Darkness cloaked the cavern as water dripped rhythmically from the jagged ceiling. A damp chill hung in the air. Against the moss-covered wall, Su Yang lay motionless—his body broken and bloodied.
His clothes were shredded, barely clinging to his battered frame. A gaping wound split across his chest, and his left hand was mangled to the point where bare bone gleamed beneath torn flesh.
His breathing was ragged. Each inhale felt like fire, each exhale a cry his lips were too weak to form.
Suddenly, from deep within his core, a gentle green light flickered.
Then it surged.
Like spring water bursting through dry earth, vibrant green energy coursed through his meridians, flooding his body from within.
It first surged into his chest, knitting together torn muscle and sealing the wound. The transformation was visible—flesh regrew, blood vessels connected, and skin reformed as though time itself was reversing.
The healing didn't stop.
If anyone could peer into Su Yang's spiritual sea, they would behold a stunning sight—a rotating Lotus, serene and majestic, at its center a golden figure hovering in meditation.
From that divine statue, the green energy poured endlessly, flooding Su Yang's broken body with life.
His chest was now whole.
His ribs realigned.
Even internal bleeding was vanishing.
Though not fully healed, his body was rapidly mending itself.
Su Yang's eyelids fluttered.
Then, his eyes snapped open.
Confusion swirled in them as he sat up slowly. He looked down at his chest, running trembling fingers over smooth skin where a deadly wound had been moments ago.
> "I… I was dying…" he whispered.
He attempted to stand, only to grimace and collapse—his feet were fractured, pain flaring through his legs.
He sat back against the wall, panting.
> "What is this power…?"
A moment later, he felt something—an itch.
Looking down, his eyes widened.
His fractured feet were healing before his eyes, bones shifting and snapping into place with wet pops, skin sealing with warmth.
> "This... this is impossible."
Heart racing, Su Yang focused and summoned his status screen.
What he saw made his jaw clench.
His eyes, wide with disbelief, shimmered in the green glow of his inner world.
> "A new ability...? No... This must be the Lotus. That golden figure—what is it?"
Exhausted but no longer in pain, Su Yang lay back with a heavy sigh. For a while, he simply rested, letting the miracle of his body's restoration wash over him.
Once the stiffness had faded, he stood slowly, stretching. He reached into his storage ring and pulled out a fresh set of clothes, replacing his tattered, bloodstained ones. His fingers brushed over the soaked fabric of his old robe.
> "So I really survived that fall…"
The sound of water reached his ears. Nearby, a stream trickled through the cave, likely flowing from the waterfall above. Light from the pool reflected faintly onto the cave walls, casting flickering shadows.
> "I must've fallen through the waterfall… and ended up here," he murmured.
Suddenly—rustling.
His instincts kicked in.
Su Yang dropped into a crouch, eyes narrowing, muscles taut.
But before he could prepare for an attack, a faint floral scent reached his nose—familiar.
Footsteps echoed across the stone floor.
From the darkness, a woman emerged.
She wore a dark robe, her face mostly concealed by a veil, but her long black hair, delicate form, and aura of grace were unmistakable.
Su Yang recognized her instantly.
> "The masked woman... from the Spirit Forest."
She looked startled to see him standing.
> "You… you were half-dead earlier. How are you even standing?" she asked, her voice laced with disbelief and lingering concern.
Su Yang smiled faintly, brushing dust off his sleeve.
> "Good question. I'm still figuring that out."
Their eyes locked.
For a brief moment, only the sound of flowing water filled the silence between them—two survivors thrown together by fate, now standing in the heart of an unknown cave beneath a deadly waterfall.
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To be continued...
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