The Forbidden Path to Immortality - Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Dawn

Twitching its long ears, the rabbit, huddled behind a clump of grass, starved for three days, could not resist the lure of sweet wild fruit.

It sprinted at full speed, changing direction several times across the withered grass before accelerating, heading straight for the cave ahead. A few dozen feet inside, a wild fruit emanated a delicate fragrance.

Outside the cave, Li Xun stood up and smiled faintly. “It’s rare to find a rabbit that loves wild fruit. It’s worth keeping it captive for three days.”

He stroked his chin, his smile fading. The moment of near success is the moment of closest approach to death—this was the most profound lesson Li Xun had learned from his seven years of life-and-death trials on Zuowang Peak.

He took a deep breath, gliding along the grass, channeling his overflowing internal energy. With a light leap, he leaped into the cave, unperturbed.

The sensitive rabbit inside the cave was terrified, desperate to escape the creature that had held it captive for three days, but Li Xun gently kicked it back into the cave.

Its round body collided with the rock wall several times, plunging deeper. It dared no longer escape and instead turned and bolted back into the cave.

Li Xun closed his eyes, listening intently to the rabbit’s footsteps as they receded. Each step left an imprint in his mind, until the rabbit stopped and began spinning in circles.

He knew the cave had reached its end.

He suddenly concentrated all his internal energy, its strength almost identical to that of the rabbit that had just entered. He also flew forward, each footstep landing on the ground the rabbit had just passed, extremely cautious.

All was uneventful. At the end of the cave stood a door made of cyan jade, dividing it in two. The door was embroidered with cloud patterns similar to those on the cloud robe, clearly a barrier.

He noticed that, in addition to the cloud patterns, the door also shone with brilliant rays of light, layer upon layer, resembling a sea of light. Upon closer inspection, he saw distinct demarcations between the rays of light, one wave after another, endless and endless.

If such a powerful restriction were to provoke a counterattack, nothing would be left.

Li Xun felt a faint sense of disappointment, but it was still within his tolerable range. Over the past seven years, he had encountered countless caves like this, and countless times been blocked by restrictions. He had long been accustomed to entering a treasure trove and returning empty-handed.

The rabbit that had just escaped at his feet was already terrified, its small body ramming into the door, but it didn’t provoke any counterattack.

Li Xun immediately understood that such a force would not trigger the restriction.

He took a deep breath, slowly extended a finger, and pressed it against the door, drawing his internal energy into his body. The restriction showed no reaction, and he squinted his eyes to examine the patterns on the door.

He found that the cloud patterns on it were consistent with those of the cloud robe. With the deep understanding of the cloud robe he had gained over the years, he quickly found the starting point of the pattern. Then, he followed the pattern, guessing at the same time, and after more than half an hour, he had completely traced its lines!

During this time, flashes of spiritual light converged into a stream. Even when his internal energy was restrained, it flowed naturally through his meridians. Occasional bursts of spiritual light corrected its course, shifting yin and yang. During this period, the changes in his internal energy became increasingly subtle, and

he unexpectedly made progress. However, due to the intense strain on his mind, he was sweating profusely, and even standing was difficult.

But Li Xun knew he couldn’t stay here for long. After taking another look at the rosy light restriction, he grabbed the rabbit that hadn’t escaped and retreated step by step, clearing away his tracks.

Once out of the cave, he tossed the rabbit aside. The poor creature hid in the bushes and disappeared a moment later. Li Xun looked around, memorizing the surrounding terrain. Only after confirming it was correct did he quickly retreat.

It was still early, so he took a few deep breaths to calm his mind and found a nearby shelter to lie down.

Hidden there were more than ten smooth stone slabs, the record keeping instruments he had polished over the past seven years.

Li Xun spent considerable effort polishing these stone tablets to record his observations over the past few years.

Of course, these tablets weren’t just a running account, but rather a collection of the unique wonders he encountered on the peaks: rare animals and birds, strange rocks and flowing water, and forests and flowers.

These things, unseen in the human world, were recorded in Li Xun’s gorgeous and elegant handwriting.

This wasn’t just a way for Li Xun to pass the time, but rather a way to familiarize himself with his native language, writing, and other skills.

Otherwise, a nine-year-old child, after seven years of daily companionship with wild beasts in the mountains and forests, and never speaking to a human, would become half-witted, even if he was once a brilliant genius.

Furthermore, a more important function was to record his insights into his cultivation progress over the past few years and the various cave restrictions he had discovered.

Li Xun’s “cloud robe” played a significant role in this.

The simple cloud pattern on it represented one of the Mingxin Sword Sect’s most basic restriction techniques, revealing the sect’s secret secrets.

