Eighth Hexagram
The landscape warranted of a brow raise. After all, it was beautiful weather when Mu Yu walked through Death Gate. The green fig tree provided shade. Standing atop a hill, he could see the pulse of the earth rising through the mountains.
The fig tree was real to the touch, but even illusions would’ve been convincing in the hexagrams. Consequently, it was best not to judge based off theory alone. Mu Yu circled the tree for clues. Unfortunately, nothing stood out. Entering the tree was too risky since someone could’ve been watching him. In reality, nobody could’ve seen what he was doing.
From what Mu Yu could tell, the sun shouldn’t have been rising in the east for it should’ve been setting at that hour. He stepped out to bask in the sunlight. That was when he noticed the air rippling, and the scenery turning gloomy. Negative emotions swirled within him just as when he entered dark herb’s death qi. He trembled as he watched Ku Mu, who was lying in his own blood, struggling to call Mu Yu for help.
“Help me… Why don’t you save me with your vitality? Why haven’t you killed Tian Budai and Shi Dengtian? Why are you putting up with them?”
“I don’t have what it takes. Sorry.”
Mu Yu spun around and retreated to the fig tree. The scenery changed back to a serene landscape again. Mu Yu dropped onto his bottom and wallowed in his misery again. The cool breeze, fortunately, soothed his racing mind.
“Rat, what did you see?” the dragon vine quietly queried.
“My drumsticks had maggots, and I was starving.”
“I saw myself melted for alchemy.”
“I have to face it, don’t I?” Mu Yu clutched his fists and stepped back into the sun.
This time, Mu Yu saw Tian Budai and his bright smile.
“He’s important to you, isn’t he?” Tian Budai stepped onto Ku Mu’s bloody chest.
“Help… me…” Ku Mu weakly pleaded.
Mu Yu tensed his muscles to fight his shaking. “Calm down!”
Mu Yu looked past Tian Budai to spot a door. Assuming it to be the exit, he gritted his teeth and sprinted to it.
“You not going to save him?” Tian Budai questioned, sword at the ready.
Mu Yu couldn’t resist the urge to look at Ku Mu, only to see Tian Budai run it through Ku Mu’s throat.
“No!” Mu Yu shut his eyes. “It’s not real. It’s not real. It’s not real, Mu Yu. Fight it! You can kill him later. Just get past this first.”
Mu Yu yanked the door open and sped in. He saw a fig tree, but it provided less shade than before. The sun was higher in the sky compared to before. He was right back where he started!
“Tian Budai, I swear I’ll kill you!” Mu Yu belted in a raspy voice.
Mu Yu’s bellow blew leaves off the tree. The sun rose higher yet again, reducing the shade the tree provided.
“All right, let’s do this again. I got this.”
Mu Yu stepped back into the sunlight, confronting his greatest fear and anger again.
“You’re scared of me, and you have every reason to be for you can never defeat me,” ridiculed Tian Budai, sounding as if he was preaching.
Mu Yu drew Shadow Splitter Sword, prompting Tian Budai to lift Ku Mu up and hold him out in front. “Could you bear to run that sword through him?”
Mu Yu stopped his thrust right at the edge of Ku Mu’s forehead. A strand of Ku Mu’s hair fell from his head. Mu Yu scowled. Ku Mu opened his eyes and pleaded for help again.
“Fight me…” Mu Yu shakily demanded.
“Hahahaha.” Tian Budai threw Ku Mu aside and zipped over to Mu Yu’s right side in an instant. He whispered, “Can you even beat me?”
Mu Yu lashed out, yet all it took was two fingers for Tian Budai to catch Mu Yu’s sword mid swing. Mu Yu couldn’t even pull his sword out of Tian Budai’s hold.
“Is that all you’ve got?” Tian Budai drove Mu Yu back with a gentle palm attack to the latter’s chest.
Mu Yu couldn’t even pick himself up after the single strike.
Tian Budai crouched down and tilted up Mu Yu’s chin with a finger. With the look of a man relishing his pain, Tian Budai demanded, “Plead me, and I shall spare you.”
Mu Yu huffed and puffed as he churned up death qi to heal his injuries. Tian Budai indifferently stood back up and heaved Mu Yu up by his collar. You still have your shade, so I can’t kill you. I want you to see how much stronger I can grow. I want you to die from despair and powerlessness. You should stay under your fig tree and wither, coward!”
Tian Budai thumped Mu Yu into the tree shade. This time, the shade was limited to just the area Mu Yu was lying in.
“I will kill you,” Mu Yu muttered before he lost consciousness.
Right before he blacked out, Mu Yu figured out what the task for the hexagram was. It was a test of life and death. If one couldn’t weather it, they would die in the real world if nobody came to their rescue. The upper echelon of Formation Sect didn’t concern themselves with the tests unless somebody managed to solve the first six hexagrams. Howbeit, he skipped the line. Thus, nobody was going to be on standby to save a Lesser Heaven Stage disciple.
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