One person: Starting with the Snow Drinking Blade

Chapter 59 Bloody Torture

"Cultivation is not easy, and attaining enlightenment is even more difficult," Nie Lingfeng said softly to the direction in which the spirit dissipated. "Go, and don't fall into the hands of such villains again."

On the arena, only Wang Bing, limp as a rag doll with lifeless eyes, and Nie Lingfeng, standing quietly with steady breathing, remained. The black mist dissipated, the chill faded, and sunlight shone again, illuminating the mess and carnage on the arena.

From the moment Nie Lingfeng began his counterattack to the moment he destroyed Wang Bing's dantian and Liu Kun's spiritual body dissipated, it took only five or six seconds.

In five or six seconds, he crippled a grandson of the Ten Elders, a superhuman with the ability to "bind spirits and command generals," and "sent away" a powerful spirit that had been imprisoned.

The entire training ground fell into a deathly silence once again.

Everyone was stunned by what happened in the blink of an eye. The ruthless and decisive methods, the overwhelming strength, the composure and ability to break through the siege of the "Spirit Binding and Commanding Generals" spirits... all of this far exceeded their understanding of the "younger generation".

On the high platform, Wang Ai could no longer maintain any composure!

He jumped to his feet again, his eyes bloodshot, his whole body trembling violently from extreme anger and heartache. Pointing at Nie Lingfeng on the stage, his voice was hoarse as he roared like a wounded beast: "Referee! Are you dead?! Didn't you see he was going to kill someone?! Quick! Stop him! Take this murderer down!!"

The referee's face was deathly pale, cold sweat beading on his forehead. He looked at Wang Bing at his feet, barely breathing and clearly crippled, then at Nie Lingfeng, whose murderous aura lingered and whose eyes were icy cold, before finally looking up at the seemingly crazed Wang Ai. His lips trembled, and he could barely utter a coherent sentence: "Old Master Wang... Contestant Wang Bing... he... he didn't concede, and... he didn't lose consciousness and fall off the stage... According to... according to the rules... I..."

Nie Lingfeng slowly raised his foot, and then, under Wang Ai's almost fiery gaze, gently, yet with a hint of insult, stepped on Wang Bing's already distorted face.

He slowly rotated his ankle, grinding the bloodstains on Wang Bing's face with the sole of his shoe, then raised his head, his gaze calmly meeting that of the enraged Wang Ai on the high platform, his tone indifferent:

"Old Master Wang, just now, it was your grandson who said it himself: 'Kill him,' 'Tear him to pieces,' 'Drain his soul.' I was merely giving him a taste of his own medicine. What, only your Wang family is allowed to kill and set fires, but others are not allowed to defend themselves? Is that absurd?"

"You...you..." Wang Ai trembled with rage, pointing a finger at Nie Lingfeng, barely able to breathe. He stared intently at Nie Lingfeng, as if he wanted to tear him to pieces with his gaze, each word spitting out a chilling, bone-chilling slur:

"Nie, Ling, Feng! If you dare to kill him! My Wang family will fight you to the death! We will search heaven and earth to take your life! We will exterminate your entire family!"

"A fight to the death?" Upon hearing this, Nie Lingfeng showed no fear. Instead, he laughed, a cold and piercing laugh filled with an almost insane indifference. "Old Master Wang, are you senile? I have already crippled his entire cultivation, severed the foundation of his practice. Do you think there's any possibility of this ending amicably between us?"

He pressed down hard on his foot again, and Wang, whose consciousness was already blurred, let out a muffled but extremely mournful groan.

"I'm a decisive person," Nie Lingfeng's voice wasn't loud, but it clearly echoed throughout the silent training ground. "I don't like dragging things out, and I especially dislike... leaving behind future troubles. Since the feud has already been formed, and it's a blood feud to the death..."

He tilted his head slightly, looking at Wang Ai, a flash of crimson light in his eyes (which he forcibly suppressed), his tone chillingly calm:

"Then why not let it ripen completely? What do you say, Grandpa Wang?"

