"This is?"
What appeared in front of them was a nearly vertical earth cliff. It was several hundred feet long and several hundred feet high. Due to the erosion of sand and the passage of time, it was hard to tell whether this earth cliff was made of earth or sand.
This kind of earth cliff was still very common in this area because they had not yet gone deep into the Gobi Desert. When they really went deep, they would not be able to find anything other than sand.
The peculiar thing about this earth cliff was that there were hundreds of caves of various sizes on its hanging walls. Although they had been eroded by the wind and sand for many years, it was obvious that this was not the work of nature, but rather a clear sign of human activity.
This was a man-made cave sculpture group. In the caves of different sizes, one could faintly see the statues of legendary gods and Buddhas. However, many of them were half-hidden in the sand that was everywhere in the Gobi Desert.
The outlines of the upper layers could still be seen, but the lower layers were almost completely filled by the wind and sand and had become part of the cliff, leaving only their shapes.
It was a bit like the Mogao Cave in his previous life, but it was simpler and smaller in scale. Moreover, it did not have any color. He did not know if it was not colored in the beginning or if the color had long been taken away by the wind and sand.
"Are there any earth tribes around here?" Lou Xiaoyi was worried and asked.
Qi Er's answer was very straightforward. "No, there is no one within thirty miles! The limited number of indigenous people in the Gobi Desert will live in oases. No one can survive in a place like this!
Little Yi, I know what you mean. Don't worry, this is an ownerless land and not the graveyard of an earth tribe. It has a longer history than the earth tribe.
So, there is nothing to worry about! "
Everyone gathered in front of the cave wall group and pointed. Although they were all born and bred in Pu City, they had never been to this place. In their short lives, the destinations of their excursions were mostly in the other areas of Pu City with abundant water and grass.
Qi Er took out his mysterious map again, but this time, he looked at it very quickly and pointed at it with his finger.
"This cave group is roughly divided into five layers. As shown in the map, the secret is in the third cave on the left of the fourth layer …"
Everyone looked over. The fourth floor was actually the second highest floor. The third cave wasn't that big. Among the hundreds of caves in the Earth Cliff, it was one of the smaller ones. Looking at it from the outside, there was nothing special about it.
Fatty Qian shouted, "The third cave on the fourth floor? Second Brother, are you telling the truth? How can I fit into such a small hole? Could there be a mistake? I think those big holes are good. If I want to hide something, I will hide it in those big holes! "
Qi Er scolded, "It's not like we're rearing pigs. Why do we need space? Everyone, let's see how we can go up. I reckon that it's not very possible to climb up from the bottom. Firstly, there's no ladder. Secondly, this cliff is exposed to the wind and the sun. It doesn't look very sturdy. There's also no way to chisel nails and pull ropes … "
This wasn't a difficult problem to solve. Since it wasn't easy to go up from the bottom, they might as well go up from the top. They would first climb to the top of the Earth Cliff, then use the rope to drop down.
Lou Xiaoyi secretly observed. He had already begun to think of retreating. According to the theory from his previous life, the greatest danger was the danger that came unknowingly. When you didn't fully realize it, it would come so gently, making you feel that it was within your control and that you could do it with a little more effort. When the danger revealed its fangs, you would realize that everything was irreversible.
The Earth Cliff was more than ten feet high, and the height of the fourth floor was also about ten feet. If they fell from such a height, even if it was soft sand below, they would basically be crippled even if they didn't die.
Moreover, the most uncertain thing about the so-called Earth Cliff was its bearing capacity. If it was a stone cliff, even if it was higher, they would still have confidence because they knew that at least the bottom of their feet was solid.
The biggest characteristic of a teenager's action was that they followed the crowd. If there was a certain amount of danger, if the first teenager dared to go up and try, then the other teenagers would definitely follow closely. No matter how timid they were, no matter how much they resisted in their hearts, they would never say no.
For a teenager at this age, face was more important than the sky. No one wanted to become the object of ridicule when their future companions gathered together. This was also the reason why there were always children who fell from trees and drowned in small ponds.
Their age meant that they would never understand that admitting that they were timid wasn't a shameful thing!
They didn't understand, but Lou Xiaoyi understood. The only thing he was considering now was whether to say it now or climb to the top of the cliff. It was a bit too early to say it now. The teenagers had been running for nearly a hundred miles in half a day, and when they reached this place, they would look up and then retreat when they felt that they couldn't climb up?
How was that possible?
Fatty Qian helped him make the decision. This hot-tempered teenager took the lead and jumped off the horse to find a way to climb up. Then, Iron Pillar and Monkey Sun followed closely behind, unwilling to be outdone.
Lou Xiaoyi sighed. The situation was getting out of hand. He suspected that even if he raised a different opinion, he might not be able to stop this group of teenagers who seemed to have seen their favorite toys.
Qi Er was still considered mature. He wasn't in a hurry to climb up. Instead, he looked at the remaining few.
"Let's first tie up the horses and find a shady place. Don't let the horses be scared away when we come back. There's no way to walk these hundred miles back. We have to pay special attention to the scorpion cave. It'll be troublesome if this thing stings the horses."
"Do we need to leave someone to watch over them?"
Lou Xiaoyi asked. Since he couldn't stop this group of impulsive guys, at least he could stay outside. If something really happened, whether it was to rescue them or to return to report, there would always be a backup plan.
Qi Er shook his head. "There's no need! Our brothers are all here. Who would stay here to watch the horses and let others get the opportunity? We have to go up and try our luck, especially you, Little Yi. You haven't started cultivating yet. If there's a good opportunity, we've all discussed it. You go first!
Moreover, this place is spacious. If we climb to the top of the cliff, we'll have a panoramic view of everything within dozens of miles. It's impossible for anyone to get close to steal the horses. We only need to sprinkle some realgar to guard against the sand snakes and scorpions! "
The second key to walking towards danger was that there would always be someone who was sincerely thinking for you! You would be moved by this and then forget about the danger.
Just like now, everyone had a tacit understanding that if there really was an opportunity, they would help Lou Xiaoyi, who hadn't started cultivating yet. Such brotherly love made one feel touched and helpless.
Rationality and impulsiveness could never coexist!
The few of them found a shady and shady place to tie up the horses. Then, they carefully sprinkled two layers of realgar powder around the horses. To be honest, Lou Xiaoyi didn't bring realgar powder with him when he was preparing for the journey.
There was still a gap between the consciousness in one's mind and real experience. Even if most of these guys' bags were filled with wine and meat, there were still some useful things, especially the leader, Qi Er.
A burst of joyful laughter came from the cliff. It turned out that Fatty Qian, who was running in the first place, had slipped and ended up falling down the cliff. The path up the cliff was a slope. The sand was soft to begin with, and the fatty's flesh was also soft. After rolling all the way down, nothing happened to him. However, he was so angry that he shouted and scolded Iron Pillar Monkey for not pulling him back!
Therefore, he exerted all his strength and continued climbing up.
Monkey laughed and scolded from above, "Pull you back? Can you pull me back? At that time, it won't be one person rolling, but two people rolling!
I'm not as fat as you. I'm afraid I won't be able to come back up if I go down! "
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