Chapter 99: True Nature

Hu…

He leaped, and a howling cold wind rushed against his face. Even using every bit of strength in his body, once he got only halfway, his body started to fall.

Below was a bottomless cliff.

If he fell like this, even a hard rock would probably shatter to pieces. With his body accelerating downward, who could survive?

Looking down at the steaming morning mist beneath his feet, Mu Feng’s legs went weak. Suddenly, he roared, and a Blood Vine formed by his blood energy shot out from his body. Compared to ordinary Blood Vines, it was exceptionally tough, slender, and reached nearly fifty to sixty meters long. With a sharp sound, it tightly wrapped around an old tree on the opposite cliff wall, stopping his accelerating fall.

Thud…

Mu Feng slammed headfirst into the opposite cliff wall. After swaying for a moment, he steadied himself with great effort. Then, he climbed up along the Blood Vine. Once his feet touched solid ground, he turned to look at the opposite cliff wall, which was gradually becoming clear as the morning mist evaporated. Then, he glanced down at the unfathomable ravine below, feeling a lingering fear.

So close!

This was a complete gamble with his life.

Just now, if he had jumped a slightly shorter distance, or if the Blood Vine formed by his blood energy had been even a little bit shorter, he would already be lying dead at the bottom of this perpetually dark cliff.

“Go!”

Mu Feng looked up toward the distant, rolling mountains. After catching his breath, he immediately set off, preparing to return to the lifeless Pingyuan Ancient Town as fast as possible.

The most dangerous place was the safest place!

At this moment, facing the terrifyingly strong enemy, the Chief Transmission Disciple Mu Tie, the mysterious and dreadful Ethereal Temple became his best shelter instead.

“Mu Feng, look what this is?”

Before he had taken more than a few steps, Mu Feng heard a cold voice behind him.

Turning around, he saw that the Chief Transmission Disciple Mu Tie, who had just been meditating cross-legged at the mountain’s base, had already arrived on the opposite side of the cliff. His expression was calm, his plain Wooden Sword strapped to his back. Standing at the cliff’s edge, his black robe flapped loudly in the wind. With his head held high and chest puffed out, he exuded an innate confidence and arrogance, as if everything was under his control.

Behind him stood a blind old man holding a Guqin in his arms. He was slightly stooped, humble and low-profile, yet the fluctuations of power within him felt unfathomable.

Behind the old man, several experts were leading a group of guards, rapidly approaching. They weren’t coming up from the mountain’s base, but from the path that led to Yinfeng Cave. The leader, a big man with a full beard, held a captive under his arm. The captive looked dazed and had lost both arms—it was clearly the severely injured Chu San. The larger group following closely behind held a bloodied young man with sharp, chiseled features and striking eyebrows. Who else could it be but Xing Jiu?

An ambush!

The mountain was tightly sealed off, and the necessary path to Yinfeng Cave was already set with traps!

Seeing Chu San and Xing Jiu, Mu Feng’s heart sank, and he quickly understood what had happened.

Thanks to the guidance of the old man in linen, he had risked leaping across the cliff to avoid the dreadful ambush ahead. But at this moment, he felt no trace of luck, no excitement for having escaped disaster. He only felt immense pressure and a heart-wrenching pain.

Even the powerful Xing Jiu had been captured—how could the delicate Jing Wushuang and his unconscious older brother Sky Splitting Tiger possibly escape safely?

Mu Feng felt icy cold all over. He had struggled so hard, evading enemies on the mountain for so long, and it had all been in vain! If possible, he would rather have been the one to step into the traps and ambush himself!

Extremely powerful, ruthless, and always calculating every move!

Looking at Mu Tie standing calmly at the cliff’s edge, Mu Feng finally realized the fearsome capabilities of this Chief Transmission Disciple.

If Second Young Master Mu Qingyuan was a hopeless waste, then this Mu Tie, the eldest young master, was a true dragon soaring in the sky. He might not act often, but when he did, he left no openings and gave no chance for survival. Before, when he let Mu Feng run around on the mountain, it wasn’t because he couldn’t catch up—it was because he had the overall situation under control and simply disdained to take action personally!

“Mu Feng, come over!”

