Path Of The Dragon (A Dark Fantasy Cultivation Wuxia Xianxia Progression Series)

Chapter 79 Choices

"That was incredible, thanks Jie," Pan Tian said.

"Yes, thank you, Princess. It will take some time for this one to stabilize after advancing so quickly," Ithilix said.

Pan Tian laughed. "Me too. Maybe we should ask Jie for tips since she always advances this fast," she said.

"I've found that sparring for several hours every day helps tremendously. Especially against stronger opponents like Elder Shi, so I don't have to hold back," Jie said. The pain had settled enough for her to breathe more normally, though the ghost of a stabbing sensation still throbbed in her dantian.

"You spar with Elder Shi? Are you nuts? How are you still alive?" Pan Tian asked.

"She's quite gentle with me," Jie said, "and when she does break my bones, she heals me right away. I learn a lot from our sparring and it's a great way to stabilize after rapid advancement."

"You, who got so mad when Chen Huo broke my leg, get your bones broken by one of the strongest elders almost every day and it's no big deal?" Pan Tian asked.

Jie shrugged. "It's not the same. Elder Shi tries not to hurt me and she heals me right after," Jie said.

"You're such a hypocrite," Pan Tian said with a frustrated laugh that turned into a sort of growl.

"I don't think so," Jie said, "but you don't have to do what I do. I'm sure we'll have many more fights for you to stabilize your cultivations."

"Yes... we should get moving," Pan Tian said, "we'll be able to move much faster now, but let's stick to the same formation and try to keep the noise down. It'll be a relief to get away from here. We're lucky nothing has come already."

Pan Tian then led them away from the grove and through the swamp. Back on track to another plaque location the valley was fond of. How she found her way with the dense canopy blocking out almost all the light of even the noon day sun, Jie wasn't sure.

As they traveled, the swamp grew increasingly cold. It bothered Jie a bit that there was such a variety of biomes, but then the islands were enormous and they traveled at speeds far greater than anyone ever could on Earth. So, she supposed it made sense... but it still bothered her. Perhaps because they were never in one place long enough for her to truly get used to it.

Though, she looked forward to leaving the swamp. It was wet and gross, and she desperately wanted a hot shower and something to scrape the plant matter off every molecule of her body. Swamps were disgusting.

The temperature continued to plummet as they traveled and Jie found herself shivering as the swamp water turned icy. Though the ice was broken up into small pieces. Like it had formed a thick sheet that something had shattered.

Jie wondered how cold it was and why the water didn't all freeze the way it surely would on Earth at such low temperatures. But she soon dismissed those thoughts as trying to uncover the mysteries of how everything worked in a world with strange energies and cultivation would likely drive her insane.

The ice grew thicker and in larger sheets until finally, they could walk upon it and no longer had to wade through the stagnant water. Though the ice was slippery. Even more so with the water that dripped from them.

Jie scanned their surroundings alertly and couldn't help feeling like her ability to sense danger and her instincts were benefiting greatly from the Crimson Valley Treasure Hunt. The trees thinned and gray light filtered through the clouds above as snow drifted down around them. The snow grew thicker atop the ice as they traveled until Jie and the others had to wade through it.

Every breath steamed upon the frigid air as frost covered the flowers and plants that surrounded them. Idly, Jie thought that while the plants and moss on them was gross and she couldn't wait to be rid of it all, it probably made good camouflage. Especially as it turned white with frost, making each of them look like moving shrubs rather than people. At least from a distance.