Chapter 23 Whispers in the Dark Night as Winter Approaches, The Tender Imprisonment Behind the Moon Fan and the Third Form of the Thousand-Machine Umbrella
In the dead of night in Winterfell, the wind and snow seemed even more ferocious than usual, engulfing the entire city in a chaotic, pale white haze. However, deep within Winterfell Academy,
Inside the private villa belonging to Mentor Mingyue, however, it was warm as spring, filled with a captivating and enchanting atmosphere. Expensive ambergris burned in the enormous fireplace.
It not only dispelled the bone-chilling cold but also released a delicate, soothing fragrance that calmed restless soul power. Ye Feng, shirtless, sat cross-legged in the center of the soft couch covered with thick snow fox fur.
Although he closed his eyes and concentrated at this moment, the occasional look of pain between his brows showed the torment his meridians were going through.
Although the battle in the black market seemed like a decisive victory, the forced activation of the "Tears of the Ice God" in conjunction with the Thousand Manifestations Umbrella for an overloaded form switching caused several minor cracks in his soul power circuits. This was the price that a mortal body had to pay for bearing divine power.
Mingyue had already shed her imposing battle robes and donned an extremely loose-fitting moon-colored silk nightgown. The smooth, flowing fabric clung to her graceful curves, shimmering with alluring light as she moved. In her hands she held a crystal-clear jade bowl.
The bowl contained a medicinal liquid that emitted a bright green fluorescence; it was a miraculous healing medicine she had concocted using the "Eternal Snow Lotus Heart," which she had treasured for many years.
She walked behind Ye Feng, not rushing to apply the medicine, but instead extending her warm, jade-like hands to gently place them on Ye Feng's well-defined back. The burning heat from her fingertips made her heart tremble slightly, a mixture of heartache and an indescribable infatuation. She could no longer distinguish whether she admired this much younger boy's talent or was already deeply infatuated.
"Bear with it, it might hurt a little."
Mingyue's voice was so gentle it seemed to drip with water. She enveloped the medicinal liquid with her soul power and slowly pushed it into the major acupoints on Ye Feng's back. As the medicinal liquid seeped in, a sensation of coolness and heat instantly exploded within Ye Feng's body.
He couldn't help but groan, his back muscles tensing instantly. Seeing this, Mingyue's eyes softened even more. She simply knelt down behind Ye Feng, her warm breath spraying onto the back of his neck. Her hands were no longer just massaging, but were now stroking in a highly provocative way, moving down his spine vertebra by vertebra, as if measuring every inch of the boy's skin in this way, declaring her ownership.
"You little pervert, you were really something on the black market today."
As Mingyue gently massaged the bruises on his side, she whispered in his ear, her tone tinged with a mixture of reproach and lingering fear.
"Faced with such an encirclement, you actually dared to send that little girl from the Leng family to the flank while you stood in the front? You trust her that much? Or are you gambling your life on her heart?"
The sourness in those words was even stronger than that bowl of millennia-old snow lotus elixir. Ye Feng gave a wry smile, not daring to turn around, and could only explain in a low voice, "Teacher, it was a tactical necessity. Although Qianqian is fast, her defense is too weak. If she were to face the Corrosive Bone Ice Dragon head-on, she would surely die. I have the shield form of the Thousand Manifestations Umbrella; only I can withstand it."
"Qianqian? That sounds quite affectionate."
Mingyue suddenly tightened her fingers and pinched Ye Feng's waist hard, making Ye Feng gasp in pain. "Ye Feng, listen to me carefully."
Tactics aside, when it comes to emotions, I won't allow you to be a "central air conditioner" (someone who's nice to everyone). I saved your life, and you honed your skills right under my nose.
In the Winter's Academy, even in this world, only I have the right to decide your life and death, and only I have the right... to be so close to you. Her voice trailed off, barely a whisper, her cheeks flushed a captivating blush. She couldn't help but lean down, her red lips gently pressing against Ye Feng's sweat-covered shoulder. That instant of touch sent a shiver through both of their souls.
Just as this ambiguity was about to burn away their reason, the "Tear of the Ice God" in Ye Feng's arms suddenly vibrated, emitting a clear, cold aura that forcibly brought the two of them back to their senses.
Mingyue straightened up somewhat awkwardly, straightened her slightly disheveled clothes, and glared fiercely at Ye Feng, as if blaming his unromantic martial spirit.
But soon, her expression returned to the solemnity of a mentor. Although the lingering springtime charm still lingered in her eyes and brows, her tone had become exceptionally serious: "Alright, the injuries are temporarily under control. Now, we need to talk about serious matters. The alliance between the Elephant Armor Sect and the Snow Demon Sect means that the 'exchange competition' two days from now will be far more than just a friendly spar. It will be a massacre targeting the geniuses of our academy."
Mingyue walked to the window, looking at the raging wind and snow outside, and gently tapped the window frame with her folding fan: "Dean Feng just sent a message that Huyan Zhen, the sect leader of the Elephant Armor Sect, has secretly arrived in Winter City."
