There were no ropes, and looking down, it was all mist, with no idea of what lay below. Just as Ye Cangtian was about to ask, he heard Jian Wusheng’s voice.
"From now on, your first assessment begins."
"What assessment?" Ye Cangtian asked in confusion.
"Jump down and test your courage," Jian Wusheng said expressionlessly.
Huh?
Ye Cangtian was stunned. The mountain peak was surrounded by mist, at least three to four thousand meters high.
Jumping from such a height would leave no chance of even becoming a meat patty, certainly no remains.
Ye Cangtian did not fear death; even in dire straits, he would charge forward without hesitation.
But this was different! This was equivalent to suicide!
"If you dare not, you will be considered to have failed the assessment and will have no chance to enter the Hidden Group in the future!"
Seeing Ye Cangtian hesitate, Jian Wusheng spoke again.
"Heh, who says I don't dare?"
Ye Cangtian shrugged, then asked, "I can jump! But can you tell me what's below?"
"No!" Jian Wusheng refused bluntly.
Damn!
Ye Cangtian rolled his eyes in anger, though he wasn't too worried.
If this was the assessment to enter the Hidden Group, then all members of the Hidden Group must have gone through it. If there were any dangers, there wouldn't be anyone left in the Hidden Group.
Besides, Yuwen Chengji only joined the Hidden Group not long ago, and he was fine, so why wouldn't he be?
With that thought, Ye Cangtian smiled faintly and leaped down.
He fell faster and faster.
Ye Cangtian found it difficult to describe his feelings, a mix of excitement and a hint of tension towards the unknown.
The surroundings were always shrouded in mist. Even after what felt like falling one to two thousand meters, he couldn't see the surrounding scenery, nor did he know what the valley floor was like.
The only thing he could perceive was the continuous fall and acceleration.
And the increasingly fierce wind due to the accelerating descent.
Bang!
The fall seemed to last for an unknown duration. Ye Cangtian finally reached the bottom.
Below was a lake. His body hit the lake heavily, like an explosion, splashing countless water droplets.
Of course, Ye Cangtian was not in the mood to pay attention to these.
At that moment, under the immense impact, he felt countless water molecules penetrating his skin, washing through his meridians, bones, and internal organs.
It was accompanied by unimaginable pain.
The sensation was as if his soul was being blasted out of his body by water, indescribable and unbearable, causing him to fall into a coma.
…
Hiss…
After an unknown period, the unconscious Ye Cangtian shivered and slowly opened his eyes.
He then realized that the sky had darkened.
He was already on the shore. Jian Wusheng was beside him, building a bonfire and roasting fish.
"You were only unconscious for half a day. You're more capable than I thought."
"The first time I jumped down, I was unconscious for three full days, and even in my sleep..."
Jian Wusheng's voice stopped abruptly. The subsequent events were too embarrassing, even for him.
Huh?
Ye Cangtian slowly sat up and was instantly stunned.
He expected to be at least seriously injured, but after waking up…
Not only was he unharmed, but he also felt lighter.
He even felt a significant improvement in his own strength!
Simply put, he had been stuck at the peak of a certain realm, but he didn't know when he broke through.
Now, he could clearly feel a barrier, and as long as he broke through this barrier, he could reach the Earthly realm.
This jump from a cliff face yielded such great benefits? It was comparable to absorbing countless spirit stones…
"Heh, don't be surprised."
"This abyss is called the Dragon Washing Abyss, and its only benefit is to expel impurities from the body, which aids in cultivation."
Seeing Ye Cangtian staring blankly towards the cliff, Jian Wusheng smiled slightly and began to explain.
He admitted that the first time he came here, he was as bewildered as Ye Cangtian.
"Uh…"
"Senior, can we discuss something?"
"Tell me how to get up, I want to jump a few more times!"
Listening to Jian Wusheng, Ye Cangtian marveled inwardly at the wonders of the world. This was his first time hearing of such a method to expel bodily impurities.
However.
He had to admit that the effect was extraordinarily good.
He believed that if he did this a few more times, he would have the confidence to break through to the Earthly realm.
"Hahaha… a unique idea."
