Chapter Nine: Time to Go Back for Dinner

Lin Fei watched from a distance as one disciple after another was swiftly kicked off the arena, a scene so absurd it made him shake his head with a wry smile. He muttered to himself, “It’s like dumplings being dropped one after another.”

When the ninth disciple met the same fate, blasted off the platform like the others before him, the novices from Tianya Peak finally recognized the vast gulf in strength between the two sides. Their initial anger gradually gave way to a heavy silence.

“Who’s next?” the dark-skinned youth on the platform arrogantly scanned the crowd, but seeing the dejected expressions of the Tianya Peak disciples, he sneered, “What a bunch of useless fools.”

Below the stage, Di Yuan’s brows furrowed tightly. His lips moved as if to speak, but before he could, Ye Liuguang, still wearing his gentle smile, said, “Zhang Lie is straightforward by nature. I will make sure to properly instruct him when we return. I hope Senior Brother Di Yuan can understand.”

Di Yuan could only snort coldly, suppressing the dissatisfaction brewing within him.

At that moment, Lin Fei slowly rose from the shade of the trees in the distance and began walking toward the arena.

A hush fell over the gathering. Lin Fei’s movement immediately drew every eye; all the disciples showed looks of astonishment.

Di Yuan, seeing the usually lazy Lin Fei approach with a serious expression, felt a bold suspicion flicker through his mind.

Could it be that Lin Fei was about to...

Lin Fei stopped before Di Yuan, his gaze fixed on the arena. His tone was serious as he said, “Send anyone up to deal with it; we should go back to eat.”

A light chuckle suddenly broke out from the crowd, quickly igniting into a wildfire of laughter among the disciples of Tengyun Peak.

The square, once stifled by embarrassment, instantly erupted into raucous laughter.

Ye Liuguang covered his mouth, his body trembling slightly as he tried to stifle his amusement.

Di Yuan’s face turned ashen; he took a deep breath, struggling to suppress the anger and humiliation swelling inside him.

The Tianya Peak disciples wore faces of shame, as if silently lamenting, “To be from the same sect as this man is a disgrace.” It felt as though the pride of their entrance trial had been utterly shattered.

Yet Lin Fei remained composed, as if the entire scene had nothing to do with him.

Having spoken, he turned calmly and strode down the mountain, seemingly ready to wait for everyone at the foot.

To Lin Fei, this contest was merely a minor episode on the path of cultivation. If he couldn’t win, he would simply return home to continue training until he could defeat his opponents. Why waste time here and invite humiliation?

He thought to himself that these disciples were still too young, losing their composure at the slightest provocation or insult.

The path of the Great Way is long and solitary; such setbacks were trivial in the grand scheme.

---

Lost in his thoughts, a flippant voice suddenly pierced the quiet from the arena: “Hey, you! The one who looks like a girl—just missing you! Planning to run away?”

Lin Fei did not turn around, but he clearly felt the words were meant for him.

A faint crease appeared between his brows, revealing a trace of displeasure.

“Like a girl?”

Lin Fei repeated the long-forgotten phrase softly, and an unfamiliar emotion quietly stirred within his chest—a blend of bitterness and restlessness.

It had been a long time since he had felt such an emotion. After a moment’s reflection, he recognized it as a long-lost anger.

Though the scorn and provocation in the eyes and words of Zhao Xiuyuan and others were far more severe than this simple insult, Lin Fei had never really taken them to heart.

But these two words seemed to strike a sensitive chord deep within him.

Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks, withdrawing the intention to leave.

This reckless little brat indeed needed to be taught a lesson.

Zhang Lie, outwardly simple but sharply spoken, after delivering his taunt, no longer paid attention to the seemingly stunned opponent.

Standing atop the arena, he looked around confidently, a strange sense of accomplishment swelling within him.

“So this is what cultivation feels like… so this is how it brings joy.”

Soon, Zhang Lie noticed something strange. The previously dejected Tianya Peak disciples now wore expressions of shock and disbelief.

He spun around sharply and saw the black-clad youth he had taunted quietly standing on the arena.

Lin Fei’s voice was calm but resolute, leaving no room for doubt: “Begin.”

“Heh, got some guts,” Zhang Lie said, his excitement growing rather than fear.

He did not believe Lin Fei could defeat him; after all, this was no Xia Yi.

If he could defeat ten opponents in one fell swoop, Zhang Lie’s name would surely reach the ears of the elders and even the peak masters of the Four Great Peaks.

With this thought, Zhang Lie bent his knees slightly, then suddenly surged forward, the sharp scrape of his feet against the ground cutting through the air once again.

---

Lin Fei kept his hands behind his back, expression unchanged as Zhang Lie’s roaring fist hurtled toward him. His gaze seemed to pierce through the opponent, looking far beyond.

Suddenly, he spoke: “Chief Xiao?”

Zhang Lie’s fist halted just inches from Lin Fei’s face, a puzzled look crossing his features.

It was well known that the peak master of the Sword Sect’s Beiyou Mountain was indeed surnamed Xiao, but how could such a distinguished figure appear here?

Curious, Zhang Lie glanced back—only to find no one behind him.

Just as a bad feeling crept over him, a sharp, indescribable pain exploded at the back of his head, as if struck hard by a solid object.

“Ah!” he cried out in pain, the intense sensation forcing him onto one knee. Darkness clouded his vision, nearly causing him to lose consciousness, but he struggled to stay awake.

He turned his head sluggishly; through the blur, he vaguely caught sight of a red, square object—one he seemed to recognize.

“What is this...?” he murmured, confusion and daze in his voice.

Lin Fei stood before him, expression serious: “You guessed right. Yes, this is a brick.”

Before the last word left his mouth, Lin Fei casually swung his hand again.

This time, Zhang Lie couldn’t even utter a sound. His eyes rolled back as he collapsed onto the arena, losing consciousness instantly.

The surrounding clamor abruptly ceased, the chirping of birds and rustling of flowers becoming strikingly clear in the still air.

Everyone who witnessed the scene paled.

No one understood how Lin Fei had produced a brick from nowhere, nor how, after such an act, his expression could remain so calm, as if nothing had happened.

“Does he have no shame?” became the silent cry in the hearts of all the disciples present.

Lin Fei lightly tossed the brick in his hand, face as composed as ever, as if what he had done were the most ordinary thing in the world.

“Next.”

An eerie silence enveloped the entire square. The disciples of Tengyun Peak exchanged bewildered glances, as if witnessing an unbelievable sight, while the novices from Tianya Peak looked equally dazed, still reeling from the shock of moments before.