It's so painful! So hard! So difficult!

Chapter 497 Did He Lose

Huan Gui's description of the wild god piqued Bai Lin's interest. She was spontaneous, performing almost godlike acts of kindness in a human form, unrequiting their reward and adding beauty to the world. Within the narrow crevices of her humanity, she revealed her own divinity.

Thinking of this, Bai Lin raised his head and glanced at the statue of the god that stood majestically in the world and was in harmony with all things. Although she was a god of a foreign race, Bai Lin's heart also added a little yearning, but it was just yearning.

"What a wonderful deity. However, I'm not her believer, so I won't be worshipping her anymore. Can I just leave? Are there any procedures I need to go through?"

"That's fine. Even as her believer, I don't have to pray to her just because I step into the temple. Please feel free to do as you please."

Huan Gui wore a polite smile on his face as he narrated the story to Bai Lin calmly. Bai Lin nodded slightly, taking the story to heart, and then pulled Mi Yu, who was a little confused beside him, out of the hall.

-

"this……?"

On a cleanly painted white wall, Bai Lin caught a glimpse of something that looked like a small advertisement. Although she couldn't understand all the descriptions on the advertisements, she was very clear about the word "remuneration" written on them.

"This is kind of a notice board looking for people to do things. If you're looking to make some money, you can take a look. The rewards posted here don't necessarily require members of our tribe to accept them."

Huan Gui seemed to understand that instead of taking Bai Lin around aimlessly to have fun, it would be better to let Bai Lin choose something that interested him. So he generously let Bai Lin, a foreign guest, choose to work for others in such a city.

Bai Lin's eyes scanned the requirements and rewards on these commissions, and suddenly saw a very generous reward on a slightly smaller piece of paper. She said "Huh" softly, and saw a very brief description written on the paper.

"In a battle of arms, as long as you can defeat me, it's fine."

Cold weapon combat... Isn't this exactly what I'm best at? Bai Lin's eyes flickered, and she was obviously interested. But Huan Gui beside her seemed to have noticed this and quickly said,

"Sir, do you wish to accept this commission? Don't let the large sum of money on it fool you. Just a reminder: no one in this area, not even within millions of miles, can surpass the issuer of this commission."

"There was a prince from another land. I wonder if you've heard of him? He was known as the Sword Emperor of Hellfire. On his first hundredth birthday, he held a sword in his arms, unable to let it go. He had been devoted to the art of swordsmanship since childhood and had made a name for himself. In swordplay, he was unmatched in the Three Realms, even defeating several demon kings skilled in weapon combat. But..."

"He lost?"

Before Huan Gui could speak, Bai Lin suddenly interrupted him, and Huan Gui nodded repeatedly and continued,

"Not only did the prince lose, he also lost miserably in the sword duel. You can imagine how profound the client's martial arts attainments are. And she's not just skilled with a sword."

Bai Lin nodded thoughtfully, as if he had taken Huan Gui's words to heart. Just when Huan Gui breathed a sigh of relief and thought Bai Lin was going to give up, Bai Lin waved his hand and directly tore off the notice that looked small but very eye-catching. He casually glanced at the address on it and walked out proudly.

"Come on, Miyu, let's take this last trip to this city that never sleeps!"

"Great! Even though I don't really understand fighting, I believe my sister will definitely win!"

Bai Lin's face was filled with heroic spirit. Even through a layer of armor, one could feel how excited she was.

The reason was simple. As a master of numerous martial arts, Bai Lin possessed an innate talent for studying martial arts. However, it was impossible to reach peak proficiency in weapons through training alone. For Bai Lin, daily practice was merely a matter of honing his skills and strengthening his foundation to achieve greater perfection, but it was difficult to find new avenues to further advance his martial arts.

Simply put, it was a bottleneck. Bai Lin couldn't practice magic herself, but because her girlfriend was a god, she was able to use lighting techniques that were even weaker than an oil lamp. Her martial arts were her only weapon, and much of this was honed based on her own experience. Therefore, battling against a master was a natural opportunity for her.

Bai Lin was now confident that he would improve significantly in this battle. Just hearing about the names and legends from Huan Gui's narration gave Bai Lin a certain level of anticipation for his next opponent. He even felt a bit of excitement as a warrior.

The last time she felt this excited was when she was standing in the boxing ring, fighting Simon for a few rounds and staring into each other's eyes. But now, she hadn't even met her opponent yet, but she was already feeling a little excited.

Besides, there's a generous bonus for winning! And for fairness, the equipment will be provided by the other party, so you don't even have to pay for equipment maintenance. How could Bai Lin let go of such a good opportunity?

