Hidden Traces of the Ancient Stele and a Fragment of Martial Arts

Chen Fan carried Lin Xiaohu on his back as they fled through the dense forest for an entire night. Only when daylight shone brightly did he dare find a hidden cave to rest for the time being. The cave was damp and chilly, with moss covering its corners, but at least it sheltered them from sun and rain and could temporarily help them evade Xianyun Sect's pursuit.

"Brother Fan, hurry and rest. I can walk on my own now." Lin Xiaohu slid down from Chen Fan's back. Seeing his pale face and blood-blistered palms, he spoke with heartache. He knew that Chen Fan had exhausted far too much strength to protect him.

Chen Fan nodded and leaned against the cave wall, closing his eyes as he began circulating the Burning Heaven Art to restore his True Energy. After fleeing all night, the True Energy within him was nearly depleted, and his meridians ached faintly from being stretched too taut. True Energy flowed slowly through his meridians like a tiny stream, nourishing his weary body bit by bit.

Who knew how much time passed before Chen Fan slowly opened his eyes. He felt that thirty to forty percent of his True Energy had recovered, and his spirits had improved considerably as well. He rose to his feet and stretched his limbs, producing a series of soft "crack crack" sounds.

"Xiaohu, we need to leave this place as soon as possible. Xianyun Sect definitely won't let this go. They'll catch up with us soon," Chen Fan said, his gaze fixed outside the cave, his eyes full of vigilance.

Just then, Lin Xiaohu suddenly pointed deeper into the cave and said curiously, "Brother Fan, look. It seems like there's something over there."

Chen Fan looked in the direction Lin Xiaohu indicated and saw what appeared to be some blurry patterns carved into the stone wall deep within the cave. His heart stirred, and he stepped forward to inspect them closely. The light in the depths of the cave was dim, and he could only vaguely make out strange markings carved into the wall. They looked like some kind of writing, yet also like diagrams of moves from a martial arts technique.

"What is this?" Chen Fan wondered. He took out a fire striker from his robes and lit it, carefully examining the wall by firelight. The markings gradually became clearer. They were ancient seal-script characters, accompanied by figure after figure carved beside them. The people in the diagrams assumed all kinds of peculiar poses, each one containing exquisite force. It looked like some kind of Martial Path technique.

"Could this be... an ancient Martial Path inheritance?" Chen Fan was shaken. He had once heard his master mention that in ancient times, the Martial Path had flourished, and many powerful Martial Immortals had left behind their inheritances. Yet as time flowed on, most of those inheritances had been lost in the long river of history. He had never expected to encounter one here today.

He carefully identified the characters on the wall. Though there were many he did not recognize, relying on the Martial Path foundations his master had taught him and his insights into the Burning Heaven Art, he could barely understand some of the contents. The writing recorded a Martial Path technique known as the Sky Shattering Fist, while the diagrams beside it were the move charts for the Sky Shattering Fist.

"'Sky Shattering Fist,' created by an ancient Martial Immortal. It is divided into nine levels. Every punch contains the power to tear the heavens and shatter the earth. Cultivated to its peak, it can shatter the void with a single fist..." Chen Fan softly read the words on the wall, his heart surging with excitement. The Sky Shattering Fist was actually even more powerful than the Burning Heaven Art his master had taught him. If he could learn this technique, his strength would surely rise enormously.

Following the diagrams on the wall, he began attempting the first form of the Sky Shattering Fist. He spread his feet shoulder-width apart, clenched his hands into fists, and slowly raised them. The True Energy within him circulated along a specific route and gathered in both fists. As more True Energy gathered, he could feel an increasingly powerful force contained within his fists, as though it were about to burst through the restraints of his skin.

"Ha!"

Chen Fan shouted and slammed both fists toward the stone wall before him.

Bang!

With a deafening boom, his fists collided with the stone wall. Two clear fist marks appeared on it as shattered stones rained down.

