Kapitel 24: Chapter 24: Escape from the Precipice

...

"Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop~"

As if hearing his master's shout, Ronin Sword slowly started to decelerate its descent, coming to a stop.

"Whew~"

Seeing the descent halt, Zeng Yi breathed a sigh of relief. Thankfully, he didn't fall and managed to save his life.

However...

Zeng Yi's expression turned grim as he looked at his current location. He was suspended in mid-air! He was hanging from the cliff by grasping tightly onto the handle of his martial soul, Ronin Sword. His hands were stained with blood, as his palms were cut and bleeding from gripping the blade. Right now, he was dangling in the air.

Damn it! What do I do now!

Although Zeng Yi practiced the Wind Sword Art, which granted him the ability to control the wind, his cultivation was too low to fly using the wind.

Moreover, Zeng Yi had already exerted too much soul power, and he was also injured by the residual energy from the Flame Demon Ox-Tiger Beast. He felt excruciating pain all over his body and knew he wouldn't be able to hold on for much longer.

"Meow?"

A small head poked out from Zeng Yi's clothes. It glanced at its surroundings and was instantly frightened, quickly retracting back inside.

"Cough cough... You little guy, you're such a scaredy-cat! Hehe." Seeing the appearance of the small cat, Zeng Yi weakly smiled with bloody lips. He had prioritized protecting the cat with his soul power earlier, so it seemed unharmed. However, his own situation was quite dire.

"Don't be afraid, Xioa Ju, we'll be okay." Zeng Yi could feel the trembling furry body inside his clothes, so he comforted it.

"Meow~"

"Of course! You just relax."

Assessing his current physical condition, Zeng Yi felt that he could hold on for a bit longer. The Flame Demon Ox-Tiger Beast's aura no longer locked onto him, indicating that it had given up on chasing him. He had narrowly escaped a calamity, only to face another one.

Now, how do I get out of this predicament?

Damn it! Why is this cliff so smooth? There isn't even a protruding stone to stand on.

After surveying the cliff, Zeng Yi couldn't help but curse inwardly. Looking down, there was a waterfall at this height, and if he fell, he would likely be smashed to death on the water's surface. Even if he survived the fall, there could be soul beasts living in the water. In that case, he would have no ability to resist and would be devoured by the soul beasts.

This is truly a desperate situation!

As an old-timer who had survived in the Sunset Forest for many years, Zeng Yi never expected to end up in such a miserable state.

That damn Flame Demon Ox-Tiger Beast! When I reach the Soul Emperor realm, I'll definitely find you, you beast, and make you into a full-course soul banquet.

Thinking of the soul beast that had pushed him to this desperate situation, Zeng Yi clenched his teeth in hatred.

But now I need to stay calm and think of a way to escape from here.

The desire to survive calmed Zeng Yi down, and he began to inspect his surroundings, racking his brain for possible escape methods.

Closing his eyes, feeling the flow of wind around him, after about ten seconds, Zeng Yi suddenly opened his eyes. His pale and solemn face eased up, showing a hint of joy.

Found it!

His gaze turned towards the right side of the cliff, about twenty meters away. Zeng Yi sensed the fluctuating wind there, indicating the presence of a cave.

As for whether there were soul beasts inside, Zeng Yi couldn't concern himself with that now. If he waited any longer, his energy would be depleted, and he would fall off the cliff and die. It was better to take this chance.

Holding onto the handle of Ronin Sword with one hand, Zeng Yi drew out the sword from his waist and forcefully inserted it into the cliff on his right side, securing himself. Then, he pulled Ronin Sword out from the cliff and continued the previous operation, moving towards the right.

This process was extremely perilous, and Zeng Yi's expression was grave. Cold sweat flowed ceaselessly from his forehead, sliding down his cheeks and dropping into the abyss. He had to concentrate all his attention on carrying out this action, without a single moment of distraction; otherwise, he would face an irreversible catastrophe.

This short distance of twenty meters, which might mean life or death, seemed so long. Zeng Yi took more than ten minutes to reach the spot he had sensed earlier.

"Whew~"

Zeng Yi let out a relieved breath. This previous act was like walking on a tightrope over a precipice, teetering between life and death. It was an exhilarating experience he had never felt in his two lifetimes, and he never wanted to experience it again.

At this point, Zeng Yi saw a small crevice on the rock wall. There was airflow coming in and out, indicating that there was a large space inside.

Holding the handle of Ronin Sword inserted in the mountain wall with his right hand, Zeng Yi tapped the rock wall with his left hand, feeling the sound transmitted through it.

This rock wall was quite thin, about a dozen centimeters or so, and he could break through it with his current strength.

Thinking it, Zeng Yi clenched his left fist and began to exert force, his blood-stained fist emanating a faint soul power radiance.

"Break!"

Zeng Yi shouted loudly and struck with full force against the thin wall.

Boom!

His fist struck the rock wall, generating a loud bang. The rock wall shattered, penetrated by the punch, and many small rocks fell off the cliff, creating an entrance into the cliff.

Although Zeng Yi was a swordsman, he wasn't solely focused on swordsmanship cultivation. He had always paid attention to body strength training. He might not be as proficient as a soul master specialized in strength, but he was not too bad either. Breaking the rock wall with a punch posed no problem for him.

"Just as I thought!"

Seeing the appearance of the entrance, Zeng Yi's face burst into joy. He crawled into the cave, then retrieved Ronin Sword.

The feeling of being on solid ground after entering the cave made Zeng Yi feel wonderful for the first time. He sat down on the ground, panting heavily. His previous actions had caused him to break out in a cold sweat, soaking his clothes.

"Meow?"

Xiao Ju in his clothes meowed, poked its head out from Zeng Yi's collar, and jumped onto the ground.

"Haha, Xiao Ju, we survived. Hahaha~" Zeng Yi saw the little cat and happily lifted it up, laughing heartily with tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Meow~"

"Hahaha~"

Zeng Yi's laughter echoed continuously in the cave, akin to madness. Gradually, this frenzied laughter began to subside until it vanished.

"The feeling of being alive... is really wonderful."

Zeng Yi put down the cat that had been scared by his laughter. He lifted his head, his vacant pupils staring at the cave ceiling, and mumbled to himself at the corner of his mouth.

Only those who have experienced such a feeling of emerging from a desperate situation can truly understand it.

So tired...

After venting his emotions, Zeng Yi felt drowsiness creeping up. Right now, all he wanted was to sleep soundly without thinking about anything.

Slowly, drowsiness overwhelmed Zeng Yi; his eyelids closed, and his evenly breathing nostrils emitted rhythmic sounds. He fell asleep.

"Meow~"

Seeing Zeng Yi motionless, Xiao Ju rubbed against his leg, meowed, and then jumped onto his thigh. It curled up its body and quietly accompanied Zeng Yi in slumber.

...