"Boom!"
The rumbling thunder rolled through the dark clouds, and the pouring rain washed over the boundless forest like a flood.
Lightning danced like huge serpents, tearing up the night sky, the wind howled, and the wilderness was in turmoil!
Thump, thump!
On the precipice, as steep as a wall, stood a young man dressed in coarse black clothes. His eyes blazed with anger as he clenched his fists and took another step back.
Between him and the edge of the cliff, there was only one more step.
Beneath the precipice, the impenetrable black depths seemed like a monstrous beast, gaping wide, waiting for his arrival.
"Zhao Kuang, what are you trying to do?"
The young man gritted his teeth looking at the tall youth in brocade robes standing several feet away, and growled angrily.
His face was filled with an indescribable rage.
In front of the robed youth, he seemed exceptionally frail and small. His wounds bled, quickly washed away by the torrential rain.
"Zhou Qing, stop struggling in vain, you don't stand a chance now!"
Ahead, Zhao Kuang, the youth in the robe, sneered coldly, "As soon as you are dead, my brother can rightfully marry Gong Ling'er!"
"So, remember in your next life to be more realistic and not harbor such impractical delusions!"
"Die!"
"Zhao Kuang!" bellowed once more, his figure suddenly burst forth. He hurtled a punch through the curtain of rain, striking towards Zhou Qing!
"Zhao Kuang, I'll kill you!"
Mentioning Gong Ling'er, Zhou Qing felt his suppressed rage erupt like a volcano, angrily roaring as he charged head-on!
"Little waste, overestimating your capability!"
"Python Force!"
Zhao Kuang flashed a cold smirk, his body abruptly changing like a snake lunging forward, his unstoppable punch pounded fiercely in to Zhou Qing's chest.
Bang!
In an instant, Zhou Qing felt an irresistible force assaulting his chest, as if a colossal python was charging at him, hammer striking him, and he spit out a mouthful of fresh blood!
His frail and feeble body was sent flying backward, plummeting towards that obsidian abyss!
His cultivation was only at the first level of Body Refining Realm, while Zhao Kuang had already broken through to the fourth level of Body Refining Realm. The gap in their powers was like an elephant to a rabbit - absolutely undefendable!
"Zhao Kuang, if I don't die, I'll definitely kill you!"
As he fell, Zhou Qing could no longer suppress the sorrow and rage in his heart, screaming furiously.
"Kill me? Maybe in your next life! Hahaha..."
Zhao Kuang's triumphant cold laughter pierced through the curtain of rain, as it seeped into Zhou Qing's ears.
Zhou Qing ground his teeth to the verge of shattering, his fists clenched in wrath!
The pain in his chest was as tumultuous as a stormy sea, but it still couldn't suppress the surging hatred and unwillingness in his heart!
He despised Zhao Kuang, who was so despicable and ruthless, attacking him!
Yet, what he hated more was himself!
After all these years of diligent cultivation day in and day out, why was his cultivation still stationary? Even his junior brother Zhao Kuang, could defeat him so easily!
He despised himself for being unable to protect those around him despite all the strenuous training!
Thinking of the dangers that little spirit Ling'er would face after his death, Zhou Qing again felt his heart being twisted like being cut by a knife, clutching his chest, and spit out a mouthful of fresh blood!
“Oh God, why, why!”
Zhou Qing looked up at the dark and oppressive sky, shouting full of resentment.
He detested God, questioning why he was treated so unfairly!
How he wished he could have another chance. He would double, ten times, hundred times his efforts, making sure today's tragedy would not repeat!
Yet, the pitch-black sky, like an indifferent giant, looked down on the world, stirring up the roar of thunder and flashes of lightning, not heeding the fate of such an insignificant individual.
“Damn God!”
With his last cry, Zhou Qing fell unconscious with a dull thump.
...
After an unknown period of time, Zhou Qing surprisingly slowly opened his eyes again.
"Where am I? What's happening?"
Bewildered, he looked around.
