Chapter 78: The Sect Leader's Fault
The remaining four blocked the palm prints of the Eight Desolations Palm, but they all stood side by side, quietly watching the fallen figure.
Yue Yang, ranked seventy-seventh among the inner disciples, meaning that among the five of them, Yue Yang was the strongest, yet he was killed in a single strike. If it had been any of them just now, they would have undoubtedly died as well.
Lin Feng, stronger than the strongest among them, possessed the strength to kill them.
Thinking of this, there was no longer any trace of carelessness in their eyes. Their gazes were all fixed tightly on Lin Feng. When a gentle breeze brushed past, they could feel a hint of chill.
"When you trample on the lives of others, do you ever think that your own life might also be trampled by someone stronger than you? All of this is your own choice."
As Lin Feng's voice fell, he took a step forward, and a powerful Sword Intent permeated the space.
Cold sweat appeared on the foreheads of the four. Only by being immersed in the Sword Intent did they truly realize how intense it was. Had Lin Feng merely grasped a trace of Sword Momentum?
In the intangible space, it was as if a sword aura was howling, and as Lin Feng stepped forward, this pervasive Sword Intent grew even stronger. The Sword Momentum was overwhelming, as if it wanted to take their lives.
"We can't wait any longer. This Sword Momentum is getting stronger, and our momentum is weakening. If we wait any longer, we will surely die."
The four exchanged glances, understanding each other's intent. With a step forward, they all lunged at Lin Feng simultaneously.
"Momentum."
Lin Feng shouted softly, an unparalleled Sword Momentum pressing down on his opponents. At the same time, his hand moved slightly, and a brilliant radiance flickered in the space.
Two streams of crimson blood arced through the air. The life-seizing sword, once drawn, claimed lives.
The two who had been charging in front collapsed limply, while the other two had deliberately slowed their steps during the attack. The moment Lin Feng swung his sword, they instantly retreated, betraying the other two.
But they had saved their own lives.
Everyone felt their hearts tremble, especially some of the inner disciples. Why was Lin Feng so powerful? The aura on his body was merely that of the First Layer of Spirit Martial Realm, yet even the strong whose names were carved on the ranking stone wall were no match for him. The sword was drawn, and lives were lost.
"It's the Annihilation Sword Technique. The Annihilation Sword Technique is a Profound Grade Mid-Rank Martial Technique. He has pushed the first sword, the Life-Seizing Sword, to its extreme. Combined with his own Sword Momentum, which makes his attacks even more formidable, it's normal for him to challenge those above his level."
Many recognized Lin Feng's swordsmanship. This set of techniques was similar to the Quick-Draw Sword Art, and few people chose it. However, the difference was that no one had ever considered the Annihilation Sword Technique a useless martial technique. The Annihilation Sword Technique was very strong, strong enough to rival Profound Grade High-Rank Martial Techniques. However, the threshold for cultivation was too high, too difficult to practice, so very few people trained in it.
But Lin Feng had already pushed the first sword of the Annihilation Sword Technique, the Life-Seizing Sword, to its extreme.
"Run."
A voice arose in the hearts of the remaining two. They had no more will to fight. Turning around, they were about to descend from the Life and Death Platform.
"Kill."
A cold glint flashed in Lin Feng's eyes. The radiance of the Life-Seizing Sword bloomed once more. A long sword aura slashed horizontally, and instantly, the two figures that had leaped into the air stopped, then fell powerlessly.
Thus, the five inner disciples whose names were carved on the ranking stone wall were all annihilated.
"The Annihilation Sword Technique is so strong. The Sword Momentum is so domineering."
Many outer disciples, and even some inner disciples, looked at Lin Feng with a hint of fervor in their eyes. No wonder he dared to question and insult Wenren Yan. Lin Feng's talent was no less than Wenren Yan's. He was only lacking in current strength. Given time, he would surely be able to rival Wenren Yan.
Liu Fei's beautiful eyes flickered, extremely shocked. This bastard had killed five inner disciples, and they were among the top eighty-one inner disciples?
"It seems my hope of taking revenge on him is slim."
