Chapter 156-157

156. Jiangyang Was Shocked

Jiangyang City, the largest city in the Middle State of Great Chang, was virtually the core of the entire Middle State. Lin Fei's first stop was here.

Lin Fei sat at a wooden table in a tavern, observing the diverse crowd of customers, servers, and the owner. Everything seemed ordinary. However, when Lin Fei glanced at the food on the table, his expression became even colder.

"The world of martial arts is not just about martial skills. There are also schemes! I intend to solve matters with martial arts, but there are those who resort to schemes."

Lin Fei's tone was calm, but there was a hint of coldness in his voice. The food on the table was poisoned!

This was the first time Lin Fei encountered such a situation. Throughout his journey in the martial world, whether he encountered Qi cultivators or martial artists, Lin Fei had never faced someone attempting to poison him.

But now, as he sought the title of "Number One Saber Under Heaven" and attracted saber cultivators from around the world, he encountered a nefarious tactic he had never seen before at his first stop in the martial world.

Poison!

This poison was colorless and tasteless. However, Lin Fei's perception was incredibly strong. As a result, when these people quietly poisoned the food, he already knew.

Since they dared to poison him, it meant that the poison could affect innate martial artists and even potentially kill them. It was a formidable poison!

"Come out, all of you! These tricks are not worth mentioning!" Lin Fei rebuked in a low voice.

With a "whoosh", the expressions of those who were just ordinary pedestrians, servers, and the owner drastically changed. They all stood up, pulling out weapons from their bodies, and stared at Lin Fei.

These people, totaling dozens, were all martial artists! At this moment, they all looked at Lin Fei with fear. Their attempt to poison him had failed.

"Immortal Slayer Saber," one of them began, "We all know you are formidable, your saber can slay immortals. Even the three saber masters of Chang City are no match for your saber. However, your Heavenly Meridian Pill is too tempting. For the sake of the Heavenly Meridian Pill, we can only take risks!"

Lin Fei understood. The Heavenly Meridian Pill! He had underestimated the allure of the Heavenly Meridian Pill for acquired martial artists. Or perhaps he had underestimated human nature.

Lin Fei lifted his head, looking at these martial artists, and said calmly, "I came to martial worlds to meet the saber cultivators of Jiangyang and confirm the saber techniques. I haven't killed anyone in Jiangyang, but you want to poison me. As matters of the martial world, they should be resolved in the martial world. You should be killed!"

At this moment, Lin Fei's intent to kill was evident. Since they had attempted to poison him, Lin Fei would not be polite. After all, the martial world was never devoid of killing.

In the next moment, Lin Fei flicked his finger.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh".

Immediately, strands of saber energy burst out from his body and flew towards these dozens of martial artists.

To deal with these martial artists, Lin Fei didn't even need to use any saber techniques, let alone his saber intent. Just his saber energy was enough.

The strands of saber energy moved incredibly fast. With just a slight flash, they were instantly in front of these martial artists.

"Pfff".

"Crack".

The saber energy instantly cut off the weapons of the martial artists and entered their bodies. No one could block Lin Fei's strand of saber energy. Therefore, within a short time, dozens of bodies fell on the floor of the tavern.

Lin Fei stood up and left the tavern. Among these martial artists, there was not even a single one who had perfected saber techniques. Clearly, they were hardly considered saber cultivators. Even if they were saber cultivators, they were very ordinary ones. They didn't come to challenge Lin Fei in a saber duel but for the Heavenly Meridian Pill.

Leaving the tavern, Lin Fei came to the lake and saw an old man with a bamboo hat. The old man was holding an iron hammer and seemed to be hitting a rusty saber.

The saber was very old and dull. It was repeatedly hammered by the old man, but it remained dull without any edge. Lin Fei quietly watched the old man continuously hammering the dull saber. After a long time, Lin Fei finally spoke, "Your saber is dull, it can't be sharpened anymore!"

"Yes, my saber hasn't been used for forty years." The old man replied. "Only today, did I dig it up from the ground again. I may not care about profit, but in the end, I can't escape the word 'fame'."

