Chapter 034: Total Paralysis?

"I... won't tell."
Li DanNiu did not struggle much in his heart, deciding to walk the path of integrity to the very end. This was no game, nor a quest to be completed.
The Fire Monk was a man of flesh, blood, and intellect—not a mere NPC in a game quest. He might not keep his word; in fact, Li DanNiu's weakness could easily disappoint him and lead to murder.
"Well then, boy, you can hang here for now," said the Fire Monk. Employing a mysterious technique, the vine that bound Li DanNiu's legs snapped from the boulder above, yet remained tightly secured to the branch.
Thunder rumbled in the distance.
Li DanNiu watched helplessly as the Fire Monk receded with the boulder, growing smaller and smaller until he vanished from sight.
He dared not curse aloud, remembering well that in the movie, the Fire Monk had a peculiar habit of eavesdropping on Zhang Wuji and Xiao Zhao. Nor did he dare to climb up and untangle the vine. Thus, he remained suspended upside down, becoming increasingly uncomfortable.
Everyone knows that blood rushes to the head when one is inverted. Those trained for it can endure for a long time, but the untrained might not last even ten minutes.
Though Li DanNiu's physique had improved over more than a month of exercise, his foundation was weak. No amount of improvement could make him strong. Moreover, he had spent the day climbing and starving, and had suffered a lash from the Fire Monk. How could he possibly hold out? After cursing the Fire Monk a few times in his heart, he promptly lost consciousness.
No sooner had Li DanNiu fainted than the thunderous noise returned.
The Fire Monk, wearing a smug smile, appeared at Li DanNiu's side. Under his control, a vine brushed Li DanNiu's wrist; after a moment, the Fire Monk confirmed that Li DanNiu was genuinely unconscious, not feigning.
For a master of the Fire Monk's caliber, his understanding of the human body surpassed even many modern medical experts. Especially after falling off the cliff and becoming paralyzed, he had relied on his peerless internal energy to manipulate the vines—such a profound skill!
While pressing Li DanNiu earlier, the Fire Monk had already seen that Li DanNiu would not last long in this state. That whip, though not meant to kill, was formidable with his internal energy.
With a sharp crack, the Fire Monk untied the vine suspending Li DanNiu. Li DanNiu fell heavily to the ground, not waking even then, only uttering an unconscious groan.
"Boy, it's only because you called me merciful that I left you alive," the Fire Monk muttered—not to explain to Li DanNiu, who was unconscious and couldn't hear a thing.
He was explaining to himself.
He had been at the bottom of this cliff for nearly ten years. In all that time, not a single soul had appeared here—only wild animals and endless trees, incapable of communication.
When he first fell, the Fire Monk discovered he was completely paralyzed and wanted to end his life, but lacked the means to do so. He tried to wait for death, but the wonders of the Nine Yang Divine Skill eliminated the internal energy left by Zhang Sanfeng in his body, and his internal injuries began to heal.
The Nine Yang Divine Skill was the highest internal cultivation method in the world. Upon reaching the ninth stage, the Ren and Du meridians opened, internal energy flowed endlessly, and it automatically protected its master—the body became impervious to poison and invulnerable like the legendary Vajra.
When the Fire Monk jumped off the cliff, it was not an act of madness. For a master like him, adjusting his breath midair was trivial, and shifting a bit of distance was not difficult. He leapt from the cliff, confident he could safely land by leveraging the protrusions along the rock face.
But he underestimated Zhang Sanfeng's internal energy. Unable to suppress it, the two energies clashed within his body, and he failed to employ his lightness skill, plummeting with a cry.
The Nine Yang Divine Skill promised endless internal energy, but only if not overused. The Fire Monk's leap, coupled with the cliff's height, was a tremendous drain. Zhang Sanfeng was no ordinary character; his internal energy was overwhelming for most.
In midair, the Fire Monk found his own energy too depleted to suppress Zhang Sanfeng's, and thus, he fell—this was the real reason behind his descent.

