The Enigmatic Ravine and a Sudden Threat

“So this is your incredibly wondrous treasure-seeking art,” Chi Qiu remarked, her voice a mix of surprise and envy as she gazed at the golden map before Su Hanxing.

“Precisely. Last time, in the Yinglong Tomb, this art proved ineffective, so I didn’t use it,” Su Hanxing replied. “Now, however, I can employ it freely.” He committed each shimmering golden spot on the map to memory, then, with a wave of his hand, made the map vanish.

“So, are you going down to explore?” Chi Qiu tilted her head, looking at Su Hanxing.

“This mountain range is rich in spiritual energy and overrun with demonic beasts,” Su Hanxing countered, rather than directly answering her question. “The treasures within are surely all heaven-and-earth spiritual plants, perhaps even some containing Dao patterns. Little Chi, are you not tempted?”

“This… naturally, I am tempted,” Chi Qiu admitted after a slight pause.

“Then there’s no time to lose. We shall depart now,” Su Hanxing said with a smile.

“Let’s not; it would only delay us.” Chi Qiu shook her head. “Spiritual plants are easy to find; if necessary, we can purchase them at Qibao Hall. However, the matter of the Qingyuan Sect should be addressed as soon as possible. It wouldn’t be too late to search the mountains on our return journey, after we’ve uncovered the truth about the Qingyuan Sect.”

Su Hanxing nodded slightly upon hearing this. “In that case, let us hasten across the Daishan Mountain Range and enter Daizhou.”

Chi Qiu gave a soft nod.

“The Daishan Mountain Range is a long, narrow stretch, extending for millions of li in length and nearly a hundred thousand li in width,” Su Hanxing explained. “It doesn’t harbor ancient behemoths like the Sishui Marsh, but there are still many Dharma Manifestation Realm great demons within. We need to increase the Voidbreaker Skiff’s altitude and speed to pass through safely.”

With a sweep of his hand, immense true qi poured from him into the Voidbreaker Skiff. In an instant, the vessel blazed with silver light. The entire skiff hummed faintly as its speed abruptly accelerated, transforming into a silver-gray rainbow that tore through the sky.

I should help him. Chi Qiu saw Su Hanxing’s veins bulging, his expression slightly strained.

“I’ll lend you a hand as well,” she declared, stepping forward quickly to channel her true qi alongside him.

With both of them pouring out their true qi without reservation, they traversed the nearly hundred-thousand-li-wide Daishan Mountain Range in less than a quarter of an hour. They had officially entered Daizhou.

The journey thereafter was uneventful but far from dull. Instead of taking turns, they now piloted the Voidbreaker Skiff together, sharing the output of true qi. Su Hanxing contributed over seventy percent, while Chi Qiu provided the remaining thirty. Witnessing the significant disparity in their true qi output efficiency, Chi Qiu secretly vowed that one day, she would upgrade her cultivation method to a Heaven-tier one.

After another month of continuous flight, the two finally arrived at Cuiya Commandery, Huangzhou, gradually approaching the rift valley where the Qingyuan Sect was located.

Approximately a hundred thousand li ahead lay the Qingyuan Ravine. Su Hanxing stood with one foot on the skiff’s prow, his Daoist robe flapping wildly in the howling wind. Pointing forward, he spoke with a joyful expression: “That’s the Qingyuan Ravine, where the Qingyuan Sect is located. Decades ago, it was a tall mountain called Qingyuan Mountain. After a great earthquake, the mountain transformed into a rift valley, and so it was renamed the Qingyuan Ravine.”

“I think I see it too,” Chi Qiu said, rising on her tiptoes to peer into the distance. She saw a colossal chasm abruptly appearing on the otherwise flat land. The ravine’s interior was pitch black, as if coated in ink. The sheer scale of this chasm was terrifying, as though the earth itself had been torn open by a massive wound. Even from over a hundred thousand li away, her vision was sharp enough to clearly discern such a magnificent chasm.

“This Qingyuan Ravine is much larger than I imagined,” Chi Qiu mused aloud, her gaze fixed on the immense chasm. Despite how swiftly the skiff flew, the distance to it seemed not to diminish in the slightest. “This chasm could probably hold an entire major city.”

