C23 Blood Exquisiteness's Effect

The opening round concluded with Lin Feng triumphing over Wang Meng. As Wang Meng was supported back to his seat by his fellow disciples, Guu Yi cast a furious glance his way, disgraced by his failure as an Inner Sect Elder. Wang Meng, known for his usual bravado and bluster, had failed at a crucial moment, reflecting poorly on them both.

Yet, as an Inner Sect Elder, it was not Guu Yi's place to chastise him openly. He needed to embody the grace and forbearance befitting his status, demonstrating the true cultivation of an Inner Sect Elder.

Then there was Lai Qing, who had been sent to retrieve the heart and Beast Core of the Vajra Wolf and had come back with nothing. It seemed that misfortune had been befalling the disciples lately. Unbeknownst to Guu Yi, Lin Feng had intercepted all their opportunities and fortunes, leading to their string of failures.

Meanwhile, Wang Meng, utterly disheartened, had no desire to watch the rest of the competition. His mind was consumed with thoughts of how to eliminate the detestable Lin Feng, his hatred escalating to the point of seeking Lin Feng's death.

With Wang Meng's early defeat, the Revival Competition lost its edge. As the top seed, his loss to Lin Feng made the outcome of subsequent matches seem foregone. Nonetheless, rankings were still at stake, as the top five finishers in the Revival Competition would earn the privilege of selecting a high-tier master and receive additional cultivation techniques.

Therefore, Zhan Shuining had to engage in the ranking battles. If Wang Meng was the first seed, then Zhan Shuining was undoubtedly the second. With Lin Feng's victory over Wang Meng, Zhan Shuining no longer needed to vie for the top spot in principle. But formalities had to be observed.

In the second round, Zhan Shuining stepped up to challenge Lin Feng. Both held mutual respect and admiration for each other, which meant neither unleashed their full power in the clash. Lin Feng, who had taken a liking to Zhan Shuining, had even considered holding back to let her claim the title of first place.

Zhan Shuining had no desire for the title at stake.

Thus, she held back, exerting only 80% of her effort, and ultimately fell to Lin Feng's Ghost Shadow Mystery Fist. The skirmish was brief, with neither combatant unleashing their full potential, yet Zhan Shuining's prowess was unmistakable. She had only tapped into a fraction of her strength, while Lin Feng had to muster a similar level of effort just to scrape by with a victory. Even so, Zhan Shuining remained light on her feet, her agility and quickness leaving her without a hint of breathlessness—a testament to her skill that Lin Feng couldn't help but admire.

Her performance was a true reflection of the exceptional talent among the outer sect's female disciples—no hyperbole there.

Their match was a display of mutual respect and restraint, a perfect example of the decorum and standards expected of sect disciples. Both the audience and the presiding elders looked on with great appreciation.

In defeat, Zhan Shuining maintained her dignity.

Round three commenced with Lin Feng squaring off against Xiao Rann.

Xiao Rann was a formidable opponent who had previously conceded to the superior Wang Meng. While he could stomach a loss to Wang Meng, the thought of submitting to an unknown like Lin Feng was intolerable. Consequently, his every strike was delivered with brutal force.

His signature move was the Eagle Claw Divine Technique, capable of effortlessly ripping out hearts and lungs, or seizing the skull's Heavenly Spirit Bone.

Ten rounds in, Lin Feng's clothing bore several tears from Xiao Rann's vicious attacks. Lin Feng hadn't been fighting with full intensity, as there was no bad blood between them, unlike the deep-seated animosity he held for Wang Meng, which had everyone pulling out all the stops.

Xiao Rann, however, was driven by a single aim: to knock Lin Feng down and claim the top spot. He was fighting with everything he had, while Lin Feng continued to pull his punches.

After ten exchanges, Lin Feng realized Xiao Rann's underhanded tactics could no longer be met with leniency. Resolute, Lin Feng decided he would take Xiao Rann down within the next ten moves.

Using all his might, Lin Feng, whose cultivation had long since exceeded the 10th level of Body Refining, found it a simple task to subdue Xiao Rann.

Yet Xiao Rann was no pushover.

His Eagle Claw Technique was notoriously ruthless and cunning, and with his 9th level Body Refining Cultivation, the technique's power was piercingly cold and fierce.

A single misstep could mean disaster.

Each strike aimed to be lethal, targeting the adversary's weak spots.

Xiao Rann, it seemed, was not above playing dirty. It made sense that he got along with Wang Meng; they were cut from the same cloth, birds of a feather flocking together.

Given the circumstances, Lin Feng saw no need for pleasantries.

He unleashed his full power along with the Ghost Shadow Mystery Fist, and with a single punch, he thwarted Xiao Rann's assault.

Xiao Rann stumbled backward, falling ten meters away, spitting blood, unable to rise for a long while.

His Eagle Claw Divine Technique was rendered useless as his shattered palms could no longer exert force.

In an instant, his Divine Technique was ruined.

His martial prowess resided in his palms and fingers, and with such a grave injury, his recovery was uncertain.

Defeated and regretful, he rued the ferocity of his attack.

Lin Feng, in turn, had simply given him a taste of his own medicine, and there was no fault in that.

With a sullen departure, Xiao Rann left behind a desolate and staggering silhouette.

Round four.

Lin Feng versus Lee Pei.

Lee Pei, Xiao Rann, and Wang Meng, the so-called Three Tigers of the Outer Sect, were not to be underestimated in terms of strength.

Lee Pei's forte was the Iron Head Divine Technique.

And Lin Feng noticed a subtle green aura surrounding Lee Pei.

A sign of opportunity...

With the strength of his skull, he could lift a cauldron weighing over 8,000 pounds.

Truly remarkable.

While most boasted exceptional arm strength, Lee Pei's cranium was his claim to fame.

Lin Feng couldn't afford to take him lightly. As soon as Lee Pei began, he inflated his Genuine Qi like an enraged leopard and barreled straight toward Lin Feng. Sensing danger, Lin Feng swiftly dodged, but Lee Pei caught sight of this and grabbed Lin Feng's wrist.

Caught off guard, Lin Feng was about to break free when Lee Pei's head collided with his chest.

An ordinary person would have been terrified out of their mind in such a situation.

But who is Lin Feng?

He's far from ordinary.

In that instant, the force of Lee Pei's blow against his chest was utterly neutralized by the True Fire within Lin Feng's body.

Lee Pei felt as though he had collided with a cloud of cotton—soft, offering no resistance whatsoever.

What was happening?

Even Lee Pei was taken aback.

He had put ten percent of his strength into that strike, focusing his energy and Qi, and it was no small feat to land the blow squarely. Yet, to his dismay, it was as if his effort had evaporated, leaving no trace.

How on earth did the kid manage that?

Lee Pei was thoroughly baffled.

An elder on the platform, with a high level of cultivation, had already figured it out.

Was this kid employing the Dark North Divine Art?

It was clear that his mastery of the art was shallow, merely scratching the surface. However, even this rudimentary skill, combined with Lin Feng's physical strength and cultivation level, was impressive enough to be considered intermediate.

Lin Feng's chest had somehow neutralized the impending danger?

It was beyond belief.

He had intended to sidestep the attack, but unexpectedly, he ended up taking the hit, and his body had transformed into something akin to cotton?

Could this be the result of the Vajra Wolf's Beast Core and the power of Blood Exquisiteness?