Mo Qi pretended to pat his head, "Yes, now that you mention it, I remember. Look at my head, maybe I drank too much last night. My uncle insisted on drinking with me last night, and we both got drunk."
Jin Dan boarded the boat with light steps, sat down on it, and couldn't suppress the excitement on his face, "Let's go, set off."
Mo Qi felt bitter in his heart, but then he thought, perhaps his joining was not a bad thing for him, at least, such free labor was hard to find even with a lantern.
Mo Qi gave him a glare, "Set off? Nonsense. I'm the boss now, and you're the follower. You row the boat."
As he spoke, Mo Qi stood up, walked past Jin Dan, and sat at the stern of the boat.
Jin Dan, with a fawning smile, said, "Yes, you are the boss, so I should row the boat." As he spoke, he put down his baggage and walked towards the bow of the boat.
Watching Jin Dan row the boat diligently, Mo Qi lay back leisurely, resting his head on his hands, a blade of grass in his mouth, gazing at the clear blue sky.
A small bird flew by, and with a splat, a blob of something unknown landed on Mo Qi's forehead.
"It's bird droppings," Jin Dan laughed gleefully.
Mo Qi felt so disgusted that he wished he could vomit out everything he had eaten last night. His anger flared up, and he cursed the dead bird. Looking around for something to throw, he casually tossed the blade of grass from his mouth towards the bird.
He actually just wanted to vent his anger, not to do anything to the bird, and he knew that the grass would fall into the water after flying only a foot or so.
However, to his surprise, the blade of grass shot out like an arrow, tracing an arc in the air, and pierced into the bird's body. The bird let out a mournful chirp and fell into the water.
Jin Dan was immediately stunned. This was completely beyond his comprehension. He knew Mo Qi had immense strength, but it wasn't this exaggerated, was it?
Moreover, shooting a bird with grass, this was probably not something that could be done just by being strong.
What had happened to this Mo Qi? He summoned a divine dragon yesterday and shot a bird with grass today. It seemed he was truly destined for cultivation.
Regardless, following him was the right choice. Jin Dan rejoiced inwardly.
Mo Qi was also bewildered at this moment. He looked at his hands, then at the floating corpse of the bird in the water. If it weren't for the bird still floating there, he would never have believed that all this had really happened.
The blob on his forehead seemed to be slowly flowing with his movements. The disgust in his heart made him instantly forget everything else.
He immediately bent down, stuck his head out of the boat, and scooped up river water to wash his forehead. He scrubbed and scrubbed, wishing he could rub off a layer of skin.
"Brother Mo, where did you learn the skill of using grass as arrows? Can you teach me too?" Jin Dan said with a hint of flattery on his face as he rowed.
Mo Qi washed his face and sat up, saying smugly, "This kind of thing requires talent, it's not something you can learn just because you want to."
He was also thinking whether everything that happened last night was real, because at the end of that dream, he felt a stream of power flowing into his body, and at that moment, he felt his body become stronger than ever before.
Moreover, thinking about that soft, boneless hand that was filled with endless warmth and made his body and mind tremble, he still felt a tremor of emotion.
"Bad luck, that was a man. What am I thinking?" Mo Qi couldn't help but slap himself to clear his head.
"Brother Mo, Brother Mo, you don't need to blame yourself. If you're worried you can't teach me, I won't learn," Jin Dan said, seeing him suddenly slap himself, immediately thinking Mo Qi was distressed about not being able to teach him.
Mo Qi smiled awkwardly and said nothing.
The two of them bickered and stopped along the way, heading towards their destination, Tianxiang Mountain.
After reaching the prefecture, they sold their small boat, asked for directions, and continued on foot. They walked and asked for directions, and soon half a year passed.
However, Tianxiang Mountain still showed no signs of being reached. When they asked passersby for directions, the most common answers were:
"Go all the way south. If the direction is correct and nothing unexpected happens, you'll get there in another three years."
