I Collect Skill Fragments in the Demon World-Chapter 720 - 373: Divine Trial? (Part 2)

Hearing this, Xu Erniu felt at ease. On this journey, she also knew of Xiu Liu's prowess. Even Xiu Liu treated Zhang Chen with utmost respect, so what kind of skills must Zhang Chen possess?

Xu Erniu regained her confidence and followed Zhang Chen into the mountains. After walking for a while, Xu Erniu noticed the gusts of wind rising in the distant mountains and felt the calmness within a three-meter radius around her, making her pause in surprise.

Zhang Chen walked silently in front, while Xu Erniu followed behind him, with a belt connecting them.

Zhang Chen finally understood why the Five Villages Temple did not have any disciples guarding the path to the back mountain. The road was extremely perilous, testing not only one's character and physical strength but also one's luck. Those who could make it up were truly lucky and would naturally be accepted into the temple, enhancing the temple's luck.

When the two climbed until they were tired, they sat on the steps to rest, eating some prepared jerky and drinking some clean water.

Occasionally, a Daoist would pass by the back mountain, looking at the two curiously but not asking any questions.

The two climbed from morning until nightfall, and even as darkness fell, they still hadn't seen the Five Villages Temple in the back mountain. So they had to stop by a mountain cliff to rest, but fortunately, Zhang Chen had a Wind Stabilizing Pearl with him, so the mountain gales couldn't reach them.

The only oversight was that it was late autumn, and their clothing was a bit thin in the mountains, making the night quite cold.

Xu Erniu huddled in Zhang Chen's arms, and the two chose a gentle step, then sat on it and hugged each other for warmth.

In the depth of night, Xu Erniu hid in Zhang Chen's arms and suddenly burst into giggles, sounding particularly eerie in the dark, making Zhang Chen shiver as he almost thought Xu Erniu had been possessed, nearly kicking her off the step.

"An immortal! From today, I, Xu Erniu, am an immortal!" Xu Erniu laughed arrogantly in her sleep, drooling and smacking her lips as if tasting something delicious. After a moment, she mumbled in her dream, "Zhang Chen, why aren't you eating? Here, have this pork knuckle."

Listening to the dream talk by his ear, Zhang Chen couldn't help but smile, holding Xu Erniu tighter.

The next morning, at first light, the two woke up and ate jerky and dried fruit. Xu Erniu looked at Zhang Chen, her voice full of expectation, "Zhang Chen, last night I dreamed that I somehow became an immortal."

"And then there were lots of pork knuckles to eat?" Zhang Chen replied with a teasing smile.

Xu Erniu's face turned red upon hearing this: "How did you know?"

Zhang Chen tugged at his clothes, "You drooled all over half of my shirt last night."

Xu Erniu looked behind in embarrassment, then stubbornly argued, "No, it wasn't! That was from the dew."

Zhang Chen wanted to say more, but seeing Xu Erniu's eyes, ready to scold, he quickly closed his mouth.

The two continued climbing the mountain for another day. At this time, the mountain was shrouded in mist, with visibility less than ten meters. The mountain wind howled, causing the trees to sway.

Seeing the sunset fall behind the mountains and the mist between the mountains, Zhang Chen decisively chose to rest in place.

They again chewed on jerky and dried fruit. Zhang Chen couldn't help but praise Xiu Liu for being clever enough to provide plenty of jerky. The only regret was the lack of enough clean water. However, with fresh springs flowing down the mountains, finding water wasn't a big concern.

After eating, Xu Erniu directly curled up in Zhang Chen's arms and fell asleep, her face full of exhaustion.

At midnight, Xu Erniu whimpered softly in his arms. Zhang Chen knew she was exhausted, which was why she made noises in her sleep.

But just before dawn, a sudden warm stream wet Zhang Chen, waking him in surprise. He looked at the dripping water and was stunned: "Did this girl wet the bed? And she even wet me?"

Zhang Chen's eyes were filled with astonishment, but he wasn't overly surprised. Children could wet the bed if they're too tired during the day.

However, in the damp and cold mountains, wet clothes could easily lead to illness.

As Zhang Chen pondered how to dry the moisture, Xu Erniu suddenly stopped snoring, and her bright eyes met his. Realizing her embarrassment, she immediately closed her eyes and feigned snoring again.

Seeing this, Zhang Chen secretly chuckled but didn't expose her, instead thinking of a solution. In his Spiritual World, the Golden Scissors trembled slightly, drawing away all the Yin Yang Qi, and the Water Control Technique was deployed.

Even though Zhang Chen's Water Control Technique could only be used for an instant, it was enough for him; the wet stains on their clothes were instantly drawn away.

Xu Erniu, still snug in Zhang Chen's arms, was stunned. Her small hand subconsciously reached out, cautiously stroking her own pants, and then her eyes widened: "An illusion? Did I wet the bed in a dream?" 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

Their eyes met, Xu Erniu looked at Zhang Chen, "I say, did you notice anything just now?"

Zhang Chen knew Xu Erniu was thin-skinned, so he replied with a smile, "You're awake? What happened just now? Nothing happened, why are you asking?"

Xu Erniu scratched her head, confident that she was dreaming, then boldly said, "I was dreaming, hurry up and sleep, kids shouldn't pry."

Zhang Chen laughed inwardly, patted Xu Erniu's head, and closed his eyes to rest.

However, it was nearly dawn, and neither had slept soundly. When the sky was still gray, they rose to eat jerky. After being full and hydrated, they continued climbing uphill.

But after climbing half the day, suddenly a cry sounded in the mountains, faintly carried by the mountain wind and easy to miss if not carefully listened for. Yet the mountain was eerily silent, so both Zhang Chen and Xu Erniu heard it. Xu Erniu said, "Did you hear that? It sounds like someone is crying?"

Zhang Chen nodded, "The crying is ahead."

The two climbed up towards the source of the sound, and as the crying grew louder, they finally saw a Little Fatty hanging below a cliff, clinging to a tree branch the thickness of an arm and swaying in the wind.

Despite being only five or six years old, the Little Fatty was quite round, and his clothes were tattered, with blood dripping from his knees, palms, and feet as he wept.

The small tree was about ten meters from the path, with a deep abyss below, making it a terrifying sight.

"Help me! Help me!" The Little Fatty's voice was full of sobs. When he saw Zhang Chen and Xu Erniu looking, he was thrilled to be rescued and hastily called for help.

Looking at the sobbing Little Fatty, Zhang Chen suddenly had a flash of inspiration: "I remember that in the past, the Immortal Family would put their disciples through various tests. How did this Little Fatty suddenly appear under a tree branch? Even if he fell from the path, it's too much of a coincidence, isn't it? Could this be a test from the Five Villages Temple for me?"

Zhang Chen was naturally suspicious, and seeing the crying Little Fatty on the tree made him think.

"I say, brother, why are you resting on that tree branch? It's too thin; if you're not careful, you'll fall off, shouldn't take such risks. Come on up quickly to avoid falling." Zhang Chen said with a smile.

The Little Fatty under the tree held his breath, staring blankly at Zhang Chen, eyes full of disbelief, "How can there be such a person? I'm resting on a tree? If I could climb up, would I still be here crying?"

"Brother, save me! I was rushing this morning and accidentally fell off. Please, brother, save me; I don't want to die! If you save me today, I will do whatever you want in the future." The Little Fatty pleaded tearfully, his voice quivering.