Free Web NovelChapter 273: Chapter 260: Story 2
"Xie Chang’an... This princess merely intended to wander around Black Cloud and see how it has developed in recent years. Why are you so nervous?"
"Let’s not mince words. If you have come for Daoist Master Qingfeng, Fourth Prince, you must promise me you will not resort to force," Xie Chang’an said casually.
"Oh? You didn’t say that about the last genius, did you?" Song Fei Shi raised an eyebrow.
"Because this time is different," Xie Chang’an said with a smile. "It’s only because you’re one of the more reasonable ones among the princes and princesses that I’m being this civil."
Sizing up Song Fei Shi, Xie Chang’an suddenly revealed a strange smile.
"However, if it’s you... there might actually be a chance..."
"..." Song Fei Shi’s brow furrowed, and she was about to lose her temper, but with a flash, he vanished.
Floating in mid-air, she considered her options. Her original plan to snatch the person and run was naturally off the table now that Xie Chang’an had found her.
But from Xie Chang’an’s attitude, it seemed he wasn’t forbidding others from approaching this Lin Hui.
’I’d like to see for myself just what’s so different about this Daoist Master Qingfeng.’
With a flicker, Song Fei Shi flew directly toward Black Cloud City, which lay beneath the sea of fog.
She knew Xie Chang’an was definitely watching her every move, so she didn’t try any tricks. She obediently found a random spot, removed everything that could reveal her identity, and then headed straight for the Qingfeng Daoist Academy.
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「Three days later.」
Inside the academy, pear blossoms drifted on the gentle, warm breeze.
Lin Hui stood in the courtyard, silently manipulating the air currents to make the pear blossoms flow like a stream, dancing around him.
The other Disciples of the academy had gathered here today for their regular meeting.
Everyone was outside the courtyard, not daring to enter and disturb Lin Hui’s cultivation.
Su Yaping and Xia Si were currently the strongest guardians of the academy, aside from Lin Hui himself.
Su Yaping had also obtained the Righteous Body and the Zhengde Seal. His strength had increased tremendously compared to when he first arrived in Black Cloud.
He was already at the Palace Master level, having long reached the Martial Dao’s limit of Mingji. Now, with the Gale Swordsmanship and two Dharma Seals, his power had reached an unfathomable level.
Many speculated that he might have already reached the level of a Blood Ancestor.
As for Xia Si, she was previously at the High Priest level. Now, she had broken through again. With her Gale Swordsmanship Body Tempering at Perfection, plus two Dharma Seals, no one knew what level she had reached either.
Especially recently, people had noticed a dangerous aura emanating from Xia Si, faintly similar to that of the Daoist Master.
This also made some of the Disciples, who had grown complacent due to their good progress in Black Cloud, put away their pride.
Everyone was in the banquet hall next to Lin Hui’s courtyard, currently holding a welcome party for the new disciples in a relaxed atmosphere.
The Qingfeng Dao had rarely recruited new members, but ever since gaining the approval of the three City Lords, Lin Hui had relaxed the entry requirements.
This was also a way to integrate more quickly into Black Cloud.
Especially since The Three Greats Original Blood families had all sent people to plead their cases, Lin Hui had to give them face. In any case, with the Dharma Seal verification, those with ulterior motives wouldn’t be able to pass its test.
At this moment, Wang Hongshi, Su Yaping, and Li Yuanyuan were each greeting the new initiates, explaining the situation and rules of the Qingfeng Daoist Academy.
Among the dozen or so new initiates was a beautiful woman in a dark red dress. Beneath her skirt were long legs clad in dark, shimmering stockings. It was none other than the Fourth Princess, Song Fei Shi, disguised as an ordinary Original Blood to investigate the Qingfeng Dao.
She had tacitly agreed to Xie Chang’an’s condition not to use force. She decided to first get close and see what was so different about the Qingfeng Dao this time.
Unlike Tuyue, Black Cloud had many marginal Original Blood members. Furthermore, because they traveled far and wide for business, they had more children, so no one really knew if she was truly from one of The Three Greats bloodlines. This gave her an opportunity to slip through the cracks.
At the banquet, attendants served all sorts of dishes and drinks. Xia Si, Su Yaping, and Wang Hongshi were each surrounded by a crowd as they explained the rules of the Qingfeng Dao.
Song Fei Shi wanted to go and observe Lin Hui directly rather than waste time here, but she worried Xie Chang’an would misunderstand and think she was breaking her promise, prompting him to act. So, she decided to find a corner to pass the time and wait for a natural opportunity to approach her target.
But after just a few steps, her powerful senses picked up Wang Hongshi answering a new disciple’s question about the differences between the Qingfeng Dao and other Martial Arts Sects.
"Haha, speaking of which, the biggest difference between our Qingfeng Dao and other sects isn’t actually our Martial Arts. Arts like the Qingfeng Swordsmanship and Gale Swordsmanship are indeed extremely powerful, but many other sects have powerful Martial Arts as well. So that’s not the biggest difference."
Wang Hongshi sat cross-legged on the carpet, surrounded by a circle of new Disciples.
"Then what is the biggest difference? To be honest, Senior Brother Wang, my family forced me to come here. I really don’t know what makes our sect better than others," said a young girl with pigtails, sounding helpless.
"If you were forced, why don’t you leave now?" Wang Hongshi glanced at her.
"I..." The young girl faltered, unsure how to answer for a moment.
"I’m not kidding, nor am I joking. I’m being very serious. If you don’t want to join, you can leave now," Wang Hongshi said. "Because the test of intention that our sect will conduct later can determine if you truly want to join. If you aren’t sincere, you won’t pass the test, and you won’t be able to enter the sect anyway."
