Chapter 2: Old Friends Once More

"Indeed, I knew you would come. In truth, I have been waiting for you all along, Mandala!" Duzhong said with a faint smile. "In your heart, you must believe that I have been poisoned, don't you? It seems you have truly forgotten that I am the Sect Master of the Poison Sect. For many years, no one has been able to inflict a serious injury upon me. It has been a very long time since that was even possible. Do you, a man like you, truly have no idea how formidable my cultivation has become? You always wanted to learn the Other Shore Flower Divine Art back then. Now, I can tell you: as long as I possess this divine art, I fear no one in this world."

"Heaven knows how much effort I expended to obtain this art. But looking back now, everything I did today was well worth it. What is this? A man like me should have been a corpse, yet here I am, perfectly fine. You must be deeply disappointed, perhaps even furious. That is correct—if I were to fall, this seat of the Sect Master would surely be yours. Do you remember? I once told you that this position would be yours, but you had to learn how to wait. If you cannot wait, whatever you finally grasp will surely slip through your fingers."

"It is a pity that all these years, you never listened to a word I said, nor did you ever understand. Never mind. Since you are here, I knew that our relationship would eventually devolve into this. Now, tell me, what abilities do you still possess? Why not bring them all out? However, I can guarantee that at this moment, you cannot even touch the hem of my garment. Of course, if you do not believe me, you are welcome to try and see if what I say is true."

"My good brothers, we have reached this point; what are you still waiting for? If you do not strike now, once this man recovers his strength, you know better than anyone what your fate will be! Mandala, perhaps even you did not expect that the people you once trusted so deeply defected to me not long ago. Do you know why they did so? It is because they have long seen what kind of person you are. You should have known that this would be your ultimate end!"

"Years ago, I told you to be careful and to treat your subordinates well. Your position as a leader was built upon their hard work; you should never have let their hearts turn cold. Yet, all these years, what have you done? Ha! You, in your arrogance, never cared for anyone. In your worldview, you were the only one who mattered. But hearts change; do you understand this? You never did, and that is why you have become what you are today. This is your final end. You will surely die here today."

"Hahaha! In truth, I have known all these things for a long time. I knew the path I chose was dangerous, but even so, should I feel fear? No, I will not be afraid. Come, all of you—you were all cultivated by my own hands, so what are you waiting for? Strike now! I was able to destroy your meridians with a single gesture back then, and I can do it again now. It may take a little more effort, but for these many years, the thing I have feared least is putting in the effort. Today, I have achieved such great heights—do you think this came from nothing?"

"These are things I have polished through constant, grueling labor. But it seems you truly cannot understand this. Very well, since you all wish to rebel, what are you waiting for? Or is it that, in your hearts, you truly fear me that much?"

"It is true; so many years have passed, and you have always wanted to forget the terror I once instilled in you. Alas, that is something you cannot do. It seems you have forgotten that many years ago, you made a pact with me. The terms were clear: should I ever discover that any of you dared to betray me, you know exactly what your fate would be."

"It seems that after all these years, you have truly forgotten. But it does not matter. I am more than happy to help you remember."

"It seems you have forgotten how terrifying I once was, have you not? Very well, I will show you exactly how terrifying I am now. Rest assured, if you want to fight, then let us have a proper battle. Come! Whatever skills you have left, bring them all out now."

*Whoosh!* A swift movement brought with it immense power. Before such strength, any resistance was futile. "You brat, I haven't seen you for a while, and your footwork has reached such a level? However, even with this divine art, if you think you can truly defeat me, you should know that it is absolutely impossible. I have already used my great divine power to erase the seals on these subordinates of yours. They have regained their freedom. Now, tell me, how will this situation end? I am quite curious myself!"

"Curious, are you? But now, everything must come to an end. I have waited a long time for this battle. These people no longer have any strength left. Though it may sound wrong, it is the truth. Their power has been extinguished. In reality, Master Duzhong, you have always been my true opponent. You are the only one I have been seeking all these years."

Mandala grew up accompanied by suffering. It should be said that every stage of his cultivation was never easy; the slightest error would have meant his end. In such an environment, he developed a cautious habit. But caution is never a mistake, never. "This is a binding technique I created myself, specifically to restrain you. Now, what abilities do you have left? Hmph, if you can, by all means, attack me! But it seems you no longer have the chance, do you?"

"You were all the people I once valued most. But look at what you have done? Hmm? This result is well-deserved. It seems this is the only way to make you remember that there are people in this world you truly cannot touch. If you choose to touch them, you must bear the consequences. Of course, if you don't believe me, feel free to try!"

