C20 Inside the Restriction

"There's a relic deep within the Black Wind Mountain Range?" Hua Hsing asked, a bit surprised.

Hua Hsing was no stranger to relics; they often held treasures that could spark fierce competition among warriors.

"That's right. There's a relic deep in the Black Wind Mountain Range. We got this mission from the Mission Hall of the Flowing Wind Sect. It's rumored that this relic might be the resting place of a powerful Qi Transforming Stage warrior," Senior Brother Sunn explained.

"Our task is to gather information and report back to the sect," another disciple added.

"Where is this relic?" Hua Hsing's interest was piqued.

"It's deep within the Black Wind Mountain Range. Here's the map," Senior Brother Sunn said, handing Hua Hsing a piece of tattered cloth.

Hua Hsing glanced at it and saw that the map depicted the Black Wind Mountain Range, with a red dot at its center.

He understood that the red dot marked the relic mentioned by Senior Brother Sunn and the others.

With the map in hand, Hua Hsing smiled and said, "Now that you've told me everything, you should go find your senior brother."

Hearing this, Senior Brother Sunn was furious and terrified.

"You promised to spare us. How can you go back on your word?"

"I only said you'd die if you didn't reveal the secret. I never promised to let you go," Hua Hsing replied calmly. "Besides, I won't spare anyone who tries to kill me."

This was Hua Hsing's principle: if someone offended him, he would make sure they paid the ultimate price.

"You..."

Senior Brother Sunn didn't even get to finish his sentence before a flash of golden light streaked by, leaving the three of them lifeless on the ground.

Hua Hsing sheathed his Light Spirit Sword and prepared to inspect their bodies. What he failed to notice was a tiny white powder slipping from Senior Brother Sunn's hand as he died, settling unnoticed on Hua Hsing.

After checking, Hua Hsing found nothing on the other four, but Senior Brother Qing had a Space Ring.

"A low-tier Space Ring," Hua Hsing murmured, then examined its contents.

Before long, he had emptied the ring: a manual, some herbs, and a few demon beast carcasses.

"Meteor Finger," Hua Hsing noted with a hint of a smile, tucking the manual into his own Space Ring. He also collected the herbs and demon beast bodies. After one last glance at the bodies, he followed the map deeper into the Black Wind Mountain Range.

A moment later, the rustling of leaves announced the arrival of three figures at the scene of the recent battle.

"Senior Brother Re, someone fought here," one of the disciples remarked.

"I noticed their clothes; they seem to be disciples of the Flowing Wind Sect," another disciple remarked.

"Who could have possibly killed Wu Jun?"

Re Yunzheng also spotted the five bodies on the ground, his expression turning grave. He knew Wu Jun well. Wu Jun had reached the fourth level of the Qi Refining Stage long ago. If even Wu Jun was killed in the Black Wind Mountain Range, could there be a mysterious expert lurking there?

"What should we do, Senior Brother Re?" a disciple asked.

"We leave."

Re Yunzheng sensed danger in the area and, with a swift command, led the group away. Their mission was only to eliminate Hua Hsing; they didn't want to stir up unnecessary trouble.

After traveling for about an hour, they suddenly noticed a figure ahead. In the next moment, Re Yunzheng's eyes flashed with a hint of killing intent as he realized the figure was Hua Hsing.

"Hua Hsing, I can't believe I ran into you here," Re Yunzheng said ominously.

However, just as Re Yunzheng was about to make his move, Hua Hsing vanished into thin air.

"Where did Hua Hsing go? How did he disappear?"

The three of them were taken aback and rushed to the spot where Hua Hsing had disappeared, examining it closely.

Suddenly, a disciple shouted.

"Senior Brother Re, there seems to be a barrier here."

"Inhibition?"

Re Yunzheng heard this and carefully sensed it, indeed discovering an inhibition.

"Why would there be an inhibition here?" he thought, a hint of excitement appearing on his face.

"Senior Brother Re, could this be an ancient site?" a disciple asked.

"It must be. Hua Hsing must have found some clue; otherwise, he wouldn't have come here," Re Yunzheng affirmed.

"So, what do we do now?"

"We need to find the entrance and get into the site. We can't let Hua Hsing get whatever's inside," Re Yunzheng said seriously.

Hua Hsing followed the map to the depths of the Black Wind Mountain Range and discovered an inhibition there. Once inside, he realized how vast it was, indicating the immense power of whoever set it up.

"Is this really the Fallen Land of a Qi Transforming Stage warrior?" Hua Hsing wondered. The inhibition was far too grand for someone at the Qi Transforming Stage to have created.

