Feng Shui Chapter 153: Twin Blooming Red

It was a seemingly flat plain, yet the ground had split open with an immense chasm. Ice and mountains merged into one; from afar, it was impossible to tell whether the rift had split through solid rock or frozen peaks. This place was likely once just a valley between two mountains, where snow had accumulated over the centuries, compressing layer upon layer into ice until it eventually formed this vast ice-covered plateau.

Only upon seeing the rift with his own eyes did Chen Xiao truly grasp the magnitude of what Xi Yunqing had described as “32 meters wide and over a thousand meters long.” Standing at the edge and peering down, even with his sharp eyesight, he couldn’t see the bottom.

Following the slope downward along one side of the chasm, Chen Xiao noticed that the ice wasn’t pure white, but tinged with blue. This indicated that the ice had existed for far longer than the average person could imagine, at the very least, several centuries.

Light couldn’t reach the bottom of the chasm, yet it wasn’t completely dark. The refracted glow from the surrounding ice peaks created a surprisingly visible environment below.

The deeper they went, the colder it became. Fortunately, Chen Xiao had come prepared for the snow mountain expedition. He wore a layer of close-fitting, heat-retaining clothing, with a thick cloak draped over it.

The cloak, though warm, was cumbersome while moving and frequently got caught on protruding chunks of ice. Thankfully, Xi Yunqing remained close by and would occasionally lend a hand.

It took them nearly half an hour to reach the bottom of the rift. Once there, the four of them regrouped at a flat area to rest briefly before heading toward the highest peak on the eastern slope.

There was only one path through the chasm, so even Tong Nuonuo couldn’t possibly get lost. Xi Yunqing reminded everyone to move lightly and speak softly. The four split up to explore different areas.

Tong Nuonuo was mainly interested in minerals, while Tang Ru was hoping to find ancient plants preserved in the ice. The two went in separate directions to search. Naturally, Chen Xiao teamed up with Xi Yunqing, and the two of them ventured deeper into the gorge.

The ice peaks on either side of the chasm were spotless and pristine, if not for the biting cold, the place would’ve been a beautiful sight worth admiring.

Chen Xiao pulled his cloak tighter to ward off the chill. Judging by his body’s reaction, the temperature here had to be at least ten degrees below freezing. Luckily, there was no wind in the rift, and with constant movement, the cold was bearable.

Looking up, Chen Xiao saw only a narrow slit of light at the top of the gorge. He couldn’t help but murmur, “This rift really is deep.”

Xi Yunqing looked up as well, then replied, “It was probably formed by recent changes in the terrain.”

That made Chen Xiao curious. “Why would the terrain shift?” To his knowledge, the Heavenly Realm was a flat expanse, unlike the old world where tectonic movement caused earthquakes and geological changes.

Xi Yunqing lowered his gaze to meet Chen Xiao’s and explained, “Whether it’s a major Heavenly Realm or a minor one, they all exist within the Void. Occasionally, turbulence in the void causes shaking, or two realms may collide, this leads to changes within their internal landscapes.”

Chen Xiao’s eyes widened. “Are you saying disasters like massive earthquakes or tsunamis could happen here?”

Xi Yunqing gave him a curious look. “Exactly. Sometimes the tremors are mild and only result in fissures like this one. But if a collision does occur, the impact can be catastrophic, what you called earthquakes and tsunamis have been recorded in the ancient books.”

Unintentionally, Chen Xiao's understanding of this world deepened once more. It turned out the Heavenly Realms weren’t fixed in place, they moved and could even encounter each other.

He grew solemn. “I see. If something like that really happened, it would be the end of the world.”

“There’s no need to worry." Xi Yunqing reassured him. “Major collisions are extremely rare. It's not something that would destroy an entire Heavenly Realm.”

That calmed Chen Xiao a little. He figured it was like celestial bodies, Heavenly Realms must have set orbits. If they were going to collide, it would've already happened. The fact that nothing had occurred yet meant their paths likely didn’t overlap.

As the two walked on, something in the corner of Chen Xiao’s eye caught his attention. He stopped and turned, noticing a dark stone lodged in a crack in the ice wall. Approaching it cautiously, he prodded it with his blade to make sure it wasn’t dangerous, then used Zhengge to pry it out.

Xi Yunqing had been watching the whole time. Once the stone was out, he said, “That’s a piece of ice ore. It contains crystallized ice energy, which can be used in forging, inscribing talismans, or crafting mechanisms.” He paused, then added, “If you mix the powdered crystal into a water-element talisman, its power should be enhanced.”

The Rain Summoning Talisman was just such a water-type spell, this was perfect for Chen Xiao’s needs. He asked, “Is ice ore considered valuable?”

“It’s not extremely rare." Xi Yunqing replied, “but it's hard to find, so the price remains high. Judging by how rich the spiritual energy is around this rift, it seems there’s quite a bit of it here.”

Chen Xiao twirled the ore in his hand before putting it away. Finding such a promising item right away ignited his enthusiasm. He pressed forward eagerly, now paying special attention to the sides of the gorge, and sure enough, he found two or three more pieces.

The ice ore was embedded along the icy walls of the rift. The more Chen Xiao mined, the more absorbed he became. Without realizing it, he had wandered quite a distance along one side.

