Records of Ancient Artifacts: A Hero's Dilemma
In ancient chronicles, it is said that the treasures unearthed gleamed as if splitting the heavens.
Guo Chensha, his spirits high, darted through the forest like a swift bird. With agile movements, he crossed thickets and leapt through trees, heading deeper into the mountain wilderness. Before long, he had traveled several dozen li into the dense forest.
Suddenly, the sharp scent of blood hit his senses. "Why does it smell like blood?" he murmured, halting in his tracks. The thick mountain wind carried the unmistakable metallic tang of fresh blood. Not far ahead, he saw a hollow in the mountain illuminated by flickering torchlight. Shadows danced, revealing lifeless bodies sprawled on the ground.
Each corpse was clad in identical black attire, their faces concealed beneath hoods. They held crescent-shaped sabers in their hands, their gleaming blades reflecting the firelight with an eerie brilliance. These weapons bore intricate patterns etched into their surfaces—marks of countless reforgings. The steel was cold and deadly, sharp enough to sever flesh as effortlessly as cutting tofu. A single swing could decapitate in an instant.
At least thirty black-clad figures surrounded the hollow. The ground was already littered with more than ten corpses, their blood staining the snowy earth crimson.
At the center of the clearing knelt a woman. She wore a white fur cloak, its purity marred by splatters of blood. Despite her injuries, she held herself upright, her gaze filled with defiance.
"You're finished, Young Master of Longjian Island," sneered one of the black-clad leaders as he approached cautiously. "That last attack of yours drained you completely. Even your Ten Thousand Sword Talisman is spent. After taking out so many of our best fighters, do you even have the strength to move now?"
The remaining assailants tightened their encirclement but kept their distance, wary of any lingering tricks the woman might have.
"Betrayers!" the woman hissed through pale lips. Her voice, though weak, carried an air of commanding authority. "What did Guo Hengge offer you? Did he pay you enough to betray me and sell out Longjian Island? Do you not fear the wrath of the island clans? They'll hunt you down no matter where you flee!"
The leader of the black-clad group smirked. "Young Master, surely you realize your position. The Empire's power under the Tianfu Emperor is unstoppable. The days of the island clans ruling the seas are over. Resisting the court is a dead end. Instead, why not make a deal while you still can? The First Prince is an illustrious figure, leading armies in the hundreds of thousands. Surrender and come with us, and perhaps you'll earn a place as one of his many concubines."
Hidden in the shadows, Guo Chensha listened intently. His mind pieced together the details. The First Prince, Guo Hengge, was a figure of immense power in the royal court. Not only was he the eldest among the princes, but his martial prowess and strategic brilliance had made him a key player in securing the throne for the current emperor. For years, he had commanded forces along the coast, quelling rebellions and asserting dominance over the island clans.
"Guo Hengge," Chensha muttered to himself, "so you're involved in this, too." A flicker of anger ignited in his heart as he recalled the past. Years ago, when his mother had taken her own life, Guo Hengge's men had seized a family heirloom—a Giant Spirit Ring, rumored to be forged from the bones of a god. This ring granted its wearer immense strength, transforming their very body. The injustice still burned within him, and now seemed the perfect moment to collect on that old debt. Moreover, allowing such injustice to continue went against his principles.
Steeling himself, Guo Chensha tied a cloth around his face to conceal his identity and moved silently toward the hollow.
As Chensha approached, the leader of the black-clad figures suddenly shouted, "Who's there?" His eyes snapped toward Chensha's hiding place, as sharp as a predator's.
Chensha's body tensed. It felt as if he were a mouse under the gaze of a venomous snake. "A grandmaster," he thought grimly. Only someone of such skill could possess this level of awareness.
Realizing his cover was blown, Chensha acted. In a blur, he charged forward, striking down several attackers with precision. His mastery of the Giant Spirit Palm sent them flying into the snow, unconscious. He had intentionally held back, knowing that his mission was to rescue, not to kill.
The Giant Spirit Palm was a skill Chensha had practiced extensively, though he had yet to test it in a real battle. Despite his inexperience, his sheer physical strength made his attacks overwhelming.
"Impressive," the leader growled, stepping forward with his crescent blade. The weapon gleamed as he swung it in a vicious arc, the force behind it slicing through the air like a torrent of water.
Chensha dodged narrowly, relying on the Sun and Moon Steps, a footwork technique that allowed him to slip through gaps as small as a thread. With incredible agility, he maneuvered through the chaos and reached the injured woman. Grabbing her by the shoulders, he leapt high into the air, bursting through the encirclement and vanishing into the forest.
"After them!" the leader bellowed, but their pursuit was futile. Within half an hour, Guo Chensha and the woman had disappeared into the night.
Deep within the forest, Chensha found a hidden cave and carefully set the woman down. Her breathing was shallow, and her face had a sickly green tint, likely from poison.
After building a fire, he turned back, only to see the cave bathed in a warm red glow. The woman had taken out a Fire Pearl, a rare treasure that radiated soothing energy. Its gentle warmth filled the air, banishing the chill of the cave.
"You had this the whole time?" Chensha asked, tossing down an armful of firewood. "Would've made things a lot easier."
