"So you are Ling Zhenfei, I thought you'd be someone impressive, but you're just a bratty kid."

Listeing to her speak like this, Ling Zhenfei confirmed that she was the one who had called him, including the person who spoke earlier, but what was strange was that Ling Zhenfei couldn't discern the level of her cultivation from her.

"Correct, I am Ling Zhenfei. May I inquire why the elder summoned me to this place?" This question had troubled Ling Zhenfei the whole journey.

"No particular reason, just wanted you to come here and conveniently ask you for some things."

"That's not right, you clearly mentioned Zhuo Yue on the phone, what do you mean by Zhuo Yue?" Ling Zhenfei felt that this matter couldn't be so simple because it was just too peculiar and strange.

"It doesn't mean anything; I was told that if I just mentioned these two words you'd definitely come, and it really worked so well indeed—it actually lured you here."

Ling Zhenfei had not expected to have been deceived, and his anger flared up suddenly: "What do you really mean? Why deceive me into coming here? What's your purpose?"

The woman's voice was cold as she said, "My purpose is quite simple, just to have you leave something behind for me."

"What things?" Ling Zhenfei grew even more curious about this woman.

"A dagger, a Pill Furnace!"

Ling Zhenfei was startled, realizing that all of this was simply a trap: "It was Watanabe Nagayumi who planned this, wasn't it?"

The old woman nodded: "Yes, he asked me to get back those things from you, but I thought it would be too tiring to come down the mountain, so why not just call you over directly? Here, you've come now, haven't you!"

Ling Zhenfei almost went crazy with rage. What kind of situation was this? He had actually been fooled by such a clumsy ruse—he really was smart for a lifetime but foolish for a moment.

Ling Zhenfei didn't want to say anything more and turned around to leave, thinking if he didn't leave at such a time, then when would he? But he had barely taken two steps when he suddenly heard a faint whistling sound from behind, accompanied by a trace of Spiritual Power that was very startling.

Ling Zhenfei quickly dodged and saw two bamboo leaves pass by his side; the whistling sound had actually come from those two leaves.

"Plucking Leaves and Flying Flowers!" Ling Zhenfei instantly identified the old woman's martial art skill.

Plucking Leaves and Flying Flowers was a very profound art that had long been lost. This art demanded a high level of Spiritual Power as well as significant control over Northern Spiritual Energy, and when used, its power was astonishing.

"Kid, since you've come, just stay put for me, or else don't blame me for being rude."

The expression on the old woman's face was terrifying, as if she was getting angry; even Ling Zhenfei felt fear because he saw that the old woman actually possessed the strength of the Zhiyi Boundary; this was the first time he ever met someone from the Zhiyi state.

He really didn't expect that the first time he would meet someone from the Zhiyi state would be such an undistinguished-looking woman; it was almost inconceivable.

"Senior, I am sorry, but I cannot give you those two items. You and I are both in the Zhiyi Boundary, and if we were to start fighting, it is still unknown who would win or lose, so I would rather not engage with you."

"You are truly presumptuous, kid. It seems you won't give up until you see some blood,"

As the old woman spoke, Spiritual Power suddenly began to flicker around her, and with a slight wave of her hand, all the bamboo leaves on the ground flew up, starting to swirl in the air.

Ling Zhenfei's heart was shocked, as the old woman indeed possessed formidable control over her Spiritual Power, displaying incredible mastery in the art of "Plucking Leaves and Flying Flowers." After spinning in the air for several rounds, all the bamboo leaves converged and flew in his direction, obscuring the sky with their fierce attack.

Using bamboo leaves as hidden weapons and as armaments, her strength was simply too formidable.

Ling Zhenfei was stunned, but he was no longer the same person he had been before; he had just learned the "Heaven-Splitting Ten Fists," a martial art of immense power and aggression. It was the perfect time to put it into practice.

Ling Zhenfei channeled his Spiritual Power through twelve meridian circuits before concentrating it into his fist, ready to use the first move of the Heaven-Splitting Ten Fists.

Thump!

Ling Zhenfei struck out at the air, and despite hitting nothing tangible, it sounded as if he'd hit a sandbag. If Spiritual Power had color, one could see a wave of energy ripple through the air from his punch, instantly scattering the bamboo leaves flying around.

The old woman paused, astonished that her move had been countered by Ling Zhenfei.

"Boy, who is your master?"

"I don't have a master, I taught myself everything." Ling Zhenfei told the truth, but the old woman believed he was deliberately withholding information, essentially insulting her.

"So you refuse to tell the truth. It seems you really do not intend to leave here alive today. Do you know my nickname in Jianghu?"

"I do not, senior."

"Ask around in Jianghu, and you'll know that I am the Heavenly Net Poisonous Woman. No one who has offended me has ever lived to tell the tale."

The nickname Heavenly Net Poisonous Woman was certainly not a pleasant one, but the woman mentioned it with pride; clearly, it represented a glorious past for her.

"Senior, whether or not, we've had no grudges in the past or recent days. Why must you make things difficult for a junior like me?"

Enraged, the Heavenly Net Poisonous Woman said, "You stole something from Watanabe Nagayumi. I'm here on his behalf. Hand over the item if you know what's good for you. Otherwise, my next move will not be so simple."

Ling Zhenfei was also getting angry. He had not expected her to be so unreasonable, and to trick him like this had already infuriated him.

"Senior, I will not hand the item over to you. Let me advise you; we are both at the Zhiyi state, and a confrontation between us does not guarantee who will win or lose. Cultivation is hard to come by; don't risk it so carelessly. Watanabe Nagayumi is a Japanese man; why bother doing such things for him?"

"If only you hadn't spoken, I wouldn't want to kill you. But now, stay with me today," the Heavenly Net Poisonous Woman said as she exuded an overwhelming presence of Northern Spiritual Energy. Ling Zhenfei could easily tell that she had reached Level Five of Zhiyi, a level slightly higher than his. It seemed an inevitable battle was upon them.

The Northern Spiritual Energy emanating from the Heavenly Net Poisonous Woman seemed to integrate with the surrounding bamboo, her energy stirring up the environment's energy in sync. The natural energy in the bamboo forest was inherently rich, and now as it began to stir, Ling Zhenfei felt fear.

With the movement of the Northern Spiritual Energy, the fallen bamboo leaves started to rise from the ground and fly into the air, densely packed and blotting out the sky.

The slender bamboo leaves, charged with Northern Spiritual Energy, were like short swords at the ready, poised for launch, and seemed like they could shoot towards Ling Zhenfei at any moment, as lethal as arrows loosed from their strings.

Ling Zhenfei, of course, did not dare to be negligent. His own Spiritual Power surged, directing the energy through the meridian circuits of his body. Relying on the Heaven-Splitting Ten Fists, every move he prepared to unleash would follow the circulation through twelve meridian circuits before exploding from his fists.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.