Volume One, Chapter Five: Snow Lotus Peak

"You insolent brat!"

The Thirteenth Elder snapped back to his senses, turning his gaze to Xiao Yun, who had already been reduced to a headless corpse. In the next heartbeat, he lunged forward like a predatory hawk, swooping down upon Qin Feng.

"Floating Pagoda Sword Technique, First Form: Sword of Slaughter!"

Qin Feng’s eyes remained resolute as he drew his sword to meet the attack head-on.

Clang!

The moment the longsword collided with palms as hard as iron claws, a deafening blast of air erupted. Qin Feng flicked his sword, unleashing a storm of sword qi that surged forward.

The Thirteenth Elder’s pupils contracted sharply; he immediately raised his claws and swiped. Scars of energy manifested in the air, grinding against the sword qi storm.

"How can a mere Spirit Gathering realm cultivator possess such explosive power?"

A murderous glint flickered in the Thirteenth Elder’s eyes. Even setting aside the fact that Xiao Yun was dead, the sheer potential Qin Feng displayed meant the elder could not afford to let him walk away. He now had a legitimate pretext to eliminate him; failing to seize this opportunity would surely force him to pay a steeper price to kill Qin Feng later.

"Space-Rending Claw!"

The elder’s robes billowed, and his hands glowed with a metallic luster. He thrust his palms forward, tearing the sword qi storm to shreds in an instant.

Qin Feng watched the approaching elder, the killing intent on his blade surging until it felt almost tangible. The outer sect disciples who had gathered around began to whisper among themselves.

"Who is he? How dare he cross the Thirteenth Elder?"
"I don’t recognize him."
"I’d bet he’s either a hot-headed fool or an inner sect disciple from some mountain. Otherwise, who would have the guts to openly challenge an outer sect elder?"
"Regardless, his fate is sealed. The disparity in their cultivation realms is an insurmountable flaw."

*Dash!*

Qin Feng engaged the Thirteenth Elder head-on, utilizing a sword technique inherited from Yue Qingxian. Dust rose from the ground, swirling into the path of his blade as he pressed forward.

The next instant, the sound of clashing metal rang out. A sinister sneer appeared on the Thirteenth Elder’s face. "What a pity that a genius like you must fall by my hand!"

The elder pressed his claws forward, shattering Qin Feng’s longsword. However, what greeted him was not Qin Feng’s body, but a sword tip glinting with an evil light.

The Thirteenth Elder’s pupils constricted. He immediately retracted his strike, attempting to grab the flying sword tip. Yet, despite his swift reaction, he had underestimated the power imbued within it.

*Splat!*

The moment the sword tip pierced his palm, it buried itself into the elder’s shoulder. The force behind it sent him reeling backward. Qin Feng was also knocked back by the shockwave, yet he remained far steadier than the disheveled elder.

*The second form, the Evil-Slaying Sword, is powerful, but at my current level, twice is likely my limit,* Qin Feng thought, exhaling sharply as he drew a dagger from his boot.

The Floating Pagoda Sword Technique consisted of seven forms and three stances; the first three forms were intended to assist in cultivation through breathing exercises. However, thanks to Qin Feng’s innate Sword Bone and the various augmentations from his Primeval Sword Seed, even these auxiliary techniques possessed extraordinary power in his hands.

Of course, no matter how one looked at it, his cultivation was still at the seventh level of the Spirit Gathering realm. Even if his "software"—his techniques—could keep up, his "hardware" could not sustain them for long. The energy consumption was simply too great.

When Qin Feng killed Xiao Yun, many outer sect disciples had been watching. Now, news of a conflict between an elder and a disciple had spread like wildfire, drawing even more onlookers. Yet, just as the crowd prepared to watch Qin Feng be captured or killed, he had managed to wound the Thirteenth Elder with a single strike.

*Regardless of the outcome, today’s events will surely become a major affair,* every disciple thought, shock etched onto their faces.

Though the crowd grew, the arena fell into an eerie silence.

*Drip.*

The sound of fresh blood hitting the ground echoed. The Thirteenth Elder glanced at his wound, then fixed his eyes on Qin Feng with newfound resolve. A dark thought bloomed in his mind: if Qin Feng did not die today, he might one day die at the boy’s hands.

"A stubborn wretch, aren't you?" the elder hissed. "In that case, don't blame me for not holding back!"

As he spoke, his aura swelled. His eyes, sharp as an eagle's, locked onto his prey. Just as he prepared to unleash his full power as a Four Symbols realm cultivator, Qin Feng spoke calmly.

"I am an inner sect disciple. You, as an outer sect elder, have no authority to judge me."

With that, he pulled out a talisman and crushed it. A stream of light shot into the sky, shattering into the shape of a lotus flower.

Qin Feng stood quietly, watching the elder. The Thirteenth Elder’s face turned livid, but he truly dared not strike. There were two reasons:

First, Qin Feng’s status. An inner sect disciple held a higher rank than an outer sect elder, and most had powerful backers. If he attacked in front of so many witnesses, he wouldn't need to wait for Qin Feng to grow stronger; his own rivals would use this as an excuse to drive him into the abyss.

Second, the lotus in the sky was a distress signal from Ice Lotus Peak. Everyone knew there were three peaks within the Eternal Heaven Sect that one should never provoke: the Sect Master’s Heavenly Dome Peak, the reckless War Sword Peak, and the sparsely populated but formidable Ice Lotus Peak.

The outer sect disciples looked at Qin Feng with envy, never imagining he was an inner sect disciple from Ice Lotus Peak. However, the shock did not last long. A disciple who had been in the sect for three years recognized him.

"He isn't from Ice Lotus Peak—he’s from Jade Flower Peak! His name is Qin Feng!" the disciple declared confidently. "Three years ago, the Jade Flower Peak Master, Yue Qingxian, returned to the sect severely wounded and passed away shortly after. Qin Feng was her chief disciple, but he crippled his own cultivation and spent three years guarding her tomb. He’s a well-known废人 (useless person) throughout the inner sect!"

The other disciples were stunned, never expecting such a bizarre background.

"Jade Flower Peak?" The Thirteenth Elder’s eyes gleamed with malice as he stepped forward. "If that is the case, why should I hesitate? Whether you are an inner sect disciple or not, harming a fellow sect member is a capital offense! Even if I execute you here and now, I can justify it before the Heavenly Dome Peak!"

Clearly, the elder had ignored most of the gossip but seized upon one crucial fact: Qin Feng was not from the formidable Ice Lotus Peak, but the waning Jade Flower Peak. Jade Flower Peak had few members left, and there had even been proposals to dissolve it entirely the previous year. The elder no longer felt any restraint.

Qin Feng ignored the whispers and looked calmly at the approaching elder. Seeing this, the Thirteenth Elder hesitated no longer. He struck. Despite his lack of restraint, a sliver of unease remained in his heart. His claws reached forward, the wind howling as he aimed for the boy's vitals.

"Die!"

Just as the elder closed to within two meters of Qin Feng, the unexpected occurred. A layer of frost rapidly appeared on the elder's body, freezing him solid.

"Did you really think I would let you do as you pleased?"

Before anyone knew when she had arrived, a girl in a pale blue dress with a cold, ethereal expression walked from beside the frozen elder to stand before Qin Feng. No one had seen her approach, and even fewer could have imagined that she would subdue a Four Symbols realm elder with a single move.