https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-343-The-Next-Moment-Su-Chen-Leapt-Out/12991050/
Chapter 342: At the End, Rewards Await
Chapter 342: At the End, Rewards Await
Outside the cave, the Heavenly Wind Valley disciples who were observing the situation began relaying updates about the Inner Circle River Channel.
"Within a quarter of an hour, Ren Xiuyao and Xiao Qiying are leading the pack, having already traveled two miles along the river."
As soon as these words were spoken, a flurry of flattery and praise erupted once again.
Long Yunyun's eyes sparkled with excitement.
After a moment, she looked at the Celestial Capital group with a smug expression, seemingly proud of Ren Xiuyao's performance.
The Heavenly Wind Valley disciple who had come out to relay the message continued speaking.
There were a total of thirty-two disciples participating in the training, and it didn't take long to mention each one.
The observers had already identified everyone before the training began.
Moreover, with a dozen or so disciples observing together, there was little chance of error.
The disciple relaying the message mentioned the participants in the order of their positions in the river.
Despite the lengthy narration, there was still no mention of Su Chen and the other two.
The faces of Grandmaster Mu and the other Celestial Capital disciples began to darken.
Finally, the messenger mentioned Su Chen and the other two, and the results were exactly what the Heavenly Wind Valley group had hoped for.
They had taken the last three positions, having only moved about twenty feet forward.
Although it had only been a quarter of an hour since they entered the Sand River Channel, this ranking was highly indicative.
In their best physical condition, they hadn't managed to move far, so it was even less likely they would do so later.
The surrounding Heavenly Wind Valley martial artists burst into laughter upon hearing this.
The Mu family, including Mu Dan Ying, wore confident expressions, as if their predictions had been validated, and they stood even straighter.
Throughout the entire process, they didn't say a word, displaying their disdain.
Just as the disciple finished his report, another disciple rushed over, looking flustered.
"Celestial Capital's Su Chen has sunk down. Keep an eye on the Outer Circle River Channel; he should be getting washed towards the outer circle soon."
Upon hearing this, Grandmaster Mu didn't hesitate and immediately jumped into the Outer Circle River Channel.
Some of the Heavenly Wind Valley guards also jumped in, looking disgruntled.
The other disciples, Grandmaster Mu instructed to stay on the shore.
It was much easier to spot any abnormalities from there.
"Greedy for small Gains, you Celestial Capital people are all the same," Long Guinight commented lightly, then lost interest and stopped paying attention.
Beside him, Mu Dan Ying seemed to share her husband's opinion.
She didn't mind Long Guinight's words and even agreed with them.
Time ticked by, one second at a time.
In the Inner Circle River Channel, Su Chen, who had submerged in the mud, regained his composure.
His body, buried in the mud, became more agile.
The oppressive force in the Inner Circle River Channel and the swift current of the mud were now affecting him much less.
He tried to stand up from the mud.
Originally, Su Chen would have been buried up to his waist, but now it only reached his knees.
The mud, which he couldn't support himself on before, now allowed him to easily find support.
Moving forward, everything became much easier.
The swift mud current was far easier to navigate than clouds.
Step by step, within just a few dozen breaths, Su Chen had already caught up to Gu Feng.
Seeing Su Chen unharmed, Gu Feng seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.
Noticing Su Chen's posture, standing firmly in the mud, Gu Feng instantly understood.
Su Chen had comprehended how to move through the mud.
"Focus on yourself and Wu Senior Apprentice. Go ahead and bring some honor back to Celestial Capital!"
Su Chen nodded at Gu Feng.
Before leaving, he added a few words of advice.
"Gu Senior Apprentice, the mud is just a dense form of air. We are simply trapped in a cloud of various gases."
With that, Su Chen began to move faster.
He had already grasped the third level of the Cloud Stride.
The mud beneath him was just a heavier form of mist.
He only needed to exert a bit more effort to resist the impact when using his body technique.
Understanding this, everything seemed to become much lighter.
A light and airy current flowed around him, allowing him to both dive into the river mud and stand on the surface.
Through the observation holes, the Heavenly Wind Valley disciples monitoring the situation also saw Su Chen re-emerging from the mud.
However, since they were looking down from above, they couldn't see Su Chen's specific movements clearly.
They only knew that Su Chen had resurfaced and was safe.
With a hint of regret, the Heavenly Wind Valley disciple relaying the message had to run back to the riverbank.
"There's no need to keep looking. Celestial Capital's Su Chen has resurfaced."
Hearing this, Grandmaster Mu finally breathed a sigh of relief.
The surrounding Heavenly Wind Valley guards, however, all snorted in unison.
They felt it was a waste of their time.
The other Heavenly Wind Valley members on the riverbank only smiled upon hearing the news.
To participate in the Sand Dunes Sanctuary training and sink down was laughable.
Even if he managed to climb back up, they all viewed Su Chen as a joke.
Long Yunyun and her father, Long Guinight, chuckled lightly, showing their disdain.
Mu Dan Ying, the Celestial Capital martial artist, also mimicked the others from Heavenly Wind Valley, her face full of ridicule.
Grandmaster Mu looked at his daughter.
He thought back to last year when he saw Long Yunyun and how much he had pitied his precious daughter.
He believed that Long Yunyun's attitude would surely hurt Mu Dan Ying deeply.
