Mu Yun's gaze burned fiercely, his battle intent surging to the heavens. All his strength exploded forth, transforming him into a rushing wind. In an instant, he had closed in on the silver-armored youth. His body low, his momentum like a descending tiger, he launched his attack!
Seeing this, the silver-armored youth snorted coldly. His long spear spun back in defense, shadows intertwining like a nimble monkey wielding a staff, forming an impenetrable barrier.
Yet Mu Yun's movements were elusive, his attacks like a tempest of rain and wind. They exchanged blow after blow, the battle intensifying. The force of their strikes kicked up dust and sand, surging and swirling. The chaotic air currents devoured the surroundings. Within moments, the two figures had vanished from sight within a radius of several dozen zhang, leaving only the thunderous roar of their energies!
As dust filled the sky, the tide of battle quietly turned!
Mu Yun stood amid the wind and sand, his figure flickering in and out of sight. In his eyes was reflected the image of the silver-armored youth, and a faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. In this dim, chaotic environment, his vision and hearing far surpassed his opponent's—every soft footstep, every rustle of clothing reached his ears clearly.
Close-quarters combat was inherently disadvantageous for a spear!
Yet the silver-armored youth, relying on his abundant combat experience, managed to hold on for dozens of exchanges! But the more he fought, the more alarmed he became. He felt that this young boy's attacks were growing increasingly unpredictable, each move hard to anticipate. Meanwhile, his own spear techniques were gradually being seen through by his opponent, who dodged with growing ease.
Mu Yun was growing through battle!
The silver-armored youth's heart sank as he realized that Mu Yun was using this life-and-death struggle to transform at an astonishing speed!
Mu Yun's expression was equally fervent.
Suddenly, he lunged forward, planted both hands on the ground, and sprang up. His body flipped in mid-air, and his right leg shot out like a thunderbolt, aimed straight at the silver-armored youth's face!
"Hmph!" The youth snorted, raising his left arm hastily to block.
But at that moment, Mu Yun's body twisted abruptly, and using the spinning momentum, his left foot lashed out like a whip!
"Damn!" The youth's pupils contracted sharply. He realized he had been tricked and tried to retreat, but it was too late!
Crash!
Mu Yun's mid-air kick, swift as a thunderbolt, struck the youth's right wrist—the hand gripping the spear!
Thud!
A dull impact. The youth's wrist shuddered violently, a numbing sensation racing up his arm. His fingers loosened, and the long spear flew from his grasp!
Mu Yun's eyes flashed. He adjusted his body in mid-air, hooked his left foot upward like a nimble dragon, and swept the falling spear away!
The wind and sand gradually settled, and the two figures slowly emerged.
The silver-armored youth breathed heavily, his chest heaving. A few faint bruises had appeared on his handsome face.
Mu Yun's face was slightly pale, his left arm trembling. The wound on his arm had reopened, seeping fresh blood.
He took a deep breath, tilted his head back, and swallowed a mouthful of strong wine. Then he sprayed the wine onto his wound. The intense sting made his expression waver, but the next moment, he burst into laughter. His gaze defiant, he fixed his eyes on the silver-armored youth and said coldly:
"You wounded my left arm with your spear… now, I'll destroy it!"
As he spoke, he gripped both ends of the spear, pressed his knee against it, and with a loud crack, the shaft snapped in two!
Seeing his spear broken, the silver-armored youth's expression darkened.
"Enough!" he barked, his voice like rolling thunder, shaking the dust around them. "I admit, you do have some talent for fighting…"
His black hair whipped wildly. A flash of white light flickered in his eyes, and his aura suddenly shifted. In an instant, all the dust within range was blasted away by an invisible wave of force. Leaves fluttered and fell, as if afraid to approach under the pressure of his presence.
So he really was at Qi Refining!
Mu Yun's pupils contracted, and he grew wary.
"'Sharpening Senses'… no!" His expression changed slightly, his voice low. "It's the 'Miniature Realm'…"
If his opponent were only at the Sharpening Senses stage, Mu Yun could still fight him. But if he was at the Miniature Realm—and an experienced fighter at that—his chances of victory were slim.
"But—this is where it ends!"
The silver-armored youth spoke coldly. Before the words had faded, his figure had already flashed before Mu Yun with ghostly speed—terrifyingly fast!
Mu Yun was horrified. Almost instinctively, he raised his arms to protect his chest. With no time to think, he could only try to block—
Almost simultaneously, a hurried warning sounded in Mu Yun's mind: "Threat to life exceeds 60%. Activate Nuclear Arc Reactor?"
Crack—
Mu Yun's body flew backward, smashing through several tree trunks before finally crashing into an ancient towering tree. He slid down the trunk and landed on the ground, a trace of blood at the corner of his mouth, his face pale, utterly battered.
