Chapter 9: Those who face death without regret

"Boom!"

A loud sound like a huge stone rolling on the ground could be heard approaching at a fast pace.

Li Xiu knew that it was undoubtedly Huogong Toutuo. He focused his mind to prepare for the upcoming ''battle''.

The next moment, the large vine-covered stone ball appeared in front of Li Xiu.

As the stone ball spun rapidly, Li Xiu could barely make out a figure embedded in it.

It was clearly a living person, but the stone ball showed no signs of stopping as it continued to roll at high speed, its target being Li Xiu.

Huogong Toutuo could clearly see that the young man who had fallen to the bottom of the cliff had a look of confusion on his face, followed by utter fear.

However, due to his injured body and difficulty in moving, he was unable to get up and dodge. Before he could frantically get out of the way, the stone ball caught up with him.

In a state of panic and resignation, all the young man could do was scream and instinctively cover his head.

Although the sight of the stone ball turning towards him was shocking, it suddenly slowed down in a way that defied common sense. The figure embedded in the stone ball gradually became visible.

The young man, not knowing whether he had heard the sound of the stone ball rolling away or was confused as to why the stone ball had not yet hit him, tentatively turned his head and looked, but was taken aback by the scene in front of him.

An old man with white hair was embedded in the rough, vine-covered stone ball. He had unkempt hair and beard, an ugly face, and yellow and black teeth bared in a wide open mouth that made him look like a living ghost.

Although his clothes did not cover his body, his grey head and dirt-covered face were thin and weak, and his rib bones were clearly visible. Despite this, he had a terrifying and imposing manner as he looked at the young man, like a wild beast staring at its prey, causing the young man's entire body to tremble with fear.

Li Xiu's terrified expression was somewhat exaggerated, but his heart truly felt a sense of fear. It was unrealistic for him to be calm and composed in front of such a fierce and reckless looking person.

Li Xiu's face still showed a lingering fear despite his attempts to ''force calm'', and he couldn't help but swallow his saliva, his voice trembling slightly.

"This old man, may I ask if you are a human or a ghost?"

"Hohoho! Ehehehe..."

Huogong Toutuo roared with wild laughter: "Of course I am a ghost, I am a ghost from the depths of hell!"

He continued before Li Xiu could react.

"It's been over a decade, and I never imagined that after all this time, someone would come to keep me company!"

"Boy, are you a Wudang disciple?"

The young man also seemed to realise that the old man was implying that he was a ghost, but he was actually a human being. He couldn't help but feel relieved, followed by a trace of sadness on his face.

"Old man, even though I would like to say that I am a disciple of Wudang, I am not."

"What do you mean?"

Huogong Toutuo furrowed his brow in confusion and asked directly.

The young man's face showed a hint of reminiscence as he spoke slowly: "I grew up at the foot of Wudang Mountain. As a child, I deeply admired the old immortal Zhang Sanfeng. When I grew up, I wanted to climb the mountain and pay my respects at his door."

"But..."

The young man paused for a moment before continuing, and Huogong Toutuo couldn't wait to ask.

"But what?"

The young man seemed to remember that scene again, his face filled with sadness as he let out a sigh of despair.

"Ah, but when I finally saved up enough money to go to Wudang, the people there told me that I was already too old and my bones were already set, so I couldn't achieve anything in martial arts training."

"They didn't accept me at all and just sent me down the mountain."

"But I didn't give up. I traded the money I had saved for several years to become a disciple of an old man who chopped wood and lived on the mountain. I chopped wood for Wudang every day, hoping that if I could see the old immortal during that time, he would recognise my sincere and persistent efforts and break the rules to accept me as a disciple."

Towards the end, the young man's face showed a hint of longing, but he also seemed to remember his current situation and whether he would survive, causing him to sigh once more.

After hearing the young man's words, Huogong Toutuo couldn't contain his anger and his face turned red.

"Bullshit! It's all bullshit!"

"What nonsense about an old immortal! What nonsense about Zhang Sanfeng!"

"Ah!"

The vines surrounding the stone ball seemed to come to life as Huogong Toutuo roared in anger, relentlessly whipping the ground, digging deep trenches, and sending dirt and gravel flying everywhere.

The young man seemed terrified by the sight, a mixture of awe and fear in his eyes.

The power of Huogong Toutuo's fury was truly terrifying, capable of leaving distinct lash marks on even raw iron, let alone a human being.

"Zhang Sanfeng, you have caused me to suffer day and night here! You will not have a good death!"

The furious Huogong Toutuo suddenly seemed to remember something and turned to look at Li Xiu.

A vine full of Nine Yang True Energy rose into the air and rushed towards Li Xiu.

Not to mention that Li Xiu was severely injured at this time, even if his body was healthy, he wouldn't be able to escape. Li Xiu panicked and waved his hand, and one arm was caught by the vine.

After falling off the cliff, Huogong Toutuo broke all of his bones, and for more than ten years, he relied on the stone ball at his feet, and then the vines on the stone ball, to move around.

For over ten years, those vines had been manipulated by his powerful Nine Yang True Energy, becoming as flexible as his own limbs and even able to go where his hands and feet couldn't reach.

Li Xiu was lifted directly by the vines of Huogong Toutuo with one arm and floated in mid-air.

The vines pulled at his wounds and made Li Xiu clench his teeth.

The next moment, Li Xiu felt a stream of true qi being injected into his body by the vines, which was undoubtedly the Nine Yang True Energy.

However, Li Xiu was not stupid enough to think that Huogong Toutuo was going to teach him the Nine Yang Divine Skill.

