CHAPTER 134: CHAPTER 134: DESPICABLE!

"Naturally." Li Heshan spoke frankly and said with a laugh, "I’ve been looking forward to this day. The New Talents’ Grand Meeting is a gathering of geniuses from various academies. I want to go and see it for myself too. By the way, I can’t see through your cultivation. What realm are you in now?"

Li Heshan, who had initially lost the First Challenge King title but was not disheartened by his defeat, had left a good impression on Luo Feng. Luo Feng laughed and said, "Why don’t we try and see?"

"Good! I’ve wanted to spar with you for a while! I’ve been stewing over my loss to you in the Challenge King competition. I won’t hold back this time!"

Li Heshan clenched his fists, his eyes burning with fighting intent.

Luo Feng got into position and said, "Come on."

"Mountain Opening Fist!"

Not daring to underestimate Luo Feng, Li Heshan activated all the Yuan Qi in his body, unleashing a punch filled with vigorous power. The air was compressed into a transparent film, emitting a continuous, explosive sound.

Luo Feng stood his ground, his eyes flashing. Utilizing seventy percent of his strength, his fist, shimmering with Gang Qi, shot straight out.

BANG!

The two fists collided, stirring up an invisible gale that tore the fallen leaves around them to shreds. The air crackled with explosive sounds.

The Gang Qi on Li Heshan’s fist instantly collapsed, and he was thrown back over ten feet!

BOOM!

With a firm stomp on the ground, Li Heshan stabilized himself. He took a deep breath and looked at Luo Feng in astonishment.

"You’ve actually reached the middle stage of the Seventh Layer of the Essence Storage Realm! It’s unbelievable. Two months ago, my cultivation was a notch higher than yours, but now I’m not even your equal."

Luo Feng shook his head and said, "Like you, I’m also at the early stage of the Seventh Layer of the Essence Storage Realm."

Li Heshan was stunned. He shook his head and laughed bitterly. "Even though we’re both in the Seventh Layer of the Essence Storage Realm, your Yuan Qi is so much more substantial than mine. You’re a real monster!"

Luo Feng gave Li Heshan a playful tap and said with a laugh, "Shall we go for lunch together?"

"Let’s go! Of course, let’s go! I’m going to have a big meal today, or else I’ll be too frustrated to sleep!" Li Heshan grumbled.

He had initially thought that by breaking through to the middle stage of the Seventh Layer of the Essence Storage Realm, even if he couldn’t defeat Luo Feng, he should at least be evenly matched. Who would have known that he couldn’t even withstand a single punch!

Luo Feng smiled. "Let’s go, my treat." He quite liked Li Heshan’s straightforward personality.

"That’s more like it."

Li Heshan chuckled lightly, tidied himself up a bit, and the two of them walked towards the academy.

The Purple Sun School had its own dining hall, which provided simple dishes for free. If you wanted to order other dishes, you had to pay extra silver.

The two of them walked along the road, occasionally discussing their martial arts insights, and soon arrived at the entrance of the dining hall.

The dining hall was usually sparsely populated, but because the qualification challenge was to be held the next day, it was exceptionally lively today, filled with a cacophony of voices.

The two of them found two empty seats. Luo Feng ordered a table full of dishes, and they ate slowly.

"Luo Feng, my target for tomorrow’s qualification challenge is eighth place. What about you?" Li Heshan suddenly lifted his head and asked.

Luo Feng put down his chopsticks and said, "Top three."

"Top three!"

Li Heshan was taken aback. He licked his lips, shook his head, and laughed. "You’re still the same as ever, always saying shocking things. However, breaking into the top three of the Hidden Dragon List won’t be easy. The top five on the Hidden Dragon List have already reached the middle stage of the Seventh Layer of the Essence Storage Realm."

"Hmm."

Luo Feng nodded, not saying anything further.

At this moment, a hubbub arose at the entrance of the dining hall as quite a few people came in.

"Senior Brother, you’ve been away for a whole year! The dining hall has added a lot of new dishes, and they all taste pretty good. You must try them later!"