In terms of cultivation levels, above the Qi Refining Stage is the Qi Transforming Stage, where warriors can form a True Core within themselves. They can use this True Core to store cosmic spiritual energy, marking their departure from the ordinary and truly embarking on the path of martial arts.

In a small place like Breeze City, Qi Transforming Stage experts are rare, mostly leaders of various sects.

In Breeze City, a Qi Transforming Stage warrior is considered quite formidable, but in Azure Cloud County, that's not much of a feat.

"What exactly is hidden within this barrier?" Hua Hsing murmured, surveying his surroundings.

At that moment, he noticed a flicker in the distance and quickly made his way to the cave entrance. Inside, the cave walls were adorned with various images: some depicted martial artists practicing punches, others wielding swords, and even some refining finger techniques.

"This is..." Hua Hsing was momentarily taken aback by the images. However, in the next moment, his eyes glazed over in a trance. He then sat cross-legged, delving into the essence of the images.

Meanwhile, Re Yunzheng and his companions also entered the barrier, searching for its hidden treasures.

Three days later, Hua Hsing abruptly opened his eyes. "I can't believe I got lost in a daze," he thought, feeling a chill run down his spine. Luckily, he was within the barrier; if an enemy had come, he might not have survived.

But then, he realized his cultivation level had stabilized completely, and more than that...

"What’s going on?" Hua Hsing was overjoyed. He discovered that, without realizing it, he had mastered the sixth move of the Golden Light Sword Arts, which thrilled him.

"It must be because of the images on the walls," Hua Hsing chuckled.

"I can't believe someone managed to grasp the essence of swordsmanship at the Qi Transforming Stage. That's truly impressive," Hua Hsing couldn't help but exclaim.

In the journey of martial arts, it's rare for a practitioner to comprehend the essence of their craft. Those who do are often extraordinary talents. To achieve this at the Qi Transforming Stage marks someone as a super genius.

There are many types of essences: sword, fist, blade, and finger, among others. Hua Hsing was certain that this genius at the Qi Transforming Stage was a once-in-a-century talent. To grasp multiple essences at this stage is almost like a divine reincarnation.

Hua Hsing accidentally comprehended the essence of imagery, which allowed him to master the sixth move of the Golden Light Sword Arts. This was an incredible stroke of luck for him.

Practitioners at the Qi Refining Stage can only absorb cosmic spiritual energy to temper their bodies; they can't cultivate powerful techniques. For them, the concept of essence is unfamiliar. If they manage to comprehend it, it's considered a monumental stroke of luck.

Hua Hsing found himself on the brink of another breakthrough, trying to grasp the essence again, but he couldn't succeed. "It seems that understanding the essence isn't something just anyone can achieve."

Even though Hua Hsing couldn't comprehend it this time, he wasn't discouraged. Having experienced it once, his understanding of swordsmanship had deepened significantly.

"I can't comprehend the sword intent; I wonder if I can grasp the finger intent."

Hua Hsing sat cross-legged, facing the wall that embodied the finger intent, and gently closed his eyes. In his mind, a vivid scene unfolded: a warrior exuding a powerful aura, slightly moving his finger, causing a beam of light to flash by, sending boulders flying. The spectacle was astonishing.

"Is this the finger intent?"

Hua Hsing sensed a faint trace of finger intent entering his mind. Seizing the opportunity, he decisively began practicing the Meteor Finger technique. Meteor Finger consists of three moves, each possessing formidable power. Hua Hsing chose to practice it because, despite being an inferior technique, it was more powerful than the Golden Light Sword Arts.

Following the movements of the man in his vision, Hua Hsing recited the Meteor Finger mantra and sharply extended a finger. A beam of energy struck the wall, eventually dissipating. Hua Hsing opened his eyes, feeling a bit helpless.

"Could it be that the Golden Heart only speeds up my swordsmanship training?" he wondered. While mastering the Golden Light Sword Arts came easily, practicing the Meteor Finger was a struggle, as the Golden Heart didn't accelerate his progress. Despite repeated attempts, he couldn't successfully execute the Meteor Finger.

At this moment, Hua Hsing finally confirmed that the Golden Heart likely only enhanced the speed of his swordsmanship training, not other techniques.

"It seems mastering the Meteor Finger technique isn't something that can be achieved quickly," Hua Hsing remarked with a wry smile.

He then memorized the movements from the scene before turning to leave.

Just then, Hua Hsing heard a voice.

"Hey, Re, there's a cave over here."