A middle-aged man stepped out from the shadows, looking at Luo Feng with cold eyes. "I am Qin Haoyan! You injured my son. Don't tell me you don't recognize me?"

Luo Feng was slightly taken aback. Seeing that the man bore a slight resemblance to Qin Honglie, he smiled faintly, "So, you're Qin Honglie's father. What brings you to me?"

Qin Haoyan paused ten steps before Luo Feng, squinting his eyes and smirking coldly. "You're playing dumb! You dare hurt Lie'er? Do you actually think you can get away with it?"

Raging fury burned in Qin Haoyan's eyes. He had cherished high hopes that Qin Honglie would distinguish himself in this summit and bring glory to their family name. Who could have foreseen him suffering a severe defeat at Luo Feng's hands and sustaining serious injuries? Due to his injuries, Qin Honglie had even lost his qualification to enter the Secret Realm. This lost opportunity filled Qin Haoyan with burning rage. He wished he could kill Luo Feng. After learning of Luo Feng's residence yesterday, he had rushed here immediately and had been waiting all night.

"Qin Honglie sparred with me. He was injured due to his own inferior skill; that's his failing, not mine. Aren't you afraid that Changxin Academy will hold you accountable for attacking me here?" Luo Feng looked at Qin Haoyan, his gaze steady.

A chilling glint flashed in Qin Haoyan's eyes, and he replied in a deep voice, "Don't try to feign innocence! Don't worry, I won't kill you. You caused my Lie'er to be unable to recover for three months; today, I will return the favor, doubled!"

Doubled?

Luo Feng's gaze turned icy. It seemed the man intended for him to miss the Secret Realm as well. He sneered, "I'm afraid you don't have the capability."

Having reached the third level of the Condensation Yuan Technique, he feared no one except Martial Artists at the Ninth Level of the Heavenly Court Realm.

Qin Haoyan laughed as if he had heard the funniest joke imaginable, the murderous intent in his laughter unconcealed. "Kid, it seems that after defeating two Young Masters, you really see yourself as a big shot. Let me tell you, I am only half a step away from stepping into the Ninth Level of the Heavenly Court Realm! In my eyes, you're no different from an ant! Today, I will make you understand that there's always someone better out there, and there's always a greater sky beyond your reach!"

As his laughter still echoed through the bamboo grove, Qin Haoyan was already striding towards Luo Feng.

BANG! BANG! BANG...

It seemed he was intentionally trying to humiliate Luo Feng by refraining from an immediate strike, instead consolidating his aura. With each step Qin Haoyan took, the ground beneath him cracked, and his aura surged, making him appear like a towering giant, utterly awe-inspiring. If an ordinary person were to stand before Qin Haoyan at this moment, they would likely be scared to death by his imposing presence.

Luo Feng stood motionless, like a reef in the midst of a turbulent sea, impervious to wind and rain.

"Trying to pressure me with your aura?"

A hint of a sneer touched Luo Feng's lips as he stood with his hands clasped behind his back. A faint rumble, like wind and thunder, stirred within his Dantian as his sharp gaze shot towards Qin Haoyan.

HUM!

In an instant, Luo Feng's gaze seemed to transform into searing lightning, piercing the void with unstoppable force!

"What!"

Caught unprepared, Qin Haoyan was startled. He stumbled back two steps, staring at Luo Feng in utter disbelief. "Eyes Birth Thunder! Third level of the Condensation Yuan Technique! How is that possible!"

He had specifically gathered information about the Condensation Yuan Technique only yesterday and knew the extreme difficulty of cultivating it. He had never imagined Luo Feng could reach the third level.

"You fail to distinguish right from wrong! Go down!" Luo Feng roared. He pushed his Yuan Qi to its absolute limit, his entire being seeming to stand at the heart of a raging thunderstorm. With a single step, he appeared before Qin Haoyan, his fist, carrying the momentum to split heaven and earth, lashing out with unparalleled dominance.

BOOM!

