Chapter 11: Through Countless Perils to Death’s Edge Cliff

After eating and drinking his fill, then sleeping until he awoke naturally, the two continued climbing down the cliff.

After two hours of descent, Qin Youqin suddenly cried out, “Young Master, snakes! There are so many huge snakes below!”

Qin Anyu said calmly, “They won’t come up. The danger hasn’t even begun.”

“Oh, snakes are terrifying.”

“I don’t see you being afraid.”

“Hehe, that’s because Young Master is here.”

“If you were here alone, would you be afraid?”

“I would never come to a place like this alone.”

“…”

…

“Wow, we’ve finally reached the bottom, and there aren’t even that many snakes. Young Master, why is everything gray and hazy? Is it dark? Oh, no, we haven’t been able to see the sky for ages.”

Upon reaching the bottom of the valley, Qin Youqin once again began speaking in a steady stream, still asking and answering her own questions.

Qin Anyu took out some food. After they had eaten and rested for a while, he brought out a clay pot, built a fire, then opened a bundle and took out packet after packet of medicinal herbs.

When the clay pot began to change color slightly, he tossed the herbs in one by one from time to time.

Seeing how solemn and focused he was, Qin Youqin sat silently beside him, her gaze moving constantly between his face and the clay pot.

Although she had no idea what he was doing, it seemed quite interesting.

After a long while, Qin Anyu moved the clay pot away from the fire and let out a long breath. “It’s done.”

Qin Youqin leaned forward and looked inside. Seeing five glossy green pills, she asked, “Young Master, what are those?”

“Pills.”

“Young Master can refine pills too?”

“There are many things your Young Master can do.”

He poured out the pills, wrapped them up, and tucked them into his pocket. Then he refined another batch. There were still five pills, but these were somewhat smoother than the previous ones.

A smoother surface meant a higher grade.

“Not bad. Even with such low-grade herbs, I was still able to refine high-grade mortal pills. I haven’t disgraced the reputation of the Formless Immortal Emperor.”

After pouring them out, he handed one to her. “Eat this.”

“Why do I have to take medicine when I’m perfectly fine?”

“The gray haze you see is actually poisonous miasma. This is a Miasma-Clearing Pill. It can neutralize the miasma.”

“Oh. I’ll eat it.”

Qin Youqin took the pill and examined it, but when she saw Qin Anyu put one into his mouth, she quickly followed suit.

A moment later, she smacked her lips. “Young Master, this Miasma-Clearing Pill tastes sweet, with a fresh fragrance. It’s delicious.”

He laughed and scolded her lightly. “When did you become such a glutton? From now on, walk in front of me and think of nothing else. Remember, I’m right beside you. No matter what happens, don’t panic.”

“Oh.”

After gathering their bundles, they had gone less than half a mile when a gray snake burst from the sheer cliff to their right and flew toward them like an arrow, frightening Qin Youqin into a sharp scream.

Qin Anyu stepped forward and swung his sword.

The gray snake was severed in two and fell to the ground.

Qin Youqin patted her chest. “Goodness, that nearly scared me to death. Young Master, how much farther?”

“Not much farther. What is it?”

“In the past, Master and Madam often stewed snake soup. They said it was… Young Master, I’m sorry.”

“It’s nothing. Snake soup really is delicious, but the snakes here won’t do.”

“Oh, I understand. They’re contaminated by the miasma.”

Before she had finished speaking, she saw another long snake fly toward them. Qin Anyu split it in two with a single stroke. She noticed the difference at once.

“Young Master, this snake isn’t like the last one. It’s shorter and thicker.”

Her powers of observation were quite sharp.

Qin Anyu said indifferently, “Watch the road.”

As he spoke, he swept his sword horizontally, severing two snakes that had shot up from the ground.

Seeing this, Qin Youqin fell silent as well, concentrating on the path and walking carefully.

For some time afterward, Qin Anyu’s sword never stopped moving. Snake after snake died beneath it.

Wherever they went, a trail of snake carcasses followed.

When Qin Anyu cleaved another snake in two, Qin Youqin suddenly cried out, “Young Master, there’s a ghost!”

He immediately took a Miasma-Clearing Pill from his pocket, stepped in front of her, and barked, “Open your mouth!”

The cloudiness in Qin Youqin’s eyes receded somewhat. Obediently, she opened her mouth, and Qin Anyu put the pill inside.

“Swallow it.”

At the same time, he casually swung his sword, cutting a snake that had slithered across the ground in half.

A short while later, clarity returned to Qin Youqin’s eyes. She looked at Qin Anyu and asked, “Young Master, was what I saw just now a ghost?”

“I didn’t see anything. Focus on walking and don’t think about anything else.”

The Miasma-Clearing Pills he had refined used a formula from the immortal realm. They could neutralize poison and calm the mind, making them perfectly suited to this place.

Qin Anyu slipped an arm around her waist and increased their pace, cutting down snakes as they went.

He had let her experience all this to temper her state of mind. Now that his goal had been achieved, there was no need to waste any more time.

Gradually, the snakes became fewer, but white bones began to appear on the ground.

He had her take another Miasma-Clearing Pill, then carried her forward at a run.

After they had traveled an unknown distance, Qin Youqin’s eyes widened. “Young Master, the pill has stopped working. I can see a skeleton… and it’s running toward us.”

“The pill hasn’t stopped working. That’s a skeleton.”

Hearing this, Qin Youqin did not panic. Instead, she stared at the skeleton.

Qin Anyu brought his sword down, and the skeleton fell apart.

It was only a skeleton at the third level of Qi Nourishment and could not withstand even one of his blows.

