Chapter 1729 - 1730: Drowsiness
Yang Fei couldn't help but chuckle: "Are we really about to meet the Buddha?"
An Zichen bit her lip: "I don't know. So far, we haven't found any trace of living beings."
"This so-called Jile World is quite different from the legendary one."
Yang Fei nodded. The legendary Jile World was said to be a place where Ten Thousand Buddhas assemble, with three thousand Buddha sons, Arhats, and even Bodhisattva Buddhas possessing Great Divine Power.
However, the Spirit Mountain before them seemed lifeless. There wasn't even a mouse in sight, let alone a Bodhisattva Buddha.
The two discussed as they climbed the Spirit Mountain.
Within Yang Fei, Turtle Extreme sent out subtle vibrations again, warning him to be cautious.
Not far along, Yang Fei suddenly spotted a few human figures, either lying or sitting, all soundly asleep right where they were.
Yang Fei and An Zichen exchanged a glance and quickened their pace, rushing upwards.
When they reached the figures, Yang Fei and An Zichen were stunned into silence.
To be precise, the group of people sleeping on the ground were no longer human.
Their bodies shimmered with golden light, resembling the legendary Golden Arhats.
Yang Fei stepped forward to touch one of the bodies, finding it stiff as iron and icy cold, realizing it had long been lifeless.
Their bodies were very clean, with no dust, but that didn't mean they had just died.
It's just that this space had no concept of time.
On their faces, they all wore expressions of relief and joy, as if they had found great happiness and satisfaction in their dreams.
Yet such smiles appearing on rigid, icy Golden Bodies carried an eerie vibe.
Yang Fei somewhat understood: "Does it mean that as long as you fall asleep, you turn into this ghostly sight?"
An Zichen shivered at the thought of having nearly fallen asleep herself.
If Yang Fei hadn't noticed in time, she feared she might have turned into such a Golden Body too.
Yang Fei grew more worried about Xue Mingtai, Fan Yi, and the others. If they fell asleep, they might remain here forever.
An Zichen pondered: "Becoming a Golden Body takes time. Anyway, let's focus on getting to the top of Spirit Mountain first."
The two climbed towards the Spirit Mountain, one after the other.
A subtle Zen Chanting lingered in the air, and Yang Fei's Turtle Extreme was operating at its limit.
Still, he felt extremely fatigued, with overwhelming drowsiness surging over him.
Moreover, Yang Fei clearly felt that the higher they climbed, the more exhausted he became, feeling weak all over, tempted to lay down and sleep.
Yet, the several stiff corpses they encountered earlier already indicated.
If they truly fell asleep, they would likely remain here, becoming an eternal Golden Body.
An Zichen and Yang Fei, both of whom had reached the True Martial Realm in Martial Arts, had minds as tough as steel, unafraid of any deadly challenges.
But neither expected that at this moment, the allure of sleep would become their greatest adversary.
An Zichen's steps were already faltering, her long eyelashes drooping down.
She was entirely relying on instinct, struggling to keep her body upright.
Yang Fei dared not support An Zichen, fearing that leaning against him might make her fall asleep instantly.
Meanwhile, he was also incredibly drowsy, holding on solely by operating Turtle Extreme to maintain a thread of clarity.
Suddenly, An Zichen stumbled and fell on the stone steps, her heavy breathing intensifying.
Startled, Yang Fei hastily pulled her up and unleashed Tiger Roar, his voice like a thundering bell.
"Zi Chen, what's gotten into you? Don't fall asleep."
His voice exploded like thunder, but An Zichen only slightly opened her eyes before slowly closing them again.
This sent Yang Fei's heart into turmoil. He suddenly embraced An Zichen, planting a kiss on her ruby lips.
An Zichen reacted as if struck by lightning, snapping her eyes open, then suddenly slapping Yang Fei across his cheek.
With a chuckle, Yang Fei stepped back, evading An Zichen's slap.
An Zichen's white jade-like cheeks turned crimson, looking especially stunning.
"Yang Fei, you..."
She only managed to say half a sentence, unable to continue, her eyes full of embarrassment and anger.
Yang Fei chuckled and turned to leave.
"I'm warning you, don't fall asleep, or else, heh-heh, I'm not exactly a good guy..."
Seeing his cheeky expression, An Zichen examined herself thoroughly, feeling both embarrassed and enraged. She put on a cold face and started ascending once more.
Yang Fei saw that although she was angry, the drowsiness had mysteriously vanished, making him feel quite relieved.
However, using such tactics to stimulate An Zichen, even Yang Fei wasn't sure she could hold out till the end.
From the foot of the mountain to the Spirit Mountain's peak, there were tens of thousands of dense stone steps.
With each step, the sleepiness and drowsiness grew stronger.
Only now did Yang Fei realize that intense drowsiness without being able to sleep was the most brutal punishment in the world.
His eyelids began to battle each other, his head going dizzy, even the Turtle Extreme within him seemed to give up struggling, gradually numbing.
However, Yang Fei continued to grit his teeth and endure, fully aware that if he fell asleep, An Zichen wouldn't be able to hold out either.
The two of them would inevitably become two Golden Bodies atop the Spirit Mountain, remaining until the end of time.
In a daze, Yang Fei noticed An Zichen ahead starting to stumble again.
He hurried forward, delivering a heavy slap to An Zichen's Pi Gu.
Slap!
A crisp sound echoed, and An Zichen felt a scorching sensation from that forbidden area, accompanied by an indescribable, ambiguous feeling.
She involuntarily shuddered, glanced at Yang Fei fiercely, but said nothing, quickening her steps forward.
As she climbed two more steps, her body suddenly froze, eyes widening in shock.
Ahead on the stone steps, two middle-aged men, one in a jacket, the other in a Versace shirt, slept deeply on the steps.
Their faces shone with golden light, their cheekbones rigid, yet their smiles were filled with peace and joy.
Rushing to the two men, An Zichen burst into tears.
"Uncle Chen, Uncle Xia, how are you here?"
Seeing An Zichen's sorrowful expression, Yang Fei caught up and asked.
"Zi Chen, you know them?"
An Zichen nodded, deeply grieved.
"They were followers of my father. In my childhood, they taught me their skills."
"I thought they had accompanied my father to the Burial God Battlefield, but I never expected..."
Pausing to wipe her tears, they kept streaming down her cheeks, undeterred.
Yang Fei understood.
"They must have entered the Jile World with my adoptive father ten years ago and reached Nirvana here. Alas, this place is truly strange."
An Zichen nodded, respectfully kowtowing three times to the two Golden Bodies on the ground.
Having waited for her to finish kowtowing, Yang Fei bowed deeply before continuing to climb with An Zichen.
Further updates to come later.