Chapter 26: Returning to a Familiar Place
Now that Lin Feng was only at the eighth layer of the Qi Martial Realm, he was already capable of threatening Lü Liang. Lin Feng fully believed that once he stepped into the ninth layer of the Qi Martial Realm, he would definitely be able to put up a fight.
"Ninefold Wave." Lin Feng's left fist shot out, surging like a tidal wave, rushing straight toward Lü Liang's face.
"Rending Cloud Claw." Lü Liang raised one hand, curling his fingers into hooks and reaching forward. Instantly, a powerful blast of air pierced through the atmosphere, and the mighty wave seemed on the verge of dissipating.
"Thunderclap Without Extremes."
Lin Feng's wrist trembled, causing the longsword to quiver in Lü Liang's hand. The sound of thunder stirred restlessly. Lü Liang felt his hand go numb and released the sword.
But the moment he let go, Lü Liang's claw struck the sword fiercely. Lin Feng felt a tremendous force surge through him, sending his body flying backward with a muffled groan.
"Lü Liang possesses an Eagle Martial Soul, specializing in sharpness, perception, and destructive power, with strength being secondary. But even a single strike imbued with air force still carries ten thousand jin of power."
Lin Feng pondered inwardly. The gap between the eighth layer of the Qi Martial Realm and the Spirit Martial Realm was enormous. After all, there was a chasm between the Qi Martial Realm and the Spirit Martial Realm. Crossing levels to challenge an opponent was far more difficult than when both parties were in the Qi Martial Realm. Lin Feng knew that defeating Lü Liang was simply unrealistic.
"One Sword, Thunderclap." Lin Feng swung his longsword once more, but this time he did not attack proactively. He thrust the sword into the air, then followed with a second thrust, a third thrust, and so on. Thunderclaps exploded continuously, echoing through the cave dwelling with rumbling sounds, as if the Thunder God was enraged.
In just a moment, a curtain of sword light formed around Lin Feng, enveloping him completely as sword qi raged wildly.
"Defense? What use is that? Before a Spirit Martial Realm expert, any tactic is superfluous." Lü Liang sneered. His Eagle Wings flapped as he dove from the air toward Lin Feng. Before he even arrived, a powerful air force slammed into the sword curtain, producing violent explosive sounds.
Within the sword curtain, Lin Feng felt like a solitary boat adrift on a vast ocean, battered by wind and rain. The powerful air force continuously hammered the sword curtain, transmitting force to his body. Yet, the Thunderclap Sword Technique flowed like drifting clouds and running water, completely unperturbed.
"Eagle Strikes the Sky."
Seeing that his air force could not overcome Lin Feng, Lü Liang lunged forward, transforming his hands into eagle claws and descending from above like an eagle striking the sky, breaking through the wind.
"Boom!" The sword curtain trembled violently. Lin Feng's body shuddered slightly, but then stabilized. The thunderclaps continued, and he stood as firm as a mountain.
Seeing that he could not defeat a Qi Martial Realm cultivator, Lü Liang's attacks grew frenzied. He transformed into a proud, solitary eagle, madly assaulting Lin Feng.
The pressure on Lin Feng grew stronger and stronger, but his sword technique became sharper and sharper. The entire cave dwelling rumbled with thunder, shaking as if it might collapse at any moment.
A trickle of blood seeped from the corner of Lin Feng's mouth. Each of Lü Liang's strikes exceeded twelve thousand jin of force, and they were unpredictable, without pattern. Lin Feng's internal organs had suffered considerable damage.
"Time to end this."
A gleam of light flashed in Lin Feng's eyes. His longsword guided the movement, and the sword curtain dissipated into nothingness. Countless strands of sword qi flowed with Lin Feng's sword, and the powerful thunderclaps seemed to merge into this single strike.
Momentum—the momentum of the sword, the momentum of thunderclaps—annihilating everything.
A terrifying, destructive aura radiated wildly from Lin Feng's sword. Sensing this power, Lü Liang's Eagle Martial Soul trembled violently. He flipped backward through the air, swift and fierce, instantly distancing himself from Lin Feng.
But Lin Feng's sword did not stop. Like a fleeting shadow, the powerful strike transformed into a thunderclap of flowing light, hurtling toward Lü Liang.
"Eagle Strikes the Sky!" Lü Liang roared, thrusting both palms forward. The air force was overwhelmingly strong.
"Boom, rumble!" The earth shook and the mountains swayed. The entire cave dwelling suddenly began to tremble.
"Floating Light Passing Shadow."
Lin Feng transformed into a streak of light, darting toward the entrance of the cave dwelling. As he left, he swung his sword once more, and a scream followed.
"Bastard!" Lü Liang roared madly. His hands were dripping with blood, clearly injured by that immensely powerful sword strike. If he had not retreated quickly, that strike could have threatened his life.