"What incredible power!" Chen Fan was overjoyed. The first form of the Sky Shattering Fist was several times stronger than an ordinary punch delivered with all his strength. He could feel that this technique was not only powerful, but also had miraculous effects on tempering the physical body. As he practiced the moves, the True Energy within him was slowly increasing as well.

Lin Xiaohu watched with his eyes wide in astonishment. He had never expected Chen Fan to leave fist marks on a stone wall with a single blow, and his eyes were filled with admiration. "Brother Fan, you're amazing!"

Chen Fan smiled and continued studying the Sky Shattering Fist on the stone wall. He knew that now was not the time to cultivate. Xianyun Sect's people could catch up at any moment. He had to master the basic moves of the Sky Shattering Fist as quickly as possible, then leave this place with Lin Xiaohu.

Just as Chen Fan immersed himself in cultivating the Sky Shattering Fist, a series of footsteps suddenly came from outside the cave. Chen Fan's heart tightened. He quickly extinguished the fire striker, shielded Lin Xiaohu behind him, and stared warily at the cave entrance.

The footsteps drew closer and closer. Before long, a figure appeared at the entrance. It was a woman in white robes, holding a jade flute in her hand. She was Su Muxue, the very woman who had saved them earlier in the dense forest with the sound of her flute.

"You?" Surprise flashed through Chen Fan's eyes when he saw Su Muxue, only to be replaced by vigilance. He did not know Su Muxue's identity, nor did he know why she had appeared here. Whether she was friend or foe remained difficult to determine.

Su Muxue walked into the cave. Her gaze fell upon the markings and fist prints on the stone wall, and a hint of surprise flashed through her eyes. "I didn't expect an ancient Martial Path inheritance to be hidden here. It seems you do have some fortune."

"Who exactly are you? Why have you been following us?" Chen Fan asked in a deep voice, his fists clenched as he prepared to strike at any time.

Su Muxue smiled and said casually, "Don't be so tense. I mean no harm. My name is Su Muxue. I was merely curious about your path in the Martial Path, so I followed you here to take a look." She paused, then continued, "Xianyun Sect's people have already caught up. They're ten li outside the cave. If you don't leave now, I'm afraid you won't be able to leave at all."

Chen Fan's heart jolted. He had not expected Xianyun Sect's people to catch up so quickly. He glanced at the Sky Shattering Fist on the stone wall, reluctant to part with it, but he also knew that this was not the time to linger.

"Thank you for the warning." Chen Fan cupped his fists to Su Muxue. "We'll leave at once."

With that, he took Lin Xiaohu by the hand and prepared to head out of the cave.

"Wait." Su Muxue called out to Chen Fan. She took a jade pendant from her robes and handed it to him. "This jade pendant can conceal your auras and temporarily evade Xianyun Sect's tracking. Consider it an apology for disturbing you earlier."

Chen Fan accepted the jade pendant. It felt icy cold to the touch, and strange runes were carved upon it, emitting a faint spiritual aura. He knew that the pendant was extremely valuable. Since Su Muxue was willing to give him something so precious, she likely truly bore no ill intent.

"Thank you, Miss Su." Chen Fan thanked her again, and his impression of Su Muxue improved by several degrees.

Su Muxue smiled. "No need to be polite. If fate wills it, we will meet again someday."

Chen Fan said no more. Taking Lin Xiaohu by the hand, he quickly walked out of the cave and fled in the direction away from Xianyun Sect. Su Muxue stood at the cave entrance, watching their retreating backs. A complicated look flashed through her eyes. Gently stroking the jade flute in her hand, she murmured softly, "Chen Fan, I hope you can walk farther down this path of the Martial Path. Don't disappoint me."

With that, Su Muxue turned and vanished into the dense forest as though she had never appeared at all. As for the Sky Shattering Fist inheritance carved on the cave wall, it became Chen Fan's first great stroke of fortune on his path through the Martial Path, laying down a firm foreshadowing for his future rise.