Ch 28: The Fist God
-----
System Notification:-
Congratulations! You have successfully discovered an ancient array: Veil of the Forgotten Realm...
An array designed to disguise and conceal areas from detection. This array is a relic from the War of Immortals.
-----
Feng Chen's heart skipped a beat, excitement bubbling up inside him.
"An ancient array?" he said, grinning from ear to ear.
"Now this… this could be interesting!"
Without hesitation, he stepped through the shimmering veil. The moment he crossed the threshold, the air around him seemed to shift, and the familiar sights and sounds of the forest disappeared.
In their place stood a massive stone cave, far larger than anything Feng Chen had seen before. The entrance was adorned with glowing symbols, each one pulsing faintly with an ancient, otherworldly energy.
Feng Chen's jaw dropped.
"Now THIS is what I'm talking about!" he exclaimed, practically bouncing with excitement.
"This is exactly what I've been looking for!"
The cave was enormous, its wide entrance leading into a dark, cavernous interior that seemed to stretch on for miles. Feng Chen stepped inside cautiously, his eyes scanning the space as his footsteps echoed off the stone walls.
The cave was spacious, far bigger than his previous shelter, but still not quite the grand lair he had envisioned. Still, it would do for the time being.
As he ventured deeper into the cave, Feng Chen's attention was drawn to something unusual. Sitting near the entrance, in a meditative position, was a skeleton draped in tattered black martial robes.
The skeleton was unnervingly intact, as though it had been frozen in time. In its bony fingers, it clutched a letter, the paper yellowed with age but still legible.
Feng Chen raised an eyebrow, his curiosity getting the better of him.
"A skeleton with a letter? This feels like the beginning of one of those haunted house stories."
He cautiously approached the skeleton, reaching out to take the letter from its grasp. But the moment his fingers brushed against the paper, the skeleton's eyes flared to life with a blinding red light.
A murderous aura exploded from the skeleton, crashing into Feng Chen like a tidal wave. The sheer intensity of the aura was so overwhelming that Feng Chen nearly collapsed under its weight.
"What the hell…?" Feng Chen gasped, his knees trembling as he struggled to stay on his feet.
"Is this some kind of… test?"
Gritting his teeth, Feng Chen summoned his own Yin and Yang Qi, releasing a powerful aura of his own to combat the oppressive force of the skeleton. The two auras clashed violently, filling the cave with a deafening hum as they fought for dominance. Sweat beaded on Feng Chen's forehead as he focused all his strength on pushing back against the murderous intent.
After what felt like an eternity, the red light in the skeleton's eyes began to dim, and the murderous aura slowly receded. Breathing heavily, Feng Chen finally managed to take the letter from the skeleton's grasp.
He unfolded the fragile paper, his hands trembling slightly as he began to read aloud.
"My name is… Lie Zhang…"
Feng Chen's voice trailed off as his eyes widened in shock. His hands began to tremble more violently, making the paper shake as though caught in a fierce wind. He stared at the name written on the aged parchment, his mind racing.
"No way… Lie Zhang?!" Feng Chen whispered to himself.
"Isn't that…?"
He swallowed hard, his throat dry as the realization struck him like a bolt of lightning.
"Lie Zhang… the Fist God?!" His voice cracked with disbelief. This wasn't just any old skeleton sitting in a cave... this was the remains of one of the most fearsome cultivators in history, a man whose fists were said to be able to shatter mountains and rip apart armies with a single strike.
"What in the name of the heavens…?!" Feng Chen muttered, his eyes still fixed on the paper.
"I'm standing in the presence of a legend?!"
The system, having remained suspiciously quiet throughout Feng Chen's ordeal, finally chimed in.
-----
System Notification:-
Ah, so you've discovered the remains of the famous Fist God. Pretty cool, right?
-----
Feng Chen blinked, the absurdity of the situation finally sinking in.
"Cool? COOOOOL?!" he shouted at the system.
"This is insane! I just stumbled across the bones of one of the strongest cultivators in history, and you're calling it COOL?!"
-----
System Notification:-
What did you expect? A parade?
-----
Feng Chen shook his head in disbelief.
"The Fist God… Lie Zhang… This is beyond insane." His gaze drifted back to the skeleton, whose once fiery red eyes had now faded to nothing more than dark, empty sockets.
"What happened to you? Why are you here?"
He glanced down at the letter again, scanning the ancient words written in elegant calligraphy.
If you are reading this, then I have long since perished in this forsaken cave. I, Lie Zhang, once known as the Fist God, met my end here after a long battle with the forces of the Immortal War. Though I was victorious in the fight, my injuries were too severe, and I could not recover.
Feng Chen continued reading aloud, his voice growing quieter with each line.
I leave behind the remnants of my strength in this place, sealed within the techniques I mastered in life. Should you be worthy and manage to survive my aura, then I grant you access to the Heavenly Fist Arts, the core of my strength.
Feng Chen nearly dropped the letter.
"Heavenly Fist Arts…?"
-----
System Notification:-
Looks like you just found yourself an ancient cultivation technique. Not too bad, huh?
-----
Feng Chen's lips twisted into a grin as the realization settled in.
"Not too bad?" he chuckled, his heart racing with excitement.
"This is more than 'not too bad'... this is AMAZING! I just found one of the most legendary techniques in history!"
He turned back to the skeleton of Lie Zhang, bowing deeply in respect.
"Thank you for this gift," he whispered.