Chapter Eleven: Trouble Stems from Ni Qiang

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The peaceful and serene Phoenix Ridge was suddenly thrown into chaos by a cacophony of noise. Blinding flashes of cold light reflected from the dense forest, so sharp they nearly stung the eyes. Lin Feng and Helian Ruxue both shuddered, instinctively tightening their grip on their weapons.

Soon, under their astonished gazes, five people emerged from the trees. They were dressed in white, each holding a different weapon, their eyes cold and predatory, sizing up Lin Feng and Helian Ruxue as if they were prey.

Lin Feng’s expression changed drastically.

“What do you want?” Helian Ruxue, seasoned as a leader for many years, was not intimidated by this show of force.

A man wielding twin blades sneered and shook his head. “What do you think we want? We’ve been guarding this remote mountain for four days, waiting for you two to show up. Be smart and hand over the treasure now! Otherwise, don’t blame us for ignoring the bonds of our sect!”

“You’re one of Nangong Ke’s men?” Helian Ruxue’s tone was icy as she took a step forward, her pupils narrowing.

“Smart girl. Well, Asura Maiden, if you cooperate nicely tonight, I guarantee you’ll be well taken care of, hahahaha!” The twin-blade man laughed loudly, joined by his companions, their laughter lewd and mocking.

Rage surged in Lin Feng’s heart. He steadied himself with his spear, ready to charge at these shameless men. But Helian Ruxue turned to him with a slight smile, holding him back with an outstretched hand. When she turned back, her expression had shifted to a mysterious, beguiling smile. “Senior Brother, if you want the treasure, come here and I’ll tell you where it is.”

The twin-blade man’s face lit up, and he was about to advance when he abruptly stopped, grinning slyly. “Junior Sister, don’t try any tricks. The young master is nearby. Whether you hand it over or not, you’ll have to give it up today!”

“Hmph, I’d like to see what you’re capable of!” Helian Ruxue sneered, her face growing cold. With a hum, her Clear Edge Sword gleamed brilliantly, pointing straight at the five.

With words laid bare, it was clear that there would be no resolution short of life and death. Lin Feng, swallowing his pain, stood shoulder to shoulder with Helian Ruxue.

The Asura Maiden let out a long, shrill cry. A flash of white sword light shot forth as she charged into the enemy ranks.

Though they had been trapped for days, Helian Ruxue, hardened by repeated brushes with death, displayed astonishing battle prowess. With each dazzling strike, the “Radiant Sword Technique” unfolded its first stance.

Meanwhile, Lin Feng faced off against a swordsman, while the remaining four all besieged the Asura Maiden, dismissing Lin Feng as a mere “cripple” unworthy of attention.

“Hey, you’d best surrender your spear now. That treasure isn’t yours anyway, so why get involved? Once the brothers have had their fun with the woman, you’ll get your share. Save me the trouble, don’t force my hand,” said a disciple of the Hundred Blossoms Sect, cradling a seven-foot sword. He stood calmly, two yards from Lin Feng, his blade sheathed, perfectly at ease.

“Scum!” Lin Feng roared, lunging forward. His Three-Section Spear thrust directly at the man’s chest, fierce yet a touch unstable, the tip trembling slightly.

The white-robed man sneered, retreating with lightning speed. With a clear ring, his seven-foot sword flashed from its sheath, sending a surge of sword energy that made the blade swell and shine with a blinding silver light.

Sword energy! A mark of mid-stage Qi Refining cultivation!

Lin Feng dared not be careless. He raised his spear, facing his opponent in a tense standoff.

“Boy, you and I are worlds apart in strength. Why suffer? Out of kindness, I’ll let you go—don’t fail to appreciate it.” The white-robed man did not attack, certain that taking Lin Feng’s life would be effortless, and making the first move would only tarnish his dignity.

“Shameless brute!” Lin Feng snorted, darting in. The Three-Section Spear blossomed into a flurry of pear flowers—an attack with deceptive depth, directly targeting the man’s wrist.

“Hmph!” With a disdainful grunt, the silver sword rose vertically, forming a barrier of blades that guarded every inch before him.

