Chapter Thirty-Two: A Slap
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Lin Fei pondered for a moment before looking up. “Does the mountain get much sunlight? What are the surroundings like? Are there many people? Will it be noisy?”
Elder Fazhao was taken aback. He had expected the other man to ask many questions, but not about such trivial matters. He answered instinctively, “There is plenty of sunlight on the mountain. At present, only one person lives there. It is very quiet, and there will be no noise.”
“I see.”
Lin Fei responded, a trace of hesitation in his voice.
“Hmm… all right… I’ll give it a try.”
…
Seven days to reach the summit. That was the deadline Elder Fazhao had given him.
As the Grand Elder of Dongming Mountain, he was burdened with countless affairs and naturally could not spend too much time here.
Before leaving, he had even suggested that Lin Fei rest for a while first, since the journey to the Sword Mound and the inheritance of the Sword Spirit Bloodline were both extremely taxing on the mind and body.
It had been a well-intentioned suggestion, but Elder Fazhao had never expected Lin Fei to stretch that “while” into six full days.
Not far from the foot of the mountain stood a peculiar little wooden hut. Though small, it was at least large enough to shelter someone from the wind and rain.
After discovering it, Lin Fei decided to stay there for the time being.
On the second day, Elder Fazhao saw Lin Fei sitting cross-legged inside the hut. His expression grew somewhat strange, as though he wanted to say something, but in the end he remained silent.
On the third day, Elder Fazhao did not appear.
On the fourth day, Elder Fazhao returned, only to find the same scene awaiting him. His brows furrowed slightly.
On the fifth day, Elder Fazhao finally could not contain himself. “What are you doing?”
“Recuperating,” Lin Fei replied.
“There is no actual sword energy or suppression on the mountain. The Sect Master places greater importance on one’s state of mind when accepting disciples, and the trial is related to that as well,” Elder Fazhao explained.
“I understand now.” Lin Fei looked enlightened.
“In that case, I’ll rest for one more day,” Lin Fei said.
“…”
On the sixth day, Lin Fei indeed kept his word and did not take a single step outside the little hut.
Seeing this, Elder Fazhao found it somewhat amusing, but he did not say anything more.
At last, the morning of the seventh day arrived.
Inside the wooden hut, the young man opened his eyes and exhaled a long breath of stale air. His expression was visibly more relaxed.
To an outsider, his six days of closed-eyed meditation might have seemed like nothing more than an effort to recuperate. In truth, it had been far more than that.
His injuries had actually been quite severe. His fierce battle with a peak cultivator of the Boundless Realm had left more than just obvious external wounds behind. The sword energy that had pierced through his muscles and invaded his organs had been exceptionally violent.
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Such savage sword energy had rampaged through his internal organs. An ordinary person would likely have been in so much pain that they would have long since lost consciousness.
But Lin Fei had not.
Not only had he suppressed that sword energy, he had also completed the Sword Spirit inheritance, descended the mountain to confront Feng Qian, and bid farewell to Xia Yi. From beginning to end, he had not revealed even the slightest hint of pain.
Such intense suppression had only caused his injuries to rebound even more fiercely.
What kind of iron will and endurance did it take to bear something like that?
This was no longer merely formidable. It was terrifying.
Had Elder Fazhao known the truth, he would have understood where the young man’s confidence came from.
Because when it came to a trial of temperament, Lin Fei found it all far too easy.
…
Lin Fei left the lonely little wooden hut standing beside the main road. He glanced back at it, a trace of dissatisfaction still visible on his face.
The hut was simply too small. It could not even accommodate a bed, and a strange odor lingered in the air. From time to time, the barking of a dog could be heard nearby. Day or night, the animal seemed to be constantly yapping about something.
Lin Fei was not an excessively particular man, but he thought that, if he ever had the opportunity, he would certainly come back and properly repair the place.
“Even if it is this crude, can it really be considered a place fit for people to live in?”
Lin Fei muttered to himself. Then he turned around with easy confidence and headed up the mountain.
Not long afterward, the grass nearby began to tremble slightly, and a yellow mongrel dog crawled out from within.
It cast an utterly aggrieved look at the black-robed figure gradually receding into the distance.
Then it crept into the wooden hut.
…
The sunlight was brilliant, spilling across the mountain path.
The fragrance of flowers filled the air, refreshing the spirit.
Lin Fei walked with light steps, savoring this rare sense of tranquility and freedom.
He could not help recalling the wonderful days he had spent on Tianya Peak. Back then, mountain streams had murmured, birds had sung, and flowers had bloomed. Everything had been so harmonious.
Today, he had once again set foot upon this mountain. His spirits were high, and his steps were relaxed.
He followed the mountain path onward until an ancient little bridge came into view.
Beneath it flowed a deep river, its waters so clear that the bottom could be seen, as though it might reflect the depths of a person’s heart.
Yet just as Lin Fei was about to step onto the bridge, the calm surface suddenly erupted into waves.
With a deafening roar, a gigantic creature burst from the water. Its body resembled an enormous aquatic serpent as it thrashed through the river, sending layer upon layer of waves surging outward.
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It leaped from the water and traced an elegant arc through the air before crashing heavily back into the river. The spray scattered in all directions like countless pearls.
Lin Fei stared at the overlapping scales covering the creature’s body and raised an eyebrow. A trace of surprise entered his voice.
“A flood dragon?”
In this world, true dragons were exceedingly rare, while flood dragons were among the most powerful creatures in the mortal realm.
They could summon wind and rain and stir up enormous waves, ruling as sovereigns of the natural world.
A fully grown flood dragon might even contend with experts who had reached the Sacred Realm.
Lin Fei wondered inwardly: How could such a powerful creature have been kept in the river of Dongming Mountain?
A roar that shook the heavens split the sky, as though even the air itself were trembling.
The young man’s black robes snapped violently in the gale. Sand, stones, and fallen leaves were swept from the ground and whirled through the air.
The flood dragon’s enormous head, vast as a mountain, slowly rose from the water until it was level with the bridge.
Cold indifference showed in its vertical pupils. White mist continually poured from the corners of its mouth, stark against the surrounding air.
It swayed slowly in the middle of the bridge, neither advancing nor retreating, as though waiting for something.
For a moment, time seemed to freeze. Their gazes met, and silence descended.
Lin Fei’s expression remained utterly calm. His voice broke the stillness.
“You’re not coming over?”
The monster gave no answer. It merely fixed the young man with a fierce, unwavering stare.
Lin Fei smiled faintly, a hint of provocation in his tone. “In that case, I’ll come to you.”
The instant the words left his mouth, he began to walk. He stepped onto the little bridge with calm, steady strides, as though challenging the enormous creature before him.
From a distance, Lin Fei’s figure appeared insignificant beside the flood dragon’s colossal head, so small that he was almost impossible to notice. It seemed that the dragon need only blow gently, and he would be swept away.
Yet when the young man’s words echoed through the air, a distinctly human flicker of panic appeared in the flood dragon’s previously indifferent vertical pupils.
“Roar!”
The flood dragon let out another earth-shaking bellow, its power so immense that it seemed capable of shaking the entire valley.
Lin Fei, however, acted as though he had noticed nothing. His steps remained calm and steady as he continued forward, treating the flood dragon’s existence with complete indifference. He did not even spare it a glance.
Neither hurried nor slow, he advanced with unshakable composure and soon drew close to the far end of the bridge.
At last, the flood dragon could bear it no longer. It released an enraged hiss. Its head rose high, then crashed downward at astonishing speed.
Lin Fei did not even lift his head. He merely raised his hand and slapped casually.
Yes. Just one slap.
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