# Chapter 1654: Sword Mountain's Attitude
"When we stepped into the Great World, Second Senior Brother was already at the Invincible Sovereign Lord realm. With his innate talent, I'm certain he has become an Emperor by now. It's been so many years apart—perhaps Second Senior Brother has already been an Emperor for quite some time." Ruoxie was also looking forward to the day when all eleven disciples of the Heavenly Terrace could reunite.
"I think so too. Maybe Senior Brother Tian Chi has also become an Emperor." Lin Feng smiled. After all, it had been seven or eight years since he had entered the Great World. In such a long time, anything was possible. He had spent so much time studying the Array Dao, and now he was only one step away from Martial Emperor. Moreover, the abilities he needed to cultivate were far more complex than those of his fellow disciples. On top of that, his cultivation base had originally been considered relatively weak.
"Lin Feng, the Nine Heavens Continent is too vast. The place we inhabit is merely a corner of Qingxiao Land. After being separated from Master and our fellow disciples, reuniting is no easy task. So we must cultivate diligently and rebuild the Heavenly Terrace as soon as possible. Only then can we summon our fellow disciples to find us." Ruoxie brought up the old matter again, never forgetting the Heavenly Terrace.
"Definitely." Lin Feng nodded.
"Ruoxie, is this your friend?" At this moment, a middle-aged man walked over and glanced at Lin Feng.
"Yes, this is my junior brother from the Small World." Ruoxie nodded to the middle-aged man, then introduced him: "Lin Feng, this is Senior Yun Yao. He often guides my cultivation at Sword Mountain, like a teacher to me."
"Lin Feng greets Senior Yun Yao." Lin Feng smiled and nodded to the middle-aged man. Yun Yao, however, kept his gaze fixed on Lin Feng, murmuring softly: "Lin Feng, Lin Feng..."
"You're Lin Feng from Flame Gold City." As if suddenly remembering something, Yun Yao's eyes lit up with a strange brilliance as he stared intently at Lin Feng.
"I stayed in Flame Gold City for a while." Lin Feng nodded. It seemed that the battle in Flame Gold City back then had caused quite a stir. Even the experts of Sword Mountain recognized him.
"So that's it. A Venerable Martial slaying an Emperor—so young, and unexpectedly, Ruoxie's junior brother. How interesting." Yun Yao smiled repeatedly. He was curious about the sect that Lin Feng and Ruoxie had belonged to. Ruoxie's talent was already formidable, even among the young disciples of Sword Mountain. And his junior brother, Lin Feng, had slain a Martial Emperor at the Venerable Martial realm. How domineering was that? Such a person's future prospects were immeasurable.
"By the way, Nephew Lin Feng, please come inside and take a seat." Yun Yao made a gesture of invitation, already addressing Lin Feng as "Nephew Lin Feng," as if their relationship had instantly drawn closer. A senior treating him with such courtesy—Lin Feng was naturally happy to accept.
"Go in and sit down. The Grand Elder of Sword Mountain is hosting a banquet inside. Lin Feng, you are also an honored guest." Ruoxie said with a smile. Lin Feng did not hesitate and followed Yun Yao directly into the great hall. Inside the hall, there were already many people. Some were seated, while others were moving about, mingling with each other, drawing closer. The atmosphere was quite casual, without any sense of restraint. But just a few steps into the hall, Lin Feng felt a powerful cold intent descend upon him—a coldness like the scorching of flames. This aura was very unpleasant.
"The Yan Family." Lin Feng's gaze swept over the few people who were radiating hostility toward him. He had met them once before—they had been beside the Yan Family Head during the Artifact Refining Competition. Their status should not be low. For this Sword Testing Ceremony of Sword Mountain, several members of the Yan Family had also arrived as guests.
"It's been many days. I hope all is well." At this moment, several members of the Yan Family stepped toward Lin Feng, smiles on their faces, appearing very polite. Anyone unaware would have thought they were friends.
"Not bad. Still alive and well." Sensing the faint killing intent from the other party, Lin Feng sneered. The pupils of the Yan Family members contracted. Yan Feng had stepped into the Martial Emperor realm after taking second place in the Artifact Refining Competition. That should have been a glorious achievement, yet Lin Feng had publicly killed him. This was an eternal pain for the Yan Family, a disgrace that could not be erased.
"Sss, sss..." Law power converged in the void. Suddenly, Lin Feng felt the temperature around him rise sharply, as if an invisible flame was wrapping around his body.
"Hmm?" Those around seemed to sense a scorching heat and turned their gazes toward Lin Feng. Lin Feng's expression turned cold. He lightly pressed his foot against the ground, silently. Instantly, the ground beneath the Yan Family members' feet collapsed directly, sinking inward, accompanied by a booming sound.
The Yan Family members moved slightly, instantly leaving that spot. Then, where they had just stood, a deep pit appeared. This made everyone's expressions quite interesting. Someone was actually causing trouble at this banquet? Wasn't this too disrespectful to Sword Mountain?
The Grand Elder of Sword Mountain also turned his gaze this way, landing on the several Yan Family members who had just moved. This made their faces ugly as they stared at Lin Feng and said, "How dare you cause trouble here and collapse the ground."
"Wasn't that where you were standing? Why are you spouting nonsense?" Lin Feng said calmly, his expression unchanged.
