Live Streaming: Great Adventure in the Wilderness

Chapter 429: Chapter 427 Occupy a Slot

Chapter two is not ready yet…

Just marking the spot.

Will finish before 00:30

Within the snowy terrain, the owner of a pair of green boots lay curled up and stiff in the snow and solid ice of a rocky cave, as though he were merely taking a short nap.

The red climbing suit, blue climbing pants, and green climbing boots—three vibrant colors made him stand out starkly against the white and gray hues of Mount Everest.

The infamous “Green Boots”.

Puba narrated to the audience that this was one of the three major “Corpse Markers” on Mount Everest; beside it lay another equally famous resting climber, maintaining a posture with knees hugged to chest and eyes staring blankly into the distance even in death.

It could be said that these bodies served as “signposts”.

But Bi Fang didn’t dwell, he merely glanced briefly before continuing his ascent towards the summit along the southeast ridge of Mount Everest.

Time gradually passed, climbing, resting, passing the third Corpse Marker “Sleeping Beauty”, then more climbing, more resting.

After two rounds of recuperation, during which Bi Fang ate more than once to replenish his body’s energy, the ascent of Mount Everest was a true “anoxic exercise”. Every hundred meters climbed represented an immense expenditure of energy, and this drain only intensified.

The higher the altitude, the greater the consumption of water, physical strength, and energy.

At an elevation of 8,700 meters, Bi Fang reached the South Summit, facing the last major obstacle to the summit of Mount Everest.

[The Hillary Step! The Hillary Step!]

Even Puba couldn’t help but repeat it twice, his fingers trembling slightly as he typed.

It was too unbelievable.

Puba’s feelings towards Bi Fang were complex, even experiencing a hint of disdain hidden deep within when Danzeng had come to find him, before the two had properly met. Perhaps even Puba himself hadn’t been aware of it at that time.

It was only considering Danzeng’s request, and Bi Fang’s actions which showed genuine equality and respect for the Sherpa people, as well as his deep yearning for the sacred mountain, that Puba finally decided to lend a hand, out of concern for the younger generation.

But now, having witnessed miracles, Puba looked back on everything and had to admit that such emotions had indeed crossed his mind at that time.

He himself had summited Mount Everest a record 21 times, and numerous Sherpas and people around the world regarded him as a legend. Yet, even with that, he dared not attempt an unaided, oxygen-free summit.

Let alone a solo, oxygen-free ascent. Talent, flair, capability, luck—none could be lacking.

But now, a feat he couldn’t achieve even in his youth was about to be accomplished by a 25-year-old who had never been to Mount Everest before.

Puba’s expression was complex; in that moment, he even felt a tinge of envy—perhaps for the other’s youth, or perhaps for his achievements. He now felt some shame, but more than that, he felt respect.

Because the mountain was there.

Taking a deep breath, Puba typed, providing the final commentary.

[In the last push to the summit on the southern slope, climbers must pass through a section between the South Summit and the highest point on the southeast ridge—a nearly vertical rock face about 12 meters high, known as the Hillary Step. Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay were the first team to climb it to the summit, and the climbing community later named it after Hillary.]

[This “Step” collapsed during the 2015 earthquake, leaving behind just a “snow pit”. There is no longer a step on the southern ascent of Mount Everest, but, without question, the name Hillary Step will continue to endure.]

[But the snow pit remains narrow, so narrow that congestion often occurs here. There could be extended waits due to the bottleneck, and it’s common for people to die on Mount Everest due to waiting too long.]

Bi Fang had exceptionally good vision; standing atop the South Summit, he could see that the Hillary Step was incredibly narrow, as narrow as the spine of a Stegosaurus, allowing passage for only one person at a time.

It was too famous, even invoking a psychological fear in climbers.

The only certainty was that no rescue attempt above the “Hillary Step” had ever succeeded.

An abyss lay crawling at his feet, awaiting its “delicious meal”. His suit had become an armor of ice and snow.

Luckily, Bi Fang’s limbs had not yet frozen stiff from waiting, so he continued his climb up the snowy ridge.

The last barrier, the true final barrier, was just a hundred meters away!

Between the South Summit and the peak, there was only the Hillary Step to overcome!

“`

A miracle is about to happen before our eyes!

The audience instinctively held their breath, their heartbeats accelerating. The formerly noisy live broadcast room emptied in an instant, and the entire screen was overwhelmed by the vast sky. As the summit neared, pupils trembled slightly.

In the village at the foothill, Puba and others sat together, holding their breath in deep concentration.

Inside Magic City Airport, Huang Tianming’s bloodshot eyes widened, his breathing almost in sync.

Within the Arctic Circle, Étienne was so excited he nearly jumped up.

In Ugly Country, Peter excitedly grabbed Tony’s arm.

In Central Country, Matthew clenched his pen tightly.

Viewers around the world, students on holiday, office workers in companies, housewives shopping at the market, those staying up late, waking up early, or pulling an all-nighter—all millions of them focused here.

In their ears was the sound of heavy breaths, hurried and deep, making one worry if the person making them would collapse then and there.

Twelve-meter-high boulders awaited… If it were a few years ago, the spot would have been one gigantic smooth rock with nothing to grasp. Now, it was much easier.

Bi Fang stepped on the crumbling stones, his brain devoid of any capacity for thought. If someone were to lift his mask, they would find his lips had already turned slightly purple.

The time was 9:14 AM.

The wind swept the clouds away in a ceaseless flow.

Bi Fang paused his steps, taking one last look behind him at the long mountain ridge he had just ascended, whose shadow almost enveloped the mountains as if he too were part of this massive body.

This was the last glance, representing all the scenery along the way—rocky beaches, ice, snow, ice towers, wild goats, highland crows, freezing rivers, cliffs, and even natural disasters like avalanches…

All of it finally paid off.

Bi Fang silently removed his gloves.

The next second, a powerful hand grabbed the crevice at the peak’s edge, pulling the whole body up through the gap onto the expansive ridge, conquering it completely!

In the morning light, Mount Everest shimmered like jade. Bi Fang removed his cold-resistant mask and abruptly sat down on the ground, startling everyone. But soon after, he began to laugh, laughing out loud.

Looking around, for thousands of miles the sunshine, towering peaks piercing the clouds, the sky so blue as if dyed, countless snow-capped mountains surged, yet all “submitted” beneath his feet, the endless clouds racing towards the sun unabated.

The laughter grew louder, the intense laughter pushing his already oxygen-starved body further into distress. He started coughing, and in the midst of coughing, he began to laugh again, the cycle repeating itself.

The sound reverberated through the mountains, echoing through the clouds and forests.

From Kathmandu Valley to Lukla, from base camp to the Death Zone.

He had trudged through the zone of death, where each step was agony, yet it was all worth it.

What Bi Fang had pursued, risked, and longed for was all underfoot, before his eyes, right beside him!

The very summit, the true highest point!

There were no greater heights left on Earth for him to challenge!

Suddenly, Bi Fang’s eyes reddened, waves of emotion welling up, threatening to overflow.

In this life or the last, Bi Fang never imagined he could, by his own ability, ascend the roof of the world. If anyone told him he could, it must have been a dream, a mere illusion, as transient as bubbles and shadows.

Now, reality had happened.

It truly changed.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Bi Fang lifted his head to hold back the moisture in his eyes, struggling to stand up from the summit. He put his gloves back on, and the next second, a metal tube as thick as a thumb, which was nowhere to be seen before, was in his hand.

Looking through the hole, it appeared to be a telescopic tube.

With a light flick, the red flag fluttered.

“`