C23

"Boom! Boom!"

The morning mist still clung to the forest, refusing to dissipate.

Yet, the sound of sword practice pierced the quiet dawn.

Qin Fei, alone, brandished his massive sword, weaving through the trees with a series of sweeping, lifting, and sprinting maneuvers that seamlessly transitioned from one to the next. Each movement unleashed beams of sword light that were incredibly powerful.

"After the Sword Soul undergoes liquefaction, the concentrated sword light can be as sharp, domineering, and swift as sword qi. It may not manifest outwardly and kill from a distance like sword qi, but this power is at least tenfold stronger than the untransformed sword light," he mused.

Qin Fei paused, his sword at rest.

About ten meters ahead, two large trees toppled over, crashing down before him.

Despite the distance, he had easily sliced through the trunks, but Qin Fei was acutely aware that this was nothing compared to sword qi.

The difference was substantial.

He recalled the day he witnessed the elder's sword qi in action, which was when he truly comprehended its fearsome nature.

Sword qi could kill unseen, responding to the wielder's will, without the need for a physical sword.

The thought of its potential was chilling.

His sword light, however, paled in comparison.

"Phew! Now that I've mastered the true essence of sword light, my core strength has significantly increased. I wonder if I can now defeat Qian Tai from the other day?" Qin Fei pondered with a wry smile.

Qian Tai was formidable, his speed and strength had left a lasting impression, and the pressure still weighed on Qin Fei.

Facing his opponent under these circumstances, Qin Fei still lacked confidence.

It wasn't just that his adversary was an Inner Sect disciple with immeasurable cultivation.

His mastery of Profound Skill was unparalleled.

And with his profound strength, he could potentially kill Qin Fei in a single blow.

Now, Qin Fei had only managed to harness a sharp force, with little else improved.

"If I can comprehend Sword Qi, I will surely defeat Qian Tai..."

Qin Fei clenched his fists, ready to dismiss any challenge from a Qi Gathering Stage cultivator. However, against someone at the Rite Stage, it was a different story altogether.

I still felt as insignificant as an ant.

With those words, Qin Fei hoisted his massive sword onto his back and began to make his way deeper into the forest. Training in these woods would not only bolster his combat skills but also significantly enhance his Sword Soul.

"Haha! I've heard rumors about a prodigy emerging from the ranks of our Feather Sect's Outer Sect. Who would've thought it'd be you?"

Qin Fei had just slung his huge sword over his shoulder when a mocking laugh, cold and detached, invaded his thoughts, snapping him out of his previously relaxed state.

"Who's there?"

Qin Fei gripped the hilt of his sword, now on high alert. Someone had managed to approach him undetected.

There were only two explanations for this. The first was that the person had been concealed here all along without revealing their true power.

The second was that this person was more powerful than him, possessing a special technique to mask their presence.

Qin Fei couldn't detect them, which clearly suggested the latter.

"There's an old saying, 'As the water rises, so does the boat.' Has it been so long that Junior Brother Qin has forgotten his brothers?"

Another voice, cool and indifferent, joined the first, accompanied by the sound of approaching footsteps.

When Qin Fei shifted his gaze, he saw a burly man clad in a splendid robe stepping forward, his face brimming with a smile. Yet in his hands, he wielded a hefty Tiger Head Blade, his presence formidable.

"The Second Hall Master of the Dragon Tiger Hall, Zhang Hu?"

Qin Fei was taken aback. Within the Feather Sect, both the Inner and Outer Sects harbored numerous small factions of varying sizes.

The Dragon Tiger Hall stood as the most influential among these in the Outer Sect.

The brothers, Zhang Loong and Zhang Hu, were both ninth-level masters of the Astral Refinement Stage, mere steps from reaching the Qi Gathering Stage.

What's more, they were rumored to have a powerful patron within the Inner Sect.

Even some of the Outer Sect's elders had to treat them with the utmost respect, careful not to cross them.

"Haha! Has Junior Brother Qin finally remembered?"

The burly man who emerged raised his head and burst into hearty laughter.

To the two brothers, Qin Fei was an insignificant figure, as small as they come, akin to an ant.

They hadn't paid him any mind before, finding it beneath them to entangle with someone they considered no better than trash.

Yet, unexpectedly, this nobody had managed to offend a high-ranking figure in the Inner Sect—a figure who didn't hesitate to place a hefty bounty on Qin Fei's life.

For the brothers, this transaction was extremely lucrative... "Rumor has it that the Dragon Tiger Hall's Longhu Brothers from the Outer Sect have been inseparable since childhood. I assume the voice we just heard was that of Senior Brother Zhang Loong, correct?"

Qin Fei's gaze flickered. The brothers' abrupt appearance was clearly no mere coincidence.

"Haha! You're quite perceptive, indeed. It is I."

Just then, the large tree ahead seemed to lighten.

Another burly man leaped down, landing behind Qin Fei.

Leaves scattered as a powerful and domineering presence dispersed in all directions.

Why were there so many experts at the Astral Refinement Stage within the Outer Sect, including a fair number at its ninth level?

The answer was simple: the brothers had grown up together, forging an exceptionally strong bond.

They were capable of telepathic communication.

