"Save me!" Wang Yanfeng's cry for help came before Wang Hao could even steady himself.
"Argh, I really owe you one!" Wang Hao replied, but Wang Yanfeng was the one in dire need of rescue. Though his talents were weak and his luck terrible, over the years he'd always made sure Wang Hao's elixirs sold at good prices and taken good care of him. He truly was a decent uncle.
Wang Hao ordered the Golden-Eyed Duck to rescue Wang Yanfeng. Reluctantly, Ya Ya obeyed.
Only when Wang Yanfeng clambered onto the duck's back did Wang Hao realize he'd misjudged Ya Ya—it wasn't unwillingness but simple lack of strength. Carrying one person was hard enough; carrying two was impossible.
No matter how ferociously Ya Ya beat its wings, the duck, Wang Hao, and Wang Yanfeng continued to plummet.
If nothing changed, Wang Hao and his uncle might be badly hurt—though unlikely to die—but the duck would surely perish. Ya Ya had tried to save them, and Wang Hao refused to let it die.
Turning to Wang Yanfeng, he asked, "Eighth Uncle, you're a Late-Qi Refinement cultivator—surely you have a trump card?"
"I've been stuck in the market refining pills all these years—why would I need tricks? That'd just waste spiritual stones!" Wang Yanfeng replied, offering the perfect excuse, making Wang Hao want to toss him overboard.
Wang Hao recalled a plane-crash story from his past life. In an instant, he ordered Ya Ya to spread its wings wide and glide along the canyon wall.
Their vertical speed converted into horizontal momentum, slowing their fall considerably. "Damn—conservation of momentum!" Wang Hao cursed. If they hit anything, they'd still be killed.
Fortunately, Ya Ya could at least steer. The duck banked around jagged cliffs and skimmed low through the canyon.
"Eighth Uncle, jump when we're about one hundred zhang above the ground!" Wang Hao called. The canyon was a thousand zhang deep; their potential energy was enormous. Landing straight down onto uneven ground would shred them. They needed to lighten their load so Ya Ya could regain altitude.
For a Late-Qi cultivator, one hundred zhang was still dangerous—but not fatal. Wang Yanfeng understood immediately: "Got it. I see some trees below—that's where I'll jump!"
In a flash they reached the hundred-zhang mark. Wang Yanfeng looked at Wang Hao and leapt to a sturdy tree. Ya Ya wobbled but held steady.
Their speed was still high, but manageable.
Wang Hao did not want Ya Ya harmed, either. Thirty zhang from the ground, he jumped, activated a protective shield, and crashed into a thicket of bushes.
Boom! Trees as thick as a man's thigh splintered under him as his shield collapsed. Luckily the earth was soft; though bruised and battered, he was unhurt.
Freed from its burden, the Golden-Eyed Duck flapped up and landed safely. It hurried back to Wang Hao and nuzzled his arm affectionately.
"This time I owe you everything!" Wang Hao stroked Ya Ya's crest and drew out a Golden-Silk Apricot. "Eat, Yaya. You must advance soon, or I'll never get out of this canyon."
"Ga ga," the duck quacked, swallowing the fruit.
"First go fetch Eighth Uncle—I hope he's alright." Wang Hao sent Ya Ya off, then sat to heal himself.
After two fierce battles and a cliff fall, his overlapping wounds forced rapid recovery—else he'd suffer long-term injuries.
Some time later, Ya Ya returned with Wang Yanfeng. He was in bad shape—one leg broken and, by the look of his face, likely internal injuries too.
Yet under the circumstances, being alive was a miracle.
Seeing Wang Hao circulating his qi in meditation, Wang Yanfeng said nothing but sat and treated his own wounds. Cultivators heal swiftly, and they had plenty of pills—if treated promptly, no lasting harm would remain.
Wang Hao left the duck free to stand guard on a nearby outcrop. Over the next five days they meditated; Wang Hao was nearly fully recovered, and Wang Yanfeng would heal in time.
Wang Yanfeng had only been hurt by the fall and was in far better shape. When Wang Hao rose, so did his uncle. "This canyon is so deep your beast couldn't lift two riders," he said. "What shall we do now?"
"We'll figure it out," Wang Hao replied calmly. "We have enough pills and I've got spiritual rice in my ring. We could stay here a year or two if needed. Let's think calmly."
He had his farm to sustain them and was untroubled: once Ya Ya advanced to High First-Rank, carrying two riders would be no challenge.
"We've no other choice," sighed Wang Yanfeng. "I'll scout around—maybe find another exit."
"Not so fast," Wang Hao said. "I saw something ahead that looked like ruins. Maybe a senior cultivator left them. Let's check there first!" He noticed the map marker lay close by, and suggested it.
The marker lay just below their jump point, but Ya Ya's glide had carried them off course. The canyon floor had been unseen in their descent, and the map hadn't unlocked the path—only the building and their two positions.
"Oh?" Wang Yanfeng laughed. "Knew my luck wouldn't fail me entirely. Maybe there's a chance down below!"
Relics aren't rare in the cultivation world—some find them and change their fate, even reaching the Great Dao. Yanfeng thought the same.
Wang Hao gathered Ya Ya and followed the canyon toward the marker, ever watching their surroundings. The canyon ranged four to five li wide at its broadest, narrowing to ten zhang in places, its ends unseen. A stream ran north to south—a good sign, since water flow suggests an outlet.
But that would be their last resort. Both men preferred to avoid the unknown: the stream might lead to a great river or a waterfall—dangers abounded.
So they proceeded warily, qi shields ready, prepared for any sudden threat.
They walked on, cautious of giant venomous insects, high-rank demon beasts hiding in the canyon, and tree spirits—innocent-looking trees that strike without warning.
Neither man was more than a Qi Refinement cultivator; their resources were limited, so vigilance was their only safeguard.