The mountains rose high and steep, jagged and towering, their paths winding like sheep's intestines.
Streams of emerald water curled and coiled around them, bend upon bend.
In the distance, Mist Haze flickered into sight and vanished among the mountains and waters, like sandalwood smoke in a censer, shifting into hundreds upon thousands of shapes. It lent the scenery an exquisite beauty, a truly peerless sight!
After following the young man over mountains and across waters for nearly half a quarter of an hour,
the young man finally emerged from the clouds before an utterly unremarkable cliff face and formed a peculiar hand seal.
As the seal appeared, some mechanism seemed to stir. With a rumble, the cliff parted down the middle, revealing a narrow passage wide enough for a person.
Still not reassured, the young man exhaled a wisp of smoke that transformed into a hazy, one-eyed little beast. He sent it into the wood and stone beneath the cliff to watch every direction, above and below.
Only after doing all this did he chuckle and rub his hands excitedly. Ducking his head, he hurried into the narrow passage and entered the cliff.
Yet he failed to notice that as he moved, a wisp of mist silently followed him, slipping into the cliff at his heels.
Soon, the rocks shuddered again and sealed the entrance, fitting together without a gap, as though nothing had ever happened.
At first, the mountain passage was cramped, barely allowing one person to pass with his back bent.
But after only a few miles, it suddenly opened up.
Brilliant light flooded his vision, illuminating everything in dazzling splendor, like rivers of stars spilling radiance and crimson jewels soaring through the dawn!
Chen Heng looked ahead and saw that the path ended at a precipice.