Yin and yang shifted, the sun and moon traded places — the darkest hour of night had finally passed. On the eastern horizon, a faint line of pale light bloomed like a fish belly before dawn.
In less than half an hour, he'd already covered dozens of miles along rugged mountain paths. Even sheer cliffs didn't slow him down — a few quick leaps, a push here or a grab there, and he was up like a shadow. His movements were so light and nimble, even the mountain's spirit monkeys would have to concede defeat.
Sensing the change in the light around him, Li Xun paused. He looked east. The sky today was scattered with wispy clouds, drifting in all directions, bathed in a radiant glow stretching for miles — just like the name of this place, Lianxia Mountain, promised.
His mood soared. Looking around, he spotted a rocky outcrop jutting a few feet from the cliff face, hanging in midair above a deep abyss — perfect spot to catch the sunrise. He quickly made his way over and climbed up.
The surface was uneven, with scattered rocks, but he found a flatter patch and sat down, ready to take in the morning glow from atop Zuowang Peak.
The sun hadn't risen yet, but already the sky was full of shifting colors. Light poured through the clouds, drifting and dancing, reflecting off the mist — this was what they called rosy dawn.
Ever since yesterday, Li Xun had been pondering the mysteries of the Mist Pattern. And now, faced with this view, his thoughts naturally drifted back to the puzzle that had haunted him for so long.
Over the past seven years, he'd watched countless sunrises — hundreds, maybe thousands. He often used nature's wonders to seek insight into the deeper truths of the world. But without the right level of understanding, he only ever managed to grasp the surface.
Now though, he was on the verge of a breakthrough. All he needed was that one spark — a flash of inspiration. His eyes were full of light; so was his heart.
He could feel the clouds churning, the great sun turning. As the glow shimmered and flickered, it was as if enlightenment itself was dancing before his eyes — the first sign that his understanding was about to deepen.
Without realizing it, his internal energy surged, flowing on its own. Wherever it passed, everything lit up from within — like a glowing orb moving through his organs, channels, and bones, revealing every subtle detail of his body.
Heat flowed to his limbs, building up until he had to stand. He moved without thinking — hands waving, feet shifting — energy swirling around him.
He raised his fingers, sketching patterns in the air. First came the familiar "Cloud Pattern" — soft, subtle strokes, building from simple to complex.
Then, switching it up, he brought in a second pattern. Now each hand moved differently: left for Cloud, right for Light. At first, his right hand was a bit clumsy, but under the lead of his left, it gradually smoothed out into perfect rhythm.
Letting out a long howl, he threw himself into the moment. His patterns wove and danced, merging — left and right no longer mattered. Finally, they exploded together into one, shooting out brilliant rays of light that intertwined with the sunrise on the horizon — it looked so real, it could've been part of the sky.
Then, silence. His hands dropped. He stared at them in disbelief.
Seven years of sweat and struggle — and with just a basic internal energy technique and a single Cloud Robe — he'd actually fused the Cloud and Light patterns, and cracked the far more complex Mist Pattern. That alone was enough to make it all worth it.
He knew full well — someone like Ling Ji or Shan Zhi could probably learn this in a few days, just by listening to their master. But still, that was their path. His seven years of effort weren't something anyone else could measure.
Unable to hold back, he laughed out loud into the abyss. His laughter turned hoarse, but he didn't stop.
"Blood Wanderer, you old bastard! Qingxu, you mangy weasel! You tried to snuff me out — but here I am, still alive! And from now on, I'm going to live even better!"
His heart was full of defiance and confidence.
As if the heavens had heard his cry, the already-strong mountaintop wind suddenly roared louder. His robes flapped wildly, and even with his steady stance, he almost got blown over.
Coming back to his senses, he noticed the wind getting stronger and stepped back, ready to leave the platform.
But just as he turned — BOOM — a blinding light blasted into his eyes. It was so sudden, so intense, it was like the sun had risen right behind him. He cried out, instinctively shielding his eyes.
Then came a deafening shriek and a huge impact. Something slammed into him, sending him flying backward, completely out of control.
Now, this was terrifying — because behind him was a cliff that dropped thousands of feet. One misstep, and he'd be a smear at the bottom of a ravine.
"Who the hell's trying to kill me?!"
Li Xun's mind raced in confusion.
Blinking through the pain, he managed to catch sight of a massive golden bird soaring above — wings blazing like fire.
"Golden-Winged Roc!" he gasped.
He never would've guessed it — his attacker was one of the deadliest beasts on Zuowang Peak!
It probably considered this ledge part of its territory, and Li Xun's presence was an uninvited intrusion.