Before Li Xiu could even speak, the vines violently threw him against a nearby stone wall. After falling to the ground, Li Xiu spat out a mouthful of fresh blood and collapsed weakly on the ground.

Huogong Toutuo's face looked like that of a demon, and his expression was sinister as he spoke.

"Boy, you originally suffered internal injuries from falling off the cliff, but it would take a few days for the symptoms to gradually appear."

"Since you admire Zhang Sanfeng so much, I'll help you. I have injected a stream of my Nine Yang True Energy into your body, which will collide with your qi and blood, causing your injuries to flare up prematurely. Furthermore, this Nine Yang True Energy will constantly cause chaos in your body, not only making it impossible for your injuries to heal, but also constantly increasing the severity of your internal injuries. How does it feel, child? Is it bearable?"

As Huogong Toutuo spoke, Li Xiu coughed up several mouthfuls of fresh blood, staining his chest a dark red and making him look pathetically pitiful. "Who are you, and why do you hate Zhang Sanfeng so much?"

"Me? I'm Huogong Toutuo, who injured thirty Shaolin Masters over a decade ago, and was punished here for over a decade because of Zhang Sanfeng. How can I not hate him? It's not excessive for me to kill a Wudang woodcutter like you now."

When the young man heard this, he had just spat out a word when he coughed up another mouthful of fresh blood, as if the movement had stirred up his injuries.

"You... "

"Your injuries are now beyond even Bian Que's ability to heal, but it's not a death sentence yet."

As Huogong Toutuo spoke, he suddenly changed the subject, his tone becoming strange.

"My Nine Yang Divine Skill is the best healing martial art in the world. It can invigorate life, heal bones and restore organs, and even poison can't harm someone who has practised it."

"If I teach it to you, you will not only be able to avoid death, but you will also be able to refine the Nine Yang True Energy in your body, increasing your internal energy by several months."

"How about it, Boy? As long as you say right now that Zhang Sanfeng is a scumbag, I can teach you the first level of the Nine Yang Divine Skill and save your life."

The young man seemed offended, and his expression showed a resolute anger as he firmly refused, as if his very beliefs had been insulted.

"You can forget it!"

"Huh?"

After being so firmly rebuffed, Huogong Toutuo couldn't help but snort and glare coldly, and the vines rose up to whip Li Xiu's face.

Li Xiu was whipped so hard that his face was now covered in a gruesome blood stain.

Huogong Toutuo still hadn't given up on his inner thoughts, so he raised his stakes and continued to tempt Li Xiu.

"Boy, as long as you say that Zhang Sanfeng is a low and shameless bastard, I'll teach you the first three levels of the Nine Yang Divine Skill! Not only will you fully recover from your internal injuries, but you'll also be able to cultivate an incomparable martial art. It's that simple! Tell me! Low and Shameless! Bastard! Zhang Sanfeng!"

Huogong Toutuo's face contorted into a fierce expression as he joyously shouted, his voice echoing off the bottom of the cliff.

Meanwhile, the young man lying weakly on the ground looked sombre as he whispered in a low voice: "Low and shameless bastard..."

Despite the soft tone, the incomparable Huogong Toutuo heard every word loud and clear. However, instead of feeling pleased, his expression became slightly disappointed.

But his disappointment was short-lived as the young man's voice suddenly rose sharply, pointing directly at Huogong Toutuo and saying: "That low and shameless bastard is you!"

Huogong Toutuo's face froze for a moment, a strange expression flickering in his eyes before he erupted in anger.

"Fine! Fine! Let's see how you survive today!" he shouted before storming off with the True Qi Infused Stone Ball, not even bothering to look back.

Meanwhile, Li Xiu remained weakly on the ground, watching Huogong Toutuo's departure in utter shock.

His internal strength was so strong, and his power so terrifying, that he was able to use True Qi to constantly counter a thousand-pound stone ball that was almost suspended in mid-air, and it looked effortless even though he was only using it to move.

The more he understands this power, the more excited Li Xiu becomes.

So far, everything has gone according to Li Xiu's expectations.

All he has to do is get over the next hurdle and the future will be smooth sailing.

Carefully and slowly, Li Xiu reaches a sunny corner and scrapes together a bed of dry grass to lie on.

This is the bottom of the cliff, and the night in the wilderness is naturally cold.

Besides, he is still badly injured. If he is not careful and allows the cold to enter his body at night, it is truly unknown whether he will survive until tomorrow.

Even though he is bored and has nothing to do, Li Xiu carefully begins to feel the Nine Yang True Energy in his body.

Of course, this True Energy could not circulate through his meridians according to the practice method described in the Nine Yang Manual.

It simply wanders around in his body at random, and when it passes through his wounds, it will stimulate the wounds and cause him to cough up some blood.

Li Xiu focuses all his attention on feeling the power of the Nine Yang True Energy, fascinated by the magnificence of the world's myriad mysteries, searching for solace or a sense of purpose. He is now like Zhang Fengshan, who refuses to give up and wants to kill Wu Wei.

He finds something to do for himself and develops a stubborn obsession to hold on to his precarious little life. Soon the sun sets and the bright moon appears in the sky.

Under the moon's glow, a lone figure casts its shadow on a patch of dry grass, lying motionless and seemingly on the verge of death.

Except for the occasional coughing of blood and the faint rising and falling of its chest, the figure remained still, almost indistinguishable from a lifeless corpse. In its mind, thoughts ebbed and flowed incessantly.

''I... I have to live.''

''I... I want to be a superior person!"