Hong Chuan looked downward subconsciously , only to see complete darkness below. It was like an endless abyss. If he were to fall down, despite his cultivation, his body and bones would be crushed.
This instant, goosebumps rose up all over Hong Chuan’s body. He looked upward toward Lu Chen with plea and panic in his eyes.
In contrast to Hong Chuan’s flustered look, Lu Chen appeared calm. However, his face didn’t look good, a little distorted even. It could be due to the overexertion of his strength. No matter who it was, using just one hand to grab a living person wasn’t an easy task.
Taking a prone position by the cliff, he took a deep breath and said to Hong Chuan, “Don’t move! I will pull you up.”
Hong Chuan’s face was ghastly white and he looked like he was in no condition to speak. He simply nodded his head repeatedly.
Lu Chen clenched his jaws and with a deep groaning sound, he started to exert more strength to pull Hong Chuan up. Lu Chen’s had quite an impressive strength to be able to pull Hong Chuan up bit by bit.
As his body rose up slowly, a hint of delight appeared on Hong Chuan’s face. Watching the edge of the cliff getting closer and closer, he spotted a protruding stone right in front. Instinctively, Hong Chuan reached out to grab the stone. However, the strong mountainous wind started to blow at this moment and Hong Chuan’s body began to sway.
Lu Chen’s arm shook slightly as he exerted significantly greater strength. He panicked immediately and howled, “Don’t move!”
Hong Chuan was shocked and shouted back, “I didn’t move, I didn’t…”
Before he could finish his words, huala huala, the rock he was holding onto crumbled, causing him to fall downwards. Hong Chuan’s body plummeted downward abruptly, pulling Lu Chen along with him.
Lu Chen flustered. He intended to grab the rock or the tree beside him in a fumble to secure a grip but the momentum of the fall was too great that it got pulled down as well. In an instant, he tumbled off the cliff.
Huala huala boom boom, a series of weird sounds from the loosened rocks tumbling down the cliff could be heard. The two men also fell off the cliff of the rock wall. However, it was fortunate that due to the slight delay before their fall, they remained right next to the stone wall.
In the precarious moment, the two of them tried their best to grab at everything on the stone wall, coniferous grass roots, protruding stones and anything that could be grabbed. Even so, they continued to fall downward and their speed of descent increased.
“To the right!”
Almost falling completely into despair, Hong Chuan suddenly heard Lu Chen howling beside him. He looked toward the right and saw a pitch-black cave around five to six zhang below.
15~18meters
Hong Chuan was by no means a dumb person. He immediately understood that the cave would be their only straw of hope. With a loud roar, he grabbed onto the cliff-face with all his hands and legs. He felt acute pain on his palms and through just this action, he probably would have incurred many wounds, but he couldn’t be bothered with it at the moment. Due to this action, his downward momentum slowed and the cave appeared right in front of him. With a deep growl, he leapt with all his might toward the cave. It was fortunate that there were quite a few trees growing around the cave. His body crashed violently onto the tree and with a peng, the tree by the cave snaps.
Hong Chuan’s body rebounded and he flew into the cave.
At this critical moment, before Hong Chuan could stabilise his body, he heard the whistling of the sound and a figure fell down beside him. With a roar, he jumped over and grabbed the falling Lu Chen with both of his hands. With all of his might, he pulled Lu Chen in an arc into the cave.
Wuu, a piercing sound could be heard before a muffled sound echoed. Lu Chen’s body crashed heavily onto the ground by the entrance of the cave, then rolling two revolutions inwards.
Hong Chuan’s body also rotated twice about the spot. It seemed that he was about to fall out of the cave yet again. At that moment, the steep cliff was just beneath his feet. Hong Chuan’s face paled.
However, it was fortunate that the several thin trees outside the cave saved him once again. The flustered Hong Chuan’s hands fluttered about and he grabbed onto the bark of a tree. Suo suo, numerous leaves fell from the tree. However, after a moment of continuous shaking and trembling, he finally steadied himself by the entrance of the cave.
※※※
A period of silence passed with no one speaking in this cave by the cliff. Two traumatised men whose heartbeat had yet to stabilise sat by the stone wall near the entrance, panting heavily.
When their breathing started to calm down, they looked up and exchanged gazes, a bizarre look appearing on their faces.
After a short moment, Hong Chuan laughed dryly. He stood up and bowed deeply to Lu Chen, “Brother Lu, I am sincerely apologetic… I have troubled you again.”
Lu Chen shook his head with a bitter smile as he waved his hand, “Forget it, you saved me a moment ago as well. We are equals now.”
An apologetic expression filled Hong Chuan’s face and he seemed to be really distressed. He didn’t know what he should say in such a situation.
However, Lu Chen seemed to be much more open-minded than him. After resting for a moment, his expression went back to normal. He looked around by the entrance of the cave and released an exclamation of shock. He asked, “These two trees, they seem like ‘Jinsi Nan‘?”
TL: It is phoebe zhennan that has a slightly golden glow, a very precious tree which is used to make the emperor’s throne in the past.
“Un?” Hearing those words, the awkward Hong Chuan was taken aback, as though he was astonished by something.
Jinsi Nan wasn’t an ordinary tree. The tree had spirit marks on it and it was a true spirit tree. Its leaves, buds and roots were useful spirit material in cultivator sects. However, the most valuable part of the entire tree was its trunk, which was tough and rigid, giving it many uses.
Hong Chuan took two steps forward toward the two trees growing at the entrance of the cave. Although the sky had already darkened, there was still shimmer of light at the cave’s entrance. He carefully examined the two trees, including the one which he crashed into previously and broke. He nodded toward Lu Chen and said, “Brother Lu, you have great eyesight! These three trees are indeed Jinsi Nanmu. However, it seems that they are still young and the trunks are still quite thin, so they aren’t very useful as a material yet.”
TL: Mu -> Wood, technically the same meaning as Jinsi Nan
Lu Chen walked over and patted one of the trunks of the Jinsi Nan. He smiled, “This is not bad. Although it is around the thickness of a bowl, given how this land isn’t a blessed land or the spirit mountains where the land is full of spirit power, it would require at least hundred years to grow to such a size.”
“You’re right.” Hong Chuan replied. Then, he pondered for a moment before saying, “Brother Lu, this kind of Jinsi Nan doesn’t hold much use for me if I were to take it. I will let you deal with it.”
…
Huala huala boom boom, a series of weird sounds from the loosened rocks tumbling down the cliff could be heard. The two men also fall off the cliff of the rock wall. However, it is fortunate that due to the slight delay before their fall, they are right next to the stone wall.
TL: Due to Lu Chen grabbing the tree/rock before falling down, their fall is slightly delayed. By Physics trajectory, a person falling from the cliff in that manner would go in an arc, thus when they fall, their body will probably leave the cliff (their hands won’t be able to reach the cliff). So, Lu Chen movements reduced their horizontal velocity.
Wuu, a piercing sound could be heard before a muffled sound echoes. Lu Chen’s body crashes heavily onto the wall by the entrance of the cave. After the muffled sound, he rolls two revolutions on the ground.
TL: The piercing sound should be the sound of the air pressure from the arc he threw Lu Chen in and the muffled sound is him bumping onto the wall.
An example of a wood from the Jinsi Nan.
Pretty, isn’t it :>
StarveCleric 
Thanks for the chapter!
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