Chapter 277: Chapter 277: Distorting Right and Wrong
"ARGH! ARGH!..."
Qin Huan writhed on the ground, clutching his face, his shrill screams echoing across the square, chilling to the bone.
His entire body had been slashed by He Qin’s Sword Qi, and the Rotten Bone Miasma had penetrated his wounds, deepening his injuries. He was a bloody mess.
"Second Brother!"
Suddenly, a figure landed beside Qin Huan—it was the Fiery Sun Young Master, Qin Honglie.
"Who would’ve thought He Qin comprehended Sword Intent as well? Now, with the Traceless Young Master Ji Wufa, the Flowing Cloud Region has two people who have comprehended Sword Intent!"
"He Qin’s Sword Intent is so powerful it can freeze Gang Qi. That’s truly impressive!"
"When did she comprehend Sword Intent? There was no news about it at all."
"And Qin Huan actually used a hidden weapon in front of everyone! He has completely disgraced Ivy School!"
"Yes, that guy is sinister! He’s finally gotten what he deserves. With the Rotten Bone thunder bomb exploding in his face, he’s probably disfigured for life."
While amazed at He Qin’s comprehension of Sword Intent, the crowd jeered at Qin Huan, their tones filled with disdain.
Using hidden weapons in a Martial Artist duel was a major taboo, especially on an occasion as important as the grand summit between two territories.
In the third pavilion, Zi Hongyuan and the others, who had been terrified moments before, collectively sighed in relief.
Just a moment ago, they all thought He Qin was doomed, never expecting such an astonishing turn of events.
Zi Hongyuan looked at Zhou Zhiyun and smiled. "He Qin comprehended Sword Intent—I had no idea about something so significant."
"He Qin comprehended Sword Intent only recently."
As she spoke, Zhou Zhiyun’s captivating eyes glanced towards Luo Feng, a smile gracing her lips. "Moreover, we have Luo Feng to thank for this."
"What does Luo Feng have to do with He Qin comprehending Sword Intent?" Zi Hongyuan asked, puzzled.
Zhou Zhiyun shook her head slightly, not answering.
Helping someone else comprehend Sword Intent is too world-shattering. Even if I told them, no one would likely believe it.
In the square, Qin Honglie took out a few pills and gave them to Qin Huan. Seeing his severe injuries—the left side of his face corroded by Rotten Bone Miasma until bone was visible—Qin Honglie’s eyes glinted with murderous intent.
"Big Brother, you have to avenge me! Kill that bitch He Qin, and Luo Feng too!"
Qin Huan ground out through gritted teeth, enduring the excruciating pain.
Hearing this, Qin Honglie nodded firmly. "Second Brother, rest assured. They dared to harm you; they’ll pay with their lives sooner or later!"
Finishing his words, Qin Honglie whipped his head around to face He Qin and shouted harshly, "The duels at the summit are for skill exchange; one should exercise restraint. You were so vicious! Were you trying to kill my younger brother!? Fine, I’ll test your Sword Intent!"
With that, Qin Honglie launched a palm strike at He Qin through the air.
BOOM!
As a late-stage Hell Realm Martial Artist of the eighth layer, even a casual palm strike from Qin Honglie was formidable.
The crimson Palm Gang, as large as a house, ignited dazzling flames as it tore through the air, its momentum oppressive.
Even before the Palm Gang reached her, He Qin was forced to retreat repeatedly.
BANG!
At the critical moment, a figure suddenly appeared before He Qin, shattering the Palm Gang with a single punch.
"Luo Feng."
Seeing the young man standing before her, a flicker of gratitude showed in He Qin’s eyes.
Luo Feng nodded, then looked at Qin Honglie with a sneer.
"Qin Honglie, don’t twist right and wrong! The many Jianghu experts present all saw Qin Huan use a hidden weapon to injure someone. His current severe injuries are his own doing! If He Qin hadn’t shown mercy, do you think your useless little brother would still be alive?"
"You!"
Qin Honglie glared at Luo Feng, his eyes fierce. Luo Feng had opposed him several times, which was one thing. But now, Qin Huan had been severely injured by He Qin, and Luo Feng was adding insult to injury. This nearly drove Qin Honglie insane.
