Happiness is always fleeting.
After Fang Yun’s “Wind Plum Breaking Snow Poem” was completed, everyone continued to climb the avalanche slope with doubts about the “Top-grade Heart of Literature”.
Because the Presented Scholars were climbing together, and with Fang Yun’s overall planning, they were walking briskly upwards, much faster than the Demon Barbarians.
Ordinary climbing was not a problem for these Presented Scholars, but the cold emanating from the snow around them, which contained the power of comets and Demon Ancestors, caused them to expend dozens of times more energy than normal climbing.
Several Presented Scholars with weaker physical strength were already panting heavily, and at the fastest, their breaths occasionally reached the standard “one breath”, which was one second for Fang Yun.
This team had already surpassed most of the ordinary Demon Barbarians, only lagging behind those whose strength was close to that of the Saint Child.
Some Saint Children gradually reached the top.
Fang Yun and the others were climbing vigorously, but suddenly, roars came from above, one after another. The roars contained the power of blood and qi, affecting the avalanche and causing the snow waves to accelerate.
Fang Yun knew that if the speed of the avalanche increased by 10%, the increase in destructive power would be far more than 10%.
The pressure on everyone increased sharply, and the frequency of using poems increased again.
While Fang Yun was quickly issuing orders, he was also observing the source of the roars, and soon found that it was indeed the Demon Barbarians causing trouble on purpose.
These Demon Barbarians were not only deliberately roaring to intensify the avalanche, but they also changed their route, pushing the cleared snow onto the path of the human race, causing more snow on the path directly in front of the human race.
Whether the human race chose to change their route or continue straight up, they would consume extra talent energy.
“Shut up! Don’t disturb this lion king’s sleep!” A roar came from the sky, but it had no effect on the avalanche.
The roars of the Demon Barbarians quickly stopped, but the Demon Barbarians above did not change their route, still deliberately pushing the snow towards the path of Fang Yun and the others, and the stone lion did not appear again.
Fang Yun realized that the Demon Barbarians always had to choose a route and clear the surrounding snow, which was necessary. As for how to choose the route, it was their freedom, so the stone lion didn’t care. But roaring was not necessary for climbing, so the stone lion stopped it.
“What should we do?” A Presented Scholar asked anxiously.
“There’s nothing we can do, we just have to hold on. As long as we keep this pace, we can surpass many Demon Barbarians. Until we reach the top of the slope! Everyone be extra vigilant, whether we can get past the avalanche slope depends on this last five miles!”
After Fang Yun finished speaking, he gave some precautions.
In the beginning, everyone’s poems could last for ten or so breaths. At most, they could even reach thirty breaths. But later, they could only last for seven or eight breaths. Now, most poems could only last for four breaths before being swept away by the avalanche.
For safety, Fang Yun had to let the Presented Scholars behind him prepare their poems half a breath in advance, but the consequence was that everyone’s talent energy was consumed more rapidly.
“How much talent energy do you have left?”
“I only have two inches and five points left.”
“I have two inches and six points left.”
“I have two inches and four points left.”
……
After hearing the amount of talent energy everyone had left, Fang Yun’s brows furrowed. There was still a quarter of the journey left, and most of the Presented Scholars’ talent energy was around a quarter. If nothing unexpected happened, there was a great chance of reaching the top. But now, with the obstruction of the two Demon Clans, the chance became extremely slim.
Everyone realized why Fang Yun was asking about their talent energy, and the team was filled with gloom.
If they continued, they might all be buried on the avalanche slope!
The confidence built up because of Fang Yun’s Top-grade Heart of Literature was being eroded by the obstruction of the Demon Barbarians.
Time slowly passed, and the human race surpassed one Demon Barbarian after another, but the Demon Barbarians above were still tirelessly pushing the snow onto the path of the human race.
Suddenly, Zong Wude sighed, “Why don’t we use the ice stone to leave. During the second corridor, a Demon Barbarian used an ice stone, and it took about ten breaths for the ice stone to take effect. We can easily block the avalanche for ten breaths if we work together.”
“Then wouldn’t all our previous efforts be wasted?”
“It’s better than dying here! We represent the best of this generation of Presented Scholars. If we die, the human race will be absolutely suppressed by the Demon Barbarians for at least a decade. Moreover, there is a high possibility that a Semi-Saint will emerge among us. If we die here, it won’t just be a matter of being suppressed for a decade, it could be a hundred years.”
“We may not fail!”
“What if we do fail? These few generations of the Demon Clan have many geniuses, and they are already certain to defeat our human race. If we go back now, even if we are defeated, we still have the power to resist. If we die here, the same generation of the human race will probably have no power to fight back against them.”
Those who advocated advancing and those who advocated retreating began to argue, both sides had valid points, and it was more like a debate.
Yan Yukong suddenly said, “We have already handed over the command to Fang Yun, he will decide on this matter, and no one is allowed to question it! Everyone shut up!”
Several Presented Scholars looked at Yan Yukong in surprise, admiring him even more. He was clearly the first Presented Scholar recognized by everyone, and even a disciple of a Semi-Saint, but he was willing to risk his life to save everyone before, and now he was willing to be Fang Yun’s green leaf, clearing away the noise for Fang Yun.
“This is another kind of outstanding person, not competing with the sun and the moon, but like the spring rain transforming into rain.” Kong Delun sighed softly.
Fang Yun quickly pointed at several people in one breath, agreed on the time, and then said, “Keep moving forward! I still have a lot of talent energy, I will also join in resisting the avalanche. I’ll take over in seventeen breaths.”
