The Black Crane Sect had places that did not appear on any map.
Li Yun stood before one of them.
The cliff face rose like a wall of night, jagged stone plunging straight down into mist so thick it swallowed sound itself. A single weathered stone tablet stood at the edge, its surface cracked with age.
Forbidden Cliff.
Trespassers Die.
Li Yun exhaled slowly.
His injuries from the secret test had not fully healed. His Qi still felt restless, surging unpredictably as it brushed against the threshold of Qi Condensation — Late Stage.
And yet—
This was the place Elder Fang's jade badge had led him to.
So this is the price, Li Yun thought.
He stepped forward.
The Fall That Wasn't
The moment Li Yun crossed the invisible boundary, the ground vanished beneath his feet.
He fell.
Wind screamed past his ears as darkness swallowed him whole. His instinct screamed at him to circulate Qi—but he resisted, forcing himself to remain calm.
The Jade Blade Manual stirred.
Those who cling will shatter.
Those who release will descend.
Li Yun loosened his control.
The fall slowed.
The mist thinned.
Stone rushed up to meet him—but instead of impact, his feet touched down softly on solid ground.
He opened his eyes.
He stood inside a vast cavern carved naturally into the mountain's heart. Strange light pulsed faintly from veins of jade embedded in the walls, illuminating ancient carvings etched deep into the stone.
Swords.
Meridians.
Flowing Qi patterns.
Li Yun's breath caught.
A legacy…
The Remnant Will
The moment he stepped forward, pressure descended.
Not cultivation pressure.
Will.
A vast, ancient intent swept through the cavern, forcing Li Yun to his knees. His bones screamed as if pressed beneath a mountain.
A voice echoed—not loud, but absolute.
"Kneel if you seek power."
Li Yun gritted his teeth.
Blood seeped from the corners of his mouth as he forced himself upright, trembling.
"No," he said hoarsely.
The pressure intensified.
Stone cracked beneath his feet.
"Then leave."
Li Yun laughed weakly.
"I don't have that luxury."
Silence followed.
Then—
The pressure eased.
A translucent figure formed before him—an old man clad in simple robes, his eyes sharp despite the faintness of his form.
"A stubborn one," the remnant said calmly. "Good."
Li Yun bowed deeply.
"This junior seeks guidance."
The old man studied him.
"You carry hatred," he said. "And restraint. That combination destroys most cultivators."
Li Yun lifted his head.
"I'll survive it."
The remnant smiled faintly.
"We'll see."
The Jade Tempering Method
The remnant waved his hand.
The jade veins in the cavern pulsed brighter.
"This inheritance is not complete," the old man said. "It was never meant to be."
Li Yun stiffened.
"What does that mean?"
"It means," the remnant replied, "you will either surpass me—or die."
Information surged into Li Yun's mind.
Not a technique.
A process.
A cultivation method that fused Body Tempering and Qi Condensation into a single path—using jade-aligned Qi to refine flesh, bone, and meridians simultaneously.
A forbidden shortcut.
A lethal one.
"This method," the remnant said, "will tear you apart if your will falters."
Li Yun didn't hesitate.
"I accept."
The remnant nodded.
"Then begin."
Pain That Redefined Pain
The jade veins flared.
Qi surged violently into Li Yun's body, flooding his meridians with sharp, cutting energy that felt like molten glass. His muscles seized. His bones rang like struck bells.
Li Yun screamed.
Not aloud.
Inside.
His skin split in places, jade-tinted Qi seeping out like mist. His meridians twisted, reshaping under unbearable pressure.
Focus.
He circulated Qi instinctively, guiding the foreign energy, binding it with his own.
The Jade Blade Manual resonated.
The process stabilized slightly.
Hours passed.
Or days.
Li Yun lost track.
He only knew pain.
And persistence.
Then—
Crack.
A barrier shattered.
Qi condensed violently, surging inward with newfound density.
Li Yun collapsed forward, gasping.
Qi Condensation — Late Stage.
But the process didn't end.
His bones glowed faintly with jade light before fading.
The remnant watched silently.
"You lived," he said.
Li Yun lay on the stone floor, chest heaving.
"Barely."
The remnant smiled.
"Good. You've inherited the first fragment."
The Warning
As Li Yun recovered, the remnant's form flickered.
"This place will collapse once you leave," the old man said. "Others must never find it."
Li Yun nodded.
"There is more," the remnant continued. "But not for you. Not yet."
He fixed Li Yun with a sharp gaze.
"When you reach Foundation Establishment, return."
Li Yun bowed deeply.
"I will."
The remnant nodded once—and dispersed.
The Return
Li Yun emerged from the Forbidden Cliff just before dawn.
The stone tablet crumbled to dust behind him.
The mountain was silent.
He rolled his shoulders slowly, feeling the difference immediately. His Qi was denser, sharper, and his body felt… resilient. As if something fundamental had been reinforced.
He clenched his fist.
The air trembled.
Late Stage… but stronger than it should be.
Ripples Across the Sect
By midday, rumors spread.
"Li Yun advanced."
"Inside the Forbidden Cliff."
"He came back alive."
Elders took notice.
Elder Fang's eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
Elder Wei smiled coldly.
"So," he murmured. "You found something."
A New Threat Emerges
That night, Mu Qian appeared again.
Her gaze lingered on Li Yun longer than before.
"You changed," she said quietly.
Li Yun nodded.
"Yes."
Mu Qian hesitated.
"An inner disciple has arrived from the main sect," she said. "Name's Yan Zhen."
Li Yun felt a subtle chill.
"What realm?" he asked.
Mu Qian's voice lowered.
"Foundation Establishment."
Li Yun exhaled slowly.
So the sect escalates.
Mu Qian met his gaze.
"He's here for you."
Li Yun smiled faintly.
"Good."
A Blade That Keeps Moving Forward
Li Yun returned to his room and sat down, circulating Qi calmly.
Late Stage Qi Condensation was not the end.
It was the threshold.
Outside, clouds gathered around the Black Crane Sect, thunder rumbling faintly in the distance.
A storm was coming.
And this time—
He would meet it head-on.