Free Web NovelChapter 321: Heavenly Wind Canyon
The silver light shuttle sped across the Flowing Cloud Plain, with Fang Hao sitting cross-legged inside the cabin, his expression calm.
Following the second route planned yesterday, he chose to bypass the north and cross through the Heavenly Wind Canyon and Jade Wave Lake area; although the distance was further, it was relatively safer and more convenient for replenishing resources and gathering information along the way.
After flying for about two days, a massive rift gradually appeared on the horizon ahead.
The rift stretched between the plains and the mountains, as if cleaved open by the giant axe of a Heavenly God, with steep, bottomless cliffs on both sides.
Above the canyon, wild winds howled, kicking up dust to fill the sky and forming visible gray pillars of wind that raged and swirled through the canyon, emitting wails like the cries of ghosts.
"Heavenly Wind Canyon... we’ve arrived."
Fang Hao controlled the silver light shuttle to slowly decelerate, hovering a few miles in front of the canyon entrance, his expression becoming solemn.
Heavenly Wind Canyon was the only path from the northern part of the Flowing Cloud Plain to the hinterlands of the Western Regions, and it was the first natural barrier on this route.
This place was plagued by raging winds all year round, and the strength of the wind was enough to tear apart the protective light of low-level Cultivators.
Even more terrifying was the "Bone-Eroding Yin Wind" hidden deep within the canyon, a strange gale capable of eroding the Physical Body of a Cultivator and grinding away their Divine Soul; even a Golden Core Cultivator would find it hard to escape death if caught within it.
Furthermore, many wind-type Demon Beasts lurked in the canyon, the most fearsome of which was a Third-Ranked Demonic Beast called the "Wind Shadow Falcon," which was extremely fast, adept at stealthy ambushes, and moved in packs, making it very difficult to deal with.
Fang Hao spread out his Divine Sense to carefully investigate the situation at the canyon entrance.
He saw that the cliffs on both sides were bare, almost devoid of vegetation, with only some tough, strange black rocks stubbornly clinging to the rock face.
At the entrance of the canyon, the dust kicked up by the wild winds formed a hazy barrier, severely interfering with both sight and Divine Sense.
Faintly, a few sharp bird cries could be heard in the wind; clearly, Wind Shadow Falcons were already active nearby.
"This place is indeed dangerous." Fang Hao frowned slightly.
With the defenses of the silver light shuttle, he didn’t fear ordinary wild winds, but encountering the Bone-Eroding Yin Wind or a large swarm of Wind Shadow Falcons would be quite troublesome.
Moreover, the terrain inside the canyon was complex, and with his Divine Sense restricted, there was no guarantee other dangers wouldn’t exist.
After a moment of contemplation, he did not enter the canyon immediately but instead controlled the silver light shuttle to land in a hidden mountain hollow near the entrance.
Putting away the flying shuttle, he quickly set up several layers of concealment Formations to perfectly mask himself and the surrounding aura.
"I will observe for a while and confirm it is safe before entering."
Fang Hao sat down cross-legged, his Divine Sense on high alert, while he took out a Jade Slip to review the detailed information about the Heavenly Wind Canyon once more.
This Jade Slip was something he had purchased at the Hundred Know Pavilion in Flowing Cloud City, and it contained quite detailed records of the Heavenly Wind Canyon, including several relatively safe routes, the habits of the Wind Shadow Falcons, and the patterns of when the Bone-Eroding Yin Wind appeared.
According to the records in the Jade Slip, the safest time to pass through the Heavenly Wind Canyon was around noon each day, when the wind in the canyon was relatively weaker and the Bone-Eroding Yin Wind appeared less frequently.
The Wind Shadow Falcons were most active in the early morning and at dusk, while at noon they would return to their nests to rest.
It was just past noon now, which was the best time to pass through.
Fang Hao waited patiently for about half an hour, confirming there were no unusual movements near the canyon entrance and that the wind seemed to have weakened, before he stood up and deployed the silver light shuttle again.
He did not ascend immediately but controlled the flying shuttle to skim close to the ground as it flew slowly toward the canyon entrance.
At the same time, he took the golden puppet out of his storage ring, ready to respond to any sudden situation.
Although the Jade Slip recorded that noon was relatively safe, the cultivation world was full of crises, and one could never let their guard down.
The silver light shuttle slid silently into the canyon entrance; the moment it entered, Fang Hao felt a powerful wind pressure rushing toward him, causing the shuttle’s protective light to fluctuate violently and emit a "woo-woo" sound.
He immediately increased his Qi output to stabilize the shuttle while spreading his Divine Sense to vigilantly scan the surroundings.
Inside the canyon, the scene was even more treacherous.
The cliffs on both sides towered into the clouds, almost blocking out the sky, with only a sliver of daylight falling from above.
The wild wind raged in the narrow canyon, kicking up sand and rocks that struck the shuttle’s protective light, making a "patter" sound.
Below was a bottomless abyss, and the echoes of the howling wind could be faintly heard, like the wailing of ten thousand ghosts, which was heart-stopping.
Fang Hao controlled the silver light shuttle, following the route marked on the Jade Slip, flying slowly close to the left cliff.
This route was relatively sheltered from the wind and close to the cliff, so if he encountered danger, he could quickly find cover or land on a platform on the cliff face.
After flying for about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, a relatively open area appeared ahead, and the wind force weakened slightly.
Just as Fang Hao was about to speed up to pass through, his Divine Sense suddenly shifted, catching several blurry black shadows diving down silently from above the right cliff!
"Wind Shadow Falcons!" Fang Hao’s expression changed slightly, and he immediately controlled the silver light shuttle to dodge sharply to the left.
At the same time, the golden puppet appeared instantly on the right side of the shuttle, its dark golden fist striking out fiercely with a sharp whistle that tore through the air!
