They had not expected Sheng Xia, who looked so small and slender, to have such incredible stamina. She had climbed for two straight hours without a single break.
All the way up the mountain, Xia Xiaoxue had been half-dragged, half-pulled along by Xu Mu. If not for her unwillingness to lose face in front of him, the pampered Xia Xiaoxue would have given up long ago.
On the bus earlier, Xu Mu had kept sizing up this woman, which already irritated her. Now that she had removed her sunglasses and cap, revealing a bare, doll-like face under the sunlight, Xia Xiaoxue felt even more uncomfortable.
Her face was covered in sweat, her makeup had smudged, and without a hat, her skin had been exposed to the blazing sun the entire way up the mountain. She felt as if her face was burning.
Compared to that, Sheng Xia looked completely relaxed, which only made her more irritated.
The two of them had only brought a single bottle of water when they came up the mountain. They had originally planned to eat local food at the scenic area, never expecting the entire mountain to be closed off. Now there was nothing to eat at all.
That bottle of water had long been finished. At this point, they were both hungry and thirsty. Seeing that Sheng Xia had food, they could not help but walk over.
Sheng Xia watched the two of them approach with confusion. She could not understand what they wanted, especially since they had been following her the entire way like they had a problem.
Xu Mu considered himself quite presentable, but being stared at so warily by this seemingly underage girl made him feel a little awkward.
He adjusted his expression, put on a polite smile, and asked, “Little sister, do you have any extra food or water? We came in a hurry and did not prepare anything. If you do, would it be convenient to sell it to us?”
Sheng Xia shook her head and replied coldly, “Sorry, I do not have any extras.”
After speaking, she quickly finished her bread, drank half a bottle of water, then put her hat and sunglasses back on and leaned against a tree trunk to rest, no longer paying them any attention.
Xia Xiaoxue let out a cold snort, clearly not believing her. Xu Mu, on the other hand, had not expected such a direct refusal, and his expression darkened slightly.
He forced a smile and said to Xia Xiaoxue, “Xiaoxue, rest here for a bit. I will go look around nearby for a mountain spring. I heard the springs on Jinding Mountain are clear and sweet. We can try some.”
Xia Xiaoxue nodded sweetly, even reminding him to be careful, while casting a provocative glance toward Sheng Xia.
Xu Mu had thought Xia Xiaoxue would stop him out of concern so he could use that excuse to go back down the mountain, but unexpectedly she really agreed.
Now he was stuck riding a tiger and could only walk deeper into the forest with an empty bottle in hand.
Sheng Xia did not even bother lifting her eyelids at their meaningless behavior. She only intended to rest for fifteen minutes before continuing on.
Time was money. She did not want to waste even a second on these two strange people.
Ten minutes later, Xu Mu returned excitedly with a bottle of water. On the other hand, he was holding a beautiful blue flower.
“Xiaoxue, look! There really is a mountain spring nearby. I tried it and it is really sweet! And look at this flower, is it beautiful? I have never seen such a pure blue color before. I picked it for you!”
He proudly handed the flower and water to her as if presenting a treasure.
Receiving both the flower and spring water from her boyfriend filled Xiaoxue’s vanity with immense satisfaction.
She praised Xu Mu while also glancing toward Sheng Xia with obvious pride, hoping to see some reaction. But Sheng Xia remained completely indifferent, which only made her feel bored.
Under her sunglasses, Sheng Xia’s eyes flickered slightly.
Blue Mist Flower. It was actually the Blue Mist Flower described in the book.
Where there was a Blue Mist Flower, there would definitely be Blue Mist Fruit. Eating the fruit would grant the ability to control the water element.
Sheng Xia suppressed her excitement and rolled her eyes thoughtfully.
She raised a sweet smile and asked Xu Mu, “Handsome brother, that flower is really pretty. Is there any wild fruit nearby? I did not eat enough earlier. I want to pick some fruit to try.”
Xu Mu’s mouth twitched slightly.
Little sister, just how big is your appetite? You already ate such a large piece of bread and you still say you are not full.
He had only seen the flower and not any fruit, so he shook his head.
Since Xu Mu had not discovered the Blue Mist Fruit, it meant the fruit had not matured yet. Sheng Xia was not in a hurry.
She thanked him, stood up, slung her backpack over her shoulder, and prepared to leave. The moment she moved, she immediately caught the attention of the two behind her.
They exchanged a glance, their intentions clear without words.
A girl like Sheng Xia, climbing the mountain so persistently even when it was closed, must have discovered something valuable up ahead.
Curiosity got the better of them, and despite being hungry, they followed her again without hesitation.
Having two persistent followers clinging to her like stubborn chewing gum was exhausting. There was more than one path up the mountain, yet wherever she went, they followed.
Sheng Xia glanced at them once, then ignored them completely and continued upward.
Curiosity killed the cat. Since their curiosity was so strong, they could not blame her if they ran into danger later.
The higher they climbed, the denser the vegetation became. Sheng Xia did not dare to be careless. Since Blue Mist Flowers had already appeared halfway up the mountain, it meant Jinding Mountain was heavily affected. The closer they got to the summit, the more mutated plants and animals they might encounter.
She had to stay cautious.
An hour later, they were still about one kilometer away from the black-dominated region at the summit. Sheng Xia slowed down, pausing frequently as she scanned her surroundings for unusual plants.
Seeing her suddenly start examining plants along the way, Xia Xiaoxue and Xu Mu became even more confused.
So all that effort was just for digging up wild grass?
Just as they were feeling disappointed and preparing to head back down the mountain, Xia Xiaoxue suddenly noticed something at the same time as Sheng Xia.
Twenty meters away on a slanted cliffside, a small golden flower stood in full bloom. Its six petals shimmered as if radiating golden light.
Xia Xiaoxue let out a sharp scream and immediately pulled Xu Mu toward it.
Sheng Xia froze in place.
Golden Summit Flower. And not just that, it was also the Crimson Flame Flower described in the book.
Jinding Mountain was truly a treasure land. It had actually produced both Blue Mist Flower and Crimson Flame Flower.
Both were extremely rare mutated plants in the novel.
Sheng Xia felt like she must have maxed out her luck stat to encounter such fortune.
The Crimson Flame Flower did not produce fruit. Instead, the entire plant had to be consumed. Once eaten, it granted the ability to control fire elements.
Of course, it was not the kind of power that allowed one to create fire out of thin air. It only allowed control over flames when a fire source was already present nearby.
Compared to natural elemental awakeners who could manipulate elements freely, this ability was somewhat limited.
But Sheng Xia did not mind at all. In her view, having it was better than having nothing. At worst, she could stockpile flammable materials in her spatial storage. It would still be useful in critical moments.
At this point, Xia Xiaoxue and Xu Mu had already rushed past her, reaching within a few steps of the Crimson Flame Flower. Only then did Sheng Xia slowly move forward.
The golden flower was right before them.
Xia Xiaoxue beamed with joy. She ordered Xu Mu to block Sheng Xia while she reached out to pick it up.
Sheng Xia glanced at the two of them, a faint, mocking smile forming on her lips.