Mu Bai composed himself. With nothing else to do in Spirit Command City, he prepared to return to the sect. Without a Flying Soul Weapon, and with insufficient Soul Power to sustain prolonged flight, he walked alone, immersed in feelings only he understood. The journey was uneventful.
Not long after Mu Bai entered the mountain road, the brothers Mo Deqian and Mo Dekun were already waiting there coldly.
"Dekun, that brat no longer has that White Wolf Hide coat. Go kill him!"
"Brother, surely teaching him a lesson will do..."
"He's a sect elder. Is he someone you can teach a lesson? Killing him is the only way!"
"You're right, Brother. Then he can't blame us for being ruthless!"
As Mu Bai walked, dozens of streaks of azure light suddenly shot straight at him. Mo Dekun had opened with a killing move!
Mu Bai leaped into the air, evading the azure light, but Mo Dekun immediately fired several Soul Arrows, turning the airborne Mu Bai into a living target.
If Mu Bai still failed to understand his predicament, he deserved to die. At that hairbreadth moment, he immediately summoned the Three-Legged Crow Cauldron around himself, blocking the Soul Arrows shooting toward him. With a series of clangs, every arrow struck the Crow Cauldron.
"A top-grade Soul Weapon!"
Watching the two exchange blows, Mo Deqian's eyes filled with greed.
Since he had already exposed the Three-Legged Crow Cauldron, Mu Bai stopped holding back and immediately resolved to kill. In a fight between the two of them, he was confident that he could use his various means to kill Mo Dekun here!
Seeing that his Soul Arrows could not pierce the Crow Cauldron, Mo Dekun immediately swung his sword and charged in. Mu Bai surged upward, raising the Three-Legged Crow Cauldron to block his sword, then punched him in the abdomen, sending him flying several yards.
Pressing the attack while his enemy was wounded, Mu Bai swung the Three-Legged Crow Cauldron at Mo Dekun. If it landed, it would almost certainly kill him instantly. But Mo Deqian was hiding nearby and would naturally not let Mu Bai succeed. He immediately hurled his longsword straight at Mu Bai's face.
Mu Bai had not discovered Mo Deqian hiding there. He had no way to evade this sudden sword strike and could even feel the blade piercing the crown of his head when a beam of golden light suddenly shot over, striking the longsword Mo Deqian had so viciously thrown.
"Who's there?"
Mo Deqian shouted coldly in alarm, looking warily around. An old man slowly revealed himself.
"Stay out of this, old thing, or don't blame me for not warning you that you won't leave this place alive!"
"This old man fears death too, but I simply cannot stand watching you bully this child. Very well. These old bones will exchange a few moves with a youngster like you..."
"You're courting death!"
Leaving Mu Bai aside for the moment, Mo Deqian transformed the longsword in his hand into a hundred sword shadows that stabbed straight at the old Divine Cultivator. The old Divine Cultivator released his spiritual energy, forming a shield of light that blocked the sky full of sword shadows with a series of clangs.
Seeing the old Divine Cultivator come to his aid and hold Mo Deqian back, Mu Bai immediately flew straight at Mo Dekun. Mo Dekun was still watching his elder brother battle the old man, never expecting the Crow Cauldron to come crashing straight down at his head.
With a thunderous crash, Mo Dekun raised both hands to hold up the Three-Legged Crow Cauldron smashing down on him. Both wrists shattered and bled. Before he could scream in pain, Mu Bai twisted lightly through the air like a phantom, then reached out with a Soul Soldiers shortsword and slit his throat.
This was Mu Bai's first time killing someone, yet it had been so effortless. Almost as casually as a few light brushstrokes, he had slain a peak Second Level Soul Cultivator beneath his blade.
Mu Bai froze for a moment, unable to believe what had happened, unable to believe killing was so simple.
"Dekun!"
Seeing Mu Bai kill his younger brother, Mo Deqian immediately roared and swung his sword at Mu Bai. The old Divine Cultivator could not reach Mu Bai in time, so he instead formed a Spirit Light Sword and stabbed it straight at Mo Deqian's back.
