Chapter 25: Battling the Spirit Martial Realm
Ten days later, Lin Feng's aura gradually grew stronger, and as he breathed in and out, a milky-white luster appeared.
At this moment, outside the cliffside cave dwelling, two figures were approaching.
"This really is a good place—quiet and ethereal, perfect for cultivation." A young man spotted the cultivation cave and couldn't help but reveal a hint of a smile.
"Xue'er, how about we make this place our cultivation ground?"
"I don't think your mind is on cultivation," said the girl beside him. She had a sexy figure, wearing a tight-fitting fiery red outfit that accentuated her curves, very eye-catching.
"Hehe, in the spare time between cultivation, being able to share the joys of the bedchamber with the beautiful Xue'er—wouldn't that be wonderful?" The young man was thin, his complexion slightly pale, not at all resembling a martial artist.
The red-clad girl rolled her eyes at the young man but didn't refuse. Martial artists' cultivation was very costly; many high-quality pills and weapons were extremely expensive. Those from ordinary families who didn't dare to take risks in the demon beast forest couldn't afford them. The red-clad girl came from an ordinary family and had average talent, but she wanted a shortcut to quickly improve her cultivation, so she thought of relying on men.
Lu Fei was eighteen years old and at the Ninth Layer of Qi Martial Realm, and he had even used external help. His talent was mediocre, but his older brother Lu Liang was an inner disciple. That was why Xue Huan had an affair with him—so she could get good pills and weapons while also enjoying physical pleasure.
Entering the cave dwelling, the two saw Lin Feng sitting cross-legged in cultivation. They exchanged glances, not expecting the place to already be occupied.
"It looks like we'll have to find another place." Xue Huan said with a hint of regret.
"Why change? Look at his cultivation aura—he's only at the Eighth Layer of Qi Martial Realm. Just chase him away," Lu Fei shook his head.
"Isn't that a bit inappropriate?" Xue Huan giggled.
"What's the problem? It's his own fault for being weak. I'll cripple his cultivation, then drive him out," Lu Fei said with a sinister smile. It was common for the strong to seize cultivation caves from the weak, but this would inevitably breed resentment. If the weak later gained strength, they might seek revenge. Therefore, some ruthless individuals would eliminate such hidden dangers.
"Hehe." Xue Huan said nothing, tacitly agreeing with Lu Fei's plan. This cliffside cave dwelling was rarely visited, making it an excellent place for pleasure and cultivation.
"Kid, stop pretending. Wake up," Lu Fei said coldly, sensing the fluctuations of heaven and earth origin energy around Lin Feng.
Lin Feng opened his eyes, a cold gleam flashing in them. He had already woken up when Lu Fei and the girl entered the cave, but he had thought they would leave on their own. It seemed his thinking was still too naive; these people's intentions were far more vicious than he had imagined.
"You want to drive me out and cripple my cultivation?" Lin Feng asked coldly.
"Since you heard, do it yourself. Cripple your own cultivation, then get lost," Lu Fei said casually, as if it were a trivial matter.
"Very well." Lin Feng nodded slightly, then stood up and slowly walked toward Lu Fei.
"You haven't crippled your own cultivation yet, and you think you can leave like that?" Lu Fei thought Lin Feng was trying to leave and sneered.
"Did I say I was leaving?" Lin Feng's gaze carried a hint of mockery. Then, he stomped his foot hard on the ground, causing the entire cave to tremble violently as his body shot forward.
"Hmm?" Lu Fei frowned, stepped back slightly, and punched forward fiercely.
"Crack!"
"Ouch!"
The bones in Lu Fei's arm shattered inch by inch, hanging limply. At the same time, a demon-like hand gripped his throat, lifting him off the ground.
"I'd like to ask you—how exactly were you going to cripple my cultivation?" Lin Feng looked at the struggling Lu Fei, his body radiating a chilling aura. Beside him, Xue Huan's face turned pale; she clearly hadn't expected Lin Feng to be this strong.
"I know I was wrong. Let me go, and I'll leave right away," Lu Fei said, grabbing Lin Feng's arm with both hands, trying to pry it open, his voice strained and hoarse as it escaped his mouth.
"Is knowing you were wrong enough?" At first, he thought Lin Feng was an easy target, planning to cripple him and drive him away. Now that he realized he couldn't, he just apologized and wanted to leave. Did he think things were that cheap in this world? If Lin Feng's strength were inferior to his, he would already be crippled by now.
"When you want to cripple someone else, you should also be prepared to be crippled yourself." As Lin Feng's words fell, he punched Lu Fei in the dantian, sending him flying.
Glancing at Xue Huan, who was still standing there in a daze, Lin Feng shouted coldly, "Get lost."
Xue Huan's body trembled slightly, then she ran over to support Lu Fei as they left the cave.
"You actually crippled my cultivation! I'll make you wish you were dead..." A cold, harsh shout came from outside the cave, but Lin Feng ignored it and continued cultivating.
