Chapter 80: Blooming Strength
Mo Xie’s eyes flickered slightly as he coldly stared at Lin Feng. This guy really didn’t know his place. Did he think that, with his talent alone, he could make Nan Gong Ling move against him?
“How ridiculous.” Mo Xie’s eyes revealed a look of mockery.
“Sect Leader, since Celestial Wolf King and the others are all present, should we let the sect competition continue? We mustn’t delay it.”
Mo Canglan, who had been sitting there with his eyes closed in meditation, opened his eyes, a cold light flashing within them. His silence did not mean he was unaware of what had happened. That day, Old Man Bei had nearly taken Mo Xie’s life, and for that, he had already been furious. He had served the sect for many years, and all of this was because of an outer sect disciple? Was it worth taking his son’s life over?
Moreover, wasn’t this enough to offset the wrong Mo Xie had committed? Did Mo Xie have to kneel before everyone and kowtow in apology to this newly entered inner sect disciple?
Hearing Mo Canglan speak, Nan Gong Ling felt even more bitter inside. If Mo Canglan weren’t present, he might have punished Mo Xie. However, Mo Canglan had joined the Cloud Sea Sect even earlier than he had and was a founding elder of the sect. Punishing Mo Xie over Lin Feng’s matter might appease Lin Feng, but it would undoubtedly chill the hearts of those founding elders and make them resent the sect.
Nan Gong Ling was caught between a rock and a hard place.
As the leader of a sect, there were too many things he had to consider.
“Lin Feng, let the sect competition proceed first. We’ll discuss this matter later. How about that?”
Hearing Nan Gong Ling’s words, Lin Feng immediately understood. It seemed his own weight wasn’t enough after all. An inner sect elder, the Grand Elder of Law Enforcement—compared to a talented junior like himself, their importance was indeed much greater. But was the humiliation Mo Xie had inflicted on him to be let go just like that?
Because he was weak, was he supposed to swallow his anger and endure the bullying?
If Mo Xie didn’t pay a price this time, he would have no qualms about scheming against Lin Feng again in the future, because Mo Xie knew that Nan Gong Ling wouldn’t touch him.
Shaking his head, Lin Feng’s gaze was firm. Although his strength was still weak, the weak also had flesh and blood, had dignity.
Mo Xie had tried to take his life several times. Now, he was only asking for a little interest in return. If Nan Gong Ling couldn’t even agree to this request, then he, Lin Feng, would still be looked down upon, still be seen by Mo Xie as someone who could be bullied at will. What meaning would there be in staying in the Cloud Sea Sect?
“Sect Leader, I know that Mo Xie holds a high status, and Elder Mo Canglan is even more exalted. But because of that, can they bully me at will? If I still can’t hold my head up high in the Cloud Sea Sect, then what point is there in me staying here?”
Lin Feng’s voice was incredibly firm. Today, Mo Xie had to be convicted.
Within the canyon, the space fell into an unusual silence. Lin Feng had actually gone head-to-head with Inner Sect Elder Mo Xie. Between them, Nan Gong Ling could only choose one.
“What boldness.”
Many people smiled bitterly to themselves. Lin Feng’s words were so tough, demanding that the Sect Leader choose between him and Mo Xie. That took real guts.
“Ridiculous.”
A cold voice suddenly rang out. The speaker was an inner sect disciple, one standing on the life-and-death platform. Moreover, among those inner sect disciples, his position was twenty-first, meaning his ranking among the inner sect disciples was twenty-first.
“Utter nonsense. Lin Feng, what status does Elder Mo Xie hold? How powerful is his strength? And what are you? Just an outer sect disciple. If Elder Mo Xie wanted to frame you, you’d still be standing here spouting nonsense and arrogant words. I’m truly ashamed to be a member of the same Cloud Sea Sect as you.”
This person spoke coldly, directly insisting that Lin Feng was talking nonsense.
Hearing this, Mo Xie’s eyes showed a hint of a smile, and he looked at this disciple with satisfaction.
“Lei Bo, why bother with a brat whose mouth is full of filth? The Sect Leader is so wise; he will naturally make a fair judgment.”
“Elder, I naturally know the Sect Leader is wise. But seeing this shameless junior relying on a bit of talent to act so despicably, I can’t contain my anger. If I meet him in the inner sect competition, I will kill him.”
