Heaven’s Shadow

Hong Chuan subconsciously looks downwards, only to see complete darkness below. It is like an endless abyss. If he were to fall down, despite his cultivation, his body and bones will be crushed.

At this instant, goosebumps rise up all over Hong Chuan’s body. He looks upward towards Lu Chen with plea and panic in his eyes.

In contrast to Hong Chuan’s flustered look, Lu Chen looks calmer. However, his face doesn’t look good, a little distorted even. It could be due to the overexertion of his strength. No matter who it is, using just one hand to grab a living person isn’t an easy task.

Proning by the cliff, he takes a deep breath and says to Hong Chuan, “Don’t move! I will pull you up.”

Hong Chuan’s face is ghastly white and he looks like he is in no condition to speak. He simply nods his head repeatedly.

Lu Chen clenches his jaws and with a deep groaning sound in his mouth, he starts to exert his strength to pull Hong Chuan up. Lu Chen’s strength seems to be quite impressive to be able to pull Hong Chuan up bit by bit.

As his body slowly rises up, a hint of delight appears on Hong Chuan’s face. Seeing the edge of the cliff getting closer and closer, he spots a protruding stone right in front. Instinctively, Hong Chuan reaches out to grab the stone. However, the strong mountainous wind starts to blow at this moment and Hong Chuan’s body sways.

Lu Chen’s arm shakes slightly as he feels significantly greater pressure exerting on his strength. He immediately panics and howls, “Don’t move!”

Hong Chuan is shocked and shouts back, “I didn’t move, I didn’t…”

Before he could finish his words, huala huala, the rock he is holding onto crumbles and breaks, causing him to fall downwards. Hong Chuan’s body suddenly plummets downwards, pulling Lu Chen along with him.

Lu Chen flusters. He intends to fumbles to grab the rock or the tree beside him to secure a grip but the momentum of the fall is too great that it got pulled down as well. In an instant, he tumbles off the cliff.

Huala huala boom boom, a series of weird sounds from the loosened rocks tumbling down the cliff could be heard. The two men also fall off the cliff of the rock wall. However, it is fortunate that due to the slight delay before their fall, they are right next to the stone wall.

In this precarious moment, the two of them tried their best to grab onto everything on the stone wall, coniferous grass roots, protruding stones and anything that could be grabbed. Even so, they continued to fall downwards and their speed of descent builds up.

“To the right!”

Almost falling completely into despair, Hong Chuan suddenly hears Lu Chen howling beside him. He looks towards the right and sees a pitch-black cave around five to six zhang below.

15~18meters

Hong Chuan is by no means a dumb person. He immediately understands that the cave would be their only straw of hope. With a loud roar, he grabs onto the firm cliff with his hands and legs. He feels acute pain on his palms and through just this action, he probably would have incurred many wounds, but he couldn’t be bothered with it at the moment. Due to his actions, his downward momentum slows and the cave appears right in front of him. With a deep growl, he leaps with all his might towards the cave. It is fortunate that there are quite a few trees growing around the cave. His body crashes violently onto the tree and with a peng, the tree by the cave snaps.

Hong Chuan’s body rebounds back and falls into the cave.

At this critical moment, before Hong Chuan could stabilise his body, he hears the whistling of the sound and a figure falls down beside him. With a roar, he leaps over and grabs the falling Lu Chen with both of his hands. With all of his might, he pulls Lu Chen in an arc into the cave.

Wuu, a piercing sound could be heard before a muffled sound echoes. Lu Chen’s body crashes heavily onto the wall by the entrance of the cave. After the muffled sound, he rolls two revolutions on the ground.

Hong Chuan’s body also rotates twice about the spot. It seems like he is about to fall out of the cave yet again. At this moment, the steep cliff is just beneath his feet. Hong Chuan’s face pales.

However, it is fortunate that the several thin trees outside the cave saves him once again. The flustered Hong Chuan’s hands flutter about and he grabs onto the bark of one of it. Suo suo, numerous leaves fall from the tree. However, after a moment of continuous shaking and trembling, he finally steadies himself by the entrance of the cave.

※※※

For quite a moment, no one spoke in this cave by the cliff. Two traumatised men whose heartbeat has yet to stabilise sits by the stone wall near the entrance, panting heavily.

When their breathing starts to calm down, they look up and exchange gazes, a bizarre look appearing on their face.

After a short moment, Hong Chuan laughs dryly. He stands up and bows deeply to Lu Chen, “Brother Lu, I am sincerely apologetic… I have troubled you again.”

Lu Chen shakes his head with a bitter smile as he waves his hand, “Forget it, you saved me a moment ago as well. We are equals now.”

An apologetic expression fills Hong Chuan’s face and he seems to be really distressed. He doesn’t know what he should say in such a situation.

However, Lu Chen seems to be much more open-minded than him. After resting for a moment, his expression goes back to normal. He looks around by the entrance of the cave and releases an exclaim of shock. He asks, “These two trees, they seem like ‘Jinsi Nan‘?”

TL: It is phoebe zhennan that has a slightly golden glow, a very precious tree which is used to make the emperor’s throne in the past.

“Un?” Hearing those words, the awkward Hong Chuan is taken aback, as though he is astonished by something.

Jinsi Nan isn’t an ordinary tree. The tree has spirit marks on it and it is a true spirit tree. Its leaves, buds and roots are useful spirit material in cultivator sects. However, the most valuable part of the entire tree is its trunk, which is tough and rigid, giving it many uses.

Hong Chuan takes two steps forward towards the two trees growing at the entrance of the cave. Although the sky has already darkened, there is still shimmer of light at the cave’s entrance. He carefully examines the two trees, including the one which he crashed into previously and broke. He nods towards Lu Chen and says, “Brother Lu, you have great eyesight! These three trees are Jinsi Nanmu. However, it seems that they are still young and the trunks are still quite thin, so they aren’t very useful as a material yet.”

TL: Mu -> Wood, technically the same meaning as Jinsi Nan

Lu Chen walks over and pats one of the trunk of the Jinsi Nan. He smiles, “This is not bad. Although it is around the thickness of a bowl, given how this land isn’t a blessed land or the spirit mountains where the land is full of spirit power, it would require at least hundred years to grow to such a size.”

“You’re right.” Hong Chuan replies. Then, he ponders for a moment before saying, “Brother Lu, this kind of Jinsi Nan doesn’t hold much use for me if I were to take it. I will let you deal with it.”

…

Huala huala boom boom, a series of weird sounds from the loosened rocks tumbling down the cliff could be heard. The two men also fall off the cliff of the rock wall. However, it is fortunate that due to the slight delay before their fall, they are right next to the stone wall.

TL: Due to Lu Chen grabbing the tree/rock before falling down, their fall is slightly delayed. By Physics trajectory, a person falling from the cliff in that manner would go in an arc, thus when they fall, their body will probably leave the cliff (their hands won’t be able to reach the cliff). So, Lu Chen movements reduced their horizontal velocity.

Wuu, a piercing sound could be heard before a muffled sound echoes. Lu Chen’s body crashes heavily onto the wall by the entrance of the cave. After the muffled sound, he rolls two revolutions on the ground.

TL: The piercing sound should be the sound of the air pressure from the arc he threw Lu Chen in and the muffled sound is him bumping onto the wall.