Hou Qing covered his severed arm, blood oozing through his fingers, his ghastly face adding to the horror.
"You're really lucky," he sneered at Lin Feng, still not believing Lin Feng had the strength to defeat him. To him, it must have been luck, a moment when he was unable to resist. Many outer disciples shared this view; they couldn't believe that Lin Feng, whom they considered trash, could defeat Hou Qing with just one sword.
"Lucky?" Lin Feng was puzzled for a moment, then smiled. Maybe he was, indeed.
"Next time, I won't give you a chance," Hou Qing said, stepping towards the crowd. With one arm severed, he was seriously injured and needed immediate treatment.
"I hope there won't be a next time," Lin Feng shook his head inwardly. Hou Qing couldn't even see how he lost. He believed it was just luck. With this mindset, Hou Qing would never surpass him.
"You dare to harm the enforcer. It seems you don't even see Yunhai Sect as your home anymore," Mo Ye added another charge against Lin Feng.
Seeing Mo Ye, Lin Feng sneered, "To add crimes at will, what a joke. According to you, should I have let him cut off my arm and then be expelled from Yunhai Sect to show my loyalty? Don't you find this ridiculous, Elder!"
Lin Feng emphasized the word "Elder," implying that being expelled and having his arm severed was already a humiliation, let alone being accused on top of that. He admired Mo Ye's ability to say such things.
"Master, may I speak for myself?" Lin Feng didn't look at Mo Ye, knowing the one with the final say was Nan Gong Ling.
Nan Gong Ling looked slightly amused. He was indeed interested in Lin Feng. Throughout the ordeal, Lin Feng remained calm and composed, a trait crucial for a martial artist.
"Speak," Nan Gong Ling nodded.
"Master, I was summoned here, but as soon as I arrived, the Elder accused me of heinous crimes, calling me a traitor to the sect. When I tried to defend myself, she insulted me and decided to cut off my arm and expel me from the sect. I want to ask, does the sect's judgment depend solely on the Elder's words?" Lin Feng's sharp words made the crowd murmur; this guy seemed crazy.
"Bold!" Mo Ye's powerful aura locked onto Lin Feng. He wanted to kill Lin Feng on the spot.
"I'm not bold, but facing being crippled and expelled, why not be bold for once? I want to ask Elder, where do my crimes come from?" Lin Feng remained undaunted, confronting Mo Ye.
"Beast! You injured a brother, insulted your elder. Do you dare to deny it?" Lin Qian's voice was cold.
"I see," Lin Feng sneered, "So it was Elder who made the accusations."
"So what?" Mo Ye's killing intent grew stronger. Even if Lin Qian and Chu Zhan Peng didn't deal with Lin Feng, he would kill him.
"Ha, since Elder admits it, I'd like to ask Elder in front of the Master, you took her words as truth to convict me, but wouldn't listen to my defense. Are you an Elder of Yunhai Sect or of Haoyue Sect?"
"What a sharp-tongued fellow! How dare you insult even me, an Elder of the Inner Sect! I'll now cripple your cultivation and expel you!" Mo Ye couldn't take it anymore. If Lin Feng continued, his image as an Elder would be ruined.
"Right and wrong are clear in people's hearts. I'm just an outer disciple; if you want to cripple me, just do it. Why fabricate these baseless accusations?" Lin Feng's gaze remained fixed on Nan Gong Ling.
Whether Nan Gong Ling stopped Mo Ye or not, Lin Feng would either remain a disciple of Yunhai Sect or reveal the incident at Zhonggu Ridge. Even if he survived, he wouldn't be a disciple anymore. Without the sect, why would he need to stay? Lin Feng didn't have the mentality of a slave.
Everything depended on Nan Gong Ling's decision.
Mo Ye drew closer.
Nan Gong Ling noticed Lin Feng's gaze and looked at him.
"This kid is determined. He faces such a crisis without changing his expression. Coupled with his decent talent, perhaps he could enter the Inner Sect in a few years or even become a core disciple."
"Mo Ye is an Elder of the Inner Sect, with a good martial arts foundation and decent talent. He can still improve in the future. Although he was wrong today, he is still an Elder of the Inner Sect, and moreover, he is Mo Canglan's son."
At this moment, Nan Gong Ling considered many things. As the head of a sect, he had to weigh the pros and cons. If it benefited the sect, he would act; if not, he would not.
He knew that Mo Ye was at fault in this matter, but if he stopped Mo Ye, it would damage Mo Ye's prestige and create resentment. He also had to consider Mo Canglan's face. After all, Mo Canglan was a great contributor to Yunhai Sect.
Compared to a potentially promising disciple like Lin Feng, Mo Ye seemed insignificant.
Nan Gong Ling's silence made Lin Feng self-deprecatingly smile in his heart, mocking his ignorance. He had only defeated the tenth-ranked outer disciple, Hou Qing; he was still just an outer disciple. How could Nan Gong Ling sacrifice Mo Ye's prestige for him?
Only with strong personal strength could he avoid such a predicament.
"Foolish boy." Mo Ye, not far from Lin Feng, spoke coldly into Lin Feng's ear. His face bore a smile filled with murderous intent. Just an outer disciple, yet he dared to oppose him, truly ignorant.
"Lin Feng is finished." The crowd thought, but he brought it upon himself.
"Unfortunately, I can't cripple him myself." Lin Qian smiled coldly. This outcome was somewhat unexpected, but it didn't matter; Lin Feng was doomed.
A strong aura pressed down on Lin Feng. His hairs stood on end, and he was about to speak when, at that moment, the chilling pressure locking onto him suddenly disappeared without a trace.
"Hmm?" Lin Feng was stunned, somewhat surprised. How could this chilling pressure disappear so suddenly and completely?
Mo Ye was close to Lin Feng, but at this moment, his steps halted. His pupils dilated, as if he had seen something unbelievable. Simultaneously, an irresistible pressure descended upon him.
Many people didn't understand why Mo Ye stopped, but both Nan Gong Ling and Mo Canglan's expressions changed, revealing shock.
"That is..." Lin Feng's gaze froze on Mo Ye, and he, too, was profoundly shocked, almost unable to believe his eyes.
"I'm not mistaken." Lin Feng widened his eyes, staring at Mo Ye. There was a shadow on him, a human-shaped shadow, and it moved, even when Mo Ye didn't.
This was a shadow, a real shadow of a person.
However, what was terrifying was that Lin Feng only saw this shadow, but couldn't see where the person was. He couldn't see the owner of the shadow.
It wasn't just Lin Feng who noticed it; when they saw Mo Ye and the Sect Master acting abnormally, the crowd also noticed the shadow on Mo Ye. Or rather, the shadow itself.
"Go back." A hoarse voice came from nowhere. They could hear the voice, but couldn't see the speaker.
This eerie scene made many people break out in a cold sweat. This shadow appearing out of nowhere deeply shook the hearts of the crowd.