The Second Day

After the battle, Lin Huang did not linger. He returned to his residence without delay, completely unconcerned about how his impulsive actions might have sent Prefecture Lord Chen into a fit of rage.

He placed the long blade borrowed from the Three Holy Mothers onto his bed, removed the ridiculous elephant mask, and sat cross-legged on the floor. He retrieved various divine materials from his Sumeru ring, blended them into a divine liquid, and submerged himself within it. He breathed and recovered until the divine light within the liquid faded and its medicinal potency was entirely exhausted. Only then did he stand up, wipe himself off, and nod in satisfaction as he felt his body grow a notch stronger.

"It seems the decision to rob the Zhongnan Dojo was a very good one."

Using the divine materials plundered from the Zhongnan Dojo to consolidate his body, Lin Huang rested his blade across his knees and continued to contemplate Blade Slashing the Six Paths, integrating the essence of the six paths he had realized from the Sages of Zhongnan into the technique one by one.

The night passed without incident. The next day, Lin Huang opened his eyes right on time, feeling a sense of lingering dissatisfaction. "Still missing something. It remains someone else's blade path, not my own."

"I hope today brings me a surprise."

With a shift of his mind, Lin Huang appeared once again in the Dream God Realm, waiting for the start of the second preliminary round.

"Second preliminary round, thousand-man battle. Map: Despair Valley. The round ends when one hundred survivors remain."

After the brief introduction, the scene before Lin Huang changed, and he appeared in a small valley. Beneath his feet, peach blossoms lay in decay, and a peach-colored miasma shrouded the area, restricting his perception.

"Hmm. Poisonous?" Lin Huang's mind stirred, and he realized the peach-colored miasma was toxic and remarkably peculiar; it actually eroded the divine body. After a silent calculation, Lin Huang knew that with his minor-success Desolate God Body, he could only endure this miasma for two quarters of an hour.

"Is this meant to force a quick battle?"

Lin Huang whispered to himself, his long blade in hand, and looked up.

Rumble!

Vital energy surged, divine light crisscrossed, and auras soared into the sky. Several people were unleashing their power without restraint, brimming with confidence and fearing no one.

Lin Huang tapped his feet and headed toward the person nearest to him.

As the second disciple of the Samsara Dojo, Mo Tu had many complaints about not being selected as a seeded player. In the first preliminary round, Mo Tu had slaughtered his way through, joining forces with several junior brothers assigned to the same match to ruthlessly whittle their group down to under a hundred people.

The name "Butcher" had spread like wildfire, making him one of the most dazzling figures of the first day of the preliminaries.

Today, in the second preliminary round, Mo Tu intended to repeat yesterday's performance, so as soon as he entered the arena, he unleashed his aura without hesitation.

"I, the dignified second disciple of the Samsara Dojo, was not even selected as a seeded player. What a humiliating disgrace. You ants, you are out of luck. Only slaughter can appease my anger."

Mo Tu let out a loud shout, completely unconcerned about exposing his position. He walked at a steady, unhurried pace, and halfway there, he suddenly threw a punch. It was tyrannical and arrogant. With a boom, the contestant hiding in the miasma let out a scream, was torn limb from limb, and vanished on the spot as a streak of light.

The punch was earth-shattering. Seeing Mo Tu blast a contestant apart with a single blow, displaying such incredible ferocity, several contestants who had been preparing to attack him together felt a chill in their hearts and fled in haste.

Unfortunately, it was too late. Mo Tu moved, his steps covering vast distances in an instant, appearing behind these people. Without any cover or hesitation, he threw a punch. The force was terrifying; with a flick of his wrist, he struck them dead.

It was a shocking display. Within a hundred-foot radius of Mo Tu, all the contestants grew panicked and retreated, not daring to face him in battle.

"Haha! Run! Scream! And then all of you, go to hell!"

Mo Tu laughed wildly. His pace was steady but his speed was incredibly fast. In the blink of an eye, he caught up to a contestant and grinned hideously. Ignoring the sword strike the man launched at him, he extended his palm like a giant fan and swiped violently, crushing the man like a watermelon.