Liu Fei thought to herself. She had originally wanted to increase her strength and give this bastard a good beating in the future, but she never expected that his talent was far greater than she had imagined. It seemed revenge was hopeless, but Liu Fei didn't feel too much disappointment in her heart.
As for Nangong Ling on the viewing platform, he could only smile bitterly.
"This guy, five outstanding inner disciples, and he killed them all just like that. He really has no scruples at all."
"Sect Leader, although this child's talent is not bad, as he himself said, slaughtering fellow disciples might be a disaster for the sect, not a blessing."
Mo Xie came to Nangong Ling's side, leaning in to whisper in his ear.
Nangong Ling glanced at Mo Xie, feeling increasingly disappointed. He said, "Just now, when Wenren Yan and those five disciples were slaughtering their fellow disciples, why didn't you say anything?"
"Sect Leader, how can Lin Feng be compared to Wenren Yan?" Mo Xie argued.
"Enough, I know what I'm doing." Nangong Ling interrupted Mo Xie displeasedly. Mo Xie had no choice but to step back, but his murderous intent towards Lin Feng grew stronger. Whether keeping this child was good or bad for the sect was one thing, but for him personally, it was definitely a disaster.
"Lin Feng."
Nangong Ling looked at the youth on the Life and Death Platform and called out with a smile.
"Sect Leader."
Lin Feng turned around and bowed slightly to Nangong Ling.
"You have proven your strength. You may participate in this ranking battle. However, before you participate, is there something you need to do first?" Nangong Ling said with a smile on his lips, looking at Lin Feng with increasing satisfaction. This child not only had excellent strength and talent but was also polite and not arrogant. Yet he had pride in his heart. What was even more commendable was that Lin Feng possessed foresight that ordinary people lacked.
As Lin Feng had said, with Spirit Martial Realm cultivation, looking at the entire Nine Heavens Continent, he was truly too weak, hardly worth mentioning.
Lin Feng's vision was so far-reaching; the achievements he might reach in the future would also be correspondingly higher.
"What is it?"
Lin Feng asked.
"Put on your inner disciple uniform."
Nangong Ling replied with a smile. With Lin Feng's talent, he had brought honor to him in front of Duan Tianlang and the other sect leaders and masters, yet he was still wearing outer disciple attire. That was hardly appropriate.
"Heh." Lin Feng smiled meaningfully, shook his head, and said to Nangong Ling, "I will not put on the inner disciple uniform. In fact, I will not even participate in the inner disciple ranking battle. The reason I am standing on this Life and Death Platform right now is merely to show certain people how ignorant and foolish they are."
"Oh?" Nangong Ling's brow furrowed, puzzled. "What do you mean by that?"
"Sect Leader, an outer disciple has the word 'outer' in it, meaning they are not yet considered true members of the sect and can freely withdraw from the sect, correct?"
Lin Feng's words made Nangong Ling frown, his confusion deepening, but he still nodded. "Correct."
"Sect Leader, please forgive my audacity. I, Lin Feng, might withdraw from the Cloud Sea Sect after today."
"Boom."
Lin Feng's words sent a shockwave through countless hearts. Lin Feng was withdrawing from the Cloud Sea Sect?
What kind of joke was this? Lin Feng stood on the Life and Death Platform, proudly facing the crowd, valued by the Sect Leader, yet at this very moment, he said he might withdraw from the Cloud Sea Sect. How could the crowd not be shocked, their hearts not trembling?
Everyone wanted to understand why Lin Feng would do such a thing.
"Hahaha..." A wild, unrestrained laugh rang out. Duan Tianlang looked at Nangong Ling with a half-smile and said, "Finally, I see a decent disciple in the Cloud Sea Sect, and he wants to withdraw. How ridiculous."
"Lin Feng, right? If you are willing, you can join the Snow Moon Holy Academy and receive focused training."
"Lin Feng, my Ice and Snow Mountain Villa usually only accepts those with Ice and Snow Martial Souls, but I will make an exception for you today. If you are willing, you can join the Ice and Snow Mountain Villa and become a core disciple directly."
"And my Hao Yue Sect as well. If you want to come, I will focus on cultivating you."
Several people extended olive branches to Lin Feng, and their words were undoubtedly slapping the Cloud Sea Sect in the face, making everyone in the Cloud Sea Sect feel their faces burning with embarrassment.
