Blood rained down from the sky. A severed arm tumbled and crashed onto the ground. The Purple Flames Sect disciples below scattered in panic. The arm landed in a small clearing hastily vacated by the crowd, instantly staining the snow beneath it a deep crimson.
"AAAHHH!!"
A blood-curdling shriek erupted half a second later, as if the injured man had only just processed the agony. High above, Sun Lutu, clutching the stump where his right arm had been severed cleanly at the elbow, scrambled backwards frantically. But just as he escaped the range of the cascading moonlight, he seemed to lose control of the energy keeping him aloft. He plummeted, struggling, towards the earth.
Sun Lutu was, after all, a powerhouse of the Divine Transformation stage. The strength of his soul far exceeded Lin Feng's. Though the Blue Moon Soul Suppression Art possessed terrifying power and had been deployed at the most unexpected, optimal moment, it had only succeeded in dazing Sun Lutu for a fleeting instant. Relying on his formidable instinctive reaction speed, he had managed to evade the Crimson Soul Flying Sword's fatal strike at the very last moment—but the price was half his arm.
However, dodging what should have been a killing blow did not mean Sun Lutu was safe. Even as he fell, the Crimson Soul Flying Sword, having just severed his limb, flickered and changed trajectory, pursuing him relentlessly!
If the pain had been merely that of a lost limb, Sun Lutu could have surely endured it. Unfortunately, the torment he suffered now was far greater, stemming primarily from the soul damage inflicted by the Crimson Soul Flying Sword's unique properties! To him, it wasn't just his arm that felt severed; it was as if his very soul had been cleaved by the blade. The sheer, soul-crushing agony was known only to him. To an outsider, it might seem strange that a Divine Transformation expert could be so utterly unhinged by the "mere" loss of an arm.
Under the debilitating influence of the soul injury, Sun Lutu had no chance to react to the pursuing flying sword. As he screamed, tracing a helpless arc towards the ground, the Crimson Soul sword arrived above his head. It seemed poised to pierce his throat in the next instant...
"Elder Sun!!"
"Lin Feng!!"
The two shouts rang out simultaneously. The first came from all the horrified Purple Flames Sect disciples, their voices filled with terror. The second originated from Bai Honglin, standing among the Profound Ice Palace ranks.
"Gah!!" At the same moment, Sun Lutu finally wrenched his consciousness free from the soul-deep pain. Half-lying in the snow, as his vision cleared and focused, the first thing he saw was the chilling silver point of a flying sword hovering directly before his throat. His pupils contracted violently. Every muscle in his body froze instantly. He dared not move a fraction. He understood with perfect clarity: the sword poised at his neck could pierce his throat with nothing more than a flicker of intent from its master...
The scene seemed frozen in time. Utter silence descended upon the battlefield. The Purple Flames Sect members, seeing their Elder's life hanging by a thread, held their breath. The Profound Ice Palace side was equally stunned, their expressions frozen in disbelief. Even the high-ranking elders, seasoned cultivators all, wore looks of profound shock and incredulity.
From the moment Lin Feng charged out to the end of the fight, less than a minute had passed. Everything had happened with blinding speed. Some of the slower reactors were still struggling to fully comprehend the sequence of events.
Lin Feng descended slowly from the air. The Crimson Soul Flying Sword never wavered from its position at Sun Lutu's throat. He glanced sideways at Bai Honglin, seeing the Sect Master give a subtle shake of his head. Lin Feng then turned his cold gaze back towards Sun Lutu lying before him. A flicker of thought passed through his mind. The Crimson Soul sword trembled lightly and, in a flash, shot back to hover beside him.
That tiny tremor of the sword sent a corresponding jolt of terror through Sun Lutu's heart. A flicker of despair crossed his eyes. Yet, the death he anticipated did not come. The sword before his throat simply flew away. Large beads of cold sweat rolled down his temples. An overwhelming wave of relief washed over him. The sudden release of tension left him feeling utterly drained, too weak to even rise.
At the same time, Lin Feng's icy voice cut through the silence:
"If I wished you dead... you would be dead already."
A pause hung heavy in the air.