The old man looked up, his eyes were sharp as a saber, "'Immortal Slayer Saber' Master Lin, if you want to become the Number One Saber Under Heaven, and you chose Jiangyang as your first stop, then I had no choice but to come out of retirement. I'm Li Sandao of Jiangyang."

Lin Fei's eyes remained calm. He had never heard of this old man, but he could guess that he was a senior figure in the martial arts world of Jiangyang, especially among saber cultivators. This old man had retired his saber for forty years but had now returned because of him.

"I'm Lin Fei from Nine Profound Sect," Lin Fei responded.

"Aren't you drawing your saber?" Li Sandao asked.

Lin Fei remained silent.

Li Sandao gently held the hilt of the rusty saber, as if talking to himself, "Sealed for forty years, old friend, I am holding you again! Forty years ago, the martial world called me 'Three Sabers' because I had three unique saber techniques. But after sealing my saber for forty years, I've condensed those three into one. 'Immortal Slayer Saber' Master Lin, do you dare to receive one saber strike from this old man?"

"Senior, please draw your saber," Lin Fei said calmly.

"Very well!"

"Swish."

The next moment, the old man made his move.

Previously, the old man didn't have any noticeable fluctuations of True Qi or inner power. Even Lin Fei couldn't tell whether the old man was an acquired martial artist or an innate martial artist.

But now, as the old man made his move, a trace of True Qi fluctuation, although very subtle, was still detected by Lin Fei.

The old man in front of him was an innate master and even one step away from the realm of martial Grand Master.

"One saber!"

The old man's saber strike completely converged its sharpness, not even much True Qi erupted. Only when it was in front of Lin Fei did the innate True Qi explode instantly.

This was the old man's all-out strike, his strongest saber! This one saber, even if it was a martial Grand Master, the old man felt, perhaps would not be much different. However, Lin Fei just slightly shook his head, remaining unmoved.

The next moment, the old man's body shook. Following that, his whole body seemed to tremble. He held the hilt of the rusty saber tightly in his hand, but despite exerting all his strength, he seemed to be unable to control the saber.

At this moment, the old man looked horrified.

"Saber intent!"

The old man's eyes widened in shock, his heart filled with astonishment!

What a terrifying saber intent!

Although there were rumors in the martial world that Lin Fei, the "Immortal Slayer Saber", had a terrible saber energy that could cut through anything when he drew his saber, and the saber intent was also very powerful.

However, in the vast majority of cases, the Martial Dao True Intent could only play a supporting role in martial artists' battles. Li Sandao did not expect that simply unleashing the saber intent would render him unable to control his own blade against Lin Fei.

Lin Fei looked calm, looked at the old man, and said lightly, "Senior, you lost. You sealed your saber for forty years, but you didn't comprehend saber intent. It doesn't matter if you condensed three sabers into one. Even if you condensed thirty sabers into one, what use is it?

You've spent a lifetime studying saber techniques, but you don't know the true essence of saber arts. In front of me, you can't even draw your saber. This saber, you've wasted a lifetime practicing it!"

After finishing his words, Lin Fei stepped forward. After a few leaps, he disappeared without a trace.

"I... I've wasted a lifetime practicing this saber..."

The old man's face turned pale. Then, it seemed like he realized something.

"Yes, I've wasted a lifetime practicing this saber. Hahaha, this saber, I don't need it!"

The old man grabbed his saber and threw it hard. With a "plop" sound, the rusty old saber instantly sank into the bottom of the lake. Without looking back, the old man strode away.

Lin Fei, the "Immortal Slayer Saber", descended from Chang City along the river to Jiangyang.

In three days in Jiangyang, he defeated five saber technique masters. All the saber masters in Jiangyang surrendered and willingly respected Lin Fei as the Number One Saber Under Heaven.

When the news spread out, Jiangyang was shocked!

157. A Saber Severing the River!

"Chang City, Jiangyang."

Lin Fei reclined on a modest skiff. By this time, he had bidden farewell to Jiangyang and said his goodbyes to Middle State.

