Mu Bai Battles Master Dehua (Part 2)

Beneath the sunlight, Mu Bai's face turned pale as paper. Blood continuously spilled from the corners of his mouth, forming a shocking crimson trail.

Yet despite suffering such grievous injuries, Mu Bai's gaze remained resolute, without the slightest hint of retreat.

He knew full well how important this battle was. He absolutely could not lose—and could not afford to lose.

He clenched his teeth tightly, enduring the agonizing pain wracking his body, when the Qinglin Sword in his hand suddenly erupted with a cold gleam.

With a flick of his wrist, the Qinglin Sword's momentum abruptly changed. The fourth sword, "Clouds Roll, Clouds Unfurl," unfolded with the effortless flow of drifting clouds and running water.

The sword's momentum was as elusive as clouds, light at times and heavy at others, impossible to predict.

Master Dehua was slightly startled at the sight.

He had not expected Mu Bai, even with severe injuries, to still be able to unleash such exquisite swordsmanship.

He did not dare to be careless in the least and immediately focused all his attention on responding.

Yet Mu Bai's swordsmanship was simply too uncanny. Though Master Dehua defended with all his strength, in an instant, the Qinglin Sword still broke through his defenses like lightning, its tip plunging straight into his right shoulder.

Master Dehua let out a muffled groan, his body involuntarily staggering three steps back.

His left hand hurriedly covered the wound, but blood gushed from between his fingers like a spring, instantly staining his cassock red.

He drew a deep breath, as though gathering all the strength in his body into that single inhalation.

With his breathing, the golden radiance around him surged once more like an erupting volcano, dazzling and brilliant, so bright none dared look directly at it.

His palms slowly pushed forward, every motion solemn and sluggish, as though bearing the weight of a mountain peak.

When his palms reached their utmost extent, he suddenly roared, "Dragon Elephant Suppresses Mountains and Rivers!"

This was his final killing move, containing an aura capable of destroying heaven and earth, as though it meant to suppress the entire Carefree Prince's Estate beneath his palms.

Wherever the palm force passed, the surrounding air seemed compressed, issuing a thunderous hum.

Mu Bai's pupils contracted sharply. He knew exactly how powerful this move was.

But he did not retreat. Instead, he forcibly summoned the last trace of inner qi and poured it into the Qinglin Sword in his hand. The Qinglin Sword immediately burst forth with a blinding azure glow, like a meteor streaking across the night sky.

Man and sword seemed to merge as one in that moment, transforming into a streak of light that charged straight toward Master Dehua's palm force with Thunderous Might.

In an instant, Sword Qi collided with the palm wind, unleashing an earth-shattering boom.

Everything within thirty meters was shredded by the impact of that tremendous force. Dust billowed into the air, blotting out the sky and sun.

When the dust finally settled, Master Dehua could be seen kneeling on one knee, a sword wound on his chest so deep that bone was visible. Blood gushed forth like a spring, soaking more than half his cassock.

Mu Bai, meanwhile, half-knelt on the ground while leaning against the Qinglin Sword. Blood continued to spill from his lips, and two palm imprints on his chest had turned an eerie bluish-purple. He had clearly sustained extremely grave internal injuries.

"Fine swordsmanship... this old monk has lost."

Master Dehua's voice was hoarse and low, carrying endless exhaustion and weakness.

He slowly opened his eyes and looked at Mu Bai before him.

"This old monk will no longer interfere in today's matter."

After saying this, Master Dehua closed his eyes and sat cross-legged, circulating his power to suppress his injuries.

His breathing gradually steadied, but that savage sword wound remained horrifying to behold.

Mu Bai gritted his teeth, forcefully enduring the intense pain as he struggled to prop himself up with both hands.

Cold sweat streamed down his forehead, and his face was pale as paper, yet his gaze was extraordinarily firm as he stared intently at Master Dehua before him.

He took a deep breath, slowly raised his hand, and cupped his fist in salute toward Master Dehua. His voice trembled slightly. "Master, you yielded."

"Mu Bai will never forget today's kindness. Should Master ever have need of me in the future, Mu Bai will surely do everything in his power to repay this debt."

That was right. At that critical moment just now, Mu Bai had sensed with absolute clarity that Master Dehua had been fully capable of enduring one more sword strike himself and then delivering a fatal palm strike to his head. Yet at that very instant between life and death, Master Dehua had suddenly withdrawn his palm.

Master Dehua gave no response to Mu Bai's words.

He merely opened his eyes slightly and softly recited a Buddhist invocation. "Amitabha."

Though the voice was faint, it carried an indescribable compassion.

Immediately afterward, Master Dehua slowly closed his eyes again and continued tending to his wounds in quiet meditation.

His expression was exceptionally calm, as though everything Mu Bai had just said had nothing to do with him.

After speaking, Mu Bai seemed as if every ounce of strength had been drained from his body. His body suddenly went limp, and with a thud, he collapsed to the ground.

His body was covered in savage wounds, blood continuously seeping from them like spring water and swiftly staining the ground beneath him red.

Under the sunlight, that vivid red was especially glaring, while the stench of blood spread through the air, making one nauseous.

At this moment, the expressions of the Langya Family's two leaders turned exceedingly ugly.

Their eyes widened as they stared at the scene before them in disbelief.

No matter how hard they tried, they could not understand how Master Dehua, one of Great Yan's four Grandmasters, could have lost to an unknown junior with no reputation at all!

This was simply the biggest joke under heaven!

The two exchanged glances, and each saw a trace of shock and panic in the other's eyes.

They had originally thought this mission would be completed with effortless ease. With an expert like Master Dehua holding the field, who could have expected such a turn of events?

Could this mission really end in failure?

Yet after a brief moment of shock, the two swiftly regained their composure.

They exchanged a glance, and the same thought arose in both their hearts: although the Carefree Prince still had two Houtian Grandmasters by his side, they were Houtian Grandmasters from the Langya Family. Naturally, they were far stronger than the grandmasters of this secular world.

Now that Master Dehua and Mu Bai had fought each other to a draw, both badly wounded, wasn't this the perfect time for them to make their move?

Just as they were itching to act, Mu Bai, who had been lying quietly on the ground, suddenly snapped his eyes open. A piercingly cold gleam flashed through his previously calm gaze.

At the same time, his body trembled slightly, and a powerful aura surged forth from within him.

And in that instant, several more pebbles had somehow appeared in his hand.

Mu Bai's face was dark as still water as he stared coldly at the burly men before him. "You truly don't know whether to live or die!"

His voice was not loud, yet it exploded beside their ears like thunder, making them all shudder.

As his words fell, he swept out his arm. The pebbles in his hand shot forth like meteors, swift as lightning, leaving no time for anyone to react.

As though they had grown eyes, the pebbles struck the throats of those burly men with unerring precision.

With several muffled pfft, pfft sounds, bloody holes instantly appeared in their throats, blood spurting out like fountain water.

They did not even have time to cry out before they toppled stiffly to the ground, their lives extinguished in an instant.

It had happened far too quickly—so quickly that no one had time to react.

The two men, who had still harbored a sliver of hope, were frightened out of their wits by the sudden turn of events, their faces pale as paper.

They looked at each other, each seeing deep terror in the other's eyes.

"Retreat!" One of them finally came to his senses. He clenched his teeth hard and forced the word out through the gaps.

Before his voice had even faded, he turned and bolted toward the main gate, fleeing as fast as a homeless dog.

Seeing this, the other did not hesitate to follow. The two men led the group of burly men away like birds startled by a bowstring, fleeing at top speed through the gates of the Carefree Prince's Estate and vanishing without a trace in the blink of an eye.