The fox fire of Xiao Bai could incinerate everything. The mist vanished upon contact with the fox fire. At first, they thought it was evaporating, but later discovered the mist seemed sentient, evading the flames. After Xiao Bai and the others descended, it quickly regrouped, obscuring the cliff top from view.
The entity within the mist seemed angered by Xiao Bai’s fox fire. Simultaneously, several white figures attacked. Ju Xian and Ji Wu Ye leaped forward, parrying several blows with their swords without getting a clear look at their attackers. They only knew the white figures had claws, and when their swords clashed, the sound was like metal on metal. What shocked Ju Xian most was that their protective barrier was useless against these white figures.
Xiao Bai, agile and nimble, used her tail like a whip to lash out at several of them. Fortunately, no one was injured. The roar of the waterfall also impaired their judgment. The bottom of the cliff was truly deep; at Xiao Bai's usual speed, they would have reached it by now.
The entities in the mist appeared to be obstructing their descent, preventing them from flying further down. Soon, Xiao Bai’s breathing grew unsteady, and she exhaled flames, which consumed a significant amount of spiritual energy.
“Xiao Bai, stop using your fox fire, let your sister handle this,” Ju Xian said, worried about Xiao Bai expending more energy.
“Sister, I have an idea,” Ji Wu Ye suddenly spoke. He then retrieved a bundle from his storage bag.
Ju Xian’s pupils widened. Was that gunpowder? Did this world have such a thing?
Without hesitation, Ji Wu Ye ignited several bundles and tossed them downwards. Explosions echoed, followed by screams, indicating success. However, it was uncertain if the gunpowder could kill them. To be safe, Xiao Bai and Ju Xian used sound to pinpoint their targets, quickly following up with sword or ice blade attacks, dispatching several white figures. The mist seemed to thin slightly, extending their visibility by another ten meters. Ju Xian dared not attack proactively, suspecting Feng Chu, Qi Mo, and the others might also be trapped in the mist, and friendly fire would be disastrous. Their goal was surprise. As expected, subsequent tosses of gunpowder proved ineffective. However, the explosions served as a warning, alerting the white figures in the mist. This method made their descent much smoother.
According to Ju Xian’s estimation, they had descended nearly a thousand meters. The cliff felt like a bottomless pit. The entities in the mist were watching them menacingly, preventing them from increasing their speed.
Xiao Bai descended another hundred meters. The white figures in the mist were wary of Ju Xian and her companions, ceasing their attacks. Ju Xian could sense them following closely, like shadows.
Ji Wu Ye’s storage bag was filled with many thunderclap pills made from gunpowder, and his bundles of explosives were depleted. He had made these himself using a recipe his mother had given him. Ji Wu Ye had always suspected his mother’s origins, as she knew many things that were unknown on the Tian Chen Continent. The night before his parents’ accident, she had handed him the recipe, as if foreseeing the danger, telling him to keep it for his survival and to protect his sister.
This was why Ji Wu Ye, despite not having high cultivation within the clan, always managed to escape danger, returning from the brink of death. This was his greatest secret; everyone who knew it, except Ji Chen Mu, had died. The thunderclap pills weren’t very effective, as they only exploded upon impact. If they failed to detonate, they could be turned against him.
“Sister, I sense a barrier ahead,” Xiao Bai suddenly announced. As she spoke, their descent suddenly accelerated. Xiao Bai struggled to stabilize herself, but couldn't resist the powerful suction. The white figures behind them vanished.
“Xiao Bai, what’s wrong?” Ju Xian used her spiritual energy to steady herself.
“Sister, I can’t control my body. A force is pulling us down.”
“Brother, hold on tight…” Ju Xian warned Ji Wu Ye. She also felt it, and even her spiritual energy couldn’t counteract the pull.
With a “pop,” both Ju Xian and Ji Wu Ye, along with the beast, felt themselves pass through a barrier. The suction abruptly vanished. Their vision cleared, the white mist gone. Xiao Bai stabilized herself, flying slowly. All three pairs of eyes were shocked by the sight before them. It was breathtakingly beautiful! Below them lay a vast lake, into which the waterfall cascaded from above. It was a valley surrounded by mountains, resembling a basin. The exit was a small river winding out of the lake.
Ju Xian looked up at the sky, which was covered in a thick, grey, dense fog. They had descended from above. She had expected a fierce battle upon arrival, but the scene unfolding below was like a paradise. Flowers bloomed by the lake, plants they had never seen before. Upon closer inspection, there were even fish in the lake.
“Sister, where is this place? It’s so beautiful,” Xiao Bai said, wisely refraining from descending recklessly, instead flying along the valley’s edge.
“I don’t know. I wonder if Qi Mo and the others are here?” Ju Xian remained vigilant.
“Brother, the spiritual energy here is different from that of the Tian Chen Continent,” Ji Wu Ye stated, feeling a discomfort in his meridians and sensing something was amiss.
“Brother, what’s wrong?”
Only then did Ju Xian notice her brother’s distress. His entire body was flushed red. She quickly used her healing technique to unblock his meridians, as two streams of spiritual energy were clashing within him, fighting for dominance.
Ju Xian recognized this new energy; it was immortal spiritual energy. Cultivators, during their tribulation to ascend, could rapidly temper their physical bodies with lightning tribulations, transforming their internal spiritual energy into immortal spiritual energy. This way, upon reaching the upper realm, they wouldn't experience the struggle of two opposing energies within their bodies. But who could have predicted such a situation would arise at the bottom of this cliff?
Her earlier plan to hide everyone in her spatial realm for the ascension was impulsive. She had completely forgotten about the conversion of spiritual energy to immortal spiritual energy. Otherwise, even if they ascended to the upper realm, Steward Zhu and the others would only be able to remain in the spatial realm until they cultivated to the point of ascension, converting their spiritual energy to immortal energy before they could emerge. Otherwise, they would suffer from the incompatibility of the environments.
Ju Xian, being a Divine Venerable and having previously tempered her body, possessed a robust physique. Xiao Bai, as a divine beast, had innate advantages and could accept immortal spiritual energy more easily, experiencing no discomfort. Furthermore, the immortal spiritual energy here was quite sparse, likely emanating from the overflow of an immortal stone mine.
This also explained why the plants here were different from those in the outside world.
Suddenly, with a splash, a golden dragon surged from the lake.
Xiao Bai cried out in delight, “Sister, it’s Qi Mo! This smelly fish hid in the lake, making us search everywhere!”
Ju Xian was busy using her spiritual energy to widen her brother’s meridians, allowing him to accommodate both streams of spiritual energy peacefully. Hearing Xiao Bai’s voice, the worry she had for Qi Mo lessened. Half an hour later, Ji Wu Ye finally stabilized. He felt his barrier weakening. He hadn't expected this immortal spiritual energy to be so potent; just absorbing a little of it was allowing him to advance!
“Master, you’ve finally arrived!” Qi Mo exclaimed happily to his master.
“Mm, Xiao Mo, your cultivation is different again. Have you absorbed immortal spiritual energy? And why are you in the lake? Have you found Feng Chu and the others?” Upon seeing Xiao Mo, Ju Xian immediately sensed something was amiss. His spiritual energy had actually converted into immortal spiritual energy!
“Master, you noticed? Young Master Feng Chu and the Water Spider couple are all at the bottom of the lake!” Qi Mo smiled. He hadn’t expected this trip to yield immortal energy!