"Guy, he’s got some serious guts, daring to speak to an elder like that."
"Madman, he’s asking for death. Looks like he’s tired of living."
The crowd muttered in their hearts, clearly not expecting Lin Feng to be so bold as to question an inner gate elder.
In the Nine Heavens Continent, sects were flourishing, and powerful sects could even sway a nation, commanding the elements. Within the sects, competition was fierce, and the hierarchy was extremely strict. First were the outer gate disciples, then the inner gate disciples and core disciples, and above them were the outer gate elders and inner gate elders.
Lin Feng was merely an outer gate disciple, and his status was far below Mo Xie’s. One could say that Mo Xie could make him live or die as he pleased.
Mo Xie’s heart was filled with icy coldness; Lin Feng had clearly said what he shouldn’t have.
"Ou Qing, what is the punishment for defying a sect elder?" Mo Xie stared at Lin Feng, his gaze unwavering.
"Reporting to the elder, the lightest punishment is expulsion from the sect, and the severest is to first cripple his cultivation and then expel him from the sect." Ou Qing understood Mo Xie’s intentions all too well. This was a golden opportunity he couldn’t let slip.
"Elder, Ou Qing believes that Lin Feng’s actions are utterly disrespectful and should be crippled and expelled from the Yunhai Sect."
"No need. His cultivation was hard-earned, so let it be. Just cripple one of his arms and then expel him from the sect." Mo Xie said 'magnanimously.'
"How vicious." Lin Feng seethed inwardly. He and Mo Xie had no past grievances, yet the moment Mo Xie arrived, he pinned a crime on him. No matter what, he would be expelled from the sect. Once expelled, Lin Qian and that strange young man would surely not let him off. This was clearly a death sentence.
Indeed, as Lin Feng had guessed, this was a dead end for him.
"In the world of martial arts, respect is earned through strength and talent. Without sufficient strength and talent, even a sect cannot be relied upon." Lin Feng’s heart was as clear as a mirror. In this world, everything depended on oneself. For example, now, a sect elder wanted to cripple his arm and expel him from the sect, all based on a fabricated charge.
Lin Feng glanced at Nangong Ling. The sect leader had not yet spoken, so there was still a chance to turn things around.
"Everything depends on strength and talent. Since my strength is not yet great, I will display my talent." Lin Feng’s thoughts raced. If all else failed, he would reveal the matter of the Bell and Drum Cliffs.
When all eight bell and drum faces sounded, two sect enforcers appeared and personally escorted him back, concealing the truth. Even if Lin Feng was foolish, he understood that the test he passed was not as simple as he initially thought.
At this moment, Ou Qing had already approached Lin Feng, drawing the attention of many, including the sect leader and the grand elder. Ou Qing was a bit nervous but also excited. This was a good opportunity to show himself.
"Waste, cut off your own arm. Your strength is far below mine, and I disdain to strike you." Ou Qing said arrogantly.
Lin Feng saw the flicker in Ou Qing’s eyes and shook his head inwardly. With such weak willpower, the tenth-ranked outer gate disciple was nothing special.
"Make your move." Lin Feng drew his long sword from his back, holding it steadily in his hand, standing calmly with no ripples in his heart.
"Ha, since that’s the case, I’ll make my move." Ou Qing, of course, knew that Lin Feng wouldn’t cut off his own arm. His previous words were just to belittle Lin Feng and elevate himself.
"Wind Step."
With a low cry, Ou Qing’s figure instantly vanished from the spot. The Wind Step technique allowed him to move with the wind, and when mastered, his speed was as swift as the wind.
"Brother Ou Qing is the tenth-ranked outer gate disciple, unmatched in lightness and agility. How can Lin Feng possibly match him?"
"This guy can still stand so steadily, but he’s just asking for humiliation."
The crowd saw Ou Qing’s figure move like the wind, and cheers erupted. Among the outer gate disciples, Ou Qing ranked tenth, primarily due to his lightness and agility. Even those ranked above him might not be able to injure Ou Qing.