"I’ll kill you!"
Qin Honglie was consumed by rage, his Yuan Qi surging. Just as he was about to strike, an invisible pressure descended from the sky.
"This is Changxin Academy. If anyone dares to cause more trouble, don’t blame me, Chen Tie Xin, for being merciless!"
Elder Chen, who was in charge of the competition, appeared in the square. A single glance from him made everyone feel as if a treasured sword had been unsheathed, their Yuan Qi seeming to freeze on the spot.
A ninth-layer Heavenly Court Realm expert! This man’s strength is formidable. Luo Feng squinted, observing Elder Chen.
"Enough!"
A furious shout suddenly erupted from the second pavilion, and Zhu Hong walked out, his face grim.
Looking at Qin Honglie, Zhu Huo said angrily, "Haven’t you caused enough disgrace?! Hurry and take Qin Huan for treatment!"
"Yes!"
Qin Honglie dared not disobey. He shot Luo Feng a deep look, then carried Qin Huan away for treatment.
Zhu Huo turned, glaring fiercely at Luo Feng and He Qin. His tiger-like eyes then shifted to the third pavilion as he said coldly, "The Flowing Cloud Region has produced another genius who comprehended Sword Intent. Truly a cause for congratulations!"
Hearing Zhu Huo’s sarcastic words, Zhou Zhiyun smiled faintly. "Zhu Huo, you offer congratulations but no gift. That hardly seems sincere."
"Humph! Don’t get cocky after winning one or two matches. The summit has just begun; the real show is yet to come!" Zhu Huo snorted, flicked his sleeves, and returned to the pavilion.
He had always looked down upon the four great academies of the Flowing Cloud Region. Yet, in this summit, two of his own students had lost to students from those very academies. Needless to say, he was in a foul mood.
The only consolation was that the defeated were not among the Four Great Young Masters. According to their agreement, the Four Great New Talents of the Flowing Cloud Region were still not qualified to enter the Secret Realm.
Once Qin Honglie returned, Elder Chen announced loudly, "The summit spars are for exchange. I hope everyone will exercise restraint and not engage in reckless fighting."
The spars then continued.
However, they were mostly duels between quasi-Young Master level experts from Ivy School and Changxin Academy; the true top-tier experts had yet to make a move.
For several consecutive matches, no one challenged Luo Feng or his companions.
The earlier fights involving Bing Ruolan, Luo Feng, and He Qin had left too deep an impression on everyone. These quasi-Young Master level experts wisely chose to avoid them.
Finally, Zi Yuan, who had yet to act, grew restless and took the initiative to challenge an expert from Changxin Academy.
Zi Yuan’s opponent was a tall young man, also at the initial eighth layer of the Hell Realm.
He recognized Zi Yuan as last year’s fourth-ranked among the Flowing Cloud Region’s New Talents—the lowest-ranked one. So, hearing Zi Yuan challenge him, he agreed immediately without a second thought.
Several major powerhouses from the Red Maple Lead had already fallen to the Four Great New Talents of the Flowing Cloud Region. If he could defeat Zi Yuan, it would undoubtedly put him in an enviable position!
Seeing her opponent accept the challenge, a sweet smile blossomed on Zi Yuan’s small face. She licked her lips with her pink tongue, looking utterly adorable with her charming features.
The tall young man paused, somewhat flustered.
Witnessing this, Luo Feng couldn’t help but shake his head, feeling a touch of pity for the tall youth.
Zi Yuan has a tricky and cunning personality. If one is fooled by her appearance, they’re in for a rude awakening.
CLANG!
Sure enough, the instant the tall youth hesitated, Zi Yuan’s sword flashed from its sheath.
"Golden Sword World!"
Golden sword light filled the square, so dazzling that people couldn’t open their eyes.
SWISH! SWISH! SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!...
Dozens of sword lights rained down like a torrential storm. Such a ferocious attack, unleashed by a petite and charming girl, possessed a unique allure.
