The carriage was pulled by three Qianli Snow horses, moving swiftly along the main road.
Inside the carriage, Duan Feng and Jing Yun sat on one side, while Lin Feng and Meng Qing sat opposite them.
"Lin Feng, how did you and Meng Qing meet?" Jing Yun asked, her gaze occasionally shifting to Meng Qing. However, Meng Qing's eyes remained expressionless, though the mere presence of her expression was enough to leave Jing Yun in awe.
Jing Yun did not ask how Lin Feng had survived, for she feared touching on a painful subject. In the situation where the sect had been wiped out, Lin Feng was still alive, and even Jing Yun had thought the worst.
Of course, Jing Yun would not blame Lin Feng; on the contrary, she was glad that he was alive. How he had survived was no longer important.
"In the mountains," Lin Feng said casually, not wanting to say more without Meng Qing's permission.
"Oh, then why did you think of going to the Imperial City?" Jing Yun asked again.
The Imperial City, with countless strong individuals, was the true core of the Xueyue Kingdom.
"Because there are many people in the Imperial City," Lin Feng said something that Jing Yun couldn't understand.
"And you, Jing Yun, why did you go to the Imperial City?" Lin Feng also asked, glancing at Duan Feng beside her. According to what Jing Yun had said, Duan Feng had been summoned to the Imperial City, which clearly meant that someone in the Imperial City wanted Duan Feng to come, and that person must be extraordinary to make Duan Feng willing to travel such a long distance.
Jing Yun glanced at Duan Feng, who smiled and said, "Big Brother Lin Feng, Sister Jing Yun came with me because one of my clan brothers wanted me to go to the Imperial City to enter a college for cultivation."
"College?" A hint of surprise flashed in Lin Feng's eyes as he asked, "Xueyue Holy College?"
"No," to Lin Feng's surprise, Duan Feng shook his head and said, "Tianyi College."
"Tianyi College?" Lin Feng showed a puzzled look; he had never heard of Tianyi College.
"Yes, Tianyi College," Duan Feng nodded, "Tianyi College is not well-known, and few people know about it. It never recruits disciples from outside, only through internal recommendations. My clan brother has a recommendation slot and recommended me to enter Tianyi College."
"Only recommendations, no external recruitment?" Lin Feng found it a bit strange. A college, in a way, was similar to a sect, but with some differences.
Sects, like Yunhai Sect, recruited countless disciples, divided into outer sect, inner sect, and core disciples, with outer sect elders, inner sect elders, and a very strict hierarchy. Disciples had to rely on their own efforts to improve their cultivation and advance, eventually becoming elders and rising to prominence.
Colleges, on the other hand, only recruited talented and potential young people, providing them with good resources and teachers to help them become powerful individuals.
In the past, Xueyue Kingdom did not have colleges, but they were introduced from other countries. However, in Xueyue, colleges were still very few and not well-known, far from comparable to sects.
But this time, Xueyue Kingdom issued a call to recruit talented and potential young people, creating the Xueyue Holy College, clearly aiming to build a powerful college that would surpass sects.
"Big Brother Lin Feng, you are a disciple of Yunhai Sect, and your strength should be about the same as Sister Jing Yun. When the time comes, I can talk to my clan brother and see if he can recommend you to enter Tianyi College."
Duan Feng's smile was sincere. Although he was young, he had a mature demeanor and no airs, unlike his guards, who were extremely arrogant.
"Right, Lin Feng, why don't you also enter Tianyi College?"
Jing Yun's eyes lit up. With Yunhai Sect being wiped out, Lin Feng joining Tianyi College would not be considered a betrayal of the sect. As for Lin Feng's talent, Jing Yun didn't even consider it.
In the first round of the sect competition, Jing Yun had personally witnessed how arrogant Lin Feng was, killing the inner sect disciple Yu Hao with one sword and advancing to the inner sect, showing his formidable strength.
Lin Feng smiled casually without responding. Although the sect had been destroyed, he was now the sect master of Yunhai Sect!
...
The carriage sped away from the town, the sunset's glow illuminating the land. Inside the carriage, Lin Feng, Jing Yun, and Duan Feng chatted casually, while Meng Qing closed her eyes, seemingly asleep, very quietly.
Taking off his coat, Lin Feng draped it over Meng Qing's shoulders. The weather was so cold, yet this woman was dressed so thinly.
Seeing this, Jing Yun's eyes flashed with a hint of surprise.
Meng Qing, who had been sleeping, suddenly opened her eyes, turned her head, and saw Lin Feng draping the coat over her shoulders. Her eyes flickered, and she felt a strange sensation, something she had never experienced before.
"Rumble..." Suddenly, the hooves trembled, and the carriage shook slightly.
Outside, Uncle Wang pulled the reins, and the carriage stopped. The ground's tremors grew stronger.