Li Xun had worn this cloud robe for seven years, almost never removing it. Whenever he encountered danger, its protective shield would automatically activate, shielding him from countless disasters. Therefore, he had a near-familiar understanding of the protective restrictions within.

Through countless attempts, he first mastered the most basic cloud pattern restrictions and executed them flawlessly. Then, building upon this foundation, he gradually mastered the more complex patterns of the restrictions within each cave abode, working from the outside in, correlating them with his basic internal energy transfer techniques before striving for further refinement. His

ability to execute them with unwavering, unwavering flow and fluidity, like today, was the culmination of seven years of arduous practice.

The Great Dao is ultimately simple and easy. Li Xun’s ability to begin with the most basic cloud patterns, progressing from the shallow to the deep, to achieve a comprehension of both existence and non-existence, was close to the Dao.

In terms of understanding cloud pattern restrictions, apart from a few highly accomplished seniors in the Mingxin Sword Sect, Li Xun arguably holds the highest knowledge!

And yet, he was still a young man, only able to master the most basic internal energy transfer techniques.

“If I had understood this earlier, that cave dwelling two years ago wouldn’t have been able to stop me.”

Li Xun smiled to himself, looking at the stone tablet. This was his daily homework; only by doing so could he maintain his fluency.

He blew away the dust from the stone tablet and recorded what he had learned today. With a wave of his hand, his inner energy flowed through his fingers, and the lines on the hard stone tablet were clearly visible, clearly representing the cloud pattern of the restriction on the door. Li Xun’s painting was now smooth and natural.

The inner energy that filtered through, while not enough to unleash the restriction’s true power in terms of quality or quantity, had a subtle aura of a master.

After carving, he carefully put them away and pulled out a few more stone tablets. They also had cloud patterns on them, but they were much simpler and cruder. He smiled slightly and casually added a few strokes to these patterns, instantly transforming their structure and giving them a solemn aura.

He was very satisfied with his work, which showed his progress in recent years. Now that these stone tablets were of no use to him, he dug up the soil and buried them. Over the past seven years, Li Xun had buried at least thousands of stone tablets like this one.

After completing the cloud pattern restriction, he pulled out several more stone tablets. These were carved with patterns similar to the rosy clouds seen in the cave, though much simpler. Looking at these patterns, Li Xun sighed, “I regret not having a ‘rosy robe’ to reference!”

Over those seven years, Li Xun had traveled at least 100,000 miles and explored at least 500 caves on Zuowang Peak.

The vast majority were developed by successive generations of masters of the Mingxin Sword Sect, and the restrictions within them vary greatly. Generally speaking, however, they are divided into

seven major These seven categories often involve two or three layers of overlapping restrictions, making them a hundred times more powerful than a single restriction.

The rosy pattern restriction is a composite of the cloud and light patterns. Li Xun’s knowledge is far from sufficient to consider a composite restriction.

In fact, aside from the cloud pattern restriction, which he has mastered to a great degree, his understanding of the other types is merely mediocre.

At the very least, he now understands that rosy patterns arise from clouds and manifest in the presence of light, with cloud patterns as the foundation and light patterns as the trigger.

He understands how cloud patterns serve as the foundation, but how light patterns serve as the trigger has been a source of considerable concern for him lately.

He had reached a critical moment. His deduction of the Cloud Pattern, already at the master level, combined with the faintest clues about it within the Mist Pattern, would surely lead to a significant advancement in his cultivation, and his understanding of the Bright Pattern would be profoundly enhanced.

But just at this moment, his chest suddenly tightened. The daily “Blood Nightmare Gnawing at the Heart” struck, as if on cue .

For seven years, the daily agony had intensified to the equivalent of half an incense stick’s worth.

The agonizing pain of burning meridians, severing blood vessels, reversing qi and blood flow, twisting internal organs, and simmering heart fire only caused Li Xun to break a sweat. Even amidst this agonizing pain, he felt a near-anesthetizing pleasure.

However, this pleasure lingered in his mind for only a moment before being quickly dispelled by the clarity of his mind. He began to calm his mind and reconsider the previous question.

For Li Xun at this moment, pain was meaningless.

The pain gradually subsided, and Li Xun’s entire body felt limp, every joint aching from exhaustion, but his mind was perfectly clear, and his spirits were growing stronger.

He circulated his internal energy for several more cycles. The results of his recent enlightenment were immediate. As the internal energy slowly flowed, he noticed several subtleties he had previously overlooked, and his mood brightened. The moon had already set in the west, and the dawn was approaching, but he felt refreshed and decided to hurry a few more steps.

