Chapter 84: Shock, Crisis
The Blue Bamboo Poison Snake slithered upward, crawling to the top of Wen Renyan's head, its blue pupils eerily demonic.
"Lin Feng, look here."
Wen Renyan called out, and immediately, Lin Feng's gaze shifted to Wen Renyan. The two pairs of blue, demonic pupils were like a bolt of lightning, causing Lin Feng's mind to tremble and his gaze to go blank.
A cold sneer hung in Wen Renyan's demonic pupils. His body shot forward like a bolt of lightning, arriving in front of Lin Feng in an instant. His palm shot out like a venomous snake, striking straight at Lin Feng's chest.
"So fast."
The crowd's eyes narrowed. The Blue Bamboo Poison Snake not only had those incredibly demonic pupils but also possessed astonishing speed. Wen Renyan, embodying the traits of the Blue Bamboo, was like a venomous snake—once he locked onto you, death was the only outcome.
"Not good."
Lin Feng snapped out of his dazed state and raised his sword to block. A surging force transmitted through the blade, bending the soft sword. His body was sent flying backward, and he let out a muffled groan.
"Floating Light Passing Shadow."
Lin Feng twisted his body slightly, finally halting his retreat. His feet rooted firmly on the Life and Death Platform.
Wen Renyan didn't pursue. He simply stood in place, watching Lin Feng with a cold smile. "See the gap now? Your so-called talent is nothing before me. I can toy with you however I please. Even if I don't attack, with my speed, you can't even touch a hair on me."
"Indeed, though Lin Feng is strong, the gap between him and Wen Renyan is still unbridgeable. Wen Renyan is just too powerful. Even the second-ranked inner disciple doesn't have the courage to fight him."
The crowd's hearts tightened. With just one casual strike, Wen Renyan had halted Lin Feng's unstoppable momentum, forcing him to suffer a silent loss.
As for Lin Feng, standing there, his pupils contracted. He dared not look directly into Wen Renyan's blue eyes.
After releasing his martial soul, Wen Renyan's eyes were filled with an eerie, demonic quality. A single glance had paralyzed him, and at that moment, he had even forgotten how to think.
The Blue Bamboo Poison Snake martial soul—the ability it granted Wen Renyan was terrifying.
This was what they called talent. Some people were born with powerful martial souls, their innate gifts surpassing countless others, their starting point higher—just like Wen Renyan.
"Martial soul, Heavenly Radiance."
The extinguished, icy gaze reappeared. Lin Feng's pupils turned into a merciless gray, his eyes cold. His senses gradually became incredibly sharp, and the computational power of his mind grew terrifyingly formidable.
A surging sword momentum erupted wildly. Sword energy crisscrossed the Life and Death Platform, filling it with a killing intent.
"Sword momentum? Is that supposed to be impressive?"
Wen Renyan sneered coldly. His body trembled and vanished in an instant. A sinister aura locked onto Lin Feng, stronger than the previous strike.
Lin Feng's body twisted slightly, as light as the wind, ethereal and nimble.
Wen Renyan's venomous palm struck the spot where Lin Feng had just stood, causing the space to ripple.
"Oh?"
Wen Renyan let out a low exclamation, spinning his palm to continue pursuing Lin Feng.
But Lin Feng seemed to anticipate his attack. His body turned into a gentle breeze, evading gracefully and effortlessly, as if it cost him no effort at all.
"Hmm?"
The crowd on the viewing platform narrowed their eyes. What a subtle and exquisite movement technique! Had Lin Feng also mastered a powerful evasive footwork?
"What kind of movement technique could be so perfectly refined? Could it be perception? Impossible. How could Lin Feng, with his strength, possess such terrifying perception?"
Many speculated inwardly. This movement technique was too exquisite. Even with Wen Renyan's terrifying speed, he couldn't touch Lin Feng at all. And each dodge was seamless, without a single flaw.
Lin Feng knew full well that he didn't have such a powerful movement technique. Achieving this was entirely due to his martial soul—the Heavenly Radiance martial soul—which granted him terrifying perception and sharp reflexes. This perception seemed to slow down Wen Renyan's speed, while the sharp reflexes allowed him to easily evade Wen Renyan's attacks.
