Training the Villain to Become a Big Sister Obsessed - Chapter 39

“Ah? The pressure is different too?” Ling Guang asked in confusion: “Then why is Lan Shan Jun’s heavier?”

Lan Shan Jun glanced at Zhao Chen, mentally guessing the reason. After all, she still carried a living egg, and the pressure from this egg was also affecting her.

Pursing her lips, a spark of nameless anger rose in Lan Shan Jun’s heart.

That damn snake demon.

“Perhaps the trial on the Three Thousand Steps is different for each person,” Song Qing Cheng speculated.

Ling Guang watched Lan Shan Jun forcibly enduring with spiritual energy and felt a pang of heartache.

“But we are only past a thousand steps. How will Lan Shan get up the rest of the way?”

As soon as the words fell, an abundance of azure spiritual energy poured out, continuously transferring to Lan Shan Jun. Cang Wu reached out and grasped Lan Shan Jun’s hand, her eyes resolute: “I will take Senior Sister up.”

Lan Shan Jun was inevitably touched. How can this not be the child I watched grow up, even if the child grew up a little too fast?

“One person might not be enough.” Zhao Chen raised her hand and rested it lightly on Lan Shan Jun’s shoulder. Pure white spiritual energy lessened the pressure on her by another fraction.

“That’s right! There are several of us! If we all contribute some spiritual energy, we can take Lan Shan up!”

Ling Guang winked at Lan Shan Jun: “That’s what friends are for.”

Mo Huai Sheng also chimed in: “Exactly, friends.”

The spirited youth laughed before her, causing Lan Shan Jun to feel a moment of realization and deep emotion. These people were so vibrant; how could they be captured merely by a few words and paragraphs?

The world in the book seemed to have come alive because of these people.

“Friends.”

Lan Shan Jun curved her brows and eyes, accepting the goodwill from her friends.

Regarding the transmission of spiritual energy to Lan Shan Jun, Zhao Chen initially planned to divide them into pairs, but this was immediately opposed by Cang Wu. She insisted on staying by her Senior Sister’s side at all times. In the end, the pairs turned into a rotation involving Ling Guang, Zhao Chen, Song Qing Cheng, and Mo Huai Sheng.

As they began to ascend, Zhao Chen reminded Lan Shan: “Lan Shan, don’t use your own spiritual energy for the next thousand steps. Since Qing Yun Academy established the Three Thousand Steps, it won’t be that easy to ascend. The last five hundred steps are the key, and we won’t be able to help you then.”

Lan Shan Jun nodded, then turned to Cang Wu, speaking with a serious, elder sisterly tone: “Don’t push yourself.”

If she didn’t say so, Cang Wu would eagerly give her all of her spiritual energy.

During the grouping earlier, Cang Wu had stubbornly resisted for quite a while, ignoring even her Senior Sister’s words. Now, she was compliant, nodding in agreement.

With the spiritual energy transfer beside her, the pressure Lan Shan Jun felt no longer suffocated her. The group proceeded unhurriedly, their laughter constant. In the blink of an eye, the sun began to set, and they had passed the two thousand five hundredth step.

By now, the person beside Lan Shan Jun was Ling Guang. Her temples were damp, and she no longer had her initial ease.

Lan Shan Jun’s gaze fell upon Cang Wu again. She had walked by her side from start to finish, continuously supplying spiritual energy, and her state was visibly deteriorating.

“Only the last five hundred steps are left,” Song Qing Cheng noted, looking at the stone marker nearby.

Ling Guang snorted and laughed: “This wasn’t that hard, after all.”

“Lan Shan, let’s go, we’ll take you up.”

Taking the first step, Ling Guang’s expression froze. Her knees violently buckled, nearly sending her crashing down to kneel.

Song Qing Cheng quickly grabbed her, but the sudden increase in pressure overhead also caused the veins on her forehead to bulge.

“Quickly withdraw your spiritual energy! Otherwise, the pressure on the steps will only multiply!” Zhao Chen hastily reminded them.

