Hu Bayi spoke continuously, and Shirley Yang's eyes lit up as she looked at the stairway before her. She hadn't expected a mere stairway to hold such profound meaning.
Meanwhile, Xiao Guang and Professor Li listened intently to every word Hu Bayi spoke, memorizing them. They knew they would need to study his words further once they left, as they had gained much insight from them.
Stepping onto the stairway, Zhang Tian and the others began their ascent.
"It's truly astonishing," Shirley Yang exclaimed, her eyes filled with awe and wonder as she walked. "The construction skills of the ancients are incredible. Without any technological equipment, how did they manage to build this palace in the mountains?"
These structures, she mused, would be difficult to build even with modern technology, let alone in ancient times when technological levels were so primitive.
"They built it with their lives," Zhang Tian replied. He showed no surprise at the stairway or the palace. In ancient times, the cheapest commodity was the lives of the poor and powerless. The construction of this imperial tomb, he estimated, must have cost at least a hundred lives.
"Yes, that's true," Hu Bayi nodded in agreement. "Large-scale constructions like these are essentially built through accumulated effort and sacrifice." He found no room for doubt on this matter.
At this moment, Zhang Qilin walked ahead, with the rest following behind. After receiving an explanation, Shirley Yang said no more, and the group fell into silence, continuing their climb. Wearing gas masks, they were unaffected by any surrounding odors. Zhang Qilin, however, remained silent, his gaze scanning their surroundings. His senses were acute, and he could detect any danger.
As they ascended at a steady pace, they soon covered several hundred meters. Looking down from the stairway, they could clearly see the dense primeval forest formed by trees and shrubs. To Zhang Tian's surprise, he found he could no longer locate the path they had taken to get here.
"Boss, have you noticed something?" Fatty asked curiously. "The path we took seems to have vanished. Logically, from a higher vantage point, we should see further, and our path should be visible. But now, there's nothing."
Zhang Tian frowned slightly, a thought dawning on him. "Look at the mountains beneath our feet. Do they seem a bit strange?" he gestured towards the mountainous terrain.
Fatty nodded. "We came through a valley, and these mountains form a U-shape. The valley lies between the two sides of the U, which is why we can't see the route from above. Furthermore, I suspect there's some kind of grand formation here. It's possible that the ancient battles here have eroded it, making it easy to find our location."
As Zhang Tian spoke, Fatty rubbed his face. He regretted asking, as Zhang Tian's words were beyond his comprehension.
"Yes, I also suspected there was a formation here," Hu Bayi chimed in. "We haven't encountered such a grand mountain-guarding formation before, have we?" A sense of anticipation filled him. As a Feng Shui master with knowledge of formations, Hu Bayi was intrigued by this novel type of formation. If he could observe these formations or understand their purpose and usage, he might even be able to replicate one based on Feng Shui principles.
"I hope that formation still exists," Zhang Tian said. The group's pace quickened. Zhang Tian felt that the gains from this trip would be the greatest he had ever experienced, and also the most useful. If all went well, he estimated that upon their return, he would acquire enough herbs to cultivate a large medicinal garden. He wondered if the power of the Mu Chen Bead could help nourish these herbs. He resolved to investigate this upon their return.
As their footsteps quickened, time continued to pass. Another hour later, wisps of mist appeared before Zhang Tian and his companions. Looking down, the mountainous landscape had shrunk considerably. The surrounding clouds now enveloped the mountains, making it impossible for Zhang Tian's group to see the ground below if they encountered low-lying clouds.
"How high is this mountain?" Fatty murmured, gazing downwards.
"Around two to three thousand meters," Zhang Tian replied.
"Ah, by the way, where's Professor Li?" Suddenly, Fatty seemed to remember something and looked down in a hurry. Professor Li and Xiao Guang were nowhere to be seen. As Zhang Tian and the others had sped up, they had forgotten that Professor Li and Xiao Guang were ordinary individuals. Zhang Tian's pace was too fast for an elderly person like Professor Li to keep up, especially in this mountainous terrain with its high altitude, which would be taxing.
"I did overlook them. Fatty, you and Old Hu go check on them. We'll wait here," Zhang Tian said calmly. He wasn't worried. Professor Li, he felt, would be fine. He was an adult and capable of making his own judgments. Hu Bayi nodded, pulling Fatty along as they descended.
"Damn it, Boss, can't we get someone else? Fatty really doesn't want to climb mountains anymore," Fatty wailed in anguish, but Hu Bayi continued to pull him down.
Soon, not far away, Hu Bayi and Fatty found the two men gasping for breath. Hu Bayi injected a wisp of true qi into Professor Li's lungs, which helped regulate his breathing. He then did the same for Xiao Guang.
"Thank you," Professor Li expressed his gratitude.
"It's nothing. Let's go," Hu Bayi waved his hand, and the two of them led Professor Li and Xiao Guang back up.
Seeing them return, Zhang Tian nodded and continued their journey. This time, without much effort, they reached the final steps. Upon seeing the scenery at the summit, Zhang Tian's brow furrowed. He wasn't awed; instead, he felt a sense of concern as he surveyed their surroundings.
"Holy cow, this is the Golden Summit?" Fatty exclaimed, cursing. "This dilapidated place made Fatty climb for so long." Before them lay the Golden Summit, which was nothing more than the ruins of a long-collapsed structure, with several houses reduced to rubble over the years. Zhang Tian, too, was worried about the state of things inside. The destruction of everything within was something he wished to avoid most.
"Look over there!" Shirley Yang's voice suddenly cut through the air. Following her gaze, everyone looked up to see a golden palace shimmering in the sunlight. This golden summit appeared remarkably new, as if it had been recently constructed.
"Could this be the Golden Summit where the sect leader resided?" A thought, persistent and unshakeable, entered Zhang Tian's mind.
Happy New Year! Wishing everyone a prosperous Year of the Rabbit.
(P.S.: Gifts are welcome if you have any. Data has been dismal recently. Thank you again! Wishing everyone academic success and prosperity in all endeavors.)