Shennongjia is a place full of mystery, and many legends about it have been passed down since ancient times.
Legend has it that the legendary ancestor, Emperor Yan Shennong, built a ladder here, tasted hundreds of herbs, saved people from illness and death, and taught them farming, hence the name 'Shennongjia'.
Whether by coincidence or by design, this region happens to be located near 30° North latitude.
Located near 30° North latitude, Shennongjia also boasts the world's highest peak, a group of pyramids, murals depicting the fire god, the legendary Hanging Gardens, the Bermuda Triangle, and the mysterious Mayan civilization, among other things.
Gao Ang believes that it is no coincidence that these representative buildings or landmarks with mysterious colors gather in this dimension; it is an arrangement in the dark.
He used to be a staunch atheist, but since the mutation that occurred to him, his faith has begun to waver.
Perhaps, there are some supernatural forces in this world, but they are content to remain in solitude, or are bound by certain rules, so they cannot show themselves to the world.
Just like the "Yeren Legend" of Shennongjia, why can't Yeren exist?
Perhaps some animal mutated near 30° North latitude in Shennongjia, just like him, and thus gained its own intelligence and physique. Its tracks were discovered by humans who had gained civilization, but for some reason it could not leave this place.
All of this was just Gao Feng's own speculation. He had heard a little about these mysterious legends and would occasionally search for related information online. Then he would make up some random things on his own and even go online to chat with some enthusiasts on forums and talk about them to the point of madness.
I parked the car at a hotel in the forest area, booked a room for myself, paid half a month's rent, and then, carrying my backpack and holding Xiaohua, I hiked into the mountains.
The hotel is quite a distance from the mountains. According to the location on my phone, it's at least ten kilometers away, and that's just the outer edge of the forest. To get into the forest or even the restricted area, it's probably more than thirty kilometers away.
The ten-kilometer hike posed no challenge for Gao Ang at all. If it weren't for the fact that he was walking on a rural road and occasionally encountered other travelers and vehicles, he would have already started running at full speed.
For certain reasons, Shennongjia, which is usually a scenic area, was unusually deserted. In addition, there was a lot of rain this year, and the distant forest area looked misty, like a monster lurking in the moisture. Even though he had undergone mutation and his physical abilities had been greatly enhanced, Gao Ang still felt a little uneasy in the face of such a natural area full of mysterious legends.
"Little Flower, we're going into the mountains soon, so don't wander off and stay close to me."
After petting the little flower a couple of times until it squinted its eyes and looked impatient, Gao Ang took out a bottle of water from his backpack, drank a few mouthfuls himself, and also gave the little flower some water. Only then did he perk up and officially step into this mysterious jungle.
He carefully selected the entrance to the mountain to avoid the patrol officers.
For public safety, a considerable portion of the forest area has been designated as a restricted zone, and video surveillance has been installed along roadsides and in some trees and bushes.
At this moment, his mutated vision played a crucial role. The forest was filled with moisture after the rain, but his high-angle vision was not affected in any way. He could always see through the layers of moisture and foliage to accurately find the surveillance cameras in hidden corners, and then turn around to look for the next entrance.
After eleven observations and selections, he finally found a suitable entrance to the mountain on the edge of a cliff.
That's true. Apart from this place, even in other places where the terrain is rugged and difficult, there are always fearless people who will try to challenge it. But this cliff... without professional tools and extraordinary physical strength, don't even think about going down. If you fall or something, you'll only end up being smashed to pieces.
He picked up a rock about the size of a kettle from the ground, weighed it in his hand, and estimated it to be about three kilograms. Gao Ang then threw it off the cliff.
Seeing this, Xiaohua quickly took two steps back, as if she was afraid that Gao Feng would also throw her down like that.
The moment he dropped the stone, Gao Ang closed his eyes and pricked up his ears to listen to the echo coming from the bottom of the cliff.
As expected of a forest area, a cacophony of sounds erupted like a zoo: the chirping of insects, the fluttering of birds' wings, the lapping of stream water against pebbles…
A muffled thud reached my ears.
The time interval between him dropping the stone and hearing the sound is estimated to be between 0.2 and 0.3 seconds. Based on the speed of sound in the air, this distance is not deep, at most only a hundred meters or so.
Moreover, the bottom of the cliff should not be a hard surface; it should be covered with a thick layer of leaves or vegetation, because he heard the sound of stones rolling on the ground and rubbing against the leaves.
"Xiaohua, come in." Gao Ang pointed to the backpack and waved to Xiaohua.