At this moment, the sky had cleared up. The storm that had ravaged the world for days and nights had completely abated, and a cooling breeze blew. The air was filled with a refreshing scent.
Yet, his mouth tasted of blood.
"Hiss..."
He moved slightly, a sudden intense pain rippling through his body elicited a sharp intake of breath.
This prompted him to recall what just happened.
"I...I'm still alive?"
Astonishment filled his heart as he looked around, only to tighten up again from fright.
Turns out, he was lying on the branches of a massive ancient pine!
A millennium-old pine that extended obliquely out from the crevice of a cliff!
Previously, it was this very ancient pine that caught him like a giant outstretched palm, saving him from the brink of death!
"But, how do I get back?"
The ancient pine was hundreds of feet away from the top of the cliff, which stood as sharp as a knife's edge, extremely steep and smooth, with no places to climb. Given his current condition, it was completely impossible to climb back up.
He struggled to his feet, staggered over to the base of the ancient pine, felt the hard cliff face, and his face showed a hint of despair. He suddenly clutched his chest, spitting out another mouthful of fresh blood.
Buzz!
At this moment, something strange happened.
The blood splatter on the cliff was absorbed instantly, as if by a sponge.
Immediately, the solid cliff seemed to react to Zhou Qing's blood and flashed with a golden light!
The golden light started to dazzle, spreading quickly around, and within a short moment, it covered the entire stone cliff!
The most intense part in the middle appeared like a giant golden sword of a thousand feet, directly slashing into the hard cliff, splitting it into two halves!
The magnificent golden glow poured from the cliff, filling the entire sky dome!
“This is...”
This incredible spectacle stunned Zhou Qing for a moment, he was agape with astonishment.
"Zhou Qing... you finally came..."
At this moment, an incredibly old and weary voice suddenly emanated from the cliff.
“Who’s there!"
Zhou Qing was immediately taken aback.
Why does it feel like this sound is coming from the cliff itself?
Boom!
Just as he was lost in doubt, the golden cliffs filled with a glowing aura began to crumble. Massive stones fell like rain, plummeting toward the seemingly bottomless abyss below.
In the blink of an eye, the golden aura shattered, and the entire cliff, several thousand feet high, began to violently shake and collapse, transforming into countless giant rocks, completely falling apart!
It seemed as if something was going to burst out from the inside of the mountain, causing the entire world to be thrown into chaos!
Shocked and appalled, Zhou Qing, had no choice but to grip onto the branches of the ancient pine, putting his utmost effort to stabilize himself.
However, the peculiar thing was, even though the entire cliff had collapsed, the ancient pine he was on stood still, without falling.
Boom!
After a moment, the deafening rumbling and movements of the earth finally ceased.
The towering cliff, as if split by a blade, neatly collapsed by half, revealing a gigantic rock face from inside!
In the middle of this rock face, was set a statue of an old monk!
The stone statue of the old monk was lifelike and human-sized, sitting cross-legged, his eyebrows reaching his knees, with a serene countenance, looking exceptionally lifelike.
It looked as if an enlightened old monk had just petrified and embedded himself in this rock face.
With one palm upright, his right hand stretched out, the thousand-year-old pine that Zhou Qing was on, had surprisingly sprouted from his palm, suspended in mid-air!
"Zhou Qing, this old monk has been sitting here...for three million years...you...have finally arrived..."
Surprisingly, the stone statue of the monk suddenly spoke.
His voice was deep and desolate, as if it had traversed through the river of history, descending upon this world!
As the mouth opened, the stone face of the statue began to crumble, pieces peeling off.
Next, the body of the statue started to fragment as well, revealing an emaciated old monk inside, dressed in a kasaya!
Seated with his palm upraised, cross-legged, with white eyebrows that hung to his knees, fluttering slowly in the wind, he exuded an aura of an immortal who embodies the essence of Taoism.
The thin right palm held up a thousand-year-old pine tree, as if the extension of his palm itself, slanting towards the sky, propping Zhou Qing there.
"What?!”
The incredibly astonishing anomaly caused Zhou Qing to involuntary gasp in surprise once again.