Shriek—!!!
Several sharp bird cries rang out!
Those black shadows were indeed Wind Shadow Falcons; they were gray-black all over, blending almost perfectly with the color of the cliff, and were extremely fast, with claws like hooks flashing with cold light as they lunged straight at the silver light shuttle!
If not for Fang Hao’s keen Divine Sense, which had detected them in advance, they likely would have succeeded in their ambush!
Boom—!!!
The golden puppet’s fist collided violently with the lead Wind Shadow Falcon!
The Wind Shadow Falcon let out a shrill cry of agony, its massive body sent tumbling backward with feathers flying, clearly having suffered heavy injuries.
But the other Wind Shadow Falcons took the opportunity to bypass the golden puppet and slashed their claws fiercely at the silver light shuttle!
Chila—!!!
A harsh tearing sound rang out!
The silver light shuttle’s protective light fluctuated violently, and several cracks were actually torn into it!
These Wind Shadow Falcons’ talons were unexpectedly this sharp!
Fang Hao’s eyes turned cold, his thoughts racing; the golden puppet flashed, appearing instantly in front of another Wind Shadow Falcon, and struck out with an iron fist again!
At the same time, Fang Hao opened his mouth and spat out a breath, and the Earthly Fiend Golden Flame transformed into several dark golden fire snakes, sweeping toward the remaining Wind Shadow Falcons!
Shriek, shriek, shriek—!!!
The Wind Shadow Falcons seemed extremely wary of the exotic fire, letting out panicked hisses and dodging in succession.
But the Earthly Fiend Golden Flame was extremely fast, instantly entangling one Wind Shadow Falcon; the dark golden flames burned fiercely, and the Wind Shadow Falcon let out a desperate mournful cry, being reduced to ashes in just a few breaths!
Seeing this, the other Wind Shadow Falcons showed fear in their eyes and dared not fight anymore, letting out a series of unwilling hisses, flapping their wings, and turning into several black shadows that quickly disappeared into the shadows of the cliff.
Fang Hao did not pursue them.
The Wind Shadow Falcons were extremely fast and adept at stealth; it was almost impossible to kill them all, and doing so might attract more of their kind.
He controlled the silver light shuttle to quickly pass through this area, while his Divine Sense remained on high alert, vigilant against any potential further attacks.
Sure enough, after traveling for about another half an hour, the figures of several more Wind Shadow Falcons appeared ahead, but they seemed to have sensed that Fang Hao and the golden puppet were not to be trifled with, so they only circled and hissed in the distance without approaching to attack.
Fang Hao felt slightly relieved; it seemed that although these Wind Shadow Falcons were fierce, they also knew how to seek advantages and avoid disadvantages.
He ignored them and controlled the silver light shuttle to accelerate, wanting only to pass through this canyon as quickly as possible.
After flying for another hour or so, the canyon ahead gradually narrowed, but the wind force suddenly intensified!
The wild wind kicked up sand and rocks, forming gray pillars of wind that raged in the canyon, severely suppressing both sight and Divine Sense.
What made Fang Hao even more alarmed was that a cold, bone-eroding aura faintly drifted in the wind, as if it could penetrate his protective light and invade his Divine Soul directly!
"Bone-Eroding Yin Wind!" Fang Hao’s expression changed, and he immediately controlled the silver light shuttle to descend in altitude, attempting to avoid the area where the wind was strongest.
At the same time, his heart stirred, and the massive body of the golden puppet blocked the front of the flying shuttle, its dark golden light surging violently, forcefully tearing a gap through the incoming wild wind!
Chi, chi, chi—!!!
The wild wind collided with the body of the golden puppet, emitting a harsh friction sound!
The cold Bone-Eroding Yin Wind was actually able to erode the shell of the golden puppet, leaving fine traces on its surface!
Although it could not cause substantial damage, it was enough to prove the terror of this Bone-Eroding Yin Wind!
Fang Hao did not dare to be negligent, injecting all his Qi into the silver light shuttle; the shuttle erupted with dazzling silver light, and like an arrow leaving the bow, it sped toward the other end of the canyon against the wild wind!
The wind howled, and the Bone-Eroding Yin Wind acted like countless tiny blades, constantly cutting at the shuttle’s protective light.
Fang Hao could feel the shuttle’s Qi being consumed rapidly, and the protective light was becoming increasingly dim.
Without hesitation, he took out several Medium Grade Spirit Stones, crushed them directly, and injected the pure Spiritual Qi into the shuttle’s core to maintain the operation of the protective light.
After persisting like this for about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, a sliver of light finally appeared ahead!
The canyon exit was right in front!
Fang Hao’s spirits lifted, and he increased his Qi output again; the speed of the silver light shuttle soared, and as if burning, it instantly rushed out of the canyon exit!
The view before him suddenly opened up!
The wild wind diminished sharply, the sun shone down, and ahead was a relatively flat mountainous area, lush with greenery, forming a stark contrast to the treacherous scene inside the canyon.
Fang Hao controlled the silver light shuttle to land on a flat ground near the exit, put away the flying shuttle, and breathed a long sigh of relief.
Looking back, the Heavenly Wind Canyon was still raging with wild winds, like a Vicious Beast waiting to devour people, which was heart-stopping.
"Finally crossed it." Fang Hao sat down cross-legged, took out some Spirit Stones, and began to recover his consumed Qi.
This Heavenly Wind Canyon certainly lived up to its reputation; if not for his golden puppet and exotic fire, and his choice to cross at noon, he would have truly had to expend a great deal of effort.
After meditating for a while and recovering most of his state, Fang Hao stood up, redeployed the silver light shuttle, and sped toward his next destination—Jade Wave Lake.
The road ahead was long and full of crises, but he had no other choice; he had to keep moving forward.