This trip to the city that never sleeps was not in vain.

Watching the two seemingly joyful figures walking off into the distance, Huan Gui froze in his tracks. Perhaps the one who best understood the enemy's strength, he looked at Bai Lin as if he were a fool. But when dealing with guests, he'd always try to comply with their wishes, so he quickly followed. In his mind, he was already figuring out how he'd take Bai Lin to the highest-quality medical care if he got knocked unconscious.

After walking a fair distance, Bai Lin felt Mi Yu was running too slowly, so he picked her up and, at a trot, left the happy ghost behind and reached the target location first. After taking a few breaths, Bai Lin's eyes fixed on the huge gate that stood alone in the middle of the cliff. This heavy door stood between her and danger, and just by looking at it, Bai Lin could sense the solemn and murderous aura behind it.

Chapter 498 Why Practice Martial Arts

This gate on the hillside also looks unique. On this high mountainside, there is already some condensed clouds and mist surrounding this huge gate, adding a sense of solemnity to this area.

Placing Miyu beside her, Bai Lin took a deep breath, then strode to the door and knocked three times. The heavy door slowly opened before Bai Lin with a slight humming sound. She stepped through the door and saw another world beyond.

A large number of purple pines, like those in the previous Huangshen Temple, covered the area around the front yard. Although they blocked out all the sunlight, the front yard did not seem narrow at all.

The stone slabs beneath his feet were a bit uneven and appeared much darker than other roads. However, stepping onto this land halfway up the mountain felt more stable than standing on the ground, making him feel very safe. At least, as a martial artist, Bai Lin felt so.

Strength originates from the earth, a fundamental principle underlying many martial arts. Humans stand on the earth, enabling them to unleash their strength and deliver precise and powerful attacks. Judging from the floor, this front yard clearly belonged to a top-tier dojo.

On the weapon racks on either side were a variety of seemingly ordinary long weapons, all in uniform, very standard style. Deep within the purple forest, even sets of armor of varying styles were displayed, clearly fully prepared for a martial arts training ground.

The grounds were immensely spacious, and the sunlight overhead was blocked by the purple forest, eliminating any external influences like sunlight. The faint scent of incense wafting through the front yard slowed Bai Lin's breathing. Her body was completely immersed in this perfect scene, ready to engage in a fierce battle at any moment.

Perhaps to ordinary people, the lack of sunlight here makes it seem eerie, and the temperature is also rather chilly. Add to that the lingering aura of murderous intent within the martial arts arena, and even a casual stroll through it feels as if one can hear the sounds of life and death fighting—a truly terrifying experience. But Bai Linke didn't feel that way. She calmly closed her eyes, savoring every inch of the arena with the feel of her skin.

As a warrior, familiarity with the field is crucial. Otherwise, being carelessly retreated into a corner during a long-range battle is not a good thing. Furthermore, while the field here appears relatively flat, it is not. These slight slopes could cause a combatant to miscalculate, leading to defeat.

The rustling of wind through the treetops, the sound of fallen leaves drifting on the edge of the area, every inch of movement was extremely important information to Bai Lin. Bai Lin first used his eyes to memorize the approximate scope of the main film site, and now, he simulated various possible situations in the site in his mind.

This, presumably, was the purpose behind the creation of this dojo by its owner. Upon entering, one could tell whether or not they truly understood martial arts by observing their understanding of the dojo. Of course, Bai Lin had quickly grasped every subtle change in the texture of this place. Now, standing on this ground, she felt completely at ease.

"How is it? Are you satisfied with my dojo?"

As if she had smelled the rich aroma of wine, Bai Lin's eyes suddenly opened. The strong and bold female voice that reached her ears instantly sobered her up and she entered a state of crisis response. She saw a plain-dressed, happy ghost appear before her eyes.

The same pair of short horns grew on her forehead, but the horns of this happy ghost were sharper, and it looked like they could easily pierce someone to death. Her ghost mask was also different from the previous happy ghosts, with a black base and dark purple carvings, giving it a more solemn look.

On her white robe, some patterns, like an overturned dye vat, were casually covered with lavender, like clouds, but more profound and condensed than clouds, with a sharp intention like a wolf's smoke. Behind her, four large characters were hung prominently and boldly.

"Unparalleled in the World"

What a brash and bold character! Yet, judging by the aura radiating from this happy ghost, they didn't seem overly arrogant. Though only slightly taller than Bai Lin, she emerged from beneath the purple pines, appearing taller and more assertive than the towering pine forest. With her immense strength, she forcibly subdued her arrogance.