"Go back. The road ahead is fraught with danger, not a place for mortals like us."
"You're going in the wrong direction, you should go that way."
"Alas, if you can live to reach that place, then I admit my ignorance and have lived in vain."
Despite so many discouraging words, the two of them paid no heed and continued to press on towards their destination.
In the meantime, they had hired horse carriages, but the carriage companies said they could go part of the way, but delivering them directly was a fool's dream. So they sometimes took horse carriages for a stretch to alleviate the pain and fatigue of walking.
Where the carriages couldn't go or were unwilling to go, they continued to cover the distance on foot.
Another half a year passed, but the answers they received were still the same: "Go all the way south. If the direction is correct and nothing unexpected happens, you'll get there in another three years."
"Go back, you won't get there."
What was going on? After walking for more than half a year, it was as if they hadn't moved at all?
The confidence of the two began to waver, and their bodies and minds became weary.
But they had already come so far, there was no way they could return empty-handed. Not to mention anything else, Old Master Lu would definitely not let Mo Qi off. You received so much funding, and you're coming back empty-handed?
And then there was Aunt Zhang's gaze and her nagging. Just thinking about it was terrifying.
So, they had no choice but to drag their tired bodies forward.
Along the way, they encountered too many hardships and dangers that they had never experienced in their lives.
Sometimes, when they were in the wilderness and night fell, they had to find a cave or sleep in a tree. They were starving and their eyes were unfocused.
In the middle of the night, they were so sleepy, but there were always mosquitoes buzzing incessantly. As soon as they closed their eyes, they were woken up by mosquitoes, tormented all night, and still covered in bites the next day.
The biting cold of the night made them not want to experience it a second time, but they had to experience it again and again.
Sometimes, when it rained or in other bad weather, and they hadn't prepared for it in advance. The two of them were drenched like drowned rats several times.
Once, Jin Dan fell ill due to the rain and excessive fatigue. He became very seriously ill, but they happened to be in a place where there was neither a village nor an inn.
Mo Qi carried him for more than ten miles through the mountains before reaching a market town and finding a doctor. Fortunately, the medical treatment was timely, and the doctor's skills were superb, so Jin Dan managed to save his life.
In a daze, Jin Dan held Mo Qi's hand and said, "Brother Mo, I am willing to be your ox and horse in this life."
Mo Qi flung his hand away and patted his head, "Get lost."
Another time, they encountered bandits blocking the road. They fought and fled, but fortunately, at a critical moment, Mo Qi used his skill of shooting birds with grass roots, directly piercing a bandit leader through with a branch, which scared the rest of the bandits away.
Later, when they encountered bandits countless times, Mo Qi repelled them with the same method.
The further south they went, the fewer the official roads there were. They mostly had to cross mountains and traverse waters, and sometimes there wasn't even a path. They had to hack through thorns and bushes to forge their own path.
Therefore, countless times, in the deep mountains, they encountered ferocious beasts. Mo Qi picked up branches and stones and shot wildly, killing those ferocious beasts, and then roasted the meat in the forest, which was a way to find some pleasure in their hardship.
And countless times, Jin Dan couldn't hold on and wanted to give up.
When they reached a market town and saw the bustling crowds, they rested for a few days and didn't want to leave. He said he wanted to find a job there, live there, and find a way to return later.
When they reached a village and saw that it was beautiful and picturesque, the people were friendly and kind, and the girls were also very pretty, he wanted to marry and have children there, and settle down.
In the end, Mo Qi dragged him away by force. At first, he didn't want Jin Dan to accompany him, but later he realized that without a companion along the way, he would either die of exhaustion or boredom, and probably wouldn't be able to persist in the end.
However, along the way, the two of them gained quite a bit. Through practical combat experience, Mo Qi's skill of shooting birds with grass roots had become perfected.
Stones, branches, and even leaves, when thrown casually, inflicted fatal damage on opponents.