"Deactivate!" Mu Yun commanded in his mind.
He had only barely perceived the trajectory of the silver-armored youth's punch at the moment it reached him. But even seeing it, he had been utterly unable to dodge. That punch contained unpredictable changes and was more than twice as powerful as before—at least a thousand jin of force. If he hadn't managed to deflect some of the force, his bones would have cracked and tendons torn.
"So this is the Miniature Realm?"
Mu Yun's fighting spirit surged.
"This world truly is interesting!"
He pushed himself up against the tree trunk, flames blazing in his eyes.
"Don't worry, I won't kill you."
The silver-armored youth approached. When he was about two zhang away, he stopped, his expression indifferent, hands behind his back.
"I just wanted to see just how capable the person Lin'er can't forget truly is."
He took a slightly crumpled letter from inside his silver armor, glanced casually at Mu Yun with disdain, and then said calmly:
"Now I know."
With that, he flicked his wrist, tossed the letter to the ground, turned, and walked away without another glance at Mu Yun.
Mu Yun stood there, somewhat bewildered.
"So… it really was about love…"
He smiled wryly and opened the letter.
The paper was slightly yellowed, the handwriting delicate—
"I hope your visit to the Jubao Pavilion went smoothly.
In three years, immortals from the Huayang Sect will come to Qingchuan City to conduct tests and select disciples for entry."
—Mu Lin
"Mu Lin…"
Mu Yun murmured, his heart stirred. The image of that white-clad figure rose unbidden in his mind.
Dressed in pure white, cool and exquisitely beautiful, yet with an aloofness and serenity that belied her age…
"So she is Mu Lin…"
A breeze blew, carrying a few withered leaves that drifted gently down. The girl's figure slowly faded from his thoughts.
The sky had become overcast without warning, a heavy, oppressive atmosphere pressing down.
Boom—!
A thunderclap exploded. A fierce wind arose, and cold raindrops began to fall—at first as fine as ox hair, then soon turning into a torrential downpour, washing away the dust and diluting the blood on Mu Yun's body.
The red traces flowed away with the rain, seeping into the earth as if they had never existed.
Mu Yun sat quietly in the rain, slowly settling into a cross-legged position. The fighting spirit in his eyes had not dimmed; instead, it burned even brighter. He took a deep breath, retrieved a few healing pills from his storage pouch, swallowed them, then closed his eyes and focused his mind, circulating his energy to recover from his injuries.
The wind howled, the rain blurred the line between sky and earth, and only the cross-legged figure, under the flashing thunder and lightning, appeared exceptionally resolute.
…
Inside Qingchuan City, rain poured in torrents. Pedestrians hurried through the streets, afraid of being drenched by the sudden storm, and took shelter under eaves. Yet amidst this bustling city, there was a mansion that stood cold and silent, with no one daring to approach.
The mansion was grand and imposing, its main gate tightly shut. On either side of the gate stood a pair of stone-carved mythical beasts, claws bared and fangs exposed, so lifelike they seemed ready to leap into the air at any moment.
Rainwater flowed along the carved crevices, reflecting the faint light of lightning, adding to their ferocious appearance. Two fully armed guards stood rigidly before the stone beasts, their armor gleaming coldly. Only their indifferent eyes were visible above the armor, unmoving despite the downpour.
This was the Li Mansion, the residence of the lord of Qingchuan City—one of the most prominent estates in the city.
—Rain fell on the pond, lotus leaves trembled slightly, droplets bounced up and spread ripples across the water.
A winding viewing corridor stretched over the lotus pond. In the misty rain, this serene place took on an even more dreamlike quality. Beneath the corridor, two graceful figures walked slowly, their soft laughter occasionally rising and falling amidst the sound of rain.
One wore white, with a peerlessly beautiful face and an elegant demeanor like an orchid—she was Mu Lin. The other, in a red dress, was lively and clever, with a hint of mischief in her brows—she was Mu Fei.
…
"Fei'er, don't be silly!"
If Mu Yun were here, he would have been astonished. At this moment, the usually cool and aloof girl in white actually showed a hint of embarrassment. She frowned slightly and cast a reproachful glance at Mu Fei, but she wasn't truly angry—instead, there was an undeniable shyness in her expression.
"Haha…" Mu Fei laughed heartily, her delicate form as lively as a sparrow. She lightly punched Mu Lin's shoulder, her eyes full of teasing. "Everyone in the mansion knows that Brother Mo is in love with you. The way you look only makes you more suspicious!"
Mu Lin did not answer. The annoyance on her face gradually faded, replaced by an indescribable calm. She gazed quietly at the lotus pond, her eyes seeming to pierce through the layers of floating leaves into the rain. Her expression was distant, lost in thought.
