Sun Yao launched himself forward. His feet blurred, compressing wind qi into explosive bursts as he executed the Soaring Wind Steps. His figure blurred, then reappeared behind Lin Fang in an instant.
"Soaring Wind Steps," a disciple whispered, eyes wide. "He's already at the great achievement stage!"
Sun Yao's palm glowed faint green. Before Lin Fang could pivot, the attack slammed into his shoulder. The force knocked him off balance, dragging a grunt from his throat as he tumbled backwards.
Lin Fang spun mid-air, his sword trailing a silver arc. A burst of light True Qi exploded from his blade as he struck the ground with its edge, stabilizing himself.
He landed gracefully, one knee bent, blood trickling down his arm, then he smiled.
'I'm at the same level... but he doesn't know that,' Lin Fang thought coldly.
He blurred forward, circulating every single strand of true qi in his body, his sword humming. Sun Yao's eyes widened too late; the blade slashed across his chest, shallow but precise, leaving a thin red line.
"He's also at Level 4?!" gasped someone in the crowd.
"That's impossible!"
"He only joined the sect three months ago!"
Sun Yao gritted his teeth and leapt back, his fingers forming a quick seal. "Silent Breeze Needle!" he shouted.
Dozens of thin, nearly invisible wind needles shimmered into existence and shot forward like ghostly arrows. They cut through the air in silence, aiming directly for Lin Fang's joints and meridians.
Sun Yao, despite his mediocre spirit roots, prided himself in having great comprehension talent, and he had completely focused on only comprehending this technique for the last three months.
He had chosen the Silent Breeze Needle because very few disciples cultivate this technique and due to its tricky nature, it's very hard to guard against.
Lin Fang's eyes gleamed like stars, this strike was meant to cripple. His sword flickered once, twice, three times.
Cling! Cling! Shhhk!
He deflected a few, dodged several more. He then promptly shifted his stance, and his sword vanished. A silver streak tore across the courtyard, too fast for the eye to follow. He was using the falling star blade to its full extent.
CRACK!
Sun Yao barely raised his arm in time. A deep cut split his shoulder, bone nearly exposed.
The disciples gasped in unison. Someone shouted, "I've never seen this technique before!"
Sun Yao's face twisted. He exploded forward again using Soaring Wind Steps, zig-zagging with bursts of green light. He appeared to Lin Fang's right, aiming a flurry of palm strikes and wind-infused jabs.
As Sun Yao's palm struck out, Lin Fang let his sword fall, then caught it in reverse grip and thrust it upward.
SHHHK!
The blade pierced through Sun Yao's lower ribs, sliding up into his heart.
Time slowed. Sun Yao's expression froze in disbelief. Blood welled from his lips.
Lin Fang's face was blank as Sun Yao collapsed forward, the sword sliding free as he crumpled to the stone tiles. Dead.
A tense silence gripped the crowd, then the murmurs began.
"H-He's dead."
"Sun Yao died in a spar... that wasn't supposed to happen, right?"
"I don't think Lin Fang meant to... it was just too fast."
"It looked like an accident…"
A few looked toward the elder, watching the fight from the side. He remained still, lips pursed, eyes flickering with complexity.
Lin Fang wiped his blade on his robe. He turned to the elder, cupped his fists, and said with a calm, respectful tone, "Senior Brother Sun Yao pushed me too hard. I only wanted to defend myself."
The elder didn't speak for a moment, then he nodded, "No rules were broken. The sect acknowledges accidents in sparring sessions."
With that, the crowd slowly began to disperse, whispers already spreading like wildfire.
Ding~
Despite hearing the angelic sound of new souls getting acquired, Lin Fang didn't smile, he was in a foul mood, "Send a dog to bite me, and I'll crush its spine.", he murmured, fully knowing that there was somebody targeting him.
'That guy was clearly forced to fight me', he thought, 'the final look on his face was one of complete regret', Lin Fang's eyes were scanning the surroundings, looking for clues.
Lin Fang's eyes swept the crowd. An outer sect disciple stood across the courtyard, frozen mid-step. The moment their gazes met, the disciple's face paled, and he turned on his heel, vanishing into the nearest corridor like a rat fleeing a flame.
Lin Fang's lips curled, 'I'll find out what hole you crawl into later' he thought burning the man's face into his memory.
He turned, sheathing his sword, and strode toward the mission hall. The air grew quieter as he passed, conversations thinning into whispers. No one dared block his path now.
...
The mission hall bustled with activity. Disciples gathered in clusters, pointing at the dozens of scrolls plastered across the massive stone wall. Each one glowed faintly with qi inscriptions, detailing missions ranked by difficulty.
Lin Fang stepped inside, ignoring the curious glances. His eyes swept over the notices.
Capture rogue cultivator. Escort merchant caravan. Collect spirit herbs...
His gaze landed on a particular scroll.
[Beast Extermination – Demonic Flame Bulls]
[Location: Southern Demonic Forest]
[Objective: Slay 10 Burning Flame Bulls]
[Reward: 10 low grade spirit stones]
He pulled it off the wall with a flick of his wrist, 'If beasts attack on sight... they must be counted as souls with killing intent,' he reasoned. 'If I'm right, the forest is a soul farm waiting to be reaped.'
At the counter, the disciple on duty looked up, then stiffened.
"L-Lin Fang?" he said quickly, eyes darting to the fresh bloodstain still drying on Lin Fang's sleeve. "I—I heard about the spar... quite the shocking match!"
Lin Fang raised a brow, offering a polite smile,"Sun Yao was skilled. I was lucky."
The disciple gave a nervous laugh, then checked the scroll. "Burning Flame Bulls... Ah, a dangerous mission. Fairly strong first-grade beasts, with elemental affinity for fire. You'll need this."
Beasts were divided into several grades, a first-grade beast is equivalent to a qi refining cultivator, a second-grade beast is equivalent to a foundation establishment cultivator and so on and so forth. But it is a well-known fact that demonic beasts are usually stronger than same stage cultivators.
He handed Lin Fang a silver-edged badge engraved with the sect's emblem. "It authorizes temporary leave from sect grounds. Return it to receive your rewards."
"Good fortune, Senior Brother"