As his fist moved, the air condensed into a tangible, blade-shaped projection of Gang Qi. It hurtled forward with explosive force, seemingly vowing to draw blood before it ceased.

"How is this possible? His strength increased so much in just one night!"

The force of the blow had yet to arrive, but Qin Haoyan's skin was already stinging from the overwhelming intent radiating from Luo Feng's punch. He stared at Luo Feng as if looking at a monster. He too had watched the summit yesterday. In a single night, the power of Luo Feng's attacks had become worlds apart.

"Damn it!"

Unwilling to believe he would lose to a junior, Qin Haoyan grunted, his body sinking lower. He crossed his arms defensively before him, and a dense Gang Qi erupted from his body, forming a thick shield of energy in front of him.

BOOM!

The fist struck the Gang Qi shield, the impact thundering like an unexpected clap of thunder. A massive shockwave swept outwards, and the surrounding bamboo instantly exploded into splinters. Qin Haoyan's body trembled violently, and he clenched his teeth, desperately trying to bear the impact. The moment the fist connected with the shield, the explosive force was unbelievable, as if a mountain had crashed down on him, nearly making him spit blood.

Still thinking of resisting?

Seeing Qin Haoyan's struggle, Luo Feng smiled, an illusory glint of a blade flashing in his eyes.

"Break!"

BOOM!

Amidst a muffled explosion, the force behind Luo Feng's fist surged again. Standing there, he was as majestic as a towering peak, inspiring awe.

THUMP!

The Gang Qi shield in front of Qin Haoyan crumbled instantaneously. Unable to withstand the colossal force assaulting him, he vomited a mouthful of blood, his body skidding back more than ten meters before he collapsed weakly to his knees.

"I... I actually lost..."

Qin Haoyan's gaze was vacant, his mind reeling in disbelief as Luo Feng retracted his fist. He couldn't believe that with his cultivation at the half-step to the Ninth Level of the Heavenly Court Realm, and all his years of experience in the martial world, he couldn't even withstand a single punch from Luo Feng. Defeated in a single blow! He had been utterly powerless to resist.

Luo Feng retracted his hand and said coldly, "I won't kill you today. But if you dare to provoke me again, the consequences will not be this simple."

Qin Haoyan's body trembled. The icy chill in Luo Feng's voice struck fear into his heart.

Luo Feng exhaled slowly and turned, walking towards Changning Hall.

The commotion had already attracted the attention of nearby people from Changxin Academy. The sounds of them approaching grew louder. Naturally, Qin Haoyan did not want others to witness his humiliating defeat. Dragging his severely injured body, he flickered a few times and vanished without a trace.

When Luo Feng arrived at Changning Hall, it was already full of people. The Deans and high-ranking members of the two academies in Red Maple Lead, as well as many students, were present. Jadeite Young Master Xin Wuyue and Young Master Hanshan, Li Hanshan, were among them.

Luo Feng spotted Zi Hongyuan and a few others and walked over to them.

Noticing the signs of a recent fight on Luo Feng, Bing Ruolan's shapely eyebrows twitched slightly. She approached him and asked in a low voice, "What happened?"

"Nothing, just shooed away an annoying fly," Luo Feng said with a smile.

Seeing that Luo Feng didn't wish to elaborate, Bing Ruolan didn't press further. She assumed some student had challenged Luo Feng without good reason and didn't give it much thought. With Luo Feng's current strength, there were very few among the younger generation in Red Maple Lead who could defeat him.

What Bing Ruolan didn't know was that the person who had just confronted Luo Feng was not a student, but a veteran from Ivy School—and a powerhouse at the half-step to the Ninth Level of the Heavenly Court Realm!

At this moment, a veteran from Changxin Academy hurriedly walked into the main hall and whispered a few words in Feng Linshan's ear. Feng Linshan listened, his brow furrowing slightly, and his gaze suddenly shifted to Luo Feng. Luo Feng's expression remained placid, revealing nothing.

