Chapter 148: Apprehend the Rebels!

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Between the flashes of lightning, Lin Canglang and Duanmu Qingshan exchanged more than ten moves.

"Damn it! Damn it!"

With eyes ablaze with fury, Lin Canglang locked his gaze onto Duanmu Qingshan, seething, "You old thing, I can't believe you still possess such strength!"

"Over the past dozen years as the sect leader, you've not merely idled away your time. You're at least considerably stronger than your master!"

Duanmu Qingshan tightened his grip on the sword hilt. His earlier breaking through of the Five-Thunder Sky-Locking Array had depleted a significant portion of his elemental qi, and Lin Canglang's strength exceeded his expectations by a wide margin.

After exchanging blows for a dozen rounds, Duanmu Qingshan's physical and elemental energy began to falter.

"Duan–mu! You old–geezer!" Lin Canglang forced his voice out from between clenched teeth. Gathering his entire reservoir of true qi, he unleashed a fierce sword strike. "Phoenix Descends!"

"Flower-Transposing Jade-Burying!"

In this critical moment, Duanmu Qingshan unleashed the deadly technique of the Flower-Transposing Jade-Burying Sword. As their swords collided, a piercingly sharp sound erupted, nearly rupturing eardrums.

Clang!

A low-grade treasured weapon undeniably lived up to its name. Lin Canglang's sword, in terms of resilience and strength, far surpassed Duanmu Qingshan's medium-grade mystical weapon by more than tenfold.

Crack!

Duanmu Qingshan's sword shattered into three pieces, while Lin Canglang staggered back seven steps in the final clash before stabilizing his stance.

Duanmu Qingshan stood still, his palm cracked open from the recent exchange, blood dripping steadily and staining the ground beneath his feet red.

It's quite evident that in the exchange, Duanmu Qingshan had firmly gained the upper hand, only to be at a disadvantage due to the difference in weaponry.

"Master, catch this sword!" Ling Feng immediately retrieved his own Crimson-Fire Golden Wind Sword, also a low-grade treasured weapon. This Crimson-Fire Golden Wind Sword, sourced from the treasury of the Cangqiong Sect, was undoubtedly a precious item among low-grade treasured weapons.

Duanmu Qingshan's large hand reached out and caught the Crimson-Fire Golden Wind Sword, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

A low-grade treasured weapon?

Such treasures, aside from the sect leader's sword held by Lin Canglang, were hard to find here. It was doubtful whether another one could be found in the entire Wenxian Sect. And yet, Ling Feng actually possesses one?

Without hesitation, Duanmu Qingshan seized the Crimson-Fire Golden Wind Sword, his momentum suddenly rising, as he bellowed, "Lin Canglang, come at me again!"

"Damn it! Damn it all!"

Lin Canglang, forced back seven steps by Duanmu Qingshan, wore a face uglier than the bottom of a pot, his eyes glaring angrily at Ling Feng and his master, trembling with fury.

...

Meanwhile, the elders and disciples of the Wenxian Sect were all alarmed by the thunderous sound emanating from Little Bamboo Peak.

"Look, isn't that the Sect Leader and Elder Li? Why are they all heading towards Little Bamboo Peak?"

"These matters concern the upper echelons of the sect; how could we possibly be qualified to know?"

"True, but isn't Senior Uncle Ling Feng also at Little Bamboo Peak?"

"Damn, we need to go and see!"

One after another, disciples gathered and made their way towards Little Bamboo Peak.

At the medicinal pavilion.

Elder Yao stood by the window, gazing at the thunderbolt coming from the direction of Little Bamboo Peak, his brow furrowed.

"Duanmu, my junior brother, have you finally broken through the array?"

Elder Yao clenched his fist. After a moment of contemplation, he finally made a decision. With a swift movement, he flew out of the window.

After harboring some words in his heart for over a decade, it was time to speak them out!

...

"Lin Canglang, come and face me once more!"

Duanmu Qingshan tightened his grip on the Crimson-Fire Golden Wind Sword and stepped forward. An overwhelming and authoritative aura emanated from him, causing everyone on the field to tremble in awe.