“As long as it’s not a colossal city like the Daqi Imperial City, it wouldn’t be difficult to fit any other major city within it,” Su Hanxing confirmed, having heard her murmuring. He gestured to indicate the ravine’s vast length and breadth.

“The Qingyuan Sect must have discovered something within this ravine,” Chi Qiu speculated, her eyes scanning the boundless chasm. “That’s why, even after Qingyuan Mountain collapsed, they didn’t relocate their sect but instead established it right here in the depths.”

“That aligns with my thoughts.” Su Hanxing nodded. “On this trip, we will descend into the ravine to investigate. We need to discover what the Qingyuan Sect found within that ultimately led to their destruction.”

He maneuvered the Voidbreaker Skiff to slowly descend, preparing to find a suitable landing spot at the edge of the massive chasm.

“This ravine is likely not safe!” Chi Qiu exclaimed. As the skiff drew closer to the enormous chasm, her keen perception of the Grand Dao of heaven and earth allowed her to sense the chaotic spiritual energy lurking within. Unlike the orderly circulation outside the ravine, these spiritual energies moved erratically. They surged wildly within the chasm, colliding and annihilating each other in disarray.

“Little Chi, have you discovered something?” Su Hanxing inquired. His comprehension of the Grand Dao was almost nonexistent, so from such a distance, he naturally couldn’t perceive any abnormalities.

“The spiritual energy flow within this ravine is incredibly violent,” Chi Qiu replied after a moment of thought. “It’s as if… it’s unbound by the Grand Dao of heaven and earth.”

“Unbound by the Grand Dao of heaven and earth? Those words sound strangely familiar.” Su Hanxing’s brow furrowed.

“Doesn’t your Tianyan Sect’s Tianyan Art affect a practitioner’s perception of the Grand Dao?” Chi Qiu immediately asked. She recalled what Ye Yan had once told them.

“It certainly reminds me of the Tianyan Art,” Su Hanxing nodded. His eyes were fixed on the colossal ravine, which now seemed almost within reach. Slowly, a purple light began to emerge within his pupils. “Near this ravine, there are traces of cultivators’ activities. It’s likely some remnants of array formations, but they’ve been almost completely corroded away. Barely, I can discern that they were once defensive arrays.”

After a thorough scan, Su Hanxing’s expression grew solemn. He had spotted numerous structures outside the ravine that appeared to be cultivators’ cave dwellings, a sight that sent a jolt through him.

“Are there any true qi fluctuations?” Chi Qiu asked, her brows furrowing. Her own abilities were not as strong as his, so she could only inquire.

“I only see cultivators’ cave dwellings, but I can’t detect any true qi fluctuations. It seems the cultivators who lived here have already departed.” The purple light in Su Hanxing’s eyes intensified. After another investigation, he shook his head, confirming that no true qi fluctuations remained within those dwellings.

Another quarter of an hour passed. By now, Chi Qiu and Su Hanxing were extremely close to the Qingyuan Ravine. She could now clearly see the cultivators’ cave dwellings he had mentioned earlier.

“This is Heart God Sect territory! The skiff ahead, depart at once, or do not blame my sword for being merciless!”

Just as they were preparing to enter the bottomless Qingyuan Ravine, a thunderous roar erupted from within. It instantly traversed tens of thousands of li, reaching the Voidbreaker Skiff. Under the impact of this sound wave, the vessel swayed violently, nearly losing control.

Fortunately, Chi Qiu and Su Hanxing exerted themselves to channel their true qi, managing to stabilize the skiff.

“It’s a Dharma Manifestation Realm cultivator. Quick, let’s go!”

With that single shout, not only did the skiff teeter precariously, but the powerful mental assault within the roar also caused Chi Qiu and Su Hanxing’s chests to tighten. Chi Qiu, whose divine soul was slightly weaker than Su Hanxing’s, felt a sweet sensation in her throat as a trickle of blood slowly seeped from the corner of her lips.

Such immense power filled them both with alarm. Su Hanxing made an immediate decision, instantly turning the skiff’s prow and retreating rapidly.

“They didn’t die, then… what a pity.”

A low murmur echoed from within the ravine as the silver-gray skiff fled, then silence descended once more.