Martial Arts: The Secret Villain Starting from Huashan

At this time, tears were flowing down Gongsun Lu'e's delicate face, as crystal clear as morning dew. She shook her head gently, and that action contained endless helplessness and reluctance, as if she was trying to dispel the sadness surging in her heart.

Afterwards, Gongsun Lue'e slowly stretched out her slender arms like spring onions, and gently but firmly hugged the neck of her mother, Qiu Ganchi, who was once stunningly beautiful but now had experienced many vicissitudes of life.

At the moment when Qiu Ganchi and Gongsun Lue'e were leaning against each other, Gongsun Lue'e's voice became unusually soft and delicate, as if a spring breeze was blowing across the lake, creating layers of gentle ripples.

"Mother...Mother, don't say that. You think exactly the same as I do."

Gongsun Lu'e called out softly, every word was full of affection, her beautiful eyes filled with deep understanding and respect for her mother Qiu Ganchi, as if she could see into the unknown pain and struggle deep in her mother Qiu Ganchi's heart.

As Gongsun Lu'e and Qiu Ganchi expressed their deep feelings about the reunion between mother and daughter after a long separation, the deep family affection flowed slowly in the cave, warm and touching. However, this heartwarming scene did not completely attract Xu Xingchen's attention.

Xu Xingchen didn't have much desire to participate in the conversation between Gongsun Lu'e and Qiu Ganchi, mother and daughter.

So Xu Xingchen started to wander around in the cave by himself. The interior of the cave had a complex structure and dim lighting. Even with the weak natural light and the occasional sunlight coming in through the cracks, only a few rays of sunlight could get in.

Xu Xingchen roughly saw the surrounding environment. He walked slowly along the stone wall. Wherever he looked, there were traces of time. The mottled stone walls and scattered gravel all told the ancient story of this place.

After walking around the cave, Xu Xingchen confirmed a fact: apart from the narrow entrance they had entered before, there seemed to be no other obvious way out. This discovery made him frown, and he secretly thought about his next plan of action.

At this moment, Xu Xingchen's attention was attracted by a cave above his head. The cave seemed like a bright spot of color left by the sky in the cave. Although it was far away and difficult to reach, it still made people want to explore it.

Xu Xingchen looked up and saw that the cave was very high from the ground, at least a hundred feet away, as if it was the end of the sky and out of reach. Under the tree grew a jujube tree with lush branches and leaves, full of vitality.

However, even such a tall jujube tree was only four or five feet high, far from reaching the cave high above. Xu Xingchen thought in his mind that even if twenty such jujube trees were stacked together, they probably would not be able to reach the top.

Thinking of this, Xu Xingchen couldn't help but feel a deep regret in his heart. He recalled the moment when he decided to take the rope, and his heart was filled with doubts and dissatisfaction with his own judgment.

"If I had known this earlier, I shouldn't have brought the rope with me. I should have kept it."

Xu Xingchen secretly blamed himself in his heart.

However, things have come to this point, and no amount of regret can change the facts that have already happened.

Xu Xingchen knew very well that dwelling on past mistakes would only put him in deeper trouble, so he tried hard to put away his thoughts and forced himself to focus on the reality before him.

Afterwards, Xu Xingchen stretched out his body, like a nimble bird, and displayed the Tomb School's unique light skill [Bird Catching Skill]. He tapped the ground with his toes and instantly jumped onto the sturdy jujube tree.

The tree trunk was covered with rough textures, providing Xu Xingchen with a stable support point. He climbed with both hands alternately, moving flexibly among the branches until he reached the treetop.

Standing on the top of the tree, Xu Xingchen looked around and saw that the stone wall high up was completely different from the one below. The stone wall below was as smooth as a mirror and it was difficult to stand on; but the stone wall here was bumpy.

The cliff was covered with holes and bumps of varying sizes, making it possible to climb. Xu Xingchen secretly rejoiced in his heart, then took a deep breath, activated the [Bird Catching Skill] again, and leaped out lightly, landing steadily on the cliff.