A piercing clang erupted as Lin Feng’s spear crashed into the sword barrier, sending sparks cascading through the air.

The white-robed man smiled coolly, withdrawing his sword with pride.

Lin Feng staggered, barely able to steady himself. Blood streamed from his torn palms, and after that fierce collision, he could hardly hold his spear.

“Pointless. With your paltry strength, you can’t even break my sword formation. How do you expect to fight me?” The white-robed man shook his head, sighing as if in pity. “Forget it. You were once a pillar of our sect. I, Zhu Fang, won’t make things hard for you. Kneel and beg forgiveness, and I’ll spare your life.”

“What did you say?” Breathing hard, Lin Feng suddenly looked up, his face twisted with fury, eyes blazing with endless hatred—a man transformed.

Zhu Fang hesitated, then sneered. “Trash is trash, deaf as well.”

“Go to hell!”

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Spear leveled, white light flared. Beneath Lin Feng’s tattered clothes, his muscles flickered with hints of crimson. The white-robed man had no time to investigate, hastily repeating his previous technique, hoping to injure Lin Feng again with sword energy.

Two sharp, unexpected sounds rang out across the clearing. A battered figure grunted in midair and was flung several yards back.

Zhu Fang’s eyes widened. Slowly, he looked down at his chest, where a long spear was driven straight through his heart, blood blossoming outward, though he felt no pain.

“You… how…” His sword slipped from his hand with a clang as his body collapsed. Even in death, Zhu Fang could not fathom how he had fallen to a lowly disciple.

This sudden turn jolted Helian Ruxue and the others from their melee. With a sweep of her sword, she broke free of the encirclement and leapt to Lin Feng’s side.

“Junior Brother Lin, are you alright?” Helian Ruxue’s face changed at the sight of him—blood streaming from all seven orifices, his right wrist limp and broken by the force of the blow.

“Senior Sister…” He forced a gentle smile, opening his eyes with effort. “I’m… fine.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll kill them all. Wait here for me.” Helian Ruxue’s heart ached, but her expression hardened as she turned to glare coldly at the remaining four.

None of them had expected Zhu Fang to fall first, and to Lin Feng, whom they all dismissed. Now, they finally regarded the situation seriously, their cat-and-mouse game over. All drew their weapons, faces tense.

A murderous aura filled the once tranquil clearing.

The battle was about to erupt when suddenly, the sound of many footsteps echoed from the forest—an approaching crowd.

A mysterious smile played on Helian Ruxue’s lips, while the four exchanged glances and stepped back.

In a rush, dozens of figures appeared—one group composed entirely of valiant young women, the other led by the elegant, dashing Corpse Prince, Nangong Ke himself!

Seeing Zhu Fang’s body on the ground, the newcomers were startled, but soon their expressions relaxed.

“Well, well, Helian Junior Sister, you really did find the Immortal Mansion,” Corpse Prince said, flicking open his iron fan as he approached.

“Hmph, Nangong Ke, from this day on, you and I are enemies!” Helian Ruxue wasted no words on pleasantries, instead calling to her own followers, “Come here quickly! For the sake of the Hundred Blossoms Sect, rid us of this scourge! Such treacherous villains deserve death at everyone’s hands!”

“Hahaha!” Nangong Ke threw his head back with a laugh, his eyes turning cold. “Helian Ruxue, don’t you see the situation? In the outer sect, I, Nangong Ke, am the law. I’d like to see how you plan to punish me!”

“What! You… all of you!” The Asura Maiden’s brows shot up in fury, her lips trembling so hard she could barely speak.

“Helian slut! You’d best submit to the young master and spare yourself some pain,” sneered a whip-wielding woman, her eyes flirtatious, lips curled in smug delight.

“So it’s you, Jiang Baifeng!” Though shaken by this turn, Helian Ruxue quickly regained her composure. “Come at me together! You too, Nangong Ke!”

The Corpse Prince only smiled, pacing a few steps, lost in thought. Meanwhile, the half-dead Lin Feng struggled to his feet, step by step making his way to Zhu Fang’s corpse.