"I will consider it." Lin Feng smiled calmly at them.
"You bastard! Sect Leader, if this child is not killed, where will the Cloud Sea Sect's dignity be?" Mo Xie roared angrily, sneering inwardly. Lin Feng was asking for death.
"Shut up!" Nangong Ling shouted coldly, causing Mo Xie's expression to freeze. Then he saw Nangong Ling's icy gaze shooting towards him, and his heart trembled.
"Lin Feng, I granted you the status of an inner disciple three days ago, yet you now claim to be an outer disciple and want to betray the sect. Why is that?"
Nangong Ling tried to keep his composure. A genius had finally appeared in the sect; was he going to be poached by other rivals?
"Betray the sect? Sect Leader, the word 'betray' is not quite appropriate. It's not that I, Lin Feng, am betraying the sect; rather, the sect has abandoned me. In the Cloud Sea Sect, there is no place for me to stand."
"What do you mean by that?" Nangong Ling was even more puzzled.
"First, I, Lin Feng, will take the liberty of asking the Sect Leader a few questions. May I?"
"Of course."
"Sect Leader, as an outer disciple, no one teaches us. We rely on ourselves for cultivation, correct?" Lin Feng said.
"Correct." Nangong Ling nodded. The facts were indeed so. Even inner disciples rarely received guidance.
"Sect Leader, as an outer disciple, we can only choose techniques and martial skills from the first floor of the Star Pavilion. These techniques and martial skills are all Yellow Grade, which can be obtained in many other places as well, correct?"
"Correct." Nangong Ling nodded again.
"Then, I, Lin Feng, take the liberty of asking: Can I say that my current cultivation and achievements are entirely due to my own efforts and have little to do with the sect? In other words, the sect has hardly bestowed any favor upon me, correct?"
As Lin Feng spoke, Nangong Ling's expression turned somewhat unpleasant, and the others in the Cloud Sea Sect also felt a strange emotion in their hearts. However, they could not deny that Lin Feng's words were not wrong at all.
Therefore, Nangong Ling nodded once more and said, "You are right. The sect has hardly bestowed any favor upon you. But you are still a member of the Cloud Sea Sect. Just because there is no favor, withdrawing from the sect seems a bit far-fetched. And if you are withdrawing for other benefits, wouldn't that be somewhat ungrateful?"
"Sect Leader, please let me finish speaking first."
"Go ahead." Nangong Ling said.
"The first time I met the Sect Leader was on the Life and Death Platform. That day, I was unknown, a nobody. Dapeng Gongzi of the Hao Yue Sect brought Lin Qian to the Cloud Sea Sect to demand a person. Because I was just an outer disciple, Elder Mo Xie readily agreed to hand me over. And the Sect Leader did not stop him. If not for the help of a mysterious strongman later, I, Lin Feng, might not be standing here today, correct?"
"That was my fault that day." Nangong Ling admitted openly, even apologizing to Lin Feng, which moved many people.
Nangong Ling's breadth of mind was very broad.
"Sect Leader, when the beast tide came, I went to Black Wind Ridge to kill demon beasts. Once again, it was Elder Mo Xie. Because I had questioned him before, he held a grudge and actually made a move against an outer disciple like me, sending me into the mouths of the demon beasts. Fortunately, I was lucky and survived again. Many people witnessed this matter, and I believe the Sect Leader knows about it as well. But Mo Xie is still fine, without even receiving any punishment. Because I am an outer disciple, weak and insignificant, correct?"
When Nangong Ling heard Lin Feng mention this matter, he was somewhat speechless. Indeed, this was the second time he had wronged Lin Feng. If not for Lin Feng's good luck, he might have died a second time at the hands of the sect elder, Mo Xie.
Thinking of this, Nangong Ling glared fiercely at Mo Xie. Lin Feng's idea of leaving the sect was undoubtedly related to Mo Xie.
"This is also my fault." Nangong Ling admitted again. "But, Lin Feng, do you know that because of this matter, Old Man Bei was furious, injured Elder Mo Xie, and even almost killed him on the spot? Old Man Bei thinks highly of you. I believe he would not want to see you withdraw from the Cloud Sea Sect."