10: Chapter 10 Yin Wind Ravine

The night was heavy.

Ye Tian returned to his small cabin and shut the door tight.

Yin Wind Ravine.

Black Cloud Stronghold.

Among the younger generation of the Family, these two names were almost synonymous with a Forbidden Ground.

Black Cloud Stronghold was a band of fierce bandits entrenched on the outskirts of the Black Cloud Mountains, known for their brutal methods; they would occasionally plunder passing small merchant caravans and solitary Martial Artists.

The Family kept to themselves and did not interfere with them, but they would never provoke them either.

Yin Wind Ravine had an even more notorious reputation.

It was a natural rift near the lair of Black Cloud Stronghold, said to be bottomless, where sinister winds howled all year round, the cold was bone-piercing, and toxic miasma occasionally seeped out.

Ordinary Martial Artists in the Qi Gathering Realm dared not even approach it.

Does the yin sha grass grow in there?

Was Uncle Zhong hinting at it when he specifically mentioned it?

Or was it a test?

Should he go, or not?

He glanced at the corner of the room.

Resources were scarce, and progress was slow.

The threat of Ye Long hung over him like a sharp blade.

If he were to Cultivate step-by-step, he would have no chance of winning at the Family competition.

He had to go.

He hesitated no longer and began to prepare.

A sharpened short blade, sturdy rope, a few hard dry rations, and a filled waterskin.

He also carefully wrapped the remaining half of the red sun grass and kept it close to his body.

Perhaps it could replenish his stamina at a critical moment.

Finally, his gaze fell deep into a crack in the wall.

After a moment of hesitation, he dug away the dirt, took out the ring wrapped in thick cloth, and tucked it into the innermost pocket of his robe.

This object was strange, but it might save his life at a critical moment!

Everything ready, he blew out the oil lamp and lay down in his clothes.

He had to get enough rest.

The next day, before the sky was fully bright.

He only said to his mother, "I am going into the mountains for a few days," before shouldering his pack and leaving.

His mother stood at the door, watching his back disappear into the morning mist, deep worry in her eyes, before finally closing the door in silence.

Ye Tian traveled west, venturing even deeper than last time.

He avoided known Vicious Beast lairs and the training areas frequently visited by the Family disciples, choosing instead desolate and difficult trails.

The closer he got to the area where Black Cloud Stronghold was active, the more grim and murderous the atmosphere became.

Occasionally, he could see traces of abandoned campfires, or some broken weapons and dark brown bloodstains.

The air was permeated with a faint scent of blood and Evil Qi.

He became even more cautious, using trees and rocks to hide his figure, moving silently.

Based on vague rumors and the terrain, it took him an entire day to gradually approach the region known as Yin Wind Ravine.

Before he had even truly arrived, he could already feel the difference.

The temperature had dropped significantly, and the wind carried a damp, cold chill that brushed against his skin.

The surrounding trees also became sparse and strange, their branches and leaves taking on a grayish-black color.

Woo-woo.

The sound of the wind changed; it was no longer the whistling through the leaves, but had turned into a low, oppressive wailing, as if coming from the depths of the earth, making one's heart feel panicked.

Yin Wind Ravine was just ahead.

He crouched behind a steep slope and looked down.

A massive, pitch-black rift stretched out before him.

Its width was impossible to gauge, and the opposite side was hidden in the grayish mist.

The cliff face on his side was steep and craggy, riddled with pitch-black cave entrances and jagged rocks.

It was bottomless, with only the sinister winds rushing up from below, churning up waves of gray mist.

This was Yin Wind Ravine.

He observed carefully.

The cliff face was not completely vertical; there were many protrusions and cracks that could be used for climbing, but it was exceptionally slippery and covered in dark green moss.

The wailing wind interfered with his hearing, and the gray mist hindered his vision.

More importantly, the chill mixed in the wind was extraordinary; blowing for too long actually caused his Qi and blood circulation to become slightly sluggish, forcing him to divert some of his strength just to resist it.

Truly a dangerous place.

He did not go down immediately, but instead moved carefully along the cliff top, looking for a possible safe route while observing for any traces of yin sha grass.

After moving about half a mile, he suddenly stopped and held his breath.

On the cliff wall not far below, a faint, dim, ghostly blue glimmer appeared and disappeared in the gray mist!

yin sha grass?

