The Taut Arc and Master-Level Climbing

Blackstone Cliff lay to the north of Binhai Park.

The entire cliff face was made of hard granite. Its shaded side rose straight into the clouds, while centuries of weathering and erosion had naturally carved cracks and protrusions of all shapes and sizes across its surface.

At half past nine in the morning, the only sound beneath the cliff was the roar of the sea wind.

Yu Ou took two sets of professional climbing gear from the trunk. Harnesses, quickdraws, a climbing rope, chalk bags, and two pairs of snug-fitting climbing shoes.

She changed into a dark green athletic outfit. Her long hair was tied into a neat bun.

The high-stretch fabric clung tightly to her tall, shapely figure, accentuating every curve. Her long, straight, sun-kissed legs were particularly eye-catching.

“Boss Su, outdoor rock faces are completely different from indoor climbing gyms.”

Yu Ou handed Su Bai a men’s harness, a confident look on her face.

“Indoor walls have standardized holds in clearly marked colors. Outdoors, you have to find your own handholds and footholds. Footwork, core strength, and finger strength—all of them are essential. Miss even one, and you won’t make it up.”

Su Bai took the harness and put it on properly.

“You go first. I’ll watch and learn.”

“Sure. I’ll demonstrate on a beginner-friendly intermediate route.”

Yu Ou fastened her belay device, hung the chalk bag from her waist, and rubbed her hands together after dipping them into the chalk. White powder drifted up faintly in the sunlight.

She walked up to the cliff, took a deep breath, and reached for a slightly protruding ledge above her. Her toes landed neatly in a shallow depression, and her body lifted lightly off the ground.

Su Bai stood below the cliff with his hands in his pockets, looking up.

There was no denying that the physique of a professional athlete was a spectacle in itself.

Yu Ou’s figure was tall and lean, yet filled with springlike strength.

With every pull-up, sideways fold, and shift of her feet, the muscles across her back and shoulder blades tightened into clear, defined lines.

Her fitted top narrowed at the waist, outlining an astonishingly slender curve, while her lower body formed a full, rounded silhouette. Each time she raised a leg to find a foothold, the long lines of her thighs stretched taut and straight, radiating a wild, healthy vitality.

The sea breeze stirred the loose strands of hair beside her ears. Against the gray-black cliff, she moved like an agile young leopard.

Within just a few minutes, Yu Ou had smoothly cleared a difficult section, set up a top-rope anchor, and then descended swiftly by pulling on the rope.

As soon as both feet touched the ground, she was breathing slightly hard. She raised a hand to wipe the fine sweat from the tip of her nose and looked at Su Bai.

“Well, Boss Su? Starting to get a feel for it?”

“The lines look pretty good,” Su Bai said with an offhand smile.

Yu Ou froze for a moment. Then her cheeks warmed slightly, and she glared at him in annoyance.

“What are you looking at? I meant the climbing route and the techniques for finding footholds!”

“I understood the route too.”

Su Bai stepped forward, picked up the chalk bag, and slapped some chalk into his palm.

Yu Ou assumed he was joking.

Rock climbing was an extremely demanding sport. Someone with no training would lack the finger strength even to hold on. After hanging there for a few seconds, their forearms would be flooded with blood and swell painfully.

“Don’t try to show off. Beginners tend to grip the holds too tightly, and their arms will lose strength very quickly.”

Yu Ou came over seriously and reached out to check the locking mechanism on his harness.

“Remember two things. First, keep three points fixed while moving one point, and keep your center of gravity as close to the wall as possible. Second, push with your legs. Your arms are only there to maintain balance. Don’t try to haul yourself up with your arms alone.”

“Got it.”

Su Bai smiled and walked to the base of the cliff.

He gripped the rock ledge with both hands, set his toes lightly against the wall, and instantly lifted himself into the air.

In that instant, Yu Ou’s expression changed.

The hold Su Bai had grabbed was nothing more than a narrow crack, less than two fingers wide.

An ordinary adult man would have felt excruciating pain in his finger joints just hanging from it, yet Su Bai did not even need to adjust his grip. His arms sank slightly, and his entire body remained firmly attached to the rock as if he were floating.

With a physique rated at 170 points—far beyond the limits of an ordinary human—Su Bai possessed finger strength, grip strength, and core stability that were almost unimaginable to normal people.

“Push off with your legs. Find the recessed groove on the right,” Yu Ou called up from below.

Su Bai tapped lightly with his toes. Engaging his core, he rose smoothly with almost no swaying at all.

Start, grip, shift his feet, push upward.

Every movement was precise, without a trace of unnecessary hesitation or probing.

At first glance, his movements still had the slight awkwardness of a beginner, but his terrifying raw strength completely compensated for the minor flaws in his technique. Obstacles that forced others to twist and turn in search of the right center of gravity were overcome by Su Bai with a single gentle pull of one arm.

In barely two or three minutes, Su Bai followed the beginner route Yu Ou had just climbed and reached the top.

Yu Ou, standing below, was completely stunned.

She looked up with her mouth slightly open, her fingers unconsciously tightening around the main rope.

Although the route was not among the most difficult, a first-time climber would need at least ten days to half a month of basic training to climb it so smoothly.