"But I must tell you that the effect is best only for the first time you come here."
"For example, the first time can expel 99% of the impurities in your body. Afterward, no matter how many times you jump, you can only expel the remaining 1%…"
Jian Wusheng laughed heartily and explained.
Honestly, Ye Cangtian was not the first person with this idea. Almost every member who joined the Hidden Group had thought of it.
Otherwise, this place would be a scene of people jumping off cliffs into abysses.
"…"
Ye Cangtian scratched his head awkwardly, then asked for a skewer of roasted fish and ate it heartily.
After a few bites, his stomach felt warmer. Ye Cangtian then spoke, "Senior, since the Dragon Washing Abyss is so magical, why not let all the members of the Dragon Group experience it?"
"That's impossible."
Jian Wusheng understood Ye Cangtian's intention, which was to improve the combat power of the Dragon Group and benefit China, so he explained.
Firstly, although the Dragon Group guards China, there are still some members with weak willpower who might defect and leak the secrets of the Dragon Washing Abyss.
Therefore, constant tempering is necessary.
Secondly, not everyone who jumps down emerges unscathed.
If one's strength is not sufficient, there is still a certain chance of being crippled or killed. The members of the Dragon Group are the elites of China, and they cannot afford such losses.
And there is another miraculous aspect to the Dragon Washing Abyss: if one enters it from the shore, there will be no special effect of expelling impurities.
Only by falling from a high altitude, using the powerful impact, can this effect be achieved.
"Alright, I was overthinking it."
Ye Cangtian nodded, then asked, "Senior, what is the next test?"
Upon hearing this, Jian Wusheng did not waste words. He pointed to the Dragon Washing Abyss beside them and said, "The headquarters of the Hidden Group is located within the Dragon Washing Abyss. Your second test is to infiltrate the Dragon Washing Abyss and enter the Hidden Group."
Heh, playing breath-holding?
Ye Cangtian smiled. His underwater breath-holding skills were extraordinary; he had long surpassed the so-called human limit. Since everyone else was fine, he would naturally be fine too.
With that in mind, Ye Cangtian stood up, walked to the edge of the lake, took a few quick breaths, and then jumped in.
Splash!
The moment he submerged into the lake water, Ye Cangtian couldn't help but shiver.
Cold!
The lake water was very cold, and the temperature dropped as he went deeper. There were quite a few fish around, of various types.
Affected by the temperature, the fish schools only swam in the upper layers of the lake; they became fewer as he went deeper.
When Ye Cangtian dived to thirty to forty meters, the temperature here had basically dropped to minus twenty to thirty degrees Celsius, but strangely, the surrounding water did not freeze.
Damn, it's really cold!
Ye Cangtian muttered to himself, constantly circulating the internal energy within his body to resist the cold.
However, at that moment, bright lights suddenly appeared around him, emanating from the walls of the abyss.
In an instant.
Ye Cangtian felt a sense of dizziness, and everything before his eyes changed rapidly.
This was no longer an abyss, but a villa.
The villa was located amidst mountains and forests, the air was exceptionally clear, and the environment was very peaceful.
At this moment, he was lying on the lawn, gazing up at the sky.
Suddenly, a sweet little face appeared before his eyes.
This person was none other than his long-missed fiancée, Tang Xinwan.
"You scoundrel, hurry up and eat. Come try what I made with my own hands…" Tang Xinwan cooed, pulling Ye Cangtian up.
Uh…
In an instant, Ye Cangtian's face was filled with confusion.
He thought he was undergoing the assessment for the Hidden Group, and should be in the icy Dragon Washing Abyss!
Why was he here?
Was this an illusion?
It didn't seem like it!
Whether it was the chirping birds and fragrant flowers, or holding Xin Wan's hand, every sensation felt incredibly real!
"Cough, cough, cough…"
While Ye Cangtian was still bewildered, a sudden sound of coughing was heard.
Turning to look at the villa's courtyard gate, an old man was approaching with faltering steps. The old man was covered in wounds, his clothes stained with blood, looking very dishevelled.
But he recognized him immediately as the founder of the Dragon Group, Old Master Xu.