The Decaying World-Chapter 74 - 69: Devour (Part 1)

The annexation of the Black Dragon Sect was a slow process. It wasn’t just about taking over their properties; the most crucial part was the many secret martial arts manuals Song Zhanlong had left behind.

Indeed, while wandering around the Song Mansion, Lin Hui had discovered a small study dedicated to storing plundered Martial Arts.

Inside the study was a collection of thirteen manuals that Song Zhanlong had previously seized, including a Fundamental Diagram.

He gave them a quick look. On nine of the manuals was written the word "Annihilated," a testament to how ruthless Song Zhanlong had been.

Most of the manuals in the collection were for Hard Skills focused on defense, and much of their content overlapped slightly with that of the Black Dragon Claw.

This led Lin Hui to suspect that Song Zhanlong had been using these many manuals to collectively perfect and strengthen the Black Dragon Claw.

After Weiwei left, since the Black Dragon Sect’s territory was larger than Qingfeng Temple’s, he and Xiaohu simply moved the Qingfeng Sword Sect’s plaque over and hung it directly on the Black Dragon Sect’s main gate. From then on, he held down the fort there every day.

And just as he expected, after only two quiet days, trouble arrived.

’These two days were likely just a grace period for outside forces to investigate my performance. Once they have a clear picture, the probing attacks will come one after another. After all, in their eyes, I’m just a lucky fellow who managed to wear down the Black Dragon Sect by relying on my superior Body Technique and Sword Speed.’

’The ones I defeated were all experts below the Inner Power Realm. I don’t have a solid track record, which won’t be enough to scare off the greedy eyes watching from the outside.’

A fine, misty rain fell.

Day was breaking over the training grounds of the Qingfeng Sword Sect’s Black Dragon branch.

Circles of disciples and students surrounded the area, with elderly members of the Qingfeng Sword Sect mixed among them. They all watched the two men facing off in the center of the field with unreadable expressions.

A tall, bald man with bronzed skin, wearing only a pair of black trunks, stood in the field. A giant black wolf head was tattooed across his chest. He held a Horse-Cutting Saber over two meters long and stared at Lin Hui.

"I am Rao Siyi, an Elder of the Seven Kills Sect. With Song Zhanlong dead, you sure moved fast to snap up this prize, junior." The man appeared to be in his forties, and he spoke with condescending arrogance, his gaze toward Lin Hui dismissive.

’Before I came, I investigated thoroughly. This Lin Hui has only ever fought opponents below the Inner Power Realm. His speed is astonishing, sure, but that’s it. Against an Inner Power Realm expert, he probably can’t even break through their defense, just like that battle between Baohe of Qingfeng Temple and Song Zhanlong.’

’So, after waiting for more than a day, I, an Elder who specializes in defensive Hard Skills, couldn’t hold back any longer.’

’I was afraid. Afraid that if I waited too long, this Lin Hui would transfer all of Song Zhanlong’s treasures away.’

"If you know what’s good for you, junior, take your followers and get the hell out of here! Nowadays, any Tom, Dick, or Harry dares to call themself a Sect Leader. Have you even reached the Inner Power Realm? How dare you swagger around so openly? Aren’t you afraid some passing dojo master will just slap you to death?!"

Lin Hui carefully sized up his opponent. ’This is the first Inner Power Realm expert I’ve faced since I openly took over the Black Dragon Sect. Clearly, he can’t be the only one secretly coveting its assets. This man is just the first to jump the gun, a scout with no patience.’

He glanced around, noting the doubt and uncertainty in the eyes of the disciples and students.

’These men, gathered by force, look numerous, but they’re like a sandcastle, ready to crumble at the slightest touch.’

’But it doesn’t matter.’

He smiled faintly, slowly drew his sword, and stepped forward.

’When a sandcastle is burned, the sand fuses together. All it needs is a great fire.’

SHING.

He held the tip of his sword horizontally before him.

