Mountains are supposed to be majestic.
Beautiful.
Inspiring.
This one was none of those things.
This mountain hated me personally.
By the time we reached the upper ridge, my legs felt like they were made of wet noodles, my lungs were staging a rebellion, and my Fire‑type root kept flaring every time the wind blew too hard—which, on a mountain, was constantly.
Jin Zhen floated ahead of us like gravity was a rumor.
Mei Lin walked with perfect balance, not even breathing hard.
Lian Hua moved like a ghost who had opinions about efficiency.
And me?
I was dying.
"Can we," I gasped, "take a break?"
"No," Mei Lin said.
"We are close," Lian Hua added.
"Close to what?" I said. "Death? Enlightenment? A scenic overlook?"
Jin Zhen spun mid‑air. "Close to the source."
I blinked. "Source of what?"
He grinned. "Corruption."
"Oh good," I said. "I was worried it would be something relaxing."
We reached a narrow ledge overlooking a deep ravine. Mist swirled below. The wind howled. The rocks were jagged and dark, pulsing faintly with leftover demonic energy.
I stepped closer.
The ground trembled.
A rock slid off the edge and disappeared into the fog.
I backed up immediately.
"Nope," I said. "Absolutely not. I am not dying by falling off a mountain. I already died once. I refuse to die stupidly twice."
Mei Lin pointed ahead. "The corruption is strongest there."
"Of course it is," I muttered. "Why wouldn't it be on the world's most dangerous ledge?"
We moved forward carefully.
Well, they moved carefully.
I moved like someone trying not to die in a cartoon.
The path narrowed until it was barely wide enough for one person. The cliff dropped off on one side. The mountain wall loomed on the other.
Jin Zhen floated above the drop, completely unbothered.
"Come on, Fire hazard," he said. "It's not that bad."
"You're flying," I said. "Your opinion is invalid."
Mei Lin glanced back. "Focus."
"I AM focusing," I said. "I'm focusing on not falling to my death."
Lian Hua stopped suddenly.
We all froze.
He raised a hand.
"Something is here."
I swallowed. "Something like what?"
He didn't answer.
Which was not comforting.
The wind died.
The air stilled.
The mountain went silent.
Then—
A low rumble echoed through the ravine.
The ground vibrated.
Rocks cracked.
A shape rose from the mist below.
Huge.
Humanoid.
Made of stone and corrupted energy.
Its eyes glowed purple.
It climbed onto the ledge, shaking the entire mountain.
I stumbled back. "NOPE. NOPE. ABSOLUTELY NOT. WHY IS EVERYTHING IN THIS WORLD SO BIG?"
Mei Lin raised her staff. "A corrupted mountain guardian."
Jin Zhen whistled. "Haven't seen one of those in a while."
Lian Hua stepped forward. "We must purify it."
I stared at him. "Purify it? It's a rock monster!"
"It is a guardian spirit," Mei Lin said. "Twisted by demonic energy."
"Cool," I said. "So it's a possessed rock monster."
The guardian roared.
The ledge shook.
A chunk of rock broke off and fell into the ravine.
I screamed internally.
Jin Zhen grinned. "This is going to be fun."
"FOR WHO?" I shouted.
The guardian swung a massive stone arm.
Lian Hua leapt aside, releasing a blast of wind that sliced through the corrupted mist around the creature.
Mei Lin struck the ground with her staff, vines erupting from the cracks to bind the guardian's legs.
Jin Zhen vanished in a swirl of air and reappeared above the guardian's head, kicking it with a burst of wind.
The guardian staggered.
Barely.
I inhaled.
Heat surged.
My aura flared.
"EMBER‑STRIKE PALM!"
I slammed my glowing palm into the guardian's leg.
A burst of fire exploded outward.
The guardian roared.
A crack formed in its stone armor.
I grinned. "Ha! Take that, you oversized gravel pile!"
The guardian swung its arm.
I did not dodge.
I flew backward, hit the mountain wall, and slid down like a sad pancake.
Mei Lin shouted, "Icarus!"
"I'm fine," I wheezed. "Just reconsidering all my life choices."
The guardian stomped toward me.
The ledge cracked under its weight.
A chunk of rock fell away.
I scrambled back.
"NO NO NO NO—"
Jin Zhen appeared beside me, grabbed my arm, and yanked me away just as the guardian's foot smashed into the spot where I'd been.
"You're welcome," he said.
"I hate this mountain," I said.
"Understandable."
The guardian roared again.
Purple mist swirled around it.
The corruption intensified.
Mei Lin shouted, "We must strike together!"
Lian Hua nodded. "Combine our roots."
Jin Zhen smirked. "Finally."
I inhaled.
Heat surged.
My aura ignited.
Mei Lin summoned vines glowing with green light.
Lian Hua summoned a cyclone of wind.
Jin Zhen summoned razor‑sharp air currents.
We aimed everything at the guardian.
"NOW!" Mei Lin shouted.
We unleashed our attacks.
Fire.
Wind.
Wood.
Storm.
The combined force slammed into the guardian, cracking its stone body. Purple mist burst outward. The guardian roared, stumbling backward.
The ledge cracked.
The guardian fell.
It plummeted into the ravine, dissolving into mist before it hit the bottom.
Silence.
The mountain stopped shaking.
The corruption faded.
I collapsed onto my back, panting.
Jin Zhen flopped down beside me. "Well. That was dramatic."
Mei Lin knelt next to me. "Are you injured?"
"Yes," I said. "Emotionally."
Lian Hua nodded. "He is fine."
"Wow," I said. "Thanks for the support."
The system chimed.
[QUEST COMPLETE: CLEANSE THE MOUNTAIN GUARDIAN]
[REWARD: CULTIVATION +15 STAGES]
Heat surged through me.
My aura flared.
[CULTIVATION STAGE: 71]
I exhaled slowly.
Mei Lin stared at me. "You advance too quickly."
"Yeah," I said. "I'm special."
"That is not a compliment."
"I'm taking it as one."
Jin Zhen stretched. "Well. The guardian is gone. But the corruption came from somewhere."
Lian Hua looked toward the peak.
"We must continue."
I groaned. "Of course we must."
Mei Lin nodded. "The demonic sect is active here."
Jin Zhen grinned. "Come on, Fire hazard. The mountain isn't done trying to kill you."
"Great," I said. "Can't wait."
We stood.
We continued climbing.
And somewhere far above us…
A demonic cultivator watched from the shadows.
"The Fire anomaly approaches," he whispered. "Good. Let him climb. Let him burn. The peak awaits."