It was bright again in the Frigid Celestial Serpent-Dragon Realm.
Yang Wei and Sun Yuying had been walking for a fair amount of time since the moons started shining like suns again. One might think it'd be hard or awkward for them to talk after Sun Yuying's momentary breakdown last night, but it actually helped bridge the gap between them. Now, they were talking more freely, not just their usual banter.
The two quietly walked through the forests until Sun Yuying suddenly stopped.
"Wait...!" she exclaimed.
Yang Wei looked at her and asked, "What's wrong?"
Sun Yuying pointed at a very high rock formation a few meters to their side. "I can sense something there. I'm not sure, but it might be important."
Yang Wei sighed, placing his hands on his hips. "You know we can't fly in this realm because of the intense gravity of the Qi here. Do you really expect us to climb up that hill for something you're not even sure of?" He turned and started walking in the usual direction. "No, thanks."
Sun Yuying insisted, "It might help us successfully breakthrough here and now."
Yang Wei paused, looking back at her. "How sure are you?"
"Very."
In a few minutes, they reached the rock formation, slightly taller than the average plateau. They looked up at the huge structure before them.
"So, I just have to climb up there and look for anything unusual, right?" Yang Wei said. "This better be good..."
"We'll do it together, not just you," Sun Yuying replied. She placed her fingers on the rocky surface, ready to climb, but then a heavy gust of wind blew from upstream, lifting her cloak slightly. Sun Yuying quickly held down the hem of her cloak, her face turning red as she realized something.
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If they kept climbing up, she knew the chilly wind from being that high up could blow her cloak up again, and Yang Wei might see her naked body once more. The thought made her uncomfortable, so she held off on climbing.
She turned to Yang Wei with her shy, blushing face, and he sighed, asking her, "What'd I do wrong now?"
Sun Yuying vigorously shook her head, as if trying to shake off her embarrassment. "Nothing, it's just that..." She tugged on the hem of her cloak, and Yang Wei immediately understood.
He shook his head and chuckled softly.
"O-okay then."
...
Yang Wei climbed for a while, feeling the gravity in this realm increase the higher he went. However, he could still comfortably scale the rock formation with Sun Yuying on his back. In a few more minutes, he reached the top and saw a huge tree with silver branches and leaves. It was teeming with strong levels of spiritual Qi, and around the tree were several totems.
He completely climbed up, and Sun Yuying gently came off his back.
"Wow, you might be right about this thing being important," said Yang Wei, "but I still don't see how it'll benefit our breakthrough."
Sun Yuying, however, remained silent, a rare expression of pleasant surprise on her face.
"Yuying?" Yang Wei called her name, but she still didn't answer, still gazing at the tree. At this point, he didn't even know what she was surprised about other than this being more than your average tree.
Sun Yuying then pointed at the tree and said, "A tree with silver leaves. This has to be the Grand Oak."
Yang Wei had never heard of such a name, even in all the medicinal manuals he'd read. "Grand Oak? What's that?" he asked.
Sun Yuying walked forward a bit and explained, "There's three specialized types of meridians one must attain for a breakthrough to Spirit Gathering realm. The most powerful ones are the Stellar Essence Meridians, but you don't see those easily. Seeing two or three every 500 years is a very rare occurrence.
They tap into the essence of the stars, giving cultivators longer lives and a solid foundation for advanced cultivation. Then there's the Harmony Earth Veins, it harmonizes one with the earth's energies, keeping the cultivation stable and giving one a good connection with the natural world.
Lastly, the Solar Radiance Pathways focus on condensing the sun's energy, making cultivation easier and faster. It neither guarantees longevity nor 2nd Path Cultivation, but it speeds up one's progress for quicker achievements."
"Okay? What does that have to do with this tree though?"
"Simple. The Grand Oak produces Harmony Earth Veins. After all, it's here the energies of the Earth converges."
"I see," Yang Wei said, looking back at the tree. "Still, I would've liked if this gave us the Stellar Essence Meridians, since it's the best..."
Sun Yuying responded, "That's my goal too. However, unlike Solar Radiance Pathways, you can still cultivate the Stellar Essence Meridians even after cultivating the Earth Harmony Veins, and actually, that's the correct order." She lifted a finger and added, "As the mantra goes: one must first cultivate the Earth before they can cultivate the Heavens."
This was their chance...
A breakthrough to the Spirit Gathering realm.