Helian Ruxue shuddered. “Junior Brother Lin…”

All eyes were on him as he drew out the Three-Section Spear, straightened his back, and glared at them all.

Facing dozens of sectmates far stronger than himself, his gaze remained unflinching, his head held high.

“Little Lin!” From the left woods came a cry of anguish as Du Songsong stumbled out, covered in blood.

The three stood side by side, ready for life or death.

“Very touching, brotherly love!” Nangong Ke clapped his fan, sneering. “Fellow disciples, the treasure of Elder Rongyangzi is on them. Let’s capture them alive!”

Driven by greed, the crowd surged forward, surrounding them. Now, with Nangong Ke’s superior numbers, Helian Ruxue and Du Songsong alone could not withstand the onslaught, and Lin Feng was already considered as good as dead.

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Just as the three seemed doomed, a streak of violet sword light tore across the vast sky, flashing over the crowd in an instant.

“Outrageous!” A voice thundered alongside the sword light, as mighty as rolling thunder, shaking the heavens.

Blinded and clutching their heads in pain, the crowd could only watch as the violet blade plunged into a distant peak. With a deafening boom, the mountain split asunder, rocks flying, shockwaves rolling!

No one had the mind to kill or rob now. All clutched their heads, enduring the agony that rattled their very souls. Lin Feng was no exception; already gravely wounded, blood streamed anew from his seven orifices under the blow. Yet his legs seemed rooted to the earth, his body standing tall and unmoved amidst the chaos.

From the void, a graceful figure descended along the violet sword light—a young man, sword-browed and striking, seemingly only in his twenties. His long hair cascaded over broad shoulders, his tall form draped in a blue-gray robe, exuding an air of scholarly elegance.

He glanced at the three of them, his handsome face instantly frosted over with a chilling coldness.

“You’re bold indeed!” His gaze swept the crowd, and every disciple of the Hundred Blossoms Sect who met his eyes shivered involuntarily—a tremor that shook the soul.

“Bullying the few with the many! Slaughtering your own sectmates! Do you have no respect for the law? For the will of heaven?” The young man in blue pointed to the sky as he thundered his rebuke.

No one dared make a sound. Nangong Ke was as meek as a kitten, not daring to breathe.

An awkward silence fell.

For the first time, Lin Feng beheld such world-shaking power, and a tidal wave of awe rose within him. With strength like this, who under heaven would dare oppress you?

Then, another beam of golden light shot across the sky. The newcomer wore his hair askew, his clothes disheveled—a man in his thirties or forties with a goatee and slanted eyes, looking more like a street gambler than an immortal. Beneath his feet spun a string of five-colored coins!

“Senior Brother Yiyuan, why meddle in the affairs of these disciples? You and I haven’t settled our match!” The man barely glanced at the crowd before producing a handful of dice, tossing them casually.

“Qian Cai, you—hmph!” The young man in blue flicked his sleeve, and the violet immortal sword vanished into the clouds.

“Hey! Don’t go!” The disheveled man called Qian Cai sighed, pocketed his dice, and drifted away.

On Phoenix Ridge, everyone looked at each other, unsure how to proceed.

“We’re leaving!” Nangong Ke waved his fan with deliberate nonchalance, casting a meaningful smile before departing.

With his exit, the flunkies and lackeys scattered. The previously tumultuous mountain was suddenly quiet.

Helian Ruxue gazed at the drifting clouds, quietly releasing a talisman she had hidden in her palm. A strange light flickered in her eyes.

With the pressure gone, Lin Feng finally collapsed to his knees.

“Little Lin, are you alright?” The disheveled Du Songsong rushed to support him, panic-stricken.

“I—I’m fine. Thank you,” Lin Feng managed a bloody smile, struggling to rise.

Helian Ruxue floated to his side, supporting his other arm.

“Junior Brother Lin, I truly admire your courage,” the Asura Maiden said with a smile.

Only now did Du Songsong notice Helian Ruxue’s stunning beauty. He coughed awkwardly. “Indeed, my legs were shaking, but you stood tall. Did you see Nangong Ke’s cowardice? He almost dove into a rat hole!”

“Heh…” Amidst the mountains and forests, the three of them burst into hearty laughter…