Heavenly Dao Child

Ryuu watched the group as they climbed, after reaching the chimney area, Ryuu had stopped on the short ledge as he was showing others how to climb the part, but another part worried him, a quarter of the mountain from the base was gone and they were near about halfway through, as such he could not help but mumble out loud, "Ugh, we have to move faster."

"Is there something wrong Daoist Brother Ryuu?"

Ryuu grimaced as he spoke, "We have to pick up speed the mountain is already a quarter gone, so move fast."

A grimace formed on the person's face as he moved up following Ryuu's instruction as he looked at the long line that was rising he sighed, 'At least most have already passed this point, I think it is my time to move up.'

He moved to the ledge as one of the cultivators who saw him shouted out, "Where are you going Ryuu?"

"I am moving up."

With that, he jumped from the ledge holding onto a crack before pulling himself up as a couple of cultivators looked at him with awe, as one of them spoke with a shake of his head, "Monkey, that is some kind of monkey that has cultivated enough to gain human form, there is no other explanation."

"Brother can you move a little there are so many beauties you are preventing me from peaking."

The cultivator who was just admiring Ryuu smirked as he spoke, "Sorry brother for hogging all the sight let me move a bit then we can both enjoy…", as he spoke he looked up only for a rock to drop on his head hard making his grip loosen as he slipped down a bit.

"What the hell are you doing? I would have died."

The person who threw the rock was a woman, who looked at them akin to the look that one gives to a bug as she spoke with a scowl, "That was my idea you wretched perverts, I wanted you to die, the mountain is disappearing and you are too slow to move if you wish to die then jump off and kill yourselves there is no need to cause others to needlessly die."

The duo of perverts grumbled before they began to move as did the others behind them.

Frost Flames arms ached badly as she bit her lips in frustration, 'Ryuu was right the gravity is increasing as we move up, at the same time the air is getting thinner and thinner to the point of nonexistence, it is taxing on our bodies without any KI.'

A hand suddenly appeared in front of her startling her only to relax as Ryuu appeared with a slightly laboured breathing as he spoke, "How are you holding up."

Frost Flames gave a tired smile, "So so.", and then a frown appeared as she spoke, "How are you here? You stayed behind back on that ledge."

"There are many routes to the top, but of all the routes available the one you all are taking is the easiest one."

Frost Flames simply smiled tiredly as she spoke, "I will stop talking your words are giving me a headache."

"Then I suggest to pick up the pace the mountain is collapsing incredibly fast."

A look of alarm passed through her face as she gritted her teeth while forcing her muscles to work harder.

Ryuu grabbed on to the ledge as he pulled himself up he immediately laid on to the ground as he began his breathing exercise to control his laboured breathing as well as his heartbeat, an exercise his teacher taught him to employ after such laborious work, to better control his blood flow and his breathing in case he has no access to KI.

Half a minute later Ryuu opened his eyes as he sat up, he then put his hand behind his back to reach his ever-trusty flask with a smile on his face.

He then proceeded to take a sip from it as he let out a gasp of pleasure as he spoke, "I might not be able to choose from the contents because of the lack of KI, but I am glad that I have access to 'Jade Moonflower Tea' for the time being.

His eyes then fell on the next part of their objective they have to cross a large lake and beyond it was a doorway, 'The air is too thin not to mention the gravity of this place is enormous for people that are without KI, even a Body Refiner would have trouble keeping up let alone a KI refiner.'

As he mused a certain smell caught his nose as he went near the lake to inspect it closely, and a few seconds later his eyes widen slightly before he let out a loose chuckle as he whispered to himself, "And people call me a sadist."

He sat in meditative position near the edge with his trustee flask in hand as one by one the cultivators all reached the topmost of them were completely drained as they collapsed soon after.

"Good work all of you, you climbed over sixteen thousand meters to reach the top, amid the increase of gravity, lack of air, not to mention our lack of KI and the sharp jagged rocks but unfortunately it is not over."

Lots of tired groans and curses came to his ears, as he spoke with a chuckle, "But fear, not the end is at sight, for look over yonder the door to escape this place is just at the other side of the lake."

True-Spear stood up as he spoke, "Well then what are we waiting for lets march forward."

With his many groaned as they stood shakily up as Ryuu looked them with a frown, 'My teachers usually made me practice while sealing my KI yet the current me is still feeling some difficulty something is wrong.'

As the cultivators moved towards the lake Ryuu spoke with a smile, "About that I would like to warn you about the lake."

Once again he was greeted by groans, as Zywia spoke in a tired voice, "What is wrong with the lake?"

Ryuu's smile widens as it gained a sinister look on his face as he spoke, "Whoever this master of the tomb is, well he is a sadist, the lake over there is salt water mixed with a healthy dose of chilli on it."

A stunned silence descended amongst the group as Ryuu looked at the lake with a hint of approval as he spoke, "Damn I now really wish I would have met him when he was alive.", he then continued with a shrug, "Well there is no point crying over spilt milk."

With his piece being said he moved towards Frost Flames who was sitting on the ground, he offered her his hand which she took with a smile and as she stood up Ryuu studied her palm as she spoke, "You have lots of cuts and bruises on your palms are you still going to do it on your own."

Frost Flames smiled at him as she spoke with a nod, "Yes, my love you are helping us a lot and I being your future Dao-Companion cannot slack now can I?"

Ryuu simply smiled as he spoke, "As you wish my love.", he then looked towards others as he spoke while raising his voice a bit, "Everyone please hurry the collapse would reach the lake soon and I doubt any of you would like to test your luck against the millions of gallons of water stored in it."

He then let go of her hand but not before giving her a gentle kiss on her cuts making her blush a deep shade of red, he then began to walk towards the lake and as he was knee-deep in the water he looked back as spoke with a smirk, "Well then see you on the other side."

As Ryuu swam towards the other side many thoughts flashed passed his mind the most prominent being, 'Why did her blood taste a bit funny, hmm maybe it was because of the mineral that is mixing with the blood, ugh I should not have who knows what is in that mineral it could be poisonous as such I will have to tell them to wash their hands but more importantly, I should wash my mouth.'

The group somehow managed to swim to the other side despite their injuries and as they were recuperating they watched the other side of the lake collapse as the water emptied itself.

"Look over there at the bottom of the lake, there is plant at the bottom."

As the shout drew everyone's attention one of them shouted out in disbelief, "No way that is 'Dragon Blossom Rose' lucky!"

As he jumped towards it a handheld his shoulder forcing him back making him snarl in anger, "What the hell are you doing?"

Only to receive a harsh glare courtesy of Devaraj who spoke with anger in his voice, "You idiot did you not see the surface, it is like a polished bowl, how will you climb up without your KI, you would simply get stuck in there."

Ryuu frowned as he looked at the plant as he spoke, "Something is off about it."

His words drew the attention of others as he picked up a small pebble from the shore and then taking aim he threw it towards it, the pebble sailed towards it and then much to the disbelief of others it sailed through it as Ryuu spoke with a sigh, "As I thought an illusion, just the thing that was missing.", he then looked towards the door as he spoke, "Well there is nothing we can do about it, everyone it is time for us to move to the next area."