"Now get lost!!"
"..." Sun Lutu's face alternated between ashen and livid. He felt a humiliation deeper than any he had ever known. The urge to lash out, to fight to the death, surged within him. But the cold, gripping fear in his heart could not be suppressed. Rage and shame warred within him, culminating in a sudden, violent spasm.
"Pfft!!" A mouthful of bright red blood sprayed from his lips. His injuries flared, and he slumped, utterly defeated.
"Elder Sun!" The Purple Flames Sect disciples rushed forward in a panic, clumsily helping their leader to his feet.
"Cough! Cough!!" Sun Lutu hacked violently, more blood staining his lips. With immense effort, he managed to grind out a single word between clenched teeth, "Go!!"
"Go! Get us out of here!" a disciple echoed urgently.
Like startled rabbits, the group of Purple Flames Sect cultivators fled. They vanished as quickly as they had appeared. But the contrast was stark: they had arrived with bluster and menace; they departed in abject disgrace.
Initially, upon learning that the Chi-named cultivator had been injured by an unknown individual heading towards the Profound Ice Palace, Sun Lutu had immediately seen an opportunity to cause trouble for their rival sect. Fearing the "culprit" might leave the palace before they could act, he hadn't even waited to assemble the Sect Master or other Elders. He had gathered a group and rushed over immediately. His intention wasn't to single-handedly storm the Profound Ice Palace, but rather to establish a presence, stake a claim, and maintain an intimidating posture until the main force of the Purple Flames Sect arrived. Then, perhaps, they could launch a direct assault.
What he had never, ever anticipated was that the "insignificant" unknown Nascent Soul cultivator he assumed would be hiding in terror would instead confront him directly. Not only did the man show his face, but he was even more unreasonable than Sun Lutu himself, launching an attack without warning! And the most unthinkable outcome of all: he, a Divine Transformation expert, had been defeated within a few moves! Utterly and completely defeated. If his opponent hadn't held back... he would be dead.
"Heaven-rank techniques... They must be Heaven-rank techniques!!" Supported by his disciples as they hurriedly retreated, Sun Lutu couldn't help but cast one last, resentful glance back. Now fully calmed, the shock settled in his heart as he deduced the nature of the arts Lin Feng had used. Both techniques employed in the brief exchange must have been of the legendary Heaven-rank!
"Who is he...?" Sun Lutu thought frantically, his mind racing. "Could he be a core disciple from some major sect? Damn it!! How could the Profound Ice Palace have such a powerful ally?! We must inform the Sect Master immediately..."
...
Whatever thoughts churned in Sun Lutu's mind as he fled in disgrace, back at the Profound Ice Palace gates, the atmosphere was one of stunned silence. Every gaze fixed on Lin Feng was filled with astonishment, profound admiration, and even a touch of awe.
"Heaven-rank techniques!" some of the elders began murmuring amongst themselves. Exchanging glances, they saw mirrored in each other's eyes the same shock and burgeoning excitement. They all grasped the potential significance of Lin Feng's presence and power for the crisis facing their sect. Yet, lacking concrete details about him, their collective gaze inevitably turned towards Sect Master Bai Honglin.
In truth, Bai Honglin's internal shock was no less than anyone else's. Seeing Lin Feng retrieve his sword and walk towards him, Bai Honglin took a moment to collect his thoughts. After a brief, calm pause, he addressed Lin Feng.
"Lin Feng, come with me," Bai Honglin said, his voice steady but carrying an undercurrent of urgency. "We should speak inside."
He exchanged a meaningful look with the other senior elders, a silent instruction for them to manage the gathered disciples. Then, without further delay, he turned and led Lin Feng back into the depths of the Profound Ice Palace complex.
They soon arrived at a quiet meditation chamber within the palace. Bai Honglin dismissed the attendant waiting with tea with a wave of his hand, leaving only the two of them in the serene room. Before Bai Honglin could initiate the conversation, Lin Feng spoke first, his tone carrying a hint of contrition.
"Senior Bai," Lin Feng began, bowing his head slightly. "My actions outside... I acted impulsively. I apologize for any complications caused..."