’Who knows if that ethereal, illusory providence might set its sights on me?’
’Under the influence of such immense providence, wouldn’t my ultimate dream of transcending everything be subject to unexpected changes?’
Lu Yun would absolutely not allow any accidents to occur, just like with those Warlocks from the Ghost-Catching Sect.
The Techniques they used borrowed the power of heaven and earth. Each one of them seemed to possess vast Divine Techniques, able to summon wind and rain, exorcise ghosts, and vanquish demons.
But in reality? These Warlocks were all fated to die young. They were nothing but grasshoppers in late autumn—they wouldn’t be jumping for long.
Why?
Because they borrowed the power of heaven and earth, they had to suffer the backlash from heaven and earth. Therefore, Lu Yun would never touch any Technique.
Seeing Lu Yun’s refusal, Chen Mo’s face showed a hint of regret. ’Could Younger Brother Lu one day become a benevolent ruler of the Daxia Divine Land?’
’With Younger Brother Lu’s magnanimity, if this Divine Land fell into his hands, how much less would the common people suffer?’
Just as Chen Mo felt a pang of disappointment, Lu Yun spoke again.
"However, if those ambitious youths run into any trouble in the future, this old man wouldn’t mind giving them a hand."
Hearing this, Chen Mo was overjoyed. "Younger Brother Lu, you mean..."
Lu Yun didn’t say more, merely watching him with a faint smile.
Chen Mo froze for a moment, then burst out laughing. "HAHAHA! Younger Brother Lu, you... you still care about the common people after all!"
With that, he raised his teacup. "Come, let me toast you with this tea!"
Lu Yun raised his own cup and tapped it lightly against Chen Mo’s. The two shared a smile, everything understood without a word.
After finishing their tea, Chen Mo set down his cup. Just as he was about to say something, he suddenly remembered another matter.
The smile on Chen Mo’s face gradually faded. "Right, Younger Brother Lu, those people from Wa Country truly deserve to die!"
"I heard a man from Wa Country named Watanabe Takeshi has had a fighting ring set up in Yun Port City for several days now, but no one from our side has answered the challenge."
"Because of this, those damn Wa Country people and their lackeys have started brazenly proclaiming that we Daxia People are the ’sick men of Daxia’. It’s truly outrageous!"
Lu Yun’s expression remained calm after hearing this. Of course, he knew about the matter.
That Watanabe Takeshi had been clamoring every day in the Wa Country Concession, daring Daxia’s masters to accept his life-and-death duel at the Martial Arts Demonstration.
But no one had accepted. The reason for the silence was that the masters in Yun Port City were in a rather awkward position.
Besides himself, a Grandmaster of Divine Intent, the strongest was the White Cloud Sect’s Leader, Bai Longfei, who was a Peak of Huajin Grandmaster.
Below him were Zheng Zhishan, Zhou Yi, and Gong Yuanshan, all of whom were at Early-stage Huajin.
That Wa Country man, Watanabe Takeshi, was neither too high nor too low—he was a Martial Artist precisely at the Mid-stage Grandmaster of Huajin.
Those at Early-stage Huajin couldn’t beat him, and the Peak of Huajin Grandmaster, Bai Longfei, happened to be in seclusion.
’He couldn’t possibly, as a Grandmaster of Divine Intent, personally step up to eliminate that man from Wa Country, could he? That would be far too beneath him.’
’The dignified Grandmaster of Divine Intent, the first person in the Daxia New Country to step into that Realm, the Military Governor in command of Yun Port City’s one hundred and thirty thousand troops—personally fighting a Mid-stage Huajin man from Wa Country?’
Thinking this, Lu Yun set down his teacup and said flatly, "Sect Master Bai went into seclusion a few days ago. Once he emerges, he will deal with that man from Wa Country."
’The talent of that fellow, Bai Longfei, was the greatest Lu Yun had ever seen in his life.’
’Some time ago, after being defeated by the will of my Ten Thousand Valleys Struggle Fist, the man actually had an epiphany and went into seclusion not long after.’
The realization dawned on Chen Mo. "Of course! I almost forgot we still have Sect Master Bai!"
The two chatted a while longer before Chen Mo stood up to leave. "Younger Brother Lu, remember to come and support me in seven days!"
Lu Yun nodded with a smile. "I’ll be there."
In a quiet courtyard on the rear mountain of the White Cloud Sect, nestled among green pines and cypresses.
It had blue bricks, black tiles, and upturned eaves. Before the entrance stood two old plum trees with gnarled, twisting branches, giving off an air of immortal grace.
The door to the central room was shut tight, guarded by two young disciples who were currently leaning against the frame, drowsy.
The warm afternoon sun made one’s whole body feel limp. Birds chirped and insects buzzed. Everything was so peaceful, so peaceful that it made one want to just close their eyes and take a nap.
Just then, the door opened, and Bai Longfei, dressed in a long black robe with a white cloud pattern, slowly walked out.
