163 The Fourth Trial 1

Lu Qingyun and his group found themselves in another platform that was suspended in mid-air. They were not the second group to arrive. Yue Lingling was not the group that had arrived first either.

Ahead of their groups were a hundred other cultivators. Among them was Yu Tianjian of the Heavy Moon Sect. He looked extremely haggard and he was on the brink of exhaustion.

Gongsun Ya was also ahead of them but her mood was somber. It was because she was now the solo survivor of her team and that her two protégé sisters had perished in order to escort her through the portal.

Unlike most of the cultivators, Lu Qingyun was actually feeling quite light hearted. It was because he had managed to show off on two different occasions and he was thinking that by now, everyone should know that he was not a good-for-nothing cultivator.

He did not know how horribly wrong he was.

There were many who had thought that he was in cahoots with Yue Lingling to show off. If he was not, why did Yue Lingling not finish him off?

As for his astonishing display of his sword art during the second trial, he did not know that the speculators were not able to see him.

Leng Qiuyue tugged Lu Qingyun's sleeves as she asked him, "Senior brother, who is she? Is she really your sister?"

Ling Xiu and Qian Jingjing had all gathered closely around him to hear his explanation as well.

"Erm…" Lu Qingyun took a quick glance at where Yue Lingxi aka Yue Lingling was before he whispered, afraid that she may hear him. "She is not."

"She isn't your sister?" Qian Jingjing said aloud.

"Not so loud…" Lu Qingyun said panicky but it was already too late and Yue Lingling had stolen a glance in his direction as she hummed, "So my brother suddenly refuses to acknowledge his sister now."

Lu Qingyun inhaled deeply before he said awkwardly, "She is actually my sister Lu Rongren."

"Finally you've admitted it." Yue Lingling smiled coldly in his direction.

When she had said that, even Qiuxiang Huan, Qiuxiang Hanyu and Shangguan Furong were all startled as they thought. "She is Lu Qingyun's sister?!"

"Yes, that right. She is my sister and that's her name." Lu Qingyun tried to say it convincingly although he was looking quite sheepishly when he had said that.

Ling Xiu, Qian Jingjing and Leng Qiuyue were all looking intently at Lu Qingyun, unsure if they should believe him.

However their conversations were overheard by the other cultivators who were now muttering with one another.

"No wonder he is able to get into the portal. They are siblings!"

"This is cheating!"

"I've heard that this Lu Qingyun cheats all the time…"

"Cheater…"

"It's no wonder why that Yue Lingling is so lenient toward him…"

"I have some insider information here. I've heard that Lu Qingyun and Qiuxiang Huan's great aunt have some 'relationship' going on between them…"

"Can it be that the Clear Sky Pavilion and the Heavens Ridge Villa are actually allies?"

"If that is the case, we are fooled by them right from the very start…"

"..."

"..."

"..."

15 minutes later, waves and waves of cultivators had entered through the portal and the countdown had ended.

Once again, the beaming face of Shen Yufeng had appeared in the sky above. She looked absolutely delighted as she announced. "Good. This time, we have slightly more than four hundred survivors."

Many of the cultivators had a grim mood. The number of cultivators had dwindled from slightly more than two thousands four hundred cultivators to a mere four hundred cultivators.

Needless to say, these survivors were the strongest, most intelligence or the luckiest among the trial competitors in order to make it so far.

Shen Yufeng smiled, "However, we still have too many of you here. So let's see who will be the ones that can pass the fourth trial."

The cultivators: …

"We are going to make the next trial a little more interesting…" Shen Yufeng was smiling.

Several cultivators were muttering, "I know that she will surely say that…"

"If it is not interesting then it won't be challenging to all the sons and daughters of the heavens. I will get a headache later if you complain against me for making the trials too easy for you."

A cultivator muttered almost incoherently, "I swear I won't complain if you make it easy for us…"

"Same here…"

"Me too…"

"Please don't torture us anymore…"

All of a sudden the sun was three times bigger and the suspended platform had transformed into a sandy desert. In just a few blinks of an eye, the environment had transformed into an endless sea of desert!

Half of the cultivators had turned ashen as they looked around their new environment panicky.

"What is this trial?"

"We're in…a desert?"

"The sun is so scorching hot…"

"I am already baked…"

Shen Yufeng was smiling, "I am sure that all of you are able to guess what the setting of the fourth trial."

Even Lu Qingyun was muttering, "Isn't the setting a hot desert? Isn't it so obvious? I have suddenly realized that Fragrance Herald Shen Yufeng is really so humorous."

Qian Jingjing said with cold sarcasm, "Brother Qingyun, you are a little slow to find it out. I know that from the first trial that she is indeed very humorous."

