In the initial stage, the pressure is manageable, equivalent to carrying a small load.
Lin Xia circulated the Life Tempering Technique, breathing and exhaling to activate her body's cells and adapt to the external pressure, walking quite steadily.
Xie Yue and Hu Liena were clearly well-trained, their steps were steady and their breathing was long.
Yan gritted his teeth, seemingly holding back a strong urge to widen the gap, and took a few steps ahead of the others. He turned back and gave Lin Xia a provocative look.
As you go deeper, gravity increases dramatically.
After thirty steps, the pressure doubles!
After forty steps, it doubles again!
Xie Yue and Hu Liena's breathing became heavy, and sweat appeared on their foreheads.
Yan's lead was quickly wiped out. His breathing became rapid, sweat streamed down his flushed cheeks, and his steps became unsteady, requiring tremendous effort for each step.
Lin Xia, on the other hand, maintained a relatively stable pace.
The powerful effects of the Life Forging Technique are now on full display.
Although the pressure was as heavy as a mountain, and every step felt like walking through a swamp, his bones, fascia, and muscles, repeatedly tempered by powerful life energy, became extremely resilient, and his tolerance to pressure far exceeded that of other Soul Masters of the same level.
The endless blue silver grass within the jade pendant space seemed to become his support, continuously and subtly nourishing his pure vitality, allowing him to recover from fatigue much faster than others.
Although his breathing had become heavy, his eyes remained bright, and his movements did not change in the slightest.
Seventy steps!
The gravity here has reached a terrifying level!
Yan felt as if every bone in his body was groaning, his lungs were being stretched like bellows, and every breath was accompanied by a burning pain.
His clothes were completely soaked with sweat.
Seeing Lin Xia lagging behind the group, his resentment and anxiety reached their peak.
"Damn kid! How can he still keep up?!"
Yan was almost overwhelmed by the jealousy in her heart and the pain in her body.
Finally, as he passed by Lin Xia, his pent-up anger completely erupted!
He stumbled, his burly body losing its balance, and, covered in sweat and brute force, crashed violently into Lin Xia!
If this impact were to hit solidly, under such terrifying gravity, it would be enough to cause anyone to instantly lose control and tumble down the steps, with unimaginable consequences!
"Yan!"
Xie Yue shouted sharply, but it was too late to stop him.
Hu Liena also exclaimed in surprise.
Lin Xia had been keeping a close eye on everything, and was especially wary after seeing Yan's resentful gaze.
The moment Yan crashed into him, he was unable to dodge, but his eyes suddenly narrowed!
An invisible fluctuation instantly connected with the jade pendant space within his body!
Buzz!
It wasn't a soul skill released from the outside world, but a crucial strike under this terrifying pressure!
Several deep blue leaves, covered with tough silver threads and nourished and strengthened by the endless life force of the Blue Silver Grass in the space, appeared instantly at Yan's ankles and knees like the most nimble ropes!
They are silent, yet incredibly precise!
"Thump! Bang!"
The previous sound was a muffled thud as Yan was caught off guard by the incredibly tough Blue Silver Grass leaves, which tripped his ankle and wrapped around his knee, causing him to lose his balance!
The next sound was the loud thud as his tall, muscular body, amplified by several times the force of gravity, slammed face down onto the cold, hard metal steps in an extremely disheveled manner!
The heavy weight seemed to press his entire body firmly against the steps, almost crushing his nose, causing him to let out a painful groan!
All of this happened in the blink of an eye.
Xie Yue and Hu Liena only saw Yan "fall" face-first into the mud with a spectacular crash.
"Yan! What are you doing!"
Xie Yue frowned and scolded, assuming that Yan had lost control of his movements due to gravity.
Hu Liena also looked puzzled.
Did I just see it wrong?
Only Yan, who was dazed and confused from the fall and whose face was scraped, clearly felt the force that had instantly wrapped around and bound his joints amidst the intense dizziness and burning pain in his cheeks and joints—it was Blue Silver Grass!
He looked at Lin Xia, who was standing a few steps above him, had stopped, and was looking down at him with calm and unwavering eyes, as if she had just done nothing.
This kid...this kid didn't use any spirit rings, and there was no obvious fluctuation in spirit power!
How...how did he do that?!
Where did that blue silver grass come from?!
A chill instantly surged in Yan's heart, far exceeding the coldness of the steps at that moment.
Lin Xia didn't look at him a second time. She walked past Yan, who was lying on the ground and couldn't get up for the time being, adjusted her breathing, as if she had just crossed a small obstacle, and continued to move down.
The fall was too hard and too embarrassing. More importantly, the bizarre method made Yan feel a great sense of the unknown and fear.
He struggled to get up, but the parts of his body that were numb from being entangled in the blue silver grass leaves were weak and sore under the heavy pressure. He tried several times before he could barely prop himself up with his elbows.
He looked up at Lin Xia's resolute and steady back, and in the depths of his shocked and angry eyes, a trace of fear of admitting defeat finally flashed across his face.
"...You win!"
He gritted his teeth and squeezed out a few words, his voice so faint that only he could hear them.
His arrogant arrogance was completely dispelled and imprisoned on the ground, as if by those few elusive blue silver grass leaves.
He struggled to his feet, no longer daring to look at Lin Xia's back, and lost all desire to surpass her; he simply gritted his teeth.
In an almost self-destructive manner, with a deep sense of dread about the strange Blue Silver Grass and a hint of fear that he himself was unaware of, he continued this gravity trial that was exhausting him both physically and mentally, step by step, with difficulty and honesty.
For the remainder of the journey, Yan did not make any more of those little tricks.
When Xie Yue and Hu Liena looked at the back of the blue-haired boy who remained as steady as a rock under extreme pressure, and whose steps were slow but exceptionally firm, their eyes completely abandoned their previous scrutiny. Instead, they showed a solemnity and recognition that only a "true companion" would have.
After all, he's just a six-year-old child with only level fifteen soul power!
Meanwhile, they were all about to reach the Soul Master level, and were also six or seven years older than the other party.
Losing to your opponent may be a little shameful, but in this world, strength ultimately prevails.
Inside the gravity corridor, the air was as viscous as lead and mercury.
As Lin Xia turned back for the third time and rushed past Xie Yue and the other two, Yan collapsed onto the steps, panting heavily. Hu Liena leaned on her knees, her face pale. Xie Yue stared in shock at Lin Xia's still steady back.
This six-year-old boy completed his third round trip under exponentially increased pressure, while they hadn't even finished their first return.
First round trip: When Lin Xia first arrived at the finish line, Xie Yue and the other two were still thirty steps away from the finish line.
The moment the marker was in hand, the thousands of blue silver grasses in Lin Xia's jade pendant space swayed suddenly, and pure life energy flowed into his limbs and bones like a stream.
On the return journey, he quickened his pace and brushed past the three people who were climbing.
Hu Liena only saw a blue shadow flash by, and Yan Gang gritted his teeth and tried to chase after it, but was knocked back by the shockwave.
The deep metal dents under Lin Xia's feet proved that his physical strength had transcended the constraints of gravity.
On her second round trip: As Lin Xia stepped past Hu Liena on her way back, she suddenly noticed several silver-veined blue silver grasses peeking out from the cracks in the steps.
As Lin Xia passed by, the blades of grass swayed slightly, and the numbing aura they released caused Hu Liena's soul power to falter.
"Watch out for his grass!"
(End of chapter)