Chapter Fifty-Nine: A Sudden Twist in the Dragonfly Skims the Water

The "Tyrant Sword Path" relentlessly eroded Li Ruoyu, and although he resisted with all his might, he was still passively absorbing its legacy. Meanwhile, within the Enlightenment Pool, the Dao-infused liquid continuously streamed into his body, not only sharpening his comprehension but also deepening his understanding of the world itself—an aid of utmost importance for his future journey toward the Dao.

As time passed, Li Ruoyu was ultimately forced to accept the inheritance of the Tyrant Sword Path. This was not the outcome he had hoped for. In this world, when it comes to the Way, there is no absolute strongest—only the one most suited to oneself, and that is true strength. Li Ruoyu had always understood this.

As for talent, in the vastness of the world and the expanse of the firmament, there would inevitably be those more gifted than he. Yet, Li Ruoyu remained confident that he could ascend to the very peak of the heavens, for although his progress was slow, he walked his path with unwavering determination.

The Tyrant Sword Path was a road of no retreat, fierce and domineering, capable of forging the most exalted heights. However, Li Ruoyu simply wished to quietly hold on to that warmth in his palm—the love from his parents and the kindness of his friends. He was fated never to throw himself into the path without hesitation.

Li Ruoyu opened his eyes, and within them flickered a domineering brilliance he had never shown before, mingled with a trace of resistance. The Enlightenment Pool had dried up, leaving nothing but a small pit. Though the result was far from ideal, there was nothing to be done; the pool had been formed from the remnants of a supreme sword cultivator’s Dao, so being unable to withstand it was only natural.

He extended his hands and gazed at them. The palm lines of his right hand were clear and distinct, while his left hand was missing two fingers—the little finger and the ring finger. Usually, Li Ruoyu would use the Chains of Order to conjure the appearance of real fingers, and since the chains were forged from the ultimate divine material, the Starmetal, only the most discerning eyes could detect the illusion.

He clenched his hands into fists, and that familiar warmth filled his palms—it was the greatest treasure he had gained from the Enlightenment Pool. Invisible and intangible, yet undeniably real, Li Ruoyu could feel it. He looked up at the sky, now studded with countless stars, the light shining in his eyes. The domineering glint in his gaze softened.

Turning, he glanced at the suspected tomb of an immortal not far ahead. It was just as before, like an abyssal burial at sea, hauntingly soul-stirring. Once more gripping his bone sword, Li Ruoyu retraced his steps, heading away from this land where immortals were buried.

The path remained painted in crimson, unchanged. Unbeknownst to Li Ruoyu, whenever the bone sword glowed, a faint light would emanate from the tomb, as if something inside was awakening—yet it seemed forever unable to wake.

With his wounds somewhat healed, Li Ruoyu pressed deeper into the wilds of Mount Huang, skirting the burial grounds. Along the way, with the protection of the Soul Banner, bone sword, and the Da Chun Sword, he narrowly avoided several places of certain death. At last, he arrived at the base of a cliff where the bloodied immortal body was pinned.

Though this cliff was not among the ten most famed peaks of the Desolate Wilds, rising straight into the heavens, it stood here like a sword pointing at the sky, proud and unyielding. As soon as he drew near, Li Ruoyu felt a sharp and formidable aura pressing upon him.

Now close enough, he could see the immortal's undying body with utter clarity. He was surprised by the indistinct face, the three thousand strands of black hair billowing, and the blood-red plum blossoms imprinted upon her garments—marks left by a desperate battle with a formidable foe, now destined to endure for eternity. Though her life was ended, the divine power radiating from her corpse obscured her features; yet by her figure, it was clear that the woman nailed here had been in the prime of her beauty.

She was breathtaking, in the full bloom of youth, but the black spear piercing her body marred this portrait of loveliness.

Withdrawing his gaze from the woman, Li Ruoyu looked deeper into Mount Huang and saw a teleportation array. Judging by its extraordinary scale—and recalling the pillar of light pointing at the sky, the changes in the direction of the Fallen Demon Valley, and the ancient rumors about Mount Huang—Li Ruoyu's heart tightened. He formed a suspicion, and though it was not good news, it filled him with a burning desire to rise more swiftly.

Having confirmed his suspicions, Li Ruoyu wasted no time and began his journey back along the outskirts of Mount Huang. But as he passed through a deadly terrain he had traversed earlier, disaster suddenly struck. An unnamed annihilating force surged around him. Although he was at the very edge of this perilous zone, even a brush with such a place could be fatal.

Mount Huang, oh Mount Huang, Li Ruoyu murmured to himself. He had not expected that the terrain here was not static but changed with the cycles of heaven and earth, carrying a sense of uncertainty. His earlier safe passage had indeed been a matter of luck. He understood well that auspicious timing would not last forever, so he exerted every ounce of strength to escape his predicament.

This terrain was known as "Dragonfly Skims the Water," once considered a superb burial ground requiring a snow-covered peak. But when twisted by sinister change, it became the deadliest of all tombs. Now, where spring should have flourished, the land was black and red—the soil shot through with crimson. Upon closer inspection, the colors were not natural but formed by the endless blood that had soaked the earth, transforming it into its current cursed state.

A site once perfect for burial had become the mass grave of countless beings. Such a fate brought about this sinister transformation: where life ends, there is only death. What bloody history did this "Dragonfly Skims the Water" conceal? Li Ruoyu did not know, but the malice and catastrophe steeped into the land filled him with dread.

Corpse spots began to appear on the hand wielding the bone sword. Though alive, he bore the marks of the dead—how many bones must be buried here for a place to become such an absolute dead zone? Gradually, corpse spots also crept through his hair, then across his whole body. Li Ruoyu fought with all his strength to break free. Though he made some progress, each step was as laborious as a tortoise’s crawl.

At last, he escaped the accursed "Dragonfly Skims the Water." Now, Li Ruoyu was covered in corpse spots, looking like a mildewed corpse newly risen from the grave. Black and gray blotches densely covered his hair, face, arms…

He glanced at his arm, then looked back toward the land he had just fled. A chill ran through him, bone-deep terror. The place not only tainted him with corpse spots but also possessed a natural trapping force. Were it not for the immortal Soul Banner and the bone sword from the same lineage, he would surely have perished there. Even so, the corpse spots continued to erode him.

Without hesitation, Li Ruoyu sat down cross-legged and tried to drive out the corpse spots with his own wild energy, but with little effect. The stains not only corroded his flesh but carried a strange, ominous power into his body. He did not know how deeply it had penetrated, but he was certain that if this curse could not be purged soon, it would spell grave trouble for both his present and his future.