The Martial Emperor

Chapter 13 - Ancient Voice

The Chenglai border forest shook violently from the clashing of metal and successive Qi explosions. Lin Feng felt it,every nerve in his body seemed to scream. His opponent, one of the spear-wielding men from the Ghost Crow Sect, moved like a bloodthirsty shadow.

Tring!

Lin Feng’s sword vibrated intensely as he parried a spear strike. Thanks to the pure Qi strengthening technique channeled into his blade, he could still hold his ground. However, he knew their position was on the brink of disaster.

"Heh, defective-eyed brat! You are quite something to last this long," the spear user mocked while skillfully spinning his weapon. "But you know, don't you? We haven't even gotten serious yet."

"Stop talking! Fight me!" Lin Feng shouted, while releasing a Fire Blast Rune to create distance.

On the other side, Gu Yanfeng and Han Jian appeared to be suffering much more. Their bodies were already decorated with slash wounds here and there. Those pursuers from the Ghost Crow Sect seemed to be thoroughly enjoying this moment, like a cat playing with a mouse before killing it.

"Just give up already," the crow controller called out with a mocking laugh. "If you kneel now, I promise I will cut your throats quickly. Painless. How about it? A good offer, right?"

"In your dreams, bastard!" roared Gu Yanfeng. He leaped forward, but a sword slash from the crow controller, coated in peak-level Qi, sent him flying far back.

Thud!

Gu Yanfeng’s body hit the ground hard. Before he could even rise, the crow controller had already darted toward him.

"Die, you genius disciple!"

In a desperate position, Gu Yanfeng still managed to write a level four rune that made roots emerge from the ground to ensnare the opponent.

Instantly, black thorny roots rose from within the earth, coiling around the crow controller’s legs until his steps halted. Gu Yanfeng saw an opening. He forced himself up and thrust his sword toward the opponent’s heart.

Srak!

However, the reaction speed of a peak-level opponent was truly terrifying. The crow controller twisted his body at the last moment. Gu Yanfeng’s sword hit only air, while the opponent’s sword instead buried itself deep into Gu Yanfeng’s left shoulder.

"Aaakhhh!" Gu Yanfeng screamed in pain. Fresh blood seeped quickly from his severely torn shoulder.

"A pity, missed by just a bit," the crow controller hissed. He raised his sword high to deliver a final strike to the head of the helpless Gu Yanfeng. "Goodbye, Senior Brother."

"Don't touch him!"

Suddenly, a giant burst of fire struck from the side. It was Lin Feng’s Level 2 Fire Rune, triggered with maximum Qi concentration. Although it was only a low level, its extraordinary heat forced the crow controller to slash the roots coiling his legs and jump backward.

Lin Feng landed in front of Gu Yanfeng, his breath ragged. "Senior Brother, are you alright?"

"Feng... why did you come here? Your opponent..." Gu Yanfeng coughed up blood.

"Hey, you damn brat! How dare you turn away from me!" A furious roar was heard from behind. The spear-wielding man who had been fighting Lin Feng felt utterly belittled. "You care more about this living corpse than your own life?"

The man immediately blew a small flute in his hand with a high pitch. "Demon Tigers! Tear his back to shreds!"

Two Demon Tigers that were previously attacking Yan Huo suddenly turned around. They leaped wildly toward Lin Feng’s wide-open back.

"Feng! Behind you!" shouted Han Jian, who had no time to stop the attack.

Lin Feng reacted as fast as lightning. He rolled to the side, avoiding the first tiger's pounce, then used the hilt of his sword to strike the nose of the second tiger trying to bite his leg.

Exactly at that moment, the world around Lin Feng suddenly went silent.

Deg! Deg! Deg!

His heart pounded hard, his vision blurred, covered by flashes of swirling gold and blue light.

"Heir... use this... purify the darkness..."

An ancient voice echoed in his mind, followed by a flash of a complex image. It was the pattern of a rune he had never seen in any book within the sect. The pattern was extremely complex, forming two entities coiling around each other.