"How dare you, you brat!!!" Wang Ai could no longer bear it and roared. His robes fluttered without wind, and a violent and fierce aura soared into the sky! He swayed and was about to disregard his status and fall directly off the platform into the arena!

"Brother Wang, wait!" Lu Ci, quick as a flash, grabbed Wang Ai's shoulder and hissed, "Calm down! This is Longhu Mountain! On the arena!"

Just as Wang Ai struggled, Lü Ci tried to stop her, and the situation was about to spiral out of control—

A peaceful, gentle voice, seemingly imbued with the profound truths of the universe and capable of calming all restlessness, quietly resonated in everyone's heart like a spring breeze and gentle rain:

"Young friend Nie."

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound.

Suddenly, the old Celestial Master Zhang Zhiwei appeared silently at the edge of the arena. He was still wearing that simple gray Taoist robe, still had that kind face and otherworldly demeanor, and stood with his hands behind his back, as if he had just happened to be passing by.

But when his gaze fell on Nie Lingfeng, his clear, ancient eyes held a subtle, almost imperceptible, deeper meaning and...admonition.

"Give this old Taoist priest some face." The old Taoist priest spoke slowly, his voice not loud, but it instantly silenced the commotion in the hall. "Spare the life of Wang Bing and his young friend."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Wang Ai, whose expression shifted rapidly on the platform, before turning to Nie Lingfeng. His tone was calm yet carried an undeniable weight:

"As long as I am still alive, this matter ends here. I guarantee the Wang family will not use this incident as a pretext to cause you any further trouble. What do you say?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Ai's expression changed drastically. Just as he was about to retort, Lü Ci pressed him down again, preemptively bowing to the Old Celestial Master and saying, "Since the Old Celestial Master has spoken, we naturally believe him. I, Lü, here, agree to this on behalf of Brother Wang. I wonder what young friend Nie... thinks?"

All eyes instantly focused on Nie Lingfeng.

Nie Lingfeng stood with his foot on Wang Bing's face, remaining silent for a moment. He could feel the burning heat of the Qilin tattoo on his chest slowly receding, and the boiling killing intent subsided somewhat. He glanced at Wang Bing, who lay like a dead dog at his feet, then at the Old Master's all-seeing eyes, and finally, curled his lip in disapproval.

"Alright," he withdrew his foot, his tone as casual as if discussing what to have for dinner, "Since the old master has spoken, I'll grant him this favor."

He bent down, grabbed Wang Bing's tattered belt with one hand, and lifted him up as if he were a bag of garbage. Then, seemingly casually, he raised his foot and gave Wang Bing a light kick in the side—

This kick, seemingly effortless, actually contained an extremely subtle yet vicious shockwave, penetrating Wang Bing's body like ripples in water, precisely severing several key meridians and acupoints near his spine. Even if the Wang family were to find rare and precious herbs and divine physicians to set his bones and heal his injuries in the future, the foundation of his cultivation and the path of his Qi circulation would have been completely destroyed, leaving him with no possibility of rebuilding his life.

"Here you go."

With a flick of his wrist, Nie Lingfeng tossed Wang Bing's limp body into the air like a tattered sack, sending it flying in an arc towards Wang Ai on the high platform.

Wang Ai's face was ashen, but he had no choice but to reach out and catch the baby. He quickly checked his grandson's condition, and his expression immediately turned even more grim, so dark it was almost dripping with water. He suddenly looked up and glared fiercely at Nie Lingfeng, the resentment in his eyes almost tangible, but in the end he said nothing more, only snorted coldly, picked up the unconscious Wang Bing, turned and left, his back view exuding endless anger and coldness.

Lu Ci bowed to the old Celestial Master again, then glanced at Nie Lingfeng with a complicated expression before following him.

The old Celestial Master looked at Nie Lingfeng on the arena, nodded slightly, and a gentle smile appeared on his face: "Young friend Nie, I am grateful for your kindness."

Nie Lingfeng clasped his hands in a fist salute, bowed deeply, and said respectfully, "Grand Master, you flatter me. This junior dares not accept such praise."