His gaze met his opponent’s.

"Why do you think I dared to annex the Black Dragon Sect before achieving my breakthrough?"

He tapped a finger lightly on the tip of his sword, then raised his head to the sky.

"The weather today is perfect."

"To turn the rain to silk, to turn the sword to silk."

Across the field, Rao Siyi, the Elder from the Seven Kills Sect, frowned deeply.

"What is all this mystical nonsense you’re muttering!?"

A layer of shimmering white light surfaced all over his body. ’His opponent is too fast,’ he thought. ’One careless slip, and I’ll face a humiliating defeat.’

"It’s nothing," Lin Hui said with a smile. "I’ve just taken a liking to this drizzly weather."

CLACK.

He took a step forward, the hard sole of his boot making a crisp sound as it struck the stone tiles of the training ground.

The instant the sound rang out, he vanished.

In the next instant, a gray blur materialized beside Rao Siyi.

Before he could even swing his Horse-Cutting Saber, a shower of golden sparks erupted all over his body.

CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG!!

A dense flurry of sword strikes rang out almost simultaneously.

"It’s useless!" Rao Siyi roared, swinging his Horse-Cutting Saber in a crescent arc to block all attacks before him.

He then strode forward, leaped high into the air, and, gathering all his Inner Strength in his arms, smashed down.

BOOM!!

The stone slabs shattered, spraying shrapnel-like fragments in all directions.

The speed of the dense spray of stone fragments forced Lin Hui to dodge.

"I only lost to Song Zhanlong by a single move! When it comes to Hard Skills, I, Rao Siyi, am absolutely his equal!"

Rao Siyi roared, continuously swinging his blade in one crescent arc after another.

The SWOOSH of his blade sent sharp whistles through the air. Though every slash met only empty air, he continued to swing relentlessly, completely ignoring the constant eruption of sparks across his body.

’A contest of endurance to see who breaks first? I’m good at this.’

Ten moves.

Twenty moves.

Fifty moves.

Eighty moves...

The white light of Inner Strength enveloping Rao Siyi began to waver.

His expression changed slightly. ’The drain from withstanding these sword strikes is far greater than I imagined.’

’Something isn’t right.’

’He’s just at the Body Tempering Limit, not even in the Inner Power Realm. How can his blade have so much piercing power?’

’How is this Lin Hui unleashing such speed!? This isn’t normal!’

Rao Siyi started to feel a chill run down his spine. He calculated that at this rate of exertion, he could withstand another seventy-odd moves at most before he’d have to find a way to fall back and recover his Inner Strength.

’I have to think of a plan... ’

PFFT!

In that instant, his opponent’s Sword Speed surged to a new level. In the blink of an eye, dozens of strikes landed on a single point, tearing a long gash in the side of the Inner Strength barrier.

"Not good!" Rao Siyi’s blood ran cold. He instinctively reached for the spot.

But it was too late.

The moment he reached out, a blade shot through the opening and sank deep into his side.

Blood blossomed as the sword was slowly withdrawn.

Lin Hui looked at the frozen, unmoving Rao Siyi and shook his head slightly.

’I only activated Feathering for a moment to find the weakest point in his Inner Strength shield. Then, dozens of stabs to that one spot, and I broke through.’

’I didn’t use any Inner Strength during the whole fight. It was just the pure speed of the Perfect Clear Wind Sword, my Body Tempering Limit, and a brief moment of Feathering that brought him down.’

Flicking the blood from his sword, he gestured for his men to carry Rao Siyi away.

Two other people from the Seven Kills Sect, a pair of young disciples who were likely Rao Siyi’s apprentices, rushed forward with grim expressions. They glared daggers at Lin Hui as one helped their master up and the other tried to stanch the bleeding.

"The Seven Kills Sect has been taught a lesson today! We will return another day to witness the Sect Leader’s magnificent techniques."

After delivering their threat, the three prepared to flee.

