# Chapter 217: A Mysterious Realm
Lin Feng heard the word "waste" from the purple-clad woman's mouth. He lifted his head and saw the contempt and mockery in her eyes. He shook his head inwardly.
In a world where martial arts reigned supreme, without strength, one could only be despised. Some people kept such feelings hidden inside, while others made no effort to conceal them, displaying them nakedly and openly—just like the purple-clad woman at this moment.
"Zi Ling, put him down from the carriage."
The purple-clad woman said indifferently, her voice so calm it carried not a single ripple. She didn't want to keep looking at a waste all the time, even if that waste was rather handsome.
"Aren't you a soldier? How could you have no cultivation? At the very least, you should have reached the Qi Martial Realm, right?"
Zi Ling looked at Lin Feng, a strange light flickering in her eyes.
"I'm injured. I don't have any strength right now."
Lin Feng shook his head. He didn't feel anger at the purple-clad woman's words. Having experienced the baptism of the battlefield, truly witnessing the scene of ten thousand skeletons, and seeing the blood-soaked earth, his heart had become more resilient, not easily stirred. Moreover, his state of mind had improved considerably, making him less susceptible to others' attitudes.
"Oh." Zi Ling nodded, looking at Lin Feng with a thoughtful expression, as if considering what to do with him.
"Zi Ling, if the people at the mountain villa find out that our carriage is carrying a waste, won't we be laughed at? Throw him off."
The purple-clad woman spoke again, showing no regard for Lin Feng, who was right beside her. To her, a waste was nothing but an ant. She didn't need to care about or consider Lin Feng's feelings at all, even if she insulted him to his face.
"Sister Zi Yi, since we've encountered him, it counts as fate. Why be so heartless?" Zi Ling pouted and shook her head. "Lin Feng, how about you become my servant? Follow me, and we'll take you back to the mountain villa."
"Servant?" Lin Feng was stunned. Become a servant?
He laughed bitterly to himself. He never thought he, Lin Feng, would fall to such a low point. But he was still within the territory of the Moyue Kingdom, his Yuan Qi was depleted, and he had no strength. If he wandered alone, he might indeed encounter danger. It was better to stay here for now. As for being called a "servant"... why should he care?
Once he recovered his strength, who would dare treat him as a servant?
He nodded slightly. Lin Feng had no objections.
"Alright then. From now on, Lin Feng, you'll follow me."
Zi Ling giggled, carrying a hint of girlish playfulness. Zi Yi shook her head helplessly and said nothing more.
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Zi Wei Mountain Villa was surrounded by mountains on all sides, a quiet and secluded place. It was the largest force in the northern region of the Moyue Kingdom, a branch of the Zi Mansion lineage.
It was said that the strongest person in the Zi Mansion even possessed the power of the Mysterious Martial Realm. Moreover, the Zi Mansion itself had existed since ancient times, with a history even longer than that of the Moyue Kingdom, though it had gradually declined over time.
Zi Ling was the eldest young lady of Zi Wei Mountain Villa, while Zi Yi was the adopted daughter of Zi Ling's father. Therefore, within the villa, Zi Ling's status was higher than Zi Yi's. What Zi Ling approved, Zi Yi could not overturn. For example, since Zi Ling insisted on bringing Lin Feng back, Zi Yi had no choice but to accept it.
Zi Wei Mountain Villa occupied a vast area. Even the place where Zi Ling lived was surrounded by beautiful scenery—artificial hills, a large courtyard, and a verdant bamboo grove outside, creating an exceptionally tranquil atmosphere.
At this moment, Lin Feng was holding a broom, sweeping the open space in the courtyard. But his eyes weren't fixed on the ground; instead, they showed a contemplative expression.
He could sense the Heaven and Earth Yuan Qi contained within the world around him, and this feeling was clearer than before. Yet, he couldn't grasp it, couldn't touch it. He still couldn't absorb Heaven and Earth Yuan Qi into his body, let alone mobilize it. This state gradually stirred ripples in his calm heart.
A leaf fluttered slowly in the air. Lin Feng's gaze followed it, and he could clearly track its falling trajectory.
Transferring the broom to his left hand, Lin Feng raised his right hand and casually swept it through the air like a sword, slashing toward the leaf. Although he had no Yuan Qi and no Sword Intent, Lin Feng's hand was still like a sword.
