Lotus Pond Rain Curtain

Mu Yun's eyes burned, his fighting spirit soaring. His entire body's power exploded, transforming into a fierce wind, and in an instant, he closed in on the silver-armored youth. His body crouched low, his aura like a tiger descending from the mountain, attacking fiercely!

The silver-armored youth, seeing this, snorted coldly. His long spear swiftly spun back in defense, its shadows crisscrossing, like a nimble monkey wielding a staff, forming an impenetrable defense.

However, Mu Yun's figure was elusive, his attacks like a torrential downpour. In their exchange, the battle raged incessantly. Fierce winds whipped up dust and sand, surging and engulfing the surroundings. In moments, the two figures vanished within dozens of zhang, leaving only the deafening roar of surging qi!

Dust and sand filled the sky, and the situation quietly reversed!

Mu Yun stood amidst the swirling dust, his figure flickering. The silver-armored youth's reflection shimmered in his eyes, and a faint smile curved on his lips. In this dim and chaotic environment, his vision and hearing were far superior to his opponent's; subtle footsteps and the rustle of robes were clearly audible.

Close-quarters combat was inherently disadvantageous for a long spear!

However, the silver-armored youth, relying on his rich combat experience, managed to endure dozens of moves! But the more he fought, the more startled he became. He only felt that the young man's attacks were becoming increasingly unpredictable, each move difficult to fathom, while his own spear techniques were gradually being seen through by the opponent, making evasion increasingly effortless.

Mu Yun was growing in battle!

The silver-armored youth's heart sank slightly, realizing that Mu Yun was undergoing a transformation at an astonishing speed, fueled by this life-and-death struggle! Mu Yun's expression was also ardent.

At this moment, he suddenly lunged forward, his hands pushing off the ground to spring up. His body flipped into the air, and his right leg, like a thunderbolt, shot through the air, striking directly at the silver-armored youth's face!

"Hmph!" The silver-armored youth snorted coldly, hastily raising his left arm to block.

However, at this very moment, Mu Yun's body strangely contracted. Using the momentum of his spin, his left foot suddenly shot out violently!

"Damn it!" The silver-armored youth's pupils constricted. He instantly realized he had fallen into a trap and tried to retreat, but it was too late!

With a loud thud!

Mu Yun's kick in mid-air, swift as a rushing torrent, directly struck the silver-armored youth's right wrist, which held the spear!

Bang!

With a muffled thud, the silver-armored youth's wrist trembled violently. A numbing sensation instantly spread along his arm. His fingers loosened, and the long spear immediately flew out of his hand!

Mu Yun's eyes narrowed. He subtly adjusted his body in mid-air, and his left foot suddenly hooked upwards, like a nimble swimming dragon, effortlessly coiling around the dislodged long spear and carrying it away!

The wind and sand gradually subsided, and two figures slowly revealed themselves. The silver-armored youth breathed lightly, his chest heaving irregularly, and a few faint bruises appeared on his handsome face. Meanwhile, Mu Yun's face was slightly pale, his left arm trembling, and his already injured wound had reopened, oozing traces of fresh blood.

He took a deep breath, tilted his head back, and poured a mouthful of strong wine down his throat. Then, he fiercely spat the wine onto his wound. The intense stinging pain made his expression shift slightly, but the next moment, he actually laughed heartily, his gaze fierce, staring at the silver-armored youth, and said grimly:

"You injured my left arm with your long spear... Now, I shall destroy it!"

As his words fell, he gripped both ends of the long spear with his hands, and his knees suddenly exerted force. With a loud boom, the spear shaft snapped in two!

The long spear shattered, and the silver-armored youth's eyes suddenly darkened.

"Enough!" he roared in a deep voice, like rolling thunder, shaking the surrounding dust. "I admit, you do have some talent for combat..."

His black hair whipped wildly, and a white light flashed in his eyes. His aura abruptly changed. In an instant, all the surrounding dust was pushed away by an invisible surge of qi, and leaves fluttered, as if daring not to approach under the pressure of his aura.

As expected, he's in the Qi Condensation stage! Mu Yun's pupils constricted slightly, his heart secretly vigilant.

"'Awakened Eyes' 'Clear Ears'... No!" His face changed slightly, his voice deep: "It's the 'Minute Realm'..." If the opponent were only in the 'Awakened Eyes' 'Clear Ears' realm, he could still fight. But if he was in the 'Minute Realm'... and a 'Minute Realm' martial artist with deep combat experience at that, then his chances of winning were minuscule!

"However—this is as far as it goes!"

The silver-armored youth spoke coldly. Before his words had even finished, his figure eerily darted in front of Mu Yun, moving at a terrifying speed! Mu Yun was greatly alarmed. Almost instinctively, he raised both arms to protect his chest. Without time to think, he could only desperately resist—

Almost at the same time, an urgent warning sounded in Mu Yun's mind: "Life threat level exceeds 60%, activate nuclear arc reactor?"