The tall young man, having lost the initiative, was immediately engulfed by the sword light. His Protective Gang Energy flickered violently under the assault, and he was forced back again and again, cutting a sorry figure.
Luo Feng nodded inwardly. Zi Yuan’s Golden Sun Swordsmanship seemed to have improved again. Her ability to maintain the upper hand was no accident.
After dozens of exchanges, the tall young man had no chance to counterattack. Instead, he was pushed to the edge of the square and had no choice but to admit defeat and withdraw.
The spars continued.
During this time, Qin Honglie’s gaze kept drifting towards Luo Feng, sometimes intentionally, sometimes not. If the circumstances had been right, he would have challenged him long ago.
Enjoy your comfort for a little longer. Soon, I’ll let you know what true despair feels like! Qin Honglie shot Luo Feng a frigid, menacing glance.
Suddenly, the bustling square fell silent. Jadeite Young Master Xin Wuyue, ranked fourth among the Four Great Young Masters, walked out from the first pavilion.
"It’s Xin Wuyue! Finally, it’s the Young Master-level experts’ turn to fight!"
After a brief hush, the entire square erupted in fervent cheers.
With the Four Great Young Masters now making their moves, the duels to follow were undoubtedly the true climax of the summit!
"Xin Wuyue of Changxin Academy challenges Qin Honglie of Ivy School."
Xin Wuyue walked to the center of the square. He first glanced at Luo Feng, then his gaze settled on the second pavilion as he specifically challenged Qin Honglie.
"So Xin Wuyue is challenging Qin Honglie."
"They fought last year, and Xin Wuyue lost by half a move. It seems he wants to win this time."
"It won’t be easy. Qin Honglie’s Great Sun Divine Illumination Swordsmanship is incredibly fierce. Even without comprehending Sword Intent, its power is by no means inferior."
"Xin Wuyue is no slouch either. In terms of power, his Lightning Swordsmanship is not inferior to the Great Sun Divine Illumination Swordsmanship."
The crowd buzzed with excited discussion.
The previous matches had been exciting, but they weren’t duels between Young Master-level experts. Now that these long-awaited clashes were about to begin, the crowd was visibly thrilled.
Qin Honglie wasted no words and walked directly into the square. "Xin Wuyue, I thought you’d challenge Luo Feng first."
Xin Wuyue smiled faintly. "When I do things, I like to be certain of the outcome. As for Luo Feng, I can’t see through him."
Hearing this, Qin Honglie’s expression darkened.
Xin Wuyue’s words clearly implied that he thought Qin Honglie was inferior to Luo Feng.
"Humph! Are you that confident you can defeat me?"
Facing Qin Honglie’s aggressive gaze, Xin Wuyue remained composed. "I’m not very confident of defeating you, but I should have no problem lasting a few dozen exchanges."
CLANG!
Qin Honglie drew his sword. "In that case, let’s begin. Show me how much your strength has increased in a year!"
Xin Wuyue knew Qin Honglie was formidable and didn’t stand on ceremony. He took ten steps forward, closing the distance to several zhang, then drew his sword and thrust.
"Lightning Three Swords!"
With his sword in hand, Xin Wuyue’s presence was like that of a fierce tiger. He ignored the several-zhang distance, and three streaks of sword light leaped out.
CRACKLE! SIZZLE!
Electric serpents writhed around the sword light, attacking Qin Honglie from three bizarre angles—above, middle, and below.
"Break!"
Qin Honglie ducked low, then lunged forward explosively. Crimson Sword Gang erupted as he slashed out.
SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!
The sword light danced and weaved in mid-air with intricate, unpredictable movements, shattering all three violet electric attacks.
Witnessing Qin Honglie’s technique, Luo Feng’s mind stirred. What a fast sword! Motionless, it’s unassuming, but in motion, it’s astonishing! It seems he wasn’t using his full strength at the restaurant last time.
CLANG!
The two sharp swords clashed, sending sparks flying. Xin Wuyue’s figure swayed, and he was knocked back.
"With your level of strength, lasting ten moves against me would be flattering you!"
Qin Honglie glanced at Xin Wuyue, a ferocious aura emanating from him.