Close combat was even more exaggerated. Once, facing a tiger, he didn't have time to throw branches. In a panic, he met the charging tiger with a punch. He didn't know which part he hit, but he sent the tiger flying far away, bloody and mangled, before it landed, dead without even a whimper.
Later, no matter what ferocious beasts he encountered, Mo Qi no longer threw stones or branches. His fists, fingertips, and leg techniques were used in various ways to deal with the attacking enemies.
Moreover, Mo Qi sometimes inexplicably felt a warm current flowing within his body, and sometimes he even felt an urge to unleash it.
He vaguely felt that this power was very strong, perhaps it was what cultivators called divine power, but he had no one to guide him and couldn't exert this power, so whenever this happened, his desire to cultivate became extremely strong.
Jin Dan's combat experience also increased day by day. Although Mo Qi always rushed to the forefront when encountering enemies, when the enemies swarmed, he had to face some enemies alone.
Under Mo Qi's influence and encouragement, he also became stronger day by day.
Another half a year passed.
One day, the two passed by a village and saw a group of young people with their waists cinched and their faces flushed with excitement, running in one direction. Jin Dan was curious and asked, "What are you guys doing, dragon boat racing?"
One of the young people excitedly replied, "The Lingxiao Sect from the nearby Xianyun Mountain is recruiting disciples here. As long as you pass their test, you can become a disciple of the Lingxiao Sect and embark on the path of cultivation."
Jin Dan glanced at Mo Qi and said, "I want to give it a try."
Without waiting for Mo Qi's reply, he joined the team and ran forward with them.
Mo Qi joined without hesitation.
At this moment, the hope of Tianxiang Mountain was becoming increasingly slim. They also doubted at all times whether the road beneath their feet was leading to Tianxiang Mountain.
People cannot withstand a splash of cold water. If one person splashes cold water, you might scoff. If two people splash cold water, you will feel a bit cold. If a group of people splash cold water, they will directly send you into an abyss of ice.
Moreover, after toiling on the road day after day, they were truly worried that by the time they reached Tianxiang Mountain, they would be too old to even move their legs. How could they cultivate then?
The recruitment of disciples by the Lingxiao Sect at this time might be a reward from heaven for their perseverance. If they could successfully enter, why would they still go to Tianxiang Mountain? Where one cultivates is where one cultivates!
Seeing Mo Qi also joining the group, Jin Dan's face showed a knowing smile. He knew that as long as Mo Qi was there, he would definitely pass any test.
The crowd arrived at a very spacious grassland. At the same time, groups of people kept pouring in from all directions. The more people gathered, the more crowded it became, and soon the originally spacious grassland was filled with a sea of people, shoulder to shoulder.
In front of the grassland, there was a large tree. As everyone was chattering and making noise, a figure stepped into the air and landed lightly on the treetop.
The person was wearing a white Taoist robe, was middle-aged, had a slightly round face, was a bit plump, and had small eyes that seemed to be always squinting.
The treetop showed no signs of bending or deforming, as if the tree merely provided a vantage point, not a support.
If someone had a keener eye, they would have seen that the middle-aged man was standing on a leaf, completely still.
Seeing the arrival of the middle-aged man, the crowd cooperatively fell silent, and the grassland immediately became quiet, not a sound could be heard.
Someone in the front row bowed to the man, "Greetings, True Master Han Yang." The crowd behind them followed suit, "Greetings, True Master Han Yang."
Han Yang waved his hand at the crowd, and his deep, rough voice echoed across the grassland, "Everyone, I am honored to preside over the annual entrance examination of the Lingxiao Sect here. Our Lingxiao Sect has always upheld the view and principle that where there's a will, there's a way. Therefore, whether you have extraordinary talent or mediocre aptitude, as long as you are willing to work hard, persevere, and endure hardship, you are a potential talent."
"However, whether you are a potential talent can only be known through our assessment. Today, our assessment task is very simple: to pass through the Blackwood Forest, cross the Silver Dragon Snow Mountain, and reach the Sanggan River before sunset tomorrow."
