Dongfang Fenghuang left unwillingly. The little princess, holding Xiaoyu, walked up to Chen Nan and whispered, "You scoundrel, you've completely enraged her. You're in big trouble now, hehe." After saying that, she also left the scene.
Among the onlookers were many of Dongfang Fenghuang's suitors, who glared angrily at Chen Nan, ready to pounce at any moment.
At this moment, the old man from the East spoke up: "Stop crowding around, disperse quickly."
The students who had been watching were intimidated by the old man's imposing presence and eventually dispersed.
Then the old man from the East approached Chen Nan and said, "You brat..."
"Stop, you damned old man!" Chen Nan interrupted him, saying, "This has nothing to do with me. Your granddaughter gathered a group of people and surrounded me. She wanted to cause me trouble. You could say I'm the victim."
The old man from the East said, "Bah, brat, I don't have time to argue with you now. We'll settle the score later. The vice dean just spoke to me and asked me to let you off the hook. Our three-day agreement is off for now. I'll deal with you later."
As Chen Nan walked out of the gates of Shenfeng Academy, he felt that he had been tricked by the vice dean and the old man from the East. The two of them were forcing him to participate in the competition at Xianwu Academy.
"It must have been that old fox, the vice dean, who asked that old man Dongfang to scare me. That despicable and shameless old bastard..." he kept cursing.
To a certain extent, if Long Baobao hadn't recognized Chen Nan as the one who threw chili powder that night, he wouldn't be being threatened by the vice dean now. He never expected that this cute little dragon was actually a fifth-tier holy dragon; even now, he still finds it hard to believe.
According to the vice dean, the baby dragon has an eccentric personality and is curious about everything new. The reason they are so affectionate towards him now is mostly because they see him as a playmate.
"Yes, we should take this opportunity to teach that shameless old man and that despicable old man from the East a lesson again."
At this moment, Chen Nan had already entered a small alley. Just as he was lost in thought, a cold, sharp light flashed towards him like lightning.
Chen Nan was startled and quickly dodged to the side. The cold light grazed past him, but immediately returned. He now saw clearly that the cold light was a crescent-shaped scimitar. The scimitar, gleaming with an eerie light, seemed even faster than before. He shifted his body to the side again, and the menacing crescent-shaped scimitar shot through the air.
Deep in the alley, a cold-looking young man with a curved knife blocked Chen Nan's path. The young man had sword-like eyebrows and tiger-like eyes, and was handsome and extraordinary. Although he was not very tall, he gave people a powerful feeling.
Why did you attack me?
"I want to see if you're worth my time. If you can't even dodge this one strike, there's no point in me fighting you."
"Leng Feng, I challenge you."
"I don't even know you, why are you challenging me?"
"You first flirted with the Eastern Phoenix, and then you won the battle against the magic department. Now your name is known throughout the Divine Wind Academy. Although it is somewhat despicable, there is no denying that you are a master. I challenge you."
Chen Nan said, "So you're challenging me for martial arts reasons?"
Leng Feng said, "That's only one reason. There's another reason: I want to teach you a lesson on behalf of Phoenix."
Chen Nan had a headache. He had heard that some students might challenge him to duels, but he didn't expect them to come knocking on his door so soon.
"There's no need for us to fight, is there? Hmm, my treat, let's find a place to have a couple of drinks."
Leng Feng's expression remained icy. He raised the crescent-shaped blade in his hand and said, "Our battle today is inevitable. If you can defeat me, I will have nothing to say and will only blame myself for my lack of skill. But if you lose, don't blame me for being ruthless."
An oppressive force surged from Leng Feng toward Chen Nan, and the crescent-shaped blade in his hand emitted a cold, clear light.
Chen Nan knew that this battle was inevitable. He waved to Leng Feng and said, "There are always pedestrians passing by here. I think we should find another place."
"Okay, let's go to the woods outside the east gate."
Leng Feng led the way, followed by Chen Nan. The two walked out of the alley and headed out of the city along the main street.
It was already sunset, and a fiery sunset in the west painted the sky crimson, while the woods outside the city seemed to be draped in a thin red veil.
In a clearing beside the woods, Leng Feng and Chen Nan stood facing each other, about three zhang apart. Both of them had solemn expressions and dared not underestimate each other.
Leng Feng's crescent-shaped blade was pointed diagonally at Chen Nan's brow. A faint mist swirled around the cold blade, and the murderous aura startled the birds in the forest, causing them to flee in panic.
Chen Nan had already drawn the long sword from his back. He could sense the profound skill of his opponent; this was definitely a formidable foe. The long sword in his hand reflected a faint red light under the glow of the fiery clouds in the sky, as if it were stained with bright red blood.
"You scoundrel, are you ready? I'm about to make my move."
"Pah, stop. Let me make it clear first, my surname is Chen. If you keep calling me that, don't blame me for giving you a nickname like XXXX."
