CHAPTER 43: CHAPTER 43: KILLING INTENT

EDITOR: ENDLESSFANTASY TRANSLATION

Luo Feng’s statement left the surrounding people too shocked to speak.

Duanmu Yu’s eyes sparkled slightly, his sharp gaze focusing on Luo Feng. "Luo Feng, are you serious about this?"

Luo Feng’s cultivation was only at the peak of the fifth level of the Iron Bone Realm. It would be a challenge for him to break through to the sixth level, the Essence Storage Realm, within a month, let alone surpass Duanmu Yu. There wasn’t the slightest chance.

Every major realm presented a bottleneck at its end. If one’s insight and talent were insufficient, one might be stuck at that bottleneck for a lifetime.

If breaking through bottlenecks were so easy, the Spiritual Medicines that could help Martial Artists break through would not be so incredibly valuable.

"Absolutely!"

Luo Feng’s eyes were resolute as he looked at Duanmu Yu and declared loudly, "Everyone here is a witness. In one month, I will meet you in the academy’s martial arts field to determine victory and defeat!"

"Hahaha... A promise is a promise!" Duanmu Yu laughed heartily.

You arrogant fool, you’ve brought this on yourself!

Gazing at Luo Feng, a hint of ferocity flashed deep within Duanmu Yu’s eyes.

Initially, he had only planned to teach Luo Feng a lesson here, to take him down a peg. After all, this was the academy entrance, and he couldn’t go too far in front of everyone. But it would be different in the martial arts field.

Once on the martial arts field, life and death were one’s own responsibility!

Thus, even if he disabled Luo Feng then, he wouldn’t face any repercussions from the academy. Duanmu Yu was actually looking forward to this, so waiting one more month was no issue for him.

"Luo Feng, see you in the martial arts field in a month!"

Duanmu Yu gave a cold smirk and strode away.

Lin XiaoXiao followed a few steps, then turned her gaze, fixing Luo Feng with a cold stare.

That gaze was full of mockery, extremely frosty, as if she were looking at a dead man! Indeed, Luo Feng’s progress had surprised her, but there was no possibility that he could surpass Duanmu Yu! Lin XiaoXiao profoundly understood how formidable Duanmu Yu was.

Among the hundreds in the Inner Court, Duanmu Yu’s strength ranked within the top one hundred! Even masters in the mid-stage of the sixth level of the Essence Storage Realm could hardly withstand a few of his moves.

...

"Luo Feng, are you really confident you can defeat Duanmu Yu?" As the crowd gradually dispersed, Bing Ruolan looked at Luo Feng and asked.

Bing Ruolan had also been taken aback by the one-month agreement between Luo Feng and Duanmu Yu.

Duanmu Yu was a distinguished figure, even in the academy’s Inner Court. He cultivated Gang Sun Swordsmanship, a superior-level Martial Art, which made his strength unpredictable.

"Of course."

The corners of Luo Feng’s mouth turned up slightly, his eyes exuding confidence. Patting his chest, he looked at Bing Ruolan and smiled. "Ruolan, don’t forget, I have this now."

Previously, Luo Feng wouldn’t have dared to claim he could defeat Duanmu Yu in a month.

But now it was different. He had obtained a precious third-grade Spiritual Medicine, Jade Iron Juice, from Lu Han, which could help him break through his current bottleneck and step into the sixth level of the God Bravery Realm!

Once he entered the God Bravery Realm, especially combined with his Teng Dragon’s Step and Sky Slayer Saber Technique, Luo Feng was confident that defeating Duanmu Yu wouldn’t be difficult.

Bing Ruolan’s eyes sparkled slightly as she smiled. "I almost forgot. In that case, you really turned misfortune into a blessing."

"Indeed, and I have Chen Xin and the others to thank for this..."

"By the way, Luo Feng, Qin Luoxue and I intend to take the Inner Court examination in the next few days to enter the Inner Court. What about you?" Bing Ruolan suddenly turned to Luo Feng and asked.

