Martial Arts Overlord-Chapter 554 - 552: Taking the Initiative to Challenge
Bing Ruolan looked at Xue Fei, her eyebrows slightly furrowed.
"Luo Feng, Xue Fei’s actions are rather excessive. Although the disciple from the Long Wind School was somewhat impolite with his words, it isn’t necessary to publicly humiliate him to this extent, is it?"
Luo Feng gave a faint smile and said nothing.
He held no particular affection for the Long Wind School disciple, nor for Xue Fei.
Nearby, the Long Wind School disciple turned deathly pale under Xue Fei’s gaze.
If he really slapped himself in public, he wouldn’t just lose his own face, but also shame the Long Wind School. How could he possibly face anyone afterward?
Speculating that Xue Fei wouldn’t dare to do anything truly severe to him, the long-faced martial artist looked up and said, "You wish!"
"Really? Then don’t blame me."
Xue Fei stood his ground, a malicious smile on his face, as a sudden wave of energy surged from his body.
HUM!
Ripples that seemed almost tangible fanned out from him.
"Kneel before me!"
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK...
Xue Fei’s eyes were as fierce as a tiger’s. The moment his voice fell, a strange fluctuation spread from his body, enveloping the long-faced martial artist. Instantly, the nearby ground began to collapse, inch by inch.
In that instant, the space within ten paces of Xue Fei seemed to transform into Glaze crystal, dazzling and brilliant under the sunlight.
The long-faced martial artist, a Half-step Spiritual Rotation Realm cultivator, turned beet red. His legs slowly, uncontrollably, began to bend as if an immense mountain, a load of a thousand jun, pressed down upon him.
"What martial art is this? It’s so strange!"
Surprise shone in Bing Ruolan’s beautiful eyes.
Luo Feng, his heart like a clear mirror, explained, "This is the Profound Weight Qi Field. Within this field, every move Xue Fei makes carries immense power, while the enemy’s strength is weakened. It’s a very formidable Horizontal Practice martial art."
"Xue Fei has actually cultivated the Heavy Mountain Skill to such a level! The Profound Weight Qi Field he unleashes is so powerful. No wonder he isn’t afraid of Wei Kuang, the Wild Wind Saber!"
A nearby young martial artist with keen eyesight recognized Xue Fei’s martial art, his face filled with astonishment.
At this moment, the long-faced martial artist was already struggling to hold on. His body gradually bent lower, his face flushed red, as he glared at Xue Fei and snarled, "Xue Fei, Wei Kuang and I are good friends! If you dare to treat me like this, Wei Kuang will definitely not let you off!"
"Trying to use Wei Kuang to pressure me? Do you think I, Xue Fei, am afraid of him? I am aiming for a spot on the Martial Champion rankings! Sooner or later, I will battle him!"
Within the Profound Weight Qi Field, Xue Fei’s expression was utterly ferocious. He stared at the long-faced martial artist and laughed coldly, "You might as well just kneel!"
HUM!
As his voice fell, the space around Xue Fei twisted violently, and the ground instantly sank a foot.
"ARRRGH!"
The long-faced martial artist let out a furious roar but still couldn’t resist the overwhelming, mountain-toppling pressure. With a thud, both knees slammed onto the ground, shattering the earth and creating several cracks.
The expressions of the surrounding martial artists stiffened. The long-faced martial artist was a Half-step Spiritual Rotation Realm expert, yet against Xue Fei, he had no power to resist whatsoever!
What terrifying strength this was.
"It seems the rumors were true. Below the Ten Great Young Masters, even if Xue Fei isn’t number one, he’s in the top three." Someone couldn’t help but exclaim, and the others nodded in agreement.
At the edge of the square, several stewards from Sky Mountain glanced in this direction, frowning, but they didn’t intervene.
These young geniuses are all proud and arrogant. Clashes like this happen every day; it’s impossible to manage them all. As long as no one is seriously injured or killed, they won’t get involved.
"Hmph! Remember this: some people are not for you to offend. Now, get lost!"
Xue Fei glared at the long-faced martial artist kneeling on the ground and snorted coldly, his tone chilling to the bone.
