Chapter 1672: An Abyss That Cuts Heaven and Earth

Ye Qing cast his Magia and summoned his paper horse carriage once more. Then, he drove a human, an ape and a corpse into the rocky desert toward the north.

No real danger or Stranger resided in the rocky desert. Therefore, they did not need to worry about safety. It did not matter if they were traveling fast or slow either. It would take nine days and nights for them to reach their destination regardless, so there was no need to move quickly.

That said, they couldn’t just stay in one place. If they didn’t move, then they would never make it out of this desert.

Nine days came and went in a flash. When the tenth day arrived, an abyss that spanned east and west and penetrated heaven and earth appeared before their eyes.

“So this is Bei Yuan. How vast!”

The abyss was so long that it spanned from one end of the horizon to another. Its length could not be measured. Its depth was bottomless as well. It looked like an unholy chasm that split the supposedly boundless earth into two. It looked magnificent and mysterious, gorgeous yet dangerous.

“‘It is a line that separates the human world and Primal Chaos; an abyss that cuts both heaven and earth.’ How grand! How magnificent! It truly is an eye-opener,” Feng Qingyou remarked with a heartfelt sigh.

“It is a line that separates the human world and Primal Chaos; an abyss that cuts both heaven and earth.” was a poem people used to describe Bei Yuan. It stated that Bei Yuan was like a chasm that separated the singular, boundless earth into two; the line that divided chaos and order; the void and the human world.

In fact, to go further north from Bei Yuan was to enter a space of nothingness and chaos; a lawless and orderless realm where dangers and chaos were the dominant themes. The world to the south of Bei Yuan was considered the “human world” because yin and yang existed in harmony, and the four seasons cycled orderly. Here to the south of Bei Yuan, there were order, rules, and life.

So, what existed to the north of Bei Yuan?

No one knows. After all, no one had ever made it to the other side of Bei Yuan alive.

Because of this, some people called Bei Yuan the Border of the Earth. To put it simply, Bei Yuan was the northern border where the land came to an ultimate end.

Of course, some people thought differently. Some people believed that the land stretched endlessly without end, so there should be another world and living beings existing on the other side of Bei Yuan.

Some people even believed that the world on the other side of Bei Yuan was where the transcendent celestials, gods, and Buddhas lived. They believed that it was the world where all natural gods and demons originated from.

The formation of Bei Yuan was a subject of much discussion as well. Some people believed that Bei Yuan was formed naturally together with the human world. Some people believed that Bei Yuan had gradually taken form after the world was formed. Some people guessed that it was the result of a war between the supreme beings of the ancient. There were all sorts of theories.

In conclusion, Bei Yuan was a place that spawned countless legends and fantasies. It was beautiful, mystical, dangerous, and shrouded in mystery.

“If Bei Yuan is like this, I wonder what Dong Ji (Eastern Pole) and Xi Huang (Western Barrens) looked like?”

Although Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou had done much research and listened to many accounts regarding Bei Yuan prior to this journey, the shock they felt upon witnessing Bei Yuan with their own eyes was still indescribable. They felt that all those accounts they read or heard about Bei Yuan were pale and weak. None of them could properly describe even a shadow of the true magnificence of Bei Yuan.

If Bei Yuan was like this, then how incredible and fantastical would the other locations on par with Bei Yuan looked like?

“I am sure that they are just as amazing as Bei Yuan in their own way.”

Feng Qingyou seemed to be answering Ye Qing’s question and talking to herself at the same time. “We will find out very soon, won’t we?”

“Mm.” Ye Qing nodded in agreement.

“Ook ook! Get away... danger.”

The duo were still absorbed in the magnificence of Bei Yuan when suddenly, Qiwa called out and gave Ye Qing’s sleeve a tug.

Ye Qing snapped out of his reverie just in time to see a fog rising from the depths of Bei Yuan.

The fog was colorful, fantastical, and bizarre. It was slowly moving in their direction.

When the fog got close, Ye Qing was suddenly struck by a deep sense of fatigue and sleepiness. He yawned repeatedly while feeling like he wanted to take a deep, long sleep.

“It’s the Celestial Becoming Fog. Just hold your breaths, and you’ll be fine.”

Ye Qing hurriedly warned Feng Qingyou and Qiwa before holding his breath. The strange feeling of sleep immediately disappeared afterward.

The Celestial Becoming Fog was a fog that put people to sleep. Anyone including a Sage would immediately fall into a slumber upon inhaling it.

The Celestial Becoming Fog did not harm anyone or anything who inhaled it, however. On the contrary, it would grant them all sorts of wonderful dreams and make them wish they would never wake up.

Not only that, when the sleeper finally awoke from their dream, they would find that their spirit and willpower were stronger than before. Their body and mind would not be negatively impacted by the prolonged slumber either.

Even Sages could benefit from the fog.

These were really just the side effects though. The main function of the fog was to induce good dreams.

Some people paid an obscene amount of wealth or even bankrupted themselves just to purchase some Celestial Becoming Fog and enjoy a wonderful dream. Even so, the Celestial Becoming Fog was priceless and nearly impossible to purchase in the market.

The reason was simple. The Celestial Becoming Fog was exceedingly rare and could only be found in secluded places that were rarely frequented by humans.

The fog before their eyes in particular was so large that it was probably one-of-a-kind.

If they could collect them and sell them, it would not be an exaggeration to say that they would gain enough wealth to rival a country.

Unfortunately, the Celestial Becoming Fog came with one “drawback”. If you inhaled it even once, then you would fall into a month-long slumber. Not even a Sage could resist its effects.

Obviously, to fall asleep in Bei Yuan was akin to commiting suicide.

That said, there was a very simple method to deal with the Celestial Becoming Fog. They simply needed to hold their breath and not inhale it.

At their level, they could hold their breaths for half a month straight and not experience any debilitating effects. So, the Celestial Becoming Fog did not really affect them.

Still, they did not waste time and ordered Qiwa to take them to the location of the phenomenon.

Qiwa quickly led them to their destination. “This is the place. The phenomenon had appeared from down here.”

“Alright. Let’s go.” Ye Qing looked at Qiwa. “You’re coming with us, by the way.”

“I’m not going!” Qiwa shook its head with clear rejection and fear. “There are Fiend Demons down there! They will kill me!”

Ye Qing tried to console it. “Relax. We’ll protect you.”

“I’m... I’m not going.” Qiwa still shook its head. “Besides, you said that you would let me go once I lead you here. I did, so let me go.”

“Did I say that?” Ye Qing tried to feign ignorance. “I don’t think I did. Are you sure you’re not mistaken?”

Qiwa declared without hesitation, “You said it! You definitely said it! I remember every word!”

“Really?” Ye Qing tapped his own head and said, “Oh, I guess I did. Man, my memory is terrible. Your memory is so much better than mine, Qiwa.”

“Can I leave then?” Qiwa asked in a proud voice.

Ye Qing shook his head. “Unfortunately, no.”

Qiwa grew anxious. “Why’s that?”

Ye Qing replied, “Because you agreed that you would take us to the place where the phenomenon took place. Is this where the phenomenon happened? No, this is the place above it. So, you still need to lead us down there.”

It wasn’t his fault Qiwa didn’t have a good enough grasp of the human language to realize the trap he laid for it.