Mu Bai blocked Mo Deqian's sword with the Three-Legged Crow Cauldron, while the old Divine Cultivator's Spirit Light Sword pierced squarely into Mo Deqian's body.
Gravely wounded, Mo Deqian hurriedly retreated, and a middle-aged man reached out to catch him.
"Well, well. You killed one of my disciples and gravely wounded the other. I truly should not have underestimated you two!"
"Hmm. Had this old man been you, I would certainly have stepped out sooner."
The middle-aged man was none other than the Mo brothers' master, Lin Chuan, a Xiu Zun Soul Cultivator. Lin Chuan was also an elder of the Spirit Taming Sect. Since he was willing to reveal himself now, he presumably intended to make certain Mu Bai died here.
"It isn't too late to step out now. All it means is that you two lived a few breaths longer!"
Lin Chuan smiled coldly, while Mu Bai knew they were now in grave danger.
"A few breaths aren't long, but are you satisfied with one of them dead and the other wounded?"
Mu Bai abandoned all deference and shouted harshly. Lin Chuan flew into a rage and struck at him with his palm. Seizing that instant, the old Divine Cultivator fired his Spirit Light Sword, stabbing fiercely at Lin Chuan.
"Hmph, petty tricks!"
Lin Chuan continued his attack, simultaneously summoning a refined shield of dark radiance to block the old Divine Cultivator's sword of light.
As Lin Chuan's palm was about to strike Mu Bai, the old Divine Cultivator, who had launched his Spirit Light Sword, also flew forward to shield Mu Bai.
"Clan Patriarch!"
Mu Bai cried out. The old Divine Cultivator formed a Spirit Light Shield before himself, but Lin Chuan shattered it with a crack of his palm. The heavy palm then slammed into the old Divine Cultivator's chest.
The old Divine Cultivator spat bloody froth. Gritting his teeth, he tore open his robe, revealing the White Wolf Hide coat Mu Bai had given him.
"Child, hurry and go! Grandfather has your white wolf coat. Grandfather can hold him back!"
How could Mu Bai not know that the old Divine Cultivator was no match for Lin Chuan? How could he flee alone in this moment of peril? Instead, he immediately swung the Three-Legged Crow Cauldron at Lin Chuan.
"After watching you attack several times, I can tell this Crow Cauldron is no ordinary object. It belongs to me now!"
Mu Bai swung the Three-Legged Crow Cauldron at Lin Chuan, but Lin Chuan had long been coveting it. He had only delayed taking action because he wanted a clear look at it.
"Come back, child!"
Seeing Mu Bai charge forward like an egg striking a rock, the old Divine Cultivator immediately formed a giant golden hand to stop his advance, then hurled himself at Lin Chuan. He intended to rely on the protection of the Moon-Howling White Wolf hide coat to fight Lin Chuan at close quarters.
Neither Soul Cultivators nor Divine Cultivators possessed particularly powerful bodies. Only by doing this could the old Divine Cultivator possibly hold Lin Chuan back.
Seeing this, killing intent sharpened in Mu Bai's eyes. He immediately charged at Mo Deqian with a heavy punch!
Mo Deqian was already gravely wounded. Seeing Mu Bai charge over with his fist raised, he immediately activated a Jade Slip, turning it into a barrier of Soul Power. It was the lifesaving item Lin Chuan had given him.
Mu Bai's punch struck the Soul Power barrier, only for a tremendous force to fling him back.
"Hahaha, you little punk, stop overestimating yourself! This is a Xiu Zun's Soul Power barrier!"
Unwilling to concede, Mu Bai raised the Three-Legged Crow Cauldron and smashed it viciously against the Soul Power barrier, but still could do nothing to it.
"Well? Feeling hopeless? Even if I lie here and let you smash away, you still can't touch me!"
Mu Bai desperately swung the Three-Legged Crow Cauldron against the thin barrier of light before him, but he truly could not break it.
"No! No..."
