Chapter 13: The Sect Leader's Jade Command!

After Duanmu Qingshan passed down the "Star-Shattering Sword Manual," Ling Feng's daily routine became quite busy.

Every morning, he collected morning dew for his master and prepared medicinal herbs. This was followed by repetitive daily practice of the Star-Shattering Sword Manual and the Cloud-Chasing Steps; as for trash like the Black Wind Claw, Ling Feng had discarded it entirely.

To facilitate Ling Feng's sword practice, Duanmu Qingshan specially gifted him a three-foot green blade. Although it was an unranked mortal sword, it possessed a chilling luster, and its sword intent was as sharp as frost.

To an ordinary person, it was already a rare and precious treasure.

At night, Ling Feng made proper use of those "thirty breaths" of time to cultivate and improve himself.

In the blink of an eye, five days had passed. The people from Flying Star Peak truly seemed to fear Duanmu Qingshan, as they no longer sent anyone to provoke Ling Feng.

"Master said that if I can master this Star-Shattering Sword Manual within a month, it would be considered excellent comprehension!"

In the courtyard, Ling Feng stood with his sword sheathed, slowly exhaling a breath of turbid air.

By utilizing the "Skill Copy" ability of the Heavenly Eye, Ling Feng was able to perform the complete Star-Shattering Sword Manual by the third day. Today, he could even release sword qi from the blade.

This was what Duanmu Qingshan referred to as the entry-level stage.

If mastering it in a month made one a genius, then what did it make Ling Feng, who mastered it in five days?

Not only that, but through these few days of cultivation, the true qi within Ling Feng's body had actually broken through once again, advancing to the fourth level of the Qi Condensation Realm!

Just then, the sound of footsteps came from behind.

Hearing the "glug, glug" sound of Duanmu Qingshan drinking wine, Ling Feng turned and bowed. "Master."

"Mm." Duanmu Qingshan nodded slightly; he was very satisfied with this disciple.

Extremely satisfied!

Without needing to be urged, the boy practiced from dawn till dusk every day, and never forgot to decoct and prepare medicine for him.

A good disciple like this was something one couldn't find even with a lantern in hand!

Suddenly, Duanmu Qingshan's eyelid twitched violently, and a flash of astonishment crossed his eyes. "You... you broke through again?"

Ling Feng rubbed the bridge of his nose and said calmly, "A stroke of luck."

"Luck?" Duanmu Qingshan shook his head, feeling amused.

If breaking through from the first to the third level of Qi Condensation a few days ago was luck, then breaking through another level after only five days—was that still luck?

One must know that after the third level of Qi Condensation comes the middle stage of the realm; breaking through was no longer as simple as it was in the early stages. Even disciples with above-average talent would need several months or even a year or two for a potential breakthrough.

And wasn't Ling Feng supposed to have mediocre talent?

Thinking of this, Duanmu Qingshan walked quickly to Ling Feng, placed his hand on Ling Feng's right pulse, and sent a surge of true qi into Ling Feng's body.

"It really is the fourth level of Qi Condensation!" A flash of joy appeared in Duanmu Qingshan's eyes, followed immediately by a sudden contraction of his pupils in shock.

"You..." Duanmu Qingshan stared intently at Ling Feng. "Your Star-Shattering Sword Manual... you've already reached the entry level?"

"Luck, just luck." A slight sweat appeared on Ling Feng's forehead. Relying on the ability of the Heavenly Eye, mastering a martial technique was simply too easy for him.

If Duanmu Qingshan had performed the complete sword technique in front of him that day, he could have reached the entry level right then!

"A prodigy!"

Duanmu Qingshan remained silent for a long time before finally uttering those two words.

He, Duanmu Qingshan, was known as a genius of the sword path, and it had taken him twenty days to reach the entry level of this Star-Shattering Sword Manual.

Ling Feng was four times faster than him!

"Let me see your Star-Shattering Sword Qi," Duanmu Qingshan said in a heavy voice.

Ling Feng nodded slightly, drew his sword, and unsheathed it!

*Zheng!*

The sword light flashed, a streak of cold light like a silk ribbon cutting through the air, leaving a faint glow in an instant.

Fast! Ruthless! Precise!

A moon-white streak of sword qi slashed horizontally. One sword produced ten lights, carving cracks into the ground that formed a nearly complete character for "Star"!

"Not just entry-level, you are almost at the stage of minor mastery!"

Duanmu Qingshan took a deep breath. He knew he had truly picked up a treasure this time.

Yang Wei and Li Liang had mistakenly thought Ling Feng was a waste and thrown him to him, but they never imagined that Ling Feng was not a waste, but a prodigy—a monster!

"Hahaha!" Duanmu Qingshan laughed toward the sky. "Half of why I taught you sword techniques before was to thank you for healing my injuries, but now, I feel you can become my successor! Your future achievements may even surpass mine!"

Being praised so highly by Duanmu Qingshan made Ling Feng somewhat embarrassed. He gritted his teeth and said modestly, "Master overpraises me."

"Hmph, to be the successor of Duanmu Qingshan, you can throw modesty to the dogs! Follow me!"

With that, Duanmu Qingshan patted Ling Feng's shoulder, grabbed his wrist, and walked toward the house.

A moment later, Duanmu Qingshan brought Ling Feng to his quarters and began rummaging through chests and cupboards. After searching for a long time, he finally pulled out a dust-covered token from under the bed.

"You are my disciple. In terms of seniority, you are of the same generation as the Sect Leader, Lin Canglang. Therefore, when you move within the inner sect, be as arrogant and domineering as you wish! Take this token; with it, you may freely enter any forbidden area or treasury within the Immortal Sect!"

Ling Feng took the token and saw the character "Immortal" written on it. He didn't know what material it was made of, but it felt cold in his hand.

"What is this?"

"The Sect Leader's Token!" Duanmu Qingshan shrugged. "After I killed my junior brother—who was the previous Sect Leader—this thing ended up in my hands."

Ling Feng swallowed hard. This master of his was intense! Truly intense!

"It's a pity that although I killed the previous Sect Leader, I was also targeted by him and several of his disciples—including the current Sect Leader Lin Canglang, as well as Yang Wei and Li Liang. They used a combined Sealing Array to trap me here in this Little Bamboo Peak, unable to take a single step out."

Ling Feng sniffled. So his master had been sealed in Little Bamboo Peak by an array. No wonder people like Yang Wei had been using despicable methods to target the disciples of Duanmu Qingshan's lineage, and he had simply endured it.

"Master, since the previous Sect Leader was your junior brother, why did you kill him?" Ling Feng hesitated for a moment before asking.

Could it be that the two brothers had turned against each other while fighting for the position of Sect Leader?

"Kill him? I want to dig up the graves of his eighteen generations of ancestors!" An intense hatred flashed in Duanmu Qingshan's eyes.

"That old bastard coveted the Supreme Sword Manual held by my wife. He poisoned her and even severely injured my only daughter, leaving her life in doubt!"

Duanmu Qingshan's eyes turned blood-red as he clenched his fists. "Tell me, should such a beast, who is worse than an animal, die?"

"He deserves to die! He should be torn into ten thousand pieces!" Ling Feng nodded heavily. So, his master harbored such a deep blood feud.

"Being sealed here, I also have internal injuries from sword qi. For many years, not only has my strength failed to progress, but it has even shown signs of regression. I thought I would simply grow old and die here."

Duanmu Qingshan clenched his fist, then shifted his gaze to Ling Feng and said deeply, "However, your appearance has given me hope!"