usatvline Chapter 202: The Battle Continues!
Chapter 202: The Battle Continues!
Actually, Qin Mu was just bragging.
How could I possibly contribute even a fraction of my strength?
He used at least seven-tenths of his strength just now.
This old man is indeed very powerful.
In particular, it would be even more difficult for Qin Mu not only to defeat his opponent but also to appear effortless, requiring even greater strength to achieve this.
If Li Chunfeng had one foot in the realm of terrestrial immortals, then this old man had at least one-third of his foot in that realm as well.
That sword strike was indeed very powerful. Without the system's support, Qin Mu might not have been able to defeat his opponent.
However, now that they've fought, they naturally have to brag about it.
Otherwise, wouldn't all that showing off be for nothing?
Upon hearing this, Liu Bai's pupils contracted slightly.
Even a small contribution.
I only used a fraction of my strength.
That would knock away his natal black sword and damage his meridians.
Just how strong is the opponent?
The old man showed no fear; instead, his eyes shone even brighter.
That brightness was like Qin Mu seeing a beautiful woman.
No, it's purer and more intense than that.
It was the fervor of a seeker of the Dao upon encountering a higher realm, the instinctive excitement of a swordsman meeting a true powerhouse.
It is the uncontrollable tremor and longing that burst forth from a soul that has been immersed in the way of the sword for sixty years when it touches a higher realm.
Qin Mu frowned slightly when he saw the look in the other person's eyes, and thought to himself that something was wrong.
Is this old man going crazy?
As expected, Liu Bai's gaze was fixed on Qin Mu, and his eyes, which had been weathered by seventy years of hardship, shone like two burning stars.
He spoke slowly, his voice aged yet steady, carrying an undeniable solemnity:
"I still have one sword left."
"This sword strike is not suitable for indoor use."
He paused, his gaze passing over Qin Mu, looking out the window at the night sky shrouded in torrential rain, at the lightning and thunder in the sky.
"Would you be willing to come with me and give it a try?"
Qin Mu's lips twitched slightly.
This old man truly lives up to his reputation as a sword fanatic.
Those three sword strikes he just unleashed must have been his trump card, right?
He lost, but his own words easily defused the situation, and he even suffered internal injuries from the backlash of the sword intent.
At this point, a normal person should sit down, drink and eat, sigh "the younger generation is truly formidable," and then go about their business.
But this old man was different. Not only did he not lose heart at all, but he became more and more courageous and stronger with each setback. He even had a hidden trick up his sleeve.
Is it still "unsuitable for indoor use"?
This looks like they're going to tear the inn down.
Qin Mu felt somewhat helpless.
I should have known better than to act so arrogantly.
Instead of saying "one part of the effort," just tell him you used eight parts of the effort, or even all of your strength, so he knows the difference between you isn't that big. Maybe then the old man won't get worked up.
But rather...
Qin Mu glanced at the end of the corridor, where Yun Luan was still standing quietly by the door, like a silent shadow.
Her gaze fell on Qin Mu, a hint of barely perceptible worry in her eyes.
I glanced again at the tightly closed door, where a faint candlelight shone through the crack.
Zhao Qingxue is still inside.
The proud empress was sitting at the Eight Immortals table, listening intently to the sounds outside.
Qin Mu sighed inwardly.
no way.
Since you've already put on a show, you have to play it safe.
He looked up at Liu Bai, a slow smile creeping onto his lips.
The smile was faint, yet it carried an innate composure and confidence.
It seemed that no matter what move the opponent made, he could handle it.
"Of course," he said.
Four words, light and airy, yet like a boulder, they landed steadily on the ground.
Liu Bai looked at Qin Mu, his eyes growing brighter and brighter.
In that radiance, there was admiration, anticipation, and a long-lost excitement of meeting a worthy opponent.
He didn't say anything more.
He simply turned and walked toward the window at the end of the corridor.
The torrential rain outside the window continued to pour.
Raindrops pounded against the windowpane, making a dense, muffled sound. A howling wind rushed in through the cracks in the window, causing his greyish-white Taoist robe to flutter and his beard and hair to fly wildly.
Liu Bai walked to the window, reached out, and gently pushed it open.
"call--!!!"
A sudden gust of wind, accompanied by torrential rain, swept in! The raindrops lashed against the window frames and walls like thousands of silver whips!
But those rains—
Not a single drop fell on Liu Bai.
It was as if there was an invisible barrier, keeping all the wind and rain out.
A faint, almost invisible layer of sword intent flowed around him.
The sword intent was formless and intangible, yet as resilient as silk, tearing and diverting the wind and rain inch by inch, forming a vacuum zone three feet in diameter around him.
He stood by the window, his back to Qin Mu, gazing at the night sky shrouded in torrential rain.
Then, he took a step.
I stepped out the window.
Without using any leverage, without making any movement.
He stepped into the raging storm as if he were stepping into his own backyard.
His greyish-white Taoist robe billowed in the air, fluttering in the wind and rain, yet not a single drop of rain fell on him.
He hovered in mid-air, about three zhang away from the window.
Behind him was a night sky filled with lightning and thunder, beneath his feet was a void where the wind howled, and in front of him was a brightly lit window and a moon-white figure inside.