"Meow."
Although she didn't know what the man was going to do, Xiaohua trusted him and obediently went inside.
Gao Ang planned to fall from here with his bare hands, but not in the free fall way. Instead, he planned to climb down the cliff step by step, like rock climbing.
According to his observation, the cliff face was not smooth as crystal; it had many protrusions and depressions, providing footholds. With his strength and endurance, he should have no problem getting down to the bottom of the cliff.
Gao Ang had an impulse to jump off from here.
He was just worried about whether his healing ability was strong enough. What if something went wrong and he ended up as a meat pie?
To be fair, his skin was hard enough to be comparable to diamond, and he was fully qualified to jump. However, out of caution and for safety, he obediently squatted down, grabbed a protruding rock on the edge with both hands, and began to lower his feet down.
After taking a look, I didn't feel much strain on my arms. In fact, I felt a bit relieved, as if the power within me was eager to show itself.
With both feet touching two support points, after a little testing, you should be able to support your own weight. Gradually relax your hands and lower your center of gravity.
When his head was level with the top of the cliff, he raised his arms and used force to return to the top of the cliff.
He felt he shouldn't wear shoes, as they would affect his ability to judge the cliff face, such as which rocks were hard enough to support his weight, or which rocks were loose and unsuitable as support points.
He took off his shoes, tied the shoelaces to his belt, and then returned to the edge of the cliff.
Why not put it in your backpack?
Little Flower is here, the kettle is here, he doesn't have such strong tastes...
After taking off my shoes, my senses were indeed much clearer. My soles gripped a protruding rock tightly, and I gradually lowered my feet downwards.
After descending about three or four meters, something seemed amiss.
Unable to find a foothold, Gao Ao could no longer descend.
He was currently gripping two protruding rocks above him with both hands, his body pressed against the rock face, his right foot dangling in mid-air, and his entire body tilted at an angle of about 30 degrees.
"Damn, this is a disaster! We've only come down a few meters, and we're already stuck here?"
Returning to the top of the cliff shouldn't be a problem, after all, he'd only come down a few meters, but he wasn't willing to give up.
"Let's try anything, even if it's just a sliver of hope."
With a determined look, he raised his right leg high, toes together, contracted his gluteal muscles, and kicked the rock wall hard.
He wasn't entirely confident about this kick. After all, over twenty years of life experience had taught him that you should never let your toes collide head-on with a rock, or you'll end up with a broken toe.
However, the microscope video from a few days ago told him that his skin cells have a hexagonal structure similar to graphene, with a hardness comparable to diamond. If even the cells of the stratum corneum are this tough, then the strength of his bones should not be too bad, right?
If the facts match his guess, reaching the bottom of the cliff is 100% certain; if not, he'll only feel pain for a while, since he has a strong healing ability and won't worry about losing too much blood.
The tip of my right big toe quickly felt resistance, but the expected pain did not come.
Then, as if a windowpane had been pierced, the toes were wrapped in layers of paper, bound and yet able to break through without hindrance. Then the entire sole of the foot was enveloped in coldness, as if entering a chilly tunnel.
With a push of his feet, Gao Yang could clearly feel the support coming from his soles. This force was enough to support his weight, and his arms gradually began to relax.
"It's done!"
It seems that my guess was not too far off; my body and bones are indeed hard enough to withstand rocks. I just don't know where the limit of this body's strength lies.
Fortunately, he plans to stay in Shennongjia for a while, so there will be plenty of opportunities to test this limit.
If you can stick your feet into the rock wall, then it shouldn't be too difficult to stick your hands in, right?
And so, with a handprint and a footprint, they slowly 'walked' down the cliff.
Yes, from a distance, it looks like he's walking down, just backwards.
At first, he was a little nervous and scared. After all, he was in mid-air. Although he was sure that his body was tough enough, he was still afraid that he would lose his footing and fall.
If the skin and bones are strong enough, what about the internal organs?
At such a height, considering the acceleration due to gravity, the impact of his landing was no less than being hit head-on by a heavy truck.
Even if his skin and bones are fine, what if his internal organs rupture due to the strong impact? Wouldn't he die instantly?
Wouldn't he become the first mutant to fall to his death on Earth?
As the saying goes, practice makes perfect. As they walked, Gao Ang adapted to the rhythm and soon led Xiao Hua to the bottom of the cliff.
Instead of immediately taking Xiaohua out of his backpack, he opened his senses and 'inspected' everything around him.
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