Chapter Sixty-Five: The Highest Good Is Like Water, Benefiting All Things

The ancient and primal power of the Azure Dragon Sacred Sword surged forth from its blade the instant it was drawn, flooding outwards like a deluge and racing at breakneck speed toward every corner of the barrier. Although neither its speed nor its force could be called extraordinary on their own, that ancient, dissipating power carried a certain effortless grace, reminiscent of water’s highest virtue—subtle yet unstoppable. As it struck each point at the periphery of the barrier, it seemed to exploit the principle of using the least force to move the greatest weight, burrowing inward with ease. The formation that had previously seemed impregnable now showed signs of faltering.

Before coming to Floating Jade Mountain, Bai Mu had suffered countless setbacks, but this did not mean his cultivation was lacking; rather, the opponents he faced were simply too formidable. Whether it was the ancient demonic giant, Ancestor Gray Crane, the Heavenly Emperor’s daughter Ling Yan, or the beloved daughter of the God of War, Lady Xiyan—each was a force unto themselves, capable of dominating any region. Thus, by comparison, Bai Mu had appeared weak, but in truth, this was far from the case.

Years of cultivation under the ancient deity Bai Ze on the mountain had given him a rock-solid foundation. Later, after being afflicted by sword qi, he consumed a humanoid ganoderma in White Deer Mountain to save his life, which had inadvertently added centuries to his cultivation. Now, with the ancient power of the Azure Dragon Sword in hand, the force unleashed by his effortless, all-encompassing swordcraft had reached near-demigod heights.

Inside the barrier, the disciple of the Returning Ruins Sect was alarmed. Having withstood one attack, he was stunned to see another assault, this one even fiercer—at least seventy percent stronger than before. For the first time, fear crept into the heart of this once-arrogant disciple.

What troubled him most, however, was not just the strength, but the method of attack. Unlike the previous attempt, which had blindly targeted a single spot, this time the power was spread out, striking every point around the barrier. This scattered approach immediately disrupted the disciple’s focus, forcing him to frantically divert his strength in all directions to shore up the defenses.

Such frantic efforts were nothing but robbing Peter to pay Paul—if this continued, he would collapse from exhaustion without his enemy needing to land a final blow. It was a testament to the disciple’s lack of combat experience—he failed to grasp his opponent’s true intent. Had he been a seasoned second-generation disciple, he would have recognized Bai Mu’s shift from point to surface attack as little threat, refusing to waste his strength in futile resistance.

It must be remembered: no matter how great a person’s power, when divided among many fronts, it inevitably grows thin. Such diluted force was as feeble as a flickering candle, hardly fit to rival the sun and moon. Even if these water-like streams of energy struck the barrier, they would do no real harm. Indeed, the most formidable attacks were often hidden behind the appearance of calm.

Alas, since the annihilation of the demon and monster clans, the Savage Realm had enjoyed seven millennia of peace and prosperity. Lacking true hardship, the disciples of Returning Ruins had grown weak, their combat prowess diminished to the point of fragility. Perhaps it was for this reason that the God of War had not appeared in nearly a millennium—unwilling to witness the decline of the sacred order he had founded.

Watching the disciple within the barrier flail about with his longsword, desperately trying to fend off the sword energy from all sides, Bai Mu could hardly contain his delight. He inwardly praised the sage within the Void Cauldron for his uncanny insight, able to so precisely manipulate the opponent’s psychology—a mind and cunning rarely seen in this world.

After a prolonged defense against the relentless sword qi, the commanding disciple within the barrier was already gasping for breath, sweat pouring down his brow and soaking his aquamarine robe. The forty disciples on the ground, tasked with keeping Ling Yan contained, lost their leader’s guidance; the formation quickly descended into chaos, both offense and defense losing all cohesion.

Where once the sword formation had moved with flawless discipline, it now lacked all order. The innate Eight Trigrams array had lost its former strength, becoming dangerously fragile. Ling Yan, ever perceptive, immediately noticed the shift in the situation and realized Bai Mu’s assault was having its effect. Without hesitation, she summoned the last reserves of her power and charged straight into the midst of the forty Returning Ruins disciples, engaging them in close combat.

Without the support of the formation, these disciples were little different from a rabble. The strength of forty ordinary men was nothing compared to the indomitable Ling Yan—even doubling their numbers would have made no difference. Her Jade Cold Flute, wreathed in a chilling aura, swept forth; with every strike, it sent waves of blade-like shadow slicing through the air, forcing her would-be captors into a frantic defense.

Seeing the ferocity of her flute’s shadows, the others hesitated, no longer daring to attack head-on. Instead, they fell back, forming a loose circle reminiscent of the Eight Trigrams, hoping to contain her and reconsider their strategy.

Observing the dramatic shift on the ground below, Bai Mu’s confidence soared. He ached to break through the accursed barrier that very instant. At that moment, the mysterious voice echoed once more in his mind.

“Boy, move three steps east-southeast. Strike twice at the ‘Kan’ position—again, feints only!”

Ever ready, Bai Mu immediately stepped three paces to the side and, using only forty percent of his strength, directed two light slashes at the Kan point. The mystery man had made clear these were mere feints, meant to probe the enemy’s defenses. Yet even at forty percent, the force generated a fierce gust that lashed the barrier.

As expected, these two blows made no ripple—the power of the formation absorbed them completely, leaving no trace.

“Boy, now five steps to the southwest. Gather all your strength and strike the ‘Li’ position—this time, you must hit true!”

Very well!

With renewed confidence, Bai Mu unleashed a powerful slash toward the southwest. Knowing the outcome rested on this single move, he poured nearly eighty percent of his strength into the blow. The Azure Dragon Sword became a phantom, conjuring the image of an ancient dragon roaring as it crashed toward the Li position with unstoppable force.

Inside the barrier, the Returning Ruins disciple had barely managed to withstand the earlier feints at the Kan position and could not have predicted how swiftly Bai Mu would identify the array’s weak point.