Lin Haixian

Lin Haixian was an absolute legend in the Martial Forest.

He'd once been nothing more than a fisherman's son. After saving a disciple of Linjiang Academy by ferrying him across the river, he was recommended to study there.

At Linjiang Academy, he focused on literature and had little involvement with the Martial Path.

On top of that, he'd grown up fishing, so his skin was dark, and his customs were different from theirs. Inevitably, people ostracized him.

He never finished his studies at Linjiang Academy. Instead, he dropped out and loudly denounced certain people within the academy, calling them delusional for thinking they could rise above the masses. They were the world's biggest parasites, fat maggots.

For that, Lin Haixian got his first taste of being hunted.

Fortunately, he escaped by diving into the water. When he reappeared, he already had a sword in his hand.

"He's practically the protagonist of a novel," Lu Bai remarked. Lin Haixian was either being hunted or causing trouble and waiting to be hunted.

Lin Haixian seemed to have fate itself on his side. He'd been hunted many times, yet always managed to escape with his life.

The sword in his hand grew stronger and stronger. In the end, he made his name with a single strike, managing to wound a core member of Tianwu Holy Land.

But in the end, all he could do was run for his life.

Even so, he became a god to most martial artists.

Not just anyone could earn the title of "Immortal."

After that, the only ones who dared hunt him were from Tianwu Holy Land. He, in turn, began hunting others.

That was Lin Haixian's life, spent pursuing and being pursued.

It had made him exceptionally skilled in actual combat.

Setting aside the Dimensional Travelers who were beyond the limits of this world, Lin Haixian was one of the strongest people in the Martial Forest.

He might even have been the strongest, without the "one of."

"If only he were a little younger," Lu Bai said.

But Lin Haixian was old now, and the wounds he'd accumulated during those years of being hunted had taken their toll.

That was why Lu Bai estimated he had a thirty percent chance of winning.

"If I wanted to, I could set traps around Lingfeng Tower right now. I could even plant a large number of explosive traps nearby. Then everyone watching would be my hostage, and I could use them as leverage."

"Too bad I can't do that. There isn't enough time to set everything up."

Lu Bai smiled and shook his head, putting the idea aside.

He hadn't challenged Lin Haixian to win. This wasn't simply a fight to the death. Otherwise, he really would have prepared everything just as he'd considered.

Lin Haixian had come straight here after receiving Lu Bai's letter. That showed how deeply he cared about the world. A man like that had to be threatened with the fate of the world.

"Combat Module..." Lu Bai could feel something taking shape within him, both physically and mentally. More than one thing, in fact.

Actions could also condense into corresponding modules. During his month-long journey, Lu Bai had constantly climbed mountains and crossed rivers, condensing the [Mountain] and [Water] Elemental Modules, along with a Control Module called [Movement].

According to the module's description, as long as he was running or otherwise in motion, he could activate other modules through it.

The module was quite useful. If he gradually incorporated it into his core martial arts in the future, perhaps he could turn static training into dynamic training.

Then every movement, every gesture, would count as practicing his martial arts.

"Then all that's left is to wait for tomorrow's battle." Lu Bai lay down to rest, feeling completely at ease.

Meanwhile, many things were in motion.

After Luo Chuan was brought back to his family, he was put under house arrest.

No one even bothered to ask what had happened to him during that time.

In the past, Luo Chuan would have immediately kicked up a fuss. But now he was much calmer. He stayed in his room and thought about the situation.

It didn't take him long to figure out the reason. Given the situation, the Luo Family didn't dare get involved.

He was the one in danger now. His family had confined him to protect him. If he made a scene without understanding what was going on, they might abandon him.

He deeply resented what Hundred Flower Grave had done. But could he really disregard his family's situation, go up against Hundred Flower Grave, and bring disaster upon them?

"I can't." Luo Chuan sighed, feeling as if a thousand-pound burden rested on his shoulders. In that moment, he finally understood a lesson Lu Bai had once taught him.

The Mountain and River Fist required him to grasp the momentum of a mountain and stand firm as one.

Back then, Luo Chuan hadn't understood how a person could possess the momentum of mountains and rivers.

"When you carry enough on your shoulders, you naturally become a mountain."

The hardships of that month-long journey, climbing mountains and crossing ridges, had ironically been the easiest part for him.

"People who hide in the mountains can live like carefree immortals. But in this world, most people have to force themselves to become mountains."

And now, Luo Chuan had finally condensed the momentum of mountains and rivers. In the Martial Forest, that made him a formidable expert.

Once his Internal Force cultivation caught up, he might not reach Lin Haixian's level, but he could at least hold up the sky for a while and become a peerless expert remembered fondly by an era.

This was what Luo Chuan had wanted all along. But now, he wasn't exactly happy.

Meanwhile, outside Lingfeng Tower, a man whose face was covered in scars watched from a distance as the place grew emptier and emptier.

After accepting Lu Bai's money and arranging a room and meals for him, the people of Lingfeng Tower had taken their staff and fled.

Whether it was a disaster or a stroke of good fortune remained to be seen.

"Is he inside?" Flower Face's expression gave nothing away. He'd just learned that his father and his father's lover had both been killed.

Lu Bai had killed his father, and most of those villagers had been killed afterward as well.

They said two women had done it, though only one had taken part. The other woman, dressed provocatively, had simply watched from the side.

"Has Lu Bai joined forces with the Holy Land?"

From what he could tell, Lu Bai had first attacked Black Tiger Stronghold and rescued that woman.

Then Phoenix Flying Lady of the Holy Land had found her. According to the reports, the woman hadn't known any martial arts before, yet a month later, she was able to kill everyone in an entire village. It was obvious Phoenix Flying Lady had helped her.

Helping an ordinary person gain that kind of power in just one month might involve the core secrets of Tianwu Holy Land, much like the flower fields where Hundred Flower Grave was currently based.

Lu Bai had openly challenged Lin Haixian, then openly entered Lingfeng Tower.

Flower Face couldn't help wondering if it was a trap.

The Luo Family had already sent word: Luo Chuan wouldn't show up tomorrow, no matter what. Their witness was gone.

And with the measures they'd put in place, even if that information came out, it wouldn't implicate Hundred Flower Grave.

Still, Flower Face felt uneasy. Lu Bai had come from that place, after all.

"We can only wait until tomorrow!"

Second update. Good night, everyone.