Even those a level above them in cultivation stood no chance against the brothers' coordinated assault.

"What? The Qi Gathering Stage?"

Zhang Loong's descent and the unrestrained spread of his aura immediately startled Qin Fei, sending a shiver through his soul.

He was absolutely certain that the energy being emitted by the other was profound energy.

It's well known that the leap from the Astral Refinement Stage to the Qi Gathering Stage is monumental. Once crossed, one's power undergoes a dramatic transformation.

And now, Zhang Loong, one half of the duo who had reigned over the Outer Sect for years, had advanced to the Qi Gathering Stage.

With his current status and power, he could easily gain entry to the Inner Sect.

"That's right! It is the Qi Gathering Stage. Are you shocked, Junior Brother Qin Fei, that my elder brother has ascended to the Qi Gathering Stage and become an Inner Sect disciple just like that? Haha!"

Zhang Hu caught sight of Qin Fei's expression and burst into laughter.

"Now I can tell you, you've brought this upon yourself. If you hadn't crossed the heavyweights in the Inner Sect, why would they pay a premium to have you killed? Haha!" Zhang Hu's laughter was filled with excitement.

They were indeed fortunate.

During their attempt with the Qi Gathering Pills, Zhang Hu lost focus at a critical moment and failed.

Zhang Loong, on the other hand, seized the opportunity and broke through to the Qi Gathering Stage.

But the brothers weren't worried. After all, the bottle contained more than two Qi Gathering Pills.

Having learned from the failure, they knew they could reach the Qi Gathering Stage with the next contract.

Qin Fei's expression turned grim.

Within the Inner Sect, he had only made enemies of two people.

One was Huang Shi, his brother from childhood.

The other was Qian Tai, whom he had encountered on the hillside.

But who among them wanted him dead? "Enough, little brother. Don't waste words on him."

Zhang Loong gave Zhang Hu a stern look and rebuked, "He's as good as dead. Why bother talking to him?"

"Haha! You're right, big brother, absolutely right!"

Zhang Hu chuckled at the reprimand, his gaze shifting slyly to Qin Fei. "Junior Brother Qin, the Inner Sect's big shots want you dead. How do you prefer to go? Standing? Lying down? Or will you take matters into your own hands? I'll give you a heads-up—if you do it yourself, you might just leave behind a whole corpse."

Qin Fei's eyes grew icy.

Had he not encountered the Sword Soul, he would have been at the mercy of others.

But now, the tables had turned.

The encounter with the Sword Soul had transformed him.

He was no longer the Qin Fei who could be pushed around.

Just days ago, facing a formidable opponent like Qian Tai had ignited a battle spirit within him.

Now, with the Sword Soul having evolved from an ethereal to a tangible state, its offensive power had increased tenfold.

Previously, his willingness to confront Qian Tai was merely a battle spirit. Now, he was confident he could defeat him, or at the very least, he had the means to save his own life.

But the two thugs before me had actually been bought to take my life? "Hmph! Quite the audacity! To think you can kill me, Qin Fei? There are plenty who have wanted to, but not one has succeeded. Now, I'll offer you a choice: Cripple your limbs and dantian, or face death."

A lethal intent flashed in Qin Fei's eyes.

Not to mention that he had already infused his sword with a radiant light.

This made Qin Fei's blade exceedingly sharp, multiplying his attack power many times over. At his current ninth level of the Astral Refinement Stage, and with the mastery of the Fire Character from the Sword Spell, he could easily dispatch these two.

Moreover, the Sword Soul had evolved once again.

It was as if he had grown wings on a tiger.

"Hahahaha..."

No sooner had Qin Fei finished speaking than Zhang Hu and Zhang Loong felt a shiver.

They then burst into scornful laughter.

Cripple their own hands and feet, their own dantian? The very idea was laughable.

They might have taken such a threat seriously from an Inner Sect disciple, but let's not forget, this kid in front of them was nothing but a paper tiger.

"Big brother, did I hear that right? He's telling us to cripple our own limbs and dantian? Haha! I must be hearing things," Zhang Hu mocked, clutching his belly in feigned pain.

"We heard him loud and clear. The Feather Sect's biggest fool, the ultimate paper tiger, has made a colossal joke. Haha!" Zhang Loong's laughter turned sinister as a murderous glint appeared in his eyes.

Clearly, Qin Fei's words were an outright insult to them.

Since reaching the ninth level of the Astral Refinement Stage, no one had dared to speak to them in such a manner, especially now that their power had significantly grown.

"A joke? I hardly see it as one," Qin Fei said with a cold smile.

"If death is what you seek, then I, Qin Fei, shall grant it."

With a "buzz," he was in motion.

He moved like a specter, his form blurring like the swift shadow of a sword.

The massive sword in his grasp cleaved through the air, unleashing a powerful beam of light from the blade.

"You're asking for it!"

In an instant, Qin Fei's silhouette merged with the shadow of his sword, charging at his opponents. A chill flashed in the eyes of Zhang Loong and Zhang Hu.

The smile that had lingered on his face vanished as swiftly as the deadly intent of a frigid peak.

The two brothers swung their large blades through the void at him.

Both were adept at wielding blades and had honed their coordination to near perfection since childhood.