n

n

nThe walking on the dragon's road had turned into a pilgrimage as the disciples that Zhao Luo was leading, kept the first teaching, not only in their minds but also in their hearts.

n'Nobody's complaining.'

nZhao Luo was happily leading them as it had been more than five hours since the last shoutings had started from among the disciples.

nWhile walking on the dragon road, Zhao Luo had always looked ahead. Never once did he look back.

nTheir goal was to reach the end so how could he miss the end by losing his focus. But that was when Zhao Luo saw something weird.

n'Hmm.'

nZhao Luo felt something missing.

nThe white endless road started to look like a polished one as he looked ahead. That was a surprising thing.

nZhao Luo looked down just to see the marks of shoes that the disciples who had passed before them had left behind.

n

"Other disciples must have walked over there too then why is it so shiny?

"

nZhao Luo mumbled with a confused look on his face.

nWu Yang who was walking right alongside him also looked ahead after he heard Zhao Luo's question.

nThen Wu Yang looked down and started raising his vision, dragging it further and further till he discovered the difference between the surfaces of the dragon road, where they were, and the part where the road looked clean and shiny.

n

"Indeed. Something's wrong.

"

nWu Yang said while looking at Zhao Luo.

nZhao Luo walked with his eyes squinted towards the area where the shiny road started.

n'Gulp.'

nZhao Luo felt nervous as he took his first step and entered the shiny area.

nThree steps later, all the disciples behind Zhao Luo had entered this clean zone of the dragon road too.

nThat is when they heard an announcement in the voice of Kong Fu Zi.

n

"The challenges are to be faced together. Once a companion, always a companion.

"

nThe short announcement ended.

n

"Is this part of the teaching? Or just a reminder?

"

nWu Yang asked Zhao Luo with a perplexed look.

n'Mhmm.'

nZhao Luo had to think for a moment before he looked at Wu Yang.

n

"Let's proceed first. But if you still want to know my opinion then I will take the latter option.

"

nZhao Luo thought that it was a reminder.

nAfter Zhao Luo's advice, they all started walking again.

nThe temperature around them started rising by a degree. Every ten minutes the temperature would go up by a degree.

nWhen they had started walking on the dragon road it was around 24-degree Celsius but after entering the clean zone, it rose to 25.

nZhao Luo and the others hadn't felt the rising temperature just yet.

n

"Let's pick up our pace.

"

nZhao Luo wanted to get out of this area as soon as possible.

nHe was missing the footmarks left by the other disciples.

nZhao Luo and the others with the hundred disciples following behind them stepped faster.

nAn hour later on the clean zone of the dragon road.

n

"Tap, huff, Tap, huff.

"

nThere were heavy breathing sounds buried beneath the impressive sounds of everyone's steps.

n

"Huff, huff, huff.

"

nThe girls around Zhao Luo and even Mo Lee with Wei Bin were breathing rapidly.

nZhao Luo still hadn't slowed down as he was still not challenged to a degree where he would focus on the changes that were simultaneously happening around him.

n

"Brother, can we slow down?

"

nFeng Mei who had tried her best till now asked Zhao Luo.

nHer only thought was not to burden her brother yet the rising temperature made it hard for her to walk so fast.

n

"Let's slow down a bit.

"

nZhao Luo shouted as his voice carried his message to everyone.

n'Thank God.'

n'Finally.'

nMany disciples took deep breaths and a smile emerged on their faces.

nZhao Luo rubbed Feng Mei on the head as they slowed down but still kept on walking.

nAnother hour later on the dragon road.

nThe temperature had already reached 37 degrees.

nThe disciples felt like melting but they never gave up.

nOn this damn hot dragon road the person leading them was Zhao Luo.

nHis tall standing back was like a wall for them.

nA wall with a big sign that said;

n

"Don't give up.

"

nZhao Luo was their hope and also their motivation for them.

n

"It's getting hotter in here.

"

nZhao Luo told the others as he was also sweating profusely.

n

"You just realized.

"

nMite whispered to Zhao Luo.

n

"The temperature has been rising for quite a while.

"

nMite told Zhao Luo which helped Zhao Luo in realizing something.

n

"We need to get out of here fast.

"

nZhao Luo who had always been looking ahead ln the dragon road finally looked back.

nHis eyes captured everything with just a glance from behind his silver hair.

n

"The disciples already look so tired.