Nineteen states under the heavens, a realm rich in resources and vast in territory. Great Chang, truly, was a kingdom flourishing in prosperity. Hence, the scope of merely two states, Lin Fei's Heavenly Saber Art had already attained a mastery of 60%. It could be acclaimed his gains were abundant.

However, the sole thing inducing a twinge of regret within Lin Fei was that in the entirety of Jiangyang and even throughout the whole of Middle State, not a single soul had comprehended the essence of the saber.

Thus, Lin Fei continued to navigate downstream. This time, he was venturing towards a place of utmost importance.

Saber City! This city bore the name of the saber. There was no other reason than this place had given birth to a revered saber saint!

Fifteen hundred years ago, this place had given birth to an unrivaled saber saint. He was also the most widely acclaimed saber saint throughout the entirety of Great Chang.

Every person in Great Chang knew of the Hidden Sword Sect and the Sword Saint. But little did they know, Great Chang had also fostered a saber saint. Even more so, there existed a noble lineage of saber saints, continuing the bloodline of the saber saint, residing in Saber City!

In Lin Fei's aspirations to become the "Number One Saber Under Heaven" and even to facilitate the birth of saber essence within his Heavenly Saber Art, he must necessarily journey to Saber City. And now, he wasn't far from Saber City. Or rather, this very river also fell within the confines of Saber City.

The ferryman, a man of sixty winters, upon reaching midday, pulled out the fish stored in the cabin, using a kitchen saber, he swiftly gutted the fish.

"Swish, swish, swish."

With each rise and fall of the ferryman's hand, his speed and proficiency were remarkable.

Lin Fei, in tranquility, observed the ferryman carving the fish. In a muted voice, he uttered, "Old man, your skill with the saber is adept. With such mastery of the saber, if you held a deadly saber instead of a kitchen one, you would undoubtedly be a saber master!"

The ferryman, hearing this, couldn't help but chuckle, "Honored guest, you flatter me too much. However, having been born and raised in Saber City, I've been steeped in its traditions since my youth. Wouldn't it be a joke if I didn't know a few saber techniques? In Saber City, there's not a soul who doesn't know how to wield a saber."

The elderly man seemed quite proud.

"Oh? Every person in Saber City is skilled in saber techniques? Do you, old man, know of the Saber Saint?" Lin Fei inquired.

"Of course, I do! The story of the Saber Saint, even if I narrated it for three days and nights, wouldn't be enough. From my youth, I've been familiar with the tales of the Saber Saint. He's the pride of our Saber City!"

Merely mentioning the Saber Saint sent the ferryman into a wave of enthusiastic storytelling, seemingly without end. Tales of sabers splitting mountains, of sabers breaking rivers, of the change in heaven and earth with a single swing of a saber, and more.

To the common people, these were all figures akin to demigods. Naturally, the tales were as exaggerated as they could possibly be.

Lin Fei didn't interrupt the ferryman's passionate discourse. He silently listened to the narratives about the Saber Saint.

After a long while, the ferryman's mouth turned dry from talking. Lin Fei passed him a cup of tea, then continued his inquiry, "Does the old man know about the noble lineage of Saber Saints within Saber City? Being descendants of the Saber Saint, they must possess many top-class saber masters, right? After all, they are the bloodline of the Saber Saint, surely their legacy is substantial."

The ferryman's face darkened slightly, then he shook his head and said, "The lineage of the Saber Saint... the current lineage has long lost the spirit of the Saber Saint. I've heard it said that the beneficial influence of a good man ceases after five generations. As the common saying goes, wealth does not pass through three generations. But the lineage of the Saber Saint? They've been continuing for over a thousand years. Heh, continuing for a millennium, is that so easy? The intricacies within... Well, it's better not to speak of the Saber Saint lineage."

Every time the ferryman mentioned the "lineage of the Saber Saint," he shook his head. He seemed quite unsatisfied with the lineage, or perhaps, many people in Saber City were dissatisfied with them. This was also normal.

A millennial lineage, how could there not be degenerates? Over a thousand years, the Saber Saint lineage had become an overwhelming entity, its reach extending to every facet of Saber City.

