Biqiong Peak.
The mountain wind was like a knife, rustling the branches and leaves of the ancient pines on the cliffside.
On the spacious martial arts arena, dozens of inner sect disciples of the Sword Lineage held long swords, practicing their sword moves.
On the high platform, Feng Buting stood with his hands behind his back.
He was heavily built, with a sharply defined square face, but his eyes were clouded with gloom. As he scanned the sword moves of the disciples below the platform, his expression grew darker the more he watched. Finally, unable to bear it any longer, he barked out in anger:
“Useless trash!”
“All of you are useless trash!”
“Your sword strikes are weak and powerless, and your swordplay is superficial and disorganized. With such hopeless comprehension, how do you deserve to practice my Feng Clan's swordplay?”
The torrent of abuse crashed down like a tempest, leaving the disciples below as quiet as cicadas in winter, not even daring to lift their heads.
“Sigh...”
But after venting his anger, Feng Buting let out a long sigh, his eyes filled with exhaustion.
The inheritance of the Bixia Sword Lineage had reached a point where there was a severe gap between generations.
Feng Wuque, the junior he placed high hopes on, was one of the Seven Elegances, yet he had still failed to comprehend sword-glow.
A few days ago, he had even suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Wang Xuanmin, a core disciple of the Qingyuan Sword Pavilion who was also one of the Seven Elegances.
He hadn't even managed to force out his opponent's sword-glow...
“What a humiliating disgrace!”
Feng Buting clenched his teeth, his gaze incredibly gloomy.
‘To think of my Feng Clan, two hundred years ago when Ancestor Qingyang was alive, our sword-qi swept across Nanxiang. How high-spirited and glorious were we then?’
‘Which powerhouse in Cangzhou wouldn't respectfully call us a Sword Immortal family upon meeting us?’
‘Even the old Marquis of Zhenhai of the previous generation, Dong Daosheng, had to politely offer a smiling face when meeting our ancestor!’
‘The Yue family of the Qi Lineage, who now swagger around the villa, were nothing more than mere pawns under my Feng Clan back then!’
‘And as for the Star-Plucking Sect, the Qingyuan Sword Pavilion... two hundred years ago, they hadn't even established their sects!’
“But now... but now... how did we end up like this?!”
The more Feng Buting thought about it, the more resentment he felt. The unwillingness churning in his chest was like boiling oil.
‘Ever since the ancestor passed away, the sword talents in the clan have grown worse with each generation. For over a century, those who could comprehend sword-glow could be counted on one hand!’
‘Today... in this vast Sword Immortal family, only my eldest brother is left who can wield sword-glow!’
‘But as the Lineage Master, my eldest brother remains detached from worldly affairs all year round, and the juniors of the clan are all mediocre talents. It has reached the point where the world thinks my Feng Clan's reputation as a “Sword Immortal family” is nothing but a sham to deceive the public!’
Feng Buting's eyes turned sinister, and his fists clenched until they cracked:
‘Instead, we've allowed that fellow surnamed Wen from the Star-Plucking Sect to ride on our Feng Clan's head and swagger about in glory all these years.’
“Phew...”
After a long while, Feng Buting paced to the edge of the cliff and exhaled a long breath. Swept by the wind, the suffocating frustration finally dissipated a little.
“Fortunately... there is still that girl, Zhixue!”
“She has an excellent constitution and high sword talent. Given time, she will surely comprehend sword-glow!”
“Perhaps... even sword-qi and sword-yuan are not beyond her reach!”
“Once she obtains the inheritance left by the ancestor... Hmph!”
The previous dejection on Feng Buting's face vanished, replaced by two glints of sharp light in his eyes. He snorted coldly:
“When that time comes, my Feng Clan will surely return to the peak to prove the name of our Sword Immortal family!”
Just then, footsteps came from the martial arts arena behind him.
Feng Wuyu came in a hurry, clutching a gazette that still smelled of fresh ink. With a slightly uneasy expression, he said in a low voice:
“Father, this was specially sent by Uncle Yue Lingyong of the Qi Lineage via his disciple...”
“Yue Lingyong?”
Feng Buting snatched the gazette and barked disdainfully, “What tricks is that fellow playing now?”
“Last time, he sent over a trash disciple that his Qi Lineage didn't want, and this time, he's using some miscellaneous notes compiled by martial world idlers to amuse me!”
