Chapter Sixty-Three: The Appearance of Master Lingfeng

“So you really do have some skill. No wonder you were so calm and composed when you questioned me. But unfortunately, the gulf between our levels is too wide. You stand no chance of surviving under my hand. Now that I’ve destroyed the spirit shield in your possession, let’s see what else you have to defend yourself with,” Xing Lie said coldly. With that, he prepared to launch another attack.

But just then, a long, resounding cry rang out: “Xing Lie, if you have any ability, come compete with me. Bullying the weak and slaughtering my disciples—doesn’t that diminish your stature?” With these words, Master Lingfeng appeared in the great hall.

“Master?” Yang Xiao was startled by Lingfeng’s arrival.

“Senior Brother, you came just in time. Otherwise, Yang Xiao and I would truly have been in danger. Senior Qing and Junior Hao were already killed by Xing Lie,” Lingyun Mei said, her voice tinged with relief.

“You needn’t explain—I already know the situation. On Giant Spirit Mountain, I was constantly worried about your safety, so I came searching for you. I never expected to arrive a step too late. But rest assured, I will not let Xing Lie go so easily this time,” Master Lingfeng told Lingyun Mei and Yang Xiao. He then fixed a fierce gaze on Xing Lie and declared, “Xing Lie, for murdering my disciples, you’ll pay dearly.”

“Lingfeng, you finally show yourself. I thought you wouldn't come. But since you’re here, don’t expect to walk out alive. This place will be your tomb,” Xing Lie replied, his tone icy.

“Enough boasting. Whose tomb will it be? Let’s settle it with a duel,” Master Lingfeng retorted. With a quick gesture, he summoned a massive bolt of lightning that struck toward Xing Lie.

Xing Lie was not slow to respond, unleashing a river of flames to collide with Master Lingfeng’s attack. Their powers were evenly matched, and the fierce battle made it hard to determine a victor for the moment. As the two masters clashed, Yang Xiao and Lingyun Mei quickly moved aside, wary of being caught in the crossfire. Even the aftermath of a duel between two Qi Condensation cultivators was not something Spirit Sense cultivators could easily withstand.

Meanwhile, behind Xing Lie, Xing Wutian and Li Xie also retreated to a safer distance, unwittingly finding themselves beside Lingyun Mei and Yang Xiao.

There is an old saying: when enemies meet, their eyes blaze with fury. Seeing Xing Wutian, Yang Xiao’s anger surged—last time, Xing Wutian had sent assassins after him. Though he had not been harmed, such a grudge could not go unavenged.

“Senior Sister Ling, you hold off Li Xie. I’ll deal with Xing Wutian,” Yang Xiao said, shooting Lingyun Mei a meaningful glance.

Catching Yang Xiao’s look, Lingyun Mei understood at once and replied, “No problem.” Without further ado, she moved forward to intercept Li Xie. The lines between their factions were now clearly drawn; neither would hold back, and soon they were locked in combat.

Yang Xiao was swifter still. In a flash, he was in front of Xing Wutian. Before Xing Wutian could react, Yang Xiao’s fist slammed toward his chest.

Stunned by Yang Xiao’s speed, Xing Wutian barely managed to twist aside, but the blow still landed squarely on him.

The punch sent Xing Wutian sprawling, and before he could recover, Yang Xiao unleashed a second blow. Though Xing Wutian dodged left and right, Yang Xiao’s fists were faster, raining down on him relentlessly. Now Xing Wutian was like a punching bag, battered back and forth. After several attacks, he no longer had the strength to evade.

“That’s enough. Now you can die,” Yang Xiao said, driving his fist into Xing Wutian’s chest. The impact caved in his chest, breaking ribs and shattering his heart. Xing Wutian’s life ended in an instant.

From Yang Xiao’s first move to Xing Wutian’s death, it was all over in a blink. Xing Wutian, pampered as a young master, lacked both offensive and defensive skills, making it easy for Yang Xiao to dispatch him.

“Young Master!” Li Xie cried out in shock. He hadn’t expected Yang Xiao to kill Xing Wutian so quickly. But at that moment, he was held at bay by Lingyun Mei, unable to help, forced to watch helplessly as Xing Wutian was slain.

Li Xie’s distraction proved costly. Lingyun Mei seized the chance, thrusting her sword through Li Xie’s throat. In a short span, both Xing Wutian and Li Xie lay dead.

“Tian’er!” Xing Lie finally noticed what was happening. Grief overwhelmed him. He hadn’t expected it all to unfold so quickly, but he was still locked in battle with Master Lingfeng, unable to break free.

Yet intense sorrow drove Xing Lie to desperate measures. He expended a vast amount of spiritual power to unleash a powerful killing move, forcibly widening the distance between himself and Master Lingfeng. Then he drew a crystal sphere from his robe.

He injected a spell into the sphere, then said to Master Lingfeng, “Trap.” At that single word, the crystal orb changed, emitting a beam of light that shot into the palace floor. From the ground, a massive barrier emerged, enveloping Master Lingfeng.

“Lingfeng, stay trapped in this barrier awhile. Once I’ve dealt with your two disciples, I’ll come for you. They killed my son—I’ll grind their bones to ashes to quench the hatred in my heart,” Xing Lie snarled, truly enraged and determined to kill Yang Xiao and Lingyun Mei.

Master Lingfeng had assumed Xing Lie’s trap was temporary and not very powerful. But when he tried to break it, he found the array far more formidable than expected—not something he could shatter in a short time. Anxiety gripped him; if he couldn’t break free soon, Yang Xiao and Lingyun Mei would face dire peril, perhaps even death. How could Master Lingfeng not worry?

“You two killed my son—now you will pay with your lives,” Xing Lie snarled at Yang Xiao and Lingyun Mei. He moved, charging at them with murderous intent, ready to unleash a deadly strike and kill them both in a single blow.