"Uncle Wang, what's happening?" Duan Feng asked in a low voice.
"They are bandits, Young Master. Stay inside, and I'll send someone to negotiate with them."
Uncle Wang instructed and then ordered someone to go and negotiate with the bandits.
A scream echoed, startling those inside the carriage.
"Get someone who can talk," a rough voice said lazily and arrogantly.
"Let's go and see." Duan Feng frowned and got off the carriage, followed by Lin Feng and Jing Yun. Meng Qing, however, stayed inside the carriage.
At that moment, dozens of bandits lined up not far away, their eyes filled with malice.
"I'll go and see." A young guard tightened his grip on the reins and rode forward to the bandit leader.
"Everyone, we..." The young guard was about to speak when the bandit leader leaped from his horse, lunging at the young guard with his long saber.
The young guard's face turned pale as he raised his spear to block the saber.
But in the same instant, the saber turned, and a cold, sharp light flashed. With a hiss, the young guard's head flew off, and blood spurted out like a fountain, extremely gruesome.
Jing Yun's body trembled, and the bloody scene made her feel nauseous, reminding her of the scene she had seen in the canyon. Her face turned deathly pale.
"Didn't I say to get someone who can talk? I think that girl looks good."
The bandit leader pointed his saber at Jing Yun, and the bandits all laughed wildly.
"Right, get that beauty over here to talk." Someone cheered, making Jing Yun's face even paler. Hearing their filthy words, she was so angry that her body trembled.
"Jing Yun, get back in the carriage." Lin Feng said to Jing Yun and helped her back into the carriage.
"Boy, you're asking for death, hiding that girl."
The bandits glared at Lin Feng angrily.
"Exactly, we must kill all of them, and that girl will be ours to enjoy."
"You did a good job."
Wan Qingshan glared at Lin Feng coldly.
Lin Feng's eyes narrowed, looking at Wan Qingshan coldly. What good job? He had only helped Jing Yun get into the carriage.
"Waste of space, this is your fault, solve it yourself. Don't drag us down; we won't help you."
Wan Qingshan's face was expressionless as he scolded Lin Feng, wanting to see what kind of disciple Yunhai Sect produced.
"None of your business."
Lin Feng said indifferently, stepping forward toward the bandits.
"Let's talk."
Lin Feng stood a short distance from the bandit leader, his voice cold.
"You're asking for death."
A bandit rode toward Lin Feng, his saber slicing through the air with a cold, sharp wind.
A light flashed, and a sword appeared in Lin Feng's hand, a flexible sword.
The sword was out, blood splattered, and the bandit was dead.
Fast, extremely fast. Lin Feng's sword-drawing technique was now perfected. Every movement of drawing the sword was a technique, and using the sword, drawing it was not a weakness but a fatal strike.
How could a bandit possibly withstand such a fast and sharp sword?
"Get someone who can talk."
Lin Feng's tone was indifferent, similar to what the bandit had said earlier. The bandits fell silent, looking at the young figure.
With just one sword, Lin Feng had stunned them.
Wan Qingshan frowned, not feeling happy about Lin Feng killing the bandit but rather feeling a chill. Lin Feng's strength made him uncomfortable.
Moreover, he couldn't even gauge how strong Lin Feng was, only knowing that the sword was very fast.
"Friend, this is none of your business. Can you stay out of it?"
The bandit leader's voice lowered, making Lin Feng slightly surprised.
His eyes flickered, and he felt suspicious, but he said, "Didn't you say I was asking for death? I'm waiting here."
"Hmph, if that's the case, don't blame us for being rude."
The bandit leader's face darkened, and he waved his hand. "Kill him."
As he spoke, the bandits charged at Lin Feng, forming a three-sided encirclement, moving with the same speed, as if they were well-trained.
"Kill."
Their sabers raised, a bloody and fierce aura spread, making Lin Feng feel enveloped by a killing intent. This feeling was familiar, oppressive, similar to when he was surrounded by the Red Blood Cavalry, though not as intense.
"Kill."
Another loud, synchronized shout echoed, and the sabers spun, reflecting a chilling light.
Hooves thundered as the bandits charged at Lin Feng.
Lin Feng's toes lightly touched the ground, and he leaped up, reaching the height of the bandits on horseback.
"Deadly Sword."
A sword light flashed, and a powerful sword aura burst forth. The bandits charging at him felt a cold, sharp sword intent enveloping their bodies, making their hearts tremble.
Then, the deadly sword aura transformed into a brilliant arc, vanishing in an instant. The hooves went wild, and the bandits' bodies fell from their horses.
One sword, all killed!
PS: We're about to overtake the one above us. If you have any flowers, please throw them. I'm very grateful, and we'll soon be in the top three!