An Impossible Fact

Mu Li returned to the headquarters of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group in Green Mountain Town, brimming with triumph as he recounted the process of hunting down Li Xingluo to Mu She.

He had expected to be showered with praise by his father, but to his surprise, after hearing Mu Li's report, Mu She slammed his hand against the table and cursed Mu Li for his incompetence, furious that so many men had been deployed and dozens lost just to eliminate a traitor, a cost that pained him deeply.

These men were the wealth of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group; losing so many at once naturally pained Mu She, though it was not the lives themselves he mourned, but the profits these men could no longer generate for him.

Mu Li could only endure his father's berating, his excitement vanishing into thin air in an instant.

News of Li Xingluo's death spread throughout Green Mountain Town; when Xiao Yi Xian heard the news, she fell into a daze, sitting motionless in the same spot for an entire day.

Did you break your promise after all? Xiao Yi Xian's sorrow was written all over her face as she looked up and whispered to herself.

Deep within the Magical Beast Mountain Range, the roar of a waterfall echoed for miles; by the pool beneath the falls, a figure was caught against a rock.

Li Xingluo slowly opened his eyes, the blue sky coming into view as he raised an arm. Am I not dead yet?

With his entire body soaked in the water, Li Xingluo exerted a slight effort, and his bones groaned with a dull sound, as if they had been snapped in two.

He crawled out of the water with great difficulty and lay flat on the smooth, water-washed stone slab on the bank.

After resting for a long time, Li Xingluo struggled to sit up, and suddenly, he let out a strange, inexplicable laugh.

Surveying his surroundings, he spotted a cave entrance about five hundred meters behind him; the occasional roar of magical beasts echoed nearby, making this place a suitable spot to heal.

Li Xingluo picked up a wooden stick and hobbled toward the cave.

The entrance was narrow, barely wide enough for one person; Li Xingluo tapped the sides with his stick and tossed a stone inside before stepping back to observe.

After a long silence, he carefully stepped into the cave, leaning on his makeshift crutch.

Ten meters in, the path widened; Li Xingluo continued forward, holding a fire starter in one hand and his crutch in the other, taking every step with extreme caution.

After another quarter of an hour, the space ahead suddenly opened up and brightened—was there light?

Skeptical, Li Xingluo grew even more cautious; at the end of the tunnel lay a surprisingly spacious cavern.

As he scanned the cave, his gaze suddenly locked onto a large tree directly ahead, where a skeleton sat in plain sight.

Li Xingluo swept his eyes around the cavern once more before returning his focus to the skeleton, hobbling over to stand before it.

He leaned down to examine the remains; the skeleton sat upright, its clothing reduced to mere weathered, threadbare scraps by the passage of time.

For some reason, a breeze stirred in the cave, and Li Xingluo waved his hands repeatedly to clear the dust.

As the wind passed, Li Xingluo shook his clothes, and his eyes caught a line of blurred text etched into the floor to the left of the skeleton.

Li Xingluo crouched down and wiped away the dust, finally making out the words.

"Kind-hearted soul, if you have come here, bury my remains, and I shall leave you a treasure."

The inscription even pointed out the location of the treasure with a symbol; Li Xingluo turned his head to see a mound of earth not far from the skeleton, then looked back at the remains with a solemn expression.

He muttered to himself, "Senior, I do not know why you perished here, but I will certainly lay you to rest!"

Li Xingluo began to dig under the tree using his blade; weak as he was, his progress was agonizingly slow, and he lost track of how long he labored.

Finally, the hole was large enough to hold the skeleton; Li Xingluo bowed piously before lifting the remains.

A metallic "clatter" echoed from the ground, and as Li Xingluo looked down, he saw a key lying on the floor.

He placed the skeleton into the grave and piled the earth over it before picking up the key.

With a heart full of trepidation and anticipation, he endured his hunger and hobbled over to the small mound, digging into it with his blade.

As he cleared the mound, a chest about three meters long and one meter wide was revealed.

This is? Li Xingluo glanced back at the grave; it was actually true, even though he hadn't held much hope.

He pulled out the chest and carefully opened it to find a long sword shimmering with a cold light, looking as new as the day it was forged despite the countless years that had passed.

A note lay atop the sword, reading: For the kind-hearted; should you attempt to force the chest open, death shall follow.

At the top of the chest was a hidden mechanism, with several poison arrows aimed directly at Li Xingluo's forehead.

Li Xingluo wiped a cold sweat from his brow, disarmed the mechanism, and carefully retrieved the sword; inside the chest, along with the blade, were a Dou Technique, a cultivation method, and a Storage Ring!

The name of the sword was engraved on the hilt—Wind Spirit Split-Form Sword; the Dou Technique was damaged, its rank unknown, yet it exuded an aura of profound antiquity.

Wind Spirit Split-Form Sword? Could it be... no, that's impossible. Wasn't the entire clan wiped out without a single survivor? Then what is this before me? Li Xingluo fell into deep thought. Grateful for the treasure, he returned to the grave and knelt, bowing three times.

"Thank you, Senior, for this gift. If I ever have the chance, I will surely seek out your kin."

Since someone had managed to come here, perhaps others had escaped as well.

Three months later, Li Xingluo had spent all his time hiding in the cave to cultivate, leaving only to find food.

Without realizing it, he had reached the level of an eight-star Dou Practitioner, all thanks to the black ring; Li Xingluo stroked the band on his finger, never imagining it would not only possess its own space but also accelerate his cultivation speed.

With the Wind Spirit Split-Form Sword paired with the new cultivation method and Dou Technique, Li Xingluo's strength had increased significantly.

Now, Li Xingluo stood by the waterfall, his sharp gaze filled with deep-seated hatred.

A few days later, somewhere in the Magical Beast Mountain Range, the sounds of a struggle drifted from ahead.

"Don't push your luck, you Wolf Head Mercenary Group dogs! This is a magical beast hunted by our Blood Battle Mercenary Group."

Ka Gang held a large blade, pointing it at the several members of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group who were eyeing them with predatory intent.

"Pah! The Blood Battle Mercenary Group is nothing but a fart. Hand over the magic core and we might spare you; otherwise, leave these two little chicks behind for our brothers to have some fun with."

The younger Ling'er hid fearfully behind Qing Ye and Ka Gang, both of whom were doing their utmost to shield her in the center.

Pairs of shifty, lecherous eyes were locked intently upon Qing Ye and Ling'er.

"Don't even think about it! We won't let you succeed, even if it costs us our lives."

"Yo, this little chick has a fiery temper. I like it! Brothers, this one is mine—I'm going first."

It was clear that the speaker was the captain of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group, and the others laughed with sinister intent.

Watching the man step forward, Ka Gang, as the only man present, raised his blade to block the path.

"Brat, you're courting death!"

The captain of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group cursed at Ka Gang while charging forward with his blade raised.

Ka Gang naturally refused to yield, but he was simply no match for the captain of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group; he was defeated in a single exchange and kicked to the ground.

Qing Ye shielded Ling'er tightly behind her, whispering, "Ling'er, look for a chance to run later."

"Sister Qing Ye..."

"Be obedient." Qing Ye had already prepared herself to sacrifice her own life to cover Ling'er's escape.