"Truly magnificent waves, a wonder of the world."
Walking on the bridge, Magu looked at the surrounding scenery and couldn't help but exclaim in amazement.
By now, they had already walked quite a distance on the bridge.
Beneath your feet is the surging river, and beside you is a misty haze. Under the rising sun on the distant horizon, the water is tinged with orange-red, creating a magnificent sight.
"It is said that this great river beneath our feet stretches endlessly, leading all the way to the southern sea. I wonder if that's true," Wei Zian added.
"That's true," the old doctor nodded.
Lu Qing carefully sensed the spiritual energy in the surrounding space.
He could then sense that as he continued to walk forward, the spiritual energy around him gradually became denser.
This made him even more eager to see what it would be like once he truly entered the pass and set foot in the Central Plains.
The great river at Qinglong Pass is magnificent.
The group walked for quite a while before finally reaching the end.
Lu Qing estimated that the bridge was over a thousand feet long.
In other words, the rushing river at Qinglong Pass is more than three thousand meters wide.
No wonder Qinglong Pass is known as the number one pass in the world. With this natural barrier, apart from the innate realm experts who can walk on water, even martial arts grandmasters would find it extremely difficult to cross this river.
After all, this great river is so vast and its current so swift, no one knows what dangers lurk beneath its surface.
Although martial arts masters have long breaths and strong vitality, and can hold their breath underwater for a long time, they may not be able to come and go freely.
After coming down from the bridge, Lu Qing and the others saw a completely different scene.
Before them stretched a towering cliff that seemed to reach the clouds, cutting across the land like a barrier between heaven and earth, its top invisible.
Compared to a human standing on the ground, one is like an ant, extremely small.
On the cliff face, there is a straight crack running from top to bottom, traversing the entire cliff, as if some tremendous force had cleaved it in two.
Lu Qing and his group were about to pass through this crack.
"Could the cracks on this cliff have been cleaved by someone?"
Wei Zian was utterly shocked by what he saw and couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.
"Nonsense! This cliff is incredibly high, you can't even see the top. How could it have been cleaved in two? If that were the case, wouldn't that person be an immortal..."
Magu was about to retort, but as he spoke, he couldn't help but widen his eyes and turn to look at Lu Qing.
He remembered that Lu Qing had said that immortals existed in ancient times.
“Master Ma, don’t look at me like that. This crack has existed for countless millennia. How could I possibly know about something so ancient? Perhaps, when we return in the future, we can ask the people in Qinglong City, and they will know more.” Lu Qing said with a smile.
Magu nodded.
Indeed, although Brother Lu Qing is very knowledgeable, it is impossible for him to know everything in the world.
"Let's go. Once we cross this valley, we'll officially enter Zhongzhou."
Because Lu Qing and his group were admiring the scenery on the bridge, they walked slowly and became the last ones to cross it.
Even the group of Hu Laosan's daughter who were originally behind them, Lu Qing saw them pass by him halfway through the journey.
Therefore, there was no one else around them at this time; they had all basically entered the valley.
The group then began to walk towards the crack.
Lu Qing slowly withdrew his gaze, suppressing the shock deep in his eyes.
In his field of vision, the notes slowly disappeared.
【Azure Dragon's Narrow Gorge: A fissure canyon cleaved open by a powerful cultivator with unparalleled magical force during the ancient era of cultivation.】
【This canyon has existed for a very long time, more than 100,000 years.】
【Passing through this canyon will allow you to enter the Central Plains territory.】
...
Lu Qing was not telling the truth just now.
He had already used his supernatural abilities to discover the origin of this astonishing crack.
However, he couldn't openly share the information he had uncovered with everyone.
After all, this crack has existed for far too long.
An ancient relic from 100,000 years ago, spanning two eras of cultivation.
It is likely that no one in the world today knows the true origin of this astonishing rift.
Unfortunately, perhaps because it existed for too long, Lu Qing couldn't sense any special aura from the crack, let alone any inheritance.
Upon entering the crevice, Lu Qing and the others were once again filled with amazement.
The crack in the cliff face appeared very narrow from a distance, but once they entered, they discovered that it was quite spacious inside.
The two cliffs are at least twenty feet apart; this is no longer a crack, but a wide valley.
The valley was also very long, and as they went deeper, Lu Qing's heart was increasingly shaken.
By the time he had completely crossed the valley, he was utterly overwhelmed with awe.
Because he estimated that the length of this valley also exceeded a thousand feet.
