Boom…

The avalanche, like a wave, kept crashing downwards, making a tremendous roar.

Niu Shan closely followed behind Fang Yun for protection, while Quan Xi was at the back of the group, vigilantly watching all around.

As they approached the avalanche, they could clearly feel the terrifying power that was even more formidable than a tsunami. A hint of fear arose in their hearts, but it was quickly dispelled by the Courage to Write.

In front of them, an invisible force was at work. Snow waves several feet high would instantly disappear upon hitting this invisible wall, with only a few snowflakes splattering. Each snowflake, like the strange cold wind in the first corridor, emitted a power similar to the Weak Water and the strange wind. Even without touching their skin, the coldness had already seeped into their bodies.

Fang Yun said, “I have observed that the snow waves formed by the avalanche vary in speed. Every two hundred breaths or so, there will be a particularly strong snow wave. We will step into the invisible wall after this strongest wave to conserve some energy. After the strongest wave, the power of the avalanche will gradually weaken, but it will start to intensify again after a hundred breaths, until the next strongest wave comes. It’s a cycle. Yan Yukong, Sun Naiyong, Kong Delun, and Zong Wude, you are the strongest among us. Listen to my command and be responsible for dealing with the strongest snow wave. The rest of you will handle the regular waves. Alright, the strongest wave is approaching. Get ready. Ma Xiong, I want to see your poem completed in fifteen breaths!”

“Yes!”

Ma Xiong timed himself and began to write.

“Ten miles of wind bring the cold winter, among the near and far, ten thousand pines stand. Looking back at the place where the guest resides, mountains and rivers have passed thousands of times.”

This was not a war poem, but under the influence of Ma Xiong’s talent, the power of the God of Literature contained in the comet corridor served as a medium, allowing Ma Xiong’s poem, talent, and the energy of heaven and earth to resonate, turning the abstract into reality, forming a power similar to that of the War Poetry.

As the poem was first recited, a layer of precious light enveloped the paper, doubling the power of the poem, but it lacked the other precious lights that should accompany the War Poetry.

Feeling the vibration of the energy of heaven and earth, everyone was overjoyed. They didn’t expect that the energy of heaven and earth here, driven by talent, was several times that of the Holy Origin Mainland, increasing from thirty percent to fifty percent through the opportunity of the avalanche slope!

The energy of heaven and earth surged towards the front of Ma Xiong, forming hundreds of huge shadowy pine trees. The front half of the shadowy pine trees were densely packed together, forming a “human” shape, blocking the snow waves in front and diverting them to both sides, without completely blocking them.

The pine trees at the back were interlocked like dog teeth, constantly being hit by the snow waves. Many trees were broken by the impact. The snow waves, blocked and slowed down, lost their threat and turned from an avalanche into soft, thick snow.

The power transformed by this poem opened up a safe path for everyone. Moreover, the line “mountains and rivers have passed thousands of times” implied a swift journey. Everyone was surrounded by the energy of heaven and earth, stepping on the slowly sliding snow and rushing forward.

The waist-deep snow would be troublesome for ordinary people, but Fang Yun’s body was now stronger than most demon soldiers, and the bodies of the other Presented Scholars were not inferior to ordinary demon soldiers. This bit of snow was not a hindrance to them at all, even if they hit the stones inside, it would only cause a slight pain.

During the journey, several people praised Ma Xiong’s poem, saying that even if it didn’t have the precious light next time, it could still be used to resist the avalanche for a while.

Soon, they arrived behind the “human”-shaped pine trees.

They saw that most of the snow waves were diverted to both sides by the pine trees. The densely packed shadowy pine trees were creaking and swaying under the impact of the surging snow waves.

“Jia Jing’an,” Fang Yun said.

Like Ma Xiong, Jia Jing’an was a Presented Scholar from a Semi-Saint Prominent Family. He had passed the three mountains and three pavilions of Book Mountain and reached the fourth mountain, so he had the lower-grade Heart of Literature that allowed him to write quickly, one sentence per breath.

