<h4>Chapter 157: The Devil''s Love-Forgetting Art!</h4>
"I refuse to ept this... I refuse!"
Lin Canng struggled on the ground, howling in despair. Amidst his struggles, he finally saw the figure in ck clearly.
Enveloped in a voluminous ck robe, with a ghastly mask covering its head, the figure was terrifying to behold.
Only its eyes were visible, ones that were hard to describe.
In his eyes were strange runes, as if he were not a being of this world.
The figure in ck stared at Lin Canng, its eyes devoid of any emotion yet radiating a profound wisdom that seemed to epass the mysteries of the universe.
Finally, the figure in ck robe spoke slowly, "You... are not dead yet."
Its voice was remarkably calm, as serene as a tranquilke, devoid of any ripples, and even capable of soothing souls and calming hearts.
Initially filled with fear and unease, Lin Canng immediately regained hisposure. Even the overwhelming sense of terror vanished in an instant.
Lin Canng experienced a sudden sense of ease, and remarkably, even his wounds appeared to have fully healed.
Rising slowly, he regarded the enigmatic figure in ck before him with disbelief, then timidly inquired, "Might I ask, Senior, who you are and why you intervened to save me?"
"Those are not questions you should be posing," replied the figure, standing with hands sped behind its back and speaking in the sameposed tone as before. "You are spared death not because it''s undeserved, but because I don''t require your demise. When the timees for your death, whether you flee to the ends of the earth or the heavens above, you will not escape."
"Indeed, indeed!" Lin Canng''s teeth chattered nervously. "Your mastery defiesprehension, and I have only encountered tales of such power. Could it be that you are a god... a divine being from the nine realms above?"
"Divine being? What an insignificant designation. The heavens hold no sway over the destiny of mankind," retorted the figure in ck robe, the runes in its eyes flickering momentarily. Suddenly, the world around them copsed entirely, and in the next instant, Lin Canng found himself amidst a vast expanse of ice and snow.
In a fleeting moment, the icy chill subsided, revealing andscape now transformed into a hellish inferno!
Soon after, thunderous roars echoed, Lin Canng finding himself ensnared in rolling thunderstorms!
In several short instances, the fabric of reality shifted, defying thews of nature! Such power seemed nothing short of miraculous!
Cursing the divine and cursing fate itself!
Who exactly was this person, daring tomit such a grant act of defiance towards the heavens?
Lin Canng''s inner being, even his soul, trembled with fear. Why had he encountered such a figure?
Was sparing his life an indication of an intention to take him as a disciple?
Lin Canng drew a deep breath but refrained from speaking, merely waiting for the figure in the ck robe to address him.
After a while, the figure gently closed its eyes, and upon reopening them, Lin Canng found himself back in the dense forest where it all began.
"Your wounds have healed," the figure stated lightly, sweeping his sleeves. "You may leave."
"Leave?" Lin Canng''s eyes twitched. Had this enigmatic figure in the ck robe truly saved him without any expectations?
"Yes, you may leave," the figure affirmed, locking eyes with Lin Canng. Then, a sensation washed over Lin Canng, leaving him with a feeling of having gained something yet nothing at all. Suddenly, he felt dazed, and when he regained his senses, the figure in the ck robe had vanished without a trace.
It was as if the figure had never existed in the first ce.
Nevertheless, the healed wounds on his body reminded him that what had happened was not a dream.
"Go and fulfill your wildest ambitions..."
A seductive voice echoed in his mind, akin to a demonic hand seizing hold of his soul.
In the next moment, Lin Canng suddenly became aware of additional information flooding his mind—a martial art.
<i>The Devil''s Love-Forgetting Art!</i>
"Sever emotions, forsake ethics, embrace the path of the devil, and reign supreme above all..."
Lin Canng''s hands trembled ever so slightly.
“Ah, I see, I see how it is now!” Lin Canngughed madly, gazing up at the sky. "<i>Haha... </i>So this is the wills of the heavens! What does the insignificant Wenxian Sect matter? With the <i>Devil''s Love-Forgetting Art</i>, the entire empire will be in my hands! <i>Hahaha... </i>Thank you, thank you, senior!"
Hisughter echoed through the mountains, lingering for a long time.
Not far away, a ck figure with only a pair of eyes visible stood atop a mountain peak.
In those eyes lie intricate runes, appearing as if they contained the secrets of the universe.
Not long after Lin Canng burst out intoughter, a slightly hunched old man approached the figure in ck, his gaze somewhat vacant. He murmured softly, "Why did you, my master, impart the<i> Devil''s Love-Forgetting Art</i> to him?"
"The<i> Devil''s Love-Forgetting Art</i> isn’t something someone as mediocre as him could cultivate." The figure in the ck robe chuckled. "The wheel of fate is only just beginning to turn slowly."
"Another pitiful soul." The hunched old man sighed softly.
"Pitiful souls often have something to be resented for," the figure in the ck robe said, sweeping its sleeves. "Let''s go. We''ve been exposed for too long; the Divine-Observing Angels might discover us."
With that, the figure in the ck and the hunched old man immediately vanished into the void.
In that fleeting moment of disappearance, the hunched old man gazed into the distance, his vacant eyes shimmering with a hint of tears.
...
<i>Three dayster.</i>
With the assistance of Elder Yao and several other senior members, the Wenxian Sect''s affairs gradually returned to order.
In reality, with the nine peaks of the Wenxian Sect governing independently, the position of sect leader didn''t entail much administrative work.
As Ling Feng became more familiar with his role, he realized that being a sect leader was essentially just being a figurehead for the sect, and most of the time, one could focus on their own cultivation.
However, merely being the face of a sect was not a simple matter.
<i>Liuxian Peak, in the Discussion Hall.</i>
The peak leader of each peak had already been re-elected and was now meeting the newly appointed sect leader in the main hall.
In a mere three days, word of Ling Feng''s assumption of the sect leader''s position within the Wenxian Sect had circted among the neighboring sects of the Xianzong Mountain.
However, given that the Wenxian Sect was ultimately considered a third-rate sect, the appointment of a new sect leader was deemed inconsequential by the broader sectmunity, and hardly caused a stir.
"Sect Leader." A messenger disciple bowed. "The teams sent out to search for Lin Canng have found no trace of him."
"It''s been three days already. Continuing the search won''t yield any results." Ling Feng calmly waved his hand. "Instruct the disciples to return. There''s no need to search any further."
"Yes, Sect Leader."
Seated nearby, Duanmu Qingshan heard the news, sighed, and clenched his fist. A glint of determination shed in his eyes, as if he had made a decision.
Shortly after, with all matters concluded, the peak masters departed, leaving only Ling Feng, Duanmu Qingshan, and Elder Yao in the main hall.
Standing up tall, Duanmu Qingshan spoke, "Little Feng, you''ve done remarkably well in these three days. It''s time for me to leave."
"Master, why are you leaving in such a hurry?"
"Indeed, Junior Brother, perhaps it''s better to wait until the sect stabilizes before leaving," Elder Yao quickly advised.
"Whether I leave early orte makes no difference. With you inmand, Little Feng, I feel it''s more than enough for the sect’s survival." Duanmu Qingshan sighed lightly. "This time, I''m leaving to search for my unfortunate daughter''s whereabouts. Secondly, I also need to eliminate that scoundrel Lin Canng. As long as he lives, my resentment remains unquenched!"