"Get lost."
Sword light flashed. Lin Feng swung his arm, and a powerful sword momentum sought to cut through everything. Wen Renyan twisted his body and retreated, instantly distancing himself from Lin Feng at an inconceivable speed.
"How could you possibly dodge that?" Wen Renyan's blue, demonic pupils fixed on Lin Feng, his voice icy.
"Weren't you saying you could toy with me however you pleased? Why are you retreating?"
Lin Feng's tone was frigid. Wen Renyan's eyes met Lin Feng's pupils, and he shuddered slightly, staring intently at those merciless gray eyes.
"How is this possible? Does he also have a pupil technique? Does he have a similar martial soul to mine?"
Wen Renyan muttered inwardly, seeing the change in Lin Feng's eyes. They were now completely different from before—cold, deep, devoid of any emotion. In Wen Renyan's view, only a pupil technique could cause such a change in the eyes.
"Even if it's a pupil technique, I'll still kill you."
Wen Renyan thought to himself, his gaze fixed on Lin Feng. "Lin Feng, look into my eyes."
The merciless, indifferent pupils clashed with those eerie blue eyes. This time, Lin Feng's gaze didn't waver at all. His eyes remained as deep and cold as ever, a sheet of gray.
"It really is a pupil technique. It can't paralyze him."
Seeing that Lin Feng's gaze showed no reaction, Wen Renyan's expression stiffened. It seemed his blue demonic pupils were useless against Lin Feng.
"Don't rush. I was just playing with you. Since you're so eager to die, I'll grant your wish."
His cold blue eyes narrowed. Wen Renyan raised his palm, and a gray energy emerged on his hand, carrying a deathly stillness.
The Blue Bamboo Poison Snake, besides its speed, evasive ability, and demonic pupils, also possessed a highly potent venom—touch it, and you die.
This made Wen Renyan adept at practicing some sinister, poisonous martial techniques.
The Poisonous Nether Palm, a mid-grade Profound Level martial technique, converted the energy within the body into poisonous nether energy. Its attack was powerful, and as long as it struck the opponent, it would paralyze their body, allowing the nether energy to invade and leave them at his mercy.
This technique was also extremely difficult to master. Apart from those with exceptional talent, only those with unique martial souls were suited to practice it—like Wen Renyan, who, with his Blue Bamboo martial soul, could master the Poisonous Nether Palm with ease, not only infusing the technique with poisonous nether energy but also enhancing its toxicity.
His form flickered. Wen Renyan's speed was still as swift as ever. In an instant, he was in front of Lin Feng.
The nether energy surged fiercely, causing Lin Feng's body to stall slightly. Even just brushing against a trace of the poisonous nether energy made his movements sluggish.
His light, ethereal body drifted like the wind. Lin Feng instantly changed position, swinging his longsword. Another sword strike was unleashed, blooming with radiance.
But Wen Renyan's evasive ability was also formidable. He twisted his body casually, like a venomous snake, and the sword light struck beside him, producing a cracking sound.
"No wonder Wen Renyan is so arrogant. His strength is indeed formidable."
Lin Feng thought to himself. The blue demonic pupils and the Poisonous Nether Palm gave Wen Renyan powerful offensive capabilities. As for defense, he had the flexibility of a snake, with exceptional evasive ability. And his speed was equally monstrous. Wen Renyan seemed to have no weaknesses.
If Lin Feng didn't have the Heavenly Radiance martial soul, he would have been unable to resist Wen Renyan's speed and attacks. Just the blue demonic pupils alone were too overpowering. Among the inner disciples, aside from him, no one could handle it.
"I'd like to see how long you can dodge."
Wen Renyan sneered coldly. His Poisonous Nether Palm relentlessly pursued Lin Feng. The nether energy drifted, and soon, an area of the Life and Death Platform was filled with poisonous nether energy that lingered without dissipating.
"Enough."
"Sword of Death."
Lin Feng shouted coldly. A dazzling sword light swept out with the force of a thousand armies, cutting through the poisonous nether energy. Wen Renyan's body instantly retreated explosively. If Lin Feng used the Annihilation Sword Technique with his sword momentum, it could threaten his life.
