Immortal Asura: Crushing the Heavenly Dao

The Elder's Fury

"You have sealed your fate today, you little demon," Elder Mo roared, his voice shaking the heavy wooden foundations of the viewing box.

The entire arena stayed dead silent. Thousands of disciples sat completely frozen on their stone benches, their eyes moving back and forth between the unconscious body of Wang Chen and the solitary figure of Lin Feng standing in the center of the platform. The cold mountain wind swept across the open courtyard, carrying the faint smell of spilled blood through the rows of spectators. Nobody dared to utter a single word.

"Look at him, he cannot even stand up straight," a disciple in the third row finally whispered to his neighbor, though his voice quickly died down under Elder Mo's furious glare.

"Silence!" Elder Mo bellowed, stepping directly over the shattered wooden railing of his private box. He floated down onto the stone arena floor, his long gray robes billowing behind him like dark storm clouds. His face was twisted into a mask of pure, unbridled rage as he pointed a trembling finger at Lin Feng. "This trial is completely invalid! There is no possible way a piece of absolute trash with shattered spiritual roots could defeat my top disciple with a single strike!"

Lin Feng stood his ground, his arms resting calmly at his sides as the elder landed just ten paces away from him. "The referee already declared the match over, Elder Mo. Wang Chen lost because he was too arrogant and entirely hollow. My victory is perfectly legitimate under the rules of the outer sect."

"Do not dare lie to me, boy!" Elder Mo hissed, his knuckles turning white as he clenched his fists tightly. "You have no spiritual core. You have no viable pathways. The only way you could generate that kind of explosive physical force is by consuming forbidden demonic pills before you stepped onto this platform!"

"I have not touched any demonic medicines," Lin Feng replied, his voice remaining smooth and cold as ice. "If your nephew cannot handle a basic punch, perhaps you should spend less time buying him expensive gifts and more time teaching him how to actually fight."

The crowd gasped loudly at the sheer boldness of his words. No outer disciple had ever spoken to a high elder with such complete defiance.

"He is truly insane," a voice from the upper benches muttered. "Elder Mo will execute him on the spot for that kind of disrespect."

"You arrogant little dog," Elder Mo growled, taking three heavy steps forward, his powerful cultivation aura flaring up around him like a blazing green fire. The pressure from his energy made the surrounding stone floor begin to crack and splinter. "I demand a full, immediate body inspection right now! Guard disciples, step forward and secure his limbs! I will personally search his robes and examine his internal meridians to expose the dark medicine hidden inside his veins!"

Lin Feng's heart gave a sudden, violent thump against his ribs. He knew exactly what a physical inspection meant. If Elder Mo forced his spiritual energy into his chest, he would immediately discover the glowing gold cosmic pathways. He would see the forbidden ancient scripture flowing through his veins, and everything would be completely ruined before he could get his revenge.

"Get away from me," Lin Feng said, stepping back slightly as four armored guard disciples drew their iron swords and began to encircle the stage.

"You have no choice, traitor!" Elder Mo shouted, his eyes wide with a desperate, malicious desire to crush the boy before any secrets could slip out. "Submit to the inspection immediately or the guards will chop your legs off where you stand!"

Instead of submitting, Lin Feng points his bloody finger directly at Elder Mo and challenges him to a life-or-death duel in three days.

The grand arena went even quieter than before, a heavy, suffocating shock settling over the entire assembly. The four guard disciples stopped dead in their tracks, their swords lowering slightly as they stared at Lin Feng in absolute disbelief.

"Did I hear him correctly?" the head referee stammered, his eyes bulging out of his head as he looked at the young boy. "Did an outer disciple just challenge a core elder to a blood match?"

"He has completely lost his mind," another elder called out from the high VIP seats, standing up to get a better look at the stage. "A life or death duel cannot be undone once the terms are spoken in public. The boy is committing suicide."

Elder Mo blinked in sheer surprise, his furious expression briefly faltering before a cruel, mocking laugh erupted from his chest. "A life or death duel? With me? You are a piece of dirt beneath my boots, Lin Feng! You honestly think a single lucky strike against a teenager makes you capable of facing a master of the cultivation realms?"

"If you are so confident that I am just a lucky piece of trash, why are you hesitating, Elder Mo?" Lin Feng challenged, his bloody finger remaining perfectly steady as he pointed it at the old man's face. "Are you afraid that the entire sect will see you struggle against the boy you tried to throw away? Sign the blood covenant right now, or step aside and let me leave this arena in peace."

"You think you can play mind games with me?" Elder Mo sneered, his panic completely fading as he realized this challenge gave him the perfect legal excuse to murder Lin Feng without any questions from the sect master. "A body inspection can wait three days. Killing you on the grand stage will be far more satisfying than throwing you off a cliff. I accept your foolish challenge, trash!"

"Three days from now, at sunrise," Lin Feng said, lowering his hand and turning his back on the elder without another word. "Make sure you write your will before you step onto the stone."

"Enjoy your remaining seventy-two hours of breath, Lin Feng," Elder Mo called out behind him, his voice filled with a dark, promise of absolute violence. "Because when that sun rises, I am going to peel the skin from your bones in front of everyone who ever knew your name."

Lin Feng walked slowly down the wooden steps of the platform, the massive crowd parting for him like a sea of terrified ghosts. Nobody dared to look him in the eye, but he could feel their whispers burning into his back as he walked away toward the dark paths of the mountain. He needed every single second of those three days to refine the energy he had stolen, because the true hunt was finally about to begin.