After saying that, he stopped looking at anyone, turned around, and slowly walked down the stone steps he had come from, step by step.

Wherever he went, the crowded masses seemed to be parted by an invisible force, automatically making way for a wide path. All eyes followed his back, their gazes varied—some filled with deep awe, others with barely concealed fear, still others with fervent curiosity, and still others with undisguised worship.

Zhang Chulan was the first to rush over, his face a mixture of excitement and lingering fear. He gave a thumbs up and whispered, "Brother Feng! That was...too fierce! But, wasn't it...a little too ruthless?"

Xu Si walked over, patted Nie Lingfeng's shoulder hard, and almost dropped the cigarette he was smoking with laughter: "Ruthless? Ruthless what! That's how you deal with scum like the Wang family! Well done! I saw that old geezer's face turn green, hahahaha!"

Xu San adjusted his glasses and walked to Nie Lingfeng's other side, his expression still grave: "Xiao Feng, you went too far. Crippled Wang Bing, which is tantamount to completely cutting off one of the Wang family's hopes for this generation. Although Wang Ai couldn't retaliate in front of the Old Celestial Master, given his personality, he will definitely not let this matter rest. It's easy to dodge a spear in the open, but hard to guard against an arrow in the dark. From now on, you..."

"I know, Third Brother." Nie Lingfeng nodded, interrupting Xu San, his tone calm, "From the moment I decided to take drastic measures, I knew there was no turning back."

He paused, raised his head, and gazed at the vast sea of ​​clouds and undulating mountains in the distance of Longhu Mountain. His voice lowered, carrying a hint of subtle complexity:

"Besides... it's already ruined, it's too late to regret it now."

He subconsciously raised his hand and gently pressed his chest through his clothes.

There, the lingering heat from the fire unicorn tattoo had not completely faded. Just now, on the arena, when Wang Bing was frantically shouting that he would kill him, and when Wang Ai threatened to exterminate his entire family, he clearly felt that the violent and scorching bloodlust within him was about to break through the dam of reason and overwhelm everything.

In that instant, he wanted to kill more than just Wang Bing.

That bloodthirsty craving, that impulse to destroy everything... even he felt a chill run down his spine.

Is it madness influencing him? Or... is that simply the most authentic side of him, suppressed by reason and morality deep within his heart?

he does not know.

But he knew that from this moment on, he had completely stepped into the center of this turbulent and unpredictable world of supernatural beings. The road ahead was destined to be even more treacherous and bloodier.

"Let's go," Nie Lingfeng said, withdrawing his gaze and regaining his usual calm. He turned to the three people beside him and said, "Go back and meditate. Tomorrow... there's the finals."

The four walked side by side through the crowd, still immersed in shock and discussion, and left the noisy training ground.

Behind them, the discussions about this "three-second kill" and "battle that ruined their skills" have been going on for a long time, destined to become one of the most talked-about topics in the history of the Luotian Grand Ceremony.

At the edge of the platform, the old Celestial Master did not leave immediately. He remained standing there, his long, snow-white beard fluttering gently in the breeze, his deep gaze fixed on Nie Lingfeng's receding figure, remaining silent for a long time.

After a long while, he gently stroked his beard and muttered to himself, his voice so soft that only he could hear it:

"This child... is too violent and has too much of a murderous intent. He is like a deadly knife that draws blood as soon as it is unsheathed, sharp and ruthless, but he is also prone to hurting himself."

He paused, a complex and unfathomable look flashing in his eyes—a look that contained concern, scrutiny, and a hint of...expectation.

"but……"

The old master's lips slowly curved into a very faint, meaningful smile.

"Having a murderous aura is better than having no backbone. Having a sharp edge is better than being at the mercy of others."

"The future of this world of supernatural beings may... require a 'fierce blade' that can cut through the fog and shatter the stale."

He turned around, his Taoist robe fluttering, and slowly walked away, leaving only a final whisper that dissipated in the wind:

"I hope that tomorrow's final... will bring you more... surprises to the old Taoist priest and to all the extraordinary people in the world."