Chapter 86

Chapter 86: Falling Off the Cliff

Wan Huier was thrown back into the cave by Lou Yun with his last ounce of strength right before he fell off the cliff. Though she struggled desperately to grab hold of Lou Yun, it was utterly impossible. She could only watch helplessly in mid-air as Lou Yun plunged down the cliff.

"Bang!"

Wan Huier felt herself collide with something and then tumble to the ground. But she didn’t bother to see what she had hit, as everything seemed extinguished—her heart, along with Lou Yun, had dropped into a bottomless abyss.

Wan Huier sat dazedly on the ground; she could neither see nor hear. The outside world had nothing to do with her anymore. Even if the beastman were to kill her right then, she wouldn’t lift a finger in resistance.

After what felt like an eternity, Wan Huier finally heard a voice desperately shouting close to her ear: "Huier, little sister! Huier, little sister!"

Turning towards the sound, Zuo Mingyang’s face came into Wan Huier’s view. At that moment, Zuo Mingyang’s face was streaked with injuries and overflowed with anxiety.

"Huier, little sister, you scared big brother to death! Are you all right?" Zuo Mingyang asked with deep concern.

She stared blankly at Zuo Mingyang for what seemed like ages before finally recognizing him. The sight of Zuo Mingyang—this other big brother she could trust absolutely—brought a flicker of awareness back to her. Suddenly, with a loud "Wah!" she flung herself into Zuo Mingyang’s arms and started wailing uncontrollably.

Zuo Mingyang patted Wan Huier’s back tenderly, letting her cry her heart out fully. But even as he did so, his eyes roved over the cave. Aside from a palm-sized patch of black ashes on the ground, there was no sign of any other living presence there—clearly, Lou Yun was nowhere in sight.

Zuo Mingyang was simple yet observant by nature. Though he burned to ask Wan Huier about Lou Yun’s fate, every time the words reached his lips, he swallowed them back. He didn’t dare ask—partly out of fear of hurting her delicate state further, and partly to avoid facing the grim truth.

Yet when he glanced back, he spotted Xiao Huo, the creature that had just spewed a black flame from its mouth and instantly incinerated the ferocious beastman, now slowly crawling to the edge of the cave entrance. Its small body curled completely into a ball as it lay flat on the ground, its tiny head poking out beyond the cave, and it gazed silently into the endless depths below.

It looked just like a child who’d lost its support!

At that instant, Zuo Mingyang became utterly certain: Xiao Huo’s master, that friend Lou Yun, had plummeted over the cliff into the bottomless abyss!

Heaving a long sigh, Zuo Mingyang shook his head softly. He still couldn’t believe it—Lou Yun, who had been swigging from large bowls with him just last night, was now dead!

Wan Huier wept for roughly half an hour before her cries gradually faded into total silence. Startled, Zuo Mingyang gently pushed her away from his embrace to get a proper look. To his relief, she had fallen asleep.

This young girl had just endured the most harrowing ordeal of her life and lost her most trusted older brother. Her fragile spirit couldn’t bear the weight any longer, and she sank into a deep slumber.

Zuo Mingyang placed Wan Huier gently on the ground, then went and sat beside Xiao Huo. Reaching out, he softly stroked its head. Xiao Huo, who usually allowed no one but Lou Yun to touch it, now turned unusually docile at this moment.

"Xiao Huo, has your master fallen?"

Xiao Huo’s eyes remained fixed on the endless depths below, as if holding out hope that Lou Yun’s form would suddenly reappear. It gave no response at all to Zuo Mingyang’s words.

Zuo Mingyang sighed and murmured, "Though Yun took that plunge, I reckon he’s got immense luck and a big fate—he’s no short-lived man, so he might still be alive!"

But even as he spoke, Zuo Mingyang stopped trusting his own words. How high was Chiyan Mountain? Ten thousand ren high! Falling from the peak like that—how could anyone survive?

However, Lou Yun truly wasn’t dead!

During his plunge from mid-air, Lou Yun had sunk into a deep coma. After an unknowable span, his eyes flickered open hazily. All he could make out was pitch-black darkness, punctuated only by waves of searing pain rippling through his body. He felt utterly broken apart, with no shred of strength to muster. Helplessly, he stared up at the dark sky above.

Where was he?

After a groan escaped his lips in agony, his memory slowly began to piece together what had happened before he blacked out.

He’d fallen from such dizzying heights—could he really have cheated death?

Lou Yun managed to wiggle a finger, intending to touch the ground beneath him. Suddenly, he realized something gripped his hand.

He lacked even the strength to raise his hand before his eyes; instead, he could only rub it tentatively with his fingertips. Huh—it felt like a ring!

In a flash, Lou Yun understood: it was indeed a ring clutched in his palm, and no ordinary one—it was the Chaos Golden Cauldron transformed into a ring!

During his fall, as he used all his might to hurl Wan Huier back into the cave, he had inadvertently pulled off the ring she wore on her finger.

At the thought of Huier, a wave of worry washed over Lou Yun. How was she doing? Had she been hurt? And what of Zuo Mingyang? Without him arriving today, even Huier’s life might have hung in the balance. The problem was, Zuo Mingyang’s cultivation wasn’t that high—had Xiao Huo really slain that beastman?

A series of questions lingered in Lou Yun’s mind, making him rather irritable. He decided to set aside all those problems for now and first figure out his own situation!

Once again, he felt the ground beneath him—hard, solid, even a bit rough and uncomfortable.

What was going on?

Logically, after falling from such a great height onto such hard ground, how could he possibly be unhurt?

Suddenly, a thought flashed through his mind: Chang Xiang hadn’t made a sound! By all accounts, whenever Lou Yun woke up, Chang Xiang would be the first to know and would certainly say something!

