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In a simple and clean room in the Lin family house in Yangzhou City, Lin Hai stared at a portrait, lost in thought.
The portrait depicted a woman, very beautiful, with eyes like autumn waters, containing a glimmer of vitality. What was most surprising was that the woman in the painting had a demonic beast coiled around her shoulder. The beast resembled a snake but was not quite a snake, and it had a subtle resemblance to a divine dragon. It was quite strange, and just one glance at it would make it unforgettable.
"Meng He, Xiao Feng has finally grown up. He has inherited your martial soul. He may not yet understand what this martial soul means, but once it undergoes the awakening of his innate soul, he will realize just how powerful the talent you passed down to him is."
"When the useless martial soul becomes the unparalleled twin martial souls, the shock it will cause will be unimaginable."
Lin Hai muttered to himself in front of the portrait, his eyes filled with deep affection.
"Perhaps they all think I've forgotten, but I have never forgotten. Once Xiao Feng’s martial soul undergoes the awakening, I will tell him everything. One day, I will lead him into the imperial city."
Lin Hai's gaze was filled with intense determination. He had once hesitated, wondering if Lin Feng would remain weak like before and lead an ordinary life. However, now he saw hope in Lin Feng. He believed that with the obsession he saw in Lin Feng’s eyes, he would be able to awaken his martial soul.
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Lin Feng, unaware of his mother's history, had no information about her in the memories he inherited. Lin Hai had never mentioned her, and thus he was unaware of what the little snake-like creature was—his martial soul.
After defeating Lin Heng, Lin Feng felt an unusual sense of relief, as though a burden had been lifted from his heart. Perhaps it was because a lingering obsession from the previous "Lin Feng," the one killed by Lin Heng, had disappeared.
He did not leave immediately; instead, Lin Feng decided to train in Fengyun Gorge. Anyone entering Fengyun Gorge was there to fight, and even if he did not provoke anyone, he was certain someone would come looking for him.
"It's you."
A cold voice suddenly rang out. Lin Feng turned toward the source of the sound and saw a graceful figure. Although he couldn't see her face, her physique was so captivating that it mesmerized him.
Lin Feng was somewhat confused. The woman wore a mask, so he couldn't see her true face. The only people he was familiar with from Yunhai Sect were Han Man, Qingyi, and Jing Yun. This woman clearly wasn't Han Man or Qingyi, and Jing Yun didn't have such a seductive figure.
"You escaped last time. This time, let's see where you can run to," the woman sneered. She drew a bow from her back, and Lin Feng's eyes narrowed. He immediately thought of one person—Liu Fei, the woman from the Xian Tian Hot Springs. He remembered her name well, as the arrow she shot had nearly taken his life.
Perhaps knowing that Lin Feng was no weakling, Liu Fei decided to use her martial soul. Lin Feng immediately felt locked onto by her arrow martial soul.
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"The arrow is powerful at a distance, but weak in close combat. I need to get closer," Lin Feng thought quickly, then, without hesitation, he dashed toward Liu Fei.
"Want to close the distance?" Liu Fei sneered. She loosed an arrow, and the wind howled as the bowstring vibrated with a hum.
"Clang!" A light sound echoed as Lin Feng’s sword was unsheathed.
"Nine Waves, Thunder Strike Sword," Lin Feng shouted softly. His left hand unleashed Nine Waves, sending a torrent of energy forward, weakening the power of the arrow. The Thunder Strike Sword sliced through the arrow with the speed of a lightning bolt.
"Light and Shadow."
Without missing a beat, Lin Feng sped forward, his movements flawless, as if he had practiced them countless times.
However, Liu Fei was not only a beautiful face—her combat skills were also formidable. She ranked eighth among the outer disciples. She understood Lin Feng's intent to close the distance, so after firing one arrow, she swiftly retreated. Being skilled in archery, she also trained in swift movements, so by the time Lin Feng cut through the first arrow, she had already drawn three more arrows and readied them.
"Goodbye." Lin Feng suddenly changed direction, running toward the left side into the woods. Liu Fei was quick, and though Lin Feng could close the gap, it would take time. During that time, Liu Fei could fire several rounds of three arrows, which would pose a significant threat to him. By entering the woods, he could drastically hinder her abilities.
"I underestimated a martial artist at the ninth level of the Qi Martial Realm. It's not so easy to deal with," Lin Feng thought to himself. However, he did not feel disheartened. He was confident that if Liu Fei followed him into the forest, he would be the one to win.
Liu Fei, sensing Lin Feng's intentions, sneered again, pulling back the bowstring with a powerful hum.
A strong sense of danger filled the air. Lin Feng tightened his grip on the sword, knowing that in two breaths, he would reach the woods.
"Stay here."
A domineering voice rang out. A sword qi slashed through the air, sending an immense wave of danger toward Lin Feng, causing him to halt mid-step and leap backward.
"Boom." The ground before him erupted, leaving a deep sword mark. Had Lin Feng continued forward, the sword would have struck him.
Looking up, Lin Feng saw a man perched in a tree, wearing white robes and holding a long sword. The sword strike had come from him.
"Liu Fei, this person has offended you. Should I help you take care of him?" The man looked down at Lin Feng with disdain, as if Lin Feng were nothing but an ant. With a nod from Liu Fei, he could easily kill Lin Feng. The disparity in their statuses was so great that even if it violated sect rules, he would still act, as Lin Feng was nothing in his eyes.
"An inner disciple," Lin Feng thought, feeling a chill run through him. This inner disciple, with his powerful strength, could kill him with just a flick of his finger, and Lin Feng had barely any time to react.
"Yu Hao, this is none of your business," Liu Fei said, her hand still on the bow, though she had not fired. It was not because she wanted to spare Lin Feng but because Yu Hao was pursuing her, and she had no interest in him. She didn’t want to owe him anything, so she hadn’t taken action.
She put away her martial soul and slung the bow over her shoulder, addressing Lin Feng. "Consider yourself lucky. Don’t let me catch you next time, or you won’t be as fortunate."
With that, Liu Fei turned and left, not sparing Lin Feng another glance.
"Yu Hao, what was the point of that?" Yu Hao shook his head and leaped away, never even looking at Lin Feng again.
"Boom." Another explosion rang out, and another deep sword mark appeared before Lin Feng.
"Consider yourself lucky today, but if I catch you annoying Liu Fei again, I will kill you," Yu Hao's voice echoed from afar.
Lin Feng stood motionless. Even as the fierce sword qi exploded before him, he didn’t flinch.
Liu Fei thought she was strong, but she wanted to kill him just because he had stayed a while in the Xian Tian Hot Springs. Yu Hao was an inner disciple, powerful and with no reason to spare him. He nearly killed him on the spot. In this world, Lin Feng truly experienced what it meant that the strong rule the weak.
"Yu Hao, the moment I step into the Spirit Martial Realm, that will be the moment I use your life to baptize my sword."
Lin Feng cast a deep glance at the two sword marks on the ground, his eyes flashing with a sharp light. Then, he turned and walked away. He was confident that with his talent, that day would come, and it wouldn't be long.