But there was no time to think. While the roc circled overhead, his body was already tumbling off the platform — straight into empty air.
And this — this was where the difference made by seven years of training would show…
Just as Li Xun was completely airborne, his deep internal energy suddenly contracted — then exploded like thunder through his barely-supported meridians. A powerful surge of force blasted through his body, halting his fall in midair.
That brief pause was all he needed. With full control over his inner energy, he activated the lightweight movement technique he'd honed over seven years. Arms outstretched like wings, he cut an arc through the air, pressing against the wind.
A sharp sonic boom cracked through the sky. Instead of falling, his body shot upward toward the edge of the platform.
Above, the golden-winged roc shrieked again, clearly not ready to let things go. With a powerful flap of its wings, it dove back toward him.
The bird was still several meters away, but the gust from its wings had already thrown the surrounding air into chaos. Li Xun lost his footing midair, his balance disrupted. He groaned as his body began falling again.
"Damn beast!"
His eyes burned red, but his mind was razor sharp. In a split second, he scanned the landscape around him — every slope and crevice within a few hundred meters entered his mind.
He twisted midair, just barely dodging the roc's sweeping wing. Then, flipping head-over-heels, he tapped the underside of the platform with one foot and launched himself toward the rock face below.
If he could just find a foothold, he could regroup and fight back.
But this wasn't just any bird. This was a primordial creature, an ancient breed nurtured by the pure energies of Zuowang Peak. It had intelligence — and it wasn't letting him get away that easily.
Seeing Li Xun drop, the roc's eyes flicked once — it instantly figured out his plan. Flexing its might as the king of the skies, it dove again, wings wide, talons stretched. Its massive body skimmed the cliff face, aiming to snatch this foolish intruder out of the air and rip him to shreds.
Li Xun heard the howling wind behind him. His heart sank — no time to think. He clenched his teeth and twisted around, thrusting out his right hand to block the incoming blow.
The roc slowed just a little — spreading its wings to reduce speed and prepare to grab him cleanly.
But then, something strange happened.
Those sharp eyes that could spot a speck from a thousand feet away suddenly lost focus. There was no target in sight — just a swirling patch of white cloud, drifting with the wind.
In that split second of confusion, Li Xun's palm shot straight through the mist and struck the roc square in the belly. The beast roared in pain — a direct hit.
This golden-winged roc had ruled the skies above Zuowang Peak for a century. It had never suffered a blow like this. Enraged beyond reason, it didn't care about the injury. With its remaining force, it flung Li Xun like a ragdoll straight toward the mountain wall — the impact easily carried the weight of ten thousand pounds.
Li Xun didn't even have time to cry out. Darkness swallowed him in an instant.
He only remembered a sharp pain in his back, and then — nothing.
---
He didn't know how much time had passed when he finally came to. The moment he moved, a wave of pain shot through him. His face twisted involuntarily — it felt like every bone in his body had cracked, and his organs had taken a beating too.
But even in such a state, Li Xun didn't panic.
In those first two years of wandering on the edge of life and death, he'd been through worse. This wasn't the first time he'd been seriously injured — and the one lesson he'd learned above all: panic kills. Staying calm was the key to survival.
So, he forced himself to control his internal energy, circulating it slowly and methodically through every part of his body. He examined every inch with precision — the process took more than half an hour.
The results weren't great, but they weren't hopeless either. It was mostly blunt trauma from the impact. Thankfully, his body had reflexively protected itself with flowing internal energy, softening the blow. Two cracked ribs, some internal bruising — painful, but nothing life-threatening.
He let out a long breath and opened his eyes to check his surroundings.
He was wedged in a narrow crevice between two huge boulders, twisting and winding, length unknown. At its widest, two people could walk side by side; at its narrowest, he'd have to squeeze sideways. Looking up, he could see faint daylight filtering in from above. The place he'd fallen through was now blocked by thick vines, so he couldn't see clearly.
Still — he'd gotten lucky.
The roc's final strike had slammed him toward the cliff, but instead of smashing into solid rock, he'd been knocked right into this narrow gap. If he'd hit the wall clean, unconscious as he was, he would've dropped straight down and been pulverized.
For now, there was no rush to climb out. He needed to stabilize his condition first.
Once he'd adjusted his breathing, he crawled carefully over to the wall of vines. Peeling some aside, he poked his head out to scout.
The vicious golden roc was nowhere to be seen. The platform was still there, but now a hundred meters away — way too far to reach in his current state.
Frowning, he retreated into the crack. With nowhere else to go, he started heading deeper into the rocky crevice. He took note of the strange terrain — formations like this were rare on Zuowang Peak.
Who knows? Maybe he'd find something unexpected.