Ambush

"Who won? Was it Lu Bai? How on earth did he win?"

"He won! He actually won! It's Lu Bai!"

"How is that possible? How could Lin Haixian lose?"

"What happened at the end? Why couldn't Lin Haixian's sword radiance pierce through? Does the Blood Monk have some kind of hard-body martial art?"

"Did Lin Haixian go easy on him? Why did he lose???"

The two had been moving at such high speeds during the exchange that the sudden turn of events happened in the blink of an eye, leaving most spectators confused about what had actually transpired.

The shift in victory happened so quickly that, in an instant, the outcome had completely flipped.

Consequently, the murmurs erupted into a clamor, with everyone discussing the fight and exclaiming over the details of the combat.

Some looked at the laughing Lin Haixian with complex expressions, as if they were the ones who had lost, their own beliefs seemingly shattered.

Others gazed at Lu Bai with fervent eyes; a new powerhouse had emerged, and this time, Lu Bai had truly made a name for himself in the Martial Forest.

Lu Bai gripped the [Fight] module and used a special extraction point for the first time. The module, which had already condensed, began to soften at this moment, and the surrounding clamor seemed to be drawn into it.

Within that brilliant gold, a single point of light ignited.

Then, the entire module transformed into—[Fight]: Adds aggression, toughness, and critical resistance to objects. Comment: A hearty and satisfying duel; from now on, the gates of death in battle are a fraction further from you.

The upgraded [Fight] module became the highest-quality module Lu Bai possessed, and it was incredibly useful for him at this moment.

Lu Bai then slotted it into the skill [Internal Energy Protection], a skill whose effects had become quite weak.

The slight protection and enhancement it provided could not compare to [Blood Burn] at all.

Of course, it wasn't entirely useless; when [Blood Burn] entered its second stage, [Volcano], the strain on his body was far greater than he had imagined.

At such times, [Internal Energy Protection] provided a certain degree of defense, preventing Lu Bai from being riddled with wounds by his own skill.

However, the level of protection was not high; to put it bluntly, it was merely a very basic skill.

But with the addition of the [Fight] module, Lu Bai could feel the internal energy protecting his body become much more refined. It flowed through his meridians and acupoints like a massive spiderweb, connecting his entire body.

His body, which had been damaged by [Blood Burn: Volcano], felt much more comfortable at this moment.

It was no longer accurate to call it [Internal Energy Protection], so Lu Bai renamed it [Combat Mode].

As he activated Combat Mode, Lu Bai let out a long breath.

The pain in his body seemed to be suppressed as well. On the other side, Lin Haixian stopped laughing.

He looked at Lu Bai with a lonely expression, and only then did people notice the two trails of bitter tears on his face.

It wasn't that Lin Haixian had never lost; on the contrary, he had lost quite often, even being chased all over the place in his younger years.

But for every martial artist, the most fundamental belief is to win every single fight.

He wanted to win, and when he couldn't, he felt sorrow and pain.

Furthermore, at this moment, he finally realized one thing: his era had passed, and he was truly old.

"Are you still holding up?" Lin Haixian asked Lu Bai.

High-intensity combat consumed a staggering amount of stamina and energy, but their endurance was not poor; after stopping, a little rest would allow them to recover enough strength for another fight.

"You should worry about whether you can still fight yourself." Lu Bai stretched his body and spat out a breath of stale air.

The surrounding crowd grew restless, and some began to push forward.

Some people hadn't yet realized what was happening, wondering why these people were still crowding in even though the decisive battle had ended.

However, others' expressions changed, and they began to retreat.

"People from Lianwu Mountain!" Lu Bai, standing on the rooftop, suddenly spoke, drawing the attention of many.

Calling out Lianwu Mountain after the decisive battle—this guy definitely had some kind of conspiracy.

Some people glared at Lu Bai and Lin Haixian, wondering what they were planning.

"You must be guessing what kind of conspiracy I have, right?" Lu Bai smiled handsomely.

"It's naturally a 'lure the tiger away from the mountain' tactic."

"Your attention has been fixed on us, but you didn't know that a group of righteous warriors has already headed straight for Lianwu Mountain. You lot, who do the dirty work for the Tianwu Holy Land, have reached your end."

Just then, the sound of hoofbeats rang out, clattering and urgent. The anxiety in that sound was conveyed clearly and unmistakably.

The person who arrived was from Lianwu Mountain. He was wounded and looked terrified. Upon arriving, he shouted at the top of his lungs, "Someone raided Lianwu Mountain! The mountain has fallen!"

"Hahaha, it just so happens that the people from Hundred Flower Grave are here too. Why don't we work together to clear out these remnants of Lianwu Mountain?" Lin Haixian laughed as he spoke.

Lu Bai had explained the relationship between Lianwu Mountain and other matters in his letter, then asked Lin Haixian to use the news of the duel to lure out the main force of Lianwu Mountain.

At the same time, the Linjiang Academy, which delivered the letter, was also part of the plan. If Lin Haixian was willing to carry out this scheme, they would call upon the people of Linjiang Academy.

Regardless, since factions like Linjiang Academy and Three Moon Pavilion wanted to unite and stir up trouble, they might as well form an alliance to deal with Lianwu Mountain first.

No matter what their goals were, or whether Three Moon Pavilion was a secret force belonging to the Tianwu Holy Land, dealing with the rebel Lianwu Mountain was perfectly appropriate.

Hundred Flower Grave might have discovered something, but unfortunately, they were not committed to protecting Lianwu Mountain at all costs.

They hadn't dragged Hundred Flower Grave into the mess this time, nor had they even placed them in the position of an 'ally.'

"Do it! Kill the Blood Monk and Lin Haixian no matter what!" The members of Lianwu Mountain hidden among the crowd were filled with indignation, and a one-eyed man among them stepped forward to shout loudly.

For those who did the dirty work, it was incredibly difficult to ever go straight; when the time came for a purge, there was basically no escaping.

Lianwu Mountain might have been finished, but they were determined to let out one final cry and drag these people standing in the light down into hell with them.

Many people appeared on the surrounding buildings, holding crossbows and aiming at Lu Bai and Lin Haixian, who were still on the rooftop.

Lianwu Mountain had deployed a significant number of men to deal with these two, which was precisely why their base camp had been so easily breached.

"Shoot them dead!"

But at that very moment, Lu Bai and Lin Haixian struck simultaneously.

As Lu Bai leaped into the air, Lin Haixian swung his sword, slicing once more at the ground beneath his feet.

Then, the building collapsed.