Feng Linshan nodded, dismissed the veteran, then cleared his throat and said, "I have urgently summoned everyone here today because there is something I need to inform you all about."

As Feng Linshan's voice fell, the hall immediately quieted. Everyone had been summoned on short notice, and many still didn't know what had transpired.

"Originally, we had planned to depart for the Red Flame Desert three days from now. However, due to an unforeseen incident last night, Director Zhu Huo and I have discussed the matter and decided that we must set out immediately," Feng Linshan announced loudly, his gaze sweeping over the crowd.

Zi Hongyuan's eyebrows knitted together; he hadn't heard anything about this. Beside him, Zhou Zhiyun wore a similar expression of surprise.

"Principal Feng, why the sudden haste? We haven't fully prepared yet," Zi Hongyuan finally voiced his question.

Feng Linshan glanced at Zhu Huo, who nodded, his expression grim.

"Here's what happened..." Feng Linshan began to explain.

It turned out that a major incident had occurred after the celebratory banquet the previous night. Among the veterans from Ivy School who had accompanied Zhu Huo, a spy had been discovered. The true identity of this Ivy School veteran was that of a Blood Demon Sect disciple. He had been lurking within Ivy School for over a decade, undetected, and had even managed to climb into its upper echelons.

The night before, when Feng Linshan had gathered the high-ranking members of the various academies to discuss matters concerning entry into the Secret Realm, this Ivy School veteran had been present. He learned the news about the Secret Realm and attempted to secretly send a message out. However, by a stroke of chance, he was discovered by two other veterans, and a fierce battle erupted.

The spy's strength was truly formidable. Despite being besieged by two veterans at the Ninth Level of the Heavenly Court Realm, he still managed to flee for over a thousand li. He was finally killed in Tielan City, itself a thousand li distant, only when his Yuan Qi was completely depleted. However, the two veterans who pursued and ultimately killed him had not escaped unscathed. One lost an arm, and the other would require two to three months to recover.

Upon hearing the entire account, startled exclamations filled Changning Hall. Everyone's face turned grim, especially those from Ivy School. To think that there was a spy from the Demon Sect within their own academy—the very thought sent chills down their spines.

"The Blood Demon Sect has even extended its reach into our two academies! It's fortunate that the spy was killed. Otherwise, the consequences would be unthinkable," an elder from Changxin Academy murmured, wiping cold sweat from his forehead, his voice laced with lingering fear.

Luo Feng remained silent, quietly observing Feng Linshan. If the matter had ended there, there would be no need for them to be so hastily summoned here.

Indeed, as he expected, Feng Linshan raised his hand, silencing the hall. He then said solemnly, "Although this spy has been killed, he was cunning to the very end. At the moment of his death, he managed to broadcast the news of the Secret Realm."

"What! So, everyone now knows of this Secret Realm's existence?" someone couldn't help but exclaim in shock.

Feng Linshan nodded. "Yes. Therefore, we must set out as soon as possible. We must proceed to the Red Flame Desert and strive to enter the Secret Realm before the news spreads too widely. Otherwise, once the information disseminates, the situation will spiral beyond our control."

Everyone nodded in agreement. Luo Feng also understood why Principal Feng was so anxious. A high-level Martial Arts Secret Manual, top-quality Spiritual Medicine, or a Spiritual Artifact—any of these could drive Martial Artists to fight ferociously, disregarding life and death. And in a Secret Realm, countless treasures might be found. Divine weapons, extraordinary Spiritual Medicines, Martial Arts Secret Manuals—any of these could appear! A single such item could compel people to risk their lives in battle for it.

If news of the Secret Realm's existence were to spread, it would undoubtedly trigger a bloody storm. Even with the combined power of the two great academies in Red Maple Lead, it would likely be difficult to prevent the situation from deteriorating.

"Principal, let's set off immediately! We must head to the Red Flame Desert!" an elder from Changxin Academy exclaimed, unable to sit still any longer, and shot up from his seat.

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