Chapter 18: Peril Upon Peril

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...

The longsword shimmered with a cold gleam, weaving blossoms of sword-light that surged relentlessly toward the wall of thorns ahead.

Crack, crack, crack...

Those brambles, thick as a wrist, parted like blocks of tofu beneath the sword’s dancing flowers, splintering into pieces a foot or so in length and tumbling to the ground in droves.

Before long, Mu Tianhen had hacked an opening into the wall of thorns, five feet wide, ten feet tall, and more than twenty feet deep.

Yet still, no glimmer of light shone from ahead; it was as though he had stepped into an endless night, with no telling when he might reach the end.

Outside, the formation was slowly closing in. If he failed to cut a path through before it converged, the restored formation would encase him, subjecting him to crushing pressure until he was drained to death.

He could turn back now and be safe, of course, but that would mean admitting defeat and failing to venture deeper to search for the precious herbs he needed.

Mu Tianhen would never abandon his quest halfway.

So he pressed on, slashing with swift, relentless strokes, soon extending the tunnel to more than thirty feet in depth. Still, not a trace of light could be seen ahead; the end remained uncertain and distant.

To his dismay, not only was the formation gradually converging, but the brambles behind him were sprouting anew, nearly sealing off the entrance he had come through.

Now, Mu Tianhen faced the peril of being caught between the closing formation and the ever-regrowing wall of thorns.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...

He continued to cut with all his might, determined to open a passage and break through the barrier as quickly as possible.

Hmm?

As he fought on, something ahead caught his eye and sent a chill through him.

Lying a short distance before him were two stark white skeletons. Judging by their size, they had belonged to adults, though it was impossible to tell how long they had lain there.

From the twisted shapes of the bones, it was clear they had suffered excruciating agony before death.

They, too, had likely come seeking rare herbs or for some other purpose, skilled enough to break through the formation and enter the wall of thorns.

But their progress had been too slow; the formation pressed in, the brambles ensnared them, and they died in endless torment and despair.

Mu Tianhen was determined that such a fate would not befall him. He could not allow it—not for his own sake, but because if he died, he would never again be able to protect his sister, never again search for his parents.

He must survive. He must grow stronger.

Exhaling deeply, Mu Tianhen steeled himself and made a decision.

He slowly raised his hand, sword pointing straight ahead, his entire reservoir of vital energy pouring into the blade.

“Nine Heavens Waterfall!”

With a low shout, Mu Tianhen swept his sword forward and charged.

Swish!

The sword-light suddenly surged, unleashing blade after blade of sword energy in rapid succession, each one layered upon the last, cutting forward like a rushing torrent, swift beyond belief.

Anyone witnessing this strike would have been astonished, struck dumb by its magnificence.

Ordinarily, Mu Tianhen would have heeded the warning of the Azure Lotus Emperor, refraining from using the Azure Lotus Sword Technique until he reached the Martial Emperor realm, lest he attract deadly enemies.

But now, the situation was dire. He had no choice but to unleash his most powerful technique, even though he had not yet mastered it, even if it meant risking inner chaos and backlash.

Once unleashed, this Waterfall Slash could not be recalled. The sword seemed to come alive, dragging Mu Tianhen forward at breakneck speed.

At the same time, it drew hungrily on his vital reserves, transforming his essence into wave upon wave of sword energy that lashed out in all directions.

Mu Tianhen felt his strength pouring away, his body growing emptier and weaker. Panic seized him as he tried in vain to control the outflow.

But it was impossible—his strength now seemed no longer his own, nor even his body, which no longer responded to his will.

Sword energy swept outward, annihilating every bramble in its path.

In just a few breaths, he had forged another sixty feet ahead, far deeper than before. Finally, he glimpsed a faint glimmer of light up ahead.

The end was near!

Joy surged through Mu Tianhen, reinvigorating his exhausted spirit, and for a moment he forgot how much strength he had lost.

A dozen breaths more, and the hundred-foot-thick wall of thorns was at last cleaved through by his sword, a tunnel cut straight through.

Yet behind him, new brambles had already grown, blocking off the exit once more.

Thump!

Mu Tianhen collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath, his entire body drenched in sweat, beads rolling off his chin. He was utterly spent.

His vital energy was almost completely drained; even lifting his sword was impossible, and walking a single step would have been a herculean effort.

So, after emerging, he simply sat down to rest. Even that felt uncomfortable, so he lay flat on his back, arms and legs spread wide.

Buzz!

At that moment, with a low hum, the shattered formation restored itself and gradually faded, as if nothing had ever happened.

“That was close!”

So Mu Tianhen thought, mourning the two who had died in the wall of thorns—and feeling fortunate for himself.

If he had not inherited the Azure Lotus Emperor’s legacy, if he had not learned the Azure Lotus Sword Technique, or if he had not dared to use it, he would even now be trapped, pressed by the formation, and ultimately reduced to a nameless skeleton like the others.

But before he could fully savor his relief, before any strength could return to him, a new danger arose.

Thud! Thud! Thud...

Slow, heavy footsteps echoed from deeper within the woods, each one sending tremors through the earth. The birds in the trees took wing in alarm, fleeing from whatever danger approached.

Mu Tianhen did not need to guess; some powerful beast was emerging from the forest and drawing near.

Though he had yet to see the creature, he knew it could not be anything benign—at the very least, it was a mutant beast of formidable strength.

In his present state, he could not hope to defeat even a common beast, much less a mutant. He would be nothing but food.

“Misfortunes never come singly,” Mu Tianhen thought helplessly, praying that the beast was not coming for him, that he might yet escape notice.

But what were the odds?

Regardless, Mu Tianhen prepared himself. He managed to sit up, eyes scanning his surroundings, and finally settled on a small hollow beneath a massive boulder.

Where he found the strength, he did not know, but he crawled over and squeezed into the hollow, turning to quietly observe what happened outside.

The heavy footsteps drew closer, the ground trembling ever more violently as the enormous creature approached.

Amid the sound of snapping wood, enormous trees were broken in half and crashed to earth, sending broken branches and leaves flying and dust billowing skyward.

“Not looking for me... not looking for me... not looking for me...” Mu Tianhen prayed silently, hoping the unknown giant would turn back and let him recover in peace.

But his prayers went unanswered. The terrifying footsteps continued steadily toward him, showing no sign of stopping.