Mu Bai vs. Langya Xing (Part One)

The darkness before dawn was at its deepest.

When Mu Bai opened his eyes, it was still pitch-black outside the window.

He did not light a lamp. He simply lay quietly in bed, listening to the steady, powerful beat of his heart.

Today was the day of the final battle.

Mu Bai rolled over and sat up, his fingers lightly brushing the Qinglin Sword beside his pillow.

The scabbard was icy cold, yet it gave him a strange sense of calm.

Outside the window, the first ray of dawn had just split the horizon, like the sword he was about to swing, piercing through the darkness.

After the maids helped Mu Bai wash up and dress.

Creak— The door was gently pushed open.

Mu Rongyi entered carrying an oil lamp, its dim yellow light flickering over his resolute features.

"Father." Mu Bai rose and bowed.

Mu Rongyi waved a hand and set the lamp on the table.

In the lamplight, he carefully examined his son—Mu Bai wore a plain white fitted outfit today, cinched with an indigo belt. The Qinglin Sword hung at his left side, and his entire person was like a drawn blade, its sharpness concealed.

"How did you rest?" Mu Rongyi asked in a low voice.

Mu Bai rolled his shoulders. "Well-fed, warmly dressed, and in peak condition."

Mu Rongyi nodded and took a small jade bottle from his robes. "These are Jade Marrow Pills treasured by the Prince's Manor. They can quickly restore true qi."

Mu Bai accepted the jade bottle, feeling the warmth left by his father's palm.

The two exchanged a look. No words were needed.

Mu Rongyi reached out and patted his son's shoulder. As he turned to leave, he said only one thing: "Come back alive."

As the dawn gradually brightened, Mu Bai was already standing outside Xiaoyao City.

The distant peaks glowed crimson beneath the rising sun, like a bloodstained giant sword thrust straight into the heavens.

At the foot of the mountain, several early-rising woodcutters watched the white-clad young man with a longsword at his waist in curiosity.

Mu Bai did not take the usual mountain path. Instead, he chose a nearly vertical cliff face.

He took a deep breath, tapped the ground with the tip of his foot, and floated upward like a feather.

The Qinglin Sword occasionally left its sheath. With a light touch against the sheer rock face, where there was nowhere to gain purchase, he could rise another several zhang.

The mountain wind howled, whipping his robes until they snapped loudly.

As he climbed higher, the clouds and mist around him grew denser. Mu Bai felt as though he were ascending a staircase leading to the celestial realm.

When he leaped onto the summit, the rising sun had already fully cleared the horizon.

The summit of Sunset Glow Peak was a flat boulder roughly thirty zhang across, its surface smooth as a mirror. A few ancient pines clung tenaciously to life along its edges.

The long pavilion stood not far from that enormous stone.

And Langya Xing had already been waiting there for some time.

His back was to Mu Bai, his white robes dancing in the morning breeze like a snow lotus blooming at the edge of a cliff.

Hearing the sound, Langya Xing slowly turned around. Beneath the morning sun, his handsome face was so perfect it seemed unreal, like that of a deity.

"Young Master is very punctual." Langya Xing's voice was cool as a spring.

Mu Bai steadied his breathing. "Young Master Langya arrived even earlier."

Langya Xing smiled faintly but did not respond.

He raised his right hand and slowly spread his five fingers one by one.

With that motion, a powerful aura spread in all directions—the very same as before.

Streams of true qi coiled around his five fingers, seemingly forming five pure lotuses at his fingertips.

The smallest of those pure lotuses was only the size of a thumb, while the largest was as thick as the mouth of a bowl.

"The Pure Lotus Heart Sutra," Langya Xing said softly. "Young Master, please judge it."

Mu Bai's pupils contracted slightly.

The five pure lotuses formed from true qi appeared beautiful, but they contained terrifying power.

The fourth and fifth in particular had a strange radiance flowing across their petals, making even the surrounding air tremble—an indication that they had touched upon the Xiantian realm.

"The Lightness Sword Style." Mu Bai slowly drew the Qinglin Sword. "Young Master Langya, please instruct me."

The instant the blade left its sheath, a streak of azure light flashed across the morning sky, echoing the white radiance of Langya Xing's pure lotuses from afar.

"'Lightness Sword Style,' is it? That is somewhat interesting." Langya Xing revealed an intrigued smile.