“Go pass a message to him: if he is so bored, he might as well practice his Qi Sect's 『Purple Qi from the East Radiant Mysterious Art』 more and stop hovering around my Sword Lineage!”
Though his mouth was dripping with harsh mockery, his hands were not slow.
Feng Buting shook open the gazette and scanned the page. What met his eyes was a massive headline!
【A Genius Emerges Anew!】
【The Star-Plucking Sect's Tingquan Academy Head Accepts a New Personal Disciple—Comprehending Sword-Glow at the Threshold of Adulthood! Single-Handedly Slaying the Five Cangwu Demons with One Sword!】
“What?!”
Feng Buting's pupils shrank sharply, and his breathing suddenly grew heavy. Clutching the gazette, he stared fixedly at the word “sword-glow.”
The jealousy that had just dissipated instantly flared up again like a wildfire, consuming his entire chest.
“Eighteen years old?”
“Sword-glow?”
“Such sword talent...”
“How did such sword talent end up in the hands of that fellow surnamed Wen from the Star-Plucking Sect again?!”
Feng Buting's eyes turned red as he hissed through his teeth:
“Wen Qingye! He's just an alchemist, so how on earth is his motherfucking luck so good?!”
Beside him, seeing that he was only cursing Wen Qingye, Feng Wuyu couldn't help but softly remind him:
“Father... take a look at the name of the person who comprehended the sword-glow.”
“Hmm?”
Feng Buting knitted his brows and scanned downward, murmuring the name aloud:
“Surnamed Shen, named Xiuhan, a native of Changyun County... It sounds somewhat familiar.”
After more than a month, although he remembered that Yue Lingyong had sent a disciple over back then, he had long forgotten the youth's name.
How could a mere brat from a lower county be worth being remembered by an elder of the Bixia Sword Lineage?
Seeing this, Feng Wuyu could only steel himself and carefully remind him once more:
“Father... this Shen Xiuhan is the very youth whom Uncle Yue sent to our Sword Lineage over a month ago, only to be rejected by you.”
“...”
Dead silence.
The howling wind at the cliffside seemed to freeze completely.
Right after...
Whoosh!
Feng Buting's pupils instantly dilated, as if a bolt of lightning had pierced through the fog, illuminating the events of that day in vivid detail!
“Shen Xiuhan... the native of Changyun County... I remember now! It's that kid with the Five-Form Constitution! It's him! It was actually him!”
Boom!
In an instant!
The Gangjin inside Feng Buting's body surged and went wild, instantly flushing his face to a deep purplish-red!
‘I often complain about the unfairness of the Heavenly Dao, complaining that my Sword Lineage rarely sees anyone with sword talent...’
‘And yet, right now!’
‘A divine weapon was personally delivered to my doorstep, yet I didn't even spare it a glance and pushed it away!’
‘Not only that, but I pushed it to the Star-Plucking Sect, right into Wen Qingye's hands!’
“Argh!”
Feng Buting's face turned from red to pale as he let out a furious roar!
The two divine seed seals inside his body suddenly trembled, and a fierce, overbearing gangqi gathered in his palm. He whipped his hand back and struck the gnarled, century-old pine at the edge of the cliff!
Boom! Crack!
The towering ancient pine let out a groaning crack of snapping wood as its massive canopy broke off entirely, plunging into the churning sea of clouds.
Countless pine needles rustled down, only to be shredded into a storm of debris by the lingering gang wind.
“Father! Please calm your anger...”
Feng Wuyu's face turned white with fear, and he hurriedly pleaded.
Feng Buting was completely deaf to his words!
He only felt as if he had swallowed a piece of red-hot iron—unable to spit it out or swallow it down—burning so intensely that his internal organs were dripping with blood.
‘If only...’
‘If only I hadn't been so arrogant and had taken just one look at that youth!’
‘Then what is written on this gazette wouldn't be “personal disciple of Wen Qingye of the Star-Plucking Sect,” but “disciple of Feng Buting of the Bixia Villa's Sword Lineage”!!’
Extreme regret and humiliation churned frantically in his chest like ten thousand steel blades.
“Pfft!”
Feng Buting's eyes were blood-red. Finally unable to suppress it, a sweet taste rose in his throat, and with a cough, he spat out a large mouthful of fresh blood!
The blood droplets scattered in the wind, staining Feng Buting's pristine white sword robes red!
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