“Ten thousand books stored in my belly, clear tea and ink fragrance accompany the warm stove. In the winter month with wild wind and snow, a thousand bamboo and plum trees protect the wilderness hut.”

As soon as this poem came out, a large number of plum and bamboo trees extended from the front end of the pine tree illusion, growing rapidly, lining up the rolling snow waves, forming a narrow “Jie” shape, enclosing a narrow slope with almost no snow accumulation.

Every Presented Scholar had a smile on their face. This was the powerful force of turning the abstract into reality with poetry. It could do things that even the War Poetry couldn’t do, and it consumed very little talent. However, it could only be used in special places. If it were on the Holy Origin Mainland, it would have to consume a holy page to achieve this effect, which would be a loss.

As Fang Yun walked, he praised, “Good! Ma Xiong left his guest residence, and soon ‘mountains and rivers have passed thousands of times’, free and easy. Now Brother Jing’an is reading and drinking tea at home, using plum and bamboo to block the wind and snow, indifferent. Both of you are role models for scholars like us.”

Everyone walked quickly forward, occasionally commenting on the two poems. Although there were slight flaws in the two poems, everyone could see them, but no one pointed them out.

Because it’s always impolite to publicly criticize others’ shortcomings, these scholars naturally wouldn’t do that. But they also wouldn’t ignore their friends’ mistakes and not mention them. They would point out the shortcomings in private later.

This is true courtesy.

Fang Yun also noticed some flaws, such as the rhyming of “stove” and “hut” with the same sound. Some famous poets have also rhymed with the same sound, which can’t be considered a mistake, but it would be better if they were different. However, Fang Yun didn’t mention a word, only praising the two for their strengths, giving praise without making his friends embarrassed in public.

The more books Fang Yun read, the clearer he understood one thing: only when the truth is spoken with more skill than lies, can it have more power!

As they were walking, Li Fanming suddenly laughed and said, “It’s quite a coincidence that the two poems have pine, bamboo, and plum. I suddenly came up with an upper couplet: ‘Pine, bamboo, and plum, the three friends of the cold winter’, who can come up with a clever matching couplet?”

Yan Yukong immediately replied, “Sun, moon, and stars, a scene in the azure sky.”

Kong Delun then replied, “The elegance of literature and history are the essence.”

Fang Yun smiled slightly, thinking that these people were ultimately scholars, always ready to discuss poetry and literature. Now that they were temporarily safe, they couldn’t help but chat about poetry and literature, not wanting the “Avalanche Literary Meeting” to be in name only.

Many people praised him, but Li Fanming regretfully said, “It’s a pity it’s not a ‘witty couplet’. Otherwise, in this place where the imaginary can be made real, it would surely stir up the energy of heaven and earth.”

Han Shoulu laughed, “A witty couplet is not so easy to come by.”

“Peach, plum, and apricot are all part of the spring breeze family,” Fang Yun’s voice rang out.

The energy vibrated, and in front of the “J-shaped” plum and bamboo forest, a large number of peach, apricot, and plum trees full of flowers appeared. The three types of trees rapidly extended forward, opening up a snow-free path.

A witty couplet turned the imaginary into reality.

“Wonderful! Pine, bamboo, and plum versus peach, plum, and apricot, the three friends of the cold winter versus the family of the spring breeze, what a perfect match!”

“Haha, as soon as Fang Yun climbed the mountain, he used a couplet to counter Xun Ye’s words. Who said Fang Yun’s talent is less than ours, the Presented Scholars of many years? Just wait and see. There will be a day when Xun Ye regrets it!”

A poem and a couplet opened up the uphill road further and safer. Everyone was more joyful, their fighting spirit was high, and their mood became more peaceful.

The safe path formed by this witty couplet was very long. When they were about to reach the end, Fang Yun said, “The strongest snow wave is about to rush over, Brother Yan, please.”

Yan Yukong immediately started writing. His literary heart surpassed all the other saints and children of prominent families, and he was a medium-grade rapid writer. He wrote two sentences in one breath, twice as fast as others.