He wrapped a few important stones in a bundle made of animal skin and carried it on his back. Li Xun stood up, and in the gradually dimming moonlight, like a wisp of illusory dust, he stepped on the tips of the grass and trees, and suddenly disappeared. Yin and Yang

alternated, the sun and the moon ran parallel, and the darkest moment between heaven and earth passed, and a hint of fish belly white appeared in the eastern sky.

In just half an hour, he covered dozens of miles of mountain road. Even the steep cliffs were easily scaled with just two or three leverages. His agility surpassed even the mountain’s apes.

Sensing a shift in the light, Li Xun’s heart stirred. He gazed eastward. Today, thin clouds gathered, scattering in a chaotic pattern, illuminated by a rosy glow stretching for thousands of miles, living up to

the name Lianxia Mountain.

Inspired, he glanced around and saw a rock face not far above, jutting several feet above the cliff. Overhanging, it overlooked the abyss and faced eastward, offering a perfect spot for a panoramic view. He quickened his pace and climbed up.

The platform was uneven, with jagged rocks jostling around. He found a relatively flat spot and settled down, ready to admire the morning glow from Zuowang Peak.

The sun hadn’t yet risen, but a tangle of light and shadows could be seen on the horizon, piercing through the clouds, shifting and reflecting the mist – the rosy glow.

Li Xun had been pondering the mysteries of the rosy clouds since yesterday, and seeing this scene naturally led him back to the same old question.

Over the past seven years, he had watched the sunrise countless times, often using this magnificent spectacle to comprehend the mysteries of nature. However, his level of understanding hadn’t reached its peak, and his insights, though superficial, were limited.

Now, he was nearing full maturity, all he needed was a flash of inspiration, a glimmer of enlightenment. His eyes and heart were filled with a rosy glow.

Li Xun felt the clouds rise and the sun rotate, the flickering light like a flash of inspiration, a sign of a shattered barrier and clarity.

Unconsciously, his internal energy overflowed, surging on its own, illuminating everything it passed through, like a vast ball of light, flowing through his internal organs, meridians, skin, and bones, illuminating every detail of his body.

Waves of heat radiated through his limbs, stirring him to his feet, his hands dancing, his every movement stirring with an undercurrent of excitement.

He drew with his fingers, beginning with the most familiar cloud patterns, moving from shallow to deep, from simple to complex, almost ethereal.

Suddenly, he freed one hand and used different techniques with each: cloud patterns on the left, light patterns on the right. At first, his right hand was a little clumsy, but with the guidance of his left, he gradually mastered it.

He let out a long roar, soaring into the azure sky. The cloud and light patterns on his hands shifted, gradually becoming indistinguishable from left to right, until they finally converged and burst forth, a myriad of interwoven rays of light, juxtaposing with the distant morning glow, almost indistinguishable from the real thing.

The roaring suddenly stopped, and Li Xun paused, staring at his hands with a look of disbelief.

After seven years of hard work, relying on the most basic internal energy transfer techniques and a cloud robe, he had mastered both cloud and light patterns, understanding the tenfold more difficult mist patterns. This was enough to satisfy him.

He knew that perhaps what he had spent seven years understanding, disciples like Lingji and Shanzhi could grasp with just a few days of listening to their master. But how could this be compared to his seven years of hard work?

He couldn’t help but laugh out loud into the abyss, his laughter gradually becoming hoarse, but he didn’t stop.

“You old bastard Xue Sanren, you Qingxu Zamao, you wouldn’t let me live, yet I still survived. And from now on, I will live a better life!” Li Xun couldn’t help but shout in his heart, gaining more confidence in

his future.

As if to match his state of mind, the already strong north wind on the platform suddenly grew stronger, the gusts making his robes rustle, and even with his steady horse stance, he was unable to stand.

He gradually recovered from his excitement, and feeling the wind pick up, he took a few steps back, wanting to leave.

But when he turned around, his eyes suddenly lit up. It was so bright that it seemed as if the sun in the distant eastern sky appeared behind him. Caught off guard, he groaned miserably and instinctively covered his eyes.

At this moment, a huge force accompanied by a sharp bird cry came crashing down. It hit him, and his feet left the ground, and he flew backwards involuntarily.

This was the real death. You know, there was a cliff thousands of feet high behind him. If he was unlucky, he might fall thousands of miles. If he hit the ground, there would be no trace left.

“Who wants to kill me?”

Li Xun couldn’t help but wonder.

He opened his eyes in panic. Although he was dazzled, he saw a huge bird shining with golden light flying in the air above his head.

“Golden-winged Roc!” Li Xun screamed miserably.

He never thought that the one who attacked him from behind was actually one of the most ferocious birds on Zuowang Peak!

Perhaps this platform was the ferocious bird’s territory, and Li Xun had unintentionally occupied it, thus inviting the murderous calamity.

