Martial Arts Overlord

While waiting for news from Bing Ruolan and the others at the restaurant, Luo Feng, having some idle time, discussed saber techniques with Hu Yitian.

As the young master of one of the six major families, Hu Yitian possessed a profound foundation in martial arts, having benefited from his elders' guidance since childhood.

Luo Feng, with his exceptional intuition, often proposed unconventional insights.

They conversed enthusiastically, feeling they should have met sooner, and both gained much from the exchange.

"Luo Feng, most students from the four academies choose swordsmanship. Why did you choose the saber as your weapon?" Hu Yitian suddenly asked.

Luo Feng flicked the Tiger Soul Saber at his side. An indistinct tiger's roar seemed to echo in the private room as he declared loudly, "The saber is the bravest of all weapons—unyielding and resilient. Saber technique is direct and resolute, just as one should act from the heart, unwavering. In my opinion, the saber is the world's finest weapon. Why not wield it?"

"The saber is the best weapon in the world!" Hu Yitian clapped and laughed, looking at Luo Feng and saying, "Such bold words, just slipping off your tongue. You are indeed extraordinary! But, you're right. Swordsmanship is intricate and unpredictable, as treacherous as the human heart. Nothing matches the straightforward, victorious, and exhilarating nature of the saber!"

As they were talking, footsteps sounded outside the private room.

Luo Feng turned his head only to see Bing Ruolan and Guard Lin entering.

Their eyes met, as if in that instant, time stretched into eternity.

"Luo Feng! Are you okay?" Upon seeing Luo Feng, surprise flashed in Bing Ruolan's sapphire-like eyes, and the excitement in her voice was impossible to conceal.

Having had no news of Luo Feng for over half a month, she had been constantly worried that some accident had befallen him. If not for her concern that Luo Feng might not find her if he came to Wind Howl City, Bing Ruolan would have already ventured into Ghost Howl Forest.

Gazing at the young woman before him, as graceful and pure as a lotus emerging from water, a current of warmth flowed through Luo Feng's heart. He nodded. "I'm fine."

Bing Ruolan gave a faint smile, looked around, and asked, "Why isn't Sister Nanyue with you?"

Thinking of Cang Nanyue's letter, Luo Feng sighed. "She had matters to attend to and has returned to Red Maple Lead. What about Zi Yuan and the others?"

"Zi Yuan and the others had business to attend to as well, so they returned to the academy first."

Bing Ruolan and Hu Yitian had met before. After brief introductions, they all sat down again.

It wasn't long before the shopkeeper served the dishes. After finishing their meal, Hu Yitian said to Luo Feng, "The Southwind Auction this time will feature many treasures. Luo Feng, are you interested?"

Luo Feng nodded. "I'd like to witness the skills of experts from other academies, so I was planning on going. Ruolan, do you want to go?"

Upon hearing his words, Bing Ruolan smiled and nodded. "The Southwind Auction is one of the largest auction houses in the Flowing Cloud Region. I want to see if there's a Light Martial Arts secret manual suitable for me."

The Light Martial Art Bing Ruolan previously practiced, Falling Leaves Butterfly Dance Step, was merely an ordinary Upper Yellow Rank technique. Given her current strength, it was indeed outdated.

Hu Yitian looked at Luo Feng and laughed. "Luo Feng, if you want to meet the top talents from other academies, then you must go this time. I heard that Wanluo School's 'Thunderbolt Spear' Wan Feng and our Floating Snow School's 'Traceless Young Master' Ji Wufa will be there. They seem to be coming for that secret technique."

Mentioning these two names, Hu Yitian's tone revealed a touch of respect. Unless he reached the peak of the seventh level of the Essence Storage Realm, a significant gap would remain between him and these two.

The second and third place of the top four newcomers from the last term... Luo Feng's interest was piqued, his eyes gleaming. He nodded. "Alright, I will definitely be there in three days."

Leaving the restaurant, Luo Feng and Bing Ruolan found an inn in Wind Howl City to stay at, waiting for the auction to begin.

The two practiced and sparred with each other. Time flew by quickly, and two days passed in the blink of an eye.

On the third day, at noon, intense winds filled Wind Howl City. The sky was filled with chaotically swirling, colorful clouds, painting different scenes in all four directions of the city.

To the east, a gentle breeze hinted at spring's arrival.

To the west, a bright sun heralded scorching summer.

To the south, rustling winds evoked the desolation of autumn.

To the north, snow danced on rooftops, as if in deepest winter.

Under the influence of the astral winds, Wind Howl City constantly transitioned through the four seasons, creating a picturesque landscape.

In the center of Wind Howl City stood a grandiose stone structure, firmly planted and exuding an impressive aura. Five mighty, golden characters were carved upon it: Southwind Auction House.

At this moment, countless figures filled the streets outside the auction house, all hurrying towards it. These people, aside from a few merchants, were primarily Martial Artists from various places.

Luo Feng and Bing Ruolan walked shoulder to shoulder towards the auction house.

Upon reaching the grand entrance of the auction house, welcoming maids stationed there immediately approached them politely.

"Do the two of you have an invitation token?"

The Southwind Auction, being one of the four largest auction houses in the Flowing Cloud Region, did not permit everyone to enter. Otherwise, no matter how large the auction house, it would surely not be able to accommodate such a crowd. Only those with an invitation token could enter the auction house.

Luo Feng, already aware of this from Hu Yitian, said, "We were invited by Hu Yitian, the young master of the Hu Family."

