Chapter 178: Reaching The Ravine
Nine days into their journey, the trio finally reached the edge of Broken Fang Ravine—a day earlier than expected.
"I think we overdid the marching," Han Yu muttered, rubbing his legs as they crested a hill.
"No, you overdid the marching," Fatty Kui groaned. "I was ready to stop and make camp two days ago, but you kept shouting, ’We make time or time makes us!’ like some motivational goose."
Han Yu raised a brow. "Did you just compare me to a goose?"
"An inspirational one," Fatty Kui clarified.
Wu Shuan ignored the bickering and crouched at the edge of the hill, squinting at the terrain ahead. "That’s the ravine," he pointed.
The trio looked down from their vantage point. Broken Fang Ravine lived up to its name. Jagged cliffs tore through the earth like a massive scar, the sharp edges curved inward like the jaws of a beast frozen mid-snap. Though the air was clear and fog-free, the bottom of the ravine remained concealed in an uncanny darkness—as though the world itself refused to look too deeply.
"No mist," Han Yu noted. "At least the Mist Eye Sect didn’t name this place after their laundry brand."
"I don’t trust it," Fatty Kui said. "Too quiet. Even the birds are suspiciously absent."
"Well," Wu Shuan said calmly, "we’ll find out soon enough. No patrols, no visible movement. If the Mist Eye Sect is still here, they’re keeping to the shadows."
They had spent the last week fending off minor spirit beasts—nothing serious, just a few wild razor-back boars and an especially aggressive bush that tried to steal Fatty Kui’s pants. Most of the beasts were swiftly dealt with and, more importantly, swiftly roasted.