Chapter 1112: Soul-Stirring Assassination
Outside the wine tavern, a gray-robed young man walked slowly, an ancient sword slung across his back. It was he who had just declared that the next Imperial Lord of the Heavenly Terrace would appear before the Heavenly Dragon Divine Fortress.
"Are you a member of the Heavenly Terrace?" The crowd from the Heavenly Dragon Divine Fortress scowled, drinking a cup of wine, their voices carrying a trace of chill. His words had undoubtedly struck a sore spot for the Heavenly Dragon Divine Fortress. The last time the City of Fate had opened, Hou Qinglin was recognized as possessing the aptitude of a Martial Emperor. If he did not die, he would ascend to the Imperial Throne within fifty years.
Fifty years—how short a time was that for becoming an Emperor? It was perfectly normal for many powerful Venerables to remain at one realm for fifty or even a hundred years. Yet the Prophet had foretold that Hou Qinglin would ascend to the Imperial Throne within fifty years and prove his Dao as an Emperor. The Heavenly Dragon Divine Fortress could never catch up. Although the Heavenly Terrace had risen only recently, it had the potential to become the first powerful force to produce three Martial Emperors.
Moreover, it was none other than Hou Qinglin who had recently gone to the Heavenly Dragon Divine Fortress and killed their Venerable Martial experts.
"I am not a member of the Heavenly Terrace. I am merely speaking based on the facts," the man said indifferently. He then walked over to a wine table where only one person was seated, with several empty seats.
"May I sit here?" the gray-robed man asked.
Lin Feng smiled and gestured: "Feel free!"
"Friend, what do you think of what I said?" the gray-robed man asked Lin Feng with a smile.
"Excellent!" Lin Feng laughed, raising his cup to the gray-robed man. As a disciple of the Heavenly Terrace, he naturally disliked seeing the crowd from the Heavenly Dragon Divine Fortress boasting about themselves. Earlier, those people had been discussing geniuses of the Eight Wastelands Realm without mentioning the Heavenly Dragon Divine Fortress, yet they seemed afraid that others might forget the fortress, bragging about its geniuses. It was utterly ridiculous. True geniuses would eventually be known to the world without any need for boasting.
The gray-robed man clinked cups with Lin Feng, a hint of camaraderie on his ordinary face, and laughed: "The Heavenly Dragon Divine Fortress praises itself here, shamelessly. The Heavenly Dragon Emperor ascended to the Imperial Throne who knows how many years ago. In terms of seniority, the Stone Emperor and Yu Emperor are many generations his juniors, yet they surpassed him. Now, Hou Qinglin of the Heavenly Terrace, alone with his sword, charged into the Heavenly Dragon Divine Fortress, and no one there could stop him. Yet they still have the face to boast here—utterly ridiculous!"
As his words fell, the wine tavern fell into an abrupt silence, so quiet you could hear a pin drop. This gray-robed man's words were far too bold. Not only had he insulted the Heavenly Dragon Divine Fortress, but he had also insulted the Heavenly Dragon Emperor himself, saying that as a senior, he was inferior to the Stone Emperor and Yu Emperor.
A wisp of killing intent spread out. The people from the Heavenly Dragon Divine Fortress slowly stood up.
"The ignorant fear nothing. Disrespect toward the Heavenly Dragon Emperor—execute him!"
A cold voice rang out. The people of the Heavenly Dragon Divine Fortress released their aura, enveloping the man. Almost at the same time, the gray-robed man stood up, his sword slowly unsheathing, his icy gaze fixed on the crowd from the Heavenly Dragon Divine Fortress.
"With just you lot, do you think you can?" the gray-robed man snorted, utterly proud, dismissing the experts of the Heavenly Dragon Divine Fortress.
"Kill!" A man from the Heavenly Dragon Divine Fortress stepped forward. The ground cracked, and a terrifying domineering aura surged into the sky. The wine tables around him all exploded.
"Whoosh!" A dazzling cold light bloomed. The sword aura was chilling, bitingly cold. A terrifying sword energy spread out as the gray-robed man thrust his sword, aiming to take a life.
This sword strike, if aimed at the people of the Heavenly Dragon Divine Fortress, would not be perfect—in fact, it would be impossible to kill them. Because this sword was thrust at Lin Feng.
Because it was aimed at Lin Feng, this was a certain-kill strike. At such close range, with such a dazzling sword light, there was simply no way to dodge.
Everyone was stunned at that moment, even the experts of the Heavenly Dragon Divine Fortress. The man's sword was actually pointed at Lin Feng. Had everything he said earlier just been to get close to Lin Feng? And why had he insulted the Heavenly Dragon Divine Fortress? To get close to Lin Feng—then who was the young man sitting there?
