They arrived at the mainland as soon as the sun rose up majestically from behind the many limestone hills that dotted the countryside. Takao stretched his arms above his head as they got off the bus terminal facing the China Pagoda Stadium, where the Asian Championships were held every year.

"Hey! I wonder if there are some games on today," Takao said, grinning.

"Of COURSE, Takao, the games go ON and ON and ON every year," Professor told him. "But today's not the time for reminiscing and dallying; we have to get to Lei's village."

"Lei, is it a long walk from here? Your village, I mean?" Max calls out to Lei, who got his nondescript shoulder satchel and had it hung across his chest.

"Yes. A bit of a walk." Lei pointed to some of the many limestone hills beyond the terminal. "We could reach it by noon if we start now."

"We have to walk?" Tsukiyo asked, blinking.

"Of COURSE. Why, you expected that we'd use cable cars going UP those MOUNTAINS?!" Kai sighed then walked away. "I'm out of here."

"…" SD Tsukiyo stomped off to where Takao and Professor were huddled. Asaya was hitching her Jansport up on her shoulders then looked over at Lei and Max. "Is this OK?"

"Yep." Max grinned. "Heh heh, I can't WAIT! My mom and I hike around a lot, and my legs have been pretty lonely lately without any amount of mountain pass to walk on."

"…OK. Let's head on out!" Lei calls out. "Stay close to one another, don't goof off more than you should, and no running and yelling in the mountains."

"Or else they'll push us over the cliffs," Max calls out gaily.

"…" Lei gave a sly, wry smile. "Funny. We really do that to outsiders we don't KNOW."

The hike towards the village was quite pleasant, with balmy breezes keeping the heat away from the Blade Breakers team and their 2 other companions. The scenery was pretty, and Tsukiyo wasted no time in asking several questions at once to the poor harried Professor.

"What're THESE, what's THAT, what're THOSE over THERE?!"

"Rice seedlings, water buffalo, and a bunch of water wheels!"

"Water buffalos?"

"They're domestic farm animals. They're mainly used for plowing the fields to get it ready for planting," Professor told her. "They love to soak out in mudholes most of the time, but they're really sturdy, strong, and very loyal."

"Oooh! Professor, what's THAT over THERE?!"

"~~~~" Kai had a very disgruntled look on his face. "I can't believe this has become a kindergarten field trip with ONE lone overgrown kindergarten kid. Are we still far off, Lei?"

"Once we get past the bamboo thicket over there, we'll be seeing the mountain pass we often use as kids whenever we go out to play out here in the lowlands," Lei told him. "I'm warning you, the pass is short of being almost perfectly VERTICAL."

Lei wasn't kidding. It was ALMOST vertical.

"…" Tsukiyo turned SD. "How are we supposed to get up THERE?"

"There are handholds and footholds incised into the mountain rock. Just grab hold and you won't be falling off." Lei nodded. "I'll just go talk to those villagers over there. I'll meet you at the top."

Tsukiyo, Takao, Professor, Max, Asaya, and Kai managed to climb up without any incident. Kai was impressed at how quickly Asaya managed to climb after Max without any help, moving with an almost fluid grace unbecoming of her overall persona the whole trip.

Lei followed suit a little while later, jumping over the vertical rock surface very lightly and with the air of jumping Shaolin monks Tsukiyo had seen on late night kung fu movies every Friday.

SD Max was giving the V sign at the area below. "WOW! This sure ROCKS! Heh heh, watch out Mt. Everest you're NEXT!"

"…" Professor and Takao regarded him with huge sweatdrops over their heads. "Let's just hope he gets to the top, still smiling and giving the V sign," Takao told Professor.

Professor just nodded.

Lei nodded. "Alright. Let's go."

Tsukiyo could practically see WHY Lei cautioned them about not goofing off and yelling and running up and down the mountain paths a little while later.

The passes were incredibly thin, and it was enough for only 1 person to pass through. The side of the pass drops irregularly down to a yawning ravine below.

"Uh…Lei…have any idea how STEEP that ravine is?" Takao asked him as they snailed their way through the pass which Lei appropriately called the Tiger's Needle.

"No," Lei said simply. "I remembered dropping a stone down there when I was a kid, and I waited a WHOLE day and I still haven't heard any touchdown breaks."

"A…stone?"

Lei pointed to a group of boulders sitting precariously over the pass above them. "See those rocks over there? Rai and I used to toss those rocks down below when we were kids. We didn't kill people…all we wanted to do was to test if there ever really was a bottom."

"R-really…"

"Yup. And we got our share of ear pinching whenever we get back to the village. His grandfather usually pinches his ear the most, that's why his ears got so BIG." Lei blinked. "At least that's what Mao said."

"Oh…"

"Look…the watch tower! We're almost there!" Lei nodded. "Come on, let's hurry!"

They weren't prepared for what they would be seeing right there and then. It was going to be one awful nightmare.

"…" Asaya's eyes just narrowed. She could feel the air, as if it had become suddenly alive.

She knew Lei had to be strong, or else everything would be LOST.