Seeing Ou Qing’s agility, Mo Xie’s face showed a hint of a smile. It seemed Ou Qing’s strength had increased. He hoped that in next year’s sect competition, Ou Qing could enter the top five of the outer gate, which would bring him, as the master, some face.
As for whether Ou Qing could deal with Lin Feng, Mo Xie didn’t even consider it. With only Eighth Stage Qi Martial Realm cultivation, Lin Feng probably wouldn’t last three moves against Ou Qing.
Among the crowd, perhaps only Lin Feng himself believed in himself. He held his sword in one hand, standing as immovable as a mountain, watching Ou Qing’s elusive figure.
At this moment, a gust of wind blew, rustling Lin Feng’s clothes and making his long hair flutter. Ou Qing’s figure suddenly vanished.
"It’s over. Brother Ou Qing’s lightness is truly remarkable."
The battle hadn’t even started, but the crowd had already made their judgment.
Lin Feng closed his eyes, feeling the rustling wind, his breathing and heartbeat stopping at this moment. Only his sharp senses were capturing the elusive figure.
Suddenly, Lin Feng’s sword moved, following the wind, its trajectory light and graceful like the wind.
"Sever." A domineering voice came from above Lin Feng’s head, accompanied by a massive pressure.
"Scram."
Lin Feng spat out a single word. The sword flashed, and the crowd saw blood splatter.
A piercing scream echoed through the space, and the crowd looked on in disbelief at what had just happened.
Ou Qing had failed to hit Lin Feng. He was defeated, and Lin Feng had casually severed one of his arms with a single sword strike.
"How could this be? How did Lin Feng do it?" The outer gate disciples were shocked, especially those who had heard of Lin Feng’s reputation as a waste. Lin Feng had severed Ou Qing’s arm with a single sword strike.
The outer gate disciples didn’t see how Lin Feng did it, but those above the inner gate disciples did. Lin Feng’s sword was like the wind, moving with it, as if it wasn’t the sword that severed Ou Qing’s arm, but the wind.
"Integrating sword techniques into the wind. Does the Star Pavilion have such a sword technique?" Nangong Ling’s eyes flickered for the first time. Lin Feng’s simple sword strike was too beautiful, almost perfect, with no wasted force. The sword moved with the wind, severing the arm in one strike. If Lin Feng had wanted to take Ou Qing’s life, that strike would have been enough.
Lin Feng, of course, had not practiced any sword technique that integrated with the wind. On the cliff, he had a sudden enlightenment. The Heavenly Sword has a momentum, and so does the wind. He had merely utilized the wind’s momentum, hiding the sword within it, as if the sword technique was integrated with the wind, breaking through the enemy with one strike.
"Could it be momentum?" Nangong Ling thought of another possibility but immediately dismissed it. Lin Feng was only at the Qi Martial Realm; how could he possibly understand momentum?
Not to mention the Qi Martial Realm, even Spirit Martial Realm experts could only understand a bit of momentum if they were geniuses. Qi Martial Realm experts could only borrow momentum with the help of their martial souls, using their martial souls to borrow momentum, but they couldn’t understand or apply it. Lin Feng hadn’t even released his martial soul.
"This waste has indeed become a bit stronger, no wonder he’s so arrogant. But to me, he’s still a waste, and he won’t have a chance to turn things around." Lin Qian muttered to herself, seeing Lin Feng sever Ou Qing’s arm. She was now a Spirit Martial Realm expert, and her martial soul had undergone a life-awakening, with ice and fire as its source. How could Lin Feng, a mere waste, compare?
Mo Xie’s face was extremely ugly. He had ordered Ou Qing to sever Lin Feng’s arm, but instead, Ou Qing had been severed by Lin Feng. This was a slap in his face. This boy must die.
Lin Feng paid no attention to the crowd’s gazes, his face remaining calm. He sheathed his sword and glanced at the kneeling Ou Qing, feeling no pity.
"Outer gate tenth-ranked? Disdain to strike me?" Lin Feng mocked. "I really don’t understand what your pride is based on."
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