These former elite disciples had always believed that as long as they followed the right person, they were guaranteed a bright future. But what was this? Why had they ended up like this? They were unwilling to accept it, yet despite the resentment in their hearts, some outcomes could never be changed. "Master Duzhong, do you really intend to just watch? Are you truly not going to intervene?"

"Intervene? I have no need to intervene. I value loyalty above all else. Old Bai, do not think yourself too naive. Do you think I don't know what you have been doing? No, I have known all along. I simply chose not to pay you any mind, thinking I would give you one more chance. But you have truly disappointed me. While submitting to me, you were secretly in contact with this Mandala. You thought that no matter who won the battle between us, you would not lose out. Hmph, a clever calculation indeed. But the affairs of this world do not always go according to your plans. I summoned him here today to settle all these matters once and for all."

"As for your lives, that truly has nothing to do with me anymore, does it? However, you can rest easy. After all, you have known each other for so many years; I am certain that Mandala, regardless of what happens, will not make things difficult for you. That much I can guarantee. However, while he may not harm you, he is a man who values his pride immensely. Now that you have caused him to lose so much face, tell me, what must be done to appease the anger in his heart?"

"My good brother, I have handed these people over to you. Whatever you wish to do is a matter of a single word from you. In any case, these matters have nothing to do with me anymore."

"Hmph, so you're saying I should thank you for this? Very well, I truly should thank you. If it weren't for you, how would I have known that such a group existed under my command? However, these people are of no use to me now. If you like them, then let them follow you. I think if they follow you, they will surely have a bright future—a future I could never give them."

"Master Mandala, are you really giving up on us? If you dare to leave today, we will reveal everything you have done in the past! We no longer need to worry about saving face; as long as we can deal with you, we are willing to do anything."

"Hahaha! Are you threatening me? Very well. If you truly can do it, then try! I have done many wicked things in the past, but so what? I am still here, alive and well. Those people from back then could do nothing to me, and they still can't. I know—you think you have Duzhong to back you up, but what you don't know is that Duzhong is the one who fears trouble the most."

"You think that by revealing these things, he will stand up for you? No, he would never do such a thing. If he were willing to stand up for others, why would Suwen have left all those years ago? Master, I have always had a question: you and Suwen were so close, so how did you two become such bitter rivals? I have pondered this for many years, but I still cannot understand it."

Hearing this, Duzhong clearly had no intention of wasting time explaining. "The matter between me and Suwen has nothing to do with you. Instead of worrying about me, you should think about what you are going to do next. I am quite curious: your disciples must hold a great deal of evidence against you, yet you seem entirely unconcerned. Do you truly believe that even at this stage, you still have a chance to turn the tables?"

"Although I am the Sect Master of the Poison Sect, this is not a one-man show. Whatever you want to say, I will believe it. But if you truly say nothing, then I will have no choice."

"Hahaha, my dear Sect Master, you really don't need to worry so much. As for how I will handle this, just watch. In any case, the final result will not disappoint you. After all, I have been disappointing people for years, and I am already weary of your reactions. You few brats, I once wanted to let you go, but alas, you were truly unwilling."

"Fine. Since you are so unwilling, I will not force you. You want me dead? Unfortunately, you will never have that chance. Yes, you never will. Of course, if you don't believe me, you are welcome to try. Actually, I have long since lost any interest in such battles, but since the Sect Master wishes to watch, it is his greatest desire, and as his former subordinate, I must fulfill it."

"You all want to say that I have hurt many people, don't you? Hmph, those people deserved to die. If I hadn't killed them, what would have happened? I don't need to know. I once loved the Poison Sect dearly. I thought that because I loved it so much, the sect should love me back. But in the end, I was truly disappointed. The people of the Poison Sect never took me seriously. Tell me, how was I supposed to endure that? Very well, since no one was willing to give me a chance, I could only rely on myself."

"Master, you were the one who taught me this. You once said that at any time, the only person one can believe in and rely on is oneself. It is a pity that I did not understand this back then. Only after experiencing countless failures did I finally realize it. Now, you must all be dying to know why Suwen left the Poison Sect, right? It is because your Sect Master could never tolerate those more capable than him."

"Suwen was always stronger than Duzhong in every way. Duzhong was already quite excellent, but alas, he met his match. The two of them could not coexist, for in everything, Suwen was superior. As the Sect Master, how could Duzhong ever accept such a result?"