Meanwhile, Lin Canglang's expression remained as calm as water, his eyes shifting unpredictably. He seized the low-grade treasured weapon in his right hand and shouted angrily, "Why panic? It's just Duanmu Qingshan. Does he think he can overturn the entire Wenxian Sect by himself? I am the Sect Leader of the Wenxian Sect!"

A sinister smile crept onto Lin Canglang's face. "Duanmu, you old geezer, I must admit, I may have underestimated you a bit. But look around you. In every direction, across all seventy-two caves and nine peaks, my disciples and followers are present! How many can just the two of you take down?"

As Lin Canglang spoke, disciples and elders of the Wenxian Sect converged from all directions. Little Bamboo Peak, usually deserted, was now packed with people.

Everyone watched in astonishment as the two sides faced off, a wave of shock rippling through them.

Ling Feng and his master were actually fighting against the Sect Leader and others!

"What exactly is going on? Why would the Sect Leader target Senior Uncle Ling?"

"There must be some misunderstanding here! Shouldn't Senior Uncle Ling be acting in the sect's best interests?"

In the eyes of most disciples, Ling Feng held far greater esteem than the Sect Leader. After all, it was Ling Feng who had eradicated the Iron Blood Alliance's tyranny within the inner sect.

And as for this "esteemed" Sect Leader, besides occupying a high position, they had never demonstrated any notable achievements.

Duanmu Qingshan and Ling Feng rebelling against the Sect Leader should have been seen as a grave act of betrayal, but the disciples unconsciously leaned towards Ling Feng's side.

"

Hmph!

Do you see now, old geezer, Ling Feng? Do you think that just the two of you can contend with the entire Wenxian Sect? That's too naive!"

Lin Canglang's lips curved into a smirk. As the Sect Leader of the Wenxian Sect, with just a command from him, hundreds or even thousands of disciples would surround both of them in an instant!

Yang Wei, Li Liang, and others felt slightly relieved.

Although they didn't want things to escalate to this point, everything was still under control. Just Ling Feng and Duanmu Qingshan alone couldn't shake their positions.

As more and more disciples of the Wenxian Sect gathered, Duanmu Qingshan tightened his grip on the sword, his brows furrowing.

"Lin Canglang, you're despicable!"

Duanmu Qingshan clenched his fist. Ordinary disciples of the Wenxian Sect were beneath his notice; he could easily dispatch them with a wave of his hand. However, the skills he possessed were taught by the founder of the Wenxian Sect. If he were to slaughter the disciples of the Wenxian Sect today, it would betray his own master's teachings.

"

Hmph!

" Lin Canglang swept his sleeves and shouted loudly, "All disciples, all elders, listen up! Duanmu Qingshan and Ling Feng are rebels to our Wenxian Sect! As the Sect Leader, I command you all to rise up and attack them! Spare no mercy!"

His voice, amplified by his elemental qi, echoed through the sky, clearly reaching every disciple's ears.

"What? Senior Uncle Ling Feng is a traitor[1]?"

"No way! That's impossible!"

Upon Lin Canglang's command, the disciples hesitated and remained still.

Even the elders furrowed their brows, pondering the situation. While Ling Feng might exhibit some rebellious tendencies, there appeared to be no evidence of him betraying the sect. After all, just a few days prior, he had played a crucial role in eradicating the malignancy within the Wenxian Sect—the Iron-Blood Alliance.

Of course, there were some who wanted to curry favor with the Sect Leader and stepped forward, only to retreat back into the crowd upon seeing that most people did not act.

The spear targets the lead bird[2]!

They had all witnessed Ling Feng's strength, and Duanmu Qingshan’s reputation, established over a decade ago, was also quite formidable.

Observing the reluctance of the others to act, the opportunists naturally retreated.

"What... what's going on?" Lin Canglang felt a hint of panic creeping in.

I am the Sect Leader of the Wenxian Sect, yet the disciples of the sect are refusing to obey my orders?

Yang Wei, Li Liang, and others also became uneasy.

Where did the authority of the sect leader go? Where?

1. Translator's note: In my personal opinion, "traitor" suits Ling Feng because he betrayed the sect leader's trust, whereas "rebel" is more fitting for Duanmu. However, if both individuals are mentioned, I would opt for using the term "rebel" for consistency. ☜

2. It means, if things go south, whoever stood out first will also be the first to receive the drawbacks. ☜