Martial Arts Overlord

Luo Feng descended from Purple Spirit Peak and headed directly to the Extreme Sun Great Hall to receive a mission.

The hall was rather empty, with only a dozen people selecting missions, creating an unusually quiet atmosphere.

With the New Talent Conference just around the corner, no one in the academy was in the mood to undertake missions.

Luo Feng approached the third jade billboard, scanning the mission jade tokens on it. His gaze settled on the topmost jade token, which seemed newly placed.

Mission: Eradicate Red Blood Fort on Gulangyu.

Difficulty: Three stars.

Suggested Strength: Recommended for a group of ten martial artists at the late-stage seventh level of the Essence Storage Realm.

Reward: Four credits, 300,000 taels of silver.

Red Blood Fort... it's only a two or three-day journey from the academy.

Luo Feng recognized the name Gulangyu. It was an island in Sky Water Lake, several thousand li southwest of Purple Sun School.

Gulangyu was picturesque and connected several waterways, originally making it a very prosperous place.

However, six months ago, a group of Jianghu experts suddenly appeared on the island and established a sect called Red Blood Fort. They specialized in all sorts of pillaging and killing, gradually causing people to fear visiting.

Red Blood Fort has three Chieftains. The Head Chieftain's cultivation is on the verge of the eighth level of the Hell Realm, and the other two Chieftains possess peak seventh-level Essence Storage Realm cultivation. Additionally, there are nearly ten martial artists at the seventh level of the Essence Storage Realm, and the fort has close to a hundred members...

After reading the mission token's introduction and without much thought, Luo Feng took it and prepared to leave the Extreme Sun Great Hall.

Just as he was about to step out, a fragrant breeze wafted from behind, revealing Bing Ruolan who was also exiting.

"Luo Feng, what mission did you take?" Bing Ruolan asked curiously.

Luo Feng waved the mission token in his hand. "A three-star mission: to eradicate Red Blood Fort."

Hearing this, Bing Ruolan's sapphire-like eyes flashed with surprise. "You're going to Red Blood Fort? This mission is extremely difficult. It was posted many days ago, yet no one has dared to take it. Rumor has it that all three Chieftains are experts at the peak of the seventh level of the Essence Storage Realm. It's very dangerous. Do you want my help?"

"No need. Didn't you also take a mission? What is it?"

Luo Feng noticed another mission token in Bing Ruolan's hand.

Bing Ruolan opened her fair hand and smiled. "It's also a three-star mission: to apprehend 'Night Owl' Chen Xiong."

"'Night Owl' Chen Xiong? I've heard his Light Martial Arts cultivation is extremely high. But since you've mastered the Phantom Phoenix Sky Cloud Dance, you should surpass him."

Chen Xiong was a notorious bandit who had recently appeared near Qingfeng Town. He was known for his bloodthirsty and brutal nature, having massacred several minor prominent families in the vicinity. Although his Light Martial Arts were exceptional, allowing him to evade numerous pursuits, he remained at large.

"Mhm. I hope to rid the people of this menace this time!" Bing Ruolan's voice turned cold as she spoke.

"Then let's set off. There are only ten days until the New Talent Conference; we mustn't miss it," Luo Feng suggested.

"Be careful then. Red Blood Fort is not to be underestimated. Don't try to be a hero if you can't defeat them," Bing Ruolan advised with concern.

"I know. You need to be careful too. 'Night Owl' Chen Xiong is no ordinary opponent."

"I will."

「After parting ways with Bing Ruolan.」

Luo Feng went directly to the stables, retrieved his Black Cloud Horse, and rode down the mountain, heading southwest.

「Three days later.」

Luo Feng arrived near the vast Sky Water Lake.

At first glance, Sky Water Lake seemed to stretch to the horizon, its waters merging seamlessly with the sky. The misty surface of the lake concealed Gulangyu from view.

Luo Feng halted his horse, his brow furrowed as he gazed at the fog-covered lake.

Sky Water Lake spanned hundreds of li; without knowing the direction, finding Gulangyu would be impossible.

Moreover, since Red Blood Fort's emergence, the area had become deserted. Finding someone to ask for directions would be difficult.

Just as Luo Feng was wondering what to do, he heard the sound of paddling. Looking up, he spotted a small, dilapidated boat near the shore.

What a timely discovery.

A glimmer of joy flashed in Luo Feng's eyes. He dismounted and walked towards the boat.

An old man, perhaps sixty years of age, stood on the boat mending his fishing net. A faint smell of fish hung in the air. It was clearly a fishing boat.

"Boatman..." Luo Feng called out as he approached.

To Luo Feng's surprise, the old man stiffened at the sound of his voice, then dropped to his knees and kowtowed.

"Mercy, kind sirs! My family is starving, with nothing to eat. That's why I came to Sky Water Lake to catch a few fish. Please spare this old man's life!"

Watching the kowtowing old man, Luo Feng sighed inwardly. He must have mistaken me for someone from Red Blood Fort.

After Red Blood Fort occupied Gulangyu, they forbade fishing and hunting. This caused many locals near Sky Water Lake, who had fished for generations, to lose their livelihoods.

"Boatman, I'm not from Red Blood Fort. I'm a student from Purple Sun School; you don't have to be afraid," Luo Feng said gently.

Hearing this, the old man slowly lifted his trembling head. Seeing Luo Feng's dignified presence, the lack of malice in his eyes, and noticing his Purple Sun School's purple brocade robe, the old man realized he was telling the truth and finally stood up.