Lin Feng startled. Somehow, he knew this rune was the key to turning the tide.

"Everyone! Buy me time!" Lin Feng shouted with a voice that sounded foreign even to himself. "No matter what happens, do not let them get near me!"

Gu Yanfeng, despite his shoulder being drenched in blood, saw Lin Feng’s expression change drastically, showing absolute conviction. "Jian, Huo! Protect Lin Feng with your lives!"

"Understood!" Yan Huo and the others immediately closed ranks, forming a barrier in front of Lin Feng, who began to sit on his knees and move his fingers in the air.

The three men from the Ghost Crow Sect laughed at the sight. "Going to make another low-level rune? It is useless, Trash!"

Lin Feng did not hear their mockery. He focused all his spiritual strength, which was actually still at a low level. However, he forced himself to create the complex rune that had suddenly appeared in his memory.

His fingers danced in the air, leaving trails of dense blue and red light.

"What is that? The pattern... I have never seen a rune like that," the crow controller muttered, starting to feel that something was wrong. "Hurry, finish them! Do not give him a chance!"

"Advance!"

The three peak-level opponents charged together. Gu Yanfeng and Han Jian fought desperately, parrying attacks that repeatedly made them spit blood just to guard Lin Feng.

One second... two seconds... ten seconds...

"Finished!" Lin Feng shouted. "Senior Brother, get back! Everyone, get back now!"

Without hesitation, Gu Yanfeng and the others leaped to the side as far as possible.

Lin Feng pushed his palms forward, and the rune pattern shone.

Blarrrr!

Two giant energies exploded from that rune pattern. They were not shaped like ordinary fire, but rather two giant koi fish formed from pure elements. One koi was a burning red, and the other was a deadly icy blue. Both launched forward while spinning around each other, creating a tornado of energy that destroyed the ground beneath it.

"What?! This power... it is equivalent to level seven! Impossible!" the crow controller shouted, his eyes bulging in horror.

"Run!"

But it was too late. The two koi fish lunged like angry dragons. Their power surpassed the logic of an ordinary level seven rune.

Duar! Boom!

The forest seemed devoured by an explosion of two-colored light. The three men from the Ghost Crow Sect were swept clean. The two spear users instantly vanished into ash within that twin fire vortex. Only the crow controller managed to detonate all his Qi for emergency protection, yet he was still thrown dozens of meters with half his body horribly scorched.

Lin Feng, who had released the attack, immediately collapsed.

"Ugh!"

Fresh blood sprayed from his mouth. His body shivered violently. Lin Feng felt as if every joint and bone were being forcibly crushed by the pressure of the previous technique. That rune was too powerful for his Marrow Refinement body.

"Feng!" Gu Yanfeng crawled toward him.

In the distance, the dying crow controller rose with his remaining strength. Only half of his coarse face remained. "Damn it... who is that brat... I must report..."

With a trembling body full of burn wounds, he used a shadow escape technique and disappeared behind the forest mist, leaving his demonic animals behind.

Once their controller fled or died, the remaining tigers and wild dogs suddenly went stiff. The red aura in their eyes dimmed, leaving them dazed and confused in the middle of the battlefield.

"Finish them now!" shouted Yan Huo, who still had some energy left. Full of rage, he and two other friends slaughtered those helpless demonic animals one by one.

The surroundings slowly went silent. Only the sound of crackling fire remained from the remnants of Lin Feng’s explosion.

"We... we survived?" Han Jian muttered in disbelief while sitting down weakly.

"Feng? Lin Feng!" Gu Yanfeng shook his junior’s body.

Lin Feng did not respond. His face was very pale, his breath very thin. He had fallen into a total faint after performing a miracle that should have been impossible for an ordinary disciple.

"Take him!" Gu Yanfeng ordered in a hoarse voice. "We must leave this place immediately before their reinforcements arrive. Hurry!"

They hurried to support Lin Feng and Gu Yanfeng, leaving the battlefield that was now in total ruin.