Brothers’ Fight
Cheng Yan sent blades up from the ground, trapping Mu Yu in a cage.
“Listen in: if that really happens, I won’t let you revive them” – Cheng Yan bound over to confront Mu Yu – “because Shifu wouldn’t let you do that. You know deep down that Elder Ku Mu opposes your decision, as well! They invested all that effort to cast the formation as they don’t want the spirit lord controlling you and bringing catastrophe to the world!”
Xiang Nan was already restrained within a metal square consisting of eight blade-thin fragments of metal held together by a magnetic force. The metal repelled sand that Xiang Nan tried to usher toward him.
Mu Yu tried teleporting out, but the metal prison would erase the formation lines, and he couldn’t draw spiritual qi into the barrier. He tried ejecting trees from the prison. Nevertheless, not even they could reach outside. That was the result of Cheng Yan creating a magnetic property that could keep anything away or draw in.
“Shifu said to do it only if it doesn’t go against your conscience. You two claim to be adhering to your conscience, but is that really true? Ask yourself: would you not feel guilty after sacrificing so many people? Can you face Shifu? Can you face Elder Ku Mu? Can you face your fellow disciples?”
Mu Yu understood he was going against their wishes; however, were good people doomed to be fodder, while villains ran amok? Somebody had to enforce justice. He argued that he was the best candidate to protect those who deserve to live because he possessed Life and Death in the Blink of an Eye.
“I’m going to keep walking this path even if it is wrong. I’m not a hero or a saint. I just want to do my part as Dad’s son. Hargh!” Mu Yu discharged black spiritual energy and white spiritual energy.
Cheng Yan’s magnetic field couldn’t stop the balance between the life qi and death qi from escaping, empowering Mu Yu to send a branch out and jump into the branch to escape.
Mu Yu spawned a linden tree underfoot and accelerated its growth to the sky to elevate his standing point.
Xiang Nan created a sandstorm to break the magnetic field and kept sand wreathing around him.
Lie Shang restarted his fire, enveloping his body. “Why can’t we work peacefully when we share a common enemy?”
Xiang Nan explained, “You have too much on your mind and worry about too many useless people. They will become dead weight, so I want to proceed my way.”
“Your way is wrong!” Cheng Yan brayed despite being startled over Xiang Nan’s new cultivation.
Cheng Yan challenged Xiang Nan again. Alas, Xiang Nan’s spiritual energy overwhelmed Xiang Nan and gave him the time to disable the metal in sand.
Mu Yu drew Shadow Splitter Sword from a void and aimed it at Lie Shang. “If it’s a fight you want, you got one. Nobody can stop me from doing what I want.”
Mu Yu coiled his linden tree leaves around Shadow Splitter Sword. Lie Shang summoned Sky Scorcher Sword, then set it alight. Cheng Yan covered Anti-Corrosion Sword in his golden energy. Xiang Nan also drew his heavy Stargaze Sword.
When Feng Haozhen asked Mu Yu why people used swords, Mu Yu only believed them to be tools to strengthen themselves. If asked the same question today, his answer would be, “To protect my beliefs.”
Mu Yu always wanted to surpass Lie Shang, and he finally had a chance to try – as a bonus on top of defending his beliefs, of course.
Mu Yu glided in using a formation. Lie Shang stood his ground and met the attack head on. Mu Yu unleashed death qi and life qi from his green leaves upon impact to prevent Lie Shang’s flames from incinerating them. Lie Shang yanked his arm back and speared. Mu Yu fled using Dustfallen Stance, and Lie Shang pressed the attack, forcing Mu Yu to fend off a string of constant attacks.
Cheng Yan’s quick style had problems keeping up with Xiang Nan’s heavy strikes, barely thwarting the latter’s attacks each time.
After the first round, all four of them stopped, letting the gales and sand settle somewhat.
Mu Yu positioned Shadow Splitter Sword horizontally out font and started Celestial Swords Nine Catalysts Formation. Lie Shang flowered, intensifying his flames. Cheng Yan locked onto a single target, aiming to his technical prowess to finish the fight. Though Xiang Nan’s slow speed left him full of openings, anyone thinking they could capitalise on the openings easy was fooling himself.
The four struck in synchrony, each looking to disable the other in the next strike. Following a quiet clang, explosions went off around them, creating multiple craters!
“You four shouldn’t be doing this.”
Xiaoshuai zipped across the sky. The four swords hovered above their owners with their tips facing away from their opponent in front of them in a “t” formation, unwilling to harm each other. Standing at the centre of the four swords with them under his control, Xiaoshuai admonished, “Old Man said, ‘Aim your sword at the enemy, not at your brothers. Your sword hilt is your back. Your sword tip is your fist. You trust your brothers with your back, and give your enemy your fist.”
“Aim your sword at the enemy, not your brothers…”
The four repeated it to themselves. Nonetheless, it wasn’t so easy to calm down.
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