Bai Lin hadn't measured her height very closely, but according to the records from the Knights' Hall, she was about 1.72 meters tall. For a woman, that was quite tall. At least in Camitlan, among the women she knew, no one was taller than her. But the Huan Gui before her was clearly even taller, and her figure was... quite impressive, that's all I can say, but I can't go into detail.

Of course, Bai Lin's gaze would not linger on the other person's hotter body parts. What she paid more attention to was the arm span of this happy ghost, which was several centimeters longer than hers. She already regarded the other person as an enemy.

After carefully examining him, Bai Lin raised his head and met the other person's lavender pupils, which were hidden under the ghost mask. Although the color was lighter, they were as deep as a pool of water. He replied,

"It's a good dojo. At least from what I've seen, it's the best."

Bai Lin wasn't exaggerating. Judging from the experience alone, even a modern dojo couldn't compare to this converted courtyard. If Bai Lin had a ring like that, one that could travel between locations at will, she'd definitely set up an anchor point here, so she could come here to tinker with her metal toys whenever she had time.

"Hey, you have good foresight. When we fight later, you'll understand the benefits of this dojo even better. Don't be so nervous now. I haven't seen you so knowledgeable in a long time. Let's chat for a while, and then it won't be too late to start fighting."

The female Happy Ghost suggested this to Bai Lin, and Bai Lin, who had already prepared for the battle, followed the master's instructions, shrugged his shoulders, and asked,

"Okay, I'm curious too. I heard that you Happy Ghosts feed on the energy generated when people are happy. Why do you enjoy studying martial arts so much?"

Chapter 499 Very boring

When Bai Lin asked this, Huan Gui was surprised for a moment, then replied,

"What? You're actually concerned about something so frivolous? Isn't the purpose of martial arts training to train yourself and become stronger? Climbing to the pinnacle of the world's best, earning the title of unrivaled with your own strength, constantly honing your skills and sharpening your mind—that's the meaning of martial arts. Don't you have a different opinion?"

Huan Gui's words were full of heroic spirit. Although the path to learning martial arts sounded casual when she spoke of it, it also had a sense of awe.

"I want to ask why you want to become stronger..."

Bai Lin was speechless by the other party's reply. Her meaning was very simple. Since the Huan Gui were a service race, why did they make themselves so powerful for no reason? Now Bai Lin felt that this guy might not have a good reading comprehension.

"For me, martial arts is the skill I rely on to survive, something I must carry on my shoulders. I need strong strength to achieve my goals and to survive. What about you?"

Seeing that the other party might not understand what he meant, Bai Lin directly used himself as an example and put these words in front of Huan Gui. Bai Lin is not a so-called "seeker of truth". She only has a normal male romantic feeling about martial arts. If she can learn magic to adventure and save the world, she will definitely practice it without hesitation.

In Bai Lin's mind, martial arts were merely a means to an end, a means to self-preservation for a "weakling" like her who had no other options. Did she practice martial arts simply to become the world's best? Perhaps Bai Lin had once entertained such thoughts, but that thought likely stemmed from her being three years old, watching Hong Kong action films.

Seeing the helplessness and loneliness in Bai Lin's eyes, Huan Gui remained calm on the surface and replied according to Bai Lin's words,

"As for the reason for becoming stronger... do you know the history of us, the Oni? Long ago, we were a race that made a living by scaring people?"

"Yes, I know. I've heard it from others."

"That's easy to say. In fact, one of those old antiques back then was my grandfather. The reason we were able to become a shadow covering the entire continent back then was actually due to our unique display of strength."

Huan Gui looked very relaxed. He pointed to the sunlight above his head, which was gradually fading and was blocked by the purple pine trees, and could hardly penetrate into the space. He continued,

"We all know the sun is a powerful and bright source of heat. But it appears different from different angles and positions. If you simply huddle in a tunnel and look at the distant sun, it will appear distant and small. The Huan Gui back then also borrowed this principle."

"We would disguise multiple members of a tribe as a single individual through the art of transformation, thereby displaying our immense strength to outsiders. Thus, a haze of hypocrisy was born across this continent, spread among the mouths of various tribes. But when someone as courageous and powerful as Lord Huangshen truly came our way, they were completely crushed."

"My grandfather was incredibly unwilling to accept this, but how could he, alone, reestablish this tribe, already discredited by so many, as the embodiment of terror? So, he decided that if we truly possessed terrifying power, we would have the strength to stage a comeback."

...This, isn't it, a step down the wrong path? Bai Lin thought so. Although it sounded perfectly reasonable, she still had some doubts. If the goal was simply to become stronger, why would they only practice martial arts? The Huan Gui tribe should also have their own specialized magic. And wouldn't someone like this, who wanted to make a comeback, be considered a traitor within the Huan Gui today? Would the God of Wilderness simply allow them to grow stronger?