Lei Bo and Mo Xie played off each other, pinning the word “wise” on Nan Gong Ling’s head, as if listening to Lin Feng and convicting Mo Xie would make Nan Gong Ling foolish.
“Elder Mo Xie is in charge of the sect’s law enforcement. He really does keep quite a few dogs. No wonder he has such authority to bully sect disciples.”
Lin Feng’s voice was thick with sarcasm. This Lei Bo wanted to help Mo Xie out of his predicament, so Lin Feng would make Lei Bo pay the price.
“What a foul mouth.”
Mo Xie cursed, then shot a meaningful glance at Lei Bo, who immediately understood.
“Sect Leader, I, Lei Bo, am an open and upright man. But this brat insults me by calling me a dog, a beast. Lei Bo requests permission to challenge him to a life-and-death battle. I hope the Sect Leader will grant it.”
Lei Bo’s tone was angry as he petitioned Nan Gong Ling for battle.
Nan Gong Ling frowned. Lei Bo was ranked twenty-first among the inner sect disciples, and his strength had already reached the Third Layer of Spirit Martial Realm, incredibly powerful—far beyond what a Second Layer of Spirit Martial Realm cultivator could match. Although Lin Feng’s sword dao was formidable, the gap in cultivation level was right there. If he agreed to this battle, Lin Feng would be in danger.
Just as Nan Gong Ling was about to refuse, Lin Feng suddenly spoke up.
“Sect Leader, I, Lin Feng, am an open and upright man. Everyone knows that Mo Xie framed me. Yet this person says I’m spouting nonsense and arrogant words. If he’s not Mo Xie’s dog, then what is he? I request the Sect Leader’s permission for this battle. A life-and-death battle.”
Lin Feng looked up at Nan Gong Ling, his gaze calm and confident, without even a hint of fluctuation. This made Nan Gong Ling’s heart stir slightly.
Could it be that Lin Feng had been hiding his strength?
Thinking this, Nan Gong Ling couldn’t help but feel a glimmer of anticipation. The corners of his mouth moved slightly as he said, “Permission granted.”
“Thank you, Sect Leader.” Lei Bo was overjoyed when he heard Nan Gong Ling agree. His body trembled slightly, and he leaped into the air, landing gracefully on the central life-and-death platform, standing opposite Lin Feng.
“This battle is a life-and-death battle. The Sect Leader has personally agreed, and everyone has witnessed it. Lin Feng, you are dead for sure.”
Lei Bo emphasized this, as if afraid Nan Gong Ling might change his mind.
Lin Feng had been pressing hard, making it impossible for Mo Xie to back down. Lei Bo had stepped forward to help Mo Xie out of his predicament. If he could kill Lin Feng, Elder Mo Xie would surely nurture him in the future.
“You’re quite confident.”
“Of course. You’re just a junior who just entered the inner sect. Even if your talent isn’t weak, in front of me, a Third Layer of Spirit Martial Realm cultivator, you’re far too weak. I don’t even need to release my martial soul to easily obliterate you.”
As he spoke, Lei Bo’s aura burst forth. This aura was arrogant and domineering. On Lei Bo’s body, white light flickered and crackled, like the sound of thunder and lightning.
The gap between the Third Layer of Spirit Martial Realm and the First Layer was enormous. Talent alone couldn’t make up for it. Even if Lin Feng had mastered sword momentum, it still wouldn’t be enough.
“I can tell you, my martial soul is lightning—domineering lightning with incredibly powerful attack power. But you’re not even qualified to make me release my lightning martial soul.”
Lei Bo raised his right hand, and white lightning light flickered in his palm, dazzling and shocking.
The lightning martial soul had extremely powerful attacks and lightning-fast attack speed. It was an extremely powerful martial soul. It was precisely because of this martial soul that Lei Bo, who had just stepped into the Third Layer of Spirit Martial Realm not long ago, had carved his name into the twenty-first position on the stone wall, just one place away from entering the top twenty.
“Eight Wastelands Palm.”
Lin Feng couldn’t be bothered to waste words with Lei Bo. He simply stretched out his hand and struck out a palm, sending six fierce palm prints flying.
“Hmph.”