“The wind blows and the rain beats, never withering. The snow presses and the frost bullies, never bending. The dragon that pulls up the ground is a great tool, the passerby dares to laugh but has not yet reached the sky?”

The energy surged, much more and much more violent than after the poems of the previous two people. Then they saw a large number of pine trees spread up along the mountain road, extremely domineeringly pushing away all the avalanches, forming a road with almost no snow.

The first strongest snow wave came over, and the pine trees in Yan Yukong’s poem stood tall, like green jade peaks in the white snow. They didn’t move at all.

“Brother Yan, you really are, the first poem is a county poem, you really love to show off!” Kong Delun joked.

“That sentence ‘The passerby dares to laugh but has not yet reached the sky’ is very heroic, slightly better in momentum than the two poems of Brother Ma and Brother Jing’an. Being able to write this poem in a hurry, you are indeed the first Presented Scholar and a disciple of the Semi-Saint.”

Yan Yukong laughed, “You guys just slander me. Fang Yun opens his mouth and a couplet can stir up the energy of heaven and earth. What does my poem count for? Fortunately, he doesn’t have much talent, so he can’t write good poems. If he had endless talent, this avalanche slope wouldn’t stop him for twenty miles, let alone two hundred or two thousand miles.”

“The emphasis of the ‘Avalanche Literary Meeting’ is on ‘avalanche’, not on ‘literary meeting’, you guys…” Han Shoulu smiled.

“It’s okay to say it now. When everyone’s talent is about to run out, it won’t be like this. The third corridor tests not the strength of the moment, but the endurance of the long run. Look at those Demon Barbarians, they climb very slowly.”

Everyone then slightly restrained themselves.

Fang Yun praised in his heart, this avalanche slope is easy at first and difficult later. If you are scared at the beginning, it will be more difficult later, because the mind will also affect the talent, the courage to write, and the power of poetry. Now that they have a good start, everyone has built up confidence, and no matter how difficult it is later, they will not despair.

Next, Fang Yun commanded the entire team with his strong judgment, allowing everyone’s poetry to play its role at the right time, without wasting it by appearing too early, nor causing danger by appearing too late.

Yan Yukong, Mo Shan, Kong Delun, and a few others were climbing the mountain while talking in low voices.

“I’ve been observing for a long time, he’s calm and composed, neither too cautious nor too confident, he’s perfect.” Yan Yukong sighed lightly.

“It’s a pity he’s not one of us Military Strategists. If he could join us, he would surely be a leader of the human race.” Sun Naiyong said.

“Even if he’s not a Military Strategist, the qualities of a human leader are beginning to show. Think carefully, the first corridor is simple, he did nothing, he didn’t even explain to us why we should walk slowly. The second corridor is a bit difficult, after he crossed the floating ice river, he immediately turned back to guide us, not only teaching us how to cross the river, but also teaching us the principle behind it. When we got to the third corridor, he changed his usual behavior, took the initiative to express his views, took over the command of the team, this is the sign of a great man, ancient emperors were all like this. It reminds me of Li Wenying, it reminds me of those geniuses in high-ranking official positions.”

“Ah, so this is what a great man looks like. If it were us, I’m afraid we would have deliberately shown something in the first corridor, and started to establish our position in the second corridor. But he’s different. He entered the first corridor with a low profile, only started to show his talents in the second corridor and conquered everyone, taking advantage of everyone’s trust in him, he immediately stepped forward in the third corridor. Not to mention Xun Ye, even we couldn’t stop him, because if we did, the team would surely split. He completely gained the momentum of this team, leading us forward with upright and honest means.”

“Seeing such a great man in the team, I feel a bit unwilling, but also extremely delighted.”

“Yes, this Fang Yun is really a genius, his actions are something you can’t learn from reading many books, without profound experience, it’s impossible to do so perfectly.”

“Eh? Has he already reached the ‘established’ state mentioned by Sage Confucius?” (To be continued.)