No one would have imagined that there were men willing to gamble with their lives to pluck a white lotus growing from a fissure in a sheer cliff among jagged peaks. Still less would anyone believe that fortune could be so kind—that even a fall from such a height might not end in death. The cliff face offered not the slightest foothold; a single misstep would mean plunging into a bottomless abyss, leaving neither corpse nor bone behind.
Yet under a heavy reward, brave men would always emerge. Moreover, the two had long since surveyed the terrain and made thorough preparations. At this moment, within the broad valley beneath Lotus Peak, a sea of heads surged and stirred. Heroes from every faction of the martial world lifted their gaze skyward.
They saw the two men moving with agile precision. "Long-Armed Divine Ape" Xie Tianhua suddenly sprang upward and began to climb. Close behind him followed "Wall-Lizard Skill" Tan Daoliang, pressing his back against the cliff as he ascended sideways, advancing cautiously step by step.
Midway up the cliff, Xie Tianhua tied a rope around his waist, took out a steel hammer and iron piton, and drove the piton deep into a crack in the rock. He then lowered the rope. Tan Daoliang likewise secured his rope to his waist. Every time they climbed a certain distance, the two would alternate, resting briefly against the sheer wall that towered like a thousand blades.
The onlookers were increasingly astonished, their hearts pounding at the sight. Suddenly, Xie Tianhua's foot slipped—his body dropped straight downward. Tan Daoliang, climbing behind him, was caught completely off guard.
Cries of alarm burst forth from the valley below.
Fortunately, Tan Daoliang's body was caught by the iron hook embedded in the cliff, while Xie Tianhua was left dangling in midair. His body swung violently once—then, gathering his strength, he hauled himself back onto the rock face. Still shaken by the terrifying force of the sudden fall, Xie Tianhua climbed with even greater care.
The two advanced in alternating turns. Finally, at the moment when the sun stood directly overhead, Xie Tianhua reached out and plucked the white lotus from the rocky crevice, placing it into the cloth pouch at his waist.
The crowd erupted in astonished admiration, cheers echoing throughout the valley. After nearly two hours, the two men finally returned to the base of Lotus Peak. They leapt forward and rushed to the side of Chief Arbiter Cui Fujun.
Life-and-Death Judge's Brush Li Yan and Judge's Blade Sun Tian immediately stepped forward, standing protectively beside Cui Fujun, each holding their respective weapons. Xie Tianhua handed over the cloth pouch to the Life-and-Death Judges' Guild.
Cui Fujun carefully examined the white lotus within and promptly handed over the banknotes. The two men bowed deeply, each receiving his share, and said:
"We thank you. We take our leave."
With that, they leapt away and vanished.
A poem says:
On Mount Hua's peak, a treasure rare,A wondrous bloom beyond compare.Wall-lizard climbs the cliff so steep,Divine Ape stretches forth to reap.
Chief Arbiter Cui Fujun then stepped into the open valley below Lotus Peak and called out in a resonant voice:
"Since the White Lotus has been retrieved, by the rules of the martial world, we shall settle its ownership by unarmed combat—fighting to claim supremacy! Let us draw lots!"
His voice surged with inner power, echoing through the valley. Four combatants stepped forward and drew their lots. Moments later, Cui Fujun announced:
"Black-Devouring King Sima Lun versus White Lotus Sect Leader Huangfu!Mount Hua Sect Master Zhu Feng versus Western Sacred Matron Chen Jinfeng!"
Li Yan walked to the center and declared:
"Black-Devouring King Sima Lun, please enter!"
Sun Tian followed:
"White Lotus Sect Leader Huangfu, please enter!"
Surrounded by the Three Black-Wind Fiends and Jade Guanyin Gao Siyao, Black-Devouring King Sima Lun strode out slowly. At the same time, White Lotus Sect Leader Huangfu emerged boldly, escorted by the Five Immortals and his followers.
Sima Lun appeared utterly composed. Confident that his cultivation surpassed that of the White Lotus leader, he spoke coldly:
"Sect Leader Huangfu, today's battle is unnecessary. The White Lotus already belongs to me. Why contest it?"
The meaning was unmistakable—Huangfu was no match for him.
How could Huangfu fail to hear the contempt in those words? His heart burned with resentment. He replied:
"Sima Lun, the White Lotus is a treasure without equal—who would not desire it?We who walk the martial path must ever refine our skills.Today, our clash shall test what we have learned.This is the moment—and this is fate!"
As he spoke, he secretly circulated his inner energy. A cold gleam flashed through his eyes like lightning. Suddenly, he let out a long howl, his body shooting forward like an arrow. Invisible waves of true qi surged with him as his palm struck with blinding speed.
Yet at that very instant, two unseen forces collided and halted his attack. Palms met fists in a rapid exchange. Sima Lun twisted his body in an uncanny rotation, borrowing strength to neutralize force—emerging completely unscathed.
The crowd could barely discern the lightning-fast exchanges. The two fought again, holding a distance of roughly six paces. Locked in stalemate, they unleashed palm force through the air. Their energies collided and canceled each other out, yet the residual shockwaves sent weaker spectators staggering as if swept by a raging storm. The onlookers exchanged terrified glances.
Huangfu Zong revealed a sinister smile.
"Try this!"
He howled again and surged upward, unleashing the move "Rain Strikes the Withered Lotus." Both arms flipped as his hands transformed into claws, ten fingers striking simultaneously—high and low, left and right—so fast they blurred from sight, aimed directly at Sima Lun's Fenshui and Zhongting vital points.
This attack carried Huangfu Zong's full life-long cultivation—its power thunderous, its ferocity terrifying. Had it landed, it would have torn flesh and split organs, spraying blood across the ground.
But Sima Lun was no ordinary foe. He sank his stance, traced a circular motion with his arms, and formed a complete defensive seal around his body. His technique shifted instantly into grappling arts—seizing, locking, striking pressure points—breaking the lethal Eagle-Claw technique apart.
Without pause, Sima Lun's eyes flared with icy malice.
"Now you try this!"
One of the Sixteen Whirlwind Palms, "Mad Gale Thousand Slashes," burst forth. His body lunged explosively, palms striking with the force of a thousand jin. Huangfu Zong dodged and countered, palms meeting palms as fallen leaves were whipped into the air by the surging wind.
Fists and palms flew, bodies weaving like dragons in flight. This titanic clash between dragon and tiger raged with breathtaking intensity—an utterly exhilarating battle.