Accompanying him was the Elephant Armor Sect's infamous treasure—'Mammoth Demon Blood'. It is said that this thing can temporarily stimulate the primal wildness of a martial soul, causing a surge in soul power, but the side effects are severe, as it will overdraw the user's life potential.
"I'm worried that Huyan Li will be used as a pawn." Hearing this, Ye Feng's eyes instantly turned cold. Although he was Huyan Li's opponent, that big guy, despite his arrogance, had the bottom line of a warrior. If the Elephant Armor Sect was willing to destroy its own successor for the sake of victory, then this sect was even more disgusting than the Snow Demon Sect.
"To break this deadlock, the current form of the Thousand Chance Umbrella isn't enough." Ye Feng stood up, put on a coat, and walked to Mingyue's side. His eyes had regained absolute calm.
That tactical mastermind's aura from "Glory" has returned once again: "The spear is powerful but lacks flexibility, and the Ice Phoenix Spear is decent for long-range suppression but lacks finishing moves."
Faced with a defense on par with Huyan Li's, amplified by 'Demonic Blood,' I need a form capable of cutting through any defense and possessing extreme attack speed.
Mingyue turned her head, looked at Ye Feng's confident eyes, and smiled slightly: "It seems you already have an idea? Don't forget, the core of your Thousand Chance Umbrella is fused with that piece of 'extraterrestrial meteorite iron,' and its extensibility is limitless."
Ye Feng nodded, and with a flick of his wrist, the Thousand Manifestations Umbrella appeared in his palm. He took a deep breath and began to mobilize the soul power within his body that had just been straightened by Mingyue, injecting it into a complex gear structure at the handle of the umbrella that had never been used before. This was his most familiar and also most dangerous melee form in "Glory"—"Ninja Sword: Shadow Vanishing".
As soul power was injected, the Thousand Manifestations Umbrella emitted a series of teeth-grinding mechanical friction sounds. The canopy did not open, but instead contracted extremely inward, tightly wrapping around the ribs, ultimately forming a long, narrow black scabbard. Meanwhile, the handle lengthened and thinned with a clicking sound, transforming into a long sword with a streamlined curve.
"Third form - Ninja Sword".
Ye Feng let out a low shout and drew his sword. The blade was not the silvery white of metal, but a deep, dark purple, with an icy blue gleam at the edge.
The sword was extremely thin, as if a gust of wind could break it, yet Mingyue could sense the sharp, space-splitting aura emanating from it. Ye Feng flicked his wrist, and the ninja sword traced a silent path in the air, leaving three lingering afterimages.
"This utilizes the cutting properties of wind elements, combined with the high-frequency vibration principle of the Thousand-Mechanism Umbrella," Ye Feng explained, his eyes gleaming with fervent light.
"The Elephant Armor Clan's defense relies on its sheer size, while the ninja sword's characteristic is 'point-to-surface penetration.' As long as my attack frequency is fast enough, I can slash a hundred times in a row at the same point, and even the hide of a diamond mammoth can be cut through like tofu."
Mingyue watched this scene, her admiration deepening. She knew that the young man before her had given her another surprise. This form not only compensated for the weakness in attack power but also perfectly complemented Ye Feng's unpredictable movement techniques.
However, the training did not end there. Just as the two were immersed in their research on the new form, a very slight knocking sound came from the villa window.
If it weren't for Mingyue and Yefeng's keen senses, the sound would have been easily masked by the howling wind and snow. Mingyue frowned, her Mingyue Fan instantly appearing in her hand, about to unleash her power, but Yefeng stopped her.
Ye Feng walked to the window and opened it. A petite figure, shivering slightly from the cold, nimbly slipped in, carrying with her a chill and snowflakes. It was Leng Qianqian.
Leng Qianqian looked somewhat disheveled at this moment. She was dressed in black night clothes, with some bloodstains still wet on her shoulders. Seeing Ye Feng, whose clothes were somewhat disheveled, and Mingyue, who was wearing a bathrobe, in the room, a clear sadness and bitterness flashed in her eyes, but it was quickly covered by her stubbornness.
She didn't say anything, but instead pulled a heavy package from her bosom and slammed it heavily on the table with a dull thud.
"What is this?" Mingyue raised an eyebrow. Although her tone was still cold, her murderous aura subsided somewhat when she saw the injuries on Leng Qianqian's body.
"Deep-sea sunken silver mother, and three soul cores of thousand-year-old wind baboons." Leng Qianqian's voice was a little hoarse. She didn't look at Mingyue, but stared intently at Ye Feng, as if trying to etch his image into her bones.
"These are what I just 'stole' from the family storeroom. The new form of the Thousand Manifestations Umbrella requires extremely high toughness; ordinary materials simply cannot withstand your high-frequency vibrations. These things are enough to triple the hardness of your old, broken umbrella."
Ye Feng was stunned. Deep-sea sunken silver mother is a divine item in the forging world. Even a piece the size of a fingernail is priceless, let alone such a large package.
The injuries on Leng Qianqian's body were clearly the price she paid to obtain these things. Looking at the girl's cat-like eyes, which shone brightly under the light, he felt a surge of warmth in his heart, mixed with a heavy sense of guilt. He stepped forward, wanting to check her injuries, but Leng Qianqian stubbornly avoided him.