"Brother Chang! Brother Chang!"

No response!

Now Lou Yun understood: Chang Xiang must have saved him again. And to do so, Chang Xiang had expended a vast amount of spiritual energy, plunging him back into a deep slumber. The only way to wake him would be for Lou Yun to absorb sufficient spiritual energy!

In other words, whether he or Chang Xiang survived now depended entirely on Lou Yun himself!

The truth was, Lou Yun knew he had grown accustomed to life with Chang Xiang’s presence, accustomed to Chang Xiang’s timely help in moments of danger. But now, he clearly recognized something else—that he could no longer rely on anyone. He had to find a way to save himself!

Before saving himself, Lou Yun needed to understand his current condition and his surroundings. He took a deep, calming breath, centering himself, before turning his attention inwards, observing his internal body through internal vision.

One look, and a bitter laugh escaped him. His insides were a mess—a chaotic jumble where organs, blood vessels, and bones were piled together in disarray.

This injury really wasn’t ordinary. Healing would likely require significant time and effort!

After assessing his injuries, Lou Yun strained to turn his head, taking in his surroundings. This was undoubtedly the base of the Chiyan Mountain cliff. The area looked relatively open, but nothing particularly out of the ordinary was immediately visible. At least, no apparent dangers.

Good!

He nodded mentally. For now, he wouldn’t concern himself with anything else and focus entirely on finding a way to heal his body!

Closing his eyes, Lou Yun relaxed his body. He began slowly absorbing the spiritual energy dispersed throughout the heavens and earth, guiding it into his body, flowing down to his dantian, and suffusing his magical weapon.

And so, in his grievously injured state, Lou Yun managed to calm his mind and quickly slipped into a state of selflessness and profound focus. The speed of his spiritual energy absorption steadily increased, gathering more and more within his dantian. The glow emanating from his magical weapon grew increasingly radiant.

How much time passed, he couldn’t tell. He emerged from his trance, opening his eyes to see a light glimmer of dawn tinting the sky—daybreak!

While the injuries remained, the recovery of his spiritual energy had also restored his physical senses and a portion of his strength. He managed to slowly sit up. His gaze first fell on his clenched right hand. As he’d suspected, the Chaos Golden Cauldron, transformed into a ring, lay nestled in his palm. Seeing the ring, his thoughts inevitably turned to Wan Huier. How was she now?

Lost in troubled thoughts for a moment, Lou Yun carefully stored away the ring. Turning his focus inward once more, he attempted to guide his spiritual energy in an effort to start healing his injuries.

Normally, with injuries as severe as his—internal traumas and shattered bones—specialized medical treatment or powerful healing elixirs would be necessary. Completely relying on his own power to heal would demand immense time and patience.

But here? There was no choice. His current location was utterly remote; the chance of encountering another soul was nil. He possessed no healing pills himself. This most fundamental method was his only recourse.

Lou Yun studied the internal wreckage again, a headache brewing. Where to even begin? After a long hesitation, he resolved to start with the blood vessels. Having undergone the second body refinement, they had already undergone a qualitative transformation; their damage, comparatively, was the least severe.

Thus, step by step, following his planned sequence, Lou Yun began the painstaking work of repairing his own body. But when his focus shifted to the bones, an entirely new wave of excruciating pain tore through him—not originating from his existing injuries, but welling up from deep within his very structure. Lou Yun froze. This specific sensation was all too familiar to him. It signalled the onset of an upgrade—a breakthrough towards the next stage of the Ten Refinements of the Body.

Lou Yun had always cultivated both his physical body and his magical weapon simultaneously. Yet, he had thought it was still too soon after the Second Body Refinement for the Third Body Refinement to arrive any time soon. Unexpectedly, it had descended upon him now, in this critical state of injury!

His internal wounds were already severe. Now, the arrival of the Third Body Refinement fused its distinct pain with the agony of injury, creating a combined assault that made living feel worse than death!

But survive he must. Teeth gritted, he endured.

He chose to focus this body refinement enhancement on his bones. After all, the ribs along his entire torso had been shattered under the beastman’s crazed onslaught. Rather than simply repairing them, this was an opportunity: to expand and refine them first, then mend them. It would save a step later!

Decision made, Lou Yun closed his eyes. The arduous process of the Third Body Refinement commenced.

Naturally, its trials surpassed those of the previous two refinements. Somehow, Lou Yun persevered. By the time he completed it, his body’s injuries were already more than half-healed. At least he could stand and walk now!

Getting shakily to his feet, Lou Yun needed to investigate this place. Where exactly had he ended up?

Although the area seemed small at first glance, walking revealed its true, immense scale. Yet, there was no sign of life beyond scattered, strangely-shaped rocks of various sizes and forms.

What filled Lou Yun with gloom, however, was its closed nature. He found himself confined within a sealed valley, surrounded by towering mountains on all sides. Sheer thousand-foot peaks—utterly impassable, whether by hand or with tools. Even if his injuries fully healed, escaping this vast, empty, and sealed canyon proved impossible!

"What now?" Lou Yun murmured, a bitter laugh escaping him. "Do I have to wait until I reach the profound-level magical weapons master rank and can fly using my magical weapon? But this place lacks any materials for forging weapons! How am I supposed to forge weapons here? How do I advance? Surely this isn’t meant to be my final resting place?"

Frustrated, Lou Yun walked over to a large, pitch-black boulder up to his waist and plopped down onto it. As soon as he made contact, however, a sudden rattling sound echoed! The massive block of black stone beneath him began slowly sinking into the ground!

Startled, Lou Yun leaped to his feet, spinning around to stare intently at the mysterious boulder.