Unlike other states where greenery could shut out the sun, or Cen State surrounded by clear water, Chong State was featured by sands. Anyone could easily notice the dry and cracked-up land as well as distant bare hills.
It was a barren waste land marked by bleakness and desolation.
Walking on such a desert, Luo Jianqing didn’t want to stop at all. He flew quickly in the sky with Xuan Lingzi as two flashing lights. They would only stop and rest when they saw inhabited towns.
“The astral wind in the Northern Land of Arctic will last for another month.” Luo Jianqing said, “Master, we can stay longer in Peng State and stop at each town so that we make it to the Northern Land of Arctic just as the astral wind passes.”
Xuan Lingzi nodded slightly, “OK.”
Few ordinary people would settle down in this bleak state. The terrible environment was unfriendly to any lives, so only some cultivators might come here to practice from time to time. Some of them just rested here, preparing to enter the Northern Land of Arctic, while some just came here to cultivate.
Because in the north of Chong State erected the Cliff of Lost Love.
It was said that eighty thousand years ago, two supreme masters of the human race had a critical battle here. The battle shocked the Earth and Heaven and made the devils and gods wail. One master had the sword pointed to the Heaven, and the other possessed a broadsword that could split the sky. They fought neck and neck of intense sparring.
The battle lasted for ten years with the outcome being undecided. One day, one master suddenly further broke through his realm and transformed into deity. Before he left, he raised his sword and struck down his rival, leaving an immeasurable gulley-
The Cliff of Lost Love (also known as Duan Qing Cliff).
Behind the edge of the cliff was an abyss, a bottomless pit. Even a Da Sheng Period cultivator had no chance to escape from it.
However, the cultivation world believed that danger meant bond. Although Luo Jianqing didn’t understand why human could possess such striking power eighty thousand years ago, he knew that at the bottom of this abyss lay some thumping bond. He didn’t know what it was, or no one knew about it, yet everyone was clear that some bond was waiting to be unveiled.
After a short stay in a remote small town, they continued their journey.
The more northward they headed, the more prosperous the state was. Just like them, many cultivators prepared to enter the Northern Land of Arctic for their bonds, so they rested in Chong State until the astral wind passed. Anyone who dared to find their bonds in the Northern Land of Arctic or the Cliff of Lost Love must be extraordinary. Among them, even the weakest was the early-stage Gold Core cultivator, and even some Tribulation Passage cultivators also came here!
That night, Luo Jianqing came to another town, where a lot of cultivators gathered. They didn’t pay much attention to the visit of Luo Jianqing and Xuan Lingzi. Only few of them looked at these two people vigilantly and reached for their weapons aside.
Luo Jianqing glanced at them casually and released a little pressure on them. They screwed up their faces and left hurriedly.
Luo Jianqing curled up his lips and said, “The physical danger in this state may be much smaller than that in Northern Land of Arctic, but here, everyone’s mind is a mirk, unpredictable mirror. If I hadn’t pressed those people with my power, we would have big troubles in the next few days.”
Although Xuan Lingzi had stayed in Tai Hua Mountain for hundreds of years, he hadn’t shut his ears to what went on outside the mountain. He looked at the direction those people left for and said, “You cannot let your guard down on human cultivators when you practice outside the mountain.”
Luo Jianqing nodded, “I understand. But I have you to get my back, don’t I?”
Xuan Lingzi looked down at his disciple with doting eyes. He curled up his lips, as if saying that “You know you can count on me.”.
They soon found an inn and settled down.
Small as the town was, a dozen of inns clustered here, yet the demands were far beyond that. Luo Jianqing asked over seven inns and finally found an available room. Many cultivators were waiting here for the passing of the astral wind, and moreover, the town was very near to the Cliff of Lost Love.
Luo Jianqing opened the window in his room.
After a creaky sound, refreshing night breeze gently came in through the window, with a smell of fresh soil.
The bright moonlight poured in through the windows on the indigo clothes of this young man, putting on a silver halo for him. Luo Jianqing knitted his beautiful brows, a complicated expression appeared on his flawless face. He gazed at the distant shadow, pursing his lips silently.
When one overlooked from the room, the shadow was like a monster, swallowing half of the sky.
The monster was towering and sharp, soaring higher into the sky. It looked more horrible and brutal at night, as if a plateau on a vast plain, demonstrating endless incompatibility and disproportion. However, most of people in this town came for the cliff.
It was the Cliff of Lost Love, where Luo Jianqing’s last life ended.
That day, Luo Jianqing was cornered by hundreds of Dao Cultivators. Behind him was the bottomless abyss, while in front of him were furious cultivators. After days of running, his spiritual power had exhausted. He was nothing but a spent bullet, yet he still clutched his Zhui Yin Sword, striving for a glimmer of hope.
At last, the order of Li Xiuchen put out that glimmer. Luo Jianqing stopped fighting on the edge of the cliff and was penetrated by heart.
Luo Jianqing didn’t know what happened after his death. Maybe he was taken back to Tai Hua Mountain by the disciples led by Li Xiuchen, or cut into pieces by angry Dao Cultivators, or even he fell into the abyss, with nothing left to bury.
