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Chapter 303 - 301, The First Person to Summit Mount Everest Without Oxygen Cylinders! (Fourth Update)_1

Chapter 303: 301, The First Person to Summit Mount Everest Without Oxygen Cylinders! (Fourth Update)_1

It was on this evening that the three leaders distributed oxygen bottles, oxygen masks, and regulators to everyone. Ren He felt a peculiar sensation holding the heavy oxygen bottle.

In the mountaineering community, there is controversy over the use of oxygen bottles. Some climbers with idealistic spirits insist that after a prolonged period of acclimatization, athletes with outstanding physical prowess can reach the summit without the aid of oxygen. Purists elevate this view to the logical extreme, believing the use of supplemental oxygen amounts to cheating.

So, some have contended that the ascent of Mount Everest with the aid of oxygen doesn’t count as a true summit. It’d only be a genuine conquest when someone succeeds in ascending without supplemental oxygen—a feat never accomplished, at least not with verifiable evidence, in this parallel world by 2007!

There was an unusual gleam in Ren He’s eyes. Up to this moment, only radiation bothered him; he hadn’t felt any symptoms of oxygen deprivation at all...

Moreover, the longer he stayed on this mountain, the more he seemed to adapt to the climate. It was only then that Ren He realized his exceptional physical condition comprehensively included the ability to acclimate...

Experiments conducted in decompression chambers have proven that transporting a person from sea level to the oxygen-thin summit of Mount Everest causes loss of consciousness within minutes and rapid death. This is why climbers require such a long adaptation period. It’s impossible to rush to the summit like one might on a typical hike—no one can manage that.

Yet Ren He appeared to be the sole exception; his body had already adapted to the low-oxygen environment!

Everyone felt ready to reach the summit, but reality is harsh. The next morning, during roll call, the leaders suddenly discovered two climbers among the group who were feeling unwell. They showed no signs of bleeding or other obvious symptoms but had lost their sense of judgment, as if they were intoxicated.

It was like the joke: a drunkard wakes up in the middle of the night, mistaking the refrigerator for the toilet, and even asks his wife why the bathroom light has become smart...

The problem came to light when the leaders noticed that these two had muddled up their left and right shoes and when asked to recognize faces, they began to forget their teammates’ names.

They were no longer fit to continue the ascent and had to be escorted down the mountain by the Sherpa people.

There was an excess of oxygen bottles, but they were not for the climbers’ current use—those bottles were to be placed by the Sherpa people at certain spots along the descent route so everyone could switch to fresh bottles, ensuring there was ample oxygen.

These were fixed supply points.

Once everything was prepared, they set off for Camp IV at an altitude of 7,900 meters, where they would spend another night before launching their assault towards the summit of Mount Everest!

Suddenly, the female journalist from the Chinese travel magazine, An Si, discreetly handed Ren He some sunscreen, "I don’t know if it will work, but it’s better than nothing."

It was something Ren He had not thought of preparing, an unexpected surprise.

Xia Boyu’s body finally displayed problems. Gasping for air did not stave off his hypoxia, and his shaking grew increasingly intense. Ren He and the others surrounded Xia Boyu, Lei Ming said in a low voice, "Give up. You’ll die up there like this."

Xia Boyu scooped up some snow, rubbed it on his face to forcibly suppress his shivering, and said, "I am prepared to give everything for this, even my life. Don’t worry about me, I’m fine."

Ren He gazed through the tent gap at the seemingly endless night. Previously, it was him who influenced others, but this time it was the others who showed him a truth through their actions: There is indeed something in this world more important than life—faith.

Their belief shone as brilliantly as the sun, the moon, and the stars in the sky.

The next day, Ren He and his companions successfully arrived at Camp IV, a snowy plateau about the size of four soccer fields, with mountain winds blowing through the V-shaped mountain pass at unimaginable speeds.

There, they would rest for five hours, then proceed to the summit, expecting to reach the top by 1 PM, and they absolutely had to descend by 2 PM at the latest—this was the "2 PM turnaround rule."

If, by 2 PM, you were still a certain distance from the summit, even if just 500 meters away, you must turn back and descend.

Otherwise, you might forever rest there, bequeathing your soul to Mount Everest.

During those five hours, Ren He didn’t sleep at all. Unlike others who felt weary and downhearted, he was filled with exhilaration. Upon reaching Camp IV, he had already put on his headphones, listening to just one song: "Fade."

As he had once told An Si, he firmly believed that with his BGM, nothing could defeat him.

Five hours had passed, and the morning sun rose from the edge of the clouds, its light slowly spreading out, just like Ren He’s scalding hot heart.

Light shone on your face, and you began to feel that slight warmth gradually erupting within you.

Then, the indulgent power within your body also began to flow through your blood. Ren He even had the excited thought of leaping from here, bursting through the clouds, like a meteor with a long tail crashing to the ground.

But he couldn’t do that, at least not this time, for he hadn’t brought the equipment.

Ren He gazed up at the peak above his head, which was the very place he intended to challenge today.

In his former life, someone had once told him, "Ren He, your destiny is destined to be ordinary, just getting through life in mediocrity is fine."

Yet destiny is something that is meant to be trampled underfoot. If you don’t yet have the strength to rebel against it, then please gather your own strength, and await with your greatest courage.

Ren He had waited six long months for this day, having planned to come here half a year ago to conquer the roof of the world, Mount Everest, but he had been waiting, waiting with courage.

And now, it was time to trample destiny under his feet.

What did it matter if the storm from his dreams came as promised? Indeed, experiencing life and death is what truly lets you understand the meaning of being alive.

The meaning of being alive is actually about those things that flash through your mind when you are on the brink of death.

With each brush with death, Ren He grew to love life even more; that was the fundamental meaning of risking his life for him!

As Ren He was preparing to set off, he suddenly noticed that Xia Boyu’s oxygen tank pressure gauge behind him was as low as it could be, indicating that the other had been forcibly sustaining himself on oxygen while coming to Camp Four. Relying on just that little bit of oxygen, Xia Boyu was bound to die on the way.

He smiled and took off his own oxygen tank to equip Xia Boyu with it, while Xia Boyu’s abandoned oxygen tank was tossed aside.

Xia Boyu had no resistance in front of Ren He, watching helplessly as Ren He changed his oxygen tank, his eyes wide open, "Have you lost your mind? I should have died 30 years ago in that storm, but you’re different, you’re still young..."

"Hmm..." Ren He pondered for two seconds and smiled, "I don’t need that thing. Consider this my greatest respect for you. Go on, see you at the summit."

No sooner had he spoken than Ren He was already sprinting alone out of the camp towards the higher realms. At this moment, there was only one path ahead and Ren He no longer needed a guide.

Behind him, Xia Boyu shouted to the others, "Stop him quickly, he gave me his oxygen tank!"

Everyone was shocked as they watched Ren He’s blurry figure walking out into the snowstorm, only then realizing Ren He had gone without an oxygen tank!

Madness! Theory is always just theory; how could anyone actually dare to challenge the summit without an oxygen tank!

Too insane!

Xia Boyu dumbly watched Ren He’s resolute figure disappearing into the snowstorm, never looking back, so lonely... yet so staunch and upright!

For some reason, he felt that today might really see the birth of the first person to summit Mount Everest without an oxygen tank, marking the first true human conquest of Mount Everest!

He had to be alive to see that moment!

...

Wanshang jiageng