Chapter 65: Can You Fly?

Chu Tianfeng caught up with Xu Yan almost instantly, seizing her arm in one swift motion. Xu Yan, frantic and panicked, didn’t even realize she’d been grabbed and continued to scream.

Spotting a pine tree as thick as a wrist, Chu Tianfeng leapt toward it without hesitation.

But alas—under their combined weight, the pine was no match; with a sharp crack, it snapped in two!

A jagged branch scraped across Chu Tianfeng’s left shoulder, tearing his clothing and sending blood spattering into the air.

It was only then that Xu Yan became aware of her situation. She stared at Chu Tianfeng in terror, blinking forcefully, unable to believe it was real.

Chu Tianfeng had no time to speak. He swiftly formed a hand seal, slowing their descent.

Even so, the pine tree had served its purpose—they were falling much slower now.

Luckily, the cliffside was littered with more pines and jutting rocks, each offering a chance for survival.

Chu Tianfeng targeted another pine, his toes tapping lightly on outcrops as they drifted toward it, further reducing their speed.

But that tree, too, succumbed to their weight, snapping in twain with a resounding crack.

This time, however, their speed was all but spent. Chu Tianfeng shielded Xu Yan from broken branches, sparing them further injury.

Xu Yan noticed the change, her eyes brimming with gratitude as she looked at him.

“Don’t be afraid,” Chu Tianfeng murmured reassuringly.

Against the whistling wind, those words seemed unusually clear, louder than anything else—a single note of calm in the chaos.

Xu Yan couldn’t recall ever hearing such a pleasant voice. She stared at his resolute face, determined to etch it in her memory forever.

But Chu Tianfeng’s focus was elsewhere—his gaze locked on the cliff below.

Suddenly, he spotted a large ledge more than ten meters down—a chance!

Without a second thought, he guided them toward it, his feet tapping rhythmically on protruding rocks, their descent resembling skipping stones across a pond.

At last, with a heavy thud, they landed on the platform.

To protect Xu Yan, Chu Tianfeng touched down first, acting as a human cushion.

The impact knocked Xu Yan unconscious on the spot.

Chu Tianfeng staggered from the blow, nearly tumbling off the ledge himself.

He knew he was injured again, but the wounds were superficial—nothing he couldn’t endure. What concerned him more was the depletion of his inner energy. Alone, he’d have managed the fall with far less trouble, but carrying Xu Yan had made things far more difficult.

Still, he had no regrets. She had saved him once; now he had returned the favor. From now on, they owed nothing to each other, and he could face her with a clear conscience.

He released Xu Yan, settled cross-legged, and began to restore his energy and heal his wounds.

The ledge was small, scarcely three square meters. Xu Yan lay slantwise to one side, her face still marked by fear and unease. Her gauzy dress was torn, likely by branches during their fall, and her arms bore several scratches, two of which oozed a faint trace of blood.

At that moment, faint voices echoed from the top of the cliff—women calling out, indistinct but clear enough to identify.

Chu Tianfeng paid them no mind. He estimated they had descended over a hundred meters; even if he shouted himself hoarse, Du Jingjing and the others above might not hear him.

He was certain Du Jingjing would organize a rescue, so he felt no urgency. Once he’d healed and restored his energy, he could climb back up on his own, even if no one came for them.

Half an hour passed. Still meditating, Chu Tianfeng was roused by a soft moan nearby.

He ended his healing and looked over to see Xu Yan slowly opening her eyes.

“I’m not dead?” she murmured, dazed.

Fear still haunted her features, her hair a tangled mess.

“No,” Chu Tianfeng nodded.

“You saved me?” she asked.

“Yes,” he replied inwardly, wondering why she bothered to ask when the answer was so obvious. Had she hit her head?

“Thank you! Thank you so much!” Xu Yan struggled to her feet.

“You’re welcome,” Chu Tianfeng said, shaking his head.

“Where are we?” Xu Yan asked, peering around in confusion.

“Probably halfway up the mountain,” he replied, rising as well.

She tidied her hair, gazing up at the cliff’s edge. “It’s so high!”

Chu Tianfeng shrugged.

“It’s incredible!” Xu Yan turned to him. “Senior, can you fly?”

He smiled wryly, turning his gaze downward. “No, I can’t. I wish I could—but that’s just a dream for now.”

“Oh my, you’re hurt!” Xu Yan finally noticed the blood on his back.

“It’s nothing, just a scratch,” he replied, eyes still scanning below.

Suddenly, he spotted a fruit tree not far beneath the ledge, its boughs heavy with crimson, marble-sized fruit—black branches, willow-like leaves, and those luscious red orbs, all perfectly clear.

Fiery Dragon Fruit!

