Chapter 1023: Chapter 535: Perilous Chimu Peak (Part 2) His heart stirred, and Gu Sheng’s eyes brightened slightly. "Everyone, put these furs on." "Brother Sheng, we’re not cold yet." "The furs carry the aura of Exotic Beasts. Wearing them can ward off many attacks." Upon hearing this, Shi Lou fell silent and quickly draped both pieces of fur over himself. Seeing him like this, Huang Shan couldn’t help but laugh. "There’s still one extra fur; you can put it on too." "You wear it; these furs are too heavy. Wearing three might make me collapse." Seeing his shrugged shoulders, Gu Sheng was amused. After packing their belongings, they continued following the map. After some time, they encountered a wild beast, but the beast merely watched them from afar without approaching, lacking any murderous intent. Knowing it was the furs that worked, they grew bolder, and their speed increased significantly. For two whole days, they traversed the Third Elder’s map. Gu Sheng hadn’t found any Spirit Grass, but Lan Yao had harvested quite a lot. Many of the flora and trees here were not found in the outside world, and herbs over a hundred years old were countless. Lan Yao picked them as he walked along, filling his pack to the brim. As night approached, the group finally found a place to settle. Lan Yao rummaged through his pack for a while and handed some herbs to the group. "These herbs restore strength quickly, take them." Once everyone took the herbs, Huang Shan asked, "Brother Sheng, we’ve covered the map’s locations; what do we do next?" "Climb the mountain." "Brother Sheng, isn’t the mountain likely more dangerous than here?" "Perhaps, I don’t know." As he spoke, Gu Sheng raised an eyebrow at him. "Scared?" "Not scared, just thinking we should prepare better." "How do we prepare?" "Get a good night’s sleep." Pointing to his under-eye area, Huang Shan said helplessly, "Two days without sleeping, constantly on the move, my dark circles are almost dripping to my feet." Hearing him say this, everyone couldn’t help but laugh. For the past two days, to avoid alerting any threats, they’ve suppressed their Divine Power, relying solely on physical strength to search for Spirit Grass. Two sleepless nights with such intense activities were indeed challenging for them. With Huang Shan’s comment, others also felt utterly exhausted. Looking at everyone, Gu Sheng nodded. "Huang Shan is right. To face greater challenges, we must rest well. First, take the herbs from Lan Yao, adjust tonight, and we’ll go up the mountain when we’re ready." With his words, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. After forming a circle, Gu Sheng summoned the small tripod to float above them as protection. Once assured of safety, they began to restore their strength. An entire night was spent adjusting themselves. At dawn, Gu Sheng was the first to open his eyes. Seeing the others still recovering, he didn’t disturb them and went off alone. Standing at the base of the mountain, gazing upwards, Gu Sheng noticed three paths leading up. After repeatedly comparing these paths, he furrowed his brow. The paths seemed indistinguishable, yet a black mist looming over the top hinted at something more formidable, a potentially bad omen for them. As Gu Sheng pondered this, several beams of light suddenly landed beside him. With an awareness, Gu Sheng quickly became vigilant, twisting his wrist as Spiritual Power shot rapidly. Sensing his murderous intent, the light transformed into mist, then into solidity in front of him. Seeing the elf who hadn’t fully shaped into a human, Gu Sheng heaved a sigh of relief. "Are you from the Elf Clan?" "Yes, we sensed a summon from an Elf Clan stronghold and came to help. You carry the aura of a stronghold; did you come along with them?" "Yes, I came with Lan Yao." Upon hearing Lan Yao’s name, the elves suddenly began to bow. Startled, Gu Sheng quickly said, "You don’t need to do this; I’m just his friend." "We’re not bowing to you, but to our master." Understanding this, Gu Sheng awkwardly scratched his head. "Well... Lan Yao and the others are over there; I’ll lead you to them." The elves nodded and followed him forward. When Gu Sheng returned with the elves, Lan Yao was already awake. Perhaps due to not seeing him after waking, Lan Yao appeared especially irritable. "Lan Yao." Gu Sheng called out from afar, and Lan Yao immediately turned to look. "Gu Sheng, where did you run off to so early? Can’t you be less worrying?" "I was just wandering around and happened to meet your Elf Clan members." Gu Sheng moved aside, allowing Lan Yao’s attention to fall on his acquaintances. Seeing them, the elves greeted with a bow again. Lan Yao’s worry instantly faded, replaced by a touch of authoritative presence. "No need for formalities; I’ve summoned you for two days. Why did you just arrive now?" "Master, we rushed here upon sensing your summon, but the mountain’s obstructions were many. Breaking through them delayed us somewhat." At this, Gu Sheng seemed to suddenly remember something and urgently pointed at the mountain side, asking, "There are three paths there; which did you use?" His question seemed to surprise the elves. "You know there are three paths up the mountain?" "I do. Which path did you take?" "The right one. Only that path is passable; the other two are dead ends, not only failing to reach the mountain but also posing life-threatening risks." "Why?" "The left path harbors tiger beasts of immense power; encountering them spells certain death. The middle path has Demon Qi, binding anyone, leading to a dead end. Only the right path is passable." Gu Sheng felt a sense of dread upon hearing this. If not for meeting the elves today, he might have set on the middle path. Among the three paths, he had chosen that one, intending to scout for everyone. But after meeting the elves, he temporarily set this idea aside, and now he saw that the elves had saved his life. "Is the right path free of obstacles?" After asking, Lan Yao heard the elves quickly shake their heads. "Not free of obstacles; there are many fierce Exotic Beasts, but with luck, there’s still a chance to reach the mountain." "Where do you reside?" "We live under a millennium-old tree midway up because we were formed through mountain elf refinement, sharing an aura with this place. Most fierce Exotic Beasts don’t trouble us, but some oppose us, causing delays." Listening to the explanation, Lan Yao thoughtfully nodded. "Gu Sheng, seems the right path is relatively passable." "Yes, it seems the dangers ahead are more than we expected." Saying this, Gu Sheng asked the elves, "You who dwell in these mountains, do you know if Spirit Grass grows here? Where exactly?" Upon hearing his question, the elves gave a straightforward answer. "There is indeed Spirit Grass here, but it doesn’t grow in the same place; it changes location periodically. We’ve tried looking but only sensed its aura, never seen it. Due to its powerful nature, only those destined can see it, regardless of strength. Our Elf Clan lacks destined ones." Thinking about it, Gu Sheng pursed his lips. He had the Spiritual Pearl, obtained as a destined one, but he wasn’t sure if it worked for Spirit Grass. With this notion in mind, Gu Sheng didn’t voice it. Now they had some understanding of Chimu Peak, but it’d be wise to explore personally and see for themselves.