No one had expected that this sword would become a certain-kill strike against Lin Feng. Even Lin Feng himself had not expected it. The other party's disguise was too perfect. He had not revealed the slightest hint of malice, making it impossible to detect. Moreover, he had deliberately provoked the people of the Heavenly Dragon Divine Fortress. First, to build rapport with Lin Feng, and second, to anger the Heavenly Dragon Divine Fortress, giving him a reason to draw his sword and strike. It was a perfect assassination technique. Clearly, he knew who Lin Feng was.
Whether it was the scheme or the sword strike itself, both were perfect. As the sword came out, Lin Feng felt a sharp pain. His throat was injured by the sword aura, as if it were about to be pierced and destroyed. It was so perfect that there was no way to counter it.
"A certain-kill sword!" The crowd's hearts pounded violently at this stunning strike. The preparation beforehand and the strike itself formed the most perfect assassination technique—simple, yet the most lethal.
"Roar!" Lin Feng let out a furious roar. With him at the center, a terrifying demonic wind swept out. Tables and chairs instantly shattered. The wine tavern collapsed. A mad demon roared, and the heavens and earth changed color. It was as if countless demons charged at the other party's sword, slamming into it, finally slowing it down slightly.
But only slightly. The other party's hand gripping the sword was as firm as ever, and his will to kill was as unyielding as ever. Despite being shaken and spitting blood, he still wanted Lin Feng's life.
"What a terrifying assassin!" The crowd was shaken to the core by Lin Feng's furious roar, their scalps tingling. Yet the other party's sword remained so steady. It was too terrifying. This man was born for killing. This was true life-seizing technique—no flashy moves, no overwhelming power, only a life-taking sword strike.
Because Lin Feng had been sitting there, he couldn't even take a step. He could never be faster than this sword. All his techniques were too late. There was no solution.
"Boom!" Footsteps sounded. The ground beneath Lin Feng's feet cracked. At the same time, Lin Feng's body vanished, disappearing directly from the crowd's sight.
"How is that possible?" The crowd was horrified. Could Lin Feng teleport?
"Pfft!" A light sound rang out. The sword drew blood. Lin Feng's body reappeared. In the end, he could not avoid the strike. But at the most critical moment, he had stomped hard on the ground, shifting his body slightly, and used his Shadow Martial Soul to conceal himself. This way, in that extremely brief instant, the other party could not adjust the direction of his sword.
Thus, the sword pierced his right shoulder. If he had not shifted, the sword would have pierced his throat and taken his life.
"So it was a Shadow Martial Soul. That was close!" Everyone felt their hearts pounding. This soul-stirring scene firmly held their attention. The people present had seen countless battles and were used to them, but when that sword strike bloomed, they were instantly captivated. The strike was not powerful, but it was too stunning, too dazzling.
And Lin Feng—he had not died. He was still alive. That life-taking sword strike had been dodged.
Blood gushed out like a spring. Lin Feng's expression was icy cold. The other party was only stunned for a moment before his sword twisted again, trying to cleave Lin Feng apart. But at that moment, Lin Feng's hand firmly gripped the sword. All his power converged into his palm. At the same time, he released the Demon Sealing power, sealing the sword and sealing his own body, locking the sword firmly in place.
"Kill!" He roared, instantly unleashing his divine mind power. A majestic and imposing palace appeared, suppressing all things, directly pressing toward the other party's brow. At the same time, sharp swords shot from his mouth, and his entire body was covered in terrifying sword aura, trying to slice the other party apart.
Lin Feng released his grip. The other party abandoned his sword, his figure drifting back like lightning. Then he shot into the air, vanishing directly into the void. Such a perfect killing strike had failed to kill Lin Feng, yet he only showed a hint of regret in that extremely brief moment before retreating. This decisiveness sent a chill through everyone's hearts. If they were one step away from killing their target, they would never give up—because of unwillingness, because of the fluke mentality that they might still succeed.
But this assassin did not do that. After realizing it was impossible, he immediately withdrew, even abandoning his sword.
Lin Feng retracted his divine mind power, pulled out the dripping sword, his eyes filled with bone-chilling killing intent. It had been a long time since he had been this close to death. The reason he had been careless was that the other party's cultivation was the same as his—Fifth Layer of Heavenly Martial Realm. A person at the Fifth Layer of Heavenly Martial Realm had thrust such a fatal sword, nearly taking his life.
"Leaving? Do you think you can still leave?"
Lin Feng's eyes carried a dense, murderous intent. He stomped the ground, widening the cracks, and his body shot into the sky, ignoring even his bleeding wound. That man—he had to be killed!