"Why wait? How about right now?"

Lin Hui’s figure abruptly vanished, reappearing at the main gate to block their escape.

"You?!" The two disciples panicked. They tried to run in another direction, only to find Wang Hongshi, Chen Yuan, and others moving skillfully to block their way.

Having witnessed the entire battle, the wavering hearts of the crowd finally settled.

Before, no one knew if Lin Hui could truly stand against an Inner Power Realm master. Now, it was clear that the Sect Leader’s speed was utterly terrifying. Rumor had it that he had perfected the Swordsmanship on his own, elevating the Qingfeng Sword to an unprecedented level and thereby gaining peerless speed.

So much so that he could achieve such speed without even reaching the Inner Power Realm.

And once the members of the Black Dragon Sect were committed, they acted with incredible speed.

After all, those who were slow to act had long since been culled by Song Zhanlong. The useless had no place in the Black Dragon Sect.

This was especially true for those useless to him personally; after all, Song Zhanlong founded the Black Dragon Sect for the sole purpose of augmenting his own strength and expanding his influence.

"One million silver notes, and you may leave,"

Lin Hui said calmly.

’If challengers face no consequences, won’t people show up looking for trouble every day? Will I even have time to cultivate? I’d just become everyone’s whetstone.’

"One million!?" the two Seven Kills Sect disciples cried out in shock. ’That’s blatant extortion!’

’How could we possibly have a million on us!?’

"Fine! One million!" Surprisingly, it was Rao Siyi who spoke. Enduring the excruciating pain in his side, he took out a stack of Tuyue gold notes with one hand and placed it on the ground.

"Let’s go!"

He kept his head down, not daring to look at Lin Hui.

The moment his two apprentices cried out, he had felt a sharp spike of killing intent.

’I knew if we didn’t pay up today, the three of us wouldn’t be walking out of the Qingfeng Sword Sect alive.’

That’s why he had acted decisively, taking out the vast majority of the gold notes he had on him, putting them down, and preparing to leave.

’This new Sect Leader, Lin Hui, is completely different from the rumors. This guy is no rookie. His killing intent is intense!’

The three fled through the gates in disgrace, quickly boarded a waiting carriage, and departed in a hurry. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Behind them, the old men and women of the Black Dragon Sect and the Qingfeng Sword Sect erupted in boisterous, mocking laughter.

The atmosphere instantly became cheerful.

Lin Hui smiled as well, sheathing his sword. After giving a few instructions to Wang Hongshi, the Grand Steward, he walked out of the main gate alone, heading through the drizzle toward a wonton stall diagonally across the street.

The stall was simple, just a large, square, gray rain canopy with five wooden tables and twenty long benches arranged beneath it.

Several customers were excitedly discussing the dramatic duel they had just witnessed, not expecting one of the main protagonists of that drama to suddenly walk up beside them.

"Here for a fight?" Lin Hui ignored the other patrons, walking directly to the table of a middle-aged woman in red. He glanced at her half-eaten bowl of small wontons with pickled vegetables and pork.

"You’re arrogant, junior," the middle-aged woman said. She set down her spoon, wiped her mouth with a piece of paper, crumpled it up, and tossed it into a nearby wooden trash barrel.

"This isn’t arrogance," Lin Hui smiled. "It’s confidence. I know you can’t beat me."

"..." The woman’s expression soured. She was silent for a moment. "The instant I touch your sword, it will break. Once your sword breaks, you die!"

"Want to try?" Lin Hui’s smile widened.

The woman fell silent again. Her right hand, resting on her thigh, repeatedly clenched and unclenched.

But she didn’t dare to actually make a move.

It was true, just as she’d said. If she touched his sword, it would break, and Lin Hui would die. But...

But by the same token, if she *couldn’t* touch the sword... she would be the one to die.

And based on Lin Hui’s fight with Rao Siyi, the chances of her... touching the sword were very low.