Chapter 7: Lost, The Precipice

Inside the canyon, tigers roared and apes wailed. Lu Xiaotian rode on the back of a leopard, carrying a bulging pack. As usual, it contained salt, but this time he had added a small iron pot and a large coil of rope. A month ago, he had vaguely spotted a spirit herb on a distant mountain peak. Although it was too far away to collect, after that experience, Lu Xiaotian had braided a long rope from collected wild hemp, which he now carried with him whenever he went out.

The black bear was the spirit beast of the old man in the black robe and would not allow Lu Xiaotian to ride it. The leopard was much smaller than the black bear, but it could still trot along at a fair speed while carrying Lu Xiaotian, an eleven-year-old boy.

It seemed that trading that Qi Gathering Pill for the gray wolf—another spirit beast—had been completely worth it.

After passing the area he had already searched, Lu Xiaotian considered for a moment before dismounting to search on foot, so as not to miss any needed spirit herbs.

The old man in the black robe was truly stingy; he wouldn't even teach him how to identify spirit herbs. Aside from the white-glow grass used to refine Beast Spirit Pills, he said nothing about anything else. After searching through the grass and shrubs along the way for nearly two hours without finding a thing, and finding the search process quite troublesome, Lu Xiaotian couldn't help but feel some resentment toward the old man. Sharpening the axe would not delay the woodcutting; if the old man weren't so stingy, he could cultivate faster, and with a higher cultivation base, he could do more for the old man.

However, thoughts aside, Lu Xiaotian understood one truth: there is no such thing as a free lunch. When he first arrived at the valley, Lu Xiaotian had looked to the old man as his support. But the days he spent living in the canyon afterward taught Lu Xiaotian that the only person he could rely on was himself. The old man had saved him for no other reason than to have someone handle the trivial chores in the cave dwelling; he had no real intention of teaching him.

Having realized this, during the times the old man was away, Lu Xiaotian would go out to search for spirit items whenever circumstances permitted. Even though this "needle in a haystack" method was difficult, it was still better than sitting idly in the cave.

The deeper he went into the canyon, the thicker the fog became. If not for the fact that his eyesight had improved several times over after practicing the "Hunyuan Sutra," he feared he would only be able to see two or three yards ahead. After venturing another ten miles deeper into the canyon, his visibility was likely only about two yards. Lu Xiaotian frowned; at this rate, the efficiency of his search was far too low. It was a pity that although he had practiced the "Hunyuan Sutra" and cultivated primordial energy to become a Qi practitioner, other than having more strength and better eyesight, there didn't seem to be any other significant changes.

Could it be that primordial energy had no other uses? Although the old man hadn't said, he should try it out. Thinking of this, Lu Xiaotian took a breath and secretly channeled the primordial energy in his dantian toward his eyes. As a trace of energy flowed through, he suddenly felt a white haze over his eyes, as if they were covered by something; it was even worse than using his naked eyes. Could it be that primordial energy couldn't be used this way? Lu Xiaotian was startled and was about to withdraw the energy when, suddenly, a cool sensation washed over his eyes. His vision cleared, and everything within a hundred yards became incredibly sharp. The fine hairs on the black bear and the gray wolf were clearly visible; it was truly miraculous.

So, primordial energy really could be used this way. Lu Xiaotian was immediately overjoyed, not just because he could see further, but because the success of his experiment made him feel that even without anyone to teach him, he could slowly figure out other uses for primordial energy on his own.

Having successfully used his primordial energy for the first time, Lu Xiaotian was tireless. His search speed was more than ten times faster than before. An hour later, he had ventured deep into the canyon, completely unaware that the environment around him was quietly changing.

It wasn't until the black bear dropped a dead yellow sheep at Lu Xiaotian's feet that he shook his head and smiled. If he didn't keep the black bear satisfied, it would likely throw a tantrum, and he really couldn't handle it when the bear got worked up.

However, while picking up firewood, Lu Xiaotian looked at a small grove in front of him, and his expression suddenly changed. He had just searched through this direction, and this grove hadn't been there.

Perhaps he had misremembered. Holding onto a sliver of hope, Lu Xiaotian summoned the leopard, mounted it, and rode in other directions for a while, only for his expression to turn incredibly ugly. Since becoming a Qi practitioner, Lu Xiaotian's memory had improved significantly. He clearly remembered that the place he had just passed was a small earthen mound, and on the east side of that mound, there was a clear stream less than five feet wide. But now, both the mound and the stream had vanished, replaced by a dense forest.

"Go back, find the black bear." Lu Xiaotian patted the leopard's neck. Suddenly finding himself in an unfamiliar environment, his first thought was to reunite with the black bear to avoid encountering other demonic beasts. Relying solely on himself and the leopard, he lacked the ability to protect himself in this complex canyon environment.

But as Lu Xiaotian headed back, after traveling a mile or two, the place he had just passed turned into a sea of white and blue flowers. There was no sign of the black bear anywhere.

If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, Lu Xiaotian would never have believed that things growing on the ground could move, but what he was witnessing left him feeling bewildered.

"Awoo—"

A familiar howl rang out, followed by the echoing responses of wild wolves from all directions. Lu Xiaotian's heart tightened. It was a wolf pack again, and the number was significantly larger than the one he had encountered earlier.

"Go!" Lu Xiaotian hurriedly urged the leopard to trot in another direction, partly to conserve energy and partly because the current terrain left him surrounded on all sides, which was disadvantageous for defense. With the black bear missing, if he were to be surrounded by the wolf pack, he would be in serious trouble.

The leopard appeared restless, carrying Lu Xiaotian deeper into the thick fog.

After trotting for about five or six miles, Lu Xiaotian looked back to see a bottomless cliff behind him. In front of him, over a dozen wild wolves were howling as they closed in.

Judging by the fluctuations of baleful energy from the pack, most were ordinary wild beasts, with only a very few possessing a chilling aura. But even that aura wasn't as strong as his leopard's, and they were nearly a third smaller than his spirit beast. The problem was that there were simply too many of them, and they were constantly calling for nearby kin to gather.

Lu Xiaotian dismounted and rushed to the edge of the cliff. Even with his primordial energy active, allowing him to see about a hundred yards, everything below that was shrouded in clouds and mist; he couldn't see the bottom at all. However, about twenty yards down, he spotted a small platform formed by a protruding rock, with a few green vines growing on it.

A glimmer of hope in a desperate situation—Lu Xiaotian felt a surge of joy. Taking advantage of the moment the wolves were hesitating due to the leopard's presence, Lu Xiaotian hurriedly opened his pack, took out the rope, and tied one end to a thick tree trunk at the edge of the cliff.