"Crack—"

Mu Yun's body was sent flying backward, breaking several tree trunks along the way until he slammed heavily into a towering ancient tree, finally stopping his momentum. He slid down the tree trunk to the ground, a trickle of blood at the corner of his mouth, his face pale, looking utterly disheveled.

"Deactivate!" Mu Yun issued the command in his mind.

Only when the silver-armored youth's punch was almost upon him did he barely catch its trajectory. But even if he saw it clearly, he was utterly powerless to dodge. That punch not only contained unfathomable changes, but its force was more than double that of before! A full thousand jin of force; had he not managed to deflect some of it in time, his bones and tendons would have surely shattered on the spot!

"This is the Minute Realm?"

Mu Yun's fighting spirit surged.

"This world is truly interesting!!"

He stood up, leaning against the tree trunk, his eyes ablaze with fierce fire.

"Don't worry, I won't kill you."

The silver-armored youth approached. He stopped two zhang away, his expression indifferent, hands clasped behind his back.

"I just wanted to see what kind of skill someone that Lin'er can't forget possesses."

He took out a slightly crumpled letter from his silver armor, casually glanced at Mu Yun, his eyes full of disdain, then said faintly:

"The result, I already know."

With that, he flicked his wrist lightly, casually tossing the letter to the ground, then turned and walked away, not sparing Mu Yun another glance. Mu Yun stood rooted to the spot, somewhat baffled.

"As expected... he came for love..."

Mu Yun opened the envelope with a bitter smile. The paper was slightly yellowed, the handwriting delicate—

"I wonder if your trip to the Treasure Gathering Pavilion went smoothly." "Three years from now, immortals from the Huayang Sect will come to Qingchuan City to test and select disciples." "—Mu Lin."

"Mu Lin..."

Mu Yun murmured softly, his heart slightly shaken. The image of the white-clad figure unconsciously appeared in his mind.

Dressed in plain white, exquisitely cold and beautiful, yet with an indifference and tranquility in her brows unsuited for her age...

"So she's Mu Lin..."

A breeze blew, carrying a few withered leaves that gently drifted down. The girl's figure gradually faded from his thoughts.

The sky had, at some unknown point, become overcast. A suffocating gloom pressed down on him, making it hard to breathe.

"Rumble—!"

A thunderclap exploded, and a fierce wind suddenly rose. Cold raindrops followed, initially fine as ox hair, but moments later turning into a torrential downpour, falling wildly, washing away the dust and diluting the bloodstains on Mu Yun's body. The crimson trails flowed with the rain, seeping into the mud, as if they had never existed.

Mu Yun sat quietly in the rain, slowly cross-legged. His fighting spirit was unextinguished, instead burning even more fiercely. He took a deep breath, took out a few healing pills from his storage bag, swallowed them in one gulp, then closed his eyes, concentrated, and circulated his cultivation method, beginning to recover from his injuries.

The wind whistled, and the rain curtain blurred the world. Only the figure sitting cross-legged, beneath the thunder and lightning, appeared exceptionally resolute.

...

In Qingchuan City, rain poured down. Pedestrians hurried along the streets, fearing to be drenched by the sudden downpour, and sought shelter under eaves. However, in this bustling city, there was one mansion whose surroundings were cold and deserted, and no one dared to approach.

The mansion was grand and majestic, its main gates tightly closed. On either side of the gate stood a stone-carved exotic beast, baring fangs and claws, lifelike, as if they could leap into the sky at any moment. Rainwater flowed along the carved crevices, reflecting the faint flashes of lightning, making them appear even more ferocious. Two fully armed guards stood rigidly before the stone beasts, their armor cold and stern, with only their indifferent eyes visible outside their armor, remaining motionless despite the heavy rain.

This place was precisely the Li Mansion, the residence of Qingchuan City's Lord, and one of the most prominent mansions in the city!

—Rain fell into the pond, lotus leaves trembled slightly, droplets of water bounced up, creating ripples. Above the lotus pond, a winding viewing corridor was built. The misty rain made this serene place even more dreamlike. Beneath the corridor, two graceful figures walked slowly, and intermittent soft laughter could be heard amidst their conversations, faintly discernible in the sound of the rain.

One, clad in white, with a beautiful face and an orchid-like temperament, was precisely Mu Lin; the other, in a red dress, playful and lively, with a cunning glint in her eyes, was Mu Fei.

...

"Phil, no mischief!"

If Mu Yun were here, he would be greatly surprised. At this moment, the usually cold and aloof white-clad girl actually had a hint of embarrassment on her face. She frowned slightly, glared reproachfully at Mu Fei, yet without true anger, but rather a hint of barely concealed shyness.

"Haha..."

Mu Fei held her stomach and laughed heartily, as lively as a sparrow. She lightly punched Mu Lin's shoulder, her eyes full of teasing, "Everyone in the mansion knows Big Brother Mo admires you, doesn't he? Your expression makes you seem even more suspicious!"