"Sect Master, do you think that by staying silent, I truly know nothing? For years, I have been looking for the right opportunity. You have been competing with Suwen, desperate to surpass him, but alas, you could never achieve it. Suwen was always better than you!"

"Mandala, shut your mouth! Shut up! Is this something you are allowed to know? Hmph, what are you to dare to be so insolent in my presence? However, you should know that I am still the Sect Master. Do you know what the penalty is for intentionally harming the Sect Master? I know you have done much for the Poison Sect over the years, and I have never forgotten it. But now, those things have changed along with you. How can you not feel it? Do you know that you will die here today?"

"Actually, that is not entirely correct. In my heart, you have long been a dead man. I naturally do not take the mad ramblings of a corpse to heart. However, I am still very pleased to see you. It is a pity that your Mandala power was originally taught to you by me; since you did not use it well, this power must now be reclaimed."

"No, you cannot do that! This power is the foundation of my existence. If I lose it, do you know what I will face? Can you not spare me for the sake of the past? I will leave this place and never return! But no matter what happens, you cannot take my power!"

Duzhong found this situation quite amusing. "Your power? This Mandala power was mine to begin with. Do you truly think you can resist? No, if I wish to do something, there is nothing you can do to stop me. You seem to have forgotten this. Very well, since you have forgotten, I shall help you remember."

Suddenly, a powerful suction force latched onto Mandala. Mandala had used his power to commit many wrongs over the years. Duzhong had given him many chances, but the man had never cherished them. "I have given you many opportunities, but you never valued them. You never valued anything. You are always looking for something better, always greedy. It was that way before, and it is that way now."

"Duzhong, do you think I would just sit and wait for death? Do you think I have no preparations? Do you think that after all these years, I would still fear you? Perhaps I feared you once, but now, there is no need!"

Mandala suddenly unleashed a surge of fierce power from within his body, enough to resist Duzhong’s might. "Good lad, I truly underestimated you. You have reached such a level of strength? But do you think that even so, I have no way to deal with you? In truth, I didn't want to play with you at first, but since you seem to be enjoying yourself, then I know you like to play. Since that is the case, this becomes interesting. You like to fight a war of attrition? Very well, I shall indulge you!"

"But this will be very disadvantageous for you. Perhaps in this duel with me, you will truly die. Think about it carefully—wouldn't it be a pity to die just like that?"

"Sect Master, you will soon know exactly how much power I possess. I have spent a great deal of effort to push this power to its limit, and it seems it was all worth it. Sect Master, what other abilities do you have? If you are willing, you should unleash all your power. I am looking forward to it."

*Bang! Bang! Bang!* The two abandoned technique for sheer force, engaging in an all-out battle. Neither knew the final outcome, but both were committed to fighting with everything they had.

"Hahaha! This is truly satisfying! I never thought I would be able to fight you to this extent, Sect Master. I never dared to imagine it before, but now, I believe my power has surpassed yours. Sect Master, you should keep your promise and hand over the position of Sect Master to me. For the sake of the past, I might spare you. But if you are unwilling, then you know exactly what the result will be."

Duzhong and Mandala pushed their poison arts to the extreme, yet in terms of raw power, the Sect Master remained the stronger of the two. "Boy, you are truly arrogant. To think you dared to challenge me. Unfortunately, no matter how you fight, you are not my match. You should have known this long ago. But you have spent years acting against the heavens, so who can you blame for this outcome?"

"No, I will not be defeated! I have conquered many strong enemies over these years; my power has long since surpassed yours! Why? Why am I still not your match? You haven't even been cultivating all these years, so why do you still have such formidable power?"

"Yes, why do I still possess such formidable power? I have no desire to know. I suppose that is the greatest difference between us. No matter how you cultivate, you will never be my match. There is no way around it."

"No, do you think I believe you? I have cultivated bitterly for so many years—is this the only result I deserve?"

"Hahaha! This result is the best one for you. You don't want to accept it? Alas, even if you don't accept it, you must endure it. It may seem unfair, but that is how I do things. When you possess absolute power, then come and talk to me. I remember telling you this before, but you seem to have forgotten. What? You don't want to remember? Very well, it seems you have no choice but to die!"

"Sect Master, you are far too arrogant. Very well, I admit you possess immense power, but do you think you can kill me with it? No, you could not do it before, and you certainly cannot do it now."

Even now, Mandala did not believe he was defeated. In truth, he still held a hidden, formidable power. He had not wanted to use it so soon, as it was his final trump card. If he used it now, he would have no more secrets in the martial arts world. It was disadvantageous, but he had no other choice.

