Baize stood among the aristocratic crowd, devoid of his usual noble demeanor, replaced instead by a sinister coldness.
Lin Feng's words were too blunt; if he didn't engage in combat, wouldn't he be ridiculed to death?
However, in the recent battle between Zuoqiu and Lin Feng, their true strengths were not apparent. All that was clear was that Zuoqiu was no match for Lin Feng, easily slapped in just a few moves. Lin Feng's cultivation remained inscrutable.
"He's only sixteen or seventeen years old. Even if he's talented, he's at most at the pinnacle of the Spiritual Martial Realm, stronger than Zuoqiu," Baize murmured to himself, bolstering his confidence. His own cultivation was at the triple Spiritual Martial Realm, making it effortless to deal with Zuoqiu.
Originally, in his eyes, Lin Feng was a nobody. However, Lin Feng's recent performance and his current indifferent smile made him somewhat hesitant.
Because, regardless of the outcome, it would not benefit him. If he won, it would be expected; he was the esteemed scion of the Bai family. Defeating a commoner would mean nothing, and some might even accuse him of bullying the weak. But if he lost, his face would be utterly lost, unable to lift his head.
"Are you sure you want me to show you?" Baize's words were chilling, giving Lin Feng a feeling similar to facing Wen Renyan, a venomous snake, a cruel and brutal one.
"Yes," Lin Feng nodded lightly, nonchalant.
"Have you considered the consequences?" Baize's expression grew colder. "Perhaps my demonstration will haunt you for the rest of your life."
"Heh." A trace of sarcasm flickered in Lin Feng's eyes, his tone light. "I've already experienced the eloquence of your so-called noble scions... Quite base. So, there's no need for you to continue being base."
As he spoke, Lin Feng's gaze swept over Zuoqiu, too. Wasn't the Zuoqiu from before just like Baize now, arrogant and disdainful?
"Haha, Baize, did you hear that? You should stop being base," someone jeered.
"Exactly. Their noble tongues are indeed sharp, but when it comes to real combat, they're nothing," another added.
The mocking voices of the commoners echoed, darkening the expressions of the aristocratic youths, especially Baize, whose eyes gleamed with a hint of murderous intent.
"Do you understand the consequences of your words?" Baize finally stepped out of the crowd, his serpent-like eyes narrowed.
"When you're constantly calling someone a commoner, have you considered the consequences?" Lin Feng stepped forward, undisputed, emanating a powerful aura, facing Baize head-on.
"I was born noble, a scion of the Imperial City's Bai family. Before the age of eighteen, I've reached the triple Spiritual Martial Realm. My status, talent, and strength are all top-notch. And you, what are you? I called you a commoner, was I wrong?" Baize advanced, a bone-chilling aura enveloping Lin Feng, intending to overwhelm him with sheer force.
"I was born ordinary, without any cultivation resources. Through my own efforts, by the age of sixteen, I reached the triple Spiritual Martial Realm. Can you compare?" Lin Feng stood firm, his gaze unmatched in sharpness, like a fearless sword, unyielding. And from him emanated an incredibly strong sword aura.
The crowd was shocked; Lin Feng, at just sixteen, had reached the triple Spiritual Martial Realm, just like Baize. His talent surpassed Baize's by far. Moreover, Lin Feng was born ordinary, while Baize came from a privileged background. Considering their cultivation environments, Baize had undoubtedly had better conditions for training, yet Lin Feng was still a year or two younger. The gap between them was immense.
"Such a monstrous talent, and yet he doesn't have a recommendation letter from the Heavenly Academy? Is he planning to go to the Snow Moon Holy Academy?" someone whispered, regarding Lin Feng with newfound respect.
Zhong Ling and Zuoqiu remained silent, feeling a mix of emotions. They had belittled Lin Feng for lacking a recommendation letter, but now they realized that with their meager talent, they didn't even qualify to compare themselves to him. Even Baize, in front of Lin Feng, seemed somewhat diminished.
