Mount Lushan was vast.
But it wasn't just its sheer size, but an invisible barrier surrounding it. Precisely because of this invisible field, the Cosmos of Jiang Chen and the others was completely suppressed.
They were forced to travel on foot, relying solely on their physical bodies.
And it wasn't just the walking that was difficult; the deeper they ventured into Mount Lushan, the stronger the pressure bearing down on them became.
"Huff... Huff..."
Kanon was gasping heavily, his forehead drenched in sweat. Beside him, Sage, Shaka, and Aiolos weren't doing much better.
In contrast, Jiang Chen appeared perfectly fine, showing no visible changes in his physical form.
After all, what he possessed wasn't just his Cosmo; he had the terrifying physique of a Saiyan, forged under the constant strain of hundreds of times Earth's gravity. The pressure they were enduring along the way was virtually negligible to him.
"What the hell is going on here? Why does it feel like the very space around me is crushing in?!" Kanon suddenly stopped, panting as he voiced his frustration.
"Hey, what's your deal? You seriously don't feel this crushing force?" Kanon shot a look at Jiang Chen.
Sage and Aiolos also turned toward him with curious expressions on their faces. Even Shaka, who had kept his eyes closed the whole time, turned his head slightly in Jiang Chen's direction.
All of them were baffled.
As they progressed, they'd clearly felt that the overwhelming pressure on them grew worse, especially after half a day of climbing, when the pressure had more than doubled. And yet, Jiang Chen's face wasn't even red, nor was he the slightest bit out of breath. They were seriously beginning to doubt whether he could feel it at all.
"I feel it. But it's not really that big of a deal." Jiang Chen shook his head and answered with a relaxed smile on his face.
His words left the others visibly shocked.
"You're seriously insane..." Aiolos sighed in admiration before gritting his teeth and pushing forward again.
Sage and Shaka were both silently shaken but continued walking as well.
"You damn freak," Kanon muttered, throwing Jiang Chen a side glance before quickly catching up.
The five of them steadily advanced toward the mountain's heart.
What should have been a journey of just a dozen or so kilometers took them nearly three full days.
Finally, they reached the central peak, Wulao Peak (Five Elders' Peak).
Historically known as Wulao Mountain, the Jin Dynasty's Zhang Sengjian had once written in Records of Xunyang: "Wulao Peak cuts across the sky, resembling the Wulao Mountain of Yu County in the Hezhong Prefecture."
Even in this era, the Five Elders' Peak remained just as magnificent.
From various angles, the mountain's shape appeared different, one side like a poet in song, another like a warrior mid-roar, a third like a fisherman casting his line, and one like a monk in meditation.
The moment they arrived, they instantly noticed a lone old man's silhouette sitting cross-legged above a massive waterfall.
"We're here!" Kanon's eyes lit up with excitement. At the same time, the pressure that had been weighing on everyone seemed to slightly lift.
The oppressive force they'd felt along the way had been absolutely unbearable, especially as they neared the Five Elders' Peak, when the pressure had spiked tenfold. The crushing weight nearly brought all four of them, excluding Jiang Chen, to their knees.
Now that they had arrived, they finally let out a collective sigh of relief.
Then, with no hesitation, they collapsed to the ground, panting.
Even Shaka was no exception.
Jiang Chen, on the other hand, remained unaffected, his gaze fixed on the distant old man.
"Apprentice Saints Sage, Aiolos, Shaka, Chen, and Kanon, pay our respects to you, Master. We have come under orders from the Pope to receive training."
While Jiang Chen was still observing, Sage forced himself to suppress his turbulent Cosmo. With great effort, he stood up and bowed toward the figure on the cliff wall, speaking with respectful reverence.
As Saga spoke, the others quickly followed his lead and bowed as well.
However,
BOOM!
RUMMMMBLE!
The Lushan waterfall roared like thunder. Torrents of water surged down with incredible force, yet there was no response.
Everything around them grew eerily quiet.
Beads of sweat rolled down their foreheads.
A moment passed.
Still, there was not a single sound.
Sage gritted his teeth and tried again.
"Apprentice Saints Saga, Aiolos, Shaka, Chen, and Kanon, pay our respects to you, Master. We have come under orders from the Pope to receive training."
His voice rang out, but only the roaring waterfall replied.
"Apprentice Saint Aiolos pays his respects to Master!"
"Apprentice Saint Chen pays his respects to Master!"
"Apprentice Saint Shaka pays his respects to Master!"
One after another, Jiang Chen and the others voiced their greetings.
But the result remained unchanged.
"...Don't tell me that old man fell asleep? Kanon muttered under his breath, his tone laced with disbelief.
Yet, just as the words had fallen,
"BANG!"
Kanon's body was suddenly launched through the air, as if struck by an invisible force, crashing heavily into the distance.
"What's with all the noise? Can't a man get some rest around here?!" An aged voice rang out. But this gruff, aged voice actually caused everyone's expression to lighten with relief.
"Master! We've come under orders from the Pope to train under your guidance!"
Saga quickly stepped forward and spoke.
"I heard you! That damned guy only ever sends me trouble! You want to train? Fine. Whoever among you can climb up here, I'll teach. If you can't, then get lost the way you came. I don't waste my time on trash!" The old man's voice echoed once more.
"WOMMMM!"
In the next moment, a colossal amount of Cosmo surged out, instantly engulfing the entire cliff where Dohko sat.
"BOOM!"
Energy rippled in all directions as a monstrous pressure blasted outward like a tidal wave.
"SPLASH!"
From the nearby pool of water, Kanon emerged soaked and disheveled, looking like a drowned rat. He instinctively opened his mouth to speak, but the moment he felt that overwhelming Cosmo, he flinched involuntarily, going silent.
"Let's go." Jiang Chen spoke calmly and immediately began ascending toward the cliff.
Sage and Aiolos exchanged glances and followed behind him. But just as they all stepped into the range of the cliff, Jiang Chen suddenly felt his entire body jolt, and he felt as if his body had been bound by unseen chains.
At the same time, a light, floating voice drifted into his ears: "Your body's too strong. Let me suppress it a bit."
The moment the words fell, Jiang Chen felt a massive force spread through his body.
The binding energy was terrifying. Even with his current Battle Power exceeding five million, it was nearly impossible to shake off.
Though truthfully, Jiang Chen knew, if he transformed into a Super Saiyan, breaking free would be simple. He glanced up toward the elder seated in the sky, Dohko.
(To Be Continued…)
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