They fly side by side, like two comets streaking across the sky, for most of the day. By the time the sun sinks low on the horizon, we descend to a lower altitude as we approach our destination which is not that far from the city when compared to a vast area like the Ancestral Forbidden Hunting Grounds.
Since Wu Yulan flies slower than Lan Xiaohui — and by a significant margin — Lan Xiaohui can effortlessly share her perception with me and keep pace with Wu Yulan. Lan Xiaohui’s heart is filled with a sentiment of pride and pleasure that she can be useful to me like this.
She is useful to me, in many ways, not just this.
Our destination is a strange formation on the side of the mountain that appears to be made of black, metallic rock forming many spires that jut outward like the peaks of a crown. Stranger still, these spires themselves not only resemble swords in a very primitive fashion but also contain a hint of profound Dao.
This formation is certainly not natural and the nature of the black rocks is also unknown to me.
This formation forms a ravine that extends for hundreds of steps, and some of the cliffs likewise also rise for hundreds of steps. And though many of them have now been covered by greenery, some of the black rock remains exposed and captures the light in a peculiar manner that changes the color of the rocks.
Several waterfalls plummet from the cliffs into the valley below, forming a lake between islands of unnaturally formed landscape that has only a few bridges connecting them. Each one of these islands contains a structure: housing, workshop, and so on.
Steps have been carved into some of the formations to allow one to reach the rest of the valley on foot. Many trees dot the landscape as well with multicolored leaves that resemble the coloration of the strange lotuses swimming in the ponds and lakes.
Lan Xiaohui, once she lands on the ground, looks as surprised and impressed as I am, but likely for different reasons.
I also did not expect that Wu Yulan’s little retreat would turn out to be like this, but I am far more fascinated by the incredibly rich Qi in the area and the hint of profound Sword Dao in virtually everything in this area.
The lake contains a profound Sword Dao, evident especially in the way the multitude of waterfalls feed into the central lake — falling down straight like the chopping motion of a sword and producing a thick mist that could cut into the flesh.
The leaves and flower petals are all sharp and taper to a sword-like point. Even the cliffs and spires themselves, were one to see them through a fog, would resemble the shape of a sword.
Wu Yulan in particular seems extremely pleased that this is to Lan Xiaohui’s liking, and once the girl lands next to my owner she takes her hand and leads her onward.
“This way!” Wu Yulan exclaims, and the two climb the first set of stairs to a rocky platform next to a large, thick tree that would no doubt produce materials of the Heaven grade if processed.
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“This is incredible,” Lan Xiaohui says, following Wu Yulan over the dragon-shaped bridge across a waterfall that feeds into the lake some forty steps below. It is loud enough that Lan Xiaohui has to raise her voice and shout to be heard.
“They say my Wu clan comes from this area,” Wu Yulan explains. “My grandfather once told me that this is an Ancient Sword Graveyard and that we owe our fortune to this place.”
“Ancient Sword Graveyard?” Lan Xiaohui asks.
Wu Yulan nods. “There are a few in the Star Kingdom, but no one really knows what they are,” Wu Yulan explains, leading my owner further into the valley. “My grandfather told me that they are monuments to ancient battlefields.”
It does make sense — this formation is not natural and it would not be strange if it was created by a very powerful cultivator, many hundreds if not thousands of years ago.
A powerful technique could likely leave behind a trace of its profound Dao in the environment in perpetuity — in a similar way that the Sword Law cannot be concealed and would reveal the depth of one’s Dao. Perhaps this place, in this way, has been created by a powerful sword domain.
But something about it does not make sense. These cliffs, these arrangements of islands and lakes, they all remind me of the same, barbaric method that I and Lan Xiaohui employed to create the [Soul Harvest Formation].
I cannot pinpoint any proof of this, but it does not seem random to me. It reminds me of a proto-formation that has likely since crumbled or run out of power to operate its mechanisms. And though I feel the presence of a formation here, it is like that one in Lady Yue’s grotto, which regulated the environment and concealed the presence of inhabitants.
This place is quite a mystery.
Wu Yulan leads my owner to the largest of the buildings in the valley, which has since become overgrown by moss and vines. At this, Wu Yulan looks over her shoulder and smiles apologetically. “Every few years, my family used to send people to clean the place up, but after my accident, no one has come here since then.”
Lan Xiaohui purses her lips at the words. “What accident?”
“I fell into the lake when I was young,” Wu Yulan says. “I should have died, but I got lucky and managed to climb my way out, but after that, I became very sick. It was only recently that I recovered, but by then, my hair and eyes became like this.”
“Your Physique changed after you fell into the lake?” Lan Xiaohui asks with a tone that reveals how unlikely it is for something like this to happen.
Wu Yulan nods. “Well, Aunt Yue once told me that my Physique has been in my family’s bloodline since ancient times — that we are related to the moon in some way. She said that getting sick would’ve happened whether I fell into the lake or not.”
Related to the moon? Perhaps that is the connection between the Wu clan and the Yue clan — the latter is a remnant of the Sun and Moon sect. Perhaps in the distant past, the Wu clan was also a remnant of this sect.
Lan Xiaohui smiles — she is far more simple-minded than I and that is perhaps for the better. Where I see potential connections, Lan Xiaohui sees the much simpler things.
“I think your hair and eyes are very pretty, and that they suit you,” my owner says.
Wu Yulan chuckles at those words and nods. “Thank you.”
“I was also different before,” Lan Xiaohui says. “My body also changed. So I know a few things about how you might feel. We can go through it together.”
It turns out that Lan Xiaohui very accurately predicted some of Wu Yulan’s internal state because the girl looks at Lan Xiaohui with wide eyes and offers a nod full of gratitude.
“That means a lot to me,” Wu Yulan says, turning her face away so that Lan Xiaohui cannot see her expression, but I can. There is a look of hope, relief, and excitement on Wu Yulan’s face and I deduce that it has been a desire of hers to meet someone like Lan Xiaohui one day. Judging by her expression, that wish of hers has been finally granted.