Bai Yujing and the Desolate Silver Lynx raced down from the Peak of All Mountains, traversing sparse mountain forests, and searched along the winding mountain roads.
No one knew from when, but within a hundred meters radius centered on Du Yu, there were no more lightning strikes.
Du Yu felt enlightened in his heart.
It now seemed that the Peak of All Mountains was indeed an area densely targeted by thunder.
Once they were far from that unyielding Jia Rong Grass, this small team was no longer the target of heaven's wrath.
Du Yu did not think it was due to consuming the Jia Rong Fruit.
After all, he had eaten the fruit when he left the mountain peak, yet that thick, twisting lightning bolt still struck down a hundred meters away from him.
"Master Qing, have you noticed that not only have the surrounding lightning strikes decreased, but even the thunder seems a bit quieter?" Du Yu raised his head, looking towards the sky filled with dark clouds.
Yang Qingqing naturally noticed this, speculating, "Maybe it's due to the properties of the Jia Rong Fruit."
"What do you mean, Master Qing?"
"Since consuming the Jia Rong Fruit has the effect of avoiding lightning, the existence of Jia Rong Grass is intolerable to the Mountain Realm."
Hearing the woman's analysis, Du Yu nodded secretly, "So, the Mountain Realm might really have spiritual awareness."
No wonder the Yan Clan descendants live far from the Jia Rong Grass.
Yet they cannot be too far away, as they still need to rely on the fruit's effects for their outings.
The lightning outside the mountain peaks is indeed less, but it does not mean there is none!
Yang Qingqing gazed at the distant mountain wall, her brows slightly furrowed, "It could also be the doing of a creature within the clouds."
Oh right!
Du Yu's mind came alive again, hidden within the dark clouds were unknown demon beasts.
Even the Jia Rong Grass, which occupied the mountain peak for thousands of years, contending with the heavens day and night, had never seen its true form.
"Over there." Yang Qingqing pointed ahead.
Du Yu woke from his contemplation, looking towards the left front in the direction the woman pointed.
The Desolate Silver Lynx understood, advancing along the right mountain wall as much as possible, giving its master ample angle to observe.
At this moment, the team had already reached the bottom of the canyon.
The road here was narrow, no more than 20 or 30 meters wide, with steep mountain walls on either side, forming a terrain of a "thin line of sky."
This was clearly a natural lightning avoidance place.
The deeper the valley, the higher the mountain walls on both sides, making it less likely for the winding lightning to fall here.
"A cave." Du Yu's eyes slightly widened. As he spoke, the Desolate Silver Lynx leaped another dozen meters, further confirming what he saw.
"A hundred miles away, at the bottom of the canyon." Yang Qingqing murmured, "It should be here."
The two slowed the pace of their mounts, arriving at the entrance of the cave.
The tunnel within was deep and its destination unknown.
Yang Qingqing raised one hand, her fingertips swirling with rose petals.
"Hoo~"
The petals drifted, igniting with crimson flames.
With the woman extending her hand forward, the river of burning fiery petals flowed into the pitch-black tunnel.
"Come, Ghost Firefly." Du Yu cupped his hands in front of his face, the Ghostly Firefly Doll appearing silently, holding a large torch.
"Huh!"
"Light the way for us, be careful." Du Yu held the little one's head, turning it one hundred eighty degrees.
"Huh!" Little You Ying waved the torch, sprinkling little green specks of fire as it bounced its way into the tunnel.
The two continued downward until they reached a fork in the tunnel, then halted.
There were as many as five tunnels, their depths unknown.
"Let's start with the far right one."
"Yes." Du Yu's thought gave way, as Little You Ying stepped on runes and ran to the right.
This was a spiraling downward path, becoming more and more tranquil as they went.
It seemed even the thunder from the sky was isolated outside, and within the long tunnel, only the sound of Bai Yujing's Snow Hoof lightly stepping echoed in "tap tap" sounds.
As for the Desolate Silver Lynx...
Her soft padded paws made her footsteps soundless.
After a long journey forward, the terrain suddenly opened up.
Yet there was no joy on the faces of Du Yu and Yang Qingqing, but rather a look of complexity in their eyes.
In the vast space, neat mounds of broken stones and soil were arranged systematically, and in front of each mound stood a wooden tombstone.
There were more than 200 such graves in view.
Du Yu did not feel fear, only a sense of desolation at the scene.
Just how much despair did the people who erected tombstones generation after generation experience...
The inscriptions on the tombstones were mostly simple: name, birth and death year, and the one who erected the stone.
Yan Shengzhi, Yan Yingnan, Yan Yunke...
Though ages had passed, the carved names on the wooden tombstones were still deeply etched and clearly recognizable.
These people had come to this world only to suffer from war's poison, struggling to survive here.
However, Yan Jiang misjudged the situation; the Human Race was not extinct.
Perhaps he did not misjudge.
In that era, with their homeland at the center of the battlefield, few truly survived.
Du Yu softly said, "The year 524."
Hearing her student's words, Yang Qingqing looked towards the last row of tombstones on the right.
The Tomb of Yan Yao, Divine Tree Calendar year 524, erected with respect by Yan Jinshu...
The engraved words on the tombstone were simple, lacking mention of the relationship between the one who erected it and the deceased, nor did it include the birth year of the deceased, only the year of death.
Perhaps, even the year of death is questionable.
After all, in the Mountain Realm, the sky had only dark clouds and thunder with no Sun and Moon Flow, making the years certainly questionable.
Yang Qingqing spoke faintly, "The Yan Family persisted for over 200 years."
In this solemn place, Du Yu's voice was also very light, "Does Master Qing know when they were brought into the Mountain Realm?"
"Yes, the Mountain and Sea Bell spoke up."
Du Yu: "It finally agreed to communicate?"
Yang Qingqing nodded slightly, "The Yan Clan People were likely drawn into the bell in the 303rd year of the Great Xia Calendar, the third year since the Mountain and Sea Bell came into existence.
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