The torrential rain poured down around him, but it seemed to be cleaved in two by an invisible giant sword, automatically splitting to both sides.
Lightning exploded behind him, illuminating his aged yet serene face and his eyes burning with fierce fighting spirit.
He hovered silently in the night sky, like a peerless divine sword drawn from its sheath, waiting to collide with another sword.
The moonlight was obscured by dark clouds, and only when lightning occasionally tore through the night sky could his solitary figure be seen.
Lonely, resolute, and unwavering.
Qin Mu stood there, gazing at the figure outside the window, a complex light flashing in his eyes.
This old man truly loves kendo.
To love something so much that you can disregard life and death, success and failure, and everything else.
As long as I can reach a higher level, as long as I can unleash my most perfect sword strike.
Such a person deserves respect.
Qin Mu withdrew his gaze and looked at Yun Luan.
Yunluan remained standing by the door, her gaze fixed on him. She didn't say anything, but simply nodded slightly.
Qin Mu glanced at the tightly closed door again.
The candlelight shining through the crack in the door was still faint, but perhaps it was just my imagination, but it seemed a little brighter than before.
It was as if someone was standing behind the door, silently watching everything through the tiny crack.
Qin Mu withdrew his gaze, a faint smile playing on his lips.
Then he turned around.
Take a step.
I walked towards the window.
The hem of her moon-white robe fluttered gently in the night breeze. Her steps were unhurried, as if she were simply going to an ordinary date.
He walked to the window and stopped.
Outside the window, a fierce storm raged, with lightning and thunder.
He raised his hand and gently pressed it against the window frame.
Then--
He took a step forward.
.......
The torrential rain had stopped sometime ago.
It wasn't a pause, but rather being forced back by an invisible force.
The rain continued to fall from the sky, but when it reached a point three zhang above the inn, it seemed to hit a transparent dome, sliding down along the invisible boundary and forming a dense, impenetrable curtain of water around it.
As a result, a strange rainless zone appeared in the sky above the backyard of the inn.
Moonlight streamed down through the gaps in the clouds, illuminating the open space, which was about ten feet in diameter.
Qin Mu stood with his hands behind his back, his moon-white robe fluttering gently in the night breeze.
The ground beneath his feet was damp earth, but his clothes, his hair, and the area within three feet of him remained completely dry.
It was as if the storm raging across the land had to give way before him.
Three zhang away, Liu Bai was also standing there.
His gray Taoist robe was soaked by the rain, clinging to his body and outlining his slender and upright figure.
Fine water droplets clung to his graying beard and hair, shimmering silver in the moonlight.
But upon closer inspection, one will discover—
The rainwater did not actually touch his body.
Every drop of rain, just before it was about to fall on him, was sliced in two by an invisible sword intent and slid down his sides.
He stood there in the pouring rain, yet not a drop of water got on him.
The two stood there quietly, looking at each other.
There were no words, no movements, and not even any fluctuations of martial arts aura.
But the atmosphere in the entire backyard became incredibly stagnant at that moment.
A figure in moonlight, a figure in grey robes.
One stands tall and straight like a pine tree, the other slender and graceful like bamboo.
Moonlight streamed through the gaps in the clouds, casting long shadows on the two figures, which intertwined on the ground, as if in a silent conversation.
.......
Inside the inn, everyone was alarmed.
The first to notice something was wrong was the kitchen owner.
She was directing the cooks to prepare food and drinks at the stove when she suddenly felt an indescribable sense of oppression coming from all directions.
That felt very strange.
It wasn't fear, it wasn't danger, but a deeper, instinctive reaction that sent chills down her spine.
It was as if something extraordinary was happening.
She put down the kitchen knife, quickly walked to the window, and opened it—
Then, she froze.
Above the backyard, the raindrops that had been tilted by the strong wind were now falling at an extremely slow speed, as if they had been frozen in place.
Every raindrop was clearly visible, shimmering with tiny lights under the moonlight, like millions of fallen stars.
Amidst the countless "stars," two figures stood facing each other.
One was dressed in white, the other in a gray robe.
The proprietress recognized the figure in moon-white.
It's him.
He was the Emperor of the Qin Dynasty.
It was the man who made her feel both intensely aroused and utterly terrified.
At that moment, he stood there quietly, without making any movement, yet he seemed to merge with the heavens and earth, becoming the brightest star among the countless "stars".
And the gray-robed old man opposite him—
The proprietress's gaze fell on the thin figure, her pupils contracting slightly.
It's him.
The old man who appeared in the corridor just now.
The old man who instantly killed two of her men with three swords.
The old man who made her unable to even muster the thought of resistance.
At that moment, he stood there quietly, surrounded by slowly falling raindrops, like an immortal who had walked out of ancient times.
The proprietress's breathing became rapid.
She didn't know what they were doing, but she could sense it—
Those two people are doing something extraordinary.
Something she may never experience again in her life.
"God..." she murmured softly, her voice trembling uncontrollably, "What sins have I committed to deserve encountering such a person..."
Meanwhile, in the lobby.
The diners who had been drinking earlier were now all crowded by the window, staring in disbelief at the scene in the backyard.