Lü Liang had never imagined that a Qi Martial Realm cultivator could not only escape from right under his nose but also wound him, and even kill his younger brother Lü Fei with a single sword stroke.
Holding Lü Fei's body, Lü Liang's face twisted like a vengeful ghost. Blood seeped from Lü Fei's throat, and his breath was gone. This was the work of Lin Feng's departing sword strike.
"I, Lü Liang, will never rest until you are dead!" A voice like something from the abyss echoed through the cave dwelling. Xue Huan trembled all over, leaning against the cave wall. She had never imagined that Lin Feng's strength would be so formidable, that even the powerful Lü Liang could not handle him.
If Lin Feng had heard Lü Liang's roar, he would have sneered coldly. Lü Liang had already wanted him to suffer a fate worse than death. The two were already locked in a life-or-death struggle. What was the point of talking about never resting? Killing one more was a gain.
Lin Feng was not an evil person. He would not actively provoke others or casually injure or kill. But if someone sought to bully or kill him, he would naturally wield his three-foot azure sword and fight back.
After running wildly for half an hour, Lin Feng gradually slowed his pace. He coughed twice, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. He had clearly suffered considerable injury. After all, the gap in strength and realm between them was evident. In this battle, he had held his own against a Spirit Martial Realm expert at the eighth layer of the Qi Martial Realm—something to be proud of.
Taking a bottle from his person, Lin Feng opened it and poured a pill into his mouth. A cool, refreshing sensation spread through his body. Lin Feng felt the stifling pressure in his chest instantly ease, and his entire being became clear and invigorated. In less than a moment, he sensed that his injuries had almost completely healed.
"Such a domineering medicinal effect."
A look of surprise appeared in Lin Feng's eyes. No wonder Old Man Kong had said that one pill was enough to treat Han Man's injuries. He had been somewhat skeptical at the time, feeding Han Man three pills at once and leaving three more for Jing Yun, just in case. But now, experiencing the pill firsthand, Lin Feng could clearly feel just how powerful it was.
Not only did Lin Feng feel that his injuries had recovered, but even his inner breath had grown stronger.
"No wonder so many people are willing to immerse themselves in the Dao of Alchemy. Those good pills are enough to drive cultivators crazy."
On the Nine Heavens Continent, many cultivators also practiced alchemy and artifact forging. Those master alchemists and artifact forgers were highly respected and held very high status. Even within the Cloud Sea Sect, there were dedicated alchemists, but Lin Feng, as an outer disciple, had not yet come into contact with them.
"Battle is the best way to improve—this saying is indeed true. After experiencing a fierce battle and then using this powerful pill to assist, my realm has clearly improved, surpassing many days of bitter cultivation. Now I need to find a good place to consolidate and improve. Maybe I can take this opportunity to break through to the ninth layer of the Qi Martial Realm. By then, it will be about time to return to Yangzhou City for the year-end gathering."
With this thought, Lin Feng swept his gaze around and found the scenery somewhat familiar.
"So it's this place." Lin Feng's eyes lit up, and he smiled, looking into the distance.
In the distance, a crack split the middle of the mountain wall, as if cleaved by a sword. It was the Narrow Sky Gorge that Lin Feng had visited before, but he had been driven out by a woman.
"I was just wondering where to find a cave dwelling to cultivate, and here is such a good place." Lin Feng naturally would not forget the woman who had chased him twice. This time, Lin Feng wanted to see how that beautiful woman could deal with him.
Raising his steps, Lin Feng walked toward the Narrow Sky Gorge, stepping directly inside without any hesitation.
Some people around the Narrow Sky Gorge saw Lin Feng enter and were momentarily stunned. Then they waited outside to watch Lin Feng make a fool of himself. This guy actually dared to trespass into Senior Sister Liu Fei's forbidden area—he really did not know his limits.
A moment later, Lin Feng entered the Narrow Sky Gorge. The surrounding mountain walls and cliffs encircled the hot spring lake in the center. There were also many cave dwellings on the cliffs. If no one disturbed him, this place was indeed perfect for cultivation.
At that moment, in the hot spring lake, Liu Fei was the same as last time. She submerged her head and body in the water, holding her breath. Through this method, she cultivated and strengthened her inner breath. Only with a powerful inner breath could she pull the bowstring tauter with a single breath, making the arrows she shot more powerful.
When her beautiful face emerged from the water, Liu Fei saw Lin Feng again. She was momentarily stunned, then narrowed her eyes and said coldly, "You again."
"That's right, me again." Lin Feng smiled calmly. He dared to fight even a Spirit Martial Realm cultivator, let alone Liu Fei. Although Liu Fei ranked high among the outer disciples, Lin Feng was still confident. After all, Jing Hao, who ranked higher than Liu Fei, had been defeated and killed by Lin Feng.
PS: Made it to the weekend. Office workers can relax a bit. Of course, there are also those comrades who, like me, have to work overtime—keep your heads down and keep fighting!
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