Ling Guang gritted her teeth and asked: “What about Lan Shan?”

Zhao Chen: “We cannot help her for the last five hundred steps.”

Ling Guang was still somewhat unwilling.

Lan Shan Jun felt the two streams of spiritual energy still being sent her way. She shook off Cang Wu’s hand while simultaneously pushing away Ling Guang’s hand from her shoulder.

The spiritual energy broke off. Lan Shan Jun coughed heavily, her face visibly reddening.

“Senior Sister!” Cang Wu rushed forward upon seeing this.

Lan Shan Jun held out a hand to stop her, her voice weak but firm: “Cang Wu, that’s enough.”

“It’s been more than enough.”

Lan Shan Jun adjusted her robe, raised her hand, and bowed respectfully toward the others below.

“If I have to rely on all of you to climb the remaining five hundred steps, I probably don’t have the qualifications to be your friend anymore.”

Worry filled Ling Guang’s eyes, but she ultimately said nothing more. When the spiritual energy had been withdrawn, she felt the pressure instantly decrease. Sure enough, on the Three Thousand Steps, one could only rely on oneself. Those who relied on others or external force would face the true test on the final five hundred steps.

Lan Shan Jun straightened up, curving her eyes into a smile: “Don’t wait for me ahead. If you want to wait, wait at the top of the steps.”

Cang Wu looked displeased.

“You alone? How can that be?” Ling Guang also disagreed with her: “We’ll follow you.”

Lan Shan Jun looked at her helplessly: “Ling Guang, give me some face, alright? I don’t want you all to see me in such a pathetic state.”

Ling Guang was silenced. She secretly glanced at Cang Wu.

Fine. Sometimes, she also cared about her image in Qing Cheng’s eyes.

“Then, then we’ll wait for you at the academy gate.”

Lan Shan Jun nodded with a smile.

The others said nothing more. After offering a few words of concern, they quickly continued upward. After all, they each had their own missions, and Qing Yun Academy was a place they absolutely had to enter.

Cang Wu remained behind, unmoving.

“Cang Wu,” Lan Shan Jun called her.

Cang Wu replied with a muffled sound.

“You go up too.”

Cang Wu looked up at her, parted her lips, and said: “Senior Sister, let’s just not go, okay?”

Since it’s so hard, why go? What is so great about this academy? Why must we go?

Lan Shan Jun looked down at her, seeing the unique youthful stubbornness and unconcealed heartache in her eyes.

She blinked, pulling her lips into a smile: “What nonsense are you talking about? The Valley Master asked us to come.”

“Why did she give this task to you instead of her own disciple? Let Xie Qing Shuang go,” Cang Wu’s brows were completely furrowed.

Lan Shan Jun realized Cang Wu only seemed to show a shred of respect to her and the Eastern Lord, and even the Eastern Lord had to beat her down a few times before she reluctantly called her ‘Master.’

“Cang Wu.” Lan Shan Jun walked up to her, her tone becoming serious: “The Valley Master is our elder. Moreover, since Senior Sister Xie cannot be found, it is only natural for us, as Yang Gu’s disciples, to follow the Valley Master’s arrangements.”

Cang Wu turned her head away.

Lan Shan Jun felt like she was talking to a rebellious teenager. She reached out and cupped Cang Wu’s face, making her look at herself: “Did you hear me?”

The fragrance of the woman’s palms enveloped Cang Wu. She was momentarily dazed, her heart fluttering. She only knew to nod in response to her Senior Sister’s words.

“That’s better. Be polite and respectful to your elders.”

Lan Shan Jun finished lecturing her Junior Sister, dropped her hands, and then pointed upward: “Quickly, go up.”

Cang Wu shook her head: “I want to stay with Senior Sister.”

Lan Shan Jun sighed helplessly, knowing that the same reasoning she used on Ling Guang would be useless on Cang Wu. She had to switch tactics: “Cang Wu doesn’t want to see Senior Sister embarrassed, right?”

