Chapter 119: The Bottom of the Abyss

Gu Weiyu cast another glance at the bone-chilling abyss before retrieving the climbing gear she had prepared from her storage ring. She had made thorough preparations long before learning that flight was impossible within the abyss of the Beast Sea. The climbing tool was a low-grade magical artifact, and its reliability was unquestionable.

After scanning the depths once more and carefully inspecting the edge of the cliff, she selected a recessed area to secure her gear. Only then did she grip the climbing rope tightly and begin her cautious descent. The cliffs on both sides of the abyss were steep, with sharp rocks frequently protruding, hindering her progress. For Gu Weiyu, who had already successfully reached the Foundation Establishment stage, this was not a major difficulty; with the aid of her tools, she moved across the cliff face as nimbly as a swallow.

The true dangers of this abyss were the miniature spirit beasts hidden in the crevices of the rock walls and the exotic beasts at the very bottom. The creatures at the base, in particular, were known for striking in invisible ways. It was rumored that the mist at the bottom of the abyss contained a type of exotic beast capable of inducing hallucinations. If a cultivator were careless enough to be afflicted, they would fall into a daze, lose all sense of direction, and eventually become a mindless, wandering shell of their former self. Legend had it that a Golden Core cultivator had once accidentally wandered into the abyss and, after being attacked by these mist-dwelling creatures, had nearly lost their sanity. This served as a testament to the terror of these beasts—even the spiritual sense of a Golden Core cultivator was not immune to their influence. As a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator, Gu Weiyu knew she had to be exceptionally cautious.

She carefully navigated around the protruding sharp stones, descending slowly along the rope. Suddenly, a faint "puff" sound emerged from a crevice in the rock wall. Gu Weiyu’s body stiffened, her focus sharpening instantly. A small, greyish beetle shot toward her face like an arrow from a bow. Ever vigilant, Gu Weiyu instantly manifested a miniature fireball, enveloping the beetle. Moments later, the creature was scorched into ash.

Before she could even breathe a sigh of relief, it seemed as if some mechanism on the cliff had been triggered, and swarms of small beetles began to emerge, fluttering toward her. "This won't do..." she thought, realizing she could never keep up with fire spells at this rate. A faint glimmer of lightning danced across her body, and a thin layer of electrical energy covered her. She held her breath, bracing for the onslaught. As the swarm closed in, they touched the net of lightning surrounding her and instantly stiffened, falling away into the depths.

*Pitter-patter—pitter-patter—*

A faint sound echoed against the cliff walls. Gu Weiyu watched with satisfaction; she had not expected the "lightning net" to be so effective. With this defense, these annoying little beetles were no longer a threat. She continued her descent, and as she progressed, all sorts of small beasts—insects, frogs, and snakes—would emerge from the cliff face. Gu Weiyu tested her theory and found that any of these small creatures that touched her lightning net were stunned without exception, setting her mind completely at ease. Later, she even infused a trace of Heavenly Lightning Fire into the net, and the results were spectacular. Some small beasts would instinctively lunge at her, only to be sent into a dizzying stupor by the electricity, while the thin-skinned ones were instantly "roasted" upon contact with the Heavenly Lightning Fire.

Gu Weiyu twitched her nose as a strange, charred aroma filled the air. Her stomach let out a low rumble, and she couldn't help but mutter to herself, "I wonder what these roasted beasts taste like?"

The moment the thought crossed her mind, the small sprout that had been dormant in her dantian for some time poked its tip out. "Ah Yu, I'm hungry—"

*What a glutton!*

Gu Weiyu paused her climb, pulled a piece of "meat" from her storage bag, and used a telekinetic spell to move it toward the sprout. "Here you go!" The sprout joyfully extended its leaves to wrap around its favorite food before retreating back into her dantian.

Gu Weiyu suddenly felt her own hunger intensify. She knew that as a Foundation Establishment cultivator, she shouldn't truly feel hunger; this was merely a craving of the flesh. She pondered for a moment before collecting a few of the plumpest-looking frog and snake beasts into her storage bag.

The deeper she descended, the thinner the light became, and visibility dropped significantly. As time passed, she drew closer to the bottom. Gradually, she could dimly perceive a layer of dark grey mist swirling below. Given the dim light, even with her superior vision, it was difficult to discern the details of the floor. Mindful of the potential for exotic beasts, she maintained her lightning net and continued her careful descent. The net crackled, dispelling the tiny dust particles within the mist. She attempted to probe the area with her spiritual sense, only to find that the mist acted as a barrier, blocking her detection.

Even with her spiritual sense now comparable to that of a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, she could only scan about a hundred meters around her. She stood still for a moment, and finding no other anomalies, she decided to find a large boulder to sit and rest. After climbing for so long—though the journey had been safe—and with her stomach grumbling incessantly, she was truly exhausted. She swallowed a Bigu Pill, and the relief was immediate.

Gu Weiyu sat on the boulder for a long time before she finally felt recovered. Having seen no sign of the mind-altering beasts she had heard so much about, she began to wonder if they were merely a fabrication. With this thought, she rose, brushed off her robes, and prepared to leave the bottom of the abyss to climb the opposite cliff.

Passing through the thin grey mist, she reached the other side, secured her climbing gear, and deployed her lightning net as before. This time, the climb was exceptionally smooth; she barely encountered any of the common insects or frogs. It felt like only a short while before she emerged from the abyss.

Seeing the world outside once more, Gu Weiyu felt a surge of joy. The trip through the abyss had been unexpectedly smooth. Once past this gorge, it would take her at most another ten days or half a month to reach her long-awaited home in Qin County. The thought of reuniting with her parents and clansmen made her heart race with excitement.

With a light heart, Gu Weiyu embarked on the next leg of her journey. Along the way, she crossed mountains and rivers, and fortunately, she did not encounter any formidable spirit beasts. In just five days, she exited the Beast Sea and arrived in Anlin County, which bordered Qin County. As she rode her mount, Qingtuan, back into Qin County and passed the familiar Qilin and Wen Mountains, her emotions swelled.

*Closer now—*

*Almost there—*

When the rows of stone houses of Qingshan Village finally came into view, Gu Weiyu could not help but hold her breath. She stood stunned upon Qingtuan’s back, gazing intently at the village in the distance.