The two stood ten zhang apart, neither making the first move.

The mountain wind abruptly stilled, and even the ancient pines atop the peak stopped swaying.

At that moment, it was as though heaven and earth themselves held their breath, awaiting the beginning of this duel.

A fallen leaf drifted down from an ancient pine. Just as it was about to touch the ground—

The Qinglin Sword let out a clear, ringing cry, and Mu Bai struck first!

His figure blurred in an instant, turning into a streak of white light that shot straight for Langya Xing's throat.

This sword strike looked simple, yet it contained the essence of the first form of the Lightness Sword Style—Gentle Breeze Arrives: strangeness!

Its angle was exceptionally tricky. Though it appeared simple, it left one seemingly unable to defend against it.

Langya Xing remained unruffled and lightly flicked his right thumb.

The smallest Pure World Lotus shot out, blocking the sword's edge at the critical moment.

The clash of metal rang out as the Pure World Lotus collided with the Qinglin Sword, erupting in dazzling light.

Mu Bai felt a force at the tip of his sword, soft yet firm, completely dissolving his attack.

Before he could change moves, Langya Xing hooked his index finger, and the second Pure World Lotus came spinning toward him. Its petal edges were sharp as blades, aimed directly at Mu Bai's wrist.

Mu Bai turned his wrist, and the Qinglin Sword drew a graceful arc through the air—the second form of the Lightness Sword Style, Willow Leaf Drifting.

The sword light was as nimble as willow leaves, neutralizing the Pure World Lotus's attacks one by one.

The two separated the instant they clashed, each retreating three steps.

In the first exchange, they were evenly matched.

"Fine swordsmanship." Langya Xing praised him, excitement gleaming in his eyes.

Mu Bai did not answer. He knew this had merely been a test.

The true battle was only beginning now.

Mu Bai moved again. This time, he unleashed the third form of the Lightness Sword Style—Crashing Waves.

The Qinglin Sword cleaved down from above, Sword Qi surging without end like tidal waves and engulfing Langya Xing's entire body.

A sharp gleam flashed in Langya Xing's eyes. He curled his middle finger, and the third Pure World Lotus abruptly expanded, transforming into a shield of light above his head.

Sword Qi crashed into the Pure World Lotus with a deafening boom.

The shockwave spread in every direction, leaving fine cracks across the surface of the peak.

The rebounding force shoved Mu Bai backward, his soles scraping two white streaks across the rock.

He was secretly alarmed—this third Pure World Lotus was more than twice as powerful as the first two!

Before he could catch his breath, Langya Xing flicked his middle finger again, and the third Pure World Lotus suddenly soared into the air.

This Pure World Lotus was more than twice as large as before. Strange halos flowed across its petals, and wherever it passed, even the ground seemed to tremble.

"The third finger of the Pure Lotus Heart Sutra—Pure World Lotus." Langya Xing's voice suddenly became ethereal, as though it were drifting from a great distance away.

Warning bells blared in Mu Bai's heart.

He could feel that the power of this third finger utterly crushed Master Dehua's ultimate move, Dragon Elephant Suppresses Mountains and Rivers!

This move was absolutely not something ordinary techniques could compare with!

He did not dare let his guard down. The Qinglin Sword traced a perfect circle before him as he unleashed the fourth form of the Lightness Sword Style, Clouds Roll, Clouds Unfurl, with all his strength.

After his battle with Master Dehua, the power of this sword had undergone a qualitative leap. If he faced Master Dehua again, this single strike could defeat him outright!

Countless streams of Sword Qi shot forth from every angle, swift or slow like clouds in the heavens, colliding head-on with the incoming Pure World Lotus.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The unending explosions rang through the skies.

Dazzling light engulfed the mountaintop. The surrounding trees suffered once more, uprooted by the two terrifying currents of true qi.

When the light faded, Mu Bai was kneeling on one knee, the Qinglin Sword planted before him, a trace of blood spilling from the corner of his lips.

His sleeves were torn in several places, exposing the bruised skin beneath.

Langya Xing still stood where he had been, his white robes as spotless as ever, though his face was slightly pale.

"For Young Master to receive my third finger is already no easy feat," Langya Xing said calmly. "But if this is all you have, then today's battle will likely end here."