Lei Bo let out a cold laugh. His palms trembled slightly, and six beams of lightning light burst forth simultaneously, striking those six palm prints. In an instant, the palm prints were annihilated.
“Momentum.”
Lin Feng took a step forward. An invisible sword intent bloomed in the space. There was no sword, yet there was sword qi, sword intent, sword momentum.
He waved his hands casually, sending out six more palm prints that shot forward without return.
But Lin Feng knew very well that such casual attacks couldn’t possibly shake his opponent. He took another step forward. The space roared, and the sword qi was bitingly cold. Between heaven and earth, there was only the momentum of the sword.
Even more terrifying was that this sword momentum’s increase was sudden and explosive, not a gradual rise. It was many times stronger than when Lin Feng had killed the five inner sect experts earlier.
An invisible pressure descended upon Lei Bo. Lei Bo felt as if his entire body was being torn apart by a cutting pain, as if one careless move would cause this powerful sword momentum to tear him to shreds.
“Second Layer of Spirit Martial Realm.”
Lei Bo’s heart trembled, and he roared, “You’re not at the First Layer of Spirit Martial Realm; you’re at the Second Layer!”
The crowd all changed color. Lin Feng had indeed been hiding his strength. How monstrous. Not long ago, no one had heard of Lin Feng’s name. But in such a short time, Lin Feng had risen rapidly, becoming the focus of attention.
Now, having comprehended sword momentum and possessing the strength of the Second Layer of Spirit Martial Realm, he was enough to contend with Third Layer of Spirit Martial Realm experts. No wonder he wasn’t afraid to fight Lei Bo.
“This guy’s talent isn’t just limited to martial techniques.”
Nan Gong Ling was almost numb. He still remembered the first time he saw Lin Feng, when Lin Feng was just a junior at the Qi Martial Realm, very weak. Even Lin Qian of the Hao Yue Sect, who was at the First Layer of Spirit Martial Realm, dared to bully him at his doorstep. But in this short time…
Lin Feng had broken through to the Spirit Martial Realm, comprehended sword momentum, killed five inner sect disciples ranked in the top eighty-one, challenged a Third Layer of Spirit Martial Realm expert, and seemed to have the upper hand.
“You talk way too much.”
Lin Feng took another step forward. The invisible sword qi actually pierced through Lei Bo’s clothes, stinging his skin. The terrifying might of the sword descended upon him, causing Lei Bo’s face to change drastically. This was the first time he had witnessed the terror of sword momentum.
“Damn it.”
Cursing under his breath, crackling sounds rose and fell. On Lei Bo’s body, endless lightning coiled around him like countless lightning snakes, flaunting their power, extremely dazzling.
“Eight Wastelands Palm.”
A terrifying palm wind swept out. Countless palm prints blotted out the sky. This time, Lin Feng held nothing back. The Eight Wastelands Palm covered the sky and the sun.
“Lei Bo’s Lightning Movement.”
Lei Bo roared wildly. His fists, carrying lightning light, struck out simultaneously. The domineering lightning turned into orbs of light, stinging the eyes of the crowd. An incomparably powerful destructive force bloomed in the space. Any palm print that approached Lei Bo was instantly annihilated.
“Sword Drawing Art.”
Before the palm prints had even dissipated, a sword light shot into the sky, carrying that momentum that destroyed everything.
The Sword Drawing Art required speed—extreme speed. The faster it was, the more terrifying the explosive power.
Lin Feng drew his sword, and a thick sword beam slashed through the air, tearing through space, tearing through everything.
“Lei God’s Wrath.”
Lei Bo let out a great roar. His entire body was bathed in endless lightning light. His arms and hands were also pierced through by lightning, as if carrying the wrath of the Thunder God, striking out to resist that powerful sword beam.
“Boom, crack.”
Lightning and sword qi collided. The dazzling white light was scorching hot. The crowd’s eyes flickered, unable to open.
Lei Bo felt the pain spreading through his body, and his face turned ashen. He had never imagined that Lin Feng would be this powerful.
What was momentum? The more one fought, the stronger one became—that was momentum.
With this sword strike, the surrounding sword momentum didn’t weaken; instead, it grew even stronger. This momentum alone seemed about to crush Lei Bo.