But now, it seemed that Long Yunyun's behavior was entirely predictable.
The root of the problem lay in Mu Dan Ying herself.
Perhaps Mu Dan Ying thought it was normal for Long Yunyun to look down on her and her connection to Celestial Capital.
The disciple who came to deliver the message began to report the progress of the others.
At the forefront were still Ren Xiuyao and Xiao Qiying.
The two had already completed the relatively straight sections of the Inner Circle River Channel.
Next, they would face the true trials of the Sand River Channel.
The winding, upward-flowing river channel faced even more intense mud and sand surges.
Moreover, the invisible force pulling them backward was much stronger than near the Inner Bridge.
The training in the Sand Treasure Ground had already passed half an hour.
From the messages relayed by the Heavenly Wind Valley disciples, the overall rankings had not changed much.
Those who had sufficient stamina to lead initially were still in the front.
The rankings had only slightly changed, as those who were originally close were still neck and neck.
Su Chen, Gu Feng, and Wu Fengjun still occupied the last three positions.
However, the subsequent report mentioned that Su Chen had moved forward over two miles, and Gu Feng had advanced over a mile.
This surprised many of the Heavenly Wind Valley martial artists on the river.
They had thought Su Chen and the others would be unable to move in the Inner Circle River Channel.
Certainly, they wouldn't be able to reach the winding, upward-flowing river channel.
But from the current situation, Su Chen should be able to make it.
The first section of the Sand Treasure Ground's river channel indeed didn't pull the participants too far apart.
After Ren Xiuyao and Xiao Qiying reached the winding, upward-flowing section, the others were not left behind for long.
It took them just a little over an hour to reach the same point.
The training in the Sand Treasure Ground had been ongoing for six hours.
The Heavenly Wind Valley disciple responsible for relaying messages from the Outer Ring Channel also gave their final report.
In the entire river channel, only Su Chen, Gu Feng, and Wu Fengjun had not reached that section.
There was no point in further reporting.
Hearing this, the Heavenly Wind Valley martial artists began to move up to the canyon above.
"Let's go up. We'll see if Ren Xiuyao or Xiao Qiying will take the lead this year."
Long Guinight said, glancing at the Celestial Capital group.
Before leaving, Long Guinight turned to Master Mu.
"Father-in-law, you still have the possibility of them being washed out. Before, when we told you, you thought we were trying to harm you. So, you'll have to work harder yourself."
He then led Long Yunyun and Mu Dan Ying upward.
Leaving those words behind, the family followed the Heavenly Wind Valley group to the canyon above.
There, they would witness the first young person to complete the Sand Treasure Ground this year.
If they could complete it within two hours, they would at least have the potential to become a Valley Elder in the future.
In the Inner Circle River Channel, after the others had moved onto the winding, spiraling section, Su Chen quickly followed.
Compared to the previous sections, the mud and sand flow was more turbulent, and stones would occasionally hit them.
The river's inherent pressure was also stronger than before.
At this point, the participants not only had to face the impact of mud, sand, and stones but also had to move upward.
The river's pressure made the challenge even more difficult.
After stepping onto this section of the river, all the Heavenly Wind Valley disciples began to slow down.
In their hands, they held flags with their names written on them. If they were washed away due to exhaustion, their progress could still be recorded.
Moreover, the flag could be used as a supportive cane by sticking one end into the riverbank.
However, Su Chen, Gu Feng, and Wu Fengjun did not know about this.
Not only did they miss out on recording their progress, but they also lacked a significant aid.
But Su Chen was not overly worried; he had become increasingly proficient with the third level of the Cloud Stride technique.
Even in the face of these challenges, his movements remained light and graceful, as if he were a fish swimming upstream.
Like a carp leaping the dragon gate, perhaps this was what it looked like.
After stepping onto the winding, upward-flowing river, Su Chen began to quickly catch up with the other Heavenly Wind Valley disciples.
When they saw Su Chen emerge from the mud and sand, they were stunned.
And in their daze, Su Chen submerged back into the mud and sand.
The Heavenly Wind Valley disciples, clutching their flags, were still catching their breath and resting.
They could not imagine someone moving forward in such a manner.
The Heavenly Wind Valley had refined body techniques for many years, and these disciples were the best of the young generation.
But in the face of the impact and the invisible pressure, each step required considerable effort.
Su Chen, on the other hand, continued to move upward.
The disciples who were overtaken by Su Chen once doubted their eyes, thinking they must have been mistaken.
The leading Heavenly Wind Valley geniuses were moving slower and slower.
Su Chen had wasted so much time grasping and mastering the third level of the Cloud Stride technique.
But in such a short time, he had already started to catch up.
At the top of the canyon, outside the funnel-shaped entrance, the Heavenly Wind Valley people were already waiting.
"I think it will be Ren Xiuyao. He is slightly stronger."
"Xiao Qiying isn't much behind, though."
There were many discussions, all guessing who would be the first disciple to complete the Sand Treasure Ground.
The first always draws attention and captures the gaze.
At the front, the Heavenly Wind Valley had already prepared the reward, covered with a red cloth to add a touch of mystery.
Many were speculating what the reward might be.
Given how it was displayed, it was unlikely to be a cheap item.
In reality, it was just a reason to reward the top disciples of the valley.
(End of Chapter)
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