Climbing the stone wall was much more difficult than previously imagined, but Xu Xingchen relied on his profound inner strength foundation and superb [Bird Catching Skill] lightness skills to overcome all dangers.

His fingers seemed to have spirituality and could always accurately find those tiny support points; and his feet were attached to the stone wall like magnets, not moving at all despite wind and rain.

In this way, Xu Xingchen climbed up step by step, higher and higher, and closer and closer to the cave.

After walking about sixty or seventy feet, Xu Xingchen finally came to a troublesome place. The stone wall here became extremely smooth, leaving no room for him to move his hands or feet.

He tried to use his fingertips to grab the tiny cracks on the stone wall to find a support point but failed; he tried to use his toes to push on the raised parts of the stone wall to gain leverage to rise but also failed.

In addition, the steep rock walls slope inward at such a large angle that they are almost a natural challenge, and only creatures with extraordinary clinging abilities, such as geckos, can do it.

Perhaps it was the incredible adhesion of the fly that allowed it to stay firmly on the smooth surface of the rock without slipping. Xu Xingchen stared at this insurmountable natural barrier, thinking secretly in his mind.

If he was traveling alone, perhaps with his extraordinary courage and martial arts skills, he could still find a glimmer of hope and climb up; but at this moment, if he wanted to bring someone with him, there would be no way, so he had to rely on other tools.

Looking around, Xu Xingchen's eyes fell on a cave not far away. The cave was located at the top of the rock wall. Its entrance was spacious, more than ten feet wide. It was not only enough for people to enter and exit, but also left room for turning around or carrying items.

This discovery gradually formed a plan in Xu Xingchen's mind, a plan to cleverly utilize the environment.

So, Xu Xingchen took a deep breath, adjusted his state, tapped the ground with his feet, and instantly displayed the [Bird Catching Skill] that he was good at. This set of light skills was known for its lightness and agility.

Being able to burst out amazing speed and agility in a short period of time, the practitioner of the [Bird Catching Skill] can fly freely and accurately in the air like a bird hunting.

Xu Xingchen's figure drew a graceful arc in the air, and finally landed steadily back to the bottom of the cliff. The whole process was silent, as if he had never left this land.

After returning to the safe area, a satisfied smile appeared on Xu Xingchen's handsome face. Although the road ahead is still full of unknowns and challenges, as long as there is a plan in mind and a strategy in hand, nothing is impossible.

At this time, Xu Xingchen had just landed steadily back to the bottom of the unfathomable cliff. The air around him seemed to tremble slightly with his descent, but then returned to calm.

At this moment, Gongsun Lu'e noticed that a group of people were walking towards this side with light steps, like elves jumping in the woods. Every step seemed so elegant and eager, as if they came with some mission.

Gongsun Lu'e's beautiful face was filled with anxiety and anticipation. Her bright eyes sparkled with hope as she stared straight at Xu Xingchen. Her pretty face looked even more delicate in the light, and her skin was as delicate and smooth as newly opened petals.

It makes people want to take a few more glances.

"Brother Xu, I...I know this request may be a little excessive, but I really have no other choice. Please, can you help me? Save my mother?"

There was a hint of trembling and pleading in Gongsun Lu'e's voice. When she said this, her eyes couldn't help but turn red and tears welled up in her eyes, but she forced herself not to let them fall. The emotion of strength and helplessness intertwined together made people feel pity.

Seeing this, Xu Xingchen couldn't help but feel a warm current in his heart. He knew very well the pressure and pain that Gongsun Lue'e was suffering, and he also understood that he might be her only hope now.

So, Xu Xingchen nodded gently, with a firm look in his eyes, and responded softly.

"Don't worry, Miss Gongsun, I will do my best to help you."

This sentence was like a ray of warm sunshine, penetrating the haze in Gongsun Lu'e's heart and illuminating her world. She felt an unprecedented sense of peace and hope, as if a powerful force was supporting her to move forward.