"So, you're a young hero from Purple Sun School! I mistook you for one of those Red Blood Fort ruffians. How embarrassing." The old man stood up and looked at Luo Feng. "What brings a young hero like yourself here?"

Luo Feng stated bluntly, "I need to get to Red Blood Fort. Do you know the way to Gulangyu?"

The old man chuckled. "I've fished in Sky Water Lake my whole life. Of course, I know Gulangyu..."

He stopped mid-sentence, his eyes widening as he stared at Luo Feng. "You're going to Red Blood Fort?"

"That's right. I've accepted an academy mission to eradicate Red Blood Fort."

The old man's face paled. He glanced around nervously and lowered his voice.

"Young hero, be careful what you say! Red Blood Fort is full of formidable men. The three Chieftains are all at the peak of the seventh level of the Essence Storage Realm. Their Head Chieftain, Qin Shi, is ruthless and cruel, known as the 'Blood Hand Demon'! His cultivation is unfathomable. Many heroes from the pugilistic world have died by his hands! A young hero with a bright future like yours shouldn't get involved in this mess!"

"I know that. But since I've accepted the mission, I'll do my best to complete it. If one shrinks from every challenge, how can anything great be accomplished?" Luo Feng replied.

The old man shook his head silently. He had personally seen two experts from Wanluo School go to attack Red Blood Fort. They were just as confident when they left, but they never returned.

Luo Feng knew that unless he demonstrated some skill, the old man wouldn't guide him. He reached out and drew his Tiger Soul Saber.

Seeing him suddenly draw his saber, the old man's expression changed. Some academy students are arrogant and might kill to silence someone out of anger or humiliation.

Luo Feng, however, walked directly to the lake's edge, took a deep breath, and unleashed a sudden slash.

SCHINK!

A three-meter-long saber gleam shot out, carving a massive gash, over ten meters long, across the lake's surface. The water parted, only to crash back together several breaths later.

The draw, the strike, the sheathing—all one smooth, clean motion.

Luo Feng looked at the dumbfounded old man. "Old sir, what do you think of that strike?"

It took a long moment for the old man to recover, his gaze fixed on the turbulent water, momentarily stunned.

He had fished in Sky Water Lake for decades and seen many experts, but never had he seen someone who could cleave the lake in two with a single strike!

"I didn't recognize your greatness. May I know your esteemed name, young hero? So I can tell others about you in the future!" the old man said, cupping his hands in a salute.

"Luo Feng, a student from Purple Sun School, on the Hidden Dragon List."

"So, you're a prodigy from the Hidden Dragon List!" The old man's eyes lit up.

Luo Feng touched his nose. "Old sir, can you tell me where Gulangyu is now?"

The old man straightened his back and laughed heartily. "Such courage, young hero! Though I'm just a common man, I'm no coward. Today, I'll take you there myself!"

Luo Feng nodded, tied his Dark Cloud Treasure Horse to a tree in the woods, then leaped lightly onto the boat. "Thank you."

The old man picked up a bamboo pole, pushed off from the bank, and the small boat swayed out towards the middle of the lake.

The fishing boat was even more dilapidated than imagined. Its surface was rough and damaged in many places, causing it to rock precariously as it moved across the lake.

Luo Feng stood at the bow, unmoved by the wind and waves, his feet seeming rooted to the deck.

The old man, watching from the side, felt a surge of admiration. Truly impressive.

The fishing boat sailed through the mist. After about the time it takes for half an incense stick to burn, the surrounding mist gradually thinned. The view suddenly opened up, and the faint silhouette of a small island could be seen on the water.

"That's Gulangyu ahead," the old man said, a trace of unconcealable fear in his eyes. "Red Blood Fort is in the center of the island. It's surrounded by their guards..."

Luo Feng had already sensed several hidden auras. He nodded. "Don't worry. Just head straight there."

The old man took a deep breath, dug his pole into the water, and the small boat surged forward, parting the waves.

When the fishing boat was thirty meters from shore, several figures wielding weapons suddenly rushed out from among the boulders on the island.

"Who dares trespass..."

SHLICK!

Before they could finish, a dark saber gleam flashed. They collapsed before even realizing what had happened.

Luo Feng leaped from the boat, glanced at the corpses, and said to the old man, "Stay here. If I'm not back in the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, leave on your own."

Without waiting for a reply, his foot tapped the ground, and with a few flickers, he vanished.

Taking lives with a swing of his saber, moving as if walking on clouds... so free and unrestrained... the old man mused, startled into awareness, his eyes filled with envy as he watched Luo Feng disappear.

「...」

Luo Feng executed his Teng Dragon's Step, leaping through the mountain forest as fast as the wind.

A moment later, he spotted a massive mountain stronghold in the middle of the island. The warriors on its walls brandished gleaming weapons that reflected a chilling light, radiating a palpable killing intent.

Luo Feng made no attempt to hide. With his hands clasped behind his back, he strode towards Red Blood Fort.

"Who goes there!"

The warriors on the stronghold walls spotted Luo Feng, drew their weapons, and shouted sharply.

Luo Feng's pace seemed slow, but he was actually moving incredibly fast. In the eyes of these warriors, all they could see was a series of afterimages flickering past.

In the blink of an eye, the black-haired youth stood before the stronghold's main gate. The archers on the walls hadn't even had time to react.

BOOM!

Luo Feng threw a punch, and the main gate of Red Blood Fort exploded into countless fragments!

"Members of Red Blood Fort, come out and meet your doom!"

With a loud shout, Luo Feng strode into Red Blood Fort.