However, Lin Feng didn't cultivate for long before he woke up again. Lu Fei and Xue Huan had returned, and they had brought someone with them.
This person was about nineteen years old, with some resemblance to Lu Fei, but his face was like an eagle's, his eyes sharp as a falcon's, giving him a much colder and fiercer look than Lu Fei.
"Big brother, this bastard broke my arm and crippled my cultivation. I want him dead—no, I want him to beg for death but not be able to die," Lu Fei said, his face dark and terrifying, twisted like a vengeful ghost.
"Don't worry. I'll cripple his cultivation first, break his limbs, and then hand him over to you," Lu Liang said, staring at Lin Feng, making Lin Feng feel like he was being watched by a fierce bird of prey.
"Good." Lu Fei nodded in satisfaction.
Lin Feng frowned. Although Lu Liang hadn't released his aura, from those hawk-like eyes, Lin Feng could tell that this man was much stronger than Lu Fei, even stronger than Jing Hao, who ranked sixth among the outer disciples.
"You dared to cripple my little brother. I'll make you understand how painful the consequences are," Lu Liang said as he walked toward Lin Feng.
Lin Feng lifted his foot and took several steps forward. His entire demeanor suddenly changed—becoming powerful and domineering.
Space surged like wild waves. The Ninefold Wave caused ripples throughout the cave, and the faint sound of crashing waves echoed within. With his Eighth Layer of Qi Martial Realm cultivation, Lin Feng unleashed the Ninefold Wave with all his might. The power of his punch exceeded nine thousand jin, likely reaching nine thousand five hundred jin—extremely formidable.
"So you were deliberately hiding your cultivation. No wonder my brother was crippled by you. But this level of strength is still not enough in front of me."
Feeling this power, Lu Liang thought Lin Feng was at the Ninth Layer of Qi Martial Realm and silently cursed his brother for being foolish, indulging only in women, leading to such a tragic outcome.
A sharp screech came from Lu Liang's mouth, not like a human sound at all, but like the cry of a fierce bird.
Lu Liang turned his palm into a claw, and on those five fingers, a wild, sharp aura emanated.
The Ninefold Wave and the claw clashed and separated instantly. Lin Feng's figure flashed back in retreat. He looked at his palm, where a piece of flesh had been torn off, blood continuously seeping out, causing intense pain.
"Spirit Martial Realm!" Lin Feng looked at Lu Liang. With just a casual claw strike that broke through his nine thousand five hundred jin of power and left a bloody souvenir on his hand, Lin Feng could already confirm that the other party's cultivation had surpassed the Qi Martial Realm.
"Are you regretting it now? Too bad—it's already too late," Lu Liang said without denying it. He had smoothly broken into the Spirit Martial Realm a few months ago. His physical body was strong, and a casual strike could release powerful vital energy. A Qi Martial Realm cultivator was no match for a Spirit Martial Realm expert.
"I do regret it a bit, but I regret not killing him directly." Lin Feng drew his long sword from his back. His body moved with his intent, like Floating Light Passing Shadow. Rather than being afraid and regretful, it was better to fight with all his might.
A thunderous roar exploded within the cave. The long sword turned into a beam of light, thrusting toward Lu Liang.
Lu Liang didn't dodge or evade. His claw hooked like a talon, sweeping directly toward the sword. A burst of powerful vital energy flared, deflecting the sword tip, and then Lu Liang's claw grabbed directly at the sword.
"One Sword, Thunderclap," Lin Feng shouted softly. The sword aura howled, thunder rolled, and when Lu Liang's hard claw touched the sword tip, he felt a violent force surge through, like the power of lightning.
"Sword Roar, Thunder Sound."
The long sword moved like the wind, spinning upward. The roar of the sword mixed with the sound of thunder, incredibly domineering.
"Boom!"
A powerful aura erupted. Behind Lu Liang, his martial soul manifested—an eagle martial soul from the beast-type category. The eagle's phantom was sharp and wild, but far less majestic than Chu Zhanpeng's roc martial soul.
An eagle's screech rang out. Lu Liang's claws glowed with golden light, closing together in the middle. The sword aura instantly dissipated, and Lin Feng's long sword was caught firmly in Lu Liang's palm.
"The majesty of the Spirit Martial Realm is not something you can contend with," Lu Liang said, his eagle eyes wild and fierce. He had actually felt a threat from Lin Feng's sword technique, which was why he released his martial soul.
Having undergone the tempering of the Bell and Drum Precipice, Lin Feng's Thunderclap Sword Technique had reached perfection. Even though he himself only had the Eighth Layer of Qi Martial Realm cultivation, a casual sword strike was no weaker than one from a Ninth Layer Qi Martial Realm cultivator, and even stronger.
However, after Lu Liang released his eagle martial soul, both his eye perception and strength had improved, allowing him to directly catch Lin Feng's sword.
But was the Spirit Martial Realm truly something a Qi Martial Realm cultivator couldn't contend with? At least Lin Feng didn't believe so!