Mu Bai believed the Three-Legged Crow Cauldron had a spirit. Although the Artifact Spirit Ancestor had fallen asleep again, he believed the Three-Legged Crow Cauldron would bring him a miracle. That Divine Cultivator grandfather was already risking his life in close combat with Lin Chuan, and Mu Bai was likewise risking his life to kill Mo Deqian!
Mu Bai swung the Three-Legged Crow Cauldron straight into his own chest, then spat out a mouthful of blood. The Crow Cauldron mark on his chest lit up, and a Red-Gold Divine Crow burst forth, lunging straight at Mo Deqian. Though Mo Deqian was protected by the Soul Power barrier of a mighty Xiu Zun, the instant he saw the Red-Gold Divine Crow charge at him, he saw the breath of death approaching.
The Red-Gold Divine Crow tore through the thin barrier with one claw. Mu Bai immediately reached out with a hand of death and clamped it viciously around Mo Deqian's throat. Then he squeezed hard, crushing the cartilage in his throat with a crack!
Mo Deqian died with his eyes still open. He would not accept it, would not believe that a powerful Third Level Soul Cultivator like himself had died at the hands of a Second Level cultivator.
Yet that was the truth. Mu Bai then kicked his head far away, sending it tumbling down the mountain ravine.
"Deqian!"
Mo Deqian was Lin Chuan's eldest disciple, and Lin Chuan valued him greatly. Watching Mu Bai kill him with his own eyes, Lin Chuan went nearly mad with rage. He slammed a vicious palm into the old Divine Cultivator's chest, then flew toward Mu Bai to kill him.
Mu Bai watched coldly as Lin Chuan charged at him in hatred. He pointed a finger, and a brilliant streak shot out, moving so swiftly that it struck Lin Chuan squarely in the face. With a boom, it blasted away half his face.
Lin Chuan had not expected Mu Bai to possess such an attack. Enduring the pain, he lunged sideways through the air, putting distance between them.
"To think Elder Mu possessed such means. I am truly impressed!"
"I am just as impressed by Elder Lin, willing to disregard his own life for his disciples!"
"Hahaha! Must I disregard my own life to kill you two? Enough nonsense. After what has happened today, we won't rest until one side is dead. I refuse to believe someone so young can unleash an attack like that many times!"
As Lin Chuan spoke, his remaining eye suddenly widened. He flung out a large net, casting it over Mu Bai. Even if Mu Bai could fire that brilliant streak again, he would be unable to harm him. And if he had no such means left, he could be trapped in the net!
Watching the great net, Mu Bai flew backward in a hurried retreat, but it approached extremely fast, and he could think of no means to counter it. Suddenly, the old Divine Cultivator shouted and flew straight at the sky-shrouding net, deliberately letting himself fall into it.
"Grandfather!"
"Don't come over!"
The great net entangled the old Divine Cultivator, and Lin Chuan charged over with his sword, filled with hatred. Before Mu Bai could rush over as well, the old Divine Cultivator struck the crown of his own head, then lunged fiercely toward Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan's longsword pierced his chest with a wet thud. In that instant, a thunderous explosion rang out as the old Divine Cultivator detonated his spirit palace, holding Lin Chuan as both were reduced to nothingness. Smoke and dust filled the sky, drifting slowly down.
"Grandfather!"
Mu Bai rushed over in tears, but there was only smoke and dust filling the sky. He reached out, and the dust settled in his hand, along with a few scraps of white wolf hide.
Everything had happened too quickly, making the sorrowful truth difficult to accept all at once. Clutching the dust tightly in his hand, Mu Bai fell to his knees and wept in anguish. He did not know which tribe this old Divine Cultivator had been Clan Patriarch of. He did not even know this grandfather's name.
"Grandfather..."
The old Divine Cultivator had sacrificed his life to save him, yet Mu Bai had no way to repay him. He could only kneel in grief. The night was nearly over, but Mu Bai still remained on his knees.
The next day, as all things awoke, Mu Bai held back his grief, picked up a white feather from the ground, tucked it into his robes, and set off toward the Spirit Taming Sect.
Dawn was about to break. The people and events behind him had turned to smoke and dust, yet remained a heavy weight in Mu Bai's heart.
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