Forced to kneel in public, the long-faced martial artist was overwhelmed with shame and wanted to die. His eyes locked onto Xue Fei as he gritted his teeth and seethed, "Xue Fei, just you wait!"
With that, the long-faced martial artist scrambled up from the ground, lowered his head, and burrowed into the crowd, disappearing in a few flickers without a trace.
"Congratulations, Young Master, your Profound Weight Qi Field has improved yet again. It seems that claiming a spot on the Martial Champion rankings this time will be effortless for you."
A figure walked up to Xue Fei, a broad smile on his face. It was Housekeeper He.
Xue Fei waved his hand dismissively. "Defeating a mere Half-step Spiritual Rotation Realm expert is nothing to congratulate. As for the Martial Champion rankings, I am determined to claim a spot."
Shaking his head, Xue Fei looked at Housekeeper He, a sharp glint flickering in his eyes, and asked, "I told you to gather information about Luo Feng. Did you find anything?"
Housekeeper He’s expression dimmed. "I’ve found out. Luo Feng has also arrived at Sky Mountain and is currently residing in Bamboo Shadow Courtyard."
Xue Fei clenched his fists, a sinister light flashing in his eyes.
"Excellent! This time, I will defeat him in front of everyone and make him lose all face publicly!"
As he spoke, an icy, murderous intent emanated from Xue Fei.
Ever since his defeat at Luo Feng’s hands in Dayang City, not a moment had passed when he didn’t think of revenge. Now that his cultivation had reached the Spiritual Rotation Realm, he was itching to find Luo Feng immediately and wipe away his past humiliation.
"With Young Master’s current strength, I’m afraid Luo Feng wouldn’t be able to withstand even a single blow..."
Just as Housekeeper He was about to offer more flattery, his gaze suddenly froze, and he exclaimed, "Young Master, look quickly!"
Xue Fei was puzzled. Following Housekeeper He’s gaze, he saw a young man and a young woman walking away in the distance.
Upon seeing the young man carrying a saber on his back, a raging fury ignited in Xue Fei’s eyes. He finally couldn’t hold back and roared, "Luo Feng, stop right there!"
This roar, like an exploding thunderclap, immediately drew everyone’s attention.
Luo Feng had been about to leave the square with Bing Ruolan. Hearing the shout, he turned to face Xue Fei and said with a faint smile, "Xue Fei, it’s been a while."
Xue Fei’s eyes narrowed slightly. He gave a disdainful, cold laugh. "Luo Feng, cut the act! You must have seen it just now—I’ve already reached the Spiritual Rotation Realm. In the upcoming Twelve Golden Palaces Examination, you’d better not cross my path, or else..."
"Luo Feng..."
Bing Ruolan’s delicate brows furrowed slightly. Just as she was about to speak, Luo Feng raised a hand to stop her.
Sizing up Xue Fei, Luo Feng’s expression remained calm as he nonchalantly asked, "Or else what?"
CRACK!
Xue Fei stomped heavily on the ground, instantly creating a half-foot-deep footprint. He grinned ferociously.
"I told you before, I will repay the humiliation I suffered in Dayang City tenfold!"
This declaration caused an uproar, and the nearby martial artists immediately began to buzz with discussion.
"What’s going on? Listening to Xue Fei, it sounds like he lost to Luo Feng before."
"That’s impossible, isn’t it? That Luo Feng is just a student from the Purple Sun School..."
"He’s no ordinary Purple Sun School student. He’s the foremost of the Four Great New Talents of Flowing Cloud Region this year. Moreover, I heard a rumor that Purple Brow Elder of the Purple Extreme Palace intends to take Luo Feng as his personal disciple."
"A personal disciple! That’s incredible!"
The gazes of all the young talents nearby converged on Luo Feng.
Luo Feng ignored the surrounding stares and looked at Xue Fei. "There’s no need to wait for the Twelve Golden Palaces Examination to begin. We can settle this right here, right now!"
This fight was inevitable. Since that was the case, Luo Feng wanted to resolve this troublesome matter as soon as possible.
"Hmph?"
Xue Fei’s expression froze. He hadn’t expected Luo Feng to say such a thing. Then, a fierce glint erupted in his eyes, and a bone-chilling coldness emanated from his body. "You said it! Do you dare to face me on the fighting stage?"