These thoughts flashed through his mind as the Golden-Winged Roc circled in the air, while his body had already flown off the platform and plummeted downwards.

Only then could one see the progress Li Xun had made in the past seven years.

At the moment Li Xun was completely suspended in mid-air, his powerful internal energy suddenly contracted, then exploded through his ethereal meridians. A surge of energy coursed through his body, anchoring him in the air.

This single moment allowed him to effortlessly control his internal energy. The light and powerful technique he’d honed over seven years was fully unleashed. He spread his arms like a great bird, arcing and pressing the air.

A burst of energy erupted in the air, and Li Xun’s body soared instead of descending, hurtling towards the edge of the platform.

In the sky, the golden-winged roc let out another loud cry, unyielding. With a flap of its wings, it soared towards him again.

The massive body, still several feet away, stirred a powerful gust of wind, disrupting the air around Li Xun, depriving him of any leverage. He groaned again and fell again.

“Evil creature!”

Li Xun cursed, his eyes reddened, but his mind was surprisingly clear. His gaze swept around, taking in the terrain for hundreds of feet.

He flipped mid-air, barely avoiding the sweep of the bird’s massive wings. He then landed headfirst, pushed against the underside of the platform, and launched himself toward the rock face below.

As long as he had ground under his feet, he could hold his ground against the bird and plan a follow-up strategy.

However, this golden-winged Roc was still a prehistoric creature, infused with the vital energy of heaven and earth on Zuowang Peak, and had developed a subtle intelligence.

Seeing Li Xun’s downward spiral, the Roc glanced at him, knowing his intentions. Unleashing the power of a dominant aerial force, it flapped its massive wings, skimming across the rocks. Within the narrow space, it extended its claws, ready to snatch the tiny reptile that had offended its majesty high above and tear it to shreds.

Li Xun heard the wind behind him and cried out in alarm, but there was no time for reflection. He gritted his teeth, twisted his body, and thrust his right hand forward, attempting to block the blow.

Dapeng spread out its claws and wings, slowing down slightly, hoping to evade the opponent’s attack and seize the spoils.

However, Dapeng’s sharp eyes, which could see through the smallest details thousands of feet away, suddenly became blurry. Where was the target below? It was clearly a vast white cloud, drifting in the wind.

Dapeng was stunned, and Li Xun’s palm had already pierced through the clouds and mist and stabbed straight at him. Dapeng had no way to avoid it, and was hit in the lower abdomen, seriously injured on the spot.

The Golden-winged Dapeng had been rampant on Zuowang Peak for hundreds of years, but had never suffered such a loss? In a rage, he ignored his injuries and hit Li Xun, who was

already exhausted, to the top of the cliff. How much force must he have? Li Xun didn’t even make a sound and fainted immediately.

In his daze, he felt a pain in his back and knew nothing.

After an unknown amount of time, Li Xun awoke from his coma. He paused with a grimacing grimace as he moved, feeling as if every bone in his body had been shattered and his internal organs severely injured.

Despite this devastating blow, Li Xun didn’t panic. For seven years, especially the first two, he’d been on the brink of death almost daily, suffering numerous serious injuries. Such experience had taught him that in such moments, calmness was the key to survival; panic would only lead to worse consequences.

So, with immense patience, he controlled his internal energy, slowly scanning his meridians, meticulously examining every part of his body. This meticulous examination lasted for the better part of an hour.

Fortunately, this time, his injuries were minor, caused entirely by the impact. Thanks to his naturally flowing internal energy and effective protection, only two ribs were cracked, and the internal injuries would heal quickly.

He breathed a sigh of relief, opened his eyes, and began to observe his surroundings.

A crevice stretched between two massive rocks, winding and zigzagging for an unknown length. At its widest point, two people could walk side by side, while at its narrowest, they could only barely make it by leaning sideways. Looking upward, he could still glimpse the faint light of the sky, but the direction he had fallen into was obscured by vines, making it difficult to see clearly.

Li Xun, observing his surroundings, exclaimed in relief, believing the great roc must have slammed him against the rock face, and by chance, landed him in this crevice.

It was a stroke of luck. Had he hit the wall, not to mention whether he could have withstood the impact, given his unconscious state, he would have surely slid down the cliff, shattered to pieces.

He was in no rush to leave now. He first nursed his injuries. Once he reached the vines, he parted them a bit and peered out.

The ill-tempered great roc had vanished, and the platform was a hundred feet away. Reaching it again would be difficult, at least not right now.

Frowning and retreating, Li Xun had no choice but to walk deeper into the crevice. He observed carefully and found that this kind of terrain was very rare on Zuowang Peak, so perhaps he could get some unexpected gains.