In the early morning, the brilliant sun cast its golden light over the cliff, illuminating the area below.
Li Xiu had spent the entire night awake, watching as the pale moonlight slowly faded, giving way to the bright rays of the morning sun.
Although he knew that his injuries required rest, and that lack of sleep would only further deplete his energy, Li Xiu feared that closing his eyes would result in an endless void of darkness.
Furthermore, the weight of his mounting debts had become so heavy that the value of sleep seemed insignificant to Li Xiu.
As Li Xiu looked around, he couldn't help but notice the dry grass surrounding him, now stained a deep red from the blood he had coughed up. Despite the gravity of the situation, he let out a bitter laugh at the sight.
Today, for the first time, Li Xiu realised that a person could cough up such a large amount of blood, almost as if they didn't need it to survive.
The sound of rolling stones grew louder as they approached, and Huogong Toutuo gazed at the pitiful sight before him. The young man stood before him, his energy dwindling and his condition terrible. Without an ounce of mercy, Huogong Toutuo spoke.
"Boy, you are indeed lucky to have survived."
"But if you don't learn my Nine Yang Divine Skill, you will definitely not see today's sunset."
The young man seems to have realised something and asks weakly: "Why are you forcing me to learn your Nine Yang Divine Skill?"
At the mention of his injuries, Huogong Toutuo's face, which looks like an evil ghost, darkens and he can't help but sigh.
"Ah, more than ten years ago, I was defeated by Zhang Sanfeng, and I couldn't accept it!"
"But my spine is already broken and I can only use two-thirds of my strength. Even if I can leave here, I won't be able to face Zhang Sanfeng again."
"But I can still win! I want my disciple to defeat any of Zhang Sanfeng's disciples!"
"Boy, as long as you kneel down and worship me, I will officially accept you as my disciple and teach you the Nine Yang Divine Skill!"
"After you master the skill and become the greatest in the world, you will be free to roam. And when you outlast Zhang Sanfeng, you will be the new number one in the world!"
With his eyes half closed, Li Xiu weakly glances at Huogong Toutuo and carefully observes his expression.
He can be sure that Huogong Toutuo really wants to accept him as a disciple, but he doesn't know how serious he is.
He doesn't know if Huogong Toutuo just wants to teach him the first few stages of the Nine Yang Divine Skill so that he can repay his debt and help him escape, or if he really wants to accept him as a disciple and teach him carefully.
People's hearts are hard to read, and Li Xiu can't be sure. He also doesn't want to take the risk.
Besides, he thinks that even if Huogong Toutuo really wants to pass on the skill sincerely, it would be too slow and time-consuming.
Things have come to this point, and Li Xiu has put himself in this half-dead state for the Nine Yang Divine Skill. If that's all there is, he won't be satisfied.
People always want something better, especially if they know how to get it!
There is a moment of hesitation on the young man's face, but it is quickly replaced by determination.
"You keep saying that the old immortal (Zhang Sanfeng) brought you to this state, but I don't believe that he would harm an innocent person. You must be some kind of evil person, and that's why the old Immortal intervened. You deserve to be in this situation!"
"You keep pushing me to learn your Nine Yang Divine Skill. You must have dirty motives! I won't be tricked!"
"I'm not going to actively learn martial arts. Let's see what you can do to me!"
The young man spoke resolutely, displaying a stubbornness that suggested he would rather die than give in.
Upon hearing this, Huogong Toutuo's eyebrows furrowed as if he had been deeply insulted. He glared at him and roared.
"You think I can't do anything to you?!"
Roots and vines sprouted from the stone ball and reached for Li Xiu.
Severely injured and weak, Li Xiu was unable to resist, and a flexible vine wrapped around him, while more vines bound his hands, feet, and waist.
At this point, Huogong Toutuo's head tilted slightly, and a hint of contempt appeared on his face.
"If you won't learn, then let me help you circulate your qi!"
The young man, pale from excessive blood loss, vaguely felt the orderly flow of true qi in his body. This scene seemed to be beyond his comprehension, causing him to feel fear and shock.
"How is this possible? I won't allow you to help me circulate my qi!"
Ignoring the young man's protests, Huogong Toutuo continued to act with a feeling of pride and contempt.
The vines reversed, turning the young man upside down and folding his body with his waist as the base.
This time, it was truly merciless, affecting the injured areas as well. Li Xiu only felt pain in his waist and chest bones.
But there was a gleam of joy in his eyes as he knew the time had come to reap the benefits.
The young man screamed in pain, and large beads of sweat rolled down his forehead.
"The Nine Yang's are emerging, the meridians are reversing!"
"The energy of Dantian is spreading throughout the body!"
With Huogong Toutuo's loud scream, Li Xiu only felt a hot current in his lower abdomen.
Soon, his entire body was agitated with blood and energy, as if he was standing next to a winter fireplace.
The vines lifted Li Xiu up and floated him back into the air, tapping on several of his major acupuncture points. The heat in his body also disappeared into his meridians.
Li Xiu knew that the first stage of the Nine Yang Divine Skill had been completed!
Before the young man with the dissatisfied and angry expression could say anything, Huogong Toutuo laughed heartily and said proudly.
"Kid, you already have the power of the first stage of the Nine Yang Divine Skill in your body. It will stay with you for life, no matter how hard you try to get rid of it!
"Tomorrow I'll force you to learn the second stage as well. If you don't die, you will definitely be my evil disciple!"
As he laughed, Huogong Toutuo easily controlled the stone ball with his internal energy and left, leaving behind only a young man with a desolate expression.
As the sound of the stone ball crushing the ground faded away, the sadness on Li Xiu's face quickly disappeared, leaving only a full and happy expression.
He had succeeded! With this first step, the nine-stage Nine Yang Divine Skill was within reach!
Li Xiu stood up and moved his waist without feeling any pain. His chest felt a little sore when he stretched, but he didn't care. The internal injuries were no longer a problem, and it would take some time for the external injuries to heal.
After all, this was only the first stage of the Nine Yang Divine Skill, not some miraculous elixir.
But one thing was certain: he no longer had to worry about his life, and he even had some minor martial arts skills.
Li Xiu tried to circulate the Nine Yang True Energy in his body and found that it was as smooth as a finger and not stiff at all.
As he thought about it, he squinted at some healthy vines nearby and waved his hand, striking out violently!
The moment his palm touched them, the Nine Yang True Energy burst out violently, and the vines, which were as thick as a baby's arm, could not withstand the force and broke off, flying horizontally several metres away!
Seeing the result, Li Xiu's expression brightened and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl up.
However, up to this point, Li Xiu had only fooled Huogong Toutuo, which wasn't too difficult. He didn't have any inexplicable sense of intellectual superiority over anyone else.
He had seen a report saying that scientific research had shown that if a person stays at home for a long time and does not interact with the outside world, they become stupid.
Being isolated from social interactions for a long time can lead to a decline in social skills and emotional intelligence, as well as becoming more sensitive and unpredictable in temperament.
This is true even in modern times with access to computers and telephones to stimulate the mind.
The character in the story, Huogong Toutuo, had been isolated for over a decade, living alone with only stones and weeds for company.
As a result, his thinking has become inflexible and his personality has become sensitive and unpredictable, easily becoming angry at the slightest provocation.
To be honest, when it comes to Huogong Toutuo's martial arts talent and knowledge, Li Xiu gives him the thumbs up without hesitation.
However, when it comes to his intelligence and emotional intelligence, it's better not to mention them.