Tianyuan Continent, the northern territory of Wind Country.
In the distant, vast expanse of heaven and earth, several imposing mountain peaks stood erect, emitting a dangerous and ferocious aura.
On the inner side of these peaks, there was a precipice, towering thousands of feet high, unfathomably deep and terrifying.
This place was the widely renowned Soul-Burying Cliff.
This was considered the most chilling place in the entire Wind Country. It is said to be filled with countless rotting corpses and white bones, and teeming with lonely spirits and wild ghosts—a fitting description for this very place.
Suddenly, an acrid gust of wind arose. Two dark figures flickered and appeared atop the precipice.
The two individuals were robust, their movements agile, evidently top-notch martial arts experts from the Jianghu.
On the shoulder of the sturdier man in black, a young man in white was carried. His robe was stained with blood, a bloody palm print was emblazoned on his chest, and his face was as pale as paper, appearing entirely breathless.
"Do you think this Ling Chen is really dead?" one of the men in black suddenly asked.
"The boy's heart meridians have been shattered by the Vice-Head's palm strike. Death is certain. Even a Da Luo Immortal couldn't save him; he certainly won't survive," the other replied.
"What a pity, though. This youngster was our Divine Intent Sect's top genius. No, he should be considered the Martial World's unparalleled prodigy. His martial arts talent was astonishing. Who would have thought he would die just like that."
"Hmph! When you cut grass, you must remove the roots. What's there to pity? It's his own fault his father Ling Tianyu collaborated with the Saint Witch Religion, attempting to overthrow our Divine Intent Sect's thousand-year foundation."
"Alright, enough idle talk. Let's quickly dispose of this boy's corpse. We still need to go back and report."
The moment he finished speaking, the sturdy man in black tossed the white-clad youth down the precipice and turned to leave.
「A night passes.」
Below the precipice was a gloomy valley.
The place was filled with a musty smell of decay. The air was chilling to the extreme, and it seemed as if strange howls occasionally echoed from the distance.
At the far end of that boundless, shadowy expanse, a young man in white was awakening from the darkness.
Who would have thought I could survive?
Ling Chen struggled to open his eyes. He felt as though every bone in his body was shattered, and his internal meridians were in disarray. That he could awaken now was nothing short of a miracle.
He knew that the person who had struck him was a Grand Master. If it had been an ordinary person, they would have long since been smashed to pieces.
It was this Blood Jade that saved me.
Ling Chen realized that his body was enveloped in a layer of peculiar, blood-red light. This radiance emanated from the Sword-shaped Blood Jade pendant on his chest.
This jade pendant was left to him by his father, Ling Tianyu. He had initially thought it was just an ordinary item and never expected it to possess such a miraculous effect.
His father, Ling Tianyu, known as the "Supreme Sky Feather," was the Sect Leader of the Divine Intent Sect, the top sect in the Five Kingdoms' Martial World. He was also the foremost expert in the Martial World, his cultivation having reached the Sky Apex Realm, and he found no rival within the Five Kingdoms.
However, just last night, the Divine Intent Sect had suddenly suffered a great catastrophe and was reduced to ashes by a great fire.
Following that, Ling Chen's body had been thrown off the cliff.
The Divine Intent Sect had existed for a thousand years, boasting experts as numerous as clouds. How could it have suddenly undergone such a drastic change?
It all happened too suddenly; Ling Chen didn't even know what had transpired before he was severely injured by a powerful, mysterious man in black. Then, two traitors had taken him out of the Divine Intent Sect, and he had lost consciousness.
Never mind, thinking about all this now is useless. The most urgent task is to survive.
Ling Chen barely supported his body. His meridians were shattered, and he was hanging on by a thread, relying on the peculiar energy from the jade pendant. If he were to lose this infusion of energy, his life would likely be in immediate peril.
Without life, everything is meaningless. Only by living is there hope.
After taking a deep breath, Ling Chen channeled a wisp of True Qi into the Sword-shaped Blood Jade.
BUZZ!
Accompanied by a faint humming sound, strands of blood-colored energy began to flow from the Blood Jade. They swirled around Ling Chen like crimson snakes and, in an instant, wrapped him in a giant Blood Cocoon.
Faced with this sudden change, Ling Chen remained unruffled. Having clawed his way back from the Gate of Hell, there was hardly anything left in the world that could startle him.
In this peculiar blood-colored energy, Ling Chen's injuries began to recover bit by bit.
「One hour later.」
Ling Chen's injuries had fully healed, and there wasn't the slightest trace of injury on his body.
This Blood Jade is truly miraculous.
Ling Chen examined the Blood Jade on his chest, but for the time being, he couldn't discern anything special about it. After losing its luster, it appeared quite ordinary.
What a pity. My meridians have been completely shattered. I fear I am cut off from Martial Arts forever.
As his gaze moved away from the Blood Jade, Ling Chen couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow. Although preserving his life was a great fortune, if he became a cripple, unable to practice Martial Arts, how could he investigate the truth behind the Divine Intent Sect's calamity? And how would he ever be able to take revenge?
However, just as Ling Chen was harboring these thoughts, the Blood Jade suddenly flickered. Then, a golden beam of light refracted from within it. In an instant, large characters shimmering with golden light spread out in the air before him:
"Heavenly Endowed Divine Technique: Cultivate with ruined meridians. Surpass Heaven and Earth, dominate the Martial World."
Ling Chen looked at the words and was pondering, when his eyes suddenly lit up. This mantra... could it be... the Ling Tian Sword Scripture?