One hundred kilometers was neither far nor near, but in the deep mountains and old forests, it was a distance that ordinary people might not be able to cover in a day.
However, for Ning Beichen and Liu Yilin, who possessed qinggong, it took only two hours to arrive.
"Beichen, the location indicated by the coordinates should be this valley."
Liu Yilin stopped and looked down at a deep, mist-shrouded valley.
Ning Beichen stood beside Liu Yilin, nodding as he looked at the mist-shrouded valley.
If Liu Yilin's recalculated coordinates were correct, then the place indicated by the Jiugong Ce should be the valley below.
But regardless of whether the valley below was the secret hidden by the Jiugong Ce, since they had come here, Ning Beichen would not give up easily. He had to go down and take a look.
However, they were at the edge of a high mountain cliff, and the valley was below, shrouded in mist, making it impossible to see the situation below clearly or gauge its depth.
"I'll find a way down," Ning Beichen said to Liu Yilin, then began to observe the surroundings. After a short while, he waved to Liu Yilin, beckoning her over.
"This path should lead down to the valley below, but the mountain is steep, so you need to be careful when going down. I'll go first, and you follow me."
After explaining to Liu Yilin, Ning Beichen leaped down, landing on a protruding rock. He waved to Liu Yilin above, signaling her to come down.
Liu Yilin leaped directly, descending towards Ning Beichen's location.
When she reached the area above Ning Beichen, he grabbed her leg and pulled her down.
"There's something strange about this place. Look, this mist won't dissipate; it's like clouds. Be careful. I'll scout ahead. Once I confirm it's safe, I'll call you down."
Ning Beichen said to Liu Yilin.
"I know. You be careful too."
Liu Yilin nodded.
Ning Beichen gave an "ok" gesture and then leaped further down, grabbing a root hanging from the soil. He used the root to swing, descending about ten meters to the right.
After Ning Beichen confirmed the safety of the spot, he notified Liu Yilin from above to come down.
The two of them slowly moved downwards towards the valley, experiencing several perilous moments during the descent.
The most dangerous of these was when Liu Yilin had just jumped down, and a massive rock, five or six meters long, fell from above, nearly crushing her.
Fortunately, Ning Beichen's hands were quick. He intervened in time, using a thunderous force to push the boulder away, allowing Liu Yilin to escape disaster.
Another time, when Ning Beichen landed on a patch of mud, the mud suddenly collapsed, almost burying him alive.
However, these were all minor scares, and the two of them eventually landed safely in the valley below.
Upon reaching the valley, Ning Beichen and Liu Yilin could sense its difference. The valley gave them a feeling of extreme cold.
Although it was August, the valley below was a world of ice and snow, with creatures frozen into ice sculptures visible on the ground.
These creatures were in various poses, suggesting that most of them had fallen from above and been frozen into ice.
"So cold!"
As soon as Liu Yilin landed, she stomped her feet in the cold.
It was summer when they arrived, so they hadn't brought any heavy clothing. Who would have expected it to be so frigid down here?
Next, Ning Beichen taught Liu Yilin how to circulate her internal energy to resist the cold, and Liu Yilin began to feel a bit better.
What was eerie about the valley was that despite the cold, there was no wind or snow, as if they were in an ice cave.
However, for Ning Beichen and his companion, the more bizarre and abnormal the place was, the happier they became.
This was because the more abnormal it was, the more likely it was the place indicated by the Jiugong Ce.
Ning Beichen and Liu Yilin walked deeper into the valley.
Soon, they arrived at a place that made their scalps tingle. The entire area was filled with ice sculptures, not of animals, but of humans.
These ice-sculpted humans were all wearing rough linen clothes from an unknown era.
Liu Yilin shrieked upon seeing these human ice sculptures and hid behind Ning Beichen.
Ning Beichen, on the other hand, was extremely excited. Perhaps these ice sculptures held the secret of the Jiugong Ce, but whether they were related to the concept of "Heaven and Man as One" still needed to be investigated.
These ice sculptures were lifelike, with men, women, old, and young. It was unknown how many years they had been frozen here—perhaps a century, an eon, or an era.
"Beichen, are these people still alive?"
Liu Yilin asked, fearfully clutching Ning Beichen's sleeve.
"Don't worry, they are likely all dead."
Ning Beichen didn't sense any life force from the ice sculptures. If they were still alive, it would be too terrifying.
Hearing Ning Beichen say that the ice sculptures had no life, Liu Yilin also became interested in them.
She was a scientist, and the saying that "the pinnacle of science is theology" was not just a jest; it had evidence.
Otherwise, it would be impossible to explain why humans could cultivate and possess extraordinary power.
Liu Yilin's thoughts now were whether there was a way to take these human ice sculptures back for research.
The known history of humanity spanned only a few thousand years.
But from what era did these human ice sculptures originate?
Or from what era?
Or were they even from an era known to humanity?
All of this was a mystery.
If these human ice sculptures could be taken out, it would surely rewrite history and shock all of humanity.
However, Liu Yilin only thought about it and didn't dare to actually do it.
Ning Beichen led Liu Yilin forward, and the line of human ice sculptures continued to extend until they reached an ancient stone structure.
Upon seeing this ancient stone structure, Ning Beichen's heart began to pound uncontrollably.
Could the secret of "Heaven and Man as One" be within this structure?
The thought made Ning Beichen's blood boil.
He immediately walked towards the stone building.
However, at that very moment, a roar suddenly echoed, causing Ning Beichen's expression to change. He immediately retreated a few steps and motioned for Liu Yilin to be cautious.
Not long after, a leopard emerged from the stone building, causing Ning Beichen's pupils to contract sharply.
This was the same leopard that he had scared away last night.
The leopard clearly recognized Ning Beichen, roaring fiercely at him with eyes full of malice, as if enemies meeting after a long time.