"There’s a Dharma Gate like that?"
"Unheard of!"
"Is it the effect of a relic?"
The new recruits couldn’t help but exclaim one after another. Some disbelievers secretly rolled their eyes, thinking Wang Hongshi was bragging.
"You’ll all find out in a moment. If you can pass the test, you will have the opportunity to obtain the three Dharma Seals in the future." He briefly explained the Dharma Seals and the Righteous Body, once again leaving the surrounding crowd half-believing and half-doubting.
Then, someone asked another question. About Martial Arts.
"Speaking of Martial Arts, while the arts of my Qingfeng Dao may not be the strongest, they are absolutely the safest."
Wang Hongshi continued, "Because compared to all other Martial Arts, our sect’s arts have no side effects whatsoever!"
"No side effects? Doesn’t that just make them Ordinary Martial Arts? The power of those arts is usually extremely low," someone couldn’t help but question.
"Whether they’re low or not, you will soon come into contact with them and can judge for yourselves. However, our sect’s Martial Arts are extremely difficult, and their power and depth far exceed ordinary arts. Even if you are the greatest genius, don’t think you can master them easily." When Wang Hongshi said this, he immediately stirred everyone’s competitive spirit and curiosity.
Song Fei Shi, who was eavesdropping from the side, had once been hailed as the empire’s number one genius, unrivaled by any of her contemporaries. At this moment, this statement piqued her curiosity.
Just then, Lin Hui finished his sword practice and slowly walked in, causing everyone to bow in greeting.
He had a smile on his face and put on no airs, nodding to everyone in response.
"Today, you are initiated. If you can pass the test, you will be able to obtain our sect’s Dharma Seal and Righteous Body. This Dharma Seal can directly enhance your physique in every aspect, with an effect close to a fifty percent increase in strength. And there are no side effects. No matter what hidden ailments or physical weaknesses you may have, the Righteous Body can forcefully correct and heal them."
Lin Hui’s voice drifted gently into everyone’s ears with the wind.
The voice was not loud, but it was exceptionally gentle.
Song Fei Shi’s eyes lit up. This technique had no power fluctuations—no Inner Strength, no True Power, no Void Power, and no ripples in Heart and Spirit. It was natural and unadorned.
’Interesting!’ She faintly sensed that this time, Lin Hui really seemed different from the geniuses before him.
If the previous people had all reached new heights based on Extreme Martial Arts and the Summoning System, then the Qingfeng Daoist Academy’s methods seemed to belong to a completely different system.
"Everyone, please quiet down. I will now personally explain the fundamental origins and history of the Qingfeng Dao." Lin Hui flashed to the main seat that had been reserved for him, turned, and sat down, his expression serene.
He knew very well that the people present were Original Blood disciples who had been instructed by The Three Greats bloodline families to join the Qingfeng Dao. Although they were only marginal Original Blood, some family prodigies might be hidden among them.
This union with The Three Greats Original Blood families was also a show of sincerity to the three City Lords.
In fact, he also hoped that as many of them as possible would successfully pass the test.
Seeing that everyone had quieted down, Lin Hui smiled with satisfaction. This was a good start.
Being manageable and willing to listen to advice was the most basic prerequisite for cultivation.
If they were a group of arrogant and spoiled young masters, it would be impossible for them to pass the Dharma Seal test later.
"Speaking of which, the Martial Arts of the Qingfeng Dao and its related Dharma Seal system are actually two separate systems. The Martial Arts were all created from my own insights, but the Dharma Seal system originates from a powerful Sect called the Jiuxiao Sect."
Lin Hui was making good use of the load of Jiuxiao Sect history that the Blood Seal had shoved into his brain.
"As you all know, the night fog often connects to other unknown regions and worlds. Purgatory and Extreme Cold Heaven were unintentionally linked to our world in this way, which started the initial corruption. As for the Jiuxiao Sect, it is a legacy I encountered by chance when I was in peril."
Lin Hui sighed. Seeing that everyone’s interest was piqued by the mysterious night fog, he knew his explanation was working.
After all, in this world, there wasn’t a single person who wasn’t curious about the enigmatic night fog.
’So, if I just pin things on the fog, it’s bound to work.’
"The Jiuxiao Sect was once filled with experts as numerous as the clouds. The masters and seniors of the sect could slice the sun and moon with a wave of their hand and command yin and yang with a shout. The Nine Heavens Divine Wind Technique they cultivated was incredibly powerful, capable of drawing upon unknown, terrifying forces to destroy everything..."
"Wait, isn’t that description a bit too exaggerated? Even the strongest Fog People in the Federation can’t reach such heights, can they?" At this point, Song Fei Shi couldn’t hold back and voiced her doubt.
If the person she had traveled over a million miles for was just a braggart who loved to talk big, his standing in her eyes would drop by more than a single level.
"It is a fact," Lin Hui said with a smile, glancing at Song Fei Shi. "I know you all come from powerful Fog People bloodline families. You are Original Blood with strong aptitude, and some have even awakened Evil Energy at an early age. But the power of the Jiuxiao Sect seniors is not in the same system."
"Don’t be hasty. Let me finish explaining in detail." He pressed down with one hand, and a gentle breeze instantly transformed into a wave of pressure that fell upon everyone.
Again, there were no power fluctuations, as if the wind itself was spontaneously obeying his command.
This effortlessly executed move made Song Fei Shi’s heart skip a beat. The rebuttal she had prepared died on her lips. She decided to see what kind of story Lin Hui would spin, so she could tear it all down at the end.
