Chapter 17: The Resting Place in the Shadows
The crevice's walls narrowed quickly, forcing Lin Xuan to slide sideways, each movement sending a throb of pain through his ribs.
The light from above vanished entirely after a dozen steps, replaced by the faint, cold glow of qi traces drifting in the air.
He pressed onward, following the pull of his spiritual sense until the narrow path widened into a small cavern.
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The Fallen Giant
At the center of the chamber sat a cross-legged skeleton, still clad in tattered black robes embroidered with faded constellations.
The pressure lingering in the bones alone was enough to make Lin Xuan's scalp prickle — the kind of weight only a true powerhouse could leave behind.
A fractured jade token at the skeleton's side still bore a title: Void Transformation Realm.
Even for a failing attempt at the next tribulation, such a cultivation base was something Lin Xuan had never been this close to before.
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An Alchemist's Legacy
Beside the skeleton lay a cracked cauldron and several jade boxes, their sealing runes still intact. A simple silver ring rested against the skeleton's ribs.
When Lin Xuan's fingers brushed the ring, a pulse of spiritual energy accepted him without resistance. The space within unfolded in his mind — a treasure trove of items that made his breath hitch:
Healing Pills – mid to high heaven-grade, capable of mending injuries and restoring qi.
Cultivation Boosting Pills – rare formulas designed to rapidly push the user through bottlenecks.
Stacks of refined herbs, many extinct in the current era.
A single jade slip labeled: Ecliptic Lotus Pill – Formula. The Empyrean Pill Scripture had no record of it.
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The Ancestor's Words
As Lin Xuan examined the items, his spiritual sense brushed against a lingering will inside the ring.
A deep, weary voice spoke into his mind:
> "If you are hearing this, I have failed my last tribulation. My name… is Liang Feixu, of the Starfall Alchemy Clan. The heavens gave me great talent, but not enough fortune to survive.
If you have found my resting place, then take what I leave behind. My tools, my formulas, my pills — they are yours, if you agree to one thing:
If my family still exists in your time, and if they ever find you, help them once… without asking for anything in return."
The voice faded, leaving only silence.
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Respect for the Dead
Lin Xuan stood before the skeleton for a long moment, then bowed deeply.
"I accept," he said quietly. "For the life you've saved today, I will honor your request."
He gathered the remains, wrapping them in his spare robe, and dug a grave at the far end of the cavern. A single stone marked the site, engraved with the name Liang Feixu.
When the last of the soil was patted down, Lin Xuan straightened. "Rest well, Senior. Your legacy won't be wasted."
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Restoration
In the shelter of the cavern, he swallowed one of the high heaven-grade healing pills. Warmth flooded his body, knitting torn muscle and sealing the worst of his internal injuries.
Another pill, this one for cultivation, sent a steady stream of refined qi into his meridians, reinforcing the progress from the celestial pill.
He could already feel his strength returning. The peak Foundation Establishment cultivator who had forced him off the cliff wouldn't find him so easy prey if they met again.
But first, he needed to recover fully — and then decide how to climb back up without leading his pursuers to this place.
For now, the darkness of the cavern felt like the safest place in the world.