The crowd erupted in a uproar, with discussions and criticisms rising one after another, even curses: "Are you crazy? The Blackwood Forest is teeming with wild beasts, and even demonic beasts appear. Isn't it a dead end for ordinary people to enter?"
"Even if they manage to get through the Blackwood Forest, they can't cross the Silver Dragon Snow Mountain. It takes ordinary people to cross the Silver Dragon Snow Mountain, either they freeze to death or they fall to their deaths. No one has ever heard of anyone passing through the Silver Dragon Snow Mountain. Everyone takes a detour, even if it means going hundreds of miles out of the way."
"Even if they cross the Silver Dragon Snow Mountain, they can't cross the Sanggan River."
"Who set this question? This is clearly an assessment for immortals, not an entrance test. If they had such abilities, they would already be immortals, so why learn the Tao and cultivate the immortal?"
"This is simply insane."
As these discussions spread, the crowd began to disperse. The previous crowd of tens of thousands quickly dwindled to a sparse few dozen people.
"I will state one more thing, you must participate in the assessment voluntarily. In the event of casualties during the assessment, our Lingxiao Sect will not be responsible," Han Yang said, looking at the departing people with a blank expression, and finally added a more disheartening sentence with a resounding voice.
As soon as these words were spoken, half of the people left, leaving only thirty to forty people to participate in the assessment.
Jin Dan and Mo Qi were among those thirty to forty people. Jin Dan was a bit hesitant when he heard that people might die, but after looking back at Mo Qi behind him, and seeing that he hadn't moved, he resolutely stayed.
"Alright, those who have decided to participate in the assessment, please come forward to record your names," Han Yang said, scanning the remaining people with satisfaction.
At this moment, everyone discovered that a pen and a piece of paper were placed on the open ground in front. Everyone lined up and wrote their names on the paper one by one.
Seeing that all the people who stayed had written their names, Han Yang probed the paper on the ground with his palm. The paper actually flew up and slowly fell into his hand. Without even looking at it, he folded it a few times and put it into his embrace.
"Well, it's getting late, everyone, let's set off," Han Yang commanded, and everyone ran towards the direction of the Blackwood Forest. Many onlookers also followed closely.
At this time, Mo Qi realized that everyone was prepared. Everyone was carrying a bundle, presumably containing clothes.
Since they had to cross the snow mountain, fortunately, Mo Qi and Jin Dan had clothes prepared in their luggage.
Besides that, some people were holding shining knives, some were carrying crossbows, and some even brought cooking pots. Were they going on a trip?
At some point, Jin Dan had taken out the dagger from his bundle and held it in his hand.
Soon, they saw a dense forest ahead, stretching endlessly, as far as the eye could see. In the depths of the forest, black mist permeated, and an indescribable bloody aura emanated, making people hesitant.
The thirty to forty people participating in the assessment rushed into the dense forest. Those who were watching stopped there, poking their heads inside, their eyes filled with bloodthirsty and eager expressions, as if they wanted to witness firsthand how these people would die.
However, in just a moment, those people disappeared into the dense forest and could no longer be seen.
At least, within the range of vision, they were still safe. Some people shook their heads in disappointment.
After running for several miles, some people couldn't keep up. The crowd gradually divided into several echelons. Mo Qi, who was initially in the leading echelon, gradually moved to the middle position to take care of Jin Dan.
To avoid falling too far behind, he was almost pulling Jin Dan along.
During this process, Mo Qi saw someone whose feet seemed to be propelled by the wind, with endless disdain in his eyes. He easily overtook everyone, and kept looking back, leaving a contemptuous glance.
This glance immediately made Mo Qi feel a sense of familiarity. Could it be that this was another naturally gifted cultivator like Lu Xiaoyue?
Mo Qi was provoked and almost abandoned Jin Dan to chase after him and compete with him, but he finally restrained himself.
The echelon he was in had more than a dozen people, and it should be the largest team.