Chapter 23: Killing to Show One's Might!

thought “Ling... Ling Feng repelled Senior Brother Xiao?”

“Heavens, could Ling Feng’s comprehension be even more monstrous than Senior Brother Xiao’s?”

Xiao Qingfeng’s face burned with humiliation. He glared fiercely at Ling Feng, his chest surging with fury.

“What? Are you feeling humiliated and enraged because you lost to a mere ant like me?”

Meeting Xiao Qingfeng’s cold and venomous gaze, Ling Feng said indifferently, “Someone like you doesn't even deserve to be called a genius.”

“Ling Feng!” Xiao Qingfeng clenched his fists so hard his teeth nearly shattered. “Who do you think you are, to lecture me, Xiao Qingfeng? I was merely careless just now and let you gain a slight advantage! Next, I will beat you to death!”

“You still want to come?” A hint of cold arrogance flashed in Ling Feng’s eyes as he waved a finger in front of him. “You? You think you're worthy?”

“Hiss!”

As soon as these words were spoken, the surrounding disciples gasped in unison.

Ling Feng truly had more courage than a bear or a leopard. Even if he had comprehended the Ninefold Sea-Suppressing Fist, who exactly was Xiao Qingfeng?

Eighth Stage of Qi Condensation!

A mere Fourth Stage Qi Condensation practitioner like him—was he trying to revolt against heaven itself?

“You are seeking death!” Having never suffered such humiliation, Xiao Qingfeng swung his longsword. Like a hungry tiger pouncing on its prey, he lunged toward Ling Feng.

His handsome face had become distorted and terrifying due to his rage. Even from a distance, many watching disciples scrambled to retreat, fearing they might be caught in the crossfire of this raging "tiger."

Ling Feng remained calm, standing his ground with composure.

He could produce the Sect Leader's Jade Token. With Duanmu Qingshan's protection, what did a mere Xiao Qingfeng matter?

However, during this period, he had not only practiced the *Ninefold Sea-Suppressing Fist*; his mastery of the Star-Shattering Sword Technique had also reached perfection.

With this swordsmanship, his strength might not necessarily be inferior to Xiao Qingfeng's.

*Zheng!*

The longsword left its scabbard. Ling Feng’s clear eyes reflected Xiao Qingfeng’s ferocious appearance. The cyan figure lunged toward him, suffocatingly close.

In a flash!

The sword in Xiao Qingfeng’s hand seemed to transform into a demon's claw. With an aggressive momentum, he leapt into the air and slashed down with the force capable of splitting Mount Hua.

This strike was Xiao Qingfeng’s signature move. It was through this domineering and fierce swordsmanship that he had gained fame within the inner sect.

“It’s Senior Brother Xiao’s strongest killing strike, Tiger Descending the Mountain!”

“Such terrifying sword qi! Is Ling Feng actually going to meet it head-on?”

“He’s dead. He is absolutely dead!”

Ling Feng’s expression did not change, though he felt a flicker of annoyance in his heart. “He’s putting his full strength into this strike without leaving any room for error. It seems he truly intends to kill me!”

Since the opponent had shown killing intent, Ling Feng would not show mercy!

“Die!”

A cold light flashed in Ling Feng’s eyes as the first divine rune of the Heavenly Eye activated, allowing him to completely see through Xiao Qingfeng’s swordsmanship.

In an instant, Ling Feng dodged to the side and then drew his sword back in a parry. Brushing against the edge of Xiao Qingfeng’s blade, a vibrating force neutralized the fierce momentum of the strike. Sparks flew. With a single move, he completely neutralized Xiao Qingfeng’s fatal strike and utterly disrupted his footwork.

“My turn!”

With the ability of the Heavenly Eye, Ling Feng knew Xiao Qingfeng’s sword moves and footwork like the back of his hand; every weakness was laid bare.

Pushing his Swift Light Steps to the limit, Ling Feng’s sword became unpredictable and ethereal. As if possessing foresight, no matter where Xiao Qingfeng tried to dodge, Ling Feng’s blade was already waiting at the destination, leaving Xiao Qingfeng in a state of frantic chaos.

Despite having a Qi cultivation far exceeding Ling Feng's, Xiao Qingfeng was trapped and unable to utilize the advantages of his true Qi.

“How is this possible? Ling Feng’s swordsmanship is actually superior to Senior Brother Xiao’s!”

“Impossible! I must be seeing things!”

The observing disciples and deacons were all dumbfounded, their minds filled with nothing but the word "impossible."

“Kill!” Having had his rhythm completely disrupted by Ling Feng, Xiao Qingfeng was even more incensed. He flew into a rage, swinging his longsword wildly, willing to take injuries just to strike Ling Feng down.

Unfortunately, Xiao Qingfeng was too consumed by anger and had lost his ability to judge calmly. Such frantic attacks were nothing more than digging his own grave.

Before long, most of the true Qi in Xiao Qingfeng’s body had been exhausted, while Ling Feng remained vigorous. With a step of his footwork, he unleashed the Star-Shattering Sword Manual. With the move *Meteor from Beyond the Heavens*, he directly pierced through Xiao Qingfeng’s right arm.

*Clang!*

The longsword fell from Xiao Qingfeng’s hand. Clutching his right wrist, he began to howl in agony.

“My hand! My hand!”

For a swordsman, losing the use of the right hand was equivalent to destroying his life on the path of the sword.

“Ling Feng, how dare you! You actually dared to sever Senior Brother Qingfeng’s tendons!”

From within the crowd, a deacon from the Sect Leader’s lineage leaped out. He stared coldly at Ling Feng, his voice sounding as if it came from the depths of the underworld, sending shivers down everyone's spines.

“Sever his tendons?” Ling Feng showed no sign of retreating. Meeting the deacon's gaze, he sneered, “He tried to kill me; am I not allowed to fight back? Not only will I cripple him, I will slaughter him!”

Having said that, under the watchful eyes of everyone, Ling Feng raised his sword and struck down heavily.

*Swish!*

A head soared into the air. Xiao Qingfeng’s body fell to its knees, and blood erupted from his neck like a fountain, spraying over ten feet high.

The head rolled across the ground and stopped, unerringly, at the feet of the deacon. The eyes of the severed head were wide and bulging; even in death, he could not believe that Ling Feng actually dared to take a life.

“Ah!”

“He... he... he actually killed Senior Brother Xiao!”

The surrounding disciples trembled violently, and some female disciples even fainted from terror.

In front of everyone, and right before a main peak deacon, Ling Feng actually dared to kill with a sword!

His courage was simply too immense!

“You monster! You are seeking death!”

The deacon was shaking with rage. Other managers and deacons with status in the inner sect also stepped forward, surrounding Ling Feng in a tight circle.

The crime of harming a fellow disciple was enough for them to arrest Ling Feng on the spot and execute him without question.

“Who dares touch a single hair on my head, just try it!”

Facing such an intimidating formation, Ling Feng remained utterly fearless. He pulled the Sect Leader's Jade Token from his robes. “Open your dog eyes and look! What is this?”

Once the Sect Leader's Jade Token appeared, the deacons remembered that not long ago, even the Pavilion Guard Elder had suffered a great loss because of this very token. How could mere deacons like them hope to punish Ling Feng?

“Get out of my way!” Ling Feng held the Jade Token high. “Whoever dares block my path, die!”

In an instant, all the deacons and managers silently lowered their heads. No matter how much they resented it, they could only retreat to the side, not daring to obstruct Ling Feng's path.