Mu Tie stood at the cliff’s edge, letting the cold wind beat against his black robe. He looked at Mu Feng and calmly continued, “I have to admit, your strength is quite impressive, much more than I expected. You actually made an unexpected leap across this bottomless cliff, jumping right out of the encirclement. This spirit of taking risks is stronger than many Mortal Realm Peak experts! It’s a pity—no matter how capable you are, you can’t escape the shackles of fate. If you don’t want to watch these two get pushed off the cliff, come over here. Now!”

As Mu Tie spoke, he gave a signal. Immediately, the badly injured Chu San and Xing Jiu were pushed to the very edge of the cliff. If the people behind gave just a slight push, they would fall instantly and be shattered to pieces!

Chu San, still traumatized from witnessing his mother being burned alive, remained in a daze, seemingly unaware of the danger, or perhaps simply indifferent. Beside him, Xing Jiu straightened his back, unwilling to yield even in death. “Brother Mu Feng, go! Run! Don’t worry about me. If you’re truly my brother, leave this place and never return—not until you’ve cultivated to the Elite Realm. Only then should you come back and kill them all to avenge me!”

“Brothers? So much affection and loyalty! Xing Jiu, still so stubborn even now? Do you really think I don’t dare to kill you?”

Mu Tie gave a faint smile. He drew the Wooden Sword from his back and continued, “Yes, your master, the Punishment Elder, holds a high position and is far more powerful than I am. In the past, no one would have dared to touch you. But things are different now. Do you know what I’m cultivating? Heartless Sword Dao. To master it, I must sever all emotions and desires, using the blood of enemies, and even relatives, to prove my path. Do you still believe I wouldn’t act?”

“Stop!”

Seeing Mu Tie’s sudden surge of killing intent, ready to strike, Mu Feng shouted angrily. He rushed forward a few steps, then leaped into the air. Mid-jump, he shot out another Blood Vine, wrapping it around a huge rock opposite, and jumped over without hesitation. He landed at the cliff’s edge, facing Mu Tie, this overwhelmingly imposing Chief Transmission Disciple.

Seeing that Mu Feng had actually jumped over, Xing Jiu gave a bitter smile and said nothing more. Mu Tie, who had been poised to pounce, stopped and laughed loudly. “Good, good, good! So full of affection and loyalty. Mu Feng, ah Mu Feng, I never thought our Mu Manor would produce someone like you! What a pity—acting on impulse comes with a heavy price. Why do we cultivate so arduously? Isn’t it to cast aside the worldly grudges and attachments, to focus on cultivation, so that one day we can reach the Cultivation Peak and achieve immortality? You’re so impulsive, so emotionally driven—your Inner Demon must be incredibly strong. Forget about reaching the Cultivation Peak someday; even breaking through to the Elite Realm will surely be nothing but a pipe dream. Since you care so much about worldly ties and love, why bother cultivating so hard?”

Mu Tie’s expression remained calm as he looked at Mu Feng, his gaze as if viewing a dead man.

“Severing emotions and abandoning loyalty—that’s only your own method of cultivation, not the universal path for all cultivators!”

Mu Feng paused, then coldly continued, “Cutting off all emotions, denying your parents and relatives—what’s the difference between that and an animal? Failing to distinguish right from wrong, unclear about reason—how is that different from a soulless puppet? Look at this huge rock—cold enough, heartless enough, and it’s existed for a very long time. But what meaning is there in living like that? By your reasoning, the goal of your entire life’s effort is to one day become such a cold, unfeeling stone?”

Mu Feng pointed at a massive stone that had stood at the cliff’s edge for millions of years, righteously refuting Mu Tie’s distorted logic.

“What? You…!”

Mu Tie flared with anger, his killing intent soaring.

He had intended to crush Mu Feng’s willpower before his death, enjoying the sight of his collapse. Instead, not only was Mu Feng unexpectedly strong, but he also argued logically—truly the Jianning First Scholar renowned for his literary talent. Hearing Mu Feng’s words, Mu Tie’s previously calm Dao Heart became agitated once again. Instead of breaking Mu Feng, he found his own foundation in cultivating the Heartless Sword Dao shaken!