Chapter 167: Encouragement
The disciples of Cloud Sea Sect stood up one after another, their gazes fixed on Lin Feng's finger, or rather, on the stone ring on Lin Feng's finger, trying to see it more clearly.
But at that moment, Lin Feng withdrew his hand, clasped it behind his back, and said to the crowd, "Those willing to follow me, step forward."
The hearts of those Cloud Sea Sect disciples trembled violently. A glimmer of hope flickered in their eyes. It was the Sect Leader's stone ring. Lin Feng might be like them, a member of Cloud Sea Sect.
"I am willing to follow you."
At this moment, a figure stepped forward, arriving before the iron cage, his gaze burning with fervor.
"I am willing."
"I am willing too."
More and more people stood up and spoke. This scene left the person in charge of trading these slaves stunned, a deep confusion in his eyes. Why would so many people be willing to follow Lin Feng to their deaths?
Were they really that sick of being locked in cages?
Ba Dao and Yi Xue were also astonished by what they saw. They looked at Lin Feng with thoughtful expressions. How could this be? Lin Feng had just told them he wanted these people to clear the path in the demon beast forest, and they were so willing?
After a moment, there were actually over thirty slave cultivators standing before the iron cage. Lin Feng sighed inwardly. It seemed that on that day, quite a few people from Cloud Sea Sect had escaped the disaster and hadn't been killed on the spot. But unfortunately, they had ended up as slaves. Many had died in the arena battles, and many more had been traded to this slave market.
"Release them. I'll take all these slave cultivators," Lin Feng said indifferently.
The person in charge hesitated for a moment, then nodded slightly. Though puzzled, trading away so many slaves was naturally a good thing.
"Are you sure you want me to release them just like that?" At this moment, the person in charge no longer had a fawning smile in his eyes. His expression turned serious, as if he had become a different person in an instant, even his demeanor completely changed.
Lin Feng looked at the other party with surprise, but then understood. If the person in charge of so many slave cultivators wasn't strong, Lin Feng wouldn't believe it.
"Release them," Lin Feng nodded. He understood that the other party was worried he couldn't control so many slaves. But did Lin Feng need to control them?
"Very well, I'll release them then." The man nodded, walked to the gap in the middle of the iron cage, unlocked the chain forged from refined iron, opened the gap, and said to the crowd, "Those willing to follow him, come out one by one. Anyone who dares to act recklessly will be killed!"
As his words fell, a fierce killing intent burst forth in the space, causing Lin Feng's eyes to flash with sharp light.
Strong. At least at the Seventh Layer of Spirit Martial Realm. He was a completely different person from before.
The crowd lowered their heads, squeezing out through the gap so small it could barely accommodate one person. Suppressing the tremors in their hearts, they looked at Lin Feng with burning gazes. Soon, thirty-two Spirit Martial Realm cultivators stood behind Lin Feng.
"How many origin stones?" Lin Feng asked calmly.
"Eight at the First Layer of Spirit Martial Realm, nine at the Second Layer, seven at the Third Layer, five at the Fourth Layer, three at the Fifth Layer. No one at the Sixth Layer. Give me three thousand four hundred mid-grade origin stones."
The man counted silently in his mind, then spoke.
Lin Feng nodded slightly. Light flickered, and a dense surge of heaven and earth origin energy rushed toward them. In Lin Feng's hand, many origin stones appeared.
"Storage space!" The man's eyes narrowed. Lin Feng actually possessed storage space. That was no simple matter.
"Count them," Lin Feng said, placing a pile of origin stones on the ground.
The man merely glanced at the ground briefly, then smiled. "No need to count. You can take them and leave."
"Good." Lin Feng nodded slightly, turned to look at the crowd, and said, "Follow me."
With that, Lin Feng stepped forward. The thirty-two slave cultivators moved in astonishing unison, silently and quietly following behind Lin Feng, their order shocking to behold.
This didn't look like a scene from a slave trade at all. It was too strange. These people seemed to be Lin Feng's subordinates, quietly following him.
Watching Lin Feng and the others' retreating figures, the person in charge's eyes flickered uncertainly. Then, a faint smile appeared in his eyes, and he shouted loudly at Lin Feng's back, "Take care, young master."