This wasn’t merely a matter of learning quickly. This was a monstrous natural physique!

“Boss Su, you’ve really never trained before?” Yu Ou shouted despite herself.

Su Bai’s amused reply drifted down from above. “There’s no reason for me to lie to you.”

Su Bai caught the belay anchor, lightly slid down the rock face, and landed without a sound. His breathing remained steady; his heartbeat had barely quickened.

Yu Ou gathered up the rope and stared at him with a complicated expression, caught between admiration and helplessness.

“With physical ability like yours, it would be a waste not to train for extreme sports. You’re breaking through the route by brute force alone.”

“I’m just strong, that’s all.”

Su Bai removed the harness and shook out his wrist.

The two of them packed up the equipment and put the large bags back in the trunk.

It was nearly noon, and the sea wind around Blackstone Cliff was growing stronger.

“I’m covered in sweat. The breeze will feel good.”

Yu Ou pointed toward a winding mountain path nearby. “Let’s take a lap around this trail. There’s an observation deck up ahead with an incredible view. It’ll also help loosen up our muscles.”

“Sounds good. Let’s take a look.”

The mountain road had been built along the slope. On the right was a steep mountainside covered in exposed rock; on the left was a grassy incline, with a deep ravine dozens of meters below.

The road was not particularly wide—just barely enough for a small car to pass.

The two walked side by side along the edge of the concrete road, the cool sea wind blowing straight into their faces.

“Boss Su, do you exercise often in Jiangcheng?” Yu Ou asked casually.

“Sometimes I play ball and go swimming.”

“Then how did you build up that kind of strength? When I watched your back muscles working on the cliff just now, the density was frightening.”

“Probably natural talent. I have a pretty fast metabolism.” Su Bai smiled.

Yu Ou pursed her lips, clearly unconvinced, but did not press the matter.

The two chatted as they rounded a narrow blind curve.

“Vroooom—Rumble!”

A brutally loud diesel engine suddenly roared from the ridge ahead.

Along with the engine’s furious bellow came the sharp screech of tires struggling against the pavement, followed by the violent sound of something crashing out of control.

“Look out!”

Yu Ou’s face changed drastically as she turned her head.

A medium-sized dump truck loaded with broken stone was barreling down from the upper bend at terrifying speed, careening wildly toward them!

The truck’s cab was already horribly mangled. Thick white smoke billowed from the brake discs, and the acrid stench of burning filled the air in an instant. The entire vehicle swayed wildly from side to side on the narrow mountain road, its rear slamming hard into the inner cliff face and sending rocks and clods of dirt flying!

The brakes had failed!

The narrow road was almost completely blocked by the massive vehicle as it barreled toward them with enough force to crush everything in its path!

Less than thirty feet away!

Although Yu Ou was a professional athlete with incredibly fast reflexes, when faced with a massive heavy truck hurtling straight toward her, her mind still went blank for a split second.

There was nowhere to escape. On the left was a sheer cliff more than thirty feet high!

At that critical moment—

Su Bai’s terrifying neural reaction speed, rated at 170 points, suddenly exploded into action!

Everything around him seemed to slow down as if someone had pressed the slow-motion button.

Su Bai slammed his foot against the concrete pavement, the hard sole of his shoe letting out a muffled boom.

Without the slightest hesitation, his right hand shot out like lightning and wrapped around Yu Ou’s slender, supple waist. With astonishing explosive force, he threw himself toward the hollow at the base of a large tree behind them.

“Whoosh—!”

The heavy truck blasted past Su Bai’s back, bringing with it a wave of foul, scorching air and a violent pressure of wind.

“Bang! Rumble!”

The out-of-control truck smashed into the guardrail at the bend ahead, showering the road with sparks. It finally jammed into a crack in the mountainside, its wheels smoking black as it slowly came to a stop.

Meanwhile, on the dirt slope beside the road—

Su Bai was down on one knee, holding Yu Ou protectively in his arms.

She was still shaken to the core.

Yu Ou’s head buzzed, and her heart felt as though it might leap straight out of her throat. Her chest heaved violently as she struggled to catch her breath.

Only after the smoke had gradually dispersed did she finally come back to her senses.

She was being held tightly in Su Bai’s arms.

His arm was firm as an iron band, while his broad, solid chest pressed against her cheek. Through the thin moisture-wicking shirt, she could clearly feel his scorching body heat and the steady, powerful beat of his heart.

That overwhelming sense of strength—and the suffocating security it brought—instantly enveloped her whole being.

Yu Ou could even catch the faint, clean scent clinging to him.

An indescribable warmth surged from her waist straight to her heart, instantly spreading through every inch of her body.

In all her life, Yu Ou had never been this close to a man, much less held in this kind of embrace, completely protected.

She lifted her head and gazed up at Su Bai’s calm, sharp-featured face so close to hers. Her ears burned hot. The defenses around her bold, unyielding heart collapsed with a thunderous crash.

Her heartbeat did not settle now that they had escaped danger. Instead, it raced even faster than before.

[Ding!]

[An S-rank goddess, Yu Ou, has been detected. Her favorability has risen sharply and surpassed the threshold!]

[Congratulations, host! You have obtained a skill reward: Rock Climbing (Master Level)!]