Even so, the Nine Yang Divine Skill protected his vital organs, though it could not shield his bones and joints.
The Fire Monk lay on the ground for three days, realizing that if he continued to wait, he would die of thirst within half a month—a death he did not desire. He attempted to sever his meridians, but when he could control his internal energy, hope for life stirred within him.
Take on a disciple and defeat Zhang Sanfeng!
The Nine Yang Divine Skill was the highest internal technique in this world. The Fire Monk believed his defeat was not due to lacking virginity—aside from the Virgin Boy Skill, no other method required such. He recalled the scripture of the Nine Yang Classic and found no such requirement, considering it a jest Zhang Sanfeng made after his victory.
The reason for his loss was singular: his techniques were the most common in the world, while Zhang Sanfeng's stood at its very summit, faintly imbued with his own Dao.
Though the Nine Yang Divine Skill could make ordinary moves extraordinary, it was like installing a V8 engine in a basic minivan—it might outperform V6 luxury cars in power, but can it truly outrun them under the same driver?
If internal energy is the engine, then technique is the rest of the vehicle—the body, the parts. Only with proper design can the engine's potential be fully realized.
The Fire Monk could easily defeat masters like Abbess Miejue with ordinary moves, but Zhang Sanfeng was unmatched—his engine, his body, his design, all unrivaled. How could one win?
The Fire Monk's greatest regret was not learning more advanced techniques before challenging Zhang Sanfeng.
Yet, by then, his opportunity had vanished. All he could do was hope to find a disciple, teach him the Nine Yang Divine Skill, let him acquire deeper techniques, and then, when all was prepared, have him defeat Zhang Sanfeng on his behalf.
This was the hope that kept the Fire Monk alive.
But who could have guessed—after nearly ten years at the bottom of the cliff, not a soul would come, and his crippled body made escape impossible.
So, one can imagine his excitement when, after so many years, Li DanNiu appeared.
Sadly, Li DanNiu refused to cooperate.
...
A night passed, and dawn broke.
The Fire Monk, who had rested beside Li DanNiu, manipulated the vine to poke at Li DanNiu several times, then dragged him into a roll.
Li DanNiu awoke after being dragged some ten meters, instinctively struggling, only to find he could barely lift his head, utterly unable to control or feel any other limbs.
Seeing himself dragged along by a vine, Li DanNiu panicked and shouted at the rolling boulder ahead.
"What have you done to me?"
The Fire Monk's boulder was round, so with each rotation, he faced Li DanNiu once.
Hearing Li DanNiu's cry, the Fire Monk only laughed heartily, saying nothing as he moved forward.
Luckily, with the Fire Monk clearing the way, such a massive boulder flattened everything in its path like a steamroller—otherwise, any protrusions could have killed Li DanNiu.

Li DanNiu shouted a few more times, his throat dry and burning from days without water. He could no longer muster even a curse.
Dragged in silence for a while, he could not feel his body, but could well imagine his back and buttocks were now torn and bloody. Whether real or imagined, he seemed to smell the blood he left behind.
"Boy, how do you feel?" The Fire Monk finally stopped at a water source.
"You... I..." Li DanNiu tried to speak, but his hoarse throat could not manage a complete sentence.
The Fire Monk laughed twice, controlling the vine to splash water at Li DanNiu's face.
Without caring about purification, Li DanNiu opened his mouth and swallowed a mouthful. Seeing his compliance, the Fire Monk splashed him with water several more times, letting him drink a few more gulps.
With a few mouthfuls, though still parched, Li DanNiu could finally speak.
"What have you done to me?"
"I told you, I want you to endure all the suffering I had to bear. Why? Because you are of Zhang Sanfeng's line! Ha ha..." The Fire Monk laughed, then said, "I'm paralyzed, only my head moves. Naturally, I must make you the same."
Paralyzed? Li DanNiu heard this and immediately blacked out, fainting once more.
The Fire Monk smacked his lips, splashed the water with the vine, and revived Li DanNiu with the spray.
"Boy, what do you think of my technique, eh? Ha ha..."
Li DanNiu had no mood to answer; his life had just turned, only to be beaten into paralysis. What else could he feel but utter despair?
"Speak, boy! Weren't you tough? Weren't you refusing to curse Zhang Sanfeng?" The Fire Monk laughed. "How about now—do you regret it? Ha ha... Even if you regret it, it's useless. I've damaged your meridians with internal energy. In this world, no one but me can cure you."
Can cure me? At those words, Li DanNiu suddenly revived.
"What must I do for you to cure me?"
"I want you to curse Zhang Sanfeng for me every day, serve me like a beast of burden, and attend to me for life."
"And if I refuse?" If conditions could be negotiated, then there was hope.
"If you refuse, I'll feed and water you daily, leaving you paralyzed here—neither able to live nor die. Until you agree, or I die, only then will you be freed." The Fire Monk rolled the boulder closer, his head near Li DanNiu's face, gazing into his eyes. "If you agree, before I die, not only will I let you go, I'll teach you the Nine Yang Divine Skill."
Wait until you die? When Zhang Wuji arrives in eight years, you still won't be dead. I have just over a month left in this world; if I can't learn your martial arts and must serve you as a beast, who can't do the math? Li DanNiu made up his mind and replied decisively.
"Never."