"Why wouldn’t I dare?"
Luo Feng smiled faintly, his gaze serene. He gave Bing Ruolan a reassuring look, then said to Xue Fei, "Let’s go."
According to the rules of Sky Mountain, fighting and injuring others within Sky Cloud Valley was forbidden. Violators would have their eligibility for the Twelve Golden Palaces Examination revoked.
If one wished to settle personal grudges, apart from waiting for the examination to begin, the only other option was to ascend the fighting stage.
And once on the fighting stage, life and death were one’s own responsibility!
"Good! I hope you don’t regret this."
This was exactly what Xue Fei wanted. He looked at Luo Feng with a cold sneer, and the two of them walked towards the fighting stage.
Bing Ruolan followed behind them. Although she didn’t know the history of the enmity between them, she wasn’t particularly worried.
Xue Fei was a first-level Spiritual Rotation Realm martial artist, and so was Luo Feng. Moreover, in her memory, Luo Feng had never once lost to a martial artist of the same cultivation level.
"Stone Man Xue Fei is going to fight Luo Feng, the number one new talent of Flowing Cloud Region! This is going to be a great show!"
"Stone Man Xue Fei entered the Spiritual Rotation Realm a month ago and has even cultivated the Heavy Mountain Skill to the sixth level, allowing him to use the Profound Weight Qi Field. What gives this Luo Feng the confidence to challenge Xue Fei?"
"I heard he has comprehended Grand Momentum. Perhaps that’s his trump card."
"Let’s go, quickly! I don’t want to miss such an exciting duel."
Seeing Luo Feng and Xue Fei heading towards the fighting stage, the atmosphere instantly ignited. The nearby young talents all followed, eager to watch the spectacle.
"Young Master, should we go watch the duel?"
Within the crowd, the small-eyed martial artist asked Yi Tian.
SNAP!
Yi Tian snapped his jade fan shut. Watching Luo Feng’s retreating figure, a smile spread across his face. "Go? Of course, we’re going! This is a perfect chance to see if this Luo Feng is actually worth recruiting. If he can’t even defeat Xue Fei, then it just proves he’s a nobody."
"Yes, Young Master." The small-eyed martial artist nodded respectfully.
In less than a moment, the spectator stands of the fighting stage, capable of holding a thousand people, were completely packed. There wasn’t an empty seat to be found.
The young talents who heard the news had all rushed over at the earliest opportunity.
Xue Fei, as the Young City Lord of Flame Sand City and known as the Stone Man, had some renown in the Six Southern Domains. Luo Feng, due to his comprehension of Grand Momentum, was also a name many had heard. Everyone was eager to see just what level of strength the two had reached.
"Look! Wei Kuang, the ’Wild Wind Saber’ from Long Wind School in Tianming Region, has arrived!"
A commotion rippled through the spectators, followed by a sudden, deathly silence.
At the entrance to the fighting stage, Wei Kuang, the Wild Wind Saber, strode in, his face filled with Evil Qi.
He was accompanied by several Long Wind School students, among them the long-faced martial artist who had been brutally humiliated by Xue Fei.
"Senior Brother, you must avenge me!"
The long-faced martial artist glared at Xue Fei on the fighting stage, veins throbbing on his forehead.
"Useless trash! You’ve utterly disgraced our Long Wind School!" Wei Kuang barked coldly, making the long-faced martial artist not even dare to breathe loudly.
Gazing towards the fighting stage, Wei Kuang’s line of sight swept past Xue Fei and landed on Luo Feng, his pupils contracting sharply.
The last time, in Wutie Town, Luo Feng had killed Xin Chong right before his eyes. This incident had caused Wei Kuang to lose immense face, and he had been brooding over it ever since.
Luo Feng, so our paths cross again, you troublesome enemy. I hope you don’t lose to Xue Fei. That would be far too dull.
With a cold snort, Wei Kuang found an empty seat and sat down, watching with cold detachment.
「On the fighting stage.」
Luo Feng and Xue Fei stood thirty paces apart, a murderous aura permeating the air between them.