As if seeing the doubt in Bai Lin's eyes, Huan Gui chuckled and said,

"I've been going off on a tangent before, so let me get straight to the point. After being transformed into the current service race, the quality of life for the Huan Gui has actually greatly improved. After the God of Wilderness personally visited them and frequently engaged in pleasant and friendly exchanges, my ancestors didn't persist for long before giving up. The woman who initially hated them eventually became like a close friend. As a result, our family is even a particularly devout one among the Huan Gui."

"It's just that I accidentally fell in love with martial arts. Perhaps this is what Master Huangshen calls affinity. I really enjoy practicing martial arts. There is no extra reason for practicing martial arts, I just love it."

Huan Gui calmly recounted a reason that Bai Lin felt was a little unreal. The former suddenly seemed to think of something and said,

"Of course, Lady Huang Shen is also very supportive of this. Not only did she teach me some of the skills I know, but she also gave me sword manuals she found during her travels!"

Bai Lin was truly speechless as he watched Huan Gui's voice grow increasingly excited. He practiced martial arts simply because he loved it? And he'd reached such an unparalleled state? And that obscure God of the Wilderness actually encouraged this kind of practice?

The man before her, and the desolate god, both filled Bai Lin with a deeper sense of wonder. While Bai Lin would practice martial arts on her own, it was only when necessary and "voluntarily." Back when Bai Lin was still holed up in her little room playing games, she would only wield swords, guns, and clubs when she suddenly felt like it; otherwise, she would definitely prefer to immerse herself in the game.

"Hiss—Is that so? I am indeed a little different, but it's great to be like you."

Shedding all burdens, pursuing only one's own interests, striving to become the strongest, constantly strengthening oneself through combat and training—this truly was a romantic statement. Suddenly, the romantic feelings of love and romance ignited like fire, as the other party's hearty voice blazed through Bai Lin's ears. For the first time, Bai Lin, a man with almost no martial ethics, felt a small sense of shame.

Is this the difference between me and those who truly practice martial arts?

"Well, if it's different, then it's different. Why think so much? Coming to this training ground, the most important thing is to let go and fight! As long as I can enjoy this battle, everything will be fine!"

Chapter 500: The King of All Soldiers

Although there was only a moment of confusion in Bai Lin's eyes, even with Huan Gui's sharp eyes, he accurately captured the mist in her eyes. She dropped one hand to her chest and shouted in a bold manner.

Bai Lin wasn't one to dwell on things; she'd probably just stumbled into this relatively intense martial arts atmosphere, which was why she was a bit dazed. Regardless, she still thoroughly enjoyed the clash of weapons, both at their best, competing on equal terms, their blood boiling.

Even if there is bloodshed and injuries, that is a conclusion after the event. The most important thing is to enjoy the process and - the final victory! Even when facing an opponent stronger than himself, Bai Lin will always stand on the ring with the premise that he can win.

"Of course. Tell me how to fight."

As her heartbeat quickened, Bai Lin's tone became slightly more excited. Her eyes flashed with a fiery light, and her eyes were fixed on her opponent. The latter, on the other hand, had a satisfied smile on his face, waved his long sleeves, and pointed casually at the weapon rack behind him.

"Choose your choice. Fight as many rounds as you can, using any moves you can, until you're unable to fight. Of course, I can't hold many of them for more than one round. As for that armor you're wearing...if you want a full-on weapon fight, I can wear it."

Before Huan Gui finished her words, she felt a tingling sensation in her brain and frowned tightly. Her pupils also suddenly contracted, just because something seemed to pass by the side of her ear. The next moment, she caught a relatively complete figure in the narrow corner of her vision.

Bai Lin, who had already removed all her equipment and was wrapping her arms, appeared there in her usual tight-fitting outfit. She held her bandage in her mouth and pulled it tight, her chin slightly raised, her eyes looking at Huan Gui provocatively, then loosened the bandage on her mouth and said,

"Of course, it's more comfortable to go armor-free. If it weren't for practical combat, who would want to wear a canned food can for no reason? But let me make it clear in advance, I'm determined to get your reward. An adventurer short of money who happens to encounter fighting, her specialty, will become quite terrifying."

She slightly gathered up her long hair that was draped behind her shoulders, gently brushed her bangs in front of her face, and cast her fiery eyes at the other person. Seeing Bai Lin display her aura concealment skills and her speed, Huan Gui also understood that she had clearly entered the state.

