Withered Glory Scripture

This name had appeared once again, completely drawing Lu Bai's attention.

When he had previously gone through that useless elder's diary, Lu Bai had found this name as well.

That useless elder had been too much of a salted fish, so he had never managed to study the Withered Glory Scripture much.

He did not even have a handwritten copy in hand.

"It is said that the Withered Glory Scripture originated from a place beyond the domain called Void-Extinguishing Temple. A certain eminent monk comprehended the withering and flourishing of all things. His body underwent Nine Glories and Nine Witherings, and after experiencing the transformations of withering and flourishing, he returned to youth."

"From an aged, withered corpse, he gained new life and lived another lifetime!"

Lin Bai recounted every piece of information he had uncovered.

The Hundred Flower Grave's earliest changes had begun with the Withered Glory Scripture. The sect master and elders had obtained this Withered Glory Scripture from someone beyond the domain.

This martial art truly far surpassed the Hundred Flower Grave's Flowery Fists and Embroidered Legs, but it placed extremely high demands on comprehension and talent.

Moreover, normal cultivation required one to undergo repeated transformations of withering and flourishing. One careless mistake, and one would truly wither to death.

That was why the Life-Eroding Flower had entered the picture: by forming a symbiotic bond with it, they could take a shortcut in cultivating the Withered Glory Scripture.

And so, step by step, the entire Hundred Flower Grave had been bound to that existence beyond the domain, gradually becoming what it was today.

What Flower Face had used before was one application of the Withered Glory Scripture. By using the deaths of other deathsworn symbiotic with Life-Eroding Flowers, he forcibly pushed the Withered Glory Scripture into its "withered" state.

In that state, Internal Force that had originally carried the wood attribute would transform into the attributes of "withering" or even "death," vastly increasing its offensive power.

Yet Lu Bai did not care about that so-called destructive power right now. What concerned him was Lin Bai's earlier mention of "living another lifetime."

"Does this count as a chance to revive?"

Lu Bai's heart stirred. His golden finger was powerful, but he had never found a way to use it.

"As long as I can gain the ability to revive, break through the boundary between life and death, and reach the Death Dimension, I'll be able to use the Ring of Life and Death to transform vast quantities of things that have returned to death."

"If I die once, I'll soar!"

"Even if the Withered Glory Scripture doesn't count as a resurrection ability, its cultivation method of life and death, withering and flourishing might still let me accumulate some experience for mining riches from death in the future."

"Either way, I have to get my hands on the Withered Glory Scripture," Lu Bai thought.

Then he moved. As he retreated, he had already scattered the enhanced lime.

Of course, this time, the lime was meant to obstruct vision.

Lu Bai crouched low, every muscle in his body exploding as he sprang sideways in a bizarre fashion, dodging the concealed weapon that shot toward him.

At the same time, he snatched up a stool beside him and hurled it out with tremendous force like a flying brick.

Crack!

The sound of the chair shattering rang beside his ear, and Lu Bai had already darted forward.

Hearing the whoosh of wind, Lin Bai instinctively circulated his Internal Force and struck behind him with Flower Fist.

But what met Flower Fist was also a fist, likewise reinforced with Internal Force.

The two fists collided. The Internal Force on Lu Bai's hand scattered slightly, but a crack involuntarily sounded from Lin Bai's fist.

With just one punch, his bones had broken!

Under that overwhelming force, Lin Bai's body arched backward, unable to maintain his balance.

Just as Lu Bai was about to press forward and seize the fruits of victory, his ears twitched, and his body dodged to the other side.

A fist carrying black aura deftly reached toward him.

"Watch closely. This is how Flower Fist is used!"

Flower Face's still somewhat familiar voice rang out. The lime dust hanging in midair also gradually began to settle.

Faced with the incoming fist, Lu Bai answered with a fist of his own.

Yet before their fists could collide, Flower Face's hand had already changed.

His fist bloomed like a flower bud, transforming from a punch into a grappling technique.

Flower Fist's original name was Hundred Flower Fist. Though called a fist technique, it actually contained many different transformations.

Every transformation had its own name. Masters who had grasped many transformations and could unleash them all within a single punch earned the praise of a hundred flowers blooming at once.

At that moment, Internal Force was flexibly mobilized. Along with the changes in Flower Face's palm, it was like a flower bud drifting in the wind, winding bit by bit around Lu Bai's hand.

Lu Bai's fist was pulled off course. The slight Internal Force defense granted by [Internal Energy Protection] did not last long under those strikes of clever force before being ground apart.

Then, the flower buds that had merely been winding around him transformed in the next instant into roots that sucked up Nutrients.

Flower Face's hand changed, and his Internal Force underwent a corresponding transformation as well.

Sharp thorns of Internal Force seemed ready to pierce into Lu Bai's arm and drain all the Vitality from his body.

The fist of a hundred flowers, combined with the terrifying transformations brought by the alien Withered Glory Scripture.

Flower Fist possessed ample finesse but insufficient power.

But after the withering power brought by the Withered Glory Scripture was added, that weakness was made up for.

With that flaw remedied, Flower Fist's danger rose in a straight line.

The Phoenix Flying Ladies of Tianwu Holy Land were a collective designation. Those women dressed in stockings, low-cut clothing, and gauzy silk were all called Phoenix Flying Ladies.

They were each young, yet their martial abilities far surpassed those of ordinary Jianghu people.

Others might strive for an entire lifetime and still not necessarily exchange more than a few moves with them.

Flower Face had originally belonged to the group of "others." Even after diligently cultivating Flowery Fists and Embroidered Legs, he would still be suppressed when facing Phoenix Flying Ladies with his own strength.

But after activating the Withered Glory Scripture, he had defeated a Phoenix Flying Lady in just a few moves.

And now, Flower Face was using that very technique on Lu Bai.

Tugging, sucking, and pain that seemed to bore into his bones.

Yet Lu Bai's expression did not change.

"I'm indeed not very good at this kind of delicate manipulation, but luckily!"

As Lu Bai stepped back, he stabilized his center of gravity.

His legs lowered, and the ground beneath him seemed to crack slightly.

"I'm very good at dealing with people like you who excel at delicate manipulation!"

Lu Bai's body seemed to grow several sizes larger. He completely ignored the damage Flower Face was inflicting on him, directly pressing in and seizing the other man's wrist in return.

Even when the Internal Force on the other man's hand turned into countless needles and stabbed into Lu Bai's palm, Lu Bai did not let go. Instead, he forcefully dragged the other man toward himself.

Flower Face's expression changed. His withering Internal Force poured out with all its might, battering Lu Bai's body.

An ordinary person's body would probably go limp in an instant. In only a moment, their entire body would be sucked dry into a human husk.

But Lu Bai was different. Within his body, it was as if a dragon dwelled.

That terrifying vitality of his body burst forth, transforming into the purest strength.

One of his hands had seized the other man, while his other hand clenched into a fist.

All finesse became a joke at that moment.

It was like a delicate flower: once plucked, it could only become an ornament in another's hand, to be toyed with at will.