Chapter 22: Severing Your Arm
"This guy has some nerve, daring to speak to an elder like that."
"A reckless lunatic who's clearly tired of living."
The crowd muttered inwardly, clearly not expecting Lin Feng to be so bold as to question an inner sect elder.
On the Nine Heavens Continent, sects flourished, and powerful ones could even influence an entire kingdom, commanding wind and rain. Within a sect, competition was fierce and hierarchy extremely strict. First came outer sect disciples, then inner sect disciples and core disciples, and above them, outer sect elders and inner sect elders.
Lin Feng was merely an outer sect disciple, his status worlds apart from Mo Xie's. One could say Mo Xie could decide whether he lived or died.
Mo Xie's heart turned icy cold. Lin Feng had clearly said something he shouldn't have.
"Hou Qing, what is the punishment for defying a sect elder?" Mo Xie stared at Lin Feng, not shifting his gaze.
"Reporting to the elder, at the lightest, expulsion from the sect; at the severest, first crippling the cultivation, then expulsion," Hou Qing replied. How could he not understand Mo Xie's intent? He wouldn't miss such a golden opportunity.
"Elder, Hou Qing believes Lin Feng's actions are nothing short of treasonous. He should have his cultivation crippled and be expelled from Cloud Sea Sect."
"No need. His cultivation wasn't easy to obtain, so let him keep it. Sever one of his arms, then expel him from the sect. That will suffice," Mo Xie said magnanimously.
"How ruthless." Lin Feng seethed inwardly. He had no prior grudge against Mo Xie, yet the man had come and pinned a crime on him. Either way, he would be expelled from the sect. And once expelled, Lin Qian and that sinister young man would surely not let him go. This was clearly a death sentence.
As Lin Feng suspected, this was a dead end for him.
"In a world where martial arts reign supreme, without sufficient strength or talent, even the sect is unreliable." Lin Feng saw it clearly. In this world, everything depended on oneself. Right now, a sect elder wanted to sever his arm and expel him on trumped-up charges.
Lin Feng glanced at Nan Gong Ling. The sect master had yet to speak, so there was still a chance to turn things around.
"Everything hinges on strength and talent. Since I lack strength now, I'll have to reveal my talent." Lin Feng's mind raced. If all else failed, he would bring up the matter of the Bell and Drum Cliff.
When all eight bells and drums had sounded, two sect protectors had appeared and personally escorted him back, covering his tracks. Even Lin Feng, as dense as he was, understood that the trial he had passed was no simple test.
By now, Hou Qing had stepped before Lin Feng. Under the gaze of countless eyes, including the sect master and the grand elder, Hou Qing felt both nervous and excited. This was a perfect chance to show off.
"Waste, just sever your own arm. The gap between our strength is too great; I disdain to dirty my hands on you," Hou Qing said arrogantly.
Lin Feng saw the flicker in Hou Qing's eyes and shook his head inwardly. With such an unstable will, the tenth-ranked outer sect disciple was nothing special.
"Make your move." Lin Feng drew the long sword from his back, gripping it steadily in his palm. He stood calmly in place, his heart unruffled.
"Heh, since that's the case, I'll do it myself." Hou Qing knew Lin Feng wouldn't sever his own arm; he had only said that to belittle Lin Feng and elevate himself.
"Wind-Chasing Art."
With a low shout, Hou Qing's figure vanished instantly. The Wind-Chasing Art moved with the wind; when mastered to its peak, one's speed was as swift as the wind.
"Senior Brother Hou Qing is the tenth-ranked expert among outer sect disciples, unmatched in lightness skill and movement technique. How could Lin Feng possibly contend with him?"
"And this guy still stands there so calmly. He's just asking for humiliation."
As the crowd saw Hou Qing's figure drift like the wind, exclamations rang out. Among outer sect disciples, Hou Qing's tenth-place ranking relied entirely on his lightness skill. Even those ranked above him might not be able to land a hit.
Mo Xie saw Hou Qing's movement technique and a smile crept onto his face. It seemed Hou Qing's strength had grown again. He hoped that in the year-end sect competition, Hou Qing could break into the top five of the outer sect, which would bring honor to him as his master.