It had delayed him very little and slowed him hardly at all. He continued carrying Qin Youqin swiftly forward.

They ran and cut down skeletons as they went.

Gradually, it took him longer and longer to destroy each skeleton. The skeletons they encountered grew larger and more numerous, while his strength steadily waned.

Although they were all still in the Qi Nourishment stage, shattering even one required exertion.

When they encountered another skeleton, Qin Youqin said, “Young Master, this one is much stronger than the others. Its eyes are spitting fire. Put me down here and go on without me. I’m only holding you back.”

She already knew that her Young Master was running more slowly and taking longer to destroy each skeleton. It was obvious that he was running out of strength.

“Do you want me to avenge you later?”

“If Young Master has the time, you can avenge me.”

“Stop talking nonsense. You don’t weigh as much as this bundle.”

“Oh.”

Yet Qin Anyu set her down. He even put down the bundle.

He took out a half-full jar of wine, drained it in one breath, then hurled the jar at the puppet. After picking up the bundle and tucking Qin Youqin beneath his arm, he charged toward the skeleton with his sword in hand.

This skeleton was close to the Qi Refining stage. He could not afford to be careless.

Bang!

The skeleton smashed the wine jar with one punch, sending fragments flying in every direction.

Qin Anyu followed with a slash, striking its fist and chopping off several bones.

The skeleton staggered back two steps. Qin Anyu did the same.

Held beneath his arm, Qin Youqin glared fiercely at the skeleton, her eyes blazing with anger.

But her anger was useless. Only Qin Anyu’s sword could do anything.

He lunged forward once more and brought his sword down toward the skeleton’s head. The skeleton raised an arm to block.

With a clatter, bones fell all over the ground.

Qin Anyu swung again, striking the top of its skull.

The skeleton, unable to regain its balance, toppled backward onto the ground.

Qin Anyu paid it no attention and continued running. After covering five or six miles, he finally slowed down.

Qin Youqin cried out again, “Young Master, there’s such a huge pile of bones ahead. Could bones block the way too?”

Then she fell silent.

Thirty meters ahead of them, another enormous pile of white bones had appeared.

When the bones saw them approaching, they rapidly arranged and assembled themselves, all the while emitting howls like wailing ghosts and shrieking beasts.

Before long, a gigantic skeleton stood before them.

It was eight feet tall, the largest they had encountered. Its entire body was packed densely with bones, leaving no gaps at all, and its eyes glowed a vivid green.

Unlike the earlier skeletons, whose green flames flickered faintly in their eye sockets, the flames in this one were clear and steady.

This skeleton was no longer in the Qi Nourishment stage. It had reached the early stage of Qi Refining.

However, because the energy here was insufficient to sustain it, it was comparatively weak.

Qin Anyu had already reached a point fifteen meters in front of the skeleton. He set Qin Youqin down, untied the bundle, and carried it in one hand.

“Dare to walk a few steps with me?”

Qin Youqin exhaled heavily. “I dare!”

Her voice trembled slightly, but it was loud and clear.

“Good. Your mind is mature, and your will is strong. You have the makings of a cultivator.”

Without paying any attention to the fully assembled skeleton, he took a jar of wine from the bundle, broke the seal, and drank more than half of it. Then he handed the jar to her.

“Wine can bolster courage and replenish strength. Drink if you want. If you don’t, seal it back up for me.”

Qin Youqin immediately took a sip and chuckled. “Wine gives courage to the timid. Young Master doesn’t need it, but this servant does.”

The fact that she could still joke meant she was fine.

“Stand here. You can only move forward; you cannot turn back. Once I bring it down, we’ll have reached our destination.”

With that, Qin Anyu rolled his neck, shook out his arms, and kicked his legs, walking toward the skeleton while loosening his body.

The skeleton leaped into the air and swung its fist at Qin Anyu.

Qin Anyu gripped his sword with both hands and charged forward with a low growl.

The skeleton’s fist came crashing down. Qin Anyu swept his unfinished sword blade across, smashing into the fist.

Bang!

The sword blade struck the fist.

The skeleton’s frame twisted to the side, while Qin Anyu retreated laterally.

The moment he stopped retreating, Qin Anyu charged again and struck the same fist with another precise blow.

The skeleton twisted once more, ending up with its back to Qin Youqin.

“Girl, run past me on my right! Keep running until you reach a place with clear blue skies, white clouds, green mountains, and clear waters.”

“Oh.”

She cooperated at once. Without even bothering with the bundle, she took off running.

She knew she was nothing but a burden, but her Young Master did not want to abandon that burden. The only thing she could do was obey his orders and avoid distracting him.

Qin Anyu did not stop attacking. With a roar, he swept his sword out again.

Once more, it struck the same fist.

The skeleton turned again.

This time, several bones broke loose.

Qin Anyu launched one relentless attack after another, giving the skeleton no time to adjust its stance. It could only keep turning in circles.

Finally, when it stumbled, he slashed into the back of its knee.

The skeleton collapsed heavily to the ground.

Qin Anyu did not finish it off. He grabbed the bundle and ran, continuing until he had escaped the gray miasma and entered a world of blue skies, white clouds, green mountains, and clear waters.

He dropped the bundle on the ground, collapsed, and lay spread-eagled, his mouth opening and closing like a bellows as he wheezed loudly.

Seeing him like that, Qin Youqin ran over with tears in her eyes.

“Young Master, I want to cultivate. From now on, I’ll protect you.”

Qin Anyu coughed several times, then threw his head back and laughed.

“Very well.”

“Young Master, where are we?”

“Beneath the Cliff of Certain Death. It’s a secret realm.”