After a moment of excitement, Luo Feng gradually calmed. Lin Hui is in the late stage of the third level of the Meridian Wheel Realm, and his strength definitely surpasses 2,500 catties, he pondered. I'm still no match for him. I need to push myself harder...
Having centered his thoughts, Luo Feng returned to his room, changed his clothes, and went to the academy's dining hall to eat.
He had been cultivating in seclusion for two consecutive days. Coupled with having just broken through to the third level of the Meridian Wheel Realm, his Yuan Qi was severely depleted. He was ravenous. As soon as he reached the dining hall, he began to eat with great gusto, devouring a three-person portion in moments.
The other students sitting near Luo Feng saw his voracious eating and, with looks of disdain, quickly moved away. Soon, he was left alone at the large table.
Luo Feng paid them no mind. His thoughts were entirely focused on cultivation. He only wanted to finish his meal quickly and return to training, so he naturally wouldn't care about such trivial matters.
Just then, a male and a female student entered the dining hall.
The female student in the lead wore the outer courtyard disciple uniform, which had a golden sun embroidered on the chest—clearly a disciple of the Golden Sun class.
Walking behind her, the male student wore a fawning smile and a deferential expression. His uniform, like Luo Feng's, bore a silver moon embroidered on the chest, marking him as a disciple of the Silver Moon class.
The moment the two appeared, an eerie silence fell over the dining hall.
Luo Feng also sensed the peculiar atmosphere. He glanced up, and an amused smile touched his eyes.
The pair looked utterly comical.
The female disciple was stout, with a thick waist and heavy legs. Her facial features were squeezed together by excess flesh, making them indistinct.
The male disciple following her, however, was her complete opposite: small and skinny.
Walking together, they created a stark visual contrast.
What a perfect match! Luo Feng curled his lip.
Luo Feng recognized them. The skinny male disciple was Qin Feng, one of Lin Hui's cronies. He was at the middle stage of the Cultivation Power Realm, within the third level of the Meridian Wheel Realm, and had often bullied Luo Feng in the past.
As for the 'exquisite' female disciple beside him, her name was Xu Li. She was a Golden Sun class disciple and the object of Qin Feng's persistent pursuit.
Luo Feng didn't want to spoil his appetite. He glanced at them once, then looked away, continuing to work his way through the pile of food before him.
"Why are there so many people..." Xu Li muttered as she entered the dining hall. Her small eyes scanned the room, and a hint of displeasure crossed her freckled face. She even pouted her thick lips subtly, an expression she perhaps thought was charmingly naive, which caused many nearby disciples to gulp.
"Xu Li, I'll find you a seat right away!" Hearing her, Qin Feng, who trailed behind, immediately stepped forward with an eager expression. He puffed out his scrawny chest and began scanning the dining hall.
"Hurry up, it stinks in here..." Xu Li said in a voice she probably considered delicate, fanning her chest with a plump hand.
If a beautiful woman spoke in such a voice, it might indeed be a pleasure. But coming from Xu Li, it was as damaging as a Yellow-rank martial art!
CLATTER... CLATTER... Several disciples nearby dropped their chopsticks.
Xu Li, completely oblivious to the hostile glares around her, suddenly noticed Luo Feng, who was still engrossed in his mountain of food. Her brow furrowed. Pinching her nose with her fingers, she said with disgust, "Who's that guy? So disgusting..."
Qin Feng was still fretting about finding a suitable seat. Hearing Xu Li, he followed her gaze. A natural look of disdain appeared in his eyes as he looked at Luo Feng. "That guy's Luo Feng, a disciple from our class," he said scornfully. "He cultivated for three years and only opened his third Meridian Wheel a couple of days ago, barely stepping into the Cultivation Power Realm. A complete waste!"
Xu Li paid no attention to Qin Feng's words. Twisting her barrel-like waist, she urged, "Qin Feng, have you found a spot yet?"
"Well..." Qin Feng looked troubled. The dining hall was packed, Xu Li refused to sit with others, and he still hadn't found a suitable table.
As his gaze swept across the room, it suddenly landed on Luo Feng. His eyes lit up.
Due to Luo Feng's terrifying appetite, no one else wanted to share his table. So, Luo Feng now occupied an entire table by himself.
Qin Feng smirked; an idea had struck him. He said to Xu Li beside him, "Lili, I've found a spot! Wait for me!"
With that, Qin Feng strode towards Luo Feng.
"Luo Feng, get up! I want this spot!" Qin Feng stood beside Luo Feng, tapped the table, and ordered.
