Mu Bai vs. Langya Xing (Part 2)

Mu Bai slowly rose to his feet and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.

He knew Langya Xing was right—if this continued, defeat was inevitable.

It was time to use his trump card.

"Will Young Master Langya receive a sword from me?" Mu Bai took a deep breath and held the Qinglin Sword level before his chest.

A flicker of surprise crossed Langya Xing's eyes, but he promptly smiled and nodded. "Nothing could please me more."

Mu Bai closed his eyes, his mind sinking inward.

He felt the inner force flowing through his meridians and recalled the insight he had gained by the creek that night—his heart still as water, his sword one with the heavens.

When he opened his eyes again, they were utterly clear.

The Qinglin Sword moved slowly, seemingly at a crawl, yet incomprehensibly fast.

Wherever its blade passed, the air gave off a burdened hum.

Lightness Sword Style, Fifth Sword—Tornado Rain Strike!

With Mu Bai's sharp cry, the tip of the Qinglin Sword suddenly burst forth with dazzling azure light.

In that instant, the Sword Qi in his hand became incomparably distinct, almost tangible.

Langya Xing finally changed expression.

He could sense it: this sword had truly touched the Xiantian realm and carried a trace of Innate True Essence!

"Good!" Langya Xing laughed loudly. The four fingers of his right hand curled at once, leaving only his ring finger raised. "Pure Lotus Heart Sutra, Fourth Finger—Pure World Lotus, full release!"

The fourth pure lotus instantly swelled, transforming into a colossal lotus of light over three meters wide as it met Mu Bai's tornado-like Sword Qi head-on.

BOOM—!!!

Two terrifying forces that had touched the Xiantian realm collided directly, erupting with an earthshaking roar.

The rocks atop the peak shattered across a wide area. Countless fragments were hurled into the air by the shockwave before plunging into the bottomless abyss.

Within Xiaoyao City, the citizens stared in terror toward the outskirts—trees there were collapsing at an astonishing speed, while chunks of rock continually shot into the sky.

When the dust settled, Mu Bai and Langya Xing stood at opposite ends of the summit. Between them lay a massive crater five meters across and three meters deep.

Mu Bai leaned on his sword, gasping for breath.

The web between his thumb and forefinger had split open from the impact, blood dripping down the sword hilt.

Langya Xing's white robes, meanwhile, were finally no longer immaculate. His right sleeve had been ripped apart by Sword Qi, exposing his fair arm.

"Remarkable." Langya Xing sighed in heartfelt admiration. "For a Houtian martial artist to unleash a sword that steps into the Xiantian realm—Young Master truly deserves to be the opponent I chose."

Mu Bai forced himself upright. "Young Master Langya overpraises me. I wonder, will I now have the honor of witnessing the Fifth Finger?"

Langya Xing's expression suddenly turned grave. "Is Young Master certain he wishes to continue? I have practiced the fifth finger of the Pure Lotus Heart Sutra, Nirvana Lotus Eye, for three years, and still cannot fully control it."

Mu Bai drew a deep breath and held the Qinglin Sword across his chest. "Nothing could please me more."

Langya Xing stared at Mu Bai for a moment, then suddenly smiled.

He slowly raised his right hand, extending his little finger while curling the other four.

The fifth pure lotus—the smallest, yet most exquisite—slowly drifted to his fingertip.

"Pure Lotus Heart Sutra, Fifth Finger—Nirvana Lotus Eye."

At Langya Xing's murmur, the small pure lotus suddenly blossomed with blinding white light.

Astonishingly, a structure resembling a pupil emerged from the lotus's center, gazing coldly and mercilessly at Mu Bai.

The instant that gaze fixed upon him, Mu Bai felt an unprecedented chill shoot from his spine to the crown of his head.

His body began to tremble instinctively, like prey caught in the sights of its natural predator.

This was suppression at the level of life itself—the innate dread Houtian had for Xiantian.

But Mu Bai did not retreat.

He bit through the tip of his tongue, using pain to drive away his fear, and raised the Qinglin Sword once more.

Tornado Rain Strike!

He unleashed his strongest sword again, but this time, there was an extra trace of grim resolve within its momentum.

Mu Bai knew that against true Xiantian martial arts, his chances of victory were vanishingly slim.

But the path of a martial artist would rather break than bend!

The azure tornado met the white lotus eye in midair.