"The young master from one of the six great families, the Hu Family! Please follow me, I'll lead you over." The rather attractive welcoming maid, upon hearing this, glanced at Luo Feng and Bing Ruolan in surprise. Anyone connected with the six great families was no ordinary individual, so she naturally dared not show any neglect.

Luo Feng smiled bitterly at the maid's change of attitude and followed her into the auction house with Bing Ruolan.

The auction house was immense, more than ten times larger than any auction venue Luo Feng had seen in Panlong City. It was magnificent. Various gems inlaid on the walls reflected dazzling, colorful light, creating an opulent and dreamlike atmosphere.

Luo Feng and Bing Ruolan followed the welcoming maid directly to a private box with an open view. This private box directly faced the auction stage and was one of those offering the best views in the entire venue.

The beautiful maid knocked on the door, and Hu Caiyun's joyous voice rang out from inside, "Luo Feng and the others are here!"

The door to the box was opened from the inside, and Hu Caiyun jumped out, winking at Luo Feng and Bing Ruolan.

"If you two require any service, please feel free to call me. I'll be right outside the box," the beautiful maid said, her smile growing even warmer now that she saw Hu Caiyun indeed recognized them.

Luo Feng nodded. "Okay."

The group entered the box, and Hu Caiyun closed the door.

The decor inside the box was simple: an amethyst-black stone table bearing some snacks and fruits, and a few beast-skin reclining chairs. There was nothing else.

"Luo Feng, why are you guys so late? I was worried you wouldn't come," Hu Yitian said with a smile, gesturing for Luo Feng to sit down.

Only Hu Yitian and Hu Caiyun were in the box, so Luo Feng felt at ease. He sat down on the chair next to Hu Yitian and laughed, "This is my first time in Wind Howl City, so I took a look at the changing seasons outside."

Hu Yitian nodded. "The change of seasons within two hours is indeed a unique sight in Wind Howl City. When I first came, I was also so entranced that I couldn't bear to leave."

Luo Feng didn't say a word. His gaze suddenly shifted to the wall on his left, his eyebrows raised slightly as if he was watching someone. He sensed a very strong presence from beyond the wall!

Seeing Luo Feng's expression, Hu Yitian looked surprised and laughed, "You noticed? The person in that box is 'Thunderbolt Spear' Wan Feng from Wanluo School."

"Oh? Wan Feng, the number one in Wanluo School, who ranked third in the previous Four Major New Kings?"

Hu Yitian nodded, his expression suddenly turning serious. "Be careful when you meet him. This man once suffered a loss at Zi Yuan's hands and bears a strong grudge against those from Purple Sun School. Moreover, he and Gu Yufeng are good friends."

Luo Feng nodded. He had already sensed Gu Yufeng's presence; he was also in an adjacent box.

In the adjacent box, four people were seated.

The young man on the far right was Gu Yufeng, who had been defeated by Luo Feng with a single punch the previous day and had made a hasty retreat.

A charming young woman beside Gu Yufeng was feeding him grapes one by one with her slender fingers, giggling, her eyes full of coquetry.

Sitting across from Gu Yufeng was a youth in a purple uniform. The youth, about sixteen or seventeen, had sword-sharp eyebrows. His gaze was like a blade, radiating brilliance. Wherever he looked, it felt as if that spot was being shredded by a blade. His entire being exuded a formidable aura, deterring anyone from looking at him directly.

Beside the purple-clad youth sat another young woman. She was positioned cautiously to the side, not daring to draw near, her pretty face tinged with fear.

"Wan Feng, a year has passed, and you're still so impervious to feminine charms," Gu Yufeng said, looking at the straight-backed Wan Feng and shaking his head.

Wan Feng glanced at Gu Yufeng and calmly said, "My goal is to be foremost among the Four Major New Kings. I don't have time to waste on such frivolous matters."

"Foremost among the Four Major New Kings?" Gu Yufeng heard this, his eyebrows twitched, and he sized Wan Feng up. "I hear that 'Traceless Young Master' Ji Wufa from Floating Snow School has comprehended Sword Intent, and 'Heavenly Fragrant Woman' He Qin from Tianlan School has even reached the eighth level of the Hell Realm! Are you confident you can defeat them both?"

Upon hearing these two names, Wan Feng's eyelids twitched. A sharp light flashed in his eyes, like a thunderbolt streaking through the void, momentarily illuminating the entire box. He sneered, "So what? I have my own trump cards. If we fought, their chances of winning wouldn't exceed fifty percent. As long as I obtain this secret technique, I'm confident I can defeat them!"

Gu Yufeng drew a sharp breath. For Wan Feng to speak with such confidence, it surely isn't baseless. He must have an extraordinary trump card!

Rumor has it he stumbled into some ancient ruins and had a fortuitous encounter. It seems that wasn't just hearsay. I wonder what kind of opportunity it was, for him to be so dismissive of even Sword Intent. Gu Yufeng mused, a mix of surprise and envy in his heart.

"Wan Feng, what's this secret technique being auctioned this time? I heard that Ji Wufa from Floating Snow School will also be here, aiming for the same thing," Gu Yufeng probed.

Wan Feng's eyes were once again slightly closed, and he ignored Gu Yufeng, saying indifferently, "You'll find out when the time comes."

Huh?

Just then, Wan Feng suddenly opened his eyes. His sharp gaze shot towards the wall, as if to pierce through it. An intense battle intent radiated from him, causing the young woman beside him to turn pale with fright, nearly screaming aloud.

"Ji Wufa!" Wan Feng's aura grew heavy as he bit out three words.