With another shot, he sent his opponent flying, and Northern Crossing Qing felt as if he had just emerged from the water. The intensity of the battle exceeded his imagination.
The strength of the army astonished him, with strict discipline and precise control. If he hadn't disrupted their formation right from the start, Northern Crossing Qing could only imagine what awaited him.
Even so, he paid a tremendous price. After the last soldier fell beneath his spear, he could no longer hold on and stumbled to the ground. If it weren't for the rising and falling of his chest, one might mistake him for a corpse.
Fan Yunxiu was not in much better shape. Her breathing was labored, like a bellows drawing in air, stirring up dust from the ground with each gasp.
A shattered sword lay scattered before her, yet her face bore a smile of relief. For the first time, she dared to confront her true self and finally understood that she had been troubled by a thought that didn't deserve her attention for her entire life.
Suddenly, she felt that living was indeed the best option, and guilt washed over her for her deceased parents. Another version of herself lay quietly among the broken blade, wearing a smile of contentment that seemed to encourage her.
Fan Yunxiu longed to know who owned that voice. Without its emergence, she would never have been able to break through her own limitations. That voice sounded so young!
Meanwhile, similar events unfolded beneath other Cold Pools, though many were destined to remain forever asleep atop the Treasure Path.
This was a road of no return, paved with flesh and blood—a path between life and death. Yet it could not deter practitioners from eagerly stepping forward.
Qualifications did not equate to achievements; perhaps some could gain benefits from it, but each opening of the Treasure Path would always be a stage for one person alone.
Just as Zuo Dao prepared to receive his rewards, he suddenly felt a stir in his heart and looked toward the direction of Wangfeng Platform. The Wangfeng Platform was akin to his life’s treasure. Their connection was inseparable; any movement from Wangfeng Platform was something Zuo Dao could sense.
Something had changed.
Without hesitation, Zuo Dao dashed toward Wangfeng Platform. His anxiety was not about the platform itself but about the person on it—the one he cared about most in this lifetime.
At this moment on the Wangfeng Platform, everyone was jolted awake, with the Five Companions and Seven Disciples leading the charge, their eyes fixed on the surroundings outside the Wangfeng Platform as if facing a formidable enemy.
What a powerful aura! Although no enemies were detected, this overwhelming presence weighed heavily on everyone's hearts, causing the entire Wangfeng Platform to tremble slightly.
Zuo Dao dashed forward, sensing the intermittent messages coming from the Wangfeng Platform. Before long, a peculiar expression appeared on his face, a mix of amusement and intrigue.
When he caught sight of the Wangfeng Platform from a distance, he suddenly halted.
The five peaks had maintained a certain distance from the Wangfeng Platform before he left, but now they seemed to have closed in significantly, encircling the Wangfeng Platform completely.
This first strange sight gave Zuo Dao an illusion that the Five Great Peaks were trying to merge into the Wangfeng Platform, becoming part of it. The messages from the Wangfeng Platform confirmed Zuo Dao's suspicions.
Zuo Dao was more than willing to accept these benefits. He understood very well that if the Five Great Peaks were absorbed by the Wangfeng Platform, it would become immensely powerful—almost comparable to a Cave of Abundance. Moreover, he couldn't forget that the Wangfeng Platform was his life treasure.
Have you ever seen someone carry a Cave of Abundance with them?
After confirming that this distant anomaly would not affect those on the peaks, Zuo Dao irresponsibly turned around and left.
It was better to give Yan Zhen and his group a scare!
At this moment, he thought maliciously.
Meanwhile, those on the Treasure Path continued their journey. After experiencing life-and-death trials, some cultivators chose to press on while others opted to withdraw. However, even when combining both groups, they still paled in comparison to those who chose to stay permanently.
At this crossroads of fate, everyone took different paths, yet they found themselves walking together again on the road of cultivation.
As Northern Crossing Qing dragged his weary body out of the space, he suddenly noticed several figures around him. Each figure appeared so disheveled, yet each one was strikingly familiar.
"Door Panel Show, what are you doing here?" Seeing that iconic silhouette, Northern Crossing Qing smiled. It wasn't just Fan Yunxiu; there were several other familiar figures as well.
"Damn, Flirtatious Qing, don't tell me you just had a battle with a bunch of girls," a lewd voice reached his ears. Then everyone began to recognize each other's presence.
In an instant, names like "Flirtatious Qing," "Door Panel Show," "Jie Cao Wu," "Rich Gold," "Lecherous Liu," "Shou Zhong," "Raise the Case," "Miao Mei Hong," and "Slim Horse West" flew around the room.
It was unclear whether it was coincidence or intentional, but all the people who appeared here were acquaintances.
