wonderful realm
Lin Feng heard the word "waste" uttered by Purple Dress and raised his head, observing the disdainful and mocking glint in her eyes, silently shaking his head.
In a world where martial prowess reigns supreme, lacking strength equates to being scorned. Some may conceal their contempt within, while others, like Purple Dress at this moment, unabashedly display it.
"Purple Spirit, help him down from the carriage," Purple Dress said calmly, her voice devoid of any ripple. She had no desire to constantly watch over a waste, even if this waste possessed a considerable handsomeness.
"You are a martial soldier, aren't you? How could you lack cultivation? At the very least, you should have reached the Qi Martial Realm," Purple Spirit's eyes flickered with a peculiar light as she looked at Lin Feng.
"I am injured and currently devoid of any strength," Lin Feng shook his head, calmly stating his condition without harboring any anger towards Purple Dress's words. Having experienced the baptism of the battlefield, witnessing scenes of ancient desolation and bloodstained earth, his heart had grown tougher, less prone to wavering. Moreover, his current state of mind had also undergone significant improvement, rendering him less susceptible to the attitudes of others.
"I see," Purple Spirit nodded, observing Lin Feng's thoughtful expression as he walked away. She seemed to be considering how to deal with him.
"Purple Spirit, if the people from the manor find out that our carriage is carrying a waste, won't we be ridiculed? It's best to dispose of him," Purple Dress interjected, showing no concern for Lin Feng's presence beside her. To her, a waste was nothing more than an ant; she had no need to care or consider Lin Feng's feelings, even if it meant insulting him to his face.
"Purple Sister, since we've encountered him, it could be considered fate. Why be so heartless?" Purple Spirit pouted, shaking her head. "Lin Feng, why don't you become my attendant? Follow me, and we'll take you back to the manor."
"Attendant?" Lin Feng was taken aback. To be made a servant?
He sighed inwardly, surprised that he, Lin Feng, had reached such a low point. However, considering his current location within the borders of Moyue, his depleted elemental energy, and his lack of strength, wandering alone might indeed pose a danger. Perhaps it was better to stay here for now. As for the notion of becoming an attendant... why should he care?
Nodding slightly, Lin Feng voiced no objections.
"Very well, from now on, Lin Feng, you shall accompany me," Purple Spirit giggled, a hint of mischief still lingering in her demeanor. Purple Dress shook her head in silence, saying nothing more.
The courtyard of the Ziyue Manor was surrounded by mountains, a tranquil oasis. It was the most influential branch of power in the northern region of Moyue, belonging to the Zifu lineage.
It was said that the strongest within the Zifu even possessed the power of the Xuanwu Realm. Moreover, the Zifu itself had existed since ancient times, predating the history of Moyue. However, it gradually declined over time.
Purple Spirit, the young mistress of Ziyue Manor, and Purple Dress, the adopted daughter of her father, held differing statuses within the manor. Despite Purple Dress's objections, she couldn't refute Purple Spirit's decisions, just as she couldn't refuse her insistence on bringing Lin Feng back to the manor.
The Ziyue Manor was expansive, with the area where Purple Spirit resided being particularly picturesque, surrounded by artificial hills and vast courtyards. Beyond the courtyards lay a verdant bamboo forest, adding to the serene ambiance.
At this moment, Lin Feng held a broom, sweeping the courtyard but his gaze was not fixed on the ground; instead, it bore a pensive expression.
He could sense the primordial elemental energy between heaven and earth, clearer than ever before. However, he couldn't grasp or absorb it, let alone manipulate it. This state unsettled his otherwise calm heart.
A leaf drifted slowly through the air, and Lin Feng's eyes followed its trajectory with precision.
Handing the broom to his left hand, Lin Feng raised his right hand, casually slashing through the air like a sword. Though lacking elemental energy or sword intent, his palm still moved like a blade.
Yet, upon attempting to touch the leaf, he found it elusive. It danced lightly with the breeze, evading his grasp and drifting away. His palm struck the empty air, leaving behind a faint gleam.
"I can't reach it!" Lin Feng's gaze hardened. The leaf, rootless and swaying with the wind, lacked a fixed point, its trajectory unpredictable. Though he could sense its path clearly, he couldn't anticipate it; the moment he touched it, its course changed.
In the past, with elemental energy at his disposal, he could easily cut such a leaf. But now, despite his hand moving like a sword, he couldn't.
"My realm, though integrated with my sword, seems insufficient, lacking something," Lin Feng murmured. His perception had indeed strengthened, his realm elevated, but he felt he had reached a crucial juncture, a point where further advancement seemed possible.
He was stuck at this juncture, unable to absorb or manipulate elemental energy.
"I remember when I broke through, I was severely injured, my bones shattered, my organs wounded. In that crisis, my will ignited, merging battle intent, sword intent, and ice intent into a sharp sword. I envisioned not just a sword but a realm beyond finesse, a realm of superior swordsmanship. My fusion of man and sword was driven by intense determination, allowing me to achieve unity."
Lin Feng recalled the scene of his breakthrough, cherishing every detail.
"To reach the state of unity between man and sword, I relied on my martial soul, the Sun Illumination Martial Soul. It endowed me with powerful sensory abilities, allowing me to perceive the world, to integrate with the sword. However, my personal comprehension seems lacking. In other words, the realm I comprehend hasn't caught up with the one I've attained now."
Lin Feng's heart trembled lightly. He seemed to grasp something; his powerful martial soul had facilitated his breakthrough, but it was borrowed power. He hadn't reached that realm himself, which had left him in a peculiar state, unable to manipulate elemental energy.
"I possess battle intent, ice intent, and sword intent, but why did they ultimately manifest as a sword, not in combat, nor in ice?"
"Although the leaf is rootless and moves with the wind, if I truly merged with the heavens and the earth, becoming one with the leaf, would my hand still fail to cut it?"
Lost in thought, Lin Feng stood in the courtyard, facing the lush bamboo forest, motionless.
Outside the courtyard of the manor, two figures approached. Leading the way was a middle-aged man, followed by a young girl, Purple Dress.
Seeing Lin Feng standing in the courtyard, both the man and Purple Dress paused.
"Father, he's the waste we encountered on the road last time. Yet, Purple Spirit insisted on bringing him to the manor, even assigning him to clean the courtyard and stay here," Purple Dress explained to her father, gesturing towards Lin Feng.
Meanwhile, the middle-aged man fixed his gaze on Lin Feng, his expression pensive.
"Father, should we not send him away?" Purple Dress inquired again when her father remained silent.
"Say no more," the middle-aged man said, his gaze still on Lin Feng. Despite Lin Feng standing motionless, a subtle whirlwind of dust seemed to swirl around him, barely perceptible unless one looked closely.
Purple Dress glanced at Lin Feng, unable to discern what her father was observing. A hint of disdain flickered in her eyes before she turned away. To her, a waste wasn't worth her attention.
"Father, I'll go call Purple Spirit out," Purple Dress said to her father, seeing that he wasn't responding. With a shake of her head at her father's indifference, she walked toward the rooms in the courtyard.
As she departed, a sharp glint flashed in her father's eyes. The whirlwind of dust around Lin Feng intensified, despite his unmoving stance. Lin Feng, though stationary, exuded a peculiar aura, as if he were one with the heavens and earth, someone to be looked up to.