Luo Jianqing gazed at the cliff into the distance, which struck a chill to his heart. This biting chill, coming from Xuan Lingzi Sword, soon spread all over his body through his vessels. By then, the sword froze his blood and made him die with desperation. And his life was…
“Jianqing.”
Luo Jianqing felt a warm hug from behind. Xuan Lingzi gently held Luo Jianqing’s waist.
Suddenly, all of the chill in Luo Jianqing’s body disappeared.
He turned around and beamed, “What happened, master?”
A light of blood red flashed across Xuan Lingzi’s eyes. He closed his eyes to hide this unusual color and said calmly, “It’s windier at night, why don’t you close the window?” Then, before Luo Jianqing could react, Xuan Lingzi raised his head and closed the window instantly.
The Cliff of Lost Love disappeared in sight.
Luo Jianqing felt it funny and turned back again, “We head to north tomorrow? Or…we go visit the Cliff of Lost Love?”
Xuan Lingzi asked, “Why do you want to visit the cliff?”
Luo Jianqing said lightly and rightfully, “The Cliff of Lost Love is the most dangerous place in Chong State. Since we are here, it’s unworthy of missing it.” After a pause, Luo Jianqing continued, “Sir Yu Qingzi told me that you had practiced on that cliff once.”
Although even a Da Sheng Period cultivator couldn’t escape from the abyss behind the Cliff of Lost Love, the trial of the cliff was divided into nine levels. The first eight levels had time limit. Once the time was up, the cultivator could either leave immediately or be forced to enter the next level.
The level was closest to the cliff; the second level was three miles deeper; the third level was six miles deeper… the eighth level was over two hundred and ten miles deeper. As for the ninth level, it was just a mysterious conception. No one knew how it was, and no one had ever come back.
The bottomless abyss was not a metaphor or exaggeration. Some master had estimated that the bottom of this abyss actually contained a small world, and that was why it had such a large space.
With his Out-of-Body power, Luo Jianqing could enter the first five levels easily, yet the last four levels were beyond his capability.
Xuan Lingzi, on the other hand, could pass the first eight levels, but the ninth level… was even too risky for him, and he could not be sure that he could get out of there.
However, Xuan Lingzi said, “That’s a long time ago. Jianqing, if you don’t reach the ninth level, you won’t benefit a lot.”
Luo Jianqing asked with astonishment, “The benefits of the first eight levels are not significant for me?”
Xuan Lingzi replied, “For you, the first eight levels are by no means attractive. Only the nineth level may have some stunning bond. However, your current power is not enough to support you to get there. The Cliff of Lost Love doesn’t have many bonds as you have imagined. We will head to the Northern Land of Arctic directly tomorrow.”
The quick decision of Xuan Lingzi baffled Luo Jianqing, “Master, we can just visit there on the way to…”
A warm kiss suddenly interrupted Luo Jianqing.
They were fatigued with the journey all day and sometimes were even forced to sleep in the open. Now they lived in an inn with decent environment, so the vibe was also better. Xuan Lingzi removed Luo Jianqing’s jade hairpin tenderly, loosing his black hair, which spread on the sheet.
His thick hair was raven; his beautiful eyes were beckoning with a smile.
They gazed at each other for a while, and then moved closer. Finally, a kiss started tonight’s couple cultivation.
The couple cultivation was just an excuse. Luo Jianqing felt uneasy anyway for being so close to the Cliff of Lost Love. He held tight on his master so that he could feel the existence of him. Addicted to sensual pleasure, Luo Jianqing didn’t notice that Xuan Lingzi’s eyes had been red. He strained every sinew to press Luo Jianqing down.
It was the Cliff of Lost Love, where Xuan Lingzi lost his beloved in the last life.
That day, the cliff was stained with blood. The sky was blood red, so was everything.
He saw his life sword penetrating Luo Jianqing, he felt Luo Jianqing gradually stopping breathing.
They were both fiercer in this copulation. The bed kept shaking for a whole night. Xuan Lingzi could only restrain the Blood Qi boiling up in his body when he felt the warmth of Luo Jianqing. And only the warmth of Luo Jianqing could reassure him.
The next day, Luo Jianqing was somewhat limping. Despite his strong resilience, his body almost fell apart after all night copulation, which was quite overwhelming.
However, Luo Jianqing was an Out-of-Body cultivator after all. He was back to normal soon. Xuan Lingzi, on the other hand, was still baffled and dreamy. He didn’t recover until they left the town and went far from the cliff.
Another three miles northward, they saw another town, where the Cliff of Lost Love was totally out of sight.
They kept flying northward and passed three small towns, in each of which they rested for a while. Such small towns were ubiquitous in Chong State, as cultivators needed to rest in these places. Besides, there might be some relatively busy fairs for cultivators to sell and purchase goods. But none of these attracted Luo Jianqing.
When a month passed, Luo Jianqing packed up quickly without any hesitation. They entered Sand Buried Forest. This is the last place bordering both Chong State and the Northern Land of Arctic. Once they walked through the forest, they stepped on the territory of the Northern Land of Arctic!