Ageless Spring Merit

The Thirteen Great Protectors' Adamantine Bell Shield is incredibly effective for resisting damage, but it's certainly not as good for healing as martial arts like the Ageless Spring Merit. With those kinds of martial arts, Bai Lang's shallower wounds should have already scabbed over by now. Bai Lang had been walking along the road for half an hour. The fellows who had occupied the pavilion earlier were gone. Bai Lang's deduction had failed, and he had no idea which direction to go. In the end, he chose a path leading out of the mountains – at least it was easier to walk.

The road was deserted now. The further Bai Lang walked, the more uncertain he became. I wonder how those brothers are doing? As he thought this, his ears twitched slightly, and he immediately slowed his pace, using his Lightness Skill to glide to the side. Concealing himself, Bai Lang moved slowly in the shadows. After rounding a mountain rock, he saw another pavilion in the distance on the road. Inside, as usual, were six martial artists armed with swords and sabers.

Now I'm really not sure if this is the right direction. I can't just walk up there boldly either. If I could capture one alive... Bai Lang looked at the bandages wrapped all over his body and weighed the sabers and swords in his hands. There's nowhere to hide here, so I can't sneak up on them. If I fight them head-on, and these guys are as skilled as the previous ones, I might just die. Bai Lang was truly unsure what to do. In the end, he decided to wait a while.

These weren't disciplined soldiers, so their discipline was likely not very good. He watched them drinking and eating meat in the pavilion, chattering idly. Bai Lang focused his internal energy in his ears, but the distance was considerable, so he couldn't hear very clearly. However, the actions of one of the men filled him with great joy. "Hall Master. Shaolin Temple." Although he only heard these few words, the direction the man pointed indicated the correct path – into the mountains, as expected.

Bai Lang cursed himself for being lazy. I should have gone into the mountains from the start. Temples like to be in the mountains, don't they? Actually, temples preferred to be built in cities for faster revenue. Bai Lang silently changed direction. This time, he directly used his Lightness Skill, not caring about the drain on his internal energy, and swept towards the other side of the road. While using his Lightness Skill, Bai Lang discovered that his internal energy had improved.

The recent life-or-death struggle had indeed allowed him to grow significantly. While gaining an ability akin to combat intuition, the power and circulation of his internal energy had also improved. As he used his Lightness Skill this time, his internal energy flowed naturally to replenish itself, reaching a state of continuous regeneration. However, Bai Lang knew this had its limits. Without the ability to connect with heaven and earth and continuously replenish himself with the vital energy of the world, his current state would not recover so quickly once the energy from his digestion was depleted.

Taking advantage of not being hungry yet, Bai Lang ran rapidly along the main road. The Flight Over Grass Lightness Skill only required a slight touch of the toes, allowing him to glide forward like a low-flying glider for nearly twenty feet. This speed was not much slower than that of an ordinary horse. Soon, he passed the pavilion where he had killed everyone and continued into the deep mountains. However, another pavilion soon appeared, containing three swordsmen.

Bai Lang smiled, stopped, adjusted his breathing, and strode towards the three swordsmen. With sabers and swords in hand, the opponents knew this was a life-or-death battle. They also drew their weapons and emerged from the pavilion, approaching Bai Lang in a triangular formation. They were all adjusting their breathing and circulating their internal energy as they closed in, preparing for battle. Once they were close enough, they all roared and charged.

Bai Lang activated his Golden Bell Shield internal energy, channeling the force into his arms. During the charge, he executed a wide sweep, and with a saber and a sword, he formed a circular arc of light, engulfing the two swordsmen in a dazzling silver glow. However, with a strong recoil and an explosion, the two swordsmen were merely staggered and pushed back – they had blocked Bai Lang's attack with their own weapons and were otherwise unharmed, aside from being thrown back.

Bai Lang's own movement also paused for a moment. The last swordsman seized the opportunity, advancing rapidly from the center and slashing down with his saber. The strike was like thunder and lightning, appearing as though it would cleave Bai Lang in two. Bai Lang roared and threw aside the sabers and swords in his hands, drawing his short sword and using his internal energy to block. This was the benefit of the Golden Bell Shield's internal energy; after the recoil, the energy returned extremely quickly, like the continuous ringing of a struck bell.

Although his short sword was quite thick, it was only ordinary folded steel. The opponent's saber seemed superior. The saber technique possessed immense power, and with the addition of internal energy, it was even more ferocious. However, the Golden Bell Shield's internal energy cultivation was not to be underestimated. The saber directly severed the short sword and also struck Bai Lang's shoulder, sinking three inches into the flesh before shattering. Bai Lang was wounded again, and this time it was quite severe. His left arm was likely unusable for the time being. He roared, charged forward, and with a palm strike from his right claw, he directly caved the swordsman's head into his chest. Then, with a grip and a pull of his Tiger Claw, the swordsman's skull shattered.

He had killed one, but the other two had also recovered and lunged at him from the left and right, their saber light like snow, aiming to engulf Bai Lang. Bai Lang didn't stop but directly spurred his internal energy, using his Lightness Skill to flee forward at full speed. The result was that the bandages on his back fluttered in the wind, and new wounds were carved across his back. Bai Lang grunted, circulating his internal energy to contract his muscles, preventing the blood from spurting out, and increasing his speed to escape.

At this point, he could only fight and run. Neither of the two swordsmen chasing him was inferior to him in martial arts – the one he had killed probably hadn't expected his Golden Bell Shield to be so effective, and his short sword was surprisingly thick. The saber had been damaged when it cut through the short sword and then shattered against the flesh protected by the Golden Bell Shield. However, Bai Lang's shoulder bone was also fractured. Without proper binding, his left hand was unlikely to be of much use.

He had no choice but to run, and he might not even be able to break through the next potential obstacle. However, perhaps he could find an opportunity to counterattack and kill the two swordsmen on the way – if they insisted on pursuing him. The current Bai Lang had no thought of killing the Hall Master. It would be good enough if he could save his own life. He could only hope that the disciples of the East Sea Wave Watching Pavilion, Flower Washing Sword Washing Sect, Murong Family, Shaolin Temple, and Medicine Valley were capable enough – he, Bai Lang, could no longer help.

Rolling and scrambling, Bai Lang rushed into the mountain forest by the roadside at maximum speed. The so-called "Martial God's Cheat" accurately judged the distance and speed of the two pursuing swordsmen behind him, preparing to counterattack at any moment – fleeing all the way was not an option.