Guo Xingyue couldn't dodge. If he did, his sword move would fail, and Sikong Mingliang's strike would take his life. So, he didn't retreat. Instead, he pressed forward, accelerating his sword strike. A flash of light danced at Sikong's chest, marking several hits. At the same moment, Sikong's blade descended toward Guo Xingyue's neck.
Just as the fatal blow neared, Guo Xingyue's left hand, which had been motionless, suddenly moved. This was his ultimate lifesaving technique: Heaven and Earth Palm. Utilizing the unique spiral energy of his Spiral Qi technique, it could forcibly alter the trajectory of an opponent's strike.
For most martial artists, even the most skilled Shaolin or Wudang masters, encountering Guo Xingyue's Heaven and Earth Palm meant their move would be deflected, leaving them wide open for a deadly counterattack. But Sikong Mingliang was no ordinary fighter. As the number one in the martial world for over a decade, his power was unmatched. Though his strike didn't land on Guo Xingyue's neck, it wasn't fully diverted either. It collided directly with Guo Xingyue's Heaven and Earth Palm, sending a violent shockwave through his body.
Guo Xingyue had poured nearly all of his inner strength into his Stars Fade as the Moon Falls move. After landing several hits on Sikong Mingliang, he managed to recover some of his energy and used it to unleash the Heaven and Earth Palm. But it was still not enough to completely counter Sikong's full-force blow. The brutal energy of Sikong's strike surged into Guo Xingyue's body, sending him flying backward.
In mid-air, Guo Xingyue spat out a mouthful of blood. Scarlet droplets fell to the ground as he was flung towards the edge of a cliff. Barely able to keep his balance, he teetered before losing his footing and plunging into the abyss below. Sikong Mingliang, watching Guo Xingyue fall, exhaled heavily and let his blade drop from his hand. His tall, powerful figure collapsed like a mountain crumbling, and with a faint smile on his lips, Sikong Mingliang drew his last breath.
Guo Xingyue awoke from unconsciousness to find himself staring up at the sheer cliff face, a half-broken pine tree hanging precariously above him. It seemed that the tree had saved his life by breaking his fall. He tried to stand, but his body felt wrong, entirely drained of strength, with sharp pain radiating from his left hand.
"I must be seriously injured," he thought. "But at least I've avenged my parents. This pain is a small price to pay."
Struggling, Guo Xingyue managed to sit cross-legged, beginning to meditate and heal his internal injuries. After a long while, he let out a slow breath, but as he stood, a new wave of discomfort hit him. His body was battered. Though his left hand was fractured, the real danger lay within: Sikong Mingliang's deadly Blade Energy had severely damaged his meridians. Without at least half a year to recover, Guo Xingyue knew he wouldn't regain his full strength.
Glancing around, he realized his situation was dire. He was stranded on a small rocky ledge halfway down a sheer cliff. The platform was barely three or four meters wide, surrounded by towering rock walls above and an even deeper drop below. With his inner strength reduced to a fraction of its former power, climbing up or down was nearly impossible.
For three days, Guo Xingyue remained on the ledge. He had no food, surviving only by licking dew from the pine tree's needles. He applied medicine to his broken hand and used tree branches as splints. Though his external injuries were manageable, his inner power was only restored to a fraction of its former glory.
Three days without food wasn't a problem for someone like Guo Xingyue, who had endured far worse during his time as an assassin. However, he knew that, eventually, his body would reach its limit. Frustrated, he paced the platform, occasionally kicking loose stones in anger. One such kick sent a small rock bouncing off the cliff face, producing a hollow thunk as it struck the stone wall. The unusual sound caught Guo Xingyue's attention immediately.
"Wait... that wall sounds hollow. What's behind it?"
Curiosity piqued, Guo Xingyue broke off a sturdy pine branch and began scraping away the dirt and debris from the stone wall. To his surprise, a hidden stone door emerged from the cliffside. Mustering his limited strength, he pushed against the door. With a creaking groan, it slowly opened, revealing a small stone chamber inside.
The chamber was simple, with a stone bed, table, and chair—all covered in thick layers of dust. It seemed this place had been abandoned for many years. "Who would have lived in such a place?" Guo Xingyue wondered. This platform was so isolated that only someone with supreme martial skills could have accessed it.
Scanning the room, he noticed something under the dust on the stone table. Wiping it away, he uncovered several small items: a jade bottle, a jade pendant, three glittering crystals, and a tiny sword. Opening the jade bottle, a rich fragrance wafted out, instantly lifting Guo Xingyue's spirits.
"This scent... it must be a medicinal pill for healing. I'm already in such a dire situation, I might as well give it a try."
Without hesitation, Guo Xingyue swallowed the pill. Almost immediately, a surge of warmth radiated from his dantian, coursing through his meridians. At first, he tried to control the energy, but soon realized it was far too powerful to handle. Pain flared as the energy rampaged through his body. Sweat dripped down his face as he clenched his teeth. With no other choice, Guo Xingyue let go, focusing solely on stabilizing his dantian with his Meditation Mind technique, leaving the wild energy to its own devices.
As time passed, the energy's movement became faster, and his meridians, damaged from the battle, began to heal rapidly. His Spiral Qi mixed with the medicinal energy, running through his body in perfect harmony. Suddenly, a loud internal explosion echoed through his mind. The powerful energy coalesced into a single golden bead within his dantian, surrounded by a mist of spiraling qi.
Guo Xingyue rose to his feet, feeling stronger than ever. Not only were his injuries healed, but his internal power had also grown exponentially. Laughing aloud, he exclaimed, "This pill is incredible! My strength has multiplied several times over. I've really hit the jackpot this time!"
Now curious about the other items on the table, Guo Xingyue picked up the tiny sword. It was icy cold to the touch, with a crystalline structure. However, despite examining it closely, he couldn't figure out its use and placed it aside for now. Next, he picked up the three crystals, marveling at their hardness. As a former assassin, he had seen countless gems, but nothing like these.
Finally, Guo Xingyue held the jade pendant. As soon as it touched his hand, a stream of information flooded his mind—a cultivation technique, far more profound than anything he had learned before. The method appeared to overlap with the principles of his Meditation Mind, but it was on an entirely different level. Intrigued, he sat down and began practicing according to the instructions in the pendant.
As he meditated, the golden bead in his dantian began to pulse and expand. After several cycles of growth, it swelled to the size of a fist before contracting sharply. Suddenly, the bead shattered, and in its place appeared a small, golden figure—a miniature version of Guo Xingyue, sitting cross-legged within his dantian.
Guo Xingyue was overjoyed. "I've done it! I've reached the Nascent Soul stage."
Lightly clenching his fist, Guo Xingyue felt his body rise into the air, effortlessly floating inside the stone chamber. A broad grin spread across his face. "This must be what it feels like to be an immortal!"