Whenever a disciple enters the inner sect, the first lesson they hear is the story of this martial art, mainly to serve as a warning.
After all, this martial art once caused the most horrific tragedy in the Moonlight Sect, and no one in the sect wants to repeat that mistake.
Below the challenge platform, the inner sect disciples’ faces changed dramatically, as if they had heard something utterly terrifying.
“In the past, there were genius disciples who didn’t believe in the danger and insisted on practising it, but the results were all much the same, either their martial arts were completely ruined, or they were on the brink of death!”
“I know this best! One of my junior brothers, a rare prodigy with three god-tier potentials, ended up going mad and died tragically in the training room.”
“So, you see, those who practise it are either fools or lunatics, or just arrogantly ignorant.”
…
For a moment, the crowd looked at Ling Xiao with complex emotions, glee at his misfortune, pity, sympathy, and more.
It was as if Ling Xiao’s fate was already sealed.
As if he was walking down a path of self-destruction.
The faster his strength grew, the stronger his abilities, the quicker he would hasten towards his own demise.
Hearing their discussions, Ling Xiao secretly smiled.
What they said, or how they said it, had no effect on him whatsoever.
But perhaps they weren’t entirely wrong, deep down, he did have a streak of madness.
Without that madness, he wouldn’t have achieved what he had today.
Some things, if you believe they’re impossible and don’t even try, will never succeed.
But by trying, at least the odds aren’t zero.
He looked at Meng Yuan, forcibly suppressing the urge to challenge this core disciple. A voice deep within him whispered,
“Kill him! What are you afraid of? He’s constantly targeting you, and sooner or later, he’ll cause you trouble! Use your trump card, you can definitely kill him!”
But Ling Xiao didn’t act on it.
Impulsiveness is an emotion everyone feels, but some can control it, while others are controlled by it.
Ling Xiao was well aware that if he used all his trump cards now, launching a surprise attack to kill Meng Yuan was highly possible.
But then what?
Exposing his trump cards, revealing the power of the Mountain River Martial Soul and the Ancient Golden Dragon, would plunge him into even greater danger.
“Look, Ren Xing Tian, the top-ranked core disciple, is here!”
Suddenly, the crowd erupted in excitement.
Ling Xiao turned to see a well-proportioned young man with severe dark circles under his eyes approaching.
“Ren Xing Tian is only twenty years old, yet he’s already a half-step Heavenly Venerable at thirty percent, even more formidable than Lan Yu’er!”
“Indeed, that’s what you call young and promising.”
Among the inner sect disciples, there was more envy and awe towards Ren Xing Tian.
Ren Xing Tian’s appearance was quite dashing, aside from the noticeable dark circles, he was even more handsome than Meng Yuan.
Those dark circles, however, gave him a touch of devilish charm, making him stand out.
Naturally, he had no shortage of female admirers.
“Who’s practising it?”
Ren Xing Tian’s voice was lazy, almost listless, but to the female disciples, it was like music to their ears.
“Young Sect Leader, it’s that outer sect disciple, Ling Xiao!”
Meng Yuan respectfully bowed and reported to Ren Xing Tian.
Ren Xing Tian glanced at Ling Xiao indifferently, then looked away, saying coldly,
“Courting death.”
“Hmph, Ren Xing Tian, do you really think you’re the future sect leader? My people aren’t for you to judge like that!”
Anyone else would never dare speak to Ren Xing Tian this way.
But Lan Yu’er wasn’t afraid of him.
Perhaps among the top ten core disciples, only Lan Yu’er and the third-ranked one would dare challenge Ren Xing Tian.
The others simply didn’t have the courage.
“Your people?”
Ren Xing Tian glanced at Lan Yu’er, suddenly letting out a scornful sneer, “I always thought you, Lan Yu’er, wouldn’t fall for any man, but to think you’d pick such trash!”
“Hm?”
Ling Xiao’s brows furrowed.
These inner sect disciples were truly arrogant, treating outer sect disciples as nothing but trash and failures.
“Ren Xing Tian, in this contest for the Young Sect Leader position, I’ll definitely bring you down!”
Lan Yu’er said coldly.
She was truly angry.
“Hahaha, angry? Getting mad over a piece of trash?”
Ren Xing Tian burst into laughter, then suddenly lunged at Ling Xiao with incredible speed, “Perfect, I love seeing you angry. I wonder if you’ll cry after I kill him? Hahaha, it’ll be fun to find out.”
“Lunatic!”
Lan Yu’er cursed under her breath, stepping in front of Ling Xiao.
Ren Xing Tian wasn’t Meng Yuan, this guy was a complete madman. In the entire Moonlight Sect, he killed whoever he wanted without a second thought.
His talent was so exceptional that even if he killed the relatives of elders, he faced no real punishment.
At most, he’d lose some salary or be sent to reflect in seclusion, punishments that meant nothing to him.
“Can you stop me?”
Ren Xing Tian’s hand, pale as jade.
Such a beautiful hand, yet it was a hand that killed!
Thousands, if not tens of thousands, had died by this hand!
Since becoming an inner sect disciple, Ren Xing Tian only took on killing missions, dismissing all others as beneath him.
This hand was deadly, and utterly terrifying.
Lan Yu’er didn’t dare slack off.
She knew her cultivation and combat experience were inferior to Ren Xing Tian’s.
But she had to protect Ling Xiao!
Suddenly, Ling Xiao’s lips moved.
Lan Yu’er hesitated for a moment, then abruptly changed her move, striking towards a direction that clearly had no attack.
Yet at that moment, Ren Xing Tian stepped back.
He stopped his attack, standing there with a puzzled expression.
“How did you spot my real attack?”
Ren Xing Tian asked.
His words left all the watching inner sect disciples baffled.
“No comment!”
Lan Yu’er was secretly amazed.
She hadn’t actually seen through Ren Xing Tian’s real attack, she had simply heard Ling Xiao’s transmitted message.
Though she was shocked that Ling Xiao could uncover the secret of Ren Xing Tian’s move, she couldn’t reveal it now.
“Heh.”
Ren Xing Tian looked at Ling Xiao and said, “You got lucky today. Take my advice, stop practising now, or you’ll be dead before I even get to kill you.”
His tone was commanding, grating to the ear.
With that, Ren Xing Tian retreated into the crowd, saying no more.
The core disciples were arriving at the inner sect’s main hall one after another, clearly not for Ling Xiao’s spar with the Swordman King, but for some other matter.
