Black Wood Cliff, Hall of Benevolent Virtue and Martial Might.
Hao Shuai had gone straight to the main hall early that morning. Dongfang Bai was sitting in her golden chair, listening to her subordinates report the latest news from the martial world. When she saw Hao Shuai enter, she waved for them to leave.
Hao Shuai sat down in the golden chair without ceremony, lifted Dongfang Bai onto his lap, and gazed at her beautiful face and the magnificent red robe embroidered with gold. Unable to resist, he kissed her and said, "My Xiao Bai is so beautiful!"
Even though she had grown used to Hao Shuai's affectionate gestures and cloying sweet talk, Dongfang Bai still felt terribly shy. She could only bury her face against his chest.
Seeing how bashful Dongfang Bai was, Hao Shuai knew he shouldn't tease her too much. He changed the subject to distract her. "Anything interesting happening in the martial world lately? Tell me about it. I've been a little bored."
Dongfang Bai looked up. "Didn't you just get started on the Purple Haze Divine Skill? Aren't you eager to practice it? How can you be bored already?"
"The main problem is, I can't settle down and focus on training. My mind's full of thoughts of you!" Hao Shuai said shamelessly. At the same time, he grumbled inwardly: Who knew practicing internal energy would be so boring? All that sitting meditation, day after day, until my legs go numb. If I keep at it, I'll end up with hemorrhoids from sitting so long. Seems quiet meditation isn't for me. I'll just have to find a shortcut to becoming a master!
Listening to Hao Shuai's shamelessly sweet words, Dongfang Bai struggled to hide her delight. "A spy the Divine Sun Moon Sect has in the Mount Hua Sect sent word that its leader, Yue Buqun, seems to be secretly practicing a sword technique. Also, the Divine Sun Moon Sect's Holy Aunt, Yingying, has left the cliff. We haven't found out where she went yet."
"Yue Buqun's practicing a sword technique? Has he already castrated himself? He managed to steel himself even without the pressure from Zuo Lengchan! I guess I underestimated how tempting secret martial arts manuals are to people in the martial world," Hao Shuai said, immediately realizing what Yue Buqun was practicing.
"Ren Yingying went down the mountain? She's probably trying to find out about Ren Woxing. Xiao Bai, let me know when there's an opportunity, and I'll take care of Ren Woxing," Hao Shuai said.
"Ren Woxing is no longer a threat to me. It makes no difference whether he lives or dies," Dongfang Bai said indifferently.
"Only a dead Ren Woxing is a good Ren Woxing. I won't allow anyone who could hurt you to remain alive," Hao Shuai said, gazing deeply into Dongfang Bai's eyes.
Dongfang Bai was utterly enchanted by his words. "I'll leave it all to you."
"Xiao Bai, why don't we go on a trip? Let's visit Mount Hua. I'll take you to meet a sword expert," Hao Shuai said, thinking that Linghu Chong had probably learned the Nine Swords of Dugu by now. He planned to retrieve the camera he'd left there.
"All right!"
On the way to Mount Hua, Hao Shuai and Dongfang Bai took their time rather than rushing along. They shared a horse and ambled toward the mountain.
Dongfang Bai was helpless against Hao Shuai's shameless insistence that they ride together. She could only let him take advantage of her all the way.
During the day, the two of them enjoyed the scenery. At night, they camped outdoors in a tent. Hao Shuai was so shameless that he pitched only one tent, insisting that he was afraid of the dark and could only fall asleep with Dongfang Bai in his arms.
By the time they reached the foot of Mount Hua, Dongfang Bai had been thoroughly ravished, with only the final step left.
Early the next morning, Hao Shuai and Dongfang Bai headed straight for the Cliff of Repentance.
This was Hao Shuai's second time at the Cliff of Repentance, so he knew his way around. The two of them flew straight up. After all, as martial arts masters, they had to maintain a certain style. Walking up would have been too low-class.
"Hmm, a master at least on my level has come to the Cliff of Repentance?"
Feng Qingyang had just gotten up and was about to relieve himself when he sensed Hao Shuai and Dongfang Bai approaching. He immediately grew wary.
When Feng Qingyang saw that there were two visitors, he was startled. "I can't sense any fluctuations in this kid's internal energy, yet he flew up here so easily. Could he have reached the Innate realm?"
