Chapter One Hundred and Fourteen: Return to Calm

His speed was astonishing. I had already thrown myself into a full sprint, yet in an instant he had caught up to me.

Suddenly, a surge of murderous intent brushed my back. I turned, and saw Stone Lei’s palm already slashing toward me.

I shifted slightly, but he still struck my shoulder. Pain flared there like fire.

The square was almost within reach, yet Stone Lei’s pace quickened again. While running, I formed a hand seal, then pointed backward. A bolt of thunder tore toward him.

It could not harm him in the slightest, but it could slow him down.

At last I burst into the brightly lit square and wheeled around, drawing Snow Blade.

Then I shouted, as loud as I could:

“Stone Lei is here!”

I deliberately raised my voice so everyone in the sect could hear.

Soon afterward, many of the dormitory lights came on, and people began pouring downstairs to investigate.

Stone Lei saw the situation and laughed as he drew the heavy sword from his back.

I tightened my grip on Snow Blade and took the initiative. This time, I also smoothly entered the state of the Wing Shadow Saber Technique.

My task now was to hold Stone Lei here and buy time for the elders to arrive.

Although my cultivation was far below his, with the Wing Shadow Saber Technique and Snow Blade, I could still barely keep pace with him.

This time I was using the second chapter of the saber arts, far swifter and fiercer than the first.

Stone Lei was clearly fixated on some evil art and must never have studied proper swordsmanship.

Little by little, I began to force him onto the defensive, and Stone Lei realized the problem in time and cut his losses.

With that terrifying speed of his, he slipped away from my attack, then struck my lower abdomen with a palm.

I staggered back at top speed, and he seized the chance to land a few more blows.

When I finally steadied myself, I coughed up another mouthful of blood.

By then, a crowd had already gathered around us, all of them disciples.

“You ugly monster, what right do you have to hit Brother Lin Yao?”

“When the elders get here, you’ll be sorry!”

“Just go die!”

Whether enraged or what, Stone Lei’s body was once again shrouded in a denser black mist.

But just then, the elders finally arrived. A group of them came striding through the dust from afar, with Elder Yuan still leading the way.

The several great elders at the front saw that I had already been wounded and rushed over at once at incredible speed.

Under the night sky, the three White Night Elders were like falling stars, dazzling beyond measure.

Elder Yuan was the first to reach me and helped me up from the ground.

“How are you? Are you all right?”

I wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth and said quietly to Elder Yuan, “Tonight I went to Great Wolf Mountain. I met Stone Lei there as well. His strength has increased tremendously, so be careful.”

After I told him the basic situation, he nodded.

“Tonight, we will punish you on the spot.”

One of the great elders declared righteously.

Elder Yuan stepped to the front, and the other two great elders, as if by unspoken agreement, encircled Stone Lei, forming a triangular formation.

I put Snow Blade away, but my hands were still swiftly forming seals.

Just as Stone Lei was still laughing madly, I had already finished gathering power and shouted, “Five Thunder Art!”

Five bolts of lightning shot out in perfect formation toward Stone Lei, then merged into one.

Stone Lei clearly underestimated the power of this move and even tried to raise the heavy sword in his hand to block it.

With a boom, Stone Lei was sent flying several meters away. The black clothing on his body was shattered as well, exposing a ghastly white skeleton beneath.

The three great elders also moved in perfect harmony. Seeing that my ambush had succeeded, they surged forward together, each summoning their own weapons.

The scene descended into chaos. Three streaks of white light and a mass of black mist twisted and wrestled endlessly across the square.

After I used the Five Thunder Art, my legs went weak and I dropped to my knees, able only to steady myself with trembling hands.

“Brother Yao!”

At that moment, Zhang Shun and Luan Teng arrived in time and supported me upright.

Although I was badly injured, after resting for a while I would still be able to stand again.

Stone Lei, fighting one against three, could not possibly win. It was not long before the three elders subdued him together.

Elder Yuan walked before the gathered disciples and said loudly, “This man has brought disaster to our sect and wounded one of our core disciples. He should be executed publicly!”

As soon as he finished speaking, Elder Yuan raised the long sword in his hand and drove it down toward Stone Lei’s head.

In the next instant, the black mist around Stone Lei scattered with the wind, leaving behind only a skeleton.

After Stone Lei was killed, Elder Yuan instructed the other elders to carry away the corpse. Then he came over to my side.

Calmly, Elder Yuan took a small bottle from his ring and handed it to me.

“This is for healing. Rest well tonight.”

With that, Elder Yuan left with the other elders.

I casually tucked the bottle into my ring and went back to the dormitory with Luan Teng and the others.

Now that Stone Lei was dead and I had obtained what I needed, it was time to leave.

Once I returned to the dormitory, I took out the little bottle Elder Yuan had given me.

I pulled out the cork, and a fragrance of jasmine drifted out from within.

I drew in a deep breath. It was refreshing and clear-headed.

Pouring it out, I found it was indeed a pill. Its emerald-green color alone told me it was no ordinary thing.

But my condition was truly not good, and if not for that, I would have saved the pill for later. I did not hesitate. I tipped it into my mouth.

The instant it entered, the pill melted of its own accord and turned into a stream of spiritual energy that rushed toward my injuries.

My own recovery had already been astonishing. With the pill added on top, I healed at an even greater speed.

After a while, I could tell I was nearly back to normal.

I stripped off my clothes, took a bath, and then went to sleep.

...

The next morning, the bell woke me again. I instinctively dressed, and just as I was about to head out, I remembered something.

I was probably leaving today, and might never come back. So I needed to write down the Sky-Travel Finger Technique for Luan Teng.

No sooner said than done. I found a few sheets of paper and roughly copied the diagrams from the Sky-Travel Finger Technique.

I did not copy the whole thing, only up to the Charging Thunder Art. If fate allowed, I would teach him even more when I saw him again.

By the time I finished, it was already 6:30. I quickly put everything back into my ring, turned, and ran toward the square.

When I arrived, everyone was already prepared, though the practice had not yet begun.

Even Elder Total Training was in excellent spirits today; it seemed he had slept well the night before.

When I walked to the front and was still wondering why they had not started, Elder Total Training suddenly called out, “Lin Yao has arrived! We begin now!”

I nearly laughed. So they had been waiting for me...

Today’s training was boxing, and I punched with all my strength. My fists cut the air with a sharp whistling sound.

A ray of sunlight broke through the mountains and fell upon me. I felt like a flower turning toward the sun, bathing in its warmth.

Around eight o’clock, the group dispersed, and I walked over to Luan Teng.

I took out the finger technique I had copied that morning and passed it to him.

“What is this...”

Luan Teng took the paper and muttered softly, but after glancing at it a few times, his eyes widened.

“Brother Yao...”

Seeing him stammer without finding the words, I said to him, “I’m leaving today. If fate brings us together again, the next time we meet, I’ll teach you even more finger techniques.”