“Xiao!” Xi Yunqing suddenly called out, his voice sharp. Chen Xiao was puzzled, but before he could respond, Xi Yunqing appeared in front of him in a flash. Only then did Chen Xiao notice the crack in the ice wall just ahead, tall enough for a person to walk through.

Xi Yunqing walked over slowly, testing the airflow around the fissure and lightly sniffing the air. His solemn demeanor made Chen Xiao nervous in spite of himself. “Big Brother, is there any danger?”

Xi Yunqing tilted his head, listening for a while before replying, “There’s wind coming from the crack, and the air carries a faint scent of soil. This fissure likely leads to a cave.” He turned to Chen Xiao and asked, “Want to go take a look?”

Chen Xiao nodded. “Let’s check it out.”

They walked quite a distance, far enough that they could no longer see Tong Nuonuo and Tang Ru. Worried they might get separated, Chen Xiao hung a piece of clothing near the fissure and wrote a message on the ice wall, telling the two girls where they were headed. He also left a note telling Tong Nuonuo not to go in alone, she should either wait for them to return or enter with Tang Ru.

Having played the nagging caretaker, Chen Xiao followed Xi Yunqing into the fissure. The entrance was narrow at first, but after a while, the path opened up. At the beginning, the walls were still icy, but before they knew it, they had transitioned into a rocky terrain mixed with earth. Just as Xi Yunqing predicted, after about fifteen minutes of walking, they arrived at a cave.

This cave wasn’t newly formed from the recent upheaval, it had existed before. The collapse had merely opened up a gap, connecting it to the surface and forming a new passage.

After a preliminary search, Xi Yunqing didn’t find any signs of armored beasts, so he relaxed and pulled a small lighting device from his storage pouch. It resembled a miniature candelabra, and when lit, it illuminated a radius of over thirty meters. He didn’t even set it to full brightness, but the glow was enough for them to see the cave clearly.

Most of the cave was made of stone, with patches of soil. Melted snow seeped through the cracks in the rock and froze into scattered ice sheets.

Chen Xiao whispered in disappointment, “I thought there might be something valuable here.”

Xi Yunqing chuckled softly. “This is exactly what you’d hope for, Xiao. There’s something very useful for pill-making here. Look over there, ”

Following his gaze, Chen Xiao saw a cluster of whitish frost. At first, he was puzzled by the pale purplish hue of the ice. But on closer inspection, he realized it wasn’t ice at all, it was a patch of translucent, succulent plants, clustered tightly together, looking like glowing ice lanterns.

Chen Xiao stared, stunned. “What is this?”

“It’s a rare medicinal herb." Xi Yunqing said in a low voice. “It’s called Ice Velvet Grass, also known as Iceflesh. It’s best stored in a jade box like the one you have. Be careful when picking it, don’t damage or scatter the pieces. The more intact the herb, the stronger the medicinal properties and the higher its value.”

Xi Yunqing scanned the cave. There were several patches of the herb in sight, and the cave’s true size was still unclear. He said to Chen Xiao, “I’ll leave the light here with you. You harvest these while I go bring Tong and Tang over. Just this Ice Velvet Grass alone makes the trip worth it.”

Chen Xiao took the lamp and nodded. “Alright, go ahead, Big Brother.”

Once Xi Yunqing was out of sight, Chen Xiao turned back around. Curious about how much Ice Velvet Grass the cave held, he raised the lamp and walked forward. The cave was vast and high-ceilinged, stretching endlessly into the distance. Not wanting to stray too far on his own, Chen Xiao stayed close and began counting the patches.

To his surprise, the Ice Velvet Grass came in different colors, not just purple, but also green and red.

The purple and green varieties looked smooth and glossy. But the red ones had a fuzzy, short-haired surface and grew in soil instead of on rocks.

Wanting to see if there were other colors, Chen Xiao followed the red Ice Velvet Grass into a side path. He noticed it was significantly warmer here, enough that he had to remove his cloak and stuff it into his storage box.

This area had more soil than stone, and only the red Ice Velvet Grass seemed to grow here. What caught his eye most was one particularly dense cluster where a single stalk stood out, slender and tall, with two small diagonal branches at the top, each bearing a plump flower bud.

It looked strange, unlike anything he’d seen so far. And by the rule that the rarest-looking things were often the most valuable, Chen Xiao used his spiritual energy to open the storage box and reached out to pluck it.

Recalling Xi Yunqing’s instructions, he carefully pinched the base of the red Ice Velvet Grass and gently pulled. The moment it came free, a faint, almost imperceptible fragrance reached his nose, and before he could react, everything went black and he collapsed to the ground.

The lamp rolled from his hand, bumped into the cave wall, and bounced back, landing not far from him. Its flickering light shone on the red Ice Velvet Grass still clutched in Chen Xiao’s hand. One of the flower buds quickly shriveled up. The other still seemed healthy, but trembled slightly as Chen Xiao hit the ground.

Although it looked similar, this particular plant with two flower buds wasn’t Ice Velvet Grass at all. It was an even rarer and more mysterious treasure, Twin Bloom Red. It had no notable medicinal effect, save for one peculiar trait:

It could pull two people holding it into the same dream.