Whispers of a Lonely City Beyond the Heavens – Chapter 31

Ch 31: Unique Geology

Long Yang paused to survey the terrain.

The mountain wall to the north was steep at the top, jutting straight into the sky, while the slope below gradually eased. For now, they had to traverse a long stretch of steep ground.

That section, though not perpendicular to the ground, had a slope exceeding eighty degrees. Fortunately, the mountain wall was covered with vines and shrubs to grip onto, and numerous protruding or recessed rocks offered footholds.

Long Yang clung to the vines, sliding downward. To speed up, whenever he spotted a protruding rock below to land on, he jumped.

Wei Wei moved like a bird skimming the mountain wall, employing her light body skill to descend swiftly. Xiao Hei followed behind, climbing down with a agility surpassing a mountain cat. Whenever Long Yang jumped, it leaped after him.

After a while, Long Yang reached a spot that dropped straight down—Wei Wei had just descended along that very path.

He glanced around. If he hugged the wall and carefully edged along the rock crevices to the left for about ten meters, he could reach a spot overgrown with vines and climb down from there. But that would take too much time.

Looking downward, he saw a rock he could land on—Wei Wei was standing there, peering below.

He estimated the drop from his current position to that rock to be a little over six meters.

His heart wavered slightly. Clenching his fists, he silently bolstered his courage. Xiao Hei poked its head out, glanced down, and jumped first. Long Yang aimed for the foothold and followed suit.

The moment his feet touched the rock, they slipped. He wasn’t truly skilled in light body techniques, and jumping from such a height, his descent was too fast. Unable to steady himself, his body tilted, and he nearly plummeted into the valley below.

Luckily, he was prepared. Gripping his Jiaoya Dagger, he stabbed it into the mountain rock, his body pressing against the cliff, dangling in midair.

“Big Brother…” Wei Wei cried out in alarm, hurriedly pulling Long Yang up.

His nerves settled slightly as he realized the rock was covered in thick, slippery moss. Xiao Hei, startled, let out a couple of uneasy calls.

“It’s my fault,” Wei Wei said. “Big Brother is amazing, but he doesn’t know the qi gathering technique.”

“It’s not your fault.” Long Yang patted Wei Wei’s head. “I was too careless.”

Standing on the rock, he adjusted his breathing and rested briefly. Beneath their feet, the mountain wall remained precipitously steep.

“Big Brother, let me hold your hand.”

“No need. I’ve already figured out a way down.” After resting a bit longer, Long Yang said, “Let’s go.”

This time, he changed his approach. He slid down along the mountain wall, stabbed the Jiaoya Dagger into the rock, pulled it out, then dropped again—descending segment by segment.

Xiao Hei used its sharp claws to cling to the rock crevices, scrambling down like a cat.

After a while, the cliff’s slope finally eased from its earlier steepness. Now, it was about sixty degrees—a gradient Long Yang found just right.

They raced down the slope, finally reaching the base of the mountain. A canyon strewn with gravel appeared before them.

In the middle of the canyon flowed a small river, its waters reflecting the moonlight in shimmering silver ripples.

Long Yang looked up in surprise, noticing that most of the dark clouds had dissipated. A large, round moon hung in the sky, with patches of lead-gray clouds racing across it.

He reflected for a moment, realizing he hadn’t even noticed when the rain had stopped. He only recalled that it was drizzling with cold rain when they first set out.

Wei Wei pointed at the mountain ahead. “Big Brother, that mountain should have rain spirit grass.”

“Let’s hurry over there.” Long Yang’s spirits lifted, and he broke into a run.

They dashed to the riverbank and waded across the small stream.

The river was likely formed from gathered rainwater and trickling streams. Its waters were shallow and clear, the deepest part barely reaching Long Yang’s knees.

The current flowed silently, only making a splashing sound as they crossed.

After crossing the river, they walked a bit farther. The terrain ahead began to change, though Long Yang couldn’t immediately pinpoint what was different.

It was only after a while that he noticed the gravel beneath their feet was rounder and smoother compared to the stones on the other side of the river—most resembling oversized pebbles.

Plants grew among the stones, with more flowers than grass. The flowers were mostly unfamiliar wild blooms.

Wei Wei began pausing to inspect the stones on the ground. After walking a bit farther, she pointed at one. “Big Brother, look!”

It was a perfectly round stone with a smooth, glossy surface, adorned with faint patterns. Its texture was close to jade, resembling a watermelon-sized piece of agate.

Wei Wei reached out to touch it, saying excitedly, “Big Brother, the mountain ahead definitely has rain spirit grass. Grandfather taught me how to read a mountain’s geology.”

“That’s great, Wei Wei,” Long Yang said happily.

He had initially worried that Wei Wei might not be a reliable guide, as she hadn’t accompanied Zhang Tianxun into the mountains to gather spiritual herbs. Fortunately, she was clever and adept at applying what she’d learned.

They ran to the base of the opposite mountain and began climbing upward.

This mountain was even taller than the previous one.

Back in Dragon’s Roar Valley, Old Man Liu had stood atop a peak and pointed it out to Long Yang, saying there were spiritual herbs and mountain jiaolongs here. Long Yang hadn’t fully believed him then, but now he knew he was about to face such a beast.

Though he and Xiao Hei had once teamed up to kill one in the city, that creature had been small and already captured—perhaps even injured beforehand.

Long Yang silently prayed in his heart: Please don’t let me encounter one with teeth as big as my Jiaoya Dagger.

They climbed upward for a stretch.

This mountain was steeper than the last, its forests denser with trees.

“Big Brother, the rain spirit grass should be up there.” Wei Wei raced upward with Xiao Hei, while Long Yang gripped vines and trees, striving not to fall behind.

Though he lacked light body skills and had no true energy in his body, his stamina was exceptional. His muscles didn’t ache, his breathing remained steady, and his heart didn’t race.

At the mountainside, they reached a spot where the trees thinned. Moonlight spilled down, and Long Yang noticed that many of the stones had a jade-like sheen. He couldn’t help but wonder if breaking them open might reveal real jade.

The agate-like gravel in the canyon must have been formed by rainwater eroding the mountain, causing stones to tumble down.

After a while, the trees grew dense again, though they were no longer the tall ones from before.

The ground was mostly stone, and the trees must have used their roots to crack through the surface to grow in such a steep place.

Many roots lay exposed, gnarled and intertwined, resembling countless giant snakes coiled together.

Wei Wei stepped lightly across the roots, arms outstretched like a swallow in flight. Long Yang, though repulsed by the soft, damp roots, couldn’t move as she did.

He hopped forward instead, occasionally swinging his Jiaoya Dagger to cut through obstructing roots and vines. Xiao Hei darted or leaped ahead.

After passing through that patch of forest, the trees thinned again. The summit wasn’t far off. But was it truly close? In the darkness, judging distances by sight felt uncertain, and Long Yang wasn’t entirely sure.