"

nZhao Luo wondered about their next step.

n'Do we speed up or continue to go at this pace?'

nIt was a hard decision for Zhao Luo to take alone.

n'Even if they raise their pace the end of this area isn't anywhere near.'

n'What if this continued till the end?'

nZhao Luo felt disheartened for the first time.

n'Will the disciples following me have to quit?'

nThese questions covered Zhao Luo's mind.

n'I want to see the end with everyone.'

nZhao Luo took a decision that he believed with all his might.

n

"We continue at this pace.

"

nZhao Luo looked ahead and announced.

n

"Support each other.

"

nZhao Luo couldn't help them all but if they just helped each other then their burdens would eventually divide.

nAfter listening to Zhao Luo's order, the two rows of disciples behind him supported each other and continued on the dragon road.

nAfter walking for another two hours the torturous temperature which had almost burned their feet and melted their lungs ended.

n

"Finally.

"

nZhao Luo looked down and he could see the footmarks left behind by the disciples who had gotten on the dragon road before them.

n'Step.'

nZhao Luo left the clean zone of the dragon road as he stepped on the footmark of some disciple.

nA moment later when the disciples following him also entered back on the dragon road, an announcement was made.

n

"Leading the others rightfully is only the right of someone who is all-embracing.

"

nThe voice of Kong Fu Zi fell on everyone's ear.

nThey all had the same reaction that is everyone was looking at Zhao Luo's broad and straight back.

n'So this was the second teaching.'

n

"The first part has ended.

"

n

"Companions for life!

"

n

"Points will be distributed in 3 seconds.

"

nThe announcement continued as a horizontal bar gauge appeared above everyone.

nZhao Luo looked above his head and looked at the horizontal bar.

n'It is like a character's health bar.'

nZhao Luo thought. He felt like he was a game character.

nFinally, the relic from the Earth was giving him this feeling that he was indeed in a game but everything was too real to consider this all a fame.

n

"1

"

n

"2

"

n

"3

"

n'Fwooo.'

nEveryone's bar was a quarter filled with green light as they could feel their exhaustion fading away.

nExcept for Zhao Luo's bar which was already half-filled.

n

"Interesting.

"

nZhao Luo blurted out after seeing the bar being half-filled and comparing it to other bars above the disciples around him.

n

"Does this mean I have already mastered the two of the three teachings?

"

nZhao Luo questioned himself while looking at the bar.

n'I have indeed been calm and quite passionate since the start.'

nZhao Luo nodded and praised himself.

nIf Fu Zi could hear him then he would have definitely returned Zhao Luo's bar which was 50 percent filled to 0. But thankfully he didn't.

n

"Let's continue, there is still a long way ahead of us.

"

nZhao Luo declared openly as there was no end to the dragon road, for now.

n

"Yes.

"

n

"We will follow Brother Zhao Luo to the end.

"

n

"Zhao Luo.

"

n

"Zhao Luo.

"

nMany disciples started shouting Zhao Luo's name, boosting him up.

nSome were even making claims about how they have fallen for Zhao Luo.

nZhao Luo kept a poker face while hearing the disciples praise him and boost him while there was a party going on inside his mind.

n'Hehehe, indeed being handsome and talented sure is hard and gruesome.'

nZhao Luo thought as he started walking with Wu Yang, Feng Mei, and the others while the row of the disciples followed him.

nAn hour later as they walked on the dragon road calmly and steadily, Zhao Luo and the disciples had entered another Zone.

n

"Halt.

"

nZhao Luo shouted with a focused face as he looked ahead.

nHe was really acting like a general of an army that had a hundred strong warriors.

nWhile the disciples acted instantly and displayed better obedience than a well-disciplined army.

nAnother announcement had started as everyone had stopped inside the second zone.

n

"Show your choices, Sacrifice companions to save innocent people or leave the innocent people to keep your companions save.

"

nThe announcement came from Kong Fu Zi.

nBut this was just the first part to clear the zone.

n

"Each life you save, a coin will be rewarded to you and a point will be added in the bar.

"

nThe announcement ended suddenly as the end had reached.

nThe fog descended on the dragon road.

nIt was so thick that Zhao Luo couldn't see ahead but he could see the disciples that were following him.

n

"So it's a game of abandonment.

"

nZhao Luo said with a weary look.

n