“Don’t make Senior Sister difficult. Be obedient.”

Lan Shan Jun watched Cang Wu’s gaze soften, seemingly struggling internally. So, she resorted to gentle coaxing and deceit, persuading the person to ascend, looking back every three steps until her figure disappeared.

Only after Cang Wu’s figure was out of sight did Lan Shan Jun truly breathe a sigh of relief.

“Book Spirit.”

Lan Shan Jun finally released the breath she had been holding, panting as she summoned the Book Spirit.

The Book Spirit spoke faintly: “I know what you want to ask. How to get up the last five hundred steps, right? I don’t know.”

Lan Shan Jun: “…”

“Actually, Cang Wu is not wrong. You don’t need to go to this academy. Lan Yan wasn’t in the original book.” The Book Spirit sighed: “The current plot has deviated to the extreme. Don’t cause any more trouble.”

“Cause trouble? You think I’m causing trouble?” Lan Shan Jun’s face darkened.

The air solidified for a moment. After a while, the Book Spirit spoke timidly: “I didn’t mean that.”

“Once you enter the academy, the plot will definitely change. I’m afraid you won’t be able to achieve the protagonist’s perfect ending then.”

Lan Shan Jun scoffed: “Was the original book’s plot a perfect ending? Does a dual death count as a happy ending (HE)?”

Book Spirit: “…”

“If this body dies on the last five hundred steps, will you still go up?” The Book Spirit seemed forced to say this.

Lan Shan Jun frowned: “What do you mean?”

The Book Spirit told her: “Lan Yan stopped at the last hundred steps back then. Her spiritual energy was depleted. If she had forced herself to ascend, she would have died there.”

“Lan Shan, the pressure you are under now is heavier than hers. Do you think you can do it?”

Lan Shan Jun didn’t think the Book Spirit was considering her well-being. These words seemed to show concern for the integrity of this body.

“What if I insist on going up?”

The Book Spirit fell silent again.

Lan Shan Jun looked up. The last five hundred steps were already within the clouds. White mist rose in the night, making the final stretch feel more like a path to heaven.

Lan Shan Jun took a deep breath and made her decision. She lifted her leg to ascend. Although her knees trembled with every step, it wasn’t enough to scare her into turning back.

One step…

Two steps…

Ten steps…

“One hundred twenty-three.”

“One hundred… twenty-four.”

As Lan Shan Jun took this step, she collapsed onto the surface of the steps. She felt grateful in her heart that she had made them all leave.

Otherwise, this pathetic sight would be unbearable for anyone to see.

The sun had completely set. The night sky glittered with stars, and the bright moonlight passed through the clouds, falling upon Lan Shan Jun.

Lan Shan Jun gazed at the moon, reaching out to grasp a handful of moonlight.

“It’s pretty much the same. The moon in the book world is just as bright as the one I see back home.” Lan Shan Jun mused. She finally understood why so many great poets liked to send their thoughts to the moon.

A clear breeze brushed against her, wiping away the fine sweat on her forehead and neck, which cleared her mind somewhat.

“Wind?”

“Wind!”

Joy flashed across Lan Shan Jun’s eyes. She stood up and used a bit of spiritual energy to activate the surrounding wind.

As she expected, this indeed allowed her speed to increase significantly. However, the consequence of doing so was that her spiritual energy was consumed even faster.

Climbing up to the two hundredth step, the spiritual energy in Lan Shan Jun’s Golden Core was nearly depleted. Yet, as the steps ascended, the pressure she could bear had reached its absolute limit.

The pressure on her chest caused Lan Shan Jun to taste a hint of sweet, metallic blood in her mouth.

She clamped her teeth, trying to take one more step. The Book Spirit urgently cried out: “You can’t go up anymore!”

The next moment, Lan Shan Jun felt her soul being squeezed by some force.

She called out that name with almost no hesitation:

“Lan Yan!”