A group of inner courtyard students escorted a tall, distinguished-looking youth into the dining hall, fawning over him.

"It’s him!"

Upon seeing the youth at the front of the crowd, Li Heshan’s face showed a trace of surprise.

Luo Feng noticed that the young man was at the middle stage of the Seventh Layer of the Essence Storage Realm. His eyebrows arched as he asked, "Who is this?"

"You don’t know him!"

Li Heshan’s eyes became intense as he looked at Luo Feng and said, "Luo Feng, if you want to break into the top three of the Hidden Dragon List, he’ll be a formidable opponent! He is Lin Yun, ranked second on the Hidden Dragon List!"

"Lin Yun."

Luo Feng’s eyes flickered, and he couldn’t help taking another look at the youth.

The youth had sharp, sword-like eyebrows and star-bright eyes. His gaze was piercing, and he possessed an extraordinary air. Every movement exuded a natural, commanding presence that made it impossible to underestimate him.

For some reason, Luo Feng felt Lin Yun’s aura was somewhat strange, elusive and unsettling.

Lin Yun stepped into the dining hall, his gaze sweeping condescendingly over the crowd. He nodded and said, "It’s been a year since I’ve been back. I do miss the food at the academy a bit."

"Lin Yun, let’s find a place to sit first."

A young man walked up to Lin Yun. It was Zhou Jian, who had been taught a harsh lesson by Luo Feng outside the Extreme Sun Great Hall the previous day.

Zhou Jian’s eyes swept across the hall and suddenly spotted Luo Feng sitting to one side. He snorted coldly, and his eyebrows furrowed.

"Zhou Jian, who are those two?"

Lin Yun noticed the change in Zhou Jian’s expression. He glanced at Luo Feng and Li Heshan and asked.

Zhou Jian’s face was gloomy, his voice low as he said, "The young man with the blade on his back is Luo Feng. He’s the one who ambushed me outside the Extreme Sun Great Hall yesterday and injured me! The one next to him is called Li Heshan."

"Oh? So he’s the one who injured you at the Extreme Sun Great Hall." Lin Yun gave Luo Feng a faint glance, his demeanor cold and aloof. He began to walk forward. "Let’s go, there are a few empty seats over there. Let’s head over."

Zhou Jian’s spirits lifted upon hearing this, and he quickly followed.

Lin Yun walked over to their table, turned his gaze to Luo Feng, and said lightly, "So, you’re Luo Feng?"

Luo Feng was initially a bit puzzled by Lin Yun’s sudden question. However, when he looked up and saw Zhou Jian sneering beside him, he immediately understood most of the situation.

Luo Feng, neither servile nor overbearing, nodded. "That’s right. What is it?"

"Luo Feng, Senior Brother Lin Yun is ranked second on the Hidden Dragon List! Not only do you fail to address him as Senior Brother, but you also reply with such an attitude! That’s completely out of line! Do you have any respect for the academy at all?" Zhou Jian stepped forward, yelling vehemently.

Li Heshan, unaware of what had happened at the Extreme Sun Great Hall the previous day, found Zhou Jian’s attitude intolerable. He frowned and said,

"Zhou Jian. You say Luo Feng is disrespectful, but what about you? This is the academy dining hall; loud clamoring is forbidden!"

Everyone in the dining hall turned to watch, the atmosphere growing tense.

Zhou Jian, incensed by Li Heshan’s rebuke, narrowed his eyes in mockery and sneered, "Li Heshan, you were defeated by Luo Feng and lost the First Challenge King’s golden seat. Now you’re speaking up for him? Did he give you some kind of benefit? How despicable!"

With Lin Yun present, Zhou Jian felt completely fearless. He hurled insults without restraint, intending to reclaim the face he had lost the day before.

SLAP!

Li Heshan slammed his palm on the table and abruptly stood up. The impact sent bowls and dishes rattling and jumping a foot high.

"Zhou Jian, take back what you just said, or don’t blame me for being impolite!" Veins throbbed on Li Heshan’s grim-faced forehead as he stared at Zhou Jian and shouted.