"With your strength, you can definitely get into the Inner Court. Why don’t the three of us go together?" Qin Luoxue, at the side, chimed in.

"The Inner Court examination..."

Luo Feng was slightly startled. He had originally intended to take the Inner Court examination today and enter the Inner Court. If it hadn’t been for the sudden appearance of Chen Xin and his gang, he would probably already be a student of the Inner Court by now.

"No. If I can’t defeat Duanmu Yu, I won’t be able to establish myself in the Inner Court," Luo Feng shook his head.

Bing Ruolan nodded.

Duanmu Yu also enjoyed high popularity in the Inner Court. If Luo Feng were to enter the Inner Court now, he would most likely become a target of public criticism.

Bing Ruolan didn’t try to persuade him further, and the three of them headed into the academy.

THUD!

Just as the three turned around, a figure suddenly rushed to the academy entrance from a distance and collapsed to the ground.

"Who is that?"

The three looked towards the figure on the ground and were stunned when they saw who it was.

"Instructor!"

The person who had collapsed on the ground had a head of flamboyant black hair, a stunning figure, and delicate features tinged with a heroic air—it was Ji Wuyue, the instructor of the Silver Moon class. However, her complexion was now as pale as snow. The leather armor on her left shoulder was torn, revealing four horrific wounds.

"Quick, help the instructor inside!"

Bing Ruolan was the first to react, helping the unconscious Ji Wuyue up from the ground.

The three of them assisted Ji Wuyue towards the academy.

"What on earth happened? How did the instructor get injured like this..." Bing Ruolan looked at Ji Wuyue’s pale face and furrowed her brows.

"Could it be a Demon Beast? Instructor Ji has been going to the Red Chain Mountain Range to train recently," Qin Luoxue replied.

Bing Ruolan shook her head. "Judging by the wounds, it looks like they were caused by a sharp weapon. It’s probably not a Demon Beast."

"Let’s take her back and treat her injuries. After she wakes up, the truth will come to light."

The trio quickened their pace toward Ji Wuyue’s room. Luo Feng remained silent along the way, his face so somber it looked as if water could drip from it.

Upon reaching Ji Wuyue’s small courtyard, Bing Ruolan and Qin Luoxue went into the room to treat Ji Wuyue’s injuries, while Luo Feng anxiously paced back and forth outside.

Luo Feng was always one to repay kindness with kindness and enmity with enmity. To those who were good to him, he would offer help without expecting anything in return. As for those who schemed against him, he would retaliate tenfold.

Ji Wuyue had previously given him pills, taught him Martial Arts, and had twice saved him from Li Yuanhao during the Challenge King tournament!

Luo Feng had long considered Ji Wuyue an important person. Now that she was seriously injured, his inner anxiety was palpable.

SQUEAK...

Two hours later, Bing Ruolan and Qin Luoxue emerged from the room, looking exhausted.

"I’ll go inform the academy’s higher-ups about this," Qin Luoxue said before leaving the courtyard.

"Ruolan, how is the instructor?" As soon as Qin Luoxue was gone, Luo Feng eagerly asked.

Bing Ruolan smiled and shook her head. "Don’t worry. Although the wounds look severe, they didn’t hit any vital areas; she only lost a great deal of blood. Moreover, Instructor Ji’s cultivation is profound, and her recovery ability is strong. She had already regained consciousness after we applied a healing poultice. She should fully recover soon."

Luo Feng sighed in relief. Thinking of the wound on Ji Wuyue’s left shoulder, his expression hardened. "Do you know what happened?"

Bing Ruolan nodded, lowering her voice. "The instructor was ambushed in the Red Chain Mountain Range while she was hunting Demon Beasts."

"An ambush? By whom?" Luo Feng asked, his tone icy.

Judging from the position of the wounds, the attacker clearly intended to take Ji Wuyue’s life!

