Upon the sheer cliffs and jagged peaks, within narrow cracks of stone, the White Lotus bloomed—yet astonishingly, there were men willing to gamble their lives to pluck it. Naturally, no one would imagine being so fortunate as to fall and remain uninjured. This cliff face offered no foothold whatsoever; a single misstep meant plunging into an abyss ten thousand fathoms deep, leaving neither bones nor trace behind.
That the two men dared such a perilous venture was no mystery—where heavy reward beckoned, brave men would surely come. Moreover, the pair had long surveyed the terrain and prepared thoroughly.
At that moment, the broad valley beneath Lotus Peak teemed with people. Heroes of the martial world crowded together, all craning their necks to look upward. They saw the two men moving with astonishing agility."Long-Armed Divine Ape" Xie Tianhua suddenly leapt upward and began to climb. Close behind followed Tan Daoliang, master of the "Gecko Skill," his back pressed to the cliff as he ascended sideways, advancing step by step with utmost caution.
Midway up the cliff, Xie Tianhua tied a rope around his waist, took out an iron hammer and pitons, and drove the pitons deep into the rock crevices before lowering the rope. Tan Daoliang likewise secured the rope around his waist. Every time they climbed a certain distance, they took turns resting against the sheer, knife-like cliff wall.
Witnessing this, the assembled heroes grew ever more astonished, their eyes dazzled and hearts pounding. Suddenly, Xie Tianhua's footing slipped—his body dropped straight downward! Tan Daoliang, following behind, had no time to react and was dragged down as well. Cries of alarm erupted from the crowd below.
Fortunately, Tan Daoliang's body caught on an iron hook embedded in the cliff. Xie Tianhua was left hanging in midair. His body swayed once, then with a powerful twist he hauled himself back onto the rock face. Still shaken by the terrifying momentum of the fall, he became even more cautious.
The two continued their ascent in alternation. Finally, when the sun stood directly overhead, Xie Tianhua stretched out his arm and snatched the White Lotus from the rock crevice, placing it into the cloth pouch at his waist.
The crowd erupted in awe and admiration, cheers ringing out one after another. After roughly two hours, the two men finally returned safely to the base of Lotus Peak. They dashed forward and stopped before Chief Judge Cui Fujun.
At once, Life-and-Death Judge's Brush Li Yan and Judge's Blade Sun Tian stepped forward, holding the Judge's Brush and Judge's Blade as they took their places beside Cui Fujun. Xie Tianhua handed over the cloth pouch to the Life-and-Death Judges' Guild. Cui Fujun carefully examined the White Lotus inside, then immediately passed silver notes to the two men.
They accepted the payment with respectful bows and said,"We thank you and take our leave."With that, they leapt away and vanished.
A poem says:
On Mount Hua's peak lies a thing profound,A peerless flower the world has never found.On sheer cliff face where geckos dare to tread,The divine ape reached forth his arm and took instead.
Chief Judge Cui Fujun then stepped into the valley clearing beneath Lotus Peak and called out loudly:
"Now that the White Lotus has been obtained, by the rules of the martial world, we shall settle this with bare-handed combat—a contest to seize command! Let us draw lots!"
His voice was rich with internal power, echoing through the valley. Four contenders stepped forward and drew their lots. Before long, Cui Fujun announced:
"Black-Devouring King Sima Lun shall face Huangfu Song, Patriarch of the White Lotus Sect!Zhu Feng, Sect Master of Mount Hua, shall face Western Sacred Matron Chen Jinfeng!"
Li Yan strode into the arena and called out,"Black-Devouring King Sima Lun, please enter!"
Sun Tian followed, announcing,"White Lotus Sect Patriarch Huangfu, please enter!"
Surrounded by the Three Evils of Black Wind and Jade Guanyin Gao Siyao, Sima Lun walked out slowly. At the same time, Huangfu Song strode forth boldly, escorted by the Five Immortals and his followers.
Sima Lun appeared utterly composed. Confident that his martial cultivation surpassed that of Huangfu Song, he spoke coldly:
"Patriarch Huangfu, today's battle makes the White Lotus mine by right. Why bother contending with me?"
The disdain in his words was unmistakable.
How could Huangfu Song fail to hear the contempt? His heart burned with resentment. He replied:
"Sima Lun, the White Lotus is a peerless treasure—who would not covet it? Those who walk the martial world must refine their skills without cease. Today, you and I shall cross hands to test what we have learned. This is both fate and destiny!"
As he spoke, he secretly circulated his inner energy. A flash of icy light streaked through his eyes. Suddenly, he let out a long howl and shot forward like an arrow. Two invisible currents of true qi surged forth as he struck with lightning speed.
Yet in that split second, two unseen forces blocked his palms. The two exchanged blows—palms and fists flashing—until Sima Lun suddenly twisted his body in a marvelous rotation, borrowing force to dissolve force, emerging completely unscathed.
The watching heroes could scarcely follow those lightning-fast exchanges. When the fight resumed, the two stood about six meters apart, locked in stalemate. They struck with palm force through the air, their energies colliding and canceling one another out. Yet the residual shockwaves sent lesser fighters stumbling like leaves swept by a gale, causing the crowd to stare in alarm.
A sinister smile crept across Huangfu Song's face."Try this!"
He howled again, straightened his waist, and surged upward. His ultimate move—"Rain Batters the Withered Lotus"—burst forth. Both arms flipped violently as he unleashed claw strikes, ten fingers forming talons that attacked from above and below, left and right, faster than the eye could follow, aimed viciously at Sima Lun's Fen Shui and Zhong Ting acupoints.
This strike contained Huangfu Song's full lifetime of power—its force thunderous, its momentum terrifying. Had it landed, it would have torn flesh and ruptured organs.
But Sima Lun was no ordinary opponent. His body sank, arms sweeping into a protective circle as he shifted techniques, transforming defense into grappling arts—seizing tendons, striking acupoints—completely neutralizing Huangfu Song's lethal Eagle Claw Skill.
The battle did not pause for a breath.
Cold fire shot from Sima Lun's eyes as he hissed,"Now you try this!"
One of the Sixteen Whirlwind Palms, the move "Thousand Slashes of the Furious Wind," exploded outward. His body surged forward violently, each palm strike carrying the force of a thousand jin. Huangfu Song dodged and countered, palms clashing head-on.
Palm winds swept fallen leaves into the air. Fists and strikes blurred together, their bodies coiling and soaring like dragons.
This clash of dragon and tiger was fought to the fullest—a battle fierce, resounding, and utterly intoxicating to behold.