Chapter 47

Chapter 47

The Dragon Sleeps in the Abyss, the Sword Returns to its Sheath

Lu Chengfeng wiped his sword clean with the deerskin and sheathed it with a clang. “Senior brothers and sister, you flatter me. I’ve never had contact with the Inner Peak True Disciples before, let alone any experience in fighting demonic beasts.”

“I’ve made some progress this past month thanks to your generous guidance and the life-and-death battles.”

“My cultivation has reached this level, and I’ve exhausted all my past accumulation. From now on, it’s just a matter of gradual refinement.”

His words were humble, expressing gratitude towards the other four. This eased the complex emotions of Xu Changge and Duan Li, and their expressions softened.

Forming a good relationship with such a talented Junior Brother was a good thing. With his talent, he would undoubtedly become an elder of the sect in the future.

Only Lu Lingxi remained silent, not saying a word from beginning to end. But if anyone among them truly understood Lu Chengfeng’s strength, it was her, who had fought alongside him.

‘Lu Chengfeng’s strength is definitely not limited to what he has shown. He’s at ease when facing demonic beasts, every move precise and efficient, without wasting a single ounce of energy.’

‘He clearly has complete control of the situation. His swordsmanship skills and keen judgment are no less impressive than Senior Brother Tan’s. He must be holding back.’

She had cooperated with Lu Chengfeng many times, and whenever she exerted her full strength, he always seemed calm and collected. This feeling wasn’t obvious at first, but it became increasingly prominent over the past half month.

No matter what unexpected situations arose during their hunts, Lu Chengfeng could resolve them effortlessly with seemingly ordinary methods.

This composure even reminded her of the sect’s elders.

‘This young man is monstrously talented and knows how to bide his time, concealing his true strength. Not only is he gifted, but he’s also shrewd and tactful, handling matters with skill and strategy.’

‘In the future, he will surely be a pillar of the sect. Even ascending to that position is not impossible.’

Perhaps no one present knew that Lu Lingxi held such a high opinion of Lu Chengfeng.

Once they had efficiently dismembered the tiger demon’s corpse and cleaned up the remaining traces, Tan Xiong finally let out a sigh of relief and said to everyone with a smile, “Fellow disciples, after more than a month of fighting and running around, we can finally take a break.”

“I’ve received a message from the sect. We can conclude our mission and settle our merit points at the General Affairs Hall.”

“The remaining demonic beasts will be hunted down by the Law Enforcement Hall.”

Upon hearing this, everyone’s faces lit up with smiles. Such a long period of high-intensity hunting had not only consumed a great deal of physical strength but also kept their minds constantly tense.

Now that it was finally coming to an end, everyone couldn’t help but relax, and the atmosphere became lighter.

“Hahaha, with this tiger demon, we’ve hunted a total of thirteen demonic beasts. I’m afraid few in the entire Inner Peaks can compare to us,” Xu Changge couldn’t help but laugh. “The merit points we’ve accumulated this time should be enough to exchange for a large batch of pills. This will help us further advance our inner energy cultivation.”

For them, as True Disciples of the Inner Peaks, improving their martial arts techniques was relatively straightforward, far surpassing Outer Peak disciples. However, cultivating inner energy was arduous.

It required not only daily diligent practice but also the consumption of numerous natural treasures and even precious pills to make any progress.

The sect’s resources were limited and couldn’t be provided endlessly. If they wanted divine weapons, secret manuals, or pills, they had to exchange them with merit points.

And on ordinary days, without a beast tide, it was impossible to earn so many merit points without a year or two of hard work. No wonder Xu Changge was so overjoyed.

At that moment, Lu Lingxi calmly said, “I heard that the three Paragons in the sect all ventured deep into the swamp alone and each slew a powerful demon.”

Her words instantly made the previously relaxed atmosphere awkward and stiff.

Tan Xiong’s expression also turned serious. The three Paragons in the sect were like towering mountains, casting a shadow over all the disciples, making them feel suffocated.

Others spoke of the Three Paragons and Seven Heroes, but only Tan Xiong truly understood that although the gap between them and the Paragons seemed small, it was as vast as the difference between heaven and earth.

Even though they were currently known as the Seven Heroes, renowned within the sect, probably less than half of them would ultimately break through that crucial barrier.

The eighteenth level of swordsmanship was also known as the peak of skill, the limit of the mortal realm. To go further was to cross the divide between heaven and man, a transformation and sublimation of life itself.

Therefore, this barrier was also called the Heavenly Gate.

Condensing one’s Sword Intent and breaking through the Heavenly Gate with a single strike would lead one onto the path of transcendence.

Success meant becoming a martial arts giant, a master of a domain. Failure meant remaining in the mortal realm, spending decades in the mundane world, and eventually dying of old age.

Tan Xiong knew very well that compared to the three Paragons in the sect, they were far inferior in both strength and status. There was simply no comparison.

“Sword Intent…”

He couldn’t help but sigh, his grip on the copper staff tightening slightly. Even with his talent, he still couldn’t grasp the profoundness of Sword Intent.

Xu Changge and Duan Li hadn’t reached the Heavenly Gate yet. Although they had heard many people talk about how difficult it was to break through, they were young and ambitious and naturally didn’t believe they couldn’t do it.

Duan Li said coldly, “We are not necessarily weaker than others. As long as we cultivate diligently, one day we will be able to break through the Heavenly Gate with a single sword strike. Why envy others?”

Xu Changge also laughed and said, “Well said. With Senior Brother Tan’s talent and foundation, I believe it won’t be long before you break through as well.”

Tan Xiong smiled bitterly and shook his head, not wanting to discuss this further with them. Only those who had reached the Heavenly Gate could understand how despairing it was.

“Then I’ll take your kind words, Junior Brother. Since the task here is complete, let’s head back quickly!”

It was getting late, so they didn’t delay any further and swiftly made their way out of the Bewildering Swamp.

Lu Chengfeng remained expressionless, but he had heard every word they said. Among them, only he truly understood Tan Xiong’s feelings.

Because, in just this short month, he had already cultivated both the Nether Sword Technique and the Thousand Shadows Movement Technique to the peak of the eighteenth level. His martial arts skills were refined and polished, no less impressive than the Seven Heroes of the sect.

Especially in terms of combat experience and the application of sword techniques, after absorbing the legacy of an Inner Peak elder, he had a deeper understanding and surpassed the others.

This rate of cultivation was simply astonishing. Although Lu Chengfeng hadn’t focused much on the Bixia Sword Manual, through inference and analogy, he had naturally reached the fifteenth level in that sword technique as well.

If his true strength were revealed, it would immediately cause a sensation in Cloud Firmament, attracting everyone’s attention and admiration.

However, Lu Chengfeng wasn’t one to show off or boast. He only displayed his skills with the Bixia Sword Manual, keeping the Black Crane Thousand Shadows Nether Sword Scripture completely hidden.

‘Since the beast tide has subsided, it’s time to settle another matter.’ He lowered his eyelids slightly, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

Just then, Lu Lingxi, who had been walking beside him, suddenly spoke, “Junior Brother Lu, if you have free time in the future, can I seek your guidance on swordsmanship?”

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