Zhou Jian scoffed. "Ridiculous! Words spoken are like spilled water; how can they be taken back? Besides, everyone in the entire academy knows you lost to Luo Feng! What are you still pretending for! You won’t be polite? Just who do you think you are? In terms of seniority, you entered the Inner Courtyard a year after me. Don’t tell me you think you can threaten me!"

"Hmph! So you’re trying to pull rank on me. I’d like to see if your strength matches your seniority! Mountain Opening Fist!" Li Heshan roared, his face livid. His robes billowed as his fist, whistling sharply through the air, shot towards Zhou Jian!

"Courting death!"

A chilling, sinister light glinted in Zhou Jian’s small eyes. With a flash of movement, he instantly closed in on Li Heshan, forming his fingers into a sword and stabbing towards Li Heshan’s fist.

BOOM!

The Gang Qi exploded, the shockwave overturning several nearby tables. The surrounding students cried out in alarm and scrambled to get away.

Luo Feng raised an eyebrow, his palm lightly patting the table, instantly calming the rattling bowls and dishes.

Lin Yun, who had been observing coldly from the side, witnessed this, and a cold glint flashed deep within his pupils.

Li Heshan and Zhou Jian collided, and both were thrown back several steps.

Unable to defeat Li Heshan in one move, Zhou Jian’s expression turned ugly. He squinted his small eyes and snarled, "Lie down! Gale Swordsmanship!"

SWISH SWISH SWISH SWISH...

Gang Qi, half a foot long, erupted from Zhou Jian’s fingertips. Its sharp aura made the air in the dining hall several degrees colder.

SWOOSH!

With a flash of cold light, Zhou Jian, using his fingers as a sword, moved like lightning, lunging at Li Heshan with terrifying momentum.

Seeing Zhou Jian coming at him, Li Heshan’s eyes flashed with cold light. He roared, "Daluo Burst Cloud Step!"

BOOM!

With a heavy stomp from Li Heshan, the ground within a ten-foot radius around him sank half a foot!

Now that Li Heshan’s cultivation had reached the Seventh Layer of the Essence Storage Realm, the power of his Daluo Burst Cloud Step was far greater than before.

Zhou Jian’s cultivation was a notch higher than Li Heshan’s. However, he had yet to fully recover from the injury Luo Feng inflicted on him the previous day. Consequently, his movements were a beat slow when he tried to dodge, and his footing faltered.

SWOOSH!

Li Heshan seized the opportunity, closed in, and threw a punch at Zhou Jian!

Zhou Jian’s expression changed drastically. With no way to dodge, he could only hastily raise his palm to meet the blow.

CRACK!

Fist met palm, and a crisp cracking sound erupted. Zhou Jian, in his rushed defense, could only muster forty to fifty percent of his strength. He was no match for Li Heshan. With a muffled groan, a trickle of blood escaped the corner of his mouth, and his figure shot backward.

SWOOSH!

Just when everyone thought Zhou Jian was defeated, a figure suddenly flashed behind him.

It was Lin Yun, who had been observing coldly! Lin Yun’s expression was indifferent as he lightly patted Zhou Jian on the back.

PFFT!

Li Heshan felt a terrifying hidden force suddenly transmit from Zhou Jian’s palm. It was as if he’d been struck by lightning. He spat out a mouthful of blood and retreated straight backward.

Just as he was about to crash into the wall, Luo Feng abruptly stood up. He grabbed Li Heshan’s right arm with his left hand and fiercely slapped the table next to him with his right hand!

BOOM!

Amidst the deafening crash, the entire dining hall trembled. The solid wooden table instantly disintegrated into a pile of fine powder, and Li Heshan’s momentum was halted.

Li Heshan shot Luo Feng a grateful look. If Luo Feng hadn’t acted to neutralize that surging hidden force within me, I would not only have been publicly humiliated but would also have suffered severe injuries!

He turned his gaze to Lin Yun, his teeth gritted. "Using a hidden force to injure someone! Despicable!"