Chapter Twenty-Four: The Rupture

Within the cave beneath the Cliff of Reflection, Qi Fei, seized by a sudden inspiration, inadvertently transformed a sword technique from the Profound Heart Sword Sect’s “Proud Sword Manual” into a fist technique. This martial fist, born from a sword manual, possessed astonishing might. Though Qi Fei’s cultivation was only at the fourth level of the Martial Path, the force of his fists faintly rivaled the outward-projected inner strength of the fifth level.

After several more months of arduous training in the cave, Qi Fei succeeded in converting over a hundred sword forms of the “Proud Sword Manual” into a supreme, forceful fist technique. Yet the three peerless sword moves from the “Immortal Execution Sword Canon” remained too profound; no matter how he tried, he could not adapt them into a fist form.

During these months, Qi Fei, now having mastered the fourth level, tried repeatedly to break through to the fifth. Though the breakthrough seemed within arm’s reach, an unyielding barrier thwarted his every attempt.

The cave, isolated from the world, was eerily silent. With his progress stalled, Qi Fei grew increasingly irritable and restless.

Half a year had passed since he was confined beneath the Cliff of Reflection. In all this time, save for Grand Elder Guo Huai of Danxia Sect and a few of his disciples, not a single soul had come to see Qi Fei.

After sitting quietly in the dim cave for a while, Qi Fei—frustrated by the bottleneck in his cultivation—let out a slow breath. He drew from his robes the “Tiger’s Roar Fist Technique” that his master, Mo Zhanpeng, had given him. By the faint glow of a luminous pearl, he opened the manual.

The “Tiger’s Roar Fist Technique” was an ordinary martial art. Having already mastered the “Eight-Armed Storm Fist” to perfection, Qi Fei now found this sect fist technique rather dull in comparison.

He reflected that, in recent months, Grand Elder Guo Huai had visited three more times; Qi Fei sensed increasing irritation and impatience in the elder’s words. It would not be long, he feared, before Guo Huai made a move against him.

Qi Fei began to strategize. Though his strength had grown and he had mastered the domineering fist technique derived from the Profound Heart Sword Sect, breaking the Four Symbols Boundless Sword Array outside the cave was not without hope. But doing so would inevitably alert the disciples guarding outside.

Guo Huai, as Grand Elder, surely surpassed even his master Mo Zhanpeng in cultivation. If Qi Fei broke the sword array, Guo Huai would be on guard, and in a direct confrontation, Qi Fei—isolated and outnumbered—would likely be defeated.

Given the circumstances, his only option was to feign weakness: master the “Tiger’s Roar Fist Technique,” later use the “Spiritual Insight Sutra” to conceal his true strength, and when the time came, unleash the domineering true energy of his Ice-Fire Martial Soul for a sudden, lethal strike.

Three days later, Qi Fei had perfected the entire “Tiger’s Roar Fist Technique.” With each sweeping punch, the ordinary technique crackled with tigerish vigor.

After completing his training, Qi Fei meditated for half an hour, then stood and called out, “I trouble Senior Brother to report to the Grand Elder that disciple Qi Fei has urgent matters to discuss.”

His voice carried beyond the cave, and before long, the Danxia Sect disciple standing guard stirred.

“I’ll go inform the Grand Elder. Stay put within the cave and do not tamper with the sword array at the entrance.”

Once the guard departed, Qi Fei immediately circulated the lingering chill of the spirit jade within his dantian. Using the “Spiritual Insight Sutra,” he concealed sixty percent of his true energy within his meridians, revealing only the aura of a third-level martial artist.

Half an hour later, Grand Elder Guo Huai arrived beneath the Cliff of Reflection, his face alight with anticipation. He believed Qi Fei must be seeking to escape and hoped to barter for his life with the treasures he had obtained that day.

Standing before the cave, Guo Huai called, “Qi Fei, what matter do you wish to report to me?”

A glint of mockery flashed in Qi Fei’s eyes as he replied, “I was ever loyal, offering the Essence Gathering Pill to the sect, yet the sect master and Grand Elder grew greedy—this is my fault. During these six months of reflection, I’ve seen the truth: perhaps I am simply ill-fated with the sect. Now that I’ve awakened my martial soul, today I intend to break through the stone wall and leave. Remembering your past care, Grand Elder, I wished to bid you farewell. We shall not meet again—take care, Grand Elder. This is goodbye.”

With a burst of wild laughter, Qi Fei summoned his true energy and began battering the stone walls with the “Tiger’s Roar Fist Technique.”

Thunderous explosions of shattering rock echoed from the cave. A cold gleam flashed in Guo Huai’s eyes, and he sneered, “The fool! He thinks he can break free by such means? Since I have managed to send Huo Zhongmou away, what difficulty is there in breaking the Four Symbols Boundless Sword Array?”

Despite these words, Guo Huai harbored doubts. If Qi Fei truly meant to escape, why summon him here? Was this nothing but a final act of defiance?

Fearing the commotion would alert the elders of Xuan Zhen Temple on Qingyang Peak, Guo Huai sighed inwardly, then urgently gathered his true energy to break the array outside the cave.

With a flourish, Guo Huai conjured a spirit talisman, which in an instant transformed into a streak of azure light and crashed into the sword array at the cave mouth. A flash of blood-red light erupted; the four flaming talismans outside reacted as if alive, instantly converging on the peachwood sword laid down by Huo Zhongmou.

Streams of light gathered, and the peachwood sword split into four bloody sword rays, which struck the azure streak with lightning speed, shattering it with a deafening roar.

The peachwood sword cracked, and the Four Symbols Boundless Sword Array was thrown into chaos. Despite losing his golden talisman, Guo Huai’s eyes brimmed with hatred. He swiftly conjured another few talismans, infusing them with true energy until they became blazing crimson flames, which he hurled at the disrupted sword array.

As Guo Huai charged into the array, unable to contain himself, Qi Fei knew half his plan had succeeded. Yet he had never faced a master of such arcane Daoist arts before, and could not predict his chances.

Qi Fei’s mind raced over his half-year of cultivation: the shock of fusing the two martial souls of ice and fire; the exultation of perfecting the “Eight-Armed Storm Fist,” tempering muscle and bone, washing marrow and refining body; the pride at converting the “Proud Sword Manual” sword moves into fist forms...

Watching the flickering bursts of light and hearing the thunderous explosions outside, Qi Fei exhaled deeply. On the eve of battle, his heart was as calm as still water, his spirit at its peak.

At that moment, Guo Huai finally shattered the sword array and stormed into the cave, brimming with murderous intent.

Qi Fei sighed inwardly; since returning to Cangyun Mountain, he had been cautious at every step, yet peace had eluded him. Now, with the Grand Elder pressing ever closer, the killing intent was finally revealed.

He recalled the wretched days when he first joined Danxia Sect, the anguished faces of friends who died with grievances unavenged, and his master’s dying exhortations in that mountain valley. Suddenly, clarity dawned in his heart.

In troubled times, to survive, one must act with ruthless decisiveness. The sect master and Grand Elder of Danxia had set their sights on him more than once; save for his debt to his master, he felt not a shred of attachment to the sect. Since that was so, it was time to settle matters with Grand Elder Guo Huai.

Just as he’d slain the traitor Ma Deyuan in the outer court, Qi Fei now gazed at the Grand Elder before him, a surge of unwavering murderous resolve rising in his heart.