The description matched!

His heart skipped a beat as he carefully observed his surroundings.

That part of the cliff was relatively concave, forming a shallow nest; the position was extremely tricky, with no good handholds or footholds above or below.

Confirming there was no other movement nearby for the moment, he untied his rope, found an old tree with deep roots, and firmly secured one end of the rope.

Tying the other end to his waist, he took a deep breath and began to climb down the steep cliff.

The cold, rough rock scraped against his palms, and the sinister wind tore at his body, trying to push him into the abyss.

He had to channel his strength into his fingertips and soles to firmly grip the slippery protrusions and move downward bit by bit.

The further down he went, the stronger the sinister wind became, and the bone-piercing cold almost froze his blood.

The stone bead grew slightly warm, releasing a stream of warm energy that flowed through his entire body, allowing him to barely withstand it.

He finally approached the nest.

He was only a few feet away from that faint, ghostly blue glimmer.

He could see it more clearly now.

It was a strange plant about half a foot tall, pitch-black all over, with only the three long, narrow leaves at the top emitting a ghostly blue light, shaped like ghost claws, swaying in the wind.

The surrounding rocks were covered in a thin layer of white frost.

It is the yin sha grass!

And judging by its age, it seemed quite old!

His heart rejoiced slightly, and he was about to continue downward.

Woo!

An exceptionally fierce gust of sinister wind roared up from the bottom of the ravine, churning up thick gray mist and instantly swallowing him up!

His vision was completely blocked, the cold was bone-chilling, and the sound of the wind suddenly magnified, shrieking in his ears, making his head dizzy, his Qi and blood churn, and his fingers gripping the rock nearly slip!

He gritted his teeth to steady himself, waiting for this gust of wind to pass.

Just then!

An extremely faint sound of something cutting through the air, mixed in with the violent wind, was almost impossible to detect!

The hairs on the back of Ye Tian's neck stood up instantly!

Without thinking, he slammed himself against the cliff wall on his right!

A streak of black light grazed his left arm and violently embedded itself into the rock where he had just been; it was actually a palm-length black shuttle, its tail feathers still trembling slightly!

The body of the shuttle flickered with a ghostly green luster, clearly coated with potent poison!

Someone was ambushing him!

Ye Tian's heart trembled violently as he looked in the direction the shuttle had come from.

He saw two figures in black appearing in a recess in the cliff wall about a dozen yards above and to his left, though he did not know when they had arrived!

They were clinging to the cliff wall like geckos, almost blending into the environment, staring at him coldly, with the same black shuttles in their hands!

They were not from the Family!

Were they bandits from Black Cloud Stronghold?

Were they also here to harvest the yin sha grass?

There was no time for him to think further; seeing that their first strike had missed, the two men flicked their wrists, and two more streaks of black light shot toward him, sealing his path of retreat above and below!

Ye Tian's pupils constricted; positioned on the steep cliff, he had nowhere to hide!

In this critical moment, he sucked in a deep breath, and the meager Qi and Physical Body strength within him exploded; kicking hard against the cliff wall, he released his grip, and using the force of his kick, he threw himself through the air toward the nest where the yin sha grass was growing!

This was an extremely risky move!

If he missed, it would mean the abyss!

The two streaks of black light flew past his head and feet.

His body traced a brief arc in the air before smashing heavily into the nest!

Bang!

Gravel flew everywhere.

He successfully landed in the nest, the massive impact causing him to stumble a few steps, nearly sliding off, but he finally managed to steady himself.

The nest was not large, only big enough for three or five people to stand.

The two men in black above clearly had not expected him to be so fierce and brave; they were stunned for a moment, then immediately began to climb down, moving with extreme speed, rushing straight toward him!

The short shuttles in their hands were raised once again!

Ye Tian's gaze was cold; he had no time to harvest the yin sha grass that was right within reach.

He drew the short blade from his waist with a backhand grip, his eyes quickly scanning the surrounding environment.

Above this nest was an overhanging rock formation; if those two wanted to attack, they would have to emerge from below!

He took a deep breath, suppressing his heart which was pounding from the thrilling leap just moments ago, pressed his body against the concave cliff wall, gripped his short blade tightly, and held his breath, waiting.