The night slowly dissolved, replaced by the gentle clouds of dawn as the sun climbed over the horizon. Its rays landing on the narrow cave entrance.
Lin Fang moved a little, his eyes fluttering open. He blinked a few times, adjusting to the brightness.
"It's no longer a dark, spooky cave," he muttered, standing up and stretching.
His arms reached high above his head, his back arching slightly.
Even though he hadn't slept a wink, having spent the entire night cultivating, he felt energized. His body was free from fatigue, though he stretched more out of habit than necessity.
As he shook off the last traces of grogginess, Lin Fang glanced around the cave, now lit by the soft morning light. The fire he'd made last night had burned down to embers, leaving the cave warmer.
It was then that his eyes caught something he hadn't noticed before. A narrow chamber tucked away in the corner, partially hidden by a protruding rock.
"Huh," Lin Fang said, tilting his head. "I didn't see that yesterday."
With his curiosity piqued, he walked over, stepping cautiously into the chamber.
Lin Fang's eyes surveyed the area, but what caught his attention most was the figure seated in the centre.
"Is that a skeleton?" he said, his voice rising slightly in surprise.
He stepped closer, studying the remains. The bones were arranged in a seated cultivation posture, the hands resting lightly on the knees. The dust had conquered the skeletal frame and the tattered remains of the robe the person was wearing.
Lin Fang crouched down, his gaze narrowing as he examined the body more carefully.
"It seems like this was a cultivator," he murmured, brushing some of the dust away. "Probably someone at the Foundation Establishment realm."
His eyes drifted to a faint crack on the skull.
"Injured on the head," he muttered thoughtfully. "Maybe they were hiding here after getting attacked and couldn't leave because they were afraid of being caught."
He paused, tilting his head as another possibility of the person's death came to mind.
"Or," he said, his tone shifting slightly, "maybe they tried to break through to the next realm right here and failed. The backlash could've killed them."
Lin Fang tapped his chin.
"Given their belongings, though, they couldn't have been above Foundation Establishment. Too bad for them."
His eyes fell on the dusty manual clutched in one of the skeletal hands. Lin Fang carefully pried it loose, brushing the dirt away to reveal its cover.
A satisfied grin formed on his face.
"A cultivation manual," he said, his voice carrying the happiness he felt.
He stood up, patting the cover lightly to clear the remaining dust. "And not just any manual—it's for breaking into Foundation Establishment. Looks like my lucky streak isn't over yet."
Lin Fang couldn't help but chuckle to himself. "I was worrying about how to advance to the next realm, and this guy just handed it to me. Well… not literally, but close enough."
He gave the skeleton a respectful nod, the gesture half-serious. "Thanks for the assist, senior. Your sacrifice won't be in vain."
Shaking his head, he glanced at the entrance of the cave, sunlight now streaming in fully.
"If only I'd checked the cave properly yesterday," he muttered, reprimanding himself. "I could've skipped a whole day of pointless cultivation and gotten started on this right away."
"There is no use in crying over wasted time. Cultivation isn't a journey that is affected by a single bad day."
Lin Fang glanced at the cultivation manual in his hands before setting it gently to the side. His gaze landed back to the skeleton, now a silent sentinel in the corner of the chamber.
"It doesn't feel right to just leave him here, collecting dust," he muttered. "The least I can do is give him a proper burial. Who knows what kind of life he led or how he ended up here? Everyone deserves a little dignity in the end."
He stood and began gathering stones from the cave, creating a makeshift grave.
After marking the grave, he used his power to quickly dig up the grave. After he finished, digging the grave, he placed the old cultivator inside and buried him.
The task was simple but oddly calming, it was a small way of repaying the unknown cultivator who had, in a way, helped him today.
As Lin Fang worked, he found himself reflecting.
"Truly, no soul perceives what it will earn tomorrow," he muttered, glancing at the grave. "And no soul perceives in what land it will die."
He stepped back, dusting off his hands. For a moment, he stood there in silence, reflecting.
After a few minutes, Lin Fang returned to his campfire—or rather, what remained of it.
The campfire had burned down to nothing but ashes. He poked at them absentmindedly before sitting down and picking up the manual again.
With the morning light streaming into the cave, he began to read.
As he finished the last page, he frowned slightly, tapping the cover of the manual with his finger.
"That's it?" he muttered, tilting his head. "Are all cultivation manuals supposed to be this straightforward? I understood everything at a glance."
His frown deepened as he considered the possibility.
"Or…" he said slowly, his eyes narrowing in thought, "is it because of my Dao body? Could it really make things this easy?"
Lin Fang leaned back, letting the manual rest on his lap as he stared at the cave ceiling. The realization left him both impressed and a little suspicious.
"I mean, I'm not complaining," Lin Fang said with a small chuckle. "But if breaking into the next realm is going to be this simple, does that mean I've been worrying for nothing?"
The thought made Lin Fang smirk.
Taking a deep breath, Lin Fang folded the manual neatly and set it aside, his eyes now filled with the same flame he had when he entered Dao Online.
"Continue to practise,"
...
As Lin Fang was overjoyed by the unexpected fortune brought to him by his lucky encounter, far away, deep within the expanse of Yanxia Mountain, a very different scene was unfolding.
Sun Qing stood motionless, his normally composed face twisted with fury.
Before him lay the lifeless body of his youngest son, Sun Zhao, his body lay cold and still on the bloodstained ground.
Sun Qing knelt down slowly as he reached out to lift Sun Zhao's body. His hands trembled slightly, not from weakness but from the sheer force of his rage.
He cradled his son gently, his expression hardening as he closed Sun Zhao's wide eyes.
"You were supposed to rise above us all," Sun Qing murmured, his voice low and gravelly. "The future of the Sun Family… and now this."
For a brief moment, sorrow flickered across his face, but it was quickly consumed by a storm of anger. His grip on his son's body tightened as if trying to shield him from the cruel reality that had already claimed him.
Sun Qing rose to his feet, his eyes sweeping the area as if imagining the battle that led to his son's death.
"I will make them pay,"
"Whoever did this to you, Sun Zhao. They will regret it. They will beg for death before I'm done with them."
His eyes burned with a fury that could melt stone.
He turned to Sun Bao's broken body, lying a short distance away, and his frown deepened.
"Sun Bao, you were supposed to protect him," Sun Qing muttered, his tone bitter. "And yet, you failed. Was it carelessness, or were you simply outmatched?"
His fists clenched tightly, the veins in his forearms bulging. The shame of losing not just his son but also a loyal protector cut deeply into his pride.
A cultivator at the eighth level of Qi-Refining Realm wasn't something that the Sun Family had as cannon fodder. He was still a very important person in the family.
"This was no accident," Sun Qing thought, his eyes narrowing. "No beast could've done this. A technique was used on Sun Zhao's body, the mark is still there."
"You didn't deserve this, my son," Sun Qing said quietly, his voice trembling with a mix of sorrow and rage. "But I swear, your death will not be in vain."
With a deep breath, Sun Qing straightened, his face now cold.
"I will find them," he said, his voice resolute. "And I will ensure that their suffering mirrors yours a thousandfold."