Once Hao Shuai and Dongfang Bai reached the cliff, Feng Qingyang appeared before them and blocked their way.
"Who are you two, and what brings you to the Cliff of Repentance?" Feng Qingyang asked solemnly.
"We're nobodies who heard there's a super expert here, so we came to ask for a few pointers. By the way, why are you here alone? Where's Linghu Chong?" Hao Shuai asked.
"Chong'er was called back to the Mount Hua Sect by his master's wife. I'm curious, though. One of you is so powerful that even I can't see through him, and the other is at least as strong as I am. How could either of you be nobodies? Since when have masters become so common in the martial world?" Feng Qingyang said with a look of disdain.
"You're old, so naturally you don't know what's been happening in the martial world. As for who's stronger, we'll have to fight and find out!" Dongfang Bai said disdainfully.
"Hahaha, fascinating! You two are the most interesting youngsters I've ever met. Very well, then. Come help this old man loosen up!" Feng Qingyang roared with laughter.
Seeing the two of them about to fight, Hao Shuai sensibly stepped back a few paces.
Feng Qingyang didn't attack first. He simply raised his right hand and stroked his long beard.
Dongfang Bai remained where she was, watching him with a smile.
At the level of Feng Qingyang and Dongfang Bai, even a single opening could let an opponent seize the initiative.
The best way to avoid leaving an opening was to wait for the other person to attack first.
The Nine Swords of Dugu was an unparalleled art designed to strike after the opponent had moved, yet arrive first.
If Dongfang Bai made the first move, Feng Qingyang could spot the flaws in her technique and suppress—or even defeat—her.
Unfortunately, Dongfang Bai seemed to have the same plan.
So the two of them stared each other down for the better part of an hour. Hao Shuai was practically falling asleep waiting beside them.
Suddenly, Feng Qingyang joined the fingers of his right hand like a sword and shot toward Dongfang Bai, his figure as elusive as a ghost.
In the end, Feng Qingyang was the first to move. He didn't dare drag things out with Hao Shuai, whose strength was unknown, watching him like a tiger on the prowl. More importantly, old people didn't have much stamina. Standing too long made your back ache.
Dongfang Bai swung both arms back and shot away, her figure as elusive as a ghost.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang—
The two figures collided again and again, ringing like metal striking metal.
Fast!
Far too fast!
This was, after all, a clash between the pinnacle fighters of this world.
Feng Qingyang's sword-like fingers and Dongfang Bai's folding fan collided again and again. Their surging internal energy shook the air around them.
As they exchanged blows, they moved constantly, treating the sheer cliffs that plunged more than two thousand meters below as if they were level ground.
On the sheer cliffs of Mount Hua, more than two thousand meters above the ground, Feng Qingyang and Dongfang Bai seemed entirely without fear. As they fought, they edged closer and closer to the precipice.
"Bang!"
Dongfang Bai and Feng Qingyang met each other's palms. Both fell off the cliff, but they kept fighting in midair as they plummeted.
"Bang!"
They clashed palms again. The force of their internal energy sent them flying apart.
Then, using the cliff face, they each performed Lightness Skill and floated back up.
Back on the Cliff of Repentance, Feng Qingyang and Dongfang Bai stood more than ten meters apart. Their exchange had shown them that they couldn't decide the victor in a short time, so neither attacked again.
Dongfang Bai had already gauged Feng Qingyang's strength and didn't want to waste time. Feng Qingyang, for his part, was wary of Hao Shuai and didn't want to continue fighting.
Watching from the side, Hao Shuai had finally gained a sense of a half-step Innate expert's strength. He realized that Dongfang Bai hadn't used her full power when sparring with him.
Based on the comparison, Hao Shuai reckoned that if he faced an Innate expert now, he could probably only protect himself without using his telekinesis. Winning would be difficult. Even if he used his telekinesis, he didn't know whether he would win, since he had no idea how effective it would be against an Innate expert.
Seeing that the fight was over, Hao Shuai went over and put an arm around Dongfang Bai. "We've had our fight, so we're leaving," he said to Feng Qingyang.
As Feng Qingyang watched in confusion, Hao Shuai walked over to where he had buried the camera, dug it up, and stowed it in his storage space.
Once he was done, Hao Shuai put his arm around Dongfang Bai, said goodbye to Feng Qingyang, and flew straight down from the Cliff of Repentance, leaving Feng Qingyang standing there in a daze.
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