Many Presented Scholars showed a look of reluctance. Fang Yun had been constantly commanding along the way, seemingly just saying a few words, but before speaking, he had to make judgments and calculations, and needed to grasp various timings. But all of this was nothing, the most important thing was the pressure. As the commander, Fang Yun was shouldering the snow and the entire team!
Fang Yun not only consumed more physical strength than others, but also needed to consume more of the Courage to Write to keep his thinking clear.
When the time came, Fang Yun picked up his pen and started writing.
“Thin stones and cold plums are neighbors, standing tall and unchanged in all four seasons. Know that the quality of defying snow and frost is not in the bustling crowd.”
Giant pine trees rose from the ground, pushing away the snow waves, standing tall and towering, much taller than the pine trees of other people’s poems.
After the poem was written, Fang Yun slowly said, “Brother Shi Tang, please complete your poem in twenty breaths.”Fang Yun’s tone was calm, but it conveyed an infinite strength, as if his poetry could withstand an avalanche, and he himself could support the entire comet corridor.
Everyone recognized the brilliance of this poem, which praised the pine without mentioning it, using thin rocks and cold plum blossoms to highlight the quality of the pine. It was at least county-level, but the situation was urgent, and no one had time to comment.
“If we can get out of here, this literary meeting can definitely be compiled into a collection!”
Every Presented Scholar had the same thought, their bodies filled with boundless energy. Anyone could write a collection, but not everyone could officially publish one. Even the ten nations had no jurisdiction over it, it had to pass the review of the Holy Academy. Generally speaking, a Grand Academician could only publish one personal collection in his lifetime.
Although there were many collections from literary meetings, the conditions for publication were extremely strict. They were usually privately printed, and the collections officially sold in bookstores in the ten nations were rare. Each nation would usually compile all the poems and essays from that year’s literary meetings at the end of the year, select the best ones, and publish them in a book.
This “Avalanche Literary Meeting” was not high in quality, but it had a large quantity, and the location was special, being the comet corridor. The opportunity for more than thirty Presented Scholars to climb the third corridor was a rare one, and there was a great chance of publishing a collection.
Before long, it was Fang Yun’s turn again, and he wrote another poem.
“Braving the cold and heat, standing on the mountain ridge, lush in all four seasons, proud of the azure sky. Not vying for beauty in its plainness, its evergreen surpasses fleeting fragrance.”
Once the poem was finished, a massive amount of heavenly and earthly energy surged, forming a towering green pine, parting the snow and paving the way.
Suddenly, a scream came from ahead, and Fang Yun found it familiar.
The range of this pine poem was extremely large, not only pushing away the avalanche, but even pushing away the Demon Barbarian bear, Xiong Cang, who had deliberately chosen to be above the path of Fang Yun and the others in order to obstruct them. As a result, he outsmarted himself.
Xiong Cang’s body was swept down by the snow wave, and he could no longer find a foothold.
“Lion King, the humans want to kill me! I’ve been injured by the avalanche and their poetry, and I no longer have the strength to climb the third corridor. Please punish them, Lion King!” Xiong Cang roared loudly.
“Serves you right!” The stone lion’s response was clean and decisive.
Everyone couldn’t help but laugh. It seemed that the stone lion also disliked the Demon Barbarian’s actions.
After the laughter, there was another silence.
Before long, Zong Wude suddenly said, “Fang Yun, we’re running out of talent.”
Those who had previously advocated continuing to climb the mountain were now silent. The talent consumed by the Demon Barbarian’s obstruction was far beyond imagination. Even with Fang Yun’s addition, it was impossible to reach the top of the mountain with the current talent of the group.
After walking for so long, everyone could now estimate how much further they could go based on their talent.
“We’re still a mile short.” Yan Yukong suddenly said in a low voice.
There was a deathly silence in the group.
“As long as I have talent, I won’t retreat!”
After Fang Yun finished speaking, he took over from another Presented Scholar and quickly wrote another poem.
“Heavy snow presses on the green pine, the green pine stands tall and straight. To know the nobility of the pine, wait until the snow melts.”
After finishing this famous poem by Marshal Chen Yi, Fang Yun sighed in his heart. His talent was not enough to support him for another mile.
But he would never give up until the end!
Fang Yun’s Courage to Write suddenly trembled slightly, and the power of the Courage to Write merged into this poem.
Once the poem was finished, the wind rose and the clouds surged, but not a single pine tree appeared.
“Did it fail?” All the Presented Scholars had the same thought.
Rumble…
A strange scene occurred. Rows of light and shadow pine trees sprouted from the ground, breaking through the snow and growing rapidly. They formed a mysterious majestic force that pushed away all the avalanches, creating a pine tree road that was wider, longer, and stronger than any other poem. It was as if seven or eight poems from others had appeared at the same time.
“Wait! Look closely at these pine trees!”
Everyone took a closer look and found that the pine trees formed by Fang Yun’s poem were actually the sum of the pine trees formed by the seven most recent pine poems!
“Fang Yun, your poem has reawakened the power of the previous seven pine poems! It’s amazing!”
“This poem has a simple theme but it points out the spirit of the pine, which is similar to Sage Confucius’s phrase ‘Only in the cold of winter does one realize that the pine and the cypress are the last to wither’!”
“Look, some of the snow is melting!”
Everyone was shocked. In this terrain, melting snow into water was dozens of times more terrifying than a simple avalanche.
Everyone took a closer look and suddenly laughed, because all the melted snow was being pushed away by countless pine trees. The Demon Barbarians who were currently obstructing them or had obstructed them in the past were being hit by a tsunami-like wave of melted snow.
The shrill screams echoed in the sky above the third corridor. (To be continued.)