Leng Feng's lips twitched twice, but the smile that hadn't even formed was quickly masked by a chilling aura. He said coldly, "Prepare to take this. I hope you won't disappoint me."
"Whoosh..." The crescent-shaped blade emitted a series of strange whistles as it flew towards Chen Nan, its speed many times greater than when it was in the alley.
With a clang, Chen Nan's longsword slashed fiercely at the crescent-shaped blade, sparks flying everywhere, but the blade was not knocked off; instead, it spun away at an odd angle.
Chen Nan rushed forward like lightning. The instant Leng Feng gripped the curved blade, he was already in front of him, and the long blade slashed down from the sky with the force of splitting a mountain.
Two beams of light flashed in the air: one was the dazzling blade light unleashed by Chen Nan, and the other was the chilling, eerie glow emanating from Leng Feng's crescent-shaped blade. The immense energy contained within the two unparalleled blade energies collided, producing a series of tearing sounds, as if space itself was about to shatter, and dust billowed up nearby.
The overwhelming murderous aura startled the beasts hidden deep in the jungle, causing them to flee in panic. All the animals in the forest ran away.
Chen Nan stumbled back three large steps in a row, as did Leng Feng. Both of them swayed a few times before regaining their balance.
Chen Nan was now certain that the other party's cultivation level was only above his own, not below his own, and it was clear that the other party was also a third-level Eastern martial artist.
Leng Feng said coldly, "You have indeed reached the level of sword qi projection of Eastern martial artists. You have not disappointed me after all."
Those who reach the rank-based realms are true masters. In Eastern martial arts, the cultivation realms of rank-based masters can be divided into: Refining Essence into Qi, Innate Realm, Sword Qi Emerging from the Body, Refining Qi into Spirit, and Spirit Condensing Qi. Of course, "Sword Qi Emerging from the Body" is a broad concept, not limited to sword qi, but also including saber qi, etc.
Chen Nan has just stepped from the Innate Realm to the Sword Qi Emergence Realm. Although he has only just reached the third level, he is already considered a super expert among his peers.
Chen Nan said, "You're very arrogant!"
Leng Feng said, "There aren't many people among my peers whom I can consider as rivals. Rivals are hard to find. Today is truly a joyous day." Although he didn't smile and his voice was cold, his eyes revealed excitement.
Chen Nan had a bad feeling. This guy, who was as cold as an ice block, was undoubtedly a martial arts fanatic. Today, a fierce battle was inevitable, and it would be impossible to stop in time.
This time, Leng Feng took the initiative to attack. He wielded his crescent-shaped blade and slashed straight at Chen Nan. The blade's energy was like a rainbow, emitting a dazzling light in the air.
Chen Nan met the attack with his longsword, its unparalleled blade energy as solid as a bolt of silk, its brilliance dazzling the eyes.
The destructive force of the two sharp blades colliding was astonishing. Sand and stones flew everywhere in the clearing at the edge of the forest, and the scattered blade energy cratered the nearby ground.
The two combatants were both thrown backward by the shockwave, but the moment they landed, they quickly charged at each other again.
The air was filled with swirling, surging sword energy, their dazzling sharpness intertwining like lightning. For a moment, the place was ablaze with light, and deafening booms echoed throughout.
Chen Nan and Leng Feng moved with lightning speed, like two streaks of light.
The invincible blade energy raged wildly, creating countless huge craters in the ground, sending rocks flying and dust billowing. The two fought their way from the open area into the forest, where rows of trees fell, pulverized by the unparalleled blade light, and scattered in the wind.
A fierce battle raged in the forest, the air thick with murderous intent!
In just fifteen minutes, a large area of forest had been destroyed, but the dazzling blades still gleamed and hissed. The two were evenly matched, like two equally matched generals.
Chen Nan grew increasingly alarmed as the battle progressed. He sensed that Leng Feng's strength seemed to surpass his own, which both shocked and unsettled him.
He originally thought that with his current level of cultivation, he had few rivals among the younger generation, but now it seems that there are always people more capable than him, and there is always something beyond his reach.
Half an hour later, a small patch of woodland had been leveled, the ground littered with wood chips and fallen leaves. The movements of the two people in the arena had slowed considerably, and the glint of their blades in the woods was no longer as dazzling as before.
Chen Nan gradually exhausted himself. He felt somewhat weak, and his clothes were soaked with sweat. He was covered in sweat.
Leng Feng's movements were no longer as swift as before. His long hair was soaked with sweat, sticking together in clumps, and his cold cheeks gradually flushed.
In the end, both of them were panting heavily, unable to unleash their invincible sword energy any longer. The longsword and the crescent-shaped blade began to clash, sparks flying everywhere, and the sounds of "clanging and banging" were incessant.
Hundreds of moves had passed, and Chen Nan secretly gathered some true energy, preparing to deliver a powerful blow to Leng Feng. But at that moment, Leng Feng struck first, forcefully splitting his hands apart, and the crescent-shaped blade split in two, the blade actually composed of two sharp blades joined together.
