Ambush

"Who won? Was it Lu Bai? How did he manage to win?"

"He won! Lu Bai actually won!"

"How is that possible? Lin Haixian actually lost?"

"What happened at the end? Why couldn't Lin Haixian's sword energy pierce through? Does the Blood Monk know Hard Body Training?"

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

The two had fought at such high speed, and the turning point had come in an instant. Most people had no idea what had happened.

The tide of battle had shifted far too quickly. In the blink of an eye, everything had ended in a completely different way.

The crowd erupted into discussion. Everyone was talking about the fight, exclaiming over its finer points.

Some watched the laughing Lin Haixian with complicated expressions, as though he were the one who had lost and their own faith had been shattered.

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

Clutching the Dou module, Lu Bai used a Special Extraction Point for the first time. The module, which had already condensed, began to soften, and the surrounding voices seemed to be drawn into it.

A spark of light flared within its brilliant gold.

Then the entire module transformed into—Dou, granting things offensive power, resilience, and resistance to lethal damage. Evaluation: A thoroughly satisfying duel. After this battle, your death gate has moved a little farther away.

The upgraded Dou module became the highest-quality module Lu Bai possessed, and it was extremely useful to him now.

Lu Bai then placed it into the skill [Internal Energy Protection]. The effect of this skill had already become very weak.

The slight protection and enhancement it offered were nothing compared to [Blood Burn].

That didn't mean it was entirely useless, of course. When [Blood Burn] entered its second stage, [Volcano], the damage this mode inflicted on the body was far greater than one might expect.

At that point, [Internal Energy Protection] provided a measure of defense, keeping Lu Bai from being left riddled with wounds by his own skill.

Still, its protection wasn't especially strong. To put it plainly, the skill was only a very basic one.

But after the Dou module was added, Lu Bai could feel the Internal Force protecting his entire body growing much more concentrated. It flowed along his meridians and acupoints like a vast spiderweb, linking his whole body together.

Lu Bai's body, already damaged by [Blood Burn: Volcano], felt much more comfortable in that moment.

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

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

The pain in his body seemed to subside. Across from him, Lin Haixian finally stopped laughing.

He looked at Lu Bai, his expression turning desolate. Only then did people notice the two muddy streaks of tears on his face.

It wasn't that Lin Haixian had never lost. On the contrary, he had lost countless times, and in his early years he had been beaten so badly he was constantly on the run.

But the most fundamental conviction of every martial artist was to win every battle.

He wanted to win. When he couldn't, he felt heartbroken and miserable.

And at that moment, he finally understood something clearly: his era was over. He really was old.

"Are you all right?" Lin Haixian asked Lu Bai.

The intense battle had consumed a tremendous amount of stamina and energy, but neither of them lacked endurance. After stopping to rest briefly, they would be ready to fight again.

"You should be worrying about whether you can still fight," Lu Bai said, rolling his shoulders and exhaling a breath of stale air.

The crowd around them began to stir. Some people were pressing closer and closer.

Some hadn't yet figured out what was happening. Why were these people pushing in now that the duel was over?

But others' expressions had changed, and they were backing away.

"People from Lianwu Mountain!" Lu Bai suddenly called out from the rooftop, drawing plenty of attention.

Calling out Lianwu Mountain after the duel had ended meant this man had some kind of scheme, didn't it?

Several people watched Lu Bai and Lin Haixian with dark expressions, wondering what they were up to.

"You must be wondering what kind of scheme I have," Lu Bai said with a bright smile.

"Of course, it's a diversion."

"You've all kept your attention on us, unaware that a band of righteous warriors has already gone straight to Lianwu Mountain. You who do the dirty work for the Tianwu Holy Land have reached the end of the road."

Just then, the clatter of hooves rang out, hurried and urgent. The rider's panic was unmistakable.

The newcomer was from Lianwu Mountain. He was wounded and looked terrified. The moment he arrived, he shouted at the top of his lungs, "Someone attacked Lianwu Mountain! The stronghold has fallen!"

"Haha! People from the Hundred Flower Grave are here too. Why don't we join forces and wipe out the remnants of Lianwu Mountain?" Lin Haixian said with a laugh.

In his letter, Lu Bai had explained how Lianwu Mountain and the other groups were connected, then asked Lin Haixian to use the duel as a way to draw Lianwu Mountain's main force over.

The Linjiang Academy, which had delivered the letter, was part of the plan as well. If Lin Haixian was willing to go along with it, they would summon the people from Linjiang Academy.

After all, Linjiang Academy, Three Moon Pavilion, and the other factions had wanted to join forces and make a move anyway. They might as well form an alliance and take on Lianwu Mountain first.

Whatever their goal was, and whether Three Moon Pavilion was secretly affiliated with the Tianwu Holy Land or not, going after Lianwu Mountain, a rebel faction, was a suitable choice.

The Hundred Flower Grave might have noticed a few things, but unfortunately, they weren't determined to protect Lianwu Mountain at all costs.

This time, they hadn't dragged the Hundred Flower Grave into the scheme. They had even placed them among their "allies."

"Attack! No matter what, kill the Blood Monk and Lin Haixian!" The people from Lianwu Mountain hidden in the crowd were furious. A one-eyed man stepped forward and shouted.

For those who did the dirty work, escaping that life was nearly impossible. Once the purge began, there was no chance of getting away.

Lianwu Mountain was finished, but they would make one last stand and drag those who stood in the light down to hell with them.

Quite a few people appeared on the surrounding rooftops, crossbows in hand, taking aim at Lu Bai and Lin Haixian, who were still standing above them.

Lianwu Mountain had sent out a large number of men to deal with these two. That was also why its headquarters had been so easy to break into.

"Shoot them dead!"

But at that moment, Lu Bai and Lin Haixian struck at the same time.

As Lu Bai jumped up, Lin Haixian swung his sword, slicing through the roof beneath them.

Then the building collapsed.

First update.