"Indeed, the moment I entered this mountain, I felt all my cultivation vanish instantly. I couldn't even sense spiritual energy. It's truly a magical mountain!"
Lu Yang felt his cultivation being completely suppressed and left behind. He smiled slightly and walked forward at a leisurely pace.
He didn't believe this mountain was just an ordinary one, testing who had better endurance and who could reach the summit first. The dangers within should be numerous, fraught with peril. A slight misstep could cost him his life.
Many, seeing how young Lu Yang was, only assumed he was the scion of a prominent family, a mere beneficiary of connections. They paid him no mind and rushed in ahead of him.
Lu Yang, however, remained calm and composed, following in their wake at his own unhurried pace.
Little did they know that the Black Dragon Token on Lu Yang contained an inexhaustible supply of true qi. With just a thought from Lu Yang, the Black Dragon Token could instantly replenish his body's true qi, restoring his cultivation to its peak. Dealing with them would be incredibly simple.
"As long as no one provokes me, I won't provoke them either!"
Lu Yang said indifferently, humming a tune as he walked forward.
Soon, as they reached the halfway point of the mountain, everyone could no longer hold back and began to attack each other.
After all, in this assessment, only ten out of fifty participants could enter. Many, desperate to secure a spot, turned on those around them.
With cries of pain, countless individuals fell along the path. Some had their arms broken, others had their thighs stabbed. As Lu Yang walked, the wounded were innumerable.
"Alas, the most terrifying thing is still the human heart, several times more fearsome than any ferocious tiger!"
Lu Yang sighed helplessly and continued his slow progress forward.
After just a few steps, a voice suddenly called out to him, "Young sir, could you help me bandage my wound?"
The speaker was a man in his thirties, with a handsome and heroic countenance.
However, his arm had already been pierced by a long sword and was bleeding profusely.
"Fine, saving a life is more meritorious than building a seven-story pagoda!"
Lu Yang nodded, walked up to the man, and bandaged his arm, quickly stopping the bleeding.
"With an injury like yours, you should seek rescue and return. It will only get more dangerous higher up!"
Lu Yang told the man.
"No, I promised my father that I would make a name for myself. If I fail this time, I truly won't have the face to return to the family!"
The man continued, his eyes filled with determination.
"Alright, as you wish!"
Lu Yang said, preparing to leave.
"Young sir, I sense a heroic aura about you. You must be a powerful expert. May I follow you?"
The man spoke again.
"This... if you wish to follow, then follow. But I cannot guarantee your safety!"
Lu Yang continued.
"I have the ability to protect myself. I was caught off guard by someone I knew, which is how I got hit. Otherwise, I would never have been injured. I will never let the one who ambushed me off!"
"Oh, my name is Huang Zhihua!"
The man said, looking at Lu Yang. He then stood up from the ground and followed Lu Yang forward.
"Lu Yang!"
Lu Yang nodded and continued forward.
About half an hour after the two had walked, four people suddenly leaped out from the jungle, weapons in hand, blocking their path.
Without a word, a large saber was swung directly at Lu Yang's head.
"Hmm?"
Lu Yang did not expect these people to be lying in ambush and to go for the kill so directly. Such a saber strike, if it landed on his head, would split it in two. After all, in the Mountain of Death, everyone's cultivation was suppressed, and they couldn't use protective qi. They were simply vulnerable to being cut.
However, Lu Yang's martial skills were incredibly exquisite. With a light leap, he dodged the big man's saber and then stared coldly at the three others charging towards him.
"Why are you attacking with such ruthlessness?"
Lu Yang asked the three coldly. The injured Huang Zhihua had already engaged another opponent.
It was clear they saw Huang Zhihua as an easy target, hence assigning only one person to deal with him, while the remaining three focused on Lu Yang.
"Kid, are you an idiot? This is a world where the strong prey on the weak. If I don't kill you, you'll snatch the spot, and then I won't get what I want. What's the point?"
"Therefore, you must die!"
"Here, everyone's cultivation is suppressed, and you don't even have a weapon. You still think you can deal with the three of us? I'll give you a choice: kneel down and kowtow to us for forgiveness, and we'll only break your limbs. Otherwise, you'll lose your life!"
One of the middle-aged men yelled at Lu Yang coldly.
"Kowtow for forgiveness? You think you're worthy?"
"Since you're looking for death, don't blame me. However, I won't kill you. I'll break your limbs!"
Lu Yang said coldly to the three.
"Damn you, you don't know your place! Attack together and finish this kid quickly!"
The three, each wielding a large saber, charged at Lu Yang. Their intention was clear: to kill Lu Yang within this Mountain of Death!
Lu Yang remained fearless. With a slight turn, he dodged the first saber. Then, he instantly raised his palm. As the second saber lunged, he gripped its blade. Before Lu Yang could snatch the saber away, the third saber slashed directly towards Lu Yang's arm, aiming to sever it.
Lu Yang quickly released his grip on the saber and took two steps back, easily evading this move.
"It seems we misjudged. This kid is tougher than we thought. Let's use our true abilities and chop this kid into meat paste!"
The middle-aged man who had spoken earlier roared, and the three charged at Lu Yang again.
Lu Yang sparred with them, while simultaneously honing his martial skills. Although techniques that relied on true qi could not be executed, he could still easily handle the three with his basic martial arts.
After a dozen exchanges, the three hadn't even touched Lu Yang's clothes.
Seeing this, the leading middle-aged man's expression instantly changed. He pulled out a small green bottle from his pocket, opened it, and gulped down its contents.
Instantly, a ferocious true qi erupted from him, shaking the surrounding forest within a ten-meter radius.
"So, you can enhance your cultivation with the aid of medicine. It seems you all came well-prepared!"
Lu Yang recognized this at a glance. This was clearly a method to increase one's suppressed cultivation. This Mountain of Death didn't completely suppress all cultivation; other means could be used to regain it.