Immortals and Demons Forever

Chapter 27: Falling Sand Palm

“You haven’t been out for a whole year?” Su Mu couldn’t help but stare in surprise. That didn’t add up. People here couldn’t leave the mine shafts for short periods—spending a month or two down here was the norm—but a whole year without ever going out was highly unusual. “Yeah, I’m going stir-crazy. I was actually hoping I’d get a chance to return to the Outer Sect.” “What was the reason you were exiled here?” “I got into a fight with someone from the Outer Sect. I went a little too hard and, unfortunately, crippled him. He got kicked out of the sect, and I got banished here too,” Chen Li said casually. “I’ve figured it out—you’re the type who keeps a low profile. I don’t see many people here going out of their way to pick a fight with you. Why are you under such strict restrictions, not allowed to leave the mine?” “I’m perfectly normal most of the time—it’s only when I go crazy that I get a little brutal.” Chen Li chuckled and pointed to the three scars on his face. “What do you think caused these?” The three scars were very close to his eyes and cut extremely deep; one could only imagine how serious the situation must have been at the time. “They don’t look like human claws, nor do they look like they were made by a sharp weapon. Could it be… some kind of demon beast?” “Good eye!” Chen Li couldn’t help but praise him. “Did you see that big iron gate hanging on chains over there? About half a year ago, there was a large area in there where a demon beast had been killing people. The Inner Sect sent people in to clear it out—they claimed to have finished the job—but less than a week after they left, people started disappearing one after another, and a member of the Supervision Team even died. It was later confirmed that the demon beast was still there. The Inner Sect went in to search several times but couldn’t find it, so in the end, they had no choice but to seal off the area. I was there the day the incident happened with the Supervision Team—these three scars are from being clawed by a demon beast. Later, when the body was recovered and investigated, it was determined that the man had first been killed by a sharp weapon and then mauled to death by a demon beast. Song Dachui suspected I was responsible and subjected me to brutal torture. I didn’t confess and repeatedly insisted I was innocent, but everyone here seems to think I did it, so my punishment was harsher than anyone else’s.” “So did you do it or not?” Chen Li shook his head with an innocent look on his face. “Of course not. I’m an honest guy.” Their eyes met, and they both burst into laughter. “Actually, I’m an honest person too. If you’re only getting close to me because of my background, then you’ve really misjudged me.” “What do you mean?” “Song Dachui also made too much of my background. Ever since I was demoted to the Outer Sect, I haven’t had any connection with Elder Qingsong at all.” “But you still have a senior sister who cares about you. I’ve heard her background is even more impressive.” “Senior Sister Cheng Yao… if something were to happen to me, she might take action. But before I’m played to death or crippled, she can’t do much to help me. She probably doesn’t even know I’m here. The fact that I left the Heavy Industry Zone—and even have the ability to stand up to the Supervision Team—is down to my own strength, not my background. You need to understand that clearly.” “From what you’re saying, you’re going to go head-to-head with Song Dachui until the very end?” “He’s been trying to screw me over nonstop. As long as he doesn’t kill me, I’ll pay him back tenfold. I, Su Mu, always settle my scores!” “I’ve had it with that bunch for a long time, too. But right now, you can’t even handle Zhong Da, who’s been crushed by the Supervision Team. How do you plan to take them on?” “That’s none of your concern.” “I don’t mean to be sarcastic. My advice is for you to show some humility and acknowledge Zhong Da as your boss. He actually admires you—you’re bold and take responsibility for your actions, and your abilities here are second only to his. As the saying goes, ‘Take a step back and the sky opens up.’ Sometimes, lowering your head can turn a difficult situation into a simple one.” “Are you telling me to surrender? It looks like you’re a lobbyist sent by Zhong Da.” Su Mu gave a cold laugh. “Don’t get the wrong idea. I’m still pinning my hopes on you—I certainly don’t want to see you go down so soon.” “Even if someone were to snap my neck, I wouldn’t bow my head.” Chen Li was surprised by Su Mu’s confidence. Could it be that he was still holding back some trump card? “Forget what I just said. If you can take care of Zhong Da, no questions asked—I’ll follow you from now on.” With that, Chen Li turned and walked away. Su Mu had no backup plan, so he sat down to think carefully. Since this thick layer of black heavy sand couldn’t be destroyed, could he perhaps use it to train his martial arts? His cultivation was slightly weaker than Zhong Da’s, but if he could boost the potency of his various martial arts techniques by forty to fifty percent, he might stand a chance in battle. Since he couldn’t achieve a breakthrough in his cultivation in the short term, he’d have to settle for enhancing the martial arts he was practicing. He had to make an effort—he couldn’t just sit idly by and wait for his doom. He immediately recalled a palm technique he’d seen on the Xuanwu Cliff called the “Falling Sand Palm.” Its striking power was astonishing, but it was extremely difficult to master, requiring special sand and stones to grind down the palms. Upon mastering it, a single strike could generate a force of ten thousand jin! Because the training was so difficult, he had merely jotted down the instructions and hadn’t yet attempted it. With only three days left, would he be able to master it in time? Su Mu couldn’t help but wonder, but for now, this seemed to be the only viable option. However, this kind of black, heavy sand was rare to begin with—perhaps he could achieve twice the result with half the effort? No time to waste. He walked to the wall and, following Luo’s example, struck the wall with a “Sand Palm” technique. There was a crisp *smack*. He followed it up with another strike. He’d never felt such excruciating pain as the heavy sand ground against his palm, but he didn’t stop, continuing strike after strike. Lao Heitou had no idea what Su Mu was thinking; he assumed Su Mu was trying to peel away the layers of heavy sand with his palm technique. When he walked over to take a closer look and saw that it wasn’t having any effect at all, he couldn’t help but shake his head repeatedly. “I’m afraid we’re done for this time…” He sat on the ground, clutching his head, at a complete loss. Su Mu couldn’t remember how many strikes he’d thrown; he only stopped when he felt utterly exhausted. He sat down on a rock to rest; his palms were rubbed raw, and the blisters that had formed quickly burst, leaving them drenched in blood. He was deeply anxious; this pain was nothing to him.