Cannon fodder in a classic cultivation story

4. Why was he vomiting blood?

Su Jing sighed. It had been several hours since she started climbing the mountain again.

The view was clearer now, and the mist had dissipated. Su Jing could see the forest she had passed through earlier with the other mortals. On the other side, a faint blue shade appeared near the horizon, indicating that this mountain was near a sea.

These things couldn't be seen before because of the mist.

But what struck her the most was what she didn't see—no people, no animals. The path was eerily silent, so still, it almost unsettled her. The emptiness made Su Jing wonder if she had been unconscious far longer than she had realised. Or was this because of Feng Zhi Hao's heirloom? She had, after all, purified that inner demon fog!

But the mountain wasn't this clear even in the story! It almost felt like something sucked the life out of this mountain.

No one hurt her since she stood hidden, but she was still a mortal either way. Her stomach hurt, so she swallowed the berries from her pockets. Those did not taste good since they were dry and almost mouldy.

Su Jing could only bite her lip, and she did not have many food options. She would maybe find something in the immortal realm.

Feng Zhi Hao found that entrance, so it was there somewhere for sure! She just needed to hold on and keep going.

Su Jing's self-motivation seemed to not be for nothing as she gradually saw a change in the aspect of the staircase. They grew wider until she arrived at an elegant platform with only a simple paifang gate*.

Its weathered and dusty appearance did not remind Su Jing of the immortal realm, and for a second, she got scared that things weren't as simple as she thought.

Once she arrived at the summit, Feng Zhi Hao encountered an elegant, beautiful array mended with colourful spiritual stones. She stepped on it, and with that, she teleported to the immortal realm.

That was it. So why does Su Jing have a gate? Where is her array?

This sudden problem made her kneel on the ground, tired from her long hours of climbing. As much as she understood the rules of this world, Su Jing's mood still plummeted. Feng Zhi Hao was making the world revolve around her, so it wasn't strange that Su Jing couldn't do it the same way as she did.

The gate looked like it could fall anytime with a touch. The roof was broken, and even the plate's writing was smudged. Su Jing couldn't understand what was written.

Su Jing had no choice but to approach the gate. Although hesitant about touching it, she stepped through it with her palms close, feeling as if water had washed her body.

Su Jing squeezed her eyes shut briefly, overwhelmed by dizziness. Gradually, her perception sharpened, and the strange noise of the surroundings became more distinct.

Only to find the same view when she opened her eyes.

Her heart sank to her stomach.

Su Jing desperately tried repeatedly but remained on the mountain each time. It was as if she had been bounced back just before reaching the other side!

The gate even broke one of its tiles, making it fall on Su Jing's head.

"Ugh, it hurts!"

She gazed towards the gate, wanting to make it fall for real!

Su Jing rose and searched around, but her slight hope of finding another path quickly faded as she realised this was the end of the stairs. It was strange, especially considering that Feng Zhihao described the path differently when she had almost reached the array—the array was supposed to be in an open area near the peak, where one could see the vast sea of clouds.