After casually killing one, Mo Tu's gaze turned cold. "I see you. A few little mice."

With a soft whisper, Mo Tu flashed forward, blocking a small team of five.

"It's the Butcher. Damn it, how did we run into him?" The leader recognized Mo Tu, his heart sinking. He shouted, "Everyone, scatter and run! This guy is the second disciple of the Samsara Dojo!"

"Damn! The second disciple of the Samsara Dojo, one of the Ten Great Sacred Lands, is actually participating in the preliminaries? How are we supposed to fight this!"

"Mo Tu, we admit defeat. You are a powerhouse at the late stage of the Marquis Realm; don't make things difficult for us. We will leave right now."

Mo Tu looked at the five with a playful expression. "Fine, I won't kill you. You may commit suicide."

The team of five was instantly stunned.

"Not willing to commit suicide? Then let me help you find release. Remember, the one who killed you is me, Mo Tu! Hahaha!" Mo Tu laughed wildly, his legs tensing. He didn't even bother using a technique, simply throwing five straight punches.

Boom!

The fist force was biting, whipping up the decaying peach blossoms, and arrived in an instant. Five screams rang out one after another, only to be cut short. The force did not stop, traveling a hundred feet and severely wounding a contestant who was busy hurrying along.

"Haha!"

Mo Tu laughed maniacally. His eyes flickered as he looked toward other contestants who dared to reveal their presence, and he licked his lips. "Killing these people is meaningless. Although it's pleasurable to slaughter them, if the senior brother finds out, he will definitely scold me. I'd better go kill those few instead."

"Hmph. Daring to act tough in front of me, Mo Tu? I'll just kill all of you!"

Mo Tu sneered, tapped his feet, and charged toward the nearest contestant.

While in mid-air, Mo Tu suddenly let out a soft "eh," turned his steps, and retreated, looking ahead. "There are still people who don't fear death. Interesting."

Lin Huang carried his blade, walking through Despair Valley at an unhurried pace. He encountered many people along the way, but he didn't speak, only delivering a single strike.

The Blade Slashing the Six Paths he had learned from Qianshan Huo was becoming increasingly proficient and heavy. If Qianshan Huo were to see it, he would surely be terrified, for the Blade Slashing the Six Paths that Lin Huang displayed contained the true essence of the six paths—profound and heavy. Even his master, the Mortal World Blade King, could not compare to this strike of Lin Huang's.

"With one blade, slash through the six paths."

Lin Huang shook his head. "This path is wrong. Earth, water, fire, wind, yin, and yang are the origins of the world; who can slash through them with a single blade? Therefore, the true intent of this blade should be to open the six paths with one strike. Only then can it be endless, with the six paths revolving and suppressing everything."

Having fought his way here, Lin Huang had repeated only this one strike. This strike allowed Lin Huang to find his foundation, and all his accumulations regarding the six paths could be integrated into this single move.

"It is a pity that I am not a blade practitioner by trade, and I cannot reach the state of having nothing but the blade in my heart. Otherwise, relying on this blade, perhaps I too could attain enlightenment in the mortal world."

With a sigh, Lin Huang looked ahead.

"There really is someone who doesn't fear death." Mo Tu turned back, crossed his arms, and let his gaze sweep over Lin Huang. He couldn't discern Lin Huang's depth, and after his eyes passed over the long blade in Lin Huang's hand, he gave a disdainful smile.

"It seems you are very confident. Very well, I will let you strike first."

Mo Tu was arrogant, but Lin Huang remained indifferent, nodding before unleashing a single blade strike.

Under this strike, earth, water, fire, wind, Yin, and Yang were carved out, the six paths of reincarnation spun, and life flowed endlessly, as if the world were being created anew, reenacting the elements and the opening of Yin and Yang.

Mo Tu's expression changed instantly, and he roared, "You are so despicable."

As the words fell, Mo Tu's eyes swirled, suddenly shooting out two beams of divine light that carried the true essence of the reincarnation of all things, reversing everything, annihilating Yin and Yang, and turning back the elements like a dream or a bubble, shattering them in an instant.

The long blade that had been swung was back in Lin Huang's hand, as if he had never struck with it at all.