Luo Feng was holding a large piece of Red Blood Tiger meat in both hands, still engrossed in eating. He had no intention of stopping. Hearing Qin Feng's voice, his chewing only grew louder.
Seeing Luo Feng remain unmoved, Qin Feng felt his face flush with humiliation.
Qin Feng had opened his third Meridian Wheel some time ago and was now at the middle stage of the Cultivation Power Realm. He was considered mid-tier in the Silver Moon class and had always looked down on Luo Feng, who was at the bottom.
He had assumed Luo Feng would immediately give up the seat upon his demand, but he hadn't expected to be completely ignored!
His brow twitched. Qin Feng took a step closer, his voice hardening. "Trash! Did you hear me? Get out of the way! Or else..."
SLAP! A strange sound suddenly echoed through the dining hall, followed by an abrupt, eerie silence.
The piece of roasted Red Blood Tiger meat in Luo Feng's hand, larger than his palm, had somehow ended up plastered on Qin Feng's face!
"Oh, so sorry. My hand slipped," Luo Feng said, looking at Qin Feng, who now had roast meat dripping down his face. Luo Feng spread his hands, his expression devoid of any apology.
Muffled laughter spread through the dining hall. Qin Feng was standing right beside him. Just how badly would Luo Feng's hand have to 'slip' for that piece of roast meat to fly onto Qin Feng's face?
SMACK! Qin Feng ripped the meat from his face. Feeling the stares of everyone around, especially Xu Li's, his face rapidly turned the color of pig's liver.
"Luo Feng, haven't seen you for a few days, and you've grown some guts! Today, I'll teach you a good lesson on Lin Hui's behalf, you brat!"
Qin Feng's gaze darkened. His five fingers glowed with a rocky, grayish-brown light as he thrust his clawed hand towards Luo Feng!
"Basic Martial Art—Cracking Rock Claw!"
WHIZ! The sharp sound of displaced air stung their eardrums. The surrounding disciples watched in slight surprise—this claw had the power to shatter stone and metal!
Luo Feng was only at the early stage of the Cultivation Power Realm. Everyone speculated he wouldn't be able to withstand this claw.
Courting death! Luo Feng's eyes turned cold. He sprang up like a cheetah, executing the Leopard Steps from his Leopard Fist technique. With a skillful arc, he dodged Qin Feng's lightning-fast attack. Then, clenching his right hand into a fist, he landed a Leopard Fist strike on Qin Feng's abdomen with lightning speed!
"Argh!" Qin Feng's eyes bulged. He had barely let out a scream when an even greater force erupted from his abdomen. He instantly vomited blood and was sent flying backward, landing heavily at the feet of the stunned Xu Li. He stared at Luo Feng in terror.
He couldn't understand. Luo Feng had clearly only just opened his third Meridian Wheel, putting him at the early stage of the Cultivation Power Realm. How could his strength be greater than his own, when he was at the middle stage?
Luo Feng had now cultivated his Leopard Fist to the peak realm and could use it at will. The instant his Leopard Fist struck Qin Feng's abdomen, he immediately followed up with Leopard Crack, sending Qin Feng flying.
"Scram!" Luo Feng shot a cold glare at Qin Feng.
Stared down by Luo Feng, Qin Feng felt as if two-thirds of his soul had scattered. A sharp pain shot through his abdomen again. He nodded like a chicken pecking rice. "Yes, I'll scram! I'll scram right now!"
Ignoring the pain, Qin Feng scrambled up from the ground and practically rolled and crawled out of the dining hall, wishing he had an extra leg to escape faster.
"And you!" Luo Feng's gaze swept over to Xu Li, who stood frozen in place, his eyes sharp.
"M-me? What about me?" Xu Li's face instantly turned deathly pale. She clutched her collar, staring at Luo Feng in terror.
"Being ugly isn't your fault, but coming out and scaring people is! You, get out too!" Luo Feng said coldly.
The moment Luo Feng finished speaking, the entire dining hall erupted in a wave of laughter that had clearly been suppressed to its limit.
Many had been enduring Xu Li to their breaking point and finally found a release.
"Ahh!" Xu Li's face flushed red, then turned white. She suddenly shrieked, covered her face, and fled from the dining hall.
Only then did Luo Feng let out a long breath. He glanced at the messy table and sighed. Such a good meal, ruined...
His appetite gone, and feeling about seventy to eighty percent full anyway, Luo Feng left the dining hall.