"You said you were just playing with me. Wasn't I just playing with you too? The number one inner disciple? A genius? Nothing more."
Lin Feng's voice was like a demonic chant, echoing through the space.
Lin Feng—he was playing with Wen Renyan? How was that possible? Lin Feng had clearly been forced into a corner by Wen Renyan, with no choice but to dodge.
"Don't try to provoke me with words. Such a trick is too childish."
Wen Renyan's voice was filled with disdain.
"Provoke you? You overestimate yourself. A martial soul—you're not the only one who has one."
As Lin Feng's words fell, a dark shadow emerged behind him. What was shocking was that within this dark shadow, there was a pair of white pupils, incredibly eerie.
"A martial soul—this is Lin Feng's first time releasing his martial soul."
"What kind of martial soul is this? I've never seen it before."
Seeing Lin Feng's martial soul, many people's hearts tightened. That's right, Lin Feng hadn't even released his martial soul during his fight with Wen Renyan. Naturally, they didn't know that Lin Feng had already unlocked the first layer of the Heavenly Radiance martial soul.
"Heavens! This is Lin Feng's martial soul? I remember Lin Feng's martial soul was clearly a useless little snake, a waste martial soul. When did he get this kind of martial soul?"
Someone exclaimed, drawing the crowd's attention. It was an outer disciple of low strength, and no one paid him any mind.
"That's right, I remember too. Lin Feng clearly had a waste martial soul. How does he have another one now? Could it be... a twin martial soul?"
Another outer disciple chimed in. Only they knew how useless Lin Feng had been back then, looked down upon and bullied by others.
But now, Lin Feng seemed like a different person, rising in a short time, looking down on everyone, forcing them to look up to him.
Unfortunately, even though they spoke the truth, no one believed them.
A twin martial soul? How easy was that? How many martial artists could produce a twin martial soul? Lin Feng was already a genius. If he also had a twin martial soul, wouldn't that make him a monster?
The crowd simply assumed these outer disciples were trying to attract attention.
"Wen Renyan, let me show you my true strength."
Lin Feng's voice was arrogant, making the crowd's hearts tighten. Even when facing Wen Renyan, Lin Feng still hadn't used his true strength!
The black mist surged fiercely, almost enveloping Lin Feng's body. His eyes grew colder and colder—desireless, emotionless, heartless.
He raised his sword. Sword energy howled. Sword momentum climbed wildly.
"Heavenly Radiance."
He uttered two words. In his gray pupils, a dazzling white light flickered, even more eerie than Wen Renyan's blue demonic pupils.
The Heavenly Radiance martial soul, named after Heavenly Radiance. This was the first time Lin Feng used the ability it granted him—Heavenly Radiance.
His eyes locked onto Wen Renyan. In that moment, Wen Renyan's cultivation level and martial soul were clearly reflected in Lin Feng's mind. Even every subtle movement of Wen Renyan was mirrored in Lin Feng's thoughts.
Wen Renyan now felt a strange sensation, as if some invisible force had locked onto his body. No matter where he fled, he couldn't escape this lock.
"Sword."
His footwork stirred. The sword shook mountains and rivers. Lin Feng's figure was incredibly swift, arriving in front of Wen Renyan in an instant. The Sword of Death was unleashed.
Wen Renyan's body flickered, using his exceptional evasive ability to dodge the strike. At the same time, his palm trembled, and poisonous nether energy drifted.
But at that moment, a surge of black mist rushed out, engulfing the poisonous nether energy. Another dazzling sword strike poured down, its sword energy intense.
"Retreat."
Wen Renyan's blue pupils contracted. He pushed off the ground and retreated, but he found Lin Feng's body following him like a shadow, like a parasite clinging to his steps.
Another unadorned Sword of Death was unleashed, its sword light swallowing everything.
Wen Renyan gritted his teeth, twisting his flexible body to dodge at an impossible angle.
But to his shock, Lin Feng, without a moment's hesitation, followed his movement and unleashed another dazzling sword strike.
"How is this possible?"