Walking along the main road, Lin Feng's group was particularly conspicuous. Thirty-two slave cultivators with slave brands carved on their faces—how could they not attract the crowd's attention?
And this was only because they were in the slave trading area. In another place, they would have been even more eye-catching.
………………
Not far from Heavenly One Academy, in a mansion courtyard, Lin Feng, Ba Dao, Yi Xue, and the thirty-two slave cultivators appeared in the martial arts arena.
The mansion was filled with artificial rockeries, pavilions and towers stood among them, and there were small bridges over flowing water and lakeside scenery. This was the mansion Lin Feng had just purchased, costing a full five hundred mid-grade origin stones—very expensive.
But now, Lin Feng needed such a place. Heavenly One Academy, after all, didn't belong to him. Although he had privileges there, every move he made would be known to others. He couldn't possibly bring so many Cloud Sea Sect people into the academy; that would be very inconvenient.
Those Cloud Sea Sect people all looked at Lin Feng, their eyes carrying a mix of anticipation and unease. They all wanted to see the face beneath Lin Feng's mask.
Who exactly was this person with the Sect Leader's stone ring?
Lin Feng faced the crowd, his gaze calm. He swept his eyes over them and said, "You've suffered."
With that, Lin Feng placed his hand on the mask and, under the crowd's fixed gaze, slowly removed it.
"Boom!"
Seeing Lin Feng's face, the crowd's hearts trembled violently. Lin Feng—the one with the Sect Leader's stone ring—they all recognized him. The extraordinary and unrestrained Lin Feng of Cloud Sea Sect from days past.
Back then, Lin Feng had risen in a single day, killing inner disciples, defeating the top inner disciple Wenren Yan, and acting arrogantly without restraint.
Back then, Lin Feng had stood on the life-and-death platform, interrogating the elders, accusing the Sect Leader of crimes, and displaying immense authority.
Everyone had regarded Lin Feng as the future hope of the sect. One day, Lin Feng would rise within Cloud Sea Sect and capture the attention of the Snow Moon Kingdom.
But on the very day Lin Feng rose, disaster struck Cloud Sea Sect.
Yet today, they saw Lin Feng again—the brilliant sect disciple, the youth who had once refused Duan Tianlang's invitation for the sake of his beliefs. How could their hearts not tremble?
Lin Feng was still alive.
Moreover, Lin Feng had rescued them from the slave trading grounds. From now on, they would no longer be treated as slaves, no longer have to endure that inhuman humiliation.
"Don't look at me like that, and don't be so excited. Don't forget, the slave brand is still branded on your faces, and endless humiliation still lingers in your hearts." Seeing the excitement flashing in their eyes, Lin Feng's voice turned cold, like a piece of ice, instantly chilling their hearts. Yes, the slave brand was still on their faces, inescapable. They were still slaves.
"Have you forgotten how the sect was destroyed? Have you forgotten how your faces were carved with the slave brand?" Lin Feng's voice was cold. Hatred arose in the crowd's hearts. Celestial Wolf King—he was the one who had destroyed their sect, branded their faces with the slave brand, and made them slaves.
"Because the sect was weak, Cloud Sea Sect was destroyed without any chance to fight back. And you, because you are weak, your faces were carved with the slave brand. You were humiliated, bullied, and manipulated at others' will." Lin Feng's voice was solemn as he continued slowly, "And if you remain at this level of strength in the future, you will never escape your fate. You will still be slaves. Maybe one day, you'll be caught and taken away, just like livestock."
Lin Feng's words were harsh, but every sentence struck the crowd's hearts. Yes, if they remained at this level of strength, the fate of being slaves would never change.
"If you want to avoid being bullied, if you want to change your fate, if you don't want to be slaves, if you don't want to be manipulated, if you want to use blood to atone for the pain and humiliation you've suffered, there is only one path!" Lin Feng raised his voice slightly, his gaze sweeping over the crowd as he enunciated each word, "Become stronger, become stronger, keep becoming stronger. Only by becoming strong will your fate change!"