Mu Lin'er did not reply. The annoyance on her face gradually faded, replaced by an indescribable calm. She quietly gazed at the lotus pond, her eyes seemingly penetrating the layers of floating leaves, falling into the rain curtain. Her expression was lost in thought, pondering something unknown.

Mu Fei, seeing this, reined in her smile and sighed softly, no longer teasing her. She simply stood quietly beside her, accompanying her in gazing at the misty lotus pond. The two stood silently for a long time. In the world, only the sound of raindrops falling into the pond, gently tapping on the lotus leaves, splashing tiny droplets, and disappearing into silent ripples.

"Sis...?"

After a long silence, Mu Fei finally couldn't help but softly call out.

Mu Lin'er came back to her senses, looked up slightly at the hazy sky, and gently opened her lips. Her voice was soft as the rain mist, yet carried a subtle hint of loneliness: "Father has been in seclusion for two years already... My heart is devoted to martial arts; how dare I be distracted by matters of love and affection."

Having said that, she turned her gaze to Mu Fei, her expression complex, as if holding a thousand unspoken words, which ultimately condensed into a faint sentence: "That kind of happiness... if you have it, it's enough."

A gentle breeze blew, and the rain curtain swayed lightly. Mu Lin'er's white clothes fluttered slightly in the wind and rain, like a solitary lotus blooming amidst the misty rain, beautiful yet lonely. Mu Fei's eyes reddened slightly upon hearing this, and her heart felt a faint pang of sourness. Outsiders all knew that Mu Lin'er possessed exceptional talent, having entered the Qi Condensation stage at a young age, hailed as a once-in-a-century genius in Qingchuan City. But how many knew that behind this lay countless sleepless nights, countless sweat-drenched garments? Her "genius" was merely bought with endless solitude.

The rain pattered, and in the misty haze, the lotus pond was quiet. However, this tranquility was soon broken by a rapid succession of footsteps. Mu Fei regained her composure, reining in her emotions, and turned to look. Her expression turned serious as she softly said, "Sis, Big Brother Mo has arrived."

Through the rain curtain, a tall figure strode forward, his sleeves fluttering, his demeanor extraordinary. The newcomer was precisely the silver-armored youth who had fought fiercely with Mu Yun earlier—Mo Bai!

At this moment, Mo Bai had shed his heavy armor and changed into a simple, plain robe. He had sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, and the bruises from his previous battle were long gone from his face. Instead, he exuded a sense of ease and freedom. Especially against the backdrop of the misty rain, he appeared even more transcendent, even surpassing the immortal disciples Mu Yun had seen before.

Mo Bai's steps were steady. He first glanced at Mu Fei, then his gaze fell on Mu Lin, pausing slightly, and said indifferently, "Lin'er, I have delivered the letter. However..."

At this point, a hint of disdain flashed in his eyes, and his tone carried some contempt: "With that kid's ability, I'm afraid you'll have wasted your good intentions for nothing!" As his words fell, Mo Bai's eyes narrowed slightly, a sharp glint flashed, and he said no more.

Mu Lin'er's delicate brows furrowed slightly, and an almost imperceptible unusual glint flashed across her eyes. She slowly spoke, "So, it seems you have already fought him."

Mo Bai heard this, and a faint, almost imperceptible smile appeared on his lips. His eyes deepened, and he said faintly, "A brief spar, just touching upon each other's skills..."

...

The world after the rain exuded a fresh scent, and all things radiated vibrant life in the damp earth.

Sitting cross-legged on a giant tree branch, Mu Yun slowly opened his eyes. His internal injuries had already recovered. He stood up and moved his limbs, feeling his muscles and bones舒畅 (relaxed and comfortable), and his qi had returned to peak condition.

"This storage bag is full of treasures; even the healing medicine is so miraculously effective... However..."

He tilted his head slightly, looking at his left arm. The wound inflicted by the silver-armored man's long spear, though healed, still left a faint scar, like a coiled slender snake, reminding him of the ferocity of that battle.

"Let's just consider it a lesson..."

"Right, Little Mu Yun."

Mu Yun murmured, then leaped from the tree trunk, landing gracefully, and set off on his way. The rain had stopped, but the sky remained gloomy. Hazy dark clouds covered the land, as if ready to bring down more wind and rain at any moment.

Mu Yun stepped onto the official road, his figure rapidly moving, like a rushing phantom under the dim sky. As his feet landed, the muddy ground after the rain stirred up dust, but strangely, this mud did not stain his clothes. Instead, as he ran at high speed, a faint mist steamed from his body.

The journey was uneventful. Not long after, Mu Yun arrived at the location of the previous inn. He was startled to find that where the inn once stood, there was now a low hill, even covered with vegetation, indistinguishable from the surrounding landscape.

Mu Yun's gaze froze. He stood rooted to the spot, a cold chill rising in his heart. The once bustling inn had been completely erased, as if it had never existed. This scene of vanishing into thin air shocked him.

He frowned slightly, thinking to himself: "This method is certainly beyond mortal capabilities."