"Would we crush the ground beneath our own feet?"
"Then why would I crush the ground beneath your feet?" Lin Feng countered.
"You..." The Yan Family members' faces stiffened. They naturally could not say that they had first ambushed Lin Feng, and Lin Feng had retaliated.
"How would I know what your intentions are?" A Yan Family expert said coldly.
"Since you don't dare to admit it, let me say it for you. I crushed that piece of ground because you condensed flame law power to ambush me, trying to make me lose face. Naturally, I had to resist." Lin Feng said calmly. "Of course, I did damage the hall's floor, so I am at fault. If the senior blames me, Lin Feng will leave Sword Mountain immediately."
"Is that so?" The Grand Elder of Sword Mountain looked at Yun Yao beside Lin Feng. Since he was next to Lin Feng, he should know what had happened.
"Grand Elder, what Lin Feng said is correct. The Yan Family struck first." Yun Yao nodded slightly. "Moreover, the Yan Family members are much stronger than Lin Feng. If Lin Feng hadn't resisted like this, he would have suffered a hidden loss. So he had no choice but to act this way. I hope the Grand Elder will understand."
"In Flame Gold City, how many families have the same artifact refining strength as the Yan Family, or are even stronger?" The Grand Elder asked Yun Yao.
"In the northern region of Flame Gold City, there are two families. In other regions, there are quite a few. If we count the central region, there should be over a dozen families." Yun Yao replied calmly.
"See if you can contact them and find out if any family is willing to cooperate." The Grand Elder said indifferently, causing the Yan Family members' faces to suddenly turn ugly. "Grand Elder, please forgive us."
"The Yan Family's recent performance has been disappointing. I don't want to see this kind of thing again." The Grand Elder of Sword Mountain said coldly, making the Yan Family members feel terrible, as if they had been publicly slapped in the face, burning with discomfort. Sword Mountain and the Yan Family cooperated in artifact refining, mutually benefiting each other. Sword Mountain could obtain the Imperial Artifacts they wanted, while the Yan Family could get many things they desired. However, since Sword Mountain could find a replacement for the Yan Family, this mutually beneficial relationship put the Yan Family at a disadvantage. This only showed that the Yan Family's artifact refining strength was not strong enough. If their artifact refining strength were such that only a few families in all of Flame Gold City could compare, then it would be the Yan Family giving Sword Mountain a cold shoulder.
"Lin Feng." The Grand Elder of Sword Mountain's gaze fell on Lin Feng, a smile on his face. "I heard you and Ruoxie are fellow disciples. That means you have a connection with Sword Mountain. Since you're here, you must stay for a few more days."
Hearing the Grand Elder of Sword Mountain's words, many people turned their gazes to Lin Feng. Some wondered who this young man was to have such face. They vaguely felt that the Grand Elder's cold attitude toward the Yan Family might have something to do with this young man.
Of course, the real reason was not as simple as they imagined. Sword Mountain had already wanted to change partners because the Yan Family was showing signs of decline and had no successors. As for Lin Feng, Sword Mountain was happy to give him face. Coupled with the relationship between Ruoxie and Lin Feng, Sword Mountain could easily draw closer to Lin Feng and gain the friendship of a young man who had slain an Emperor at the Venerable Martial realm. That would definitely not be a bad thing.
"Lin Feng, let me introduce you to some seniors." Yun Yao led Lin Feng through the crowd. Soon, many people learned of Lin Feng's feat of slaying an Emperor at the Venerable Martial realm during the Artifact Refining Competition. One by one, they became very polite, while the Yan Family members were completely snubbed.
Lin Feng did not stay in the hall for long. Finding an opportunity, he slipped away, dragging Ruoxie along with him. The two wandered around Sword Mountain. In Sword Mountain, there were many relics containing the different sword intents of ancient Sword Mountain experts. Lin Feng benefited quite a bit from them. His Sword Dao had no limitations—he could merge the strengths of a hundred schools, following his heart. Before he practiced the sword, he had tempered his heart in the mortal world. Where his heart pointed, his sword followed.
Three days later, the Sword Testing Ceremony of Sword Mountain officially began in Sword Valley. Forces from all sides gathered, and the disciples of Sword Mountain entered the valley one after another. The so-called Sword Testing Ceremony was actually a competition of sword skills among Sword Mountain disciples, and only those below the Martial Emperor realm participated. Ruoxie had just stepped into the Martial Emperor realm, so he was not eligible for this Sword Testing Ceremony. He sat with Lin Feng above Sword Valley, watching.
"The disciples of Sword Mountain each have their own strengths. They cultivate different sword techniques and ancient scriptures. Their sword techniques are exquisite and powerful, many of which I have never seen before. This Sword Testing Ceremony has truly opened my eyes." Lin Feng watched the battles for an hour, feeling inspired. Although the Sword Mountain disciples below the Martial Emperor realm could not compare to him in strength, they each had their own strengths worth learning from. Sword Mountain's sword techniques were profound and extensive. Many sword techniques' sacred mark divine abilities contained terrifying attack power. If they actually struck a Martial Emperor expert, they could also kill.
Some sword techniques pursued pure speed—like light and shadow. The light flashed, the sword vanished, and the person died. Very formidable.