The woman ignored his remark, her focus on recovering her strength. After a moment, she looked at him and said, "Why did you save me? Who are you?"
Chensha shrugged. "I don't like injustice. That's all. You're the Young Master of Longjian Island, aren't you?"
The woman didn't respond directly. Instead, she gestured weakly. "Help me sit up. I need to expel the poison."
Without hesitation, Chensha stepped forward to assist her. But the moment he reached out, her palm lashed out like a tidal wave. Startled, Chensha barely managed to counter the attack, his instincts honed by months of practicing the Heavenly Yin-Yang Technique.
"You're attacking me? After I just saved your life?" he demanded, dodging her relentless strikes.
"I trust no one," she replied coldly, her eyes sharp as daggers. Her attacks were unrelenting, each strike imbued with the strength of the ocean's tides.
"Who Are You, and Why Did You Save Me?"
The woman's sharp gaze locked onto Guo Chensha as he approached. "Who are you, and why did you save me?" she demanded.
"Just someone who can't ignore injustice," Guo Chensha replied calmly. "You're the Young Master of Longjian Island, aren't you? I overheard those men."
Her expression shifted slightly. "I've been poisoned. Can you help me sit up? I need to channel my energy to purge the toxin."
Guo Chensha nodded, stepping forward to assist her. As he reached out, her hand suddenly twisted, and with the force of a tidal wave, she launched a powerful attack. The strike surged like crashing waves, enveloping Guo Chensha in a suffocating, overwhelming force.
Caught completely off guard, Guo Chensha was shocked that the woman he had just saved would attack him. Fortunately, his training in the Celestial Emperor Wind God Technique over the past six months had sharpened his instincts. Sensing the danger in time, he reacted instinctively. His left hand reached for the sun, his right for the moon, and he executed a precise Yin-Yang Flow, countering her devastating strike.
The cave echoed with the impact of their clash. Stone fragments fell from the ceiling as they exchanged dozens of blows. The pressure in the air intensified, and it seemed as though the cave might collapse at any moment.
Guo Chensha struggled under the relentless barrage. Each strike from her felt like the crashing waves of an endless ocean. It was only a matter of time before he faltered. With every move, he found himself closer to suffocating under her immense power.
"She's no ordinary martial arts master. She's beyond the mortal realm—she must have stepped into the Dao Realm!" Guo Chensha thought as he blocked yet another ferocious blow. After thirty moves, his strength gave out. He was hurled backward, crashing into the cave wall. Blood erupted from his mouth as pain wracked his body.
The woman, too, staggered slightly, spitting out blackened blood as the poison in her body began to dissipate. Despite her injuries, she stood tall. "It's rare to find a martial artist who can withstand thirty strikes of my Raging Tidal Palm. You're skilled, but your experience in combat is lacking."
Through ragged breaths, Guo Chensha glared at her. "I saved you, yet you repay me with an attack! Why?"
The woman's expression remained cold, her voice sharp. "I, Long Yuwen, trust no one." Her icy tone carried an unyielding edge. "Your techniques are extraordinary, and your strength is immense, but you lack the killing intent of a seasoned fighter. Clearly, you've been sheltered—raised with the best resources and training, but without ever facing true battle. Considering how close we are to the capital and the quality of your martial arts, I can only assume you're connected to the royal family. Likely a prince, even."
Long Yuwen's gaze pierced through him as she continued, "I've fought countless battles against the Tianfu Emperor's forces. The royal family has brought nothing but destruction to Longjian Island. If my guess is correct, you're one of them. Tell me—why shouldn't I treat you as my enemy?"
Her sharp deduction left Guo Chensha stunned. "She pieced all that together from so little? She's terrifyingly perceptive," he thought, bitterly acknowledging his inexperience. Though he had spent years pretending to be a fool in the imperial palace, he lacked the battle-hardened instincts of someone like Long Yuwen.
"It's laughable," Guo Chensha thought to himself. "I went out of my way to save her, only for her to turn on me."
As Guo Chensha inched toward the cave's entrance, ready to flee, Long Yuwen showed no intention of pursuing him. Instead, she took a deep breath, and the atmosphere around her shifted. Faint, ethereal blue mist began to gather in the air, flowing into her body through various acupuncture points. Her pale complexion gradually regained its color, becoming rosy and vibrant.
"She's absorbing the surrounding spiritual energy," Guo Chensha realized, watching her in awe. "She must be performing the Breath of the Void Technique."
This technique allowed a practitioner to draw energy from the heavens and earth, nourishing their body and soul while eliminating impurities. It was a skill reserved for those who had transcended the mortal realm. As Long Yuwen continued her meditation, the toxins in her body were being steadily purged.
"I can't let her fully recover," Guo Chensha thought grimly. "If she regains her strength, I'll have no chance of escaping."
Rather than flee, Guo Chensha decided to strike first. He stepped forward, his hands forming a circular motion. The Sun-Moon Refinement Technique began to take shape, enveloping his body like a furnace. The technique, designed to smelt and refine all things, was one of his most destructive moves. With determination, he unleashed it, aiming to disrupt Long Yuwen's recovery before it was too late.