A spiritual treasure forged by the purest energy of heaven and earth, it was the principal ingredient for returning or restoring elixirs—legendary healing pills.

The Returning Pill was a lower-grade elixir: if consumed by anyone below the Golden Core stage, it could heal any injury, even a shattered dantian, so long as the victim still drew breath. Even cultivators at higher levels often took it to recover from wounds.

The Restoring Pill, meanwhile, was a superior elixir, suitable for those in advanced cultivation stages.

Chu Tianfeng’s heart leapt—fortune had smiled upon him. Even falling from a cliff, he’d stumbled upon a treasure.

Fiery Dragon Fruit was indeed a priceless find, worth millions of top-grade spirit stones on Blue Moon Star, and often unattainable regardless of wealth.

Here on Earth, where spiritual energy was scarce, its value was beyond measure.

He quickly calculated his next move. He had to pick the fruit, but the timing was crucial. If he went now, before rescue arrived, the fruit would be exposed the moment help showed up. Whether they understood its value or not, he didn’t want unnecessary trouble.

No, better to wait until they were safely back.

“Senior, let me bandage your wound,” Xu Yan’s gentle voice broke his thoughts.

Only then did he remember she was there. “No need,” he said, “it’s just a surface scratch.”

“But if you don’t treat it, it could get infected—or leave a scar,” she insisted.

He relented, sitting cross-legged again. “Honestly, I just need to rest a bit.”

Xu Yan knelt behind him, tearing a strip from her sleeve to dress his wound.

Suddenly, she froze.

She’d spotted a mole at the base of Chu Tianfeng’s neck—a familiar spot, a familiar shape—leaving her utterly bewildered.

Unaware, Chu Tianfeng inspected the bandage when she finished. “Thank you!”

“No, you shouldn’t thank me—I should thank you!” Xu Yan replied, shaken from her reverie. “You risked your life to save me. I’m truly moved.”

He thought for a moment before saying, “There’s really no need for thanks. I’m a friend of Chu Tianfeng. You saved him once; now I’ve saved you. We’re even.”

Xu Yan seemed stunned. After a pause, she whispered, “Is he all right?”

“He’s fine, thank you for asking.”

“You two are close friends?”

He nodded. “Yes.”

“Oh,” Xu Yan forced a smile. “No wonder you can fly, too.”

Chu Tianfeng could only rub his forehead. He understood—Xu Yan, an ordinary person, likely couldn’t tell the difference between flying and leaping. He saw no reason to explain.

“His phone is always off. Can you reach him?” she asked.

He hesitated. “Do you need something from him?”

“Not really,” Xu Yan smiled. “A lot of people at school are looking for him. If you can reach him, tell him not to come back.”

“I will,” Chu Tianfeng replied, genuinely grateful.

“What should we do now?” Xu Yan asked again. “Will someone come to rescue us?”

“They will. Rest for now; help should arrive soon,” Chu Tianfeng replied, closing his eyes. “I need to focus on healing.”

“Okay.” Xu Yan nodded.

Chu Tianfeng resumed his meditation. Xu Yan, bored, sat back-to-back with him, gazing at the sea of clouds above, lost in thought.

An hour later, a jubilant shout came from above. “Hey! Are you all right down there?”

Xu Yan looked up to see a firefighter, harnessed by two ropes, descending from fifteen meters above.

“We’re fine!” Xu Yan stood and waved excitedly.

Chu Tianfeng ended his meditation and leapt to his feet. After over an hour of healing, his wounds were nearly gone, his energy fully restored.

“Don’t move! I’m coming down,” the firefighter called.

“We’re saved!” Xu Yan cried, leaping with joy. “Senior, we’re saved!”

Chu Tianfeng glanced up. “You go first when he gets here.”

Xu Yan shook her head fiercely. “No, you should go first. You’re hurt—you need to see a doctor.”

Chu Tianfeng smiled. “I’m almost healed. You go ahead; I need a moment.”

“You can’t fool me,” Xu Yan insisted. “You go first.”

By now, the firefighter had landed on the ledge.

“How did you end up here?” he asked incredulously. “It doesn’t make sense!”

“We tumbled down and hit several trees along the way. They broke our fall,” Chu Tianfeng improvised.

“Several?” The firefighter’s eyes widened. “You two are really lucky.”

Xu Yan laughed. “Yes, we hit so many trees, we even broke a few.”

“I did see a few smashed pines on the way down—could hardly believe it,” the firefighter chuckled. “Come on, I can only take one at a time.”

Chu Tianfeng nodded toward Xu Yan, but she stubbornly refused to go first.

For the first time, he glimpsed this side of Xu Yan. Smiling softly, he gave her a gentle hug before stepping toward the firefighter.