Fan Yunxiu was momentarily stunned to see so many familiar faces. It wasn't until Northern Crossing Qing called her name that she snapped back to reality. Looking at the numerous wounds on Northern Crossing Qing's body, a pang of concern welled up in her heart.
"What are you all doing here?" After the Nine People spoke the same words in unison, they exchanged amused glances and laughed.
"I never expected our Nine Flows Generation would gather under such circumstances! What a twist of fate!" Lecherous Liu, whose real name was Liu Weishou, was perhaps the most cunning among the Nine People. Although he felt a bit suspicious about their simultaneous appearance, the joy of reunion after adversity pushed those doubts aside.
"Flirtatious Qing, are you okay?" Fan Yunxiu looked at Northern Crossing Qing with concern. Among the Nine People, he seemed to be in the worst shape; there wasn't a single uninjured spot on him. With blood staining his entire body, he looked like someone who had suffered severe injuries.
"I'm fine; I'm not dead yet," Northern Crossing Qing replied with a smile directed at Fan Yunxiu. "But you seem different; something has changed about you."
Hearing this from Northern Crossing Qing, the others also reacted. Lecherous Liu circled around Fan Yunxiu a few times. "I don't see any difference; if anything has changed, it's that Door Panel Show's waist seems to have gotten thicker."
As soon as he finished speaking, a foot kicked him hard in the backside, leaving a large footprint behind.
"Are you looking for death?" Fan Yunxiu shot him a fierce glare.
The "Nine Flows Generation" was a self-proclaimed title for this group of individuals who had come together for various reasons, forging a bond of deep friendship that could withstand the trials of life and death.
Fan Yunxiu was the only woman among them, and throughout the Northern Crossing Star, these few were the only ones who held no judgment against her. Instead, they offered her countless support and encouragement.
Moreover, Fan Yunxiu's fondness for Northern Crossing Qing was no secret among the Nine People, yet Northern Crossing Qing did not distance herself from her because of it. This was one of the reasons she managed to persevere during previous battles.
Northern Crossing Qing waved her hand, weakly interrupting everyone's laughter.
"Alright, it seems everyone has safely passed the first hurdle. Now, what I need to discuss is very important, and you must remember it." Although the Nine People could joke around, they became extremely serious when it came to significant matters.
"It seems this is indeed the legendary Treasure Path." As soon as Northern Crossing Qing finished speaking, everyone went wild.
"Damn, how did I get so unlucky? So this is the Treasure Path!" The carefree Lecherous Liu exclaimed. "You scared me! I almost thought I wouldn't see you all again. This damned Treasure Path!" Without a second thought, only Zhong Wuyan could speak in such a tone.
Following him, Jie Cao Wu, Gold Tycoon, Qi Sheng, Hong Qi Guan, and Ximen Wang all expressed their outrage.
Northern Crossing Qing had anticipated this reaction and was not surprised at all.
"Although I don't know much about it, I did come across some relevant information in our ancestors' records," Northern Crossing Qing said as she glanced at everyone. "What we just experienced was merely a test; what comes next is the real Treasure Path. I hope that by the end, each of us in the Nine Flows Generation can complete it intact."
"Brothers united are as strong as gold; Nine Flows Generation will last through the ages."
Nine distinct hands tightly clasped together. Zuo Dao happened to return just in time to witness this scene and couldn't help but curse under his breath.
"Damn it, is it really that exaggerated? It turns out the people I chose are all in cahoots! What a bunch of useless drunks." He was utterly speechless at that moment.
Although that was the case, Zuo Dao still felt quite pleased. This way, the difficulty of capturing everything in one net would be even greater.
The official opening of the Treasure Path marked the beginning of a legendary journey for the nine brothers.
Regardless of whether it was the Northern Crossing Immortal's deliberate arrangement, Zuo Dao knew that he didn't need to worry about the lives of these Nine People. Although only Northern Crossing Qing would ultimately make it out, Zuo Dao believed that the Northern Crossing Immortal would take care of everything. He couldn't believe that the Northern Crossing Immortal would allow his Bloodline legacy to be left alone. Even if the Northern Crossing Immortal were to do so, Zuo Dao would not allow such a thing to happen.
In his words, "The people I care about won't die so easily."
Although the Northern Crossing Immortal had given the green light for his Bloodline legacy, he did not go easy on anything along the Treasure Path. The difficulty remained unchanged, and it was just as dangerous as before.
The Nine Flows Generation walked step by step along the Treasure Path, using their bodies to pave the way for their companions and shedding their blood to save their brothers, moving forward hand in hand.
They had encountered invincible opponents and faced countless temptations. Yet, a bond called "friendship" tightly connected them together.
The crises they faced became topics of laughter, and the hardships they endured turned into stories of survival.
As they stepped onto the final stair, Northern Crossing Qing vanished from everyone's sight. Then, before they could react, the Treasure Path emerged before Zuo Dao.
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