Seeing this, Mu Fei's smile faded slightly. She sighed softly, no longer teasing, and simply stood quietly beside her sister, gazing with her at the misty, rain-shrouded lotus pond.
The two stood there in silence for a long time. The only sounds were the raindrops falling into the water, gently patting the lotus leaves, sending up droplets that disappeared into silent ripples.
"Sis…?"
After a long stillness, Mu Fei could not resist calling out softly.
Mu Lin came back to herself, looked up at the gray sky, and spoke softly, her voice as gentle as the rain and mist, yet tinged with a barely perceptible loneliness: "Father has been in seclusion for two years now… I have devoted myself entirely to martial arts. How could I dare to be distracted by affairs of the heart?"
She turned her gaze to Mu Fei, her expression complicated, as if she had a thousand words to say, but in the end, they condensed into a single, calm sentence: "That kind of happiness… for you to have it is enough."
A breeze blew, the rain curtain swayed gently, and Mu Lin's white robes fluttered in the wind and rain, like a secluded lotus blooming in the misty rain—beautiful and solitary.
Mu Fei's eyes reddened, and a sour feeling rose in her heart. Outsiders all knew Mu Lin as a prodigy, having reached Qi Refining at a young age, hailed as a once-in-a-century genius of Qingchuan City. But how many knew how many sleepless nights and how much sweat lay behind that title?
Her "genius" was bought with countless hours of solitude.
The rain pattered softly, and amidst the watery mist, the lotus pond was tranquil.
But this peace was soon broken by the sound of hurried footsteps.
Mu Fei turned, composed herself, and looked toward the approaching figure. Her expression grew serious as she said softly, "Sis, Brother Mo is here."
In the rain, a tall figure strode forward, his sleeves billowing, his bearing extraordinary.
The newcomer was none other than the silver-armored youth who had fought fiercely with Mu Yun—Mo Bai!
Now, Mo Bai had shed his heavy armor and changed into a plain, comfortable robe. His sword-like brows and starry eyes showed no trace of the bruises from the battle; instead, he exuded an air of effortless elegance. Framed by the rain and mist, he appeared even more extraordinary, no less impressive than the immortal sect disciples Mu Yun had seen before.
Mo Bai walked with steady steps. He glanced first at Mu Fei, then his gaze fell on Mu Lin and paused briefly. He spoke calmly: "Lin'er, I delivered the letter. However…"
At this point, a flash of contempt passed through his eyes, and his tone carried a hint of disdain: "Given that boy's abilities, I'm afraid he'll only waste your good intentions."
With that, Mo Bai's gaze sharpened, a glint of light flashed in his eyes, and he said no more.
Mu Lin's brows furrowed slightly, and a barely perceptible flicker of surprise passed through the depths of her eyes. She spoke slowly: "So you've already crossed swords with him."
A faint, ambiguous smile tugged at the corner of Mo Bai's mouth. His eyes darkened slightly, and he said indifferently, "Just a little sparring, stopping before it went too far…"
…
After the rain, the world felt fresh and clean. Everything in the damp earth seemed to burst with vitality.
Sitting cross-legged on the branch of a giant tree, Mu Yun slowly opened his eyes. The injuries inside his body had healed. He stood up and stretched his limbs, feeling his bones and sinews comfortable, his energy restored to its peak.
"This storage pouch is full of treasures—even the healing pills are incredibly effective… however…"
He tilted his head slightly and looked at his left arm.
The wound inflicted by the silver-armored youth's spear had healed, but it had left behind a faint scar, like a coiled snake, reminding him of the ferocity of that battle.
"I'll take it as a lesson…"
"Isn't that right, little Mu Yun?"
Mu Yun murmured, then leaped from the branch and landed lightly on the ground, setting off once more on his journey.
The rain had stopped, but the sky remained overcast, gray clouds shrouding the earth as if more wind and rain might come at any moment.
Mu Yun stepped onto the official road, his figure flashing swiftly across the landscape. Beneath the dim sky, he was like a speeding phantom. As his feet fell, the rain-soaked mud kicked up puffs of dust, but strangely, the mud did not stain his clothes. Instead, as he ran at high speed, a faint mist of vapor rose from his body.
The journey was uneventful. Before long, Mu Yun arrived at the site where the inn had once stood. To his astonishment, where the inn had been, there was now a low hill covered with vegetation, indistinguishable from the surrounding scenery.
Mu Yun's gaze froze. He stood there, a chill creeping into his heart. The once-bustling inn had been completely erased, as if it had never existed.
This kind of disappearance out of thin air filled him with alarm.
He frowned slightly and thought to himself: Such means are certainly not the work of mortals.