There was no earthshaking explosion as imagined. On the contrary, it was as though every sound had been swallowed by the lotus eye.

To his horror, Mu Bai discovered that his Sword Qi was being devoured by that eerie lotus eye, bit by bit!

Even more terrifyingly, after swallowing the Sword Qi, the lotus eye began to slowly expand, and the pressure contained within it grew ever stronger.

So this is... true Xiantian martial arts? Mu Bai was shaken to his core.

He felt like a lone leaf-boat facing towering waves, liable to be crushed into pieces at any moment.

The lotus eyes drew closer and closer, and Mu Bai's vision was gradually swallowed by white light.

He found it hard to breathe, his limbs heavy as though filled with lead.

Never had death felt so close.

At that critical moment between life and death, a thought suddenly flashed through Mu Bai's mind—he had always been imitating the feeling from that night by the stream, yet had never truly understood what it meant for the heart to be still as water.

The way of the sword was not merely form, but spirit.

In an instant, Mu Bai's state of mind became incomparably calm.

He no longer feared, no longer felt impatient, and no longer even thought about victory or defeat.

The Qinglin Sword seemed to come alive in his hand, its intent linked with his own.

So that's how it is... A relieved smile curved Mu Bai's lips.

Just as he was about to unleash an entirely new sword strike, those terrifying lotus eyes suddenly stopped advancing.

Langya Xing had withdrawn his hand.

The white light faded, and the lotus eyes vanished.

Langya Xing's face was pale as paper. Clearly, using the fifth finger had consumed an immense amount of his strength.

Yet excitement gleamed in his eyes.

"Enough." Langya Xing's voice was somewhat hoarse. "This battle is a draw."

Mu Bai froze. "Why did you stop?"

Rather than answering directly, Langya Xing walked to the edge of the peak and gazed at the rolling mountains in the distance. "Does Young Master know why I invited you to fight?"

Mu Bai shook his head.

"Three years ago, after I mastered the fifth finger of the Pure Lotus Heart Sutra, my cultivation ceased to advance."

Langya Xing turned around, an unusual light flickering in his eyes. "The elders of my family said it was because the obsession in my heart ran too deep, preventing me from truly comprehending the true meaning of the Pure Lotus's purity and freedom from defilement."

He pointed at Mu Bai. "But the purity you displayed in battle is precisely what I lack. Having seen it today, it is indeed as I suspected."

Mu Bai fell into thought. "So you never truly wanted to determine a winner?"

"Victory and defeat ceased to matter long ago." Langya Xing smiled faintly. "What matters is that I have confirmed my conjecture—the path to a breakthrough in the Pure Lotus Heart Sutra may lie with worldly martial artists like you."

Mu Bai frowned. "I don't understand."

Langya Xing did not explain. He merely took a White Jade Token from his robes and tossed it to Mu Bai. "My Langya Family has always invited outstanding talents from across the realm. With talent like yours, Young Master, would it not be a pity to remain buried among the mundane world? Why not join my Langya Family? When the time comes, the martial resources of my Langya Family will certainly help Young Master rise to another level."

Mu Bai caught the token. It felt warm and smooth to the touch. A delicate lotus was carved upon it, along with a large character for "Xing." It appeared to be Langya Xing's personal token.

"I will consider it," Mu Bai answered cautiously.

Langya Xing merely smiled, unconcerned. "Three days from now, if Young Master is willing, you may come find me at Qingxin Residence. After noon, I will return to the Langya Family." With that, he turned and walked toward the cliff's edge.

Before leaping down, he looked back at Mu Bai. "Oh, and regarding my sister... thank you for listening."

Before his words had even faded, he drifted down like a white cloud and vanished into the sea of mist.

Mu Bai stood alone atop the peak, looking at the White Jade Token in his hand, his heart filled with a tangled mix of emotions.

The blazing sun hung high overhead, and bathed in its light, Mu Bai seemed as though he were about to shine.

Mu Bai sheathed his sword and turned to descend the mountain.

He knew this was not the end, but the beginning of the road ahead.

Within the Carefree Prince's Estate, Mu Rongyi stood in the courtyard. Seeing Mu Bai at the gate, somewhat disheveled yet unharmed, his tightly clenched fist finally slowly loosened.

"Being alive is enough..." he murmured to himself, then turned and headed for the study.