However, what the Saber Saint lineage amounted to had nothing to do with Lin Fei. Lin Fei needed that mastery, even perfect, in saber techniques – the top-class saber masters. Therefore, regardless, he needed to visit this lineage of Saber Saints.

Soon, the ferryman finished preparing the fish. "Honored guest, come and taste how well this old man's craft fares," he warmly invited Lin Fei for a taste.

"Hm?"

Lin Fei suddenly looked up. His eyes narrowed slightly. At that moment, on the distant river surface, a ship stretching several dozen meters slowly approached. Hanging on the ship was a banner.

Upon seeing it, the ferryman's face subtly changed. In a low voice, he said, "It's a ship from the lineage of the Saber Saint. We should steer clear."

The ferryman immediately began to paddle, steering the small boat away from the lineage of the Saber Saint's massive ship. However, the large ship unexpectedly adjusted its course slightly. Its destination was directly towards Lin Fei's little boat.

"Is the person aboard the small boat ahead the 'Immortal Slayer Saber' Master Lin Fei?"

Suddenly, a voice echoed from the large ship.

Lin Fei narrowed his eyes slightly. He moved to the front of the boat and responded loudly, "It is indeed Lin, who are you?"

"We are members of the Saber Saint lineage from Saber City. We heard that Master Lin is here to engage in a saber meet, aiming for the title 'Number One Saber Under Heaven.' Our Saber Saint lineage has come specially to welcome Master Lin."

"Welcome?"

Lin Fei's gaze turned cold. He looked at the huge ship, "If you're here to welcome me, why do you bring so much oil and ax saber wielders?"

At this, the faces of the people aboard the ship from the Saber Saint lineage changed dramatically. The Saber Saint lineage gave a wave of their hand, no longer concealing their intentions. A large number of archers poured out from the ship's cabin, holding strong bows. Furthermore, the arrowheads were soaked in oil, ablaze with roaring flames.

One by one, the "fire arrows" aimed at Lin Fei's small boat. At this moment, the ferryman's face turned deathly pale, his body trembling uncontrollably.

"Disaster, disaster!" He murmured repeatedly.

He was just a small ferryman, earning a living by ferrying boats. How could he have anticipated running into such a disaster today? Judging by the posture of the Saber Saint lineage, they were not merely trying to intimidate.

"Those martial artists want to kill me for the Heavenly Meridian Pill. I can understand this point. But you, the Saber Saint lineage, even without the Heavenly Meridian Pill, should have no shortage of martial artists, right? You even have Innate Masters. Why are you trying to kill me?"

Lin Fei's tone remained calm.

"Why? You're just too confident, Master Lin. You want to claim 'Number One Saber Under Heaven,' and we, the Saber Saint lineage, do not object. But you should not have come to Saber City. This Saber City is the Saber City of our Saber Saint lineage!

Once you arrive at the Saber City, you'll inevitably challenge us. Given the strength of your 'Immortal Slayer Saber,' we, the Saber Saint lineage, have enough self-awareness to know we can't resist. If our lineage loses its prestige, how can we stand in Saber City? So, we have no choice but to take action."

Lin Fei finally understood. In the end, it all came down to "fame and profit."

The Saber Saint lineage had managed to continue for over a thousand years primarily because of its prestige. Their word was law in Saber City. However, if Lin Fei were to topple the Saber Saint lineage, what prestige would they have left? Over time, the Saber Saint lineage would slowly decline in Saber City.

This was the power of "fame and profit"!

"But aren't you afraid of me?"

"Hahaha, who doesn't know the fame of 'Immortal Slayer Saber'? If we were on land, of course, we'd fear you. However, on this vast river, even the mighty 'Immortal Slayer Saber' can only succumb!"

Lin Fei looked around. Indeed. Here he was at the center of a great river, surrounded by endless water, with no sight of the shore.

Martial artists were not Qi cultivators. They didn't have magical artifacts and couldn't fly. If they fell into the water, even the strongest martial artist wouldn't be able to exert much power.

Apparently, the Saber Saint lineage had been keeping an eye on Lin Fei all along, hence their decision to strike now. This was their only chance to kill Lin Fei!