In martial arts, strength was compared, and whose aura was more vigorous and sharp.
In terms of aura, Baize undoubtedly lost, thoroughly defeated. He had revealed his talent, stepping forward arrogantly, intending to crush Lin Feng with sheer force, but he hadn't expected it to backfire.
Lin Feng's aura was stronger, fiercer, and more dominant, unstoppable.
"In martial cultivation, talent isn't just about the speed of cultivation; it also involves the comprehension of martial techniques and skills. However, more importantly, there's the Martial Soul, the soul of martial cultivation. My Martial Soul is the White Snake, how can you compare to me?" Baize's aura, suppressed by Lin Feng, felt resentful. He released his Martial Soul, the shadow of a white snake hovering around him, its sinister eyes fixed on Lin Feng.
"Indeed, a serpent," Lin Feng sneered inwardly. Being stared at by Baize felt similar to being stared at by Wen Renyan. He guessed Baize's Martial Soul was of the snake variety, as expected.
"Martial Soul is indeed the soul of martial cultivation. However, some people, even with Martial Souls, are still no match," Lin Feng said lightly, his body moving to stand in front of Baize, pointing casually without any flourish.
"Seeking death," Baize smirked coldly. Lin Feng's casual gesture was a blatant insult to him.
His palm trembled, like a spirit snake flicking its tongue, advancing.
But then, Baize's gaze suddenly froze, a sense of destruction emanating from him. Lin Feng's fingertip seemed to transform into an incredibly sharp weapon, with the killing intent of the world's sword aura concentrated in it, growing more terrifying the closer it got, coiling around his fingertip.
"I cannot withstand this finger," Baize suddenly felt a sense of despair. Faced with this finger, he felt irresistibly vulnerable.
The surrounding sword aura had disappeared completely, leaving the crowd baffled. But Baize knew; that endless sword aura seemed to have solidified into one, condensed at Lin Feng's fingertip, incredibly terrifying.
"Chi... Chi!"
A faint sound rang out, and Baize felt a slight pain in his hand. There, a blood hole appeared. Before Lin Feng's finger even arrived, his palm couldn't bear the compressed sword aura, beginning to disintegrate.
"Retreat."
Baize's advance abruptly halted, his footsteps slamming into the ground as he attempted to retreat.
However, how could Lin Feng's poised finger miss its mark?
"Annihilation!"
A word was uttered, and a dazzling white light flashed from Lin Feng's fingertip, piercing through the air.
Hissing sounds continued as Baize groaned, his palm pierced by the white light. The white snake Martial Soul rushed out ferociously, meeting the radiant white light head-on.
In an instant, the white snake Martial Soul dispersed, vanishing into thin air. Baize's body tremated violently, half-kneeling on the ground.
All eyes were fixed on Baize, the space silent and still.
"Drip, drip."
A soft sound echoed as a drop of blood fell from Baize's bowed head to the ground.
Lin Feng's single finger's power was terrifying indeed.
Just as he had said, some people, even with Martial Souls, were still no match. And some, even without using Martial Souls, remained incredibly powerful.
The crowd didn't consider Baize to be the former. They were well aware of his strength, which was formidable, at least among his peers. But Lin Feng... He was too monstrous. He undoubtedly belonged to the latter category, wielding immense power even without relying on his Martial Soul.
At that moment, Lin Feng looked at the half-kneeling Baize without a hint of pity. He who humiliates others will inevitably be humiliated.
With a smirk, Lin Feng sarcastically remarked, "So, this is your so-called talent, your noble pride? You constantly called me a commoner. Well, what are you now?"
Lin Feng's words were like a slap to Baize's face, more painful than the one he had received from Zuoqiu earlier.
And not just Baize, even those aristocratic youths who had mocked Lin Feng felt as if they had been slapped in the face. Their expressions turned extremely unpleasant.