Chapter 39: Going Out for a Stroll

In the sea of flowers, petals danced in the wind, and a brief silence descended once more upon the surroundings.

Yanqiu could not help but chuckle softly, thinking to himself that this was truly his junior brother's style.

Fazhao also remained stunned for a long moment before regaining his composure.

Lin Fei’s expression remained calm. He looked at Fazhao and said, "I suspect the matter is not yet over."

Fazhao nodded and continued, "Indeed. After Zhao Xiuyuan of Beiyou Mountain learned of this, he sought justice for Qin Qianqian and went to Greenwing Peak alone."

Lin Fei shook his head, commenting, "His strength alone is not enough."

"The strength of one may not be enough, but three is a different matter." A glimmer of amusement and helplessness flashed in Fazhao's eyes as he lamented, "So, later, Junior Sister Xia and Fang Zhenghua of Xiling Mountain joined in. The three of them engaged in a fierce confrontation with the disciples on Greenwing Peak, nearly tearing the peak apart."

Lin Fei did not speak, his expression remaining indifferent.

Fazhao paused for a moment before saying, "Ning Baitao, the Master of Greenwing Peak, was enraged. He personally struck them down to the foot of the mountain. Their injuries... were all quite severe."

Hearing this, Lin Fei frowned for the first time.

The Master of Greenwing Peak was at least in the Distance-Transcending Realm, perhaps even a powerhouse who had reached the Void-Shattering Realm. Although Xia Yi and the others were exceptionally talented, the gap between them and such a master remained vast.

But what puzzled Lin Fei was why Ning Baitao had chosen to intervene personally. He felt that either stopping it from the beginning or remaining neutral would have been acceptable; he would have even preferred the latter.

Lin Fei asked, "Was the ancient sword recovered?"

Fazhao glanced at Yanqiu before replying slowly, "It was recovered, but the spiritual energy within the blade seems to have been depleted by some method, and its quality has been greatly diminished."

Over the past three years, Lin Fei had rarely interacted with others in the Sword Sect. Yet, this time, everyone who had ever crossed his path seemed to have been drawn into this turmoil—a situation with a peculiar and intriguing significance.

Fazhao was concerned about how this young man would react. This was the primary reason for his visit today.

Fazhao watched Lin Fei silently, and Yanqiu turned as well, their gazes converging upon him.

Facing their stares, Lin Fei merely looked toward the distant sky and responded with a nonchalant, understated acknowledgment.

Dongming Mountain remained calm, without a single ripple.

The yellow dog at the foot of the mountain seemed to have grown accustomed to life on the peak, often running up to frolic in the flower sea, its barks echoing across the cliffside. The turtle under the waterfall would occasionally crawl lazily onto the shore to bask in the sunlight.

Lin Fei’s days remained simple; beyond his cultivation, he was immersed in his own thoughts. Occasionally, he would help Yanqiu go to the river in the mountain’s depths to feed the golden carp.

Fazhao’s words seemed to have stirred no great ripples in his heart. Two months passed quietly, and he remained as composed and unhurried as ever. Only Yanqiu noticed that Lin Fei spoke even less, though he was never one for many words.

"The relationships between the thirteen peaks are not unbreakable. Wherever there are people, there are grievances; even the Sword Sect is no exception to this." One day, Yanqiu took the initiative to chat with Lu Chen.

"Letting them experience some setbacks may not be a bad thing. On the path of cultivation, if everything goes too smoothly for too long, a sudden fall can be the most fatal."

Lin Fei nodded gently, signaling his understanding. "I understand."

Yanqiu smiled slightly, asking with concern, "But it seems you are still feeling somewhat melancholy, Junior Brother?"

Lin Fei gave a faint smile and replied, "I am not moved by such trivialities. Whether it is the damage to a sword or a defeat in a trial, these are standard occurrences on the path of cultivation. Because the true path of cultivation is far heavier than these tribulations."

Lin Fei’s voice carried a note of indifference. "Senior Brother, believe it or not, even if they were to lose their lives in a fair duel, I would not be overly moved. I have long since grown accustomed to life and death; my heart is numb. Besides, I am someone who prefers not to invite trouble."

Though his words were cold, Yanqiu understood that this was Lin Fei’s honest truth. Just like the letters sent by fellow disciples over the past year—Lin Fei would glance at them occasionally but never replied to a single one.

Yanqiu did not respond immediately, for he knew Lin Fei had not finished.

After a moment of silence, Lin Fei finally spoke again: "But he should not have done that. It violated the rules."

The "he" the youth referred to was undoubtedly Ning Baitao, the Master of Greenwing Peak.

Yanqiu’s heart stirred, and he understood where Lin Fei’s dissatisfaction lay. His expression shifted slightly, and he turned to gaze at Lin Fei, seemingly trying to capture more from his demeanor.

Lin Fei continued, "I have been waiting these past few days, hoping for new information, but it seems that some people in the Sword Sect do not intend to take any action."

Yanqiu caught the deeper meaning in Lin Fei’s words and smiled slightly. "And so?"

"I believe this matter is aimed at me, but since no one is handling it, I intend to go out for a stroll." Lin Fei stood up, his tone firm.

The youth had never once requested to leave Dongming Mountain, but this time, he had suddenly proposed it.

Yanqiu did not seem surprised. He replied with a smile, "There is a small boat at the foot of the mountain called the Sky-Traversing Boat. Simply sit in it and release your spiritual energy, and it will carry you through the air as a means of transport."

"Thank you, Senior Brother." Lin Fei offered a concise word of gratitude, then proceeded toward the foot of the mountain without a moment’s hesitation, his stride steady and unwavering.

Yanqiu watched the youth’s retreating figure as it grew distant, then turned to look at the empty stone table, shaking his head slightly. He muttered to himself, "It seems the Sword Sect is about to face another storm."

...

Lin Fei found the Sky-Traversing Boat at the foot of the mountain, climbed inside, and slowly rose into the air, flying toward the horizon.

High above the Sword Sect, a seemingly fragile yet indestructible film shrouded the entire sect. Within this film, countless tiny strands of sword qi wove and separated, drifting through the air, tracing ethereal patterns in elusive trajectories.

This was the world-renowned Three Thousand God-Startling Sword Array of the Sword Sect—a peerless formation controlled by a Saint-level Great Sword Cultivator and reinforced by thirty Distance-Transcending Sword Cultivators, capable of unleashing the full-force strike of an Ascended Sword Immortal.

Lin Fei merely glanced at it with indifference, showing no interest.

The Sky-Traversing Boat was not fast, so he closed his eyes, leaned back, and gradually drifted into a slumber.

The boat drifted slowly through the sky, catching the attention of many disciples. As a spiritual artifact of Dongming Mountain, the boat was known to all in the Sword Sect, and the Senior Brother of Dongming Mountain, Yanqiu, had never used it himself. Combined with the recent events on Greenwing Peak, the identity of the person in the boat was self-evident.

"I knew he wouldn't remain silent forever."

"But even if he has come out, what can he do? The masters of the three main peaks haven't made a statement on this matter; what can he achieve alone?"

"Look, the direction of the boat!" someone exclaimed. "He’s heading straight for Xiling Mountain!"