Wen Renyan screamed inwardly. This was terrifying. Lin Feng seemed to have precognition, judging his evasive direction the moment he moved. This was too frightening.
Was it that locking aura?
Wen Renyan's face darkened. One after another, the deadly sword lights forced him to dodge frantically. Even more frustrating was that the poisonous nether energy he released was all swallowed up by that strange mist, unable to harm Lin Feng at all. It was as if Lin Feng was born to counter him, suppressing all his abilities completely.
"Lin Feng has pushed Wen Renyan to this point?"
Everyone's eyes were numb. The situation had reversed in an instant. Wen Renyan had completely lost the initiative, forced to defend constantly, always on the verge of death.
Had Lin Feng really just been playing with Wen Renyan? Facing such a powerful opponent, he was only playing?
The experts on the viewing platform saw more clearly than the sect disciples. Lin Feng's talent was terrifying—so terrifying that even they felt jealous.
Now they understood that Lin Feng possessed another terrifying talent: perception. His perception was so powerful that he could achieve this, suppressing Wen Renyan completely.
"Genius, why are you always dodging?"
A calm voice came from Lin Feng's mouth, clear and distinct. Even while attacking, he had the leisure to mock Wen Renyan, leaving many speechless.
The word "genius" now sounded particularly harsh, especially after Wen Renyan's arrogant words before the battle. It felt strange.
Who was the real genius?
"Wen Renyan, didn't you say the gap between us was unbridgeable? Now that you're the one constantly dodging, do you feel ashamed?"
Lin Feng swung his sword, and the piercing words entered Wen Renyan's ears, driving him nearly mad.
"You, Wen Renyan, weren't you going to prove to everyone what a genius is? This is your proof."
Lin Feng seemed unwilling to let Wen Renyan off. One harsh word after another disturbed Wen Renyan's mind, nearly causing him to be hit several times.
"You insulted others as trash. Now you're acting like trash yourself. Do you feel any shame? Or do you have no sense of shame at all?"
Another voice drilled into Wen Renyan's ears, making him roar in fury. This time, he didn't continue dodging. His palms, filled with fierce poisonous nether energy, struck directly at Lin Feng, fearless.
"I've been waiting for you to come and die."
A merciless light flashed in Lin Feng's pupils. Endless sword momentum gathered on his blade. A destructive aura merged with the sword energy, annihilating everything.
"Sword of Death."
A dazzling sword light, entwined with gray deathly stillness, carried the aura of death. The sword light slashed toward Wen Renyan. In that moment, Wen Renyan's heart trembled violently.
"Retreat!"
A sharp shout came from the viewing platform. Wen Renyan didn't hesitate. His body exploded backward, using all his potential, moving at incredible speed.
"Kill!"
A single word was uttered. The Sword of Death was unleashed, destroying everything.
"Boom, rumble."
The howl of death was like a demonic chant. In an instant, it would have annihilated Wen Renyan. Even despair appeared in Wen Renyan's eyes. This sword was too domineering, too powerful.
"Disperse."
At that moment, a surge of vast heavenly energy descended from the sky, striking the Sword of Death. Explosive sounds rang out continuously. The Sword of Death gradually dissipated. And in front of Lin Feng stood a figure—the old woman who had warned Wen Renyan to retreat, Wen Renyan's master.
"Enough. This battle, you have won." The old woman said indifferently, her voice carrying an undeniable authority.
Lin Feng's pupils contracted. Ridiculous. Was winning all he wanted? If he had lost, he might have paid with his life. But he won, and Wen Renyan was still fine, unharmed.
"Old woman, you've forgotten our agreement, haven't you?"
Seeing this, Old Man Bei was somewhat displeased.
"Don't worry. I haven't forgotten our agreement. But Wen Ren is my only disciple. Even if I have to lose face, I can't just watch him die like this."
The old woman's words puzzled the crowd. She told Old Man Bei not to worry, that she hadn't forgotten the agreement. Then why did she interfere in the battle between Lin Feng and Wen Renyan, saving Wen Renyan? It seemed contradictory.
But the crowd didn't think too much about it. They were still immersed in that sword strike from earlier. Such a domineering sword. Lin Feng had truly defeated Wen Renyan, the number one inner disciple.