He found it hard to imagine what kind of power that great supernatural being from 100,000 years ago possessed to be able to unleash such a stunning attack.
Perhaps only a true immortal could possess such heaven-reaching and earth-shattering supernatural powers.
"Finally out."
As he left the valley, Magu let out a sigh of relief.
While he was in the valley, he inexplicably felt a solemn and dignified atmosphere that made him afraid to even breathe too loudly.
At this moment, he finally understood why the people ahead of him were walking so fast, without lingering in the valley at all.
Because no one can withstand the inexplicable pressure in the valley for too long.
If you stay there too long, you might even develop mental or physical problems.
Lu Qing also breathed a sigh of relief. Even with his strong will, he felt some pressure when he was in the valley.
It's unclear whether it was caused by some Daoist aura left behind by the supreme being who created this earth-shattering crack, or by the inherent oppressive feeling of the mountain range itself.
Even when he used his special abilities, he couldn't figure out what was going on.
"Is this Zhongzhou?"
Standing at the valley's exit, Lu Qing and the others calmed themselves down before looking ahead.
They found themselves on the mountainside.
In the distance lay a vast expanse of land, and beneath their feet lay a bottomless abyss, with clouds drifting and birds soaring overhead.
Looking at it, one feels refreshed and broad-minded.
"The spiritual energy here..."
Lu Qing sensed something and involuntarily opened his eyes slightly.
He discovered that the spiritual energy in the surrounding space was much denser than in the valley, and more than twice as dense as in Qinglong City.
However, while sensing that the spiritual energy was becoming more concentrated, he also discovered another problem.
That is, the range of his spiritual perception was greatly suppressed.
Originally able to sense movements several miles away, now can only sense up to half a mile.
"Is it due to interference from the increased spiritual energy, or is it the special suppression of the Central Plains region?"
Lu Qing was slightly startled and began to ponder.
It should be noted that just this morning, his spiritual power had reached its limit once again, and his sensing range had increased significantly.
Unexpectedly, upon entering Zhongzhou, instead of being strengthened, they were suppressed.
This is not good news for him.
"As expected of the center of the world, a place blessed by heaven and endowed with spiritual beauty and wonder."
The old doctor also sensed the change in the surrounding spiritual energy and couldn't help but praise it.
After standing there for just a short while, he felt that the spiritual power within his body had improved slightly.
"Master, can you feel it? Our spiritual perception abilities seem to be suppressed quite a bit," Lu Qing asked.
“That’s right. At this point, I can only sense movements within a radius of about a hundred meters.” The old doctor also noticed this.
"I wonder if this suppression applies to everyone, or just to outsiders like us," Lu Qing said with some concern.
“It shouldn’t be targeted at us,” the old doctor said after thinking for a moment. “I can sense that the rules of heaven and earth in the Central Plains are evolving faster than those in the other states. What’s suppressing us is the rules of heaven and earth, not anything else.”
That's good.
Upon hearing this, Lu Qing felt a slight sense of relief.
Although his spiritual power was strong, he had not yet entered the Innate Realm, and his perception of the rules of heaven and earth was not as clear as his master's.
"Master, should we head straight to the Holy Mountain next, or what?" Lu Qing asked.
"Let's go to the sacred mountain first," the old doctor said. "After arriving here, I had a vague feeling that something in the distance was attracting me. Judging from the direction, it should be the location of the sacred mountain."
"Master sensed it too?" Lu Qing was slightly taken aback.
Just now, he also felt something drawing his attention far ahead.
A sudden realization dawned on him: could it be that the great opportunity he had been sensing all along was right there?
“Master, let’s get in the carriage. The Central Plains is a vast region. According to the map given by Senior Xuanjizi, the Holy Mountain is still far from here.”
"good."
The old doctor nodded.
They had already seen the scenery of Zhongzhou, and it was time to continue their journey.
The huge platform where Lu Qing and the others are now is located halfway up the mountain, but there is a wide road leading down the mountain to the left.
After boarding the carriage, Ma Gu cracked his whip, and the carriage slowly started moving.
However, Lu Qing still did not activate the formation on the car.
This Central Plains is a land of hidden talents and crouching tigers. The formation on the carriage is still a bit too eye-catching. Now that they have just arrived here, it is not advisable for them to be too ostentatious.
The carriage slowly accelerated and headed down the mountain, but it suddenly lurched violently after traveling only a short distance.
Accompanied by Magu's shouts and curses, the horses neighed, and the carriage came to a sudden stop.