He infused the two curved blades with pure internal energy and attacked Chen Nan with lightning speed. At the same time, he quickly took off the long leather pouch on his back, which contained dozens of small, round curved blades, each radiating a chilling light.
Just as Chen Nan dodged the two spinning scimitars, he was horrified to find dozens of gleaming flying blades hurtling toward him, accompanied by strange whistles in the air. He hurriedly lay on his back and flew backwards for a distance of three zhang.
Leng Feng stepped forward, his hands moving rapidly to deflect the small crescent blades that had missed their target and were now spinning back. The curved blades, infused with his true energy once more, became even more dazzling as they slashed towards Chen Nan.
Judging from Leng Feng's movements, he must have practiced this attack method frequently, as his hand movements were as swift as lightning.
A vast rain of blades, gleaming eerily, filled the air. Chen Nan had nowhere to dodge. He tried to deflect the attacks with his longsword a few times, but eventually gave up. Most of the curved blades that were knocked away would spin back to Leng Feng. With each strike infused with true energy, the blades became faster and more powerful, dozens of crescent-shaped blades weaving together in the air to form a dazzling net of light.
The ground was full of pits and craters, many of them large and small, created by the blade energy from Chen Nan and Leng Feng's initial battle.
As Chen Nan retreated rapidly, he accidentally fell into a pit half a meter deep. His long sword slipped from his grasp and fell outside the pit. He was both shocked and frightened. Although he had several methods to resolve the current predicament in mind, he was not yet able to use them with his current cultivation level.
He felt that his only option now was to try his luck with the Dragon-Capturing Hand, so he began to gather the vital energy that he had lost most of.
As dozens of flying blades drew ever closer, less than half a meter from him, he raised his right hand. A golden light rose up, and a gigantic palm of light swept towards the oncoming rain of blades, the gleaming blades vanishing into the palm of light as if they had sunk into the sea.
However, the light from the palm only lasted a moment before gradually dimming. Most of the flying blades fell to the ground, but three curved blades still broke through the light and shadow and slashed towards Chen Nan.
At this moment, Chen Nan had almost exhausted all his strength. Looking at the three murderous flying blades, he leaned against the pit wall and moved his body with difficulty.
Three curved blades pierced his cheek and then into the pit wall behind him. The cold blades made direct contact with his face. On the brink of life and death, he ultimately avoided the three "kiss" of death.
At this moment, Chen Nan was completely exhausted, but after only taking three breaths, he mustered his strength and began to gather the remaining true energy in his body.
Leng Feng was also exhausted. He had been pouring his inner energy into dozens of flying blades, almost depleting all his internal strength. However, he was slightly better off than Chen Nan. The moment the palm of light disappeared, he rushed forward from several feet away.
Chen Nan had just jumped out of the pit when Leng Feng was already in front of him, slamming his palms down on him.
Forced into a corner, Chen Nan raised both palms to meet the attack. With a loud "boom," he was sent flying backward and crashed heavily to the ground. Blood gushed from his mouth and nose, and he felt an unusual tightness in his chest; he knew he had suffered a serious internal injury.
Leng Feng's face turned deathly pale. He staggered back seven steps before collapsing to the ground. Looking at Chen Nan not far away, he said, "I won."
Chen Nan felt as if his internal organs were burning, and his chest and abdomen were in excruciating pain. He gritted his teeth and nodded.
Leng Feng revealed his first smile since meeting Chen Nan, saying, "You certainly didn't disappoint me; you're a worthy opponent. The Dragon-Capturing Hand lives up to its name, but unfortunately, I haven't witnessed its true power. However, since I'm prepared to guard against it, I won't give you the chance to unleash your full potential."
Defeated by a young man of similar age, Chen Nan felt a surge of frustration and lay on the ground, too lazy to move.
Leng Feng struggled to his feet first and said, "Don't be discouraged. Looking at the entire Shenfeng Academy, there are very few students who can rival me. You still have a lot of room for improvement, and I look forward to fighting you again."
He staggered toward the City of Sin, coldly saying as he went, "I won't teach you a lesson this time. Just remember not to mess with Phoenix again; she's my sister. If I hear any more bad rumors, I won't let you off so easily."
Hmm, some people might feel frustrated after reading this chapter, right?
An exciting story is about to unfold.
Hmm, we'll find out in Volume 6 when we go to the Ancient Immortal Ruins to search for the place where Yu Xin secluded herself in seclusion ten thousand years ago.
Well, I'm a slow-burn writer, but I guarantee it gets increasingly exciting as it goes on. After all, so many gods and demons have died, the secrets the protagonist is searching for must be incredibly astonishing. How could he possibly continue if he were too weak? His enemies might include angels, gods, and so on... or perhaps even more...
They might dominate the battlefield then.