He fell off a cliff but unexpectedly gained a cultivation inheritance.

Just as the Huayin City Public Security Bureau issued its new search and rescue order, the Huashan Scenic Area Management Office simultaneously released an emergency notice—due to a tourist falling off a cliff and going missing within the scenic area, in order to ensure tourist safety and cooperate with the search and rescue efforts, the Changkong Plank Road and surrounding core tourist areas will be temporarily closed effective immediately, with the reopening date to be announced later. The notice immediately caused quite a stir within the scenic area.

Tourists visiting the scenic area stopped to discuss the situation, with those who had planned to go to the Plank Road in the Sky looking utterly disappointed and forced to turn back. All景区 staff were mobilized, guiding tourists to disperse in an orderly manner while setting up cordon lines in the closed areas to prevent any unauthorized personnel from approaching. Meanwhile, the search and rescue operation entered a more intensive phase. In addition to the initial ground search and rescue teams, dozens of specialized drones equipped with high-definition cameras and thermal imaging equipment were deployed in batches to conduct a comprehensive aerial search of the entire Huashan scenic area; more than a dozen well-trained search dogs were also brought into the valley, using their keen sense of smell to search for Zhang Bufan's whereabouts among the trees and rocks.

Such a large-scale search and rescue operation naturally did not escape the notice of tourists and local residents within the scenic area. Some people held up their phones to film the spectacular scene of the drone formations taking off, some followed the search and rescue teams' tracks from a distance, and others filmed the scenic area's closed cordon and the staff's evacuation efforts, then casually posted them on online platforms. Videos with titles such as "Huashan Scenic Area Suddenly Closed! Suspected Person Falls Off Cliff and Goes Missing" and "Large Number of Drones and Search Dogs Deployed to Huashan, Unprecedented Scale of Search and Rescue" quickly spread online.

Initially, it was just a minor regional news story, and most netizens simply skimmed through it, leaving at most a comment like "regret" or "hope for safety" before scrolling away. After all, accidental falls by tourists in famous mountains and rivers are not uncommon. But the turning point came with the release of that high-definition video of the fall.

The tourist who filmed the video hesitated for a long time before finally posting the edited footage online. The video, after simple image stabilization, clearly recorded Zhang Bufan's entire descent into the canyon, from his momentary lapse in concentration on the plank road to his slipping on the wooden plank, the safety rope breaking, and his fall into the ravine. The final scene, in particular, where his figure is swallowed by the mountain mist, is visually striking. More importantly, the video caption added crucial information: "Witnessed the fall firsthand; the search and rescue team searched all night, but there was no sign of him, neither alive nor dead!"

The phrase "neither alive nor dead" instantly shrouded this ordinary accident in mystery. After the video was released, its views skyrocketed, exceeding ten million views within just two hours, with likes and comments also increasing rapidly. Hashtags such as #HuashanTouristMysteriouslyDisappearsAfterFallingOffCliff# and #FallingFrom700MeterCliffWithoutAnyTrace# quickly climbed to the top of trending lists on major social media platforms, maintaining high popularity.

The online discussion was completely ignited, with various speculations emerging. Some said, "Mount Hua has always been known for its strange occurrences; perhaps the tourist was taken away by mountain spirits," while others guessed, "Did he fall into some undiscovered secret realm?" Still others analyzed from a scientific perspective, suggesting, "He might have been swept away by a mountain current or trapped in a hidden cave." Regardless of the speculation, the attention given to this incident continued to rise, and almost everyone in the country knew about the news that "a tourist has mysteriously disappeared after falling off a cliff on Mount Hua."

In a luxuriously decorated villa in Pengcheng City, Ye Qingxue was scrolling through her phone. She was Zhang Bufan's ex-wife. Although they had been divorced for two years, their relationship remained strong. Their separation was due to irreconcilable differences in their views on having children, not because they were a bitter couple. Over the years, she would occasionally think of Zhang Bufan and sometimes contact him to say hello.

A trending video tagged with "Falling off a cliff at Mount Hua" and "Mysterious Disappearance" suddenly appeared on her recommendation page. Ye Qingxue didn't want to click on this kind of negative news, but the familiar, slightly chubby figure in the video's thumbnail made her heart clench. Her fingers trembled as she clicked on the video, and when she saw the slightly hunched, chubby man in a dark blue windbreaker fall absentmindedly down the plank road, Ye Qingxue's breath caught in her throat, and her phone fell to the table with a "thud."

It's Zhang Bufan! It's definitely him!

Although the video wasn't a close-up, she knew that figure all too well. That slightly weary posture from all-night coding sessions, that unconscious clenching of his fist—it was exactly the Zhang Bufan she remembered. A wave of overwhelming sadness washed over her; tears welled up uncontrollably, blurring her vision.

After crying for an unknown amount of time, Ye Qingxue suddenly raised her head, a resolute glint in her eyes as she looked at her tear-streaked face. She grabbed her phone from the table, reopened the video, and carefully read the captions and comments. "Missing," "No trace found," "Search still ongoing"—these words brought a slight sense of calm to her. Missing didn't mean dead; as long as the body hadn't been found, there was still hope!

She took a deep breath, wiped the tears from her face with her sleeve, and immediately got up and went into the bedroom. She opened the wardrobe, quickly packed a few changes of clothes and essential personal items into a backpack. Without hesitation, she grabbed the backpack and rushed out of the house, randomly choosing a car and driving to the high-speed rail station.

The car slowly drove away from the residential area. Ye Qingxue watched the street scenes rushing past the window, her hands gripping the steering wheel tightly, silently praying in her heart: Zhang Bufan, you must live! I'm coming to find you, no matter where you are, I will find you!

At this moment, at the foot of Mount Hua, the search and rescue operation continued, and the online discussion showed no signs of abating. No one knew that Zhang Bufan, whom everyone thought was likely dead, was actually in a secret realm beneath Mount Hua, immersed in the world of cultivation, completely unaware of the turmoil outside and the fact that people were rushing to his aid.