Chapter 57: Someone Else Will Fight You

Liu Heng had long since lost his previous arrogance, carefully hiding behind the young monk.

Monk Wuwang's expression grew increasingly stern as he pressed his palms together, resembling an ancient monk entering a state of deep meditation.

"Across the boundless realms, there is nothing that cannot be severed."

Lin Fei closed his eyes and chanted in a low voice, as if summoning some ancient and mighty power.

Upon the sword's body, a plume of black mist as thick as a stone pillar instantly billowed outward, enveloping Lin Fei's entire right arm.

Abruptly, he snapped his eyes open, his gaze flashing like lightning, and shouted in a deep voice, "Sword Art—A Single Sword Cleaving Heaven and Earth!"

The moment the words fell, he brought his sword down in a slash. A stream of piercingly cold light seemed to erupt from Lin Fei's right arm, carrying a cataclysmic momentum as it surged straight toward Jiunian.

The intent and vigor of this single sword stroke surpassed even the limits of a Mud-Pill Realm sword cultivator.

Monk Wuwang chanted a Buddhist mantra, pushing both palms forward simultaneously with a resolute expression, showing not the slightest intention of retreating.

The sword qi and the palm force collided head-on, bursting with dazzling light like blooming fireworks.

With a deafening crash, Monk Wuwang was forced back a full three zhang, barely managing to steady himself after several breaths.

The sword qi continued to rage, stray currents slashing wildly from the edges of his palms and blasting countless craters into the walls of the great hall.

Meanwhile, the core of the sword qi writhed furiously between his palms, emitting a roaring sound.

Monk Wuwang stood as steadfast as a mountain, his entire body radiating a faint golden glow.

From beginning to end, his arms had not trembled once.

Lin Fei's face remained expressionless, yet the sword intent throughout his body grew increasingly intense, surging like violent waves.

As the momentum of the sword qi continued to climb, the Buddhist light surrounding Monk Wuwang grew ever more brilliant, eventually illuminating the entire courtyard.

The standoff between them was like a fully drawn bowstring, tense and enduring, until at that very moment, a roar filled with fury and hatred suddenly erupted.

"Go to hell!"

Liu Heng had quietly circled behind Lin Fei at some point. Leaping high into the air, his hands formed fists like iron hammers, carrying a piercing whistle through the wind as he viciously smashed down toward the back of Lin Fei's head.

Seeing this, Monk Wuwang cried out in alarm, "Stop!"

However, Liu Heng's face was twisted, hideously contorted like a raving demon.

At this perilous juncture, Lin Fei's expression remained completely unperturbed. From his left sleeve, several streams of golden light shot out like lightning, instantly piercing through Liu Heng's body and pinning him firmly mid-air with a flash of sword radiance.

Following closely, without a moment of hesitation, Lin Fei flicked his right wrist, forcibly altering the trajectory of the sword qi as he spun around and brought his blade down in a vertical slash.

Carrying earth-shaking roars, the sword qi rushed madly toward Liu Heng. Had this strike landed fully, Liu Heng would have been split in two on the spot.

Monk Wuwang frowned slightly, letting out a soft shout as his right hand morphed into an open palm and pushed gently forward.

Liu Heng's body was struck by an invisible force, forcibly deflecting him by a fraction. Though he could not avoid the blow entirely, he at least escaped certain death.

The next instant, the rainbow-like sword qi sheared straight through Liu Heng's right arm. Accompanied by a heart-wrenching shriek and flying blood, an arm plummeted directly from the sky.

Liu Heng's face turned as pale as paper, and he crashed heavily to the ground, rolling about in agony.

Having lost his right arm, he let out a harrowing scream, blood staining half his body in a utterly wretched spectacle.

Lin Fei's face remained expressionless as his figure instantly materialized before Liu Heng, the tip of his sword pointing straight at the man's head with a howling gale, showing no sign of mercy.

Bang!

The downward momentum of the ancient sword came to an abrupt halt.