As for whether Hou Qing could handle Lin Feng, Mo Xie never even considered it. Lin Feng was only at the Eighth Layer of Qi Martial Realm; he probably couldn't last three moves against Hou Qing.
Among the crowd present, perhaps only Lin Feng himself believed in his own ability. He held his sword with one hand, as still as a mountain, watching Hou Qing's elusive, unpredictable figure.
Just then, a gust of howling wind swept in, rustling Lin Feng's robes and lifting his long hair, sending it all flying. At that moment, Hou Qing's figure suddenly vanished.
"It's over. Senior Brother Hou Qing's lightness skill is truly superb."
Before the battle had even begun, the crowd had already reached their verdict.
Lin Feng closed his eyes, quietly feeling the whistling wind. His breathing and heartbeat stopped entirely, leaving only his sharp senses to track the fleeting figure.
The sword in Lin Feng's hand suddenly moved, following the wind. The trajectory of the blade carried the lightness and grace of the wind.
"Sever!" A domineering shout came from above Lin Feng's head, accompanied by a tremendous crushing force.
"Get lost."
Lin Feng spat out a single word. Sword light flashed, and then the crowd saw blood spray out.
A piercing scream of agony echoed through the space. The crowd stared in disbelief at what had just happened.
Hou Qing had failed to strike Lin Feng. He had lost, his arm severed by Lin Feng's simple, casual sword strike.
"How is this possible? How did Lin Feng do it?" The outer sect disciples gasped inwardly, especially those who had heard of Lin Feng's reputation as a waste. Lin Feng had severed Hou Qing's arm with a single sword stroke.
These outer sect disciples hadn't seen how Lin Feng had done it, but those above inner sect disciple level had clearly seen it. Lin Feng's sword strike was like a sword, yet also like the wind. The sword moved with the wind, as if it wasn't the sword that had severed Hou Qing's arm, but the wind itself.
"Fusing sword technique with the wind. Does the Star Pavilion have such a sword art?" Nan Gong Ling's eyes flickered for the first time. Lin Feng's simple strike was too beautiful, almost perfect, with not a trace of wasted force. The sword followed the wind, severing an arm in one blow. And this was the result of Lin Feng's control; if Lin Feng had wanted Hou Qing's life, that one strike would have been enough.
Lin Feng had never practiced any martial skill that fused sword technique with the wind. But on the cliff face, he had gained an insight: all things in heaven and earth have momentum. A sword has sword momentum; the wind has wind momentum. He had simply used that wind momentum, hiding his sword within it, as if the sword technique was fused with the wind, breaking the enemy in one strike.
"Could it be momentum?" Nan Gong Ling thought of another possibility, but then dismissed it. Lin Feng was only at the Qi Martial Realm; how could he possibly comprehend momentum?
Forget the Qi Martial Realm; even Spirit Martial Realm experts, only a few geniuses could grasp a sliver of momentum. Qi Martial Realm cultivators wanting to borrow momentum would have to rely on their martial soul's power to do so, unable to comprehend and apply it on their own. But Lin Feng hadn't even released his martial soul.
"This waste has indeed gotten a bit stronger. No wonder he's so arrogant. But to me, a waste is still a waste. Don't think you'll ever turn things around." Lin Qian muttered inwardly upon seeing Lin Feng sever Hou Qing's arm with one sword stroke. She was now a Spirit Martial Realm expert, and her martial soul had undergone a lifebound awakening, with ice and fire sharing the same source. How could she be compared to a mere waste like Lin Feng?
Mo Xie's face was extremely ugly. He had sent Hou Qing to sever Lin Feng's arm, only to have Hou Qing's arm severed by Lin Feng instead. This was undoubtedly a slap in the face. This brat had to die.
Lin Feng paid no attention to the crowd's stares. His face remained calm. Sheathing his long sword, he glanced at Hou Qing, who was kneeling on the ground, feeling no pity whatsoever.
"Tenth-ranked outer sect disciple? Disdain to dirty your hands on me?" Lin Feng mocked. "I truly don't understand what you're so proud of."
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