"Sect Master, if I could, I would not use this final power. Do you think that after all these years of cultivation, my power is limited to the Mandala Flower? If that were all, how do you think I survived until now?"

Duzhong knew Mandala had always been strong, but the man had hidden it well. "Good! If you can bring out your true power, I will be delighted. In fact, what I want most is to fight you! This power of mine has been treasured for many years. You are truly lucky today; no one else has ever been worthy of seeing my ultimate strength."

"In truth, the best thing I ever did in my life was to absorb the power of the Poison Sect’s First Elder, Lord Tianye. For years, his death has been a cold case, but I will tell you now: I did it. Lord Tianye’s power was truly formidable. He was unappreciative; I told him that once I became Sect Master, I would rely on him. But do you know what he said? He had already seen through my heart. He knew that if the sect fell into my hands, most of the disciples would suffer, and he would never allow it."

"His power was truly immense. To this day, I believe his death at my hands was destiny. By sheer coincidence, I won, and I absorbed his cultivation. Actually, Tianye was the one who should have mastered the Other Shore Flower Divine Art. Even back then, his power was terrifying. If I am not mistaken, he had already reached the fourth realm!"

"But due to his own reasons, he did not complete the art. Otherwise, had he finished it, I would never have been able to defeat him. This proves that his power was always meant for me. After all these years of integration, my power and Lord Tianye’s have merged perfectly. This is the source of my final strength. Now that you know this, Sect Master, do you still think you can defeat me?"

"I see. In fact, I should thank you. If it weren't for you, I might have spent a long time investigating Tianye’s death. I remember now—Tianye’s eyes were always strange. He seemed to have something important on his mind. He once told me to be careful of you. But you were so young back then, your temperament so gentle, your cultivation so mediocre—how could you have had the mind to covet what was not yours?"

"It seems I was too naive. As long as a person is determined to become strong, no problem is insurmountable. I have never experienced such things before, and for that, I must thank you. If not for you, I would not have become so calm!"

"It seems you have finally revealed your ultimate power. Since this is such a good opportunity, tell me, how should I deal with you? I have been thinking about this. You want to be the Sect Master, so I have a wonderful idea. How much power do you have? Why not prove yourself? Because the opponent you are about to face is not me, but your old brothers who died at your hands! Why are you looking at me like that? You think they are dead? No, they did not die. Because your power was too strong, it simply sent them into a deep slumber. To deal with you, I had to wake them up."

"These old friends were very kind to you in the past, yet you harmed them all for the sake of your own ambition. Your heart is truly cold. But this is exactly what a man like you would do. I think your old friends have many words for you now. You can see it, can you not? The Mandala’s power seems to have become much stronger."

"This is your last chance. Of course, if you intend to let him go again, you know exactly what the consequences will be, even if I don't say it."

"Thank you, Sect Master, for giving us has-beens such a good opportunity. You are right; we have long-standing grievances with Mandala. Hmph, Mandala, it has been many years. Did you ever think we would meet again? Yes, I suppose you never did, because in your mind, I was a dead man. Hahaha! Now that you see me, what do you have to say?"

"Perhaps you have forgotten that the title 'Mandala' originally belonged to me. Back then, you said you liked my title and hoped to possess it one day. Of course, you did possess it—after absorbing all my power and stealing my title along with it. I imagine you never wanted anyone to know that. But I am not here for the title; I am here because, as a friend, you betrayed me."

"Since that is the case, I must seek justice for myself, must I not? After all, as you said, the only person one can rely on is oneself. I used to be a loner, which is why I was deceived by you."

"But this time, I have many brothers by my side. They are all the same as me; they trusted you deeply. But were you worthy of that trust? It does not matter; we can settle these accounts slowly. There is plenty of time. Rest assured, this time, no one will help you. I will not let you go. Brothers, we have been trapped in that dark, sunless barrier for so many years because of this man! I know your hearts are filled with rage—go ahead, unleash it all!"

"Yes, whatever you want to do, you can. We have the Sect Master protecting us. Although Mandala’s power is not bad, it cannot compare to the Sect Master’s. If we are defeated, the Sect Master is here. Your worries were truly unnecessary. It is time for everything to come to a true end."

"Yes, this moment belongs to you. Do whatever you wish. Rest assured, Mandala has been arrogant for many years. I once thought he might be useful, but I was wrong. If not for my soft heart, you would not have ended up like this."

"Therefore, you can fight without fear. Whatever happens, I am here. This man will not dare to act recklessly. Please, rest assured."