Facing Bai Lin's provocation, she had originally considered responding, but perhaps because Bai Lin wasn't that bad-looking, she turned and walked to the other side of the field, drawing a large spear. Her white robe, her long, disheveled white hair, and her silver-white spear, like the "three points and one line" in a photograph, projected an incomparably sharp aura from the shade of the trees to the sky where the spear and sword pointed.

A large number of fallen leaves fell in an instant, unable to reach Huan Gui, and shattered into countless dust particles, dissipating around her. She tilted her head slightly and casually placed the tip of her spear on the ground. The four words "Unparalleled in the World" were exposed along with her spear, no longer trying to hide her strength.

Seeing the other party slowly turning around, an increasingly dignified and sharp feeling slowly came from Huan Gui's direction. Bai Lin swallowed her saliva, and her heart became a little more nervous. At this moment, she was more aware of how powerful the opponent in front of her was.

"If we're talking about a duel, it's best to start with the king of all weapons—the spear. What do you think?"

The other party's casual words not only accepted Bai Lin's teasing, but also made an invitation to Bai Lin, and Bai Lin had no choice but to accept this invitation.

"Okay, let's compete with guns first!"

Judging from her equally forthright response, this "have to" didn't mean Bai Lin was afraid, but rather that in a weapon contest, the spear truly held a near-absolute advantage. In combat, an inch longer meant an inch stronger, and the spear was uniquely longer. Even among weapons of the same length, the spear was the most convenient to use and possessed the greatest power.

Beyond the spear, there are derivative weapons like the "Fang Tian Hua Ji" and the "Zhang Ba Snake Spear," but they are generally much heavier than standard spears and aren't necessarily much better in actual combat. Anyone skilled in spearmanship can generally quickly master these derivative weapons.

In Bai Lin's original world, if someone wanted to spar with a spear, they would always choose an opponent who also wielded a spear. The reason was simple: whether it was a one-handed sword, a two-handed sword, a saber, a Japanese sword, or a sword and shield, no one would be willing to clash with a spear. Because, they simply couldn't win.

If someone wields a weapon nearly twice your length, not only will they chase you, but you won't be able to hit them at all. Therefore, when dealing with the spear, Bai Lin had no choice but to use the spear, but this didn't mean she was showing weakness. Her fighting spirit continued to rise with the fiery atmosphere in the arena.

The entirely black spear was clearly crafted from a specially crafted material of considerable value. Even with Bai Lin's strength, it felt thick enough in her hands. She placed both hands firmly on the spear, pointing the tip slightly forward.

In a spearmanship contest, besides the fundamentals of "strength" and "speed," the most important thing is "distance control" and the "intuition" honed through countless actual combat, a kind of muscle memory that allows the body to react absolutely correctly in a fleeting moment. Technique, in turn, is relatively unimportant.

Someone like Huan Gui, who has lived for at least a few hundred years, must have mastered fundamentals and possessed a deep understanding of distance control. Assuming Bai Lin, possessing numerous martial arts skills, was at a similar level to her, if they wanted to outperform her with the spear, it would depend on who would lose first, revealing a single flaw.

Even a tiny flaw could end the battle in an instant.

Chapter 501: Unrivaled in the World

The guns pointed at each other, Huan Gui gently patted the gun barrel in his hand, a hint of seriousness flashed in his eyes, and he looked at Bai Lin with some amusement and said,

"You're actually an elf... I've never heard of an elf that excels at close combat. You look quite delicate, but when we fight, swords won't show any mercy. Be careful not to scratch your fragile skin with my spear."

Bai Lin, a modern man who is very good at typing, is of course no less skilled in verbal combat. Since his opponent's words did not contain much sarcasm and he just wanted to tease him, Bai Lin, who had already entered the combat state, did not elaborate too much on the language and responded briefly.

"It's fine if I'm delicate, but if you think I can't handle a gun with my looks, you'll understand why you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. Instead of worrying about my skin, aren't you afraid that wearing a loose robe and letting your hair down will affect you?"

"Hey, I used to wear something similar to you, but later I changed and even changed into my everyday white robe. It's been a while since I've been covered in dust from battle, so I didn't bother changing."

Huan Gui's words only served to bolster his own momentum. It might sound a bit pretentious on the surface, but Bai Lin, facing her, knew full well that what he said might be true. Warriors typically wore wide robes to conceal the length of their weapons, but when wielding a spear, such everyday robes would only restrict them. She refused to change her attire, evidently driven by the confidence engendered by her strength.

"Is it okay to exchange names before the battle?"

Huan Gui followed up with this sentence slowly, holding a gun in his hand. Bai Lin also replied briefly,