Bing Ruolan shook her head. "The instructor only remembers that the person was wearing a black cloak and using a claw-like weapon. She didn’t recognize who it was. However, the person called out her name, so it was likely a planned attack."

"Their identity is unknown, yet they came prepared..."

Luo Feng paused, a thought suddenly flashing through his mind.

Bing Ruolan’s eyes dimmed. Looking towards Ji Wuyue’s room, she said in a low voice, "Poor Instructor Ji. There are less than ten days left until the Golden Palace assessment—this is her last chance—and she got injured at such a crucial moment..."

SQUEAK...

At that moment, the door opened, and Ji Wuyue emerged.

"Luo Feng, you’re here too." Seeing Luo Feng, Ji Wuyue managed a smile.

"Instructor, you shouldn’t be moving around," Bing Ruolan rushed forward to help Ji Wuyue sit down nearby.

"A wound like this won’t stop me, Ji Wuyue," she said, gently shaking her head. Her face was still pale, but her eyes had regained some of their light.

"Instructor, did you offend anyone recently?" Luo Feng asked.

"Recently?"

Ji Wuyue knew what Luo Feng was asking and shook her head. "I’ve been focused on cultivation lately and haven’t offended anyone."

"That’s strange. The person who ambushed you knew your name and attacked with lethal intent. They must be an enemy determined to kill you, an implacable foe..."

Luo Feng frowned, deep in thought.

Ji Wuyue, too, had no clue about this matter.

She had been training in the Red Chain Mountain Range to overcome her cultivation bottleneck when she was unexpectedly ambushed. Had she not been familiar with the terrain of the mountains, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

Thinking about the black-cloaked Martial Artist who had ambushed her, Ji Wuyue’s gaze turned frosty, and her fists involuntarily clenched.

The Golden Palace assessment was fast approaching; this was her last chance. Ji Wuyue had intended to use this trip to the Red Chain Mountain Range to find an opportunity to break through to the seventh level of the Essence Storage Realm, but she hadn’t anticipated such an incident.

Glancing at Ji Wuyue, Bing Ruolan bit her lip and said, "Instructor, are you thinking about the Golden Palace assessment?"

"Hmm?"

Ji Wuyue paused, only then remembering Luo Feng and Bing Ruolan were still there. She forced a smile.

"Don’t worry about me. If I can’t get into the Golden Palace, being a Martial Arts instructor at the academy isn’t so bad."

Although Ji Wuyue tried her best to hide it, the unwilling tone in her words clearly revealed her true feelings.

To enter the Golden Palace and then a martial arts holy land—this was the aspiration of every Martial Artist. However, having failed three times already, Ji Wuyue knew in her heart that if she couldn’t break through to the seventh level of the Essence Storage Realm, her chances of entering the Golden Palace were less than thirty percent.

The courtyard suddenly fell into an eerie silence, the atmosphere somewhat oppressive.

"I’ll be right back."

Luo Feng suddenly turned and left the courtyard.

A short while later, Luo Feng reappeared in the courtyard, this time holding an exquisite brocade box.

"Instructor, this is for you," Luo Feng said, handing the box to Ji Wuyue.

"What’s this?"

Curiosity on her face, Ji Wuyue took the box and opened it. A translucent, emerald-green pill appeared before her. The moment the box was opened, a rich fragrance of Yuan Qi filled the courtyard, so potent it was refreshing and invigorating to the senses.

"A third-grade Spiritual Medicine, a Nurturing Spirit Pill!"

Ji Wuyue was shocked. She immediately snapped the box shut and pushed it back to Luo Feng.

"Luo Feng, I can’t accept this pill."

Indeed, with this Nurturing Spirit Pill, she could smoothly step into the seventh level of the Essence Storage Realm. But a Nurturing Spirit Pill was a third-grade Spiritual Medicine, valuable enough to trade for the entire assets of a small family clan! It was priceless.