Chapter 27: The Moon-Cold Spiritual Pool

Luo Sheng was injured after all. No matter how fierce his attacks were, he could not sustain them for long. Although Lu Changfeng had stopped using the specific moves of the Heavenly Derivation Sword Art, the longsword in his hand seemed to possess a spirit of its own. It followed Luo Sheng’s movements, alternating between offense and defense with fluid speed. This was purely instinctual reaction, not a set of sword techniques.

For a moment, Yue Qingshuang noticed the change in Lu Changfeng. As she observed his swordplay, she realized his movements had become perfectly natural, as if he had reached the state of returning to simplicity.

"This guy... he has secrets!" Yue Qingshuang’s eyes flickered, her curiosity stirred.

Half an incense stick of time passed. Lu Changfeng had inevitably sustained several injuries, though they were all superficial and did not threaten his vitals. On the other side, Luo Sheng’s aura had withered, and blood continuously seeped from the corner of his mouth.

The next moment, Luo Sheng could wait no longer. He realized that if he did not reveal his hidden trump card, he would struggle to turn the tide. His eyes flashed, and the spiritual energy in his body was violently squeezed out and channeled into the single hammer in his hand.

"Mountain-Shaking Impact!"

The flames on the heavy hammer surged instantly, and a wave of celestial pressure erupted, crushing fiercely toward Lu Changfeng.

"It’s over!" Lu Changfeng said calmly, his expression unchanged.

Immediately after, he stomped his feet on the ground, his speed increasing sharply. His figure turned into a blur, dodging out from under the heavy hammer’s encirclement.

"What?!" Luo Sheng’s expression shifted slightly as Lu Changfeng’s figure vanished from his sight. His internal spiritual energy had been drained, and his reactions had naturally slowed. "Where are you? Get out here!" He swung his heavy hammer wildly, but to no avail.

Just then, a "swish" rang out—the sound of a longsword tearing through the sky—as the blade appeared above Luo Sheng. Although Luo Sheng reacted, he could not raise his heavy hammer in time. He had no strength left.

The next moment, Lu Changfeng’s figure flashed, and his longsword descended with a fierce strike.

"Heavenly Derivation Sword Art, Second Form: Wind Extinguisher!"

Swish! The sword tore through the air. The wind continued to whistle calmly, but as the sword radiance flickered, the wind seemed to lose its order, then suddenly dispersed and vanished without a trace.

Luo Sheng, who had been enveloped by the wind, stared wide-eyed at Lu Changfeng. He dared not make a move, for the longsword was already resting against his neck. As Lu Changfeng applied pressure, a line of blood appeared.

The stinging pain in the wound told Luo Sheng this was no hallucination.

"You—!" Luo Sheng wanted to say something, but Lu Changfeng pressed the sword slightly and said coldly, "Surrender or die!"

He showed no emotion, but the murderous intent radiating from him was intense. Luo Sheng understood that if he did not surrender, this blade would surely slice through his throat.

"I surrender! I surrender!" Luo Sheng shouted without a moment's hesitation, fearing that if he were a second late, he would be dead.

At that moment, the image of the cold-eyed youth was deeply etched into his heart. In the days to come, he would never be able to harbor any murderous intent toward Lu Changfeng, for he was truly terrified.

Lu Changfeng retracted his sword, and a surge of spiritual energy vibrated through his body. Luo Sheng groaned, shuddered violently, and then passed out.

The next moment, Lu Changfeng turned and vanished from his spot. When he reappeared, he was beside Luo Yun. He flicked his sword twice, and two rays of light flashed.

"Ah—!" Luo Yun screamed, looking at his bleeding arms with terror in his eyes. A puddle of liquid formed beneath him on the ground, and a pungent, foul odor began to permeate the air.

Lu Changfeng stared at him, the tip of his sword resting against Luo Yun’s chest, and said coldly, "Since you are a disciple of my Yuehan Peak, I can spare your life! But if you provoke me again..."

The icy gaze fell upon Luo Yun, causing him to tremble and faint completely. Originally, Lu Changfeng had intended to kill him and be done with it, but he reasoned that he was still in the sect and it would be better to keep a low profile and practice in peace. Besides, the sect did not permit disciples to kill one another. However, if there were a next time, he would certainly act. Lu Changfeng did not believe Luo Yun would have the courage to strike at him again.

Everything happened so quickly that many disciples had not yet reacted.

"What happened? How did Luo Sheng lose?"
"My god, that means... Lu Changfeng's cultivation is... Celestial Realm?"
"Didn't you see? He seems to have mastered the Heavenly Derivation Sword Art!"

The crowd was in an uproar, and the eyes with which they looked at Lu Changfeng now held a hint of wariness.

In mid-air, Yue Qingshuang nodded slightly and said to Lu Changfeng, "Go to the Yuehan Pool!" She admired his decisiveness; she knew that if she hadn't been watching, Luo Sheng and Luo Yun would never have survived. Such a person, though ruthless, possessed a measured sense of lethality and would surely achieve great things in the future.

Ye Yunlan, who was in the crowd, wanted to say something, but seeing Lu Changfeng turn and leave, she sighed and remained silent.

As Lu Changfeng stepped down into the pool, a ripple in space enveloped him. For a moment, his consciousness drifted, and when he opened his eyes again, he found himself in a new environment.

The place was originally dim, but glowing minerals on the walls made it quite bright. It resembled a large overturned bowl, with a living spring in the center and spiritual energy misting the surroundings. A single breath here was worth an incense stick of cultivation in the outside world.

As he walked forward, he realized he had been standing in a small cave. Upon exiting, he saw a pool of water a hundred feet wide, shrouded in clouds and mist, with waves of spiritual energy drifting unconsciously through the air.

On Lu Changfeng's left stood a stone tablet. It seemed to have been there for a long time, the characters on it blurred, but Lu Changfeng could still make out the four inscribed words: "Yuehan Spirit Pool."

"Yuehan Spirit Pool." Lu Changfeng chewed on the name, nodding slightly. Even before entering the water, he understood that the place lived up to its name. Just standing there, the spiritual energy in his body surged, and his cultivation speed was more than double that of the outside world—and that was not even accounting for the refined, liquefied spiritual energy of the pool itself.

Drip, drip. Above the "bowl," stalactites dripped liquid spiritual energy into the pool below. One could imagine just how dense and pure the energy here was.

He had not been standing there long when movement came from behind him. It was the other nine victors of the competition. Lu Changfeng turned to look; aside from Ye Yunlan, he did not recognize any of them.

As his gaze shifted, these newly arrived disciples responded with smiles. They now regarded Lu Changfeng as a peer of their own level, and there was no trace of disdain in their eyes.