From now on, Lin Feng was the true number one inner disciple.
Nan Gongling had already stood up, staring blankly at the figure on the Life and Death Platform—the proud, arrogant young figure.
Lin Feng had given him too many surprises.
"Alright. Today's sect competition ends here. Everyone, disperse."
Old Man Bei waved his hand at the crowd, surprisingly not arguing with the old woman, leaving everyone stunned.
The sect competition ends here?
The crowd's gaze fell on Nan Gongling, who looked at Old Man Bei in confusion. But he only saw Old Man Bei nod at him.
"Heh, exciting. Today's Cloud Sea Sect competition has truly opened my eyes. Why end it so early?"
At that moment, Duan Tianlang, who had been silent, suddenly spoke, his voice carrying a sharp edge. Nan Gongling's brow furrowed deeply.
"Sect Leader, please order all sect disciples to disperse. Also, disband the sect."
Old Man Bei's voice suddenly became extremely serious, making everyone's hearts tremble. Have all sect disciples disperse? And disband the sect?
What was happening?
A sense of foreboding arose in the crowd, but Duan Tianlang's laughter rang out again.
"Don't bother. All the exits down the mountain have been sealed. No one can leave. Just stay put."
"Duan Tianlang, what do you mean?"
Nan Gongling's gaze suddenly became incredibly sharp, staring straight at Duan Tianlang.
"What do I mean? Nan Gongling, do you think I brought the strongest members of several sects here to Cloud Sea Sect just to watch your sect competition? You overestimate yourself." Duan Tianlang's voice turned cold. "I told you last time, since Cloud Sea Sect refused my son's proposal, today, I've come to Cloud Sea Sect myself to select people for His Majesty."
"Boom, rumble..."
As if echoing Duan Tianlang's words, the earth began to tremble slowly, making everyone's hearts tighten.
And this trembling grew stronger and stronger. Soon, the entire ground seemed about to collapse. The earth shook, and rumbling sounds spread across the sky and earth. An invisible killing aura enveloped Cloud Sea Sect.
"Sigh." Old Man Bei sighed, a deep sorrow flashing in his eyes. Not long ago, he had discovered that Cloud Sea Sect was already surrounded. Duan Tianlang and his group were joining forces to deal with Cloud Sea Sect.
The earth quaked, dust rising. After a moment, the crowd looked up and saw that the top of the gorge was already surrounded by people. These people rode Crimson Blood Warhorses, carried bows and arrows, and exuded a bloody, killing intent.
"Crimson Blood Iron Cavalry." Lin Feng's pupils contracted. How could this be? The Crimson Blood Iron Cavalry had surrounded them all.
His gaze swept through the crowd, searching for Liu Fei's figure. But at that moment, Liu Fei was equally stunned by the scene before her.
How could this be? How could this be?
Liu Fei stared blankly at the scene. The Crimson Blood Iron Cavalry was the elite force under her father's command. And now, they had surrounded her father's sect, Cloud Sea Sect.
"Could it be Father's order?" A strange thought appeared in Liu Fei's mind, so absurd that even she found it laughable. How could it be? No one knew her father better than she did. He valued loyalty and friendship. He would never give such an absurd order.
Then what was going on?
"Duan... Tian... Lang." Nan Gongling's eyes were icy cold, fixed on Duan Tianlang, killing intent blazing.
"Nan Gongling, don't look at me like that. These are the Crimson Blood Iron Cavalry, the army of your brother Liu Canglan. If you want answers, go find him."
Duan Tianlang sneered coldly, his smile full of triumph.
The earth's trembling still hadn't stopped. Soon, within the gorge, endless Crimson Blood Iron Cavalry emerged from all directions around the Life and Death Platform area, surrounding it completely.
Surrounded on all sides, blocked from above, the Fengyun Gorge Life and Death Platform area held all of Cloud Sea Sect's people. But now, they were trapped in a death zone—a true death zone. Even with wings, they couldn't escape.
Many of Cloud Sea Sect's disciples began to tremble. What was happening? What did these people want?
Panic began to spread. The Fengyun Gorge Life and Death Platform area grew restless and unstable.