An extraordinary sight unfolded before Xu Qingtong. From a distance, the land had looked like an unbroken plain, but up close, mountains rose in ranks, crisscrossed by ravines.
This place was like a mountain range hidden underground. Xu Qingtong studied the strange landscape, thought for a while, and formed a conjecture.
This mountain range probably had an underground river that led straight to the sea. Countless years of rain had washed away the sand, stone, and soil, leaving only magnificent, unusual peaks. Over time, this had formed a mountain range below ground level.
Xu Qingtong could not help marveling at the creative power of heaven and earth, which had fashioned such peculiar terrain as though with a divine craftsman's axe. Yet he grew even more cautious. Wherever the land was strange, strange things were sure to lurk.
Huang Chengquan stopped and said to the others, "Fellow Daoists, this is Phoenix Mausoleum Mountain. The terrain is complex, and dangers abound. Stay close behind me, and do not wander off, lest something happen!"
Following Huang Chengquan, they descended the steps along a steep path. Only after walking for roughly an hour did they reach the foot of Phoenix Mausoleum Mountain.
Xu Qingtong looked around, and everything was just as he had surmised. At the foot of the mountains, small rivers converged and flowed into a huge cavern. Stones of every size lay throughout the valley, their edges worn away by the passage of time until they were smooth and rounded.
Looking up, he saw peaks thrusting from the earth, standing as steep as bamboo shoots. Verdant trees covered the slopes in lush profusion. Without the disturbance of Demon Beasts, this would have been an excellent place to cultivate oneself and nurture one's spirit.
Xu Qingtong was somewhat puzzled. Wouldn't flying directly through