Conflicts often occurred in the dining hall. Besides, this was merely a clash between two Silver Moon class disciples. After some brief discussion, everyone put the matter aside; it didn't cause much of a stir.
After leaving the dining hall, Luo Feng didn't return to his courtyard but headed towards the mountain behind the academy.
The earlier exchange with Qin Feng had made Luo Feng realize the importance of one's martial arts mastery level.
Qin Feng's strength was comparable to his own. Luo Feng had won easily, largely because his Leopard Fist had reached the peak realm, while Qin Feng's Cracking Rock Claw was merely at the Small Success stage.
The higher the mastery of a martial art, the greater its power, and it also aided cultivation. After a moment's thought, Luo Feng decided to first practice the Tiger Roar Fist that Ji Wuyue had taught him.
The mountain behind Purple Sun School was called Ziling Mountain. It was about five thousand meters high, with treacherous terrain. The mountainside was perennially shrouded in clouds and mist. When the morning sun rose, the sunlight, interacting with the mist and the purple maple trees on the mountain, would turn the clouds a brilliant, dazzling purple, hence its name.
Ziling Mountain was rich in Yuan Qi and had a tranquil environment, so many disciples enjoyed cultivating there.
Luo Feng trekked onward until he found a cliff near the summit and stopped.
The cliff featured a massive, overhanging rock embedded in the sheer precipice. It was exceedingly treacherous, with three sides facing a vast sea of clouds. Howling mountain winds amplified its perilous nature. A timid person standing on the edge would likely plummet off.
Luo Feng endured the fierce mountain winds and walked directly to the cliff's edge. Looking down, he saw the clouds below churn and swell endlessly like a tide. His legs felt a little weak, and he swallowed hard, but he had no intention of backing down.
During his leisure time these past few days, Luo Feng often recalled Ji Wuyue demonstrating Tiger Roar Fist in the training grounds. He gradually began to grasp an ineffable intent realm within the technique.
Tiger Roar Fist was fierce and domineering, its moves concise and ruthless. Each strike conveyed a savage momentum, a willingness to forsake life and death. It was a martial art that transformed danger into power, a technique for survival in desperate straits.
It was precisely because Luo Feng had perceived this layer of intent that he chose this perilous cliff edge to cultivate Tiger Roar Fist.
Luo Feng believed that only in a dangerous environment, on the brink of life and death, by conquering the fear of mortality itself, could he integrate this conviction into his martial arts and cultivate Tiger Roar Fist to its peak realm!
There's nothing to fear. Fear is born from the heart. As long as my heart is serene, even with a sword at my throat, I will not be afraid! Besides, this cliff is merely an inanimate object!
Luo Feng took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes again, not a trace of fear remained. Instead, they glinted with a ferocious light, like those of an enraged tiger.
"Angry Tiger Exits the Cave!" With a low shout, Luo Feng's sleeves billowed. As his fist struck out, the air crackled with explosive sounds, the echoes carrying for several miles!
「For the next few days」 Luo Feng rose early and returned late. Apart from mealtimes, he spent all his time on the cliff practicing Tiger Roar Fist.
「The sixth day.」
On the cliff, Luo Feng, dressed in a white robe, stood at the very edge, practicing his fist techniques.
Below lay a vast sea of clouds, ten thousand fathoms deep. Each time he shifted his footing, loose stones would tumble down, vanishing without a trace.
There was no fear in Luo Feng's eyes; his expression was serene. He punched, retracted his fist, twisted, and turned, moving as if he stood on solid, flat ground.
The wind from his fists was fierce. With every punch Luo Feng threw, the faint roar of a tiger echoed. The intense fist wind whipped up loose stones on the cliff, flinging them a foot high before they crashed back down. Anyone watching from afar, unaware of the situation, would surely mistake it for a fierce, up-slanted-eyed tiger thrashing and roaring on the cliff.
WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH! Luo Feng's movements grew increasingly rapid, his fist shadows filling the entire cliff. Suddenly, his eyes flashed like lightning, seeming to pierce the void. His robe billowed violently as he abruptly took a step forward. Facing a large boulder, he instantly unleashed dozens of punches!
"Fierce Tiger Scorches the Plains!"
It was as if ten thousand tigers roared in unison. The fierce wind from his fists swept over the large boulder like a tidal wave, leaving behind a series of fist imprints, each about half a foot deep. The boulder quivered, then exploded with a deafening BOOM, its fragments tumbling into the endless sea of clouds below.