Hearing the sound, the two young disciples jolted awake instantly.
They quickly straightened up and bowed. "Grandmaster!"
Bai Longfei gave a slight nod. "Mm. Go and inform someone to deliver a life-and-death writ to the Wa Country Consulate on my behalf. Say that I, Bai Longfei, await their presence at the Martial Arts Demonstration."
The two young disciples were stunned for a moment, then their faces lit up with excitement.
’Recently, who didn’t know that the man from Wa Country named Watanabe Takeshi was provoking all the Martial Artists in Yun Port City?’
’He even called us the "sick men of Daxia" and claimed that "Wa Country Martial Arts are number one in the world."’
’But since that Watanabe Takeshi was indeed skilled, everyone could only swallow their anger and watch helplessly as those Wa Country people and their lackeys swaggered around the Concession.’
’Now things were looking up! Their Grandmaster was finally emerging. Let’s see how those damned Wa Country people can act so arrogant now!’
"Yes, Grandmaster!" the two replied in unison before turning and running off.
Inside a Western-style building within the Wa Country Consulate, there was a training hall decorated entirely in the Wa Country style.
The floor was covered with tatami mats, paper screens served as partitions, and a katana hung on the wall.
Consul Yamamoto Ichirō, dressed in black Wa Country attire, knelt on a tatami mat. He held a life-and-death writ that his subordinate had just delivered, and the expression on his face was uglier than if he’d swallowed a fly.
Consul Yamamoto Ichirō raised his head to look at the kneeling man opposite him.
Watanabe Takeshi was still wearing that Wa Country military uniform with the rising sun patch.
"Mr. Watanabe... you were right. That old fellow, the one they call Daxia’s first Grandmaster of Divine Intent, really didn’t make a move."
"The one who issued the life-and-death writ is the White Cloud Sect Leader, Bai Longfei. He’s a master at the Peak of Huajin, and you..."
’Yamamoto Ichirō wanted to ask, ’You’re just a mere Mid-stage Grandmaster of Huajin. Are you going to fight Bai Longfei with your head?’’
But the words died on his lips as he saw Watanabe Takeshi open his eyes.
There wasn’t a trace of fear in Watanabe Takeshi’s eyes. Only an indescribable, mysterious confidence.
"Hmm? Mr. Yamamoto, is it that you don’t believe in me?"
Yamamoto Ichirō shuddered under his gaze and quickly waved his hands. "Mr. Watanabe, please don’t misunderstand! It’s not that I don’t believe you, it’s just that I..."
He stammered for a long time, unable to finish his sentence.
Seeing this, Watanabe Takeshi, who enjoyed being "helpful," naturally finished Consul Yamamoto Ichirō’s sentence for him.
"Want to see what I’m capable of?"
Hearing this, Yamamoto Ichirō froze, then nodded frantically in his heart. ’Yes, yes, yes! How did you know exactly what I was thinking, you brat?’
’It’s not that I don’t believe you, it’s that we all want to see for ourselves what gives you the audacity to challenge Bai Longfei, a Peak of Huajin Grandmaster.’
At that moment, Watanabe Takeshi slowly stood up. The next instant, he moved like a bolting rabbit, his entire body becoming an afterimage as he darted across the training hall!
In an instant, the air was filled with a dense flurry of fist shadows, swirling with Qi!
The techniques of the Divine Water-Snapping Soft Fist were strange and unpredictable. The air was torn apart wherever his fists passed. Each punch was like a slashing blade, and every move carried the force to snap water itself!
Yamamoto Ichirō’s eyes widened as he watched the sky full of fist shadows, and he instinctively wanted to defend himself.
Suddenly, a faint, almost invisible stream of light-blue energy burst forth from Watanabe Takeshi’s fist!
The stream of energy was so faint it was nearly invisible, like a wisp of morning mist.
The moment it struck Consul Yamamoto Ichirō, his mind went blank and his body froze, unable to move!
In that instant, an image appeared in Consul Yamamoto Ichirō’s mind.
A colossal blue wave that blotted out the sky poured down from the heavens, surging towards him!
But a second later, Yamamoto Ichirō suddenly snapped back to his senses. He stared at Watanabe Takeshi as if he had just seen a ghost.
"Mr. Watanabe, you... What is this power?"
Watanabe Takeshi retracted his fist and stood with his hands behind his back, a smug smile playing on his lips.
"Hmph. After I defeated that so-called possessed Outer Celestial Demon, I obtained this power. It should be what you Daxia People call the power of a Grandmaster of Divine Intent."
"However, my power is a far cry from a true Grandmaster of Divine Intent. Against a Peak of Huajin Grandmaster like Bai Longfei, I estimate I can only stall him for half a second, and it takes several hours to recover after using it."
"Of course, that is enough. A battle between masters is often decided in that single instant."
"As long as I can find an opportunity to strike that Bai Longfei, he will die by my fists!"

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