Leng Qiuyue muttered miserably, "A little too humorous for my liking."

Ling Xiu inhaled softly, "I have a bad feeling over this."

Qian Jingjing added for her, "You mean you don't like this hot desert."

Ling Xiu smiled sheepishly.

As the three maidens made their remarks, they were edging increasing closer to Lu Qingyun as though that they were all depending on him to pass the upcoming trial.

Lu Qingyun had helped them to clear the third trial. Without him, they felt that they would actually met with their end during the third trial.

Qian Jingjing was secretly smiling as she looked at Lu Qingyun, "I'm so lucky to have met him during the first trial and he is so handsome…"

"This trial is going to be slightly more interesting than the three earlier trials." Shen Yufeng lit up a beautiful smile before she continued. "In this vast desert, there grows a spirit herb that is called the Golden Twig. You have three hours to find a complete Golden Twig. But let me warn you first. This type of Golden Twig only grows in isolation. It is advisable for you to search alone or else your team will become your competitor."

With a soft smile before she disappeared, she added. "The countdown starts now. Good luck!"

Many of the cultivators were already leaving in droves when they had heard that the countdown had started.

Leng Qiuyue took a forlorn look at Lu Qingyun as she asked, "Senior brother, do we have to go our separate ways? I don't want to. If we can find the first Golden Twig, I will surely give it to you. You've already helped me to get this far ahead. I am already contented."

Qian Jingjing and Ling Xiu were also looking with pleading eyes at Lu Qingyun as they were reluctant to part ways with him.

Qian Jingjing said quietly, "Brother Qingyun, this desert looks so vast. I really have no idea where to go. I will give you the Golden Twig if I find one. Can I just follow you?"

"I will give you the Golden Twig too if I can find it." Ling Xiu said quietly as she looked nervously at Lu Qingyun, afraid that he may ask her to leave the group.

Lu Qingyun smiled weakly before he said, "Follow me. I may have a way to find the Golden Twig."

All three of the maidens were delighted as they danced and giggled around him.

–

–

–

On the stage above the trial imagery, Xuan Danfeng had turned to the Three-Destinies Old Man with a soft chuckle. "This trial looks so interesting. I wish that I can walk in the sandy desert now. All these sands look like gold dusts."

The Three-Destinies Old Man frowned as he looked at her, "You look like a ghost. Will someone with your fair look actually like to take a walk into the hot baking sun?"

Xuan Danfeng stared at him unhappily, "What did you say again? Who is a ghost?"

When she puffed unhappily, her bosoms were jumping and the Three-Destinies Old Man found his eyes looking down at the inside of her exposed cleavage. "Erm, a beautiful ghost…"

"How do you know that I don't like the sun? It is just that the sun doesn't have an effect on me!" Xuan Danfeng pointed out with an innocent reply.

"Right. Right…" But the Three-Destinies Old Man was thinking. "The heck I believe in you…"

"So do you believe me now?" Xuan Danfeng asked.

"I believe you." The Three-Destinies Old Man answered weakly.

"So you ought to take out another bottle of wine as an offer of apology to me?"

"Alright, alright…I think before you prefer to drink in a tavern than taking a walk into the hot desert…"

"What did you just say?"

"Nothing…"

"Nothing?!"

"Yes, nothing."

"..."

Qin Keqin was muttering, "Why are the Spirit Sword Manor and the Flying Armament Sect so shameless? The trial has already started and their protégés are still lingering around my Yun'Er."

She turned to ask Shen Yufeng, "Is this considered to be cheating? They are still together?"

Shen Yufeng turned weakly to Qin Keqin to whisper, "I have already changed the fourth trial for you. If they stick together then their chances of succeeding together won't be high."

Qin Keqin chuckled softly before she whispered back, "I'm sure these silly maidens will surely try to offer the first Golden Twig to my Yun'Er. Say, is this Golden Twig easy to find?"

Shen Yufeng pondered before she said, "There are only a few dozens. It will be extremely difficult to find."

Qin Keqin had turned ashen all of a sudden, "What if my Yun'Er can't find a single Golden Twig? Won't he be disqualified?"

Shen Yufeng smiled playfully, "Well, I've never thought so far ahead. I'm only responsible to change the trial to your liking but I am not responsible for helping them to pass the trial."

Qin Keqin: …

Behind them, Feng Xiaoxiao and Tang Xuefeng were secretly smiling as they tried very hard not to laugh. It was because Shen Yufeng was purposely trying to spice things a little difficult for the trial competitors. Even if the Great Saintess Yuqing was the one that was asking her to bend the rules for her sake, Shen Yufeng would never try to make it any easier for anyone.

As Shen Yufeng's close companions and sisters, they knew her only too well!