Chapter 4, Bone Refining Cliff

Han Li raised his head with difficulty and looked ahead. The person at the front was Wu Yan. After all, Wu Yan was more than a year older than Han Li and had practiced some martial arts, making his physique much stronger than that of the other children. It was not surprising that he was at the front.

As soon as this thought arose, a sharp pain suddenly surged from the injured areas of his elbows and knees, leaving his limbs weak. One hand, gripping the rock, trembled violently, and he felt his entire body plummet downwards. Han Li was so frightened that his heart raced wildly, and he quickly pressed his entire body tightly against the stone wall, daring not to move an inch.

There is a steep vertical cliff, over 30 zhang high, from which a dozen hemp ropes are suspended. Each rope is tied with fist-sized knots. Wuyan is currently climbing one of these ropes, slowly and gradually making his way towards the top of the cliff

Finally, he arrived at one of the deserted hemp ropes. The sun was almost at its zenith, with less than half an hour remaining until noon. At this moment, Wu Yan had already climbed to the top of the cliff and was looking down. Just as Han Li reached the bottom of the hemp rope, he happened to see Wu Yan. He raised his arm and gently gestured with his little finger towards the person below the cliff twice, then burst into a hearty laugh and left.

The slope became steeper, and Han Li's strength was diminishing. To avoid collapsing while walking, he had no choice but to bend down, moving on all fours. Fortunately, his clothes were sturdy enough; otherwise, the joints in his limbs, particularly at the knees, would have been worn raw.

Han Li stretched his somewhat stiff hands, exerting the little strength he had just regained, and slowly began to move upward along the knot. However, at this moment, Han Li's hands had completely lost their responsiveness and could not grasp the rope at all. After a brief struggle, he still achieved no results.

Han Li instinctively turned his head to look back and saw his senior brother half-squatting with his arms outstretched, adopting a protective stance for Han Li. Once he confirmed that he was safe, he slowly stood up straight.

Han Li glanced back a few times, noticing that there were still quite a few figures moving behind him. He took a deep breath and accelerated his pace forward

When he exerted great effort to climb up to the last knot of the rope and sat down on it, he felt completely limp, unable to move even a finger. He laboriously turned his head to look back and saw some children sitting against the stone wall, gasping for breath, evidently having exhausted their last ounce of strength just like him

The leader of the Yue sect looked at the rising sun and said

Han Li felt a surge of gratitude in his heart; if he had truly fallen, all the hard work he had put in earlier would have been in vain. After resting for a moment, he slowly moved forward, crawling towards the thick hemp ropes hanging from the cliff.

After a while, I calmed down and reached out to grasp a protruding corner of the rock. After pulling on it a few times and finding it quite secure, I finally felt at ease

Han Li felt a twinge of fear at his senior brother's cold gaze, quickly turning his head away. He then heard a series of heavy breaths coming from ahead, realizing that there were others who were climbing faster than him and were also taking a break. After lingering for a moment longer, Han Li hurriedly pressed on.

Han Li took a moment to glance back at his tall and slender senior brother. Despite the steepness of the ground, this senior brother stood motionless, seemingly untouched by a speck of dust, as upright as the bamboo nearby, quietly gazing at him from not far below.

Master Yue stood before the crowd and spoke loudly

Han Li could only smile bitterly in his heart, having underestimated this test. Fortunately, he had not fallen to the very last position. Turning his head, he saw that cold senior brother again. After hesitating for a moment, Han Li decided to exert himself a bit more and climb higher. Although he knew he absolutely could not reach the top before noon, it would be too embarrassing to remain stationary like this.

Finally, as Han Li was about to walk out of the dense bamboo forest of hetushucom.com, he felt that the last stretch of the journey was becoming increasingly difficult. The rocks on the ground were gradually increasing, while the bamboo was becoming scarcer.

Having persisted for a long time, Han Li was utterly exhausted and had no choice but to find a random mound of earth to sit down on, breathing heavily.

The time is almost here, let's prepare to set off! Do not be afraid, your senior brothers will protect you from behind, ensuring that you will not encounter any danger

The top few competitors have already climbed further and further away. Han Li thought of his family and the words of advice from his third uncle, and could only grit his teeth in silence, continuing to climb upward with great difficulty

As soon as he stepped out of the bamboo forest, he was greeted by a vast expanse before him. Directly ahead stood an enormous rock, upon which several slender figures were slowly climbing. Behind them followed a group of senior brothers, all dressed in similar attire. Han Li, without further hesitation, hurriedly ran towards the stone wall ahead.

Han Li looked at the dance rock ahead, feeling somewhat disheartened. He knew that it was impossible for him to catch up with the few people at the front, and there was not enough time left.

All the strength was exerted, yet the distance to the few people at the front remained unchanged. The body grew heavier and heavier, as the sun gradually climbed to the center of the sky, while the dance rock had already reached the end of the cliff.

However, Han Li was completely exhausted, having no strength left in his entire body, and now he could hardly even hold onto the knot.

Before setting off, Han Li's father and third uncle had already warned him that the entrance test would be very challenging, and that if he did not persevere until the end, it would be impossible to join the Qixuan Sect. At this moment, Han Li was no longer concerned about whether he could join the Qixuan Sect; instead, a fierce determination surged within him, and he felt an urgent need to catch up with the others.

Han Li felt a surge of anger in his heart and quickly grabbed the hemp rope to climb up

Han Li glanced at the others; he was unwilling to lose to his peers. The atmosphere among the other children suddenly became tense.

This bamboo grove does not appear to be much, but after walking for a long time, it becomes arduous. As he walks, Han Li feels his legs growing heavier. Gradually, he must use one hand to slightly pull on the bamboo stalks to move forward, expending less effort.

The bamboo forest should be quite expansive, with more than thirty children who immediately scattered as soon as they rushed into the grove. Following closely behind Han Li was a tall, thin senior brother, whose face was cold and who remained silent as he trailed behind him. Han Li felt a bit frightened and did not dare to speak to him; he simply lifted his feet, bent down, and slowly made his way forward along the slope.

The stone wall of this massive boulder consists of layers of sedimentary rock, severely weathered in many places, where a mere touch can cause it to crumble. However, there are also many sharp fragments embedded within. In just the span of a meal, Han Li's hands were already covered in wounds, and the fabric of his elbows and knees had been torn, exposing multiple cuts on his skin. Although the wounds were small, fine fragments of stone had seeped in, intensifying the pain.

Han Li turned around to look at the young people behind him. It turned out that these individuals were called senior brothers, likely former disciples he had taken in. If he were to join them, would he also be able to wear the same impressive attire

Han Li could no longer advance by pulling the bamboo pole; this final stretch could be considered as a gradual movement forward step by step

Han Li naturally did not understand the meaning of "named disciple"; he only knew that he had to move forward and climb the mountain. He glanced ahead and saw a slope that was not particularly steep, with many long bamboo shoots of varying thickness growing on it, which did not seem too difficult to climb.

While he was lost in thought, Han Li noticed that the other children had already rushed into the bamboo forest. Seeing this, he quickly followed suit.

Everyone listen carefully, if you walk forward along the path through the bamboo forest, you can reach the Bone Refining Cliff of the Seven Mysterious Gate. The first section of the path is through the bamboo forest, followed by the rocky area, and finally, there is a cliff. Only those who can reach the top of the cliff will be allowed to enter the Seven Mysterious Gate. If you cannot arrive before noon, although you will not be able to become a formal disciple, if you demonstrate commendable qualities, you may be accepted as a registered disciple