However, the moment Lin Feng touched the leaf, he felt no point of contact. The leaf drifted lightly, untouchable, ungraspable, floating to the side. Lin Feng's hand slashed directly through the air, leaving behind a faint glimmer.
"Can't cut it!"
Lin Feng's gaze sharpened. The falling leaf had no roots, no point of contact. It was light and airy, moving with the wind. Although Lin Feng could clearly sense its trajectory, he couldn't predict it. The moment he touched it, its trajectory changed.
If Lin Feng had used Yuan Qi before, striking out swiftly, he could have easily cut the leaf. But now, with his hand like a sword, casually slashing, he couldn't even touch it.
"My realm... though I've achieved Man and Sword as One, it seems insufficient. Something is missing."
Lin Feng murmured to himself. His perception had indeed grown stronger, and his realm was higher than before. But he felt he was at a critical juncture, a very crucial point. It seemed he could take another step forward.
He was stuck at this juncture. If he couldn't take this step, he couldn't absorb or mobilize Heaven and Earth Yuan Qi.
"I remember that when I broke through that day, I was struck heavily. My bones shattered, and my internal organs were injured. In that moment of crisis, my will caused my Battle Intent, Sword Intent, and Ice Intent to burn, fusing together into a sharp sword. What I thought of at that time was the sword—a realm of the sword stronger than Subtlety: Man and Sword as One. And my strong will allowed me to achieve this. I stepped into Man and Sword as One."
Lin Feng recalled the scene of his breakthrough, remembering every detail.
"When I broke through to Man and Sword as One, I also relied on my Martial Soul. The first layer of the Heavenly Radiance Martial Soul inherently granted me a powerful ability to sense and perceive this world. With my strong consciousness, my Martial Soul allowed me to sense the sword and step into the realm of Man and Sword as One. But my own personal comprehension seems to be lacking. In other words, the realm I've comprehended hasn't caught up with the realm I've achieved."
Lin Feng's heart trembled slightly, as if he had grasped something. The power of his Martial Soul had allowed him to break through the realm, but this was achieved through the aid of his Martial Soul. He himself hadn't truly reached that realm. That was why he had entered this special state, unable to mobilize Heaven and Earth Yuan Qi.
"I possess Battle Intent, Ice Intent, and Sword Intent. But why did they ultimately transform into the sword, and not battle, not ice?"
"Though the leaf has no roots and moves with the wind, if I truly merge with Heaven and Earth, becoming one with the leaf, then when my hand descends, would it still fail to cut it?"
Lin Feng held the broom, sinking into thought. Standing in the courtyard, facing the verdant bamboo grove, his body remained completely still.
At this moment, outside the courtyard, two figures approached. The one in front was a middle-aged man, and behind him followed a young woman—Zi Yi.
Seeing Lin Feng standing in the courtyard, both the middle-aged man and Zi Yi paused in their steps.
"Father, he's the waste we encountered on the road last time. Zi Ling insisted on bringing him to the villa and even let him be responsible for sweeping the courtyard and living here."
Zi Yi looked at Lin Feng and explained to the middle-aged man.
At this moment, the middle-aged man stared intently at Lin Feng, a thoughtful expression on his face.
"Father, should we drive him away?"
Zi Yi, seeing the middle-aged man remain silent, spoke again.
"Don't speak."
The middle-aged man's gaze was fixed on Lin Feng. At this moment, Lin Feng stood quietly, motionless. But the dust around him seemed to form a vortex, swirling.
It was very subtle. If one didn't observe carefully, they might not even notice it.
Zi Yi glanced at Lin Feng, not understanding what her father was looking at. A hint of contempt appeared in her eyes, and then she stopped looking at him. A waste—she couldn't even be bothered to look.
"Father, I'll go call Zi Ling out."
Zi Yi said to the middle-aged man. Seeing that her father didn't respond, she shook her head and walked toward the rooms in the courtyard.
After she left, a sharp light flashed in the middle-aged man's eyes. The dust vortex around Lin Feng swirled more and more intensely. And Lin Feng, though standing there, gave him a mysterious feeling. At this moment, Lin Feng seemed to have merged with Heaven and Earth. Lin Feng was Heaven and Earth, making him want to look up to him.