Monk Wuwang was half-crouched before Liu Heng, using his bare hands to clamp tightly onto the blade.

Failing to achieve his goal, Lin Fei tapped his toes lightly against the ground and retreated backward.

Wuwang did not rush to counterattack. He glanced back at Liu Heng's horrifying state, a look of compassion crossing his face, and gently waved a hand to knock him unconscious, sparing him further torment.

Turning back to face Lin Fei once more, a trace of latent anger now tinged the monk's expression. "Benefactor Lin," he said, "your intent to kill is so heavy. Could it be that the massacre at the Lin family estate back then was truly your doing?"

Lin Fei's demeanor remained tranquil, his response unchanged: "And if it was? What if it wasn't?"

"If I have guessed correctly, the spiritual energy within your body is now completely exhausted."

Monk Wuwang looked deep into Lin Fei's eyes and slowly said, "Now, even if you wanted to flee, you no longer can."

The moment the words left his lips, the tattered cassock worn by Monk Wuwang seemed to take on a life of its own, fluttering upward without any wind.

Brilliant golden light flashed in his pupils, dazzling and profound. A solemn and mighty aura erupted from within him, permeating the entire manor.

The young monk seemed like a completely different person now, wearing the fierce expression of a Vajra. He chanted silently as five halos of golden light shone behind him, resembling a Buddha returned to the mortal world, majestic and sacred.

Witnessing this, a flicker of comprehension crossed Lin Fei's eyes, and his tone carried a mix of lingering emotion and realization: "You have indeed stepped into the Third Realm."

By making his move, he had intended partly to test his own strength, and partly to witness firsthand what realm the paragons of the current continent's younger generation had reached.

Though he had anticipated it, the strength displayed by Monk Wuwang still managed to surprise him slightly.

His talent truly surpassed Lin's own, and the three individuals ranked even higher must possess even more astonishing prowess.

Lin Fei suddenly withdrew his long sword, the tip lowering slowly.

Just as Wuwang had stated, that previous strike had completely depleted every ounce of spiritual energy within his body.

Seeing this, Wuwang asked in a deep voice, "Giving up?"

"Of course not."

Lin Fei shook his head, a faint smile curving the corner of his lips as he replied, "I've merely traded places with someone else."

...

At the highest point of the manor's roof, atop the curling eaves, stood a figure clad in white.

She stood quietly like a statue, unmoving, as though she had melted completely into the night. Her presence was so natural that no one had noticed her from the very beginning.

Upon hearing Lin Fei's words, Wuwang was slightly startled before his expression shifted and he raised his gaze toward the roof.

A cultivator's vision far exceeded that of ordinary mortals, allowing him to clearly perceive that flawless and stunning face. Her skin was as white as snow, and under the illumination of the moonlight, her white garments seemed to emit a faint halo, making her look like an immortal descended from the nine heavens.

Those phoenix-shaped eyes met his gaze, calm and placid, yet deep and mysterious.

Wuwang lowered his head slightly, bowing in greeting as he said, "So it is Benefactor Lu of the Sword Sect."

White clothes as pristine as snow, an ancient sword at her waist, phoenix eyes, and peerless grace—these had become the hallmark descriptions of Lu Shuili of the Sword Sect across the continent.

Not only was her talent extraordinary, but her temperament was also transcendent, quietly positioning her as the leading figure among the younger generation of the Sword Sect.

Especially after Feng Ning was defeated by Lin Fei, even more people regarded her as the definitive future leader of the Sword Sect.

Though Wuwang had never laid eyes on Lu Shuili in person, in these Western Seas, aside from her, no other woman could possess such an ethereal disposition.

Lu Shuili cast her gaze into the distance. "The townspeople are all watching from the perimeter at this moment, and the Tang soldiers are busy maintaining order. Do you intend to fight here, or find another location?"

A bitter smile surfaced on Monk Wuwang's face as he softly asked, "Is this battle truly unavoidable?"