The sudden change immediately triggered a chain reaction.
Caught off guard, Xiao Yan and Wei Zi'an were suddenly thrown forward.
At the critical moment, Lu Qing hugged Xiao Yan and held Wei Zi'an down, preventing them from crashing into the carriage.
As for Xiao Li and her master, they are both highly skilled and naturally do not need his help.
"Master Ma, what happened?"
Lu Qing, holding the still-shaken Xiao Yan, gently called out.
However, before Magu could answer, a voice came from ahead.
"You little bitch, let's see where you run now!"
"Uncle, help me!"
What's going on?
After comforting Xiao Yan, Lu Qing got off the carriage.
When they finally saw what was happening outside, they were taken aback.
In front of the carriage, a young girl lay on the ground, her hair disheveled and her clothes in disarray.
His legs were stained with blood, clearly indicating an injury.
Further ahead, three figures, wielding weapons, slowly approached.
Such a scene naturally did not frighten Lu Qing.
He was stunned because he had seen all of these people before.
The girl was Hu Laosan's daughter. As for the three figures, they were friends whom Hu Laosan had asked to help escort his daughter to that Xuanxin Sect.
However, it is now clear that Hu Laosan has entrusted the wrong person.
The three men seemed to be about to harm the girl.
"You little bitch, hand over the stuff, or I'll strip you naked, chop you into eight pieces, and throw you into this bottomless abyss to feed the wolves!"
Among the three figures, the woman in red, holding a long whip, spoke coldly.
"It would be such a waste to strip her naked. Such a pretty girl deserves to be enjoyed by the two of us brothers."
One of the other two men, a burly man in gray, shouted with a sinister grin.
The skinny man next to him also had a lewd smile on his face: "Not bad, this girl is too pretty, we can't just let her go to waste!"
He acted as if no one else was around, as if he didn't care about Lu Qing and the others at all.
"I don't care how you two play, as long as the items are not lost," the woman in red said coldly, her face showing disgust.
"don't want!"
When the girl saw the three men approaching, her face showed extreme fear. She quickly crawled towards the carriage and pleaded with Ma Gu again.
"Uncle, help! These three wicked men are trying to kill me!"
"Master Ma, what's wrong?" Lu Qing asked.
"Young master, I was driving the carriage just now when I almost hit this girl while turning a corner, so I had to stop the carriage," Ma Gu explained.
"Young Master..."
When the girl saw Lu Qing and heard Ma Gu's address, she looked at him with a pleading expression as if she had found a lifeline.
"Kids, you want to get involved in this mess?"
The burly man in gray, holding a large, ghost-headed sword, looked at Lu Qing with great interest.
He recognized Lu Qing and Ma Gu; they had met before when they crossed the bridge.
If he remembered correctly, Lu Qing's group consisted of the elderly, the infirm, and the disabled, including both children.
Apart from the groom who had some strength, everyone else was no match for him.
The other woman in red and the thin man also looked on coldly.
Lu Qing ignored her and looked at the girl. Suddenly, a strange light flashed in his eyes.
He asked, "Who is Hu Laosan to you?"
The girl paused for a moment, then her eyes lit up with wild joy: "It's my father, it's my father! Young master, do you know my father?"
“We met once,” Lu Qing said calmly. “However, aren’t these people your father’s friends? Why would they want to harm you?”
"It's because... be careful!"
Before the girl could finish speaking, a gust of wind suddenly swept in, and the gray-clad giant appeared in front of Lu Qing.
With a sinister grin, he said, "You're courting death, kid. Let me tell you why!"
He raised the large, ghost-headed sword high in his hand and slashed it down at Lu Qing.
The force was so overwhelming that the girl couldn't help but close her eyes, unwilling to witness the gruesome sight of Lu Qing being cleaved in two.
Sure enough, the next moment, a scream rang out, and the girl trembled all over, knowing that Lu Qing had probably been killed.
But soon she realized something was wrong, because the screams didn't seem to be Lu Qing's.
The girl quickly opened her eyes, and then her eyes widened instantly.
Because she saw that Lu Qing, whom she thought was going to be split in two, was standing perfectly fine, without a scratch.
Instead, the burly man in gray was lying on the ground screaming in agony.
Not only did the demon-headed broadsword fall to the ground, but his limbs were also twisted at an eerie angle, rendering him unable to move.
What just happened?
A look of bewilderment crossed the girl's pretty face. (End of Chapter)