"Don't touch me... I don't need your pity."
Leng Qianqian bit her lip, her eyes slightly reddening. "Ye Feng, listen to me carefully. I'm not doing this to move you, nor to lose to this old woman. I just don't want to see you die at the hands of that idiot Hu Yanli in the match two days from now. You are my opponent, and only I can defeat you, understand?"
After saying that, she glared fiercely at Mingyue, her eyes like those of a small animal guarding its food in the face of a powerful predator, fearful but never backing down.
Mingyue watched this scene, surprisingly not angry, but instead sighing softly. She walked to the table, opened the package, and looked at the rare materials inside that emitted a faint glow, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes.
As a woman, she understood Leng Qianqian's feelings all too well. That kind of resolute determination to disregard everything, even betray one's family, for the person one loves was just like her own back then.
She looked up, her gaze softening slightly as she looked at Leng Qianqian: "Since you're here, don't rush to leave. Ye Feng's Thousand Chance Umbrella does indeed need these materials for its final tempering."
Moreover, your Shadow Cat Martial Soul has some unique insights into speed, which would make you a perfect sparring partner for Ye Feng. However…" Mingyue's tone shifted, becoming increasingly authoritative, "This only applies tonight. Tomorrow morning, you must return to the Leng family, otherwise your father, that old fogey, will probably turn Winter City upside down."
That night, the most central villa of Winter's Academy was brightly lit. Under Mingyue's guidance, Ye Feng used the materials brought by Leng Qianqian to fuse and upgrade the Thousand Chance Umbrella overnight.
Leng Qianqian, as his actual combat opponent, repeatedly launched attacks on Ye Feng by transforming into afterimages, forcing him to adapt to the extreme reaction speed in the form of a ninja sword.
Two equally proud and deeply affectionate women reached a subtle understanding at this moment. For the sake of the same man, they put aside their hostility and forged together a peerless blade that would soon shock the Northern Border.
Time flies, and the day of the "exchange competition" has arrived in the blink of an eye.
As the morning sun shone on the massive gates of Winter's Academy, the solemn atmosphere was broken by a series of heavy footsteps. Hundreds of burly men clad in heavy, earthen-yellow armor...
They approached slowly, like a moving city wall. The elder at the head was as burly as a mountain, and every step he took caused the ground to tremble slightly. He was none other than Huyan Zhen, the sect leader of the Elephant Armor Sect.
Beside him stood a middle-aged man exuding a chilling aura—the vice sect leader of the Snow Demon Sect. This terrifying lineup instilled a suffocating pressure in Dean Feng Rusong, who was standing at the school gate to greet them.
But at the very front of the group, the most eye-catching figure was Hu Yanli. In just two days, he seemed like a completely different person. The arrogant yet clear-eyed boy was gone, replaced by a beast with bloodshot eyes, bulging veins all over his body, and an aura of nauseating violence.
Around his neck hung a necklace made of bones from an unknown beast, from which a dark red energy was continuously flowing into his body. It was a sign that the "Mammoth Blood" was eroding his sanity.
Seeing his former rival reduced to this state, Ye Feng, standing behind Feng Rusong, gripped the Thousand Chance Umbrella tightly. The newly fused deep-sea silver mother metal on the handle exuded a cold touch, reminding him of the expectations of the two women behind this power.
"Ye Feng, come out and face your death!" Hu Yanli roared inhumanly, his voice filled with extreme pain and madness.
Feng Rusong adjusted his glasses, about to step forward to negotiate, but was stopped by Ye Feng. Ye Feng, dressed in white, appeared exceptionally thin in the wind and snow, yet his aura was like a drawn blade, its sharpness fully revealed. He didn't look at Huyan Zhen, nor at the menacing Snow Demon Sect experts; his gaze rested calmly and compassionately on Huyan Li.
"Huyan Li, in order to win, you've even abandoned your dignity as a Soul Master?" Ye Feng's voice wasn't loud, but with the support of his Soul Power, it clearly resonated throughout the entire arena.
"Dignity? Winning is dignity!" The answer wasn't from Huyan Li, but from Huyan Zhen standing to the side. The old man's eyes gleamed with fanaticism. "Boy, this world only cares about results. Today is the day Winter's Academy is expelled. Ali, tear him to pieces!"
With Huyan Zhen's command, Huyan Li could no longer control the rage within him. Like a runaway war machine, he crashed towards Ye Feng. The terrifying momentum was at least three times stronger than during the ranking battle!
Ye Feng did not move until the huge fist was about to smash his head, at which point he slowly raised the Thousand Chance Umbrella in his hand.
"Since you believe in power, then I will use skill to show you what true insurmountability is."
"Thousand Manifestations Umbrella - Third Form, Ninja Sword: Shadow Vanishing!"
A streak of purplish-blue light traced a poignant arc across everyone's retinas. At that moment, it seemed even the wind and snow were severed.
This battle was a battle for the survival of the academy. Behind the flashing swords and shadows, there was Mingyue's tightly gripped folding fan, Leng Qianqian's bitten lip, and the most dazzling brilliance of the young man bearing love and responsibility in the face of adversity.