"Your plan is impeccable, and your arrangement meticulous. It seems the Saber Saint lineage has some wise individuals. However, no matter the amount of scheming or strategizing, we, as martial artists and saber practitioners, rely ultimately on our sabers!"

With that, Lin Fei jumped directly into the water.

"Huh?"

Everyone, whether from the Saber Saint lineage or the old ferryman, showed surprise on their faces.

Instead of staying on the boat and fighting for his life, Lin Fei voluntarily jumped into the water. Was he trying to commit suicide?

However, when Lin Fei leaped off the small boat, he stepped on the water's surface.

Immediately, ripples appeared on the water's surface. Even under Lin Fei's feet, a whirlpool formed. Lin Fei, step by step, walked on the water's surface as if he were on land, heading directly towards the Saber Saint lineage's large ship.

"He's walking on water!"

"How is this possible?"

"The records left by our Saber Saint lineage say that only those who have achieved physical perfection can walk on water without sinking."

"Could it be, Lin Fei has achieved physical perfection?"

"But there have been no traces of exotic beasts, so how could he achieve physical perfection?"

For a moment, the people from the Saber Saint lineage were shocked.

"No, he hasn't achieved physical perfection. His Innate True Qi is extremely rich, and there's a rumor that Lin Fei doesn't cultivate Innate True Qi, but Saber Qi! He's using his thick Saber Qi to walk on water! We must stop him, shoot the arrows, kill him!"

Despite their shock, the people of the Saber Saint lineage had to take action. They had no other choice.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh."

Suddenly, a rain of arrows was launched toward Lin Fei.

A layer of saber energy enveloped Lin Fei, bouncing off the arrows that struck him. They fell into the water.

Lin Fei stood with his hands behind his back, walking on the water just like a land-bound immortal, completely at ease. The rain of arrows couldn't touch him at all.

Step by step, Lin Fei was nearing the colossal ship of the Saber Saint lineage. A glint of peculiarity flashed in his eyes.

"I have heard that the original Saber Saint could split the river with a single slash of his saber. Today, I, Lin Fei, would like to emulate the Saber Saint. Let's see if I can split the river with my saber."

Lin Fei's voice was calm, but it resonated clearly in everyone's ears.

"Boom."

The next moment, Lin Fei's saber energy burst forth, and two hundred and fifty meters long saber energy suspended in mid-air.

This was Lin Fei's condensed Heavenly Saber!

The martial artists on the giant ship were all from Saber City, and almost every one of them carried a saber. However, in the presence of the Heavenly Saber, all of their sabers were trembling. Regardless of how hard they tried to pull their sabers out, they were unable to do so.

"Splash."

The sabers actually flew out of their hands, ascending into mid-air as if drawn by an invisible force. The scene looked as if the sabers were showing their "submission" to the Heavenly Saber. Everyone was stunned as if they couldn't believe their own eyes.

"Heavenly Saber Art, Slash!"

In the next moment, Lin Fei waved his hand. Instantly, the two hundred and fifty meters long Heavenly Saber, carrying the might of overturning the heavens, slashed fiercely toward the giant ship below.

"Boom."

In an instant, the giant ship was cut in half from top to bottom! Simultaneously, the horrifying saber energy even cut several hundred meters long and thirty meters wide trenches into the river, deep enough to see the bottom.

Such power was akin to the divine!

"Can... can a saber really split the river? Is it true?"

The old man who witnessed this scene was wide-eyed, seemingly unable to believe it!

"Old man, I'll be on my way now."

With that, Lin Fei tossed a silver ingot. He didn't even glance at the people of the Saber Saint lineage floating in the water. Instead, he continued his leisurely walk on the water, heading towards Saber City.

Five days later, news spread from Saber City.

"Immortal Slayer Saber" Lin Fei, walked on water, split the river with a single saber strike, annihilated the Saber Saint lineage, and defeated all the Saber Masters in Saber City!

Tens of thousands of saber practitioners in Saber City willingly acknowledged Lin Fei as the Number One Saber Under Heaven!

As the news spread, Saber City was shocked! The martial arts world was shocked!