Chapter Thirty: The Duel

The dark figure gave a slight shake and appeared at the entrance to the secluded courtyard. Though she was dressed entirely in black, her alluring silhouette could not be concealed. She let out a cold snort and charged straight in, but before she could enter, a voice rang out: “Is it not delightful to welcome friends from afar? Alas, this Cloudridge Peak’s courtyard is not my ancestral home, so such words seem a tad presumptuous here.”

The speaker had barely finished when another voice chimed in, “Brother Mo, you sleep the day away after drinking, and now I see you have a rendezvous with a fair lady at night! What a shame about her attire—it’s hardly becoming.” As he spoke, he flicked his wrist and laughed, “My jade pouch contains a multitude of exquisite garments. I wonder, beauty, would you care to try some on?” This was none other than Wu Luohua.

Mo Bai’s eyes suddenly flashed with a brilliant light. “Heavenly Dao aura!”

Wu Luohua, standing behind him, was startled. She hadn’t expected the visitor to be from the Cloudsky Sect, but why hide her face? What secret purpose brought her here?

The newcomer let out a cold laugh. “Mo Bai, don’t let this uninitiated fool interfere. Let us find another place for our duel.” With that, she hurled the Heavenly Dao aura skyward, and her entire figure soared upward like a spirit bird, feet stepping upon that aura as she flew off.

Mo Bai exclaimed, “What a clever move—riding the aura to the skies! Who would have thought someone could master the Spirit Leap technique to such an extent? Little Flower, wait for me—I’ll be back soon.” Ignoring Wu Luohua’s protests, Mo Bai spun around and pursued the black-clad figure.

On Cloudridge Peak, two figures—one in black, one in blue—moved swiftly, traversing several hundred meters in an instant. The black-clad woman ahead turned her back to Mo Bai and sneered. In midair, she performed a somersault, leaping from the aura. At the very moment she descended, her toes kicked the Heavenly Dao aura, which suddenly transformed into a sharp sword and shot straight at Mo Bai.

The woman in black was momentarily stunned—she hadn’t expected her counterattack, the Heavenly Dao technique, to be so easily broken. Clearly, she would have to resort to her most formidable skills to achieve her purpose tonight.

She extended a delicate hand, and the Heavenly Dao aura coalesced once more. With one hand forming seals and incantations murmured from her lips, the other, imbued with aura, opened toward Mo Bai. Instantly, three streaks of Heavenly Dao aura shot forth like arrows from a bow, aimed directly at Mo Bai. Yet this was only the beginning. Her palm opened wider, as if a small mouth, unleashing a continuous stream of aura swords—large and small, flowing like a river, filling the sky in an instant and encircling Mo Bai.

Unperturbed, Mo Bai absentmindedly touched the scar on his brow. Facing the myriad sword arrows, he felt no fear—indeed, he smiled, not in mockery, but from genuine delight. Perhaps it had been a long time since he had encountered such powerful spiritual techniques. This opponent seemed poised to bring him endless surprise and excitement. Calmly, he tapped with his other hand, and a spirit shield materialized before him. The first three aura swords arrived as expected, striking the shield with crisp clangs, only to be deflected by Mo Bai’s summoned shield.

The three aura swords dissolved into beams of light and vanished. The woman in black said nothing, but her palm shifted, launching a second wave. As before, six aura swords were repelled.

Before Mo Bai could counterattack, the third wave arrived—this time, sixteen swords in four groups. The Heavenly Dao aura swords proved endlessly variable. Twelve struck with sharp sounds, but three twisted and wriggled through the shield, aiming straight for Mo Bai.

A special smile appeared on the black-clad woman’s face. Though her features remained hidden, her pride was palpable.

Mo Bai frowned slightly; he hadn’t expected the aura swords to pierce his shield. As the swords sped toward him, his little finger flicked, and behind his original shield he conjured a faint blue shield, smaller and positioned very close to himself. The woman in black hadn’t noticed—it was impossible to expect anyone to deploy a shield under such circumstances.

The three aura swords that slipped through collided with the blue shield and vanished without a trace, as if sinking into the sea.

With a crack, Mo Bai’s sturdy shield shattered. The woman in black seemed both excited and slightly regretful, her expression complex. Yet in the next instant, her features shifted rapidly—first surprise, then delight, finally thoughtful relief.

She had assumed, when Mo Bai’s shield fell, that he had been wounded. But if victory came so easily, she wouldn’t learn what she hoped. As she looked more closely, she saw Mo Bai unharmed, his pale blue long robe fluttering in the breeze, exuding an effortless elegance and composure—an aura that only a man in his thirties might possess, sending a jolt through her heart.

Mo Bai smiled and said, “Sister Yunling, your Heavenly Dao Sword Aura is indeed formidable, especially with that Ninefold Heart Technique—I nearly lost my life!”

The woman in black was startled; he hadn’t only seen through her techniques, but had also discerned her identity. Yunling laughed, bold and unreserved, and pulled away her black veil, revealing a charming face that appeared all the more mysterious and beautiful beneath her enigmatic attire.

“Since you’ve already discovered who I am, I needn’t hide any longer. To be honest, I don’t trust your identity at all, Mo Bai. So today, even if it means violating the principles of the Cloudsky Sect, I must kill you, so that our sect will no longer be plagued by trivial matters.” With her true face revealed, Yunling’s killing intent surged, and even her previously enchanting laughter now sent chills down the spine.

Mo Bai shook his head in resignation. “I have only been on this mountain for two days, and already I’ve provoked such deep hatred from Sister Yunling. It seems I truly deserve to die.”

Yunling was taken aback by Mo Bai’s words. Anyone else would have asked why she sought his death, but Mo Bai merely gave a bitter smile, as if he had committed the gravest of crimes. Suddenly, Yunling’s spirit sharpened. She knew now was no time for distraction; she must use words to provoke Mo Bai, making him realize she was determined to fight to the death. Only then would he exert his full strength—and only then could she discern the truth of the matter.