Decaying World

Chapter 80 080 Gale Four

"Amamiya?" Lin Hui stood up, put down the medicine. He had just come up with an idea. Since swordsmanship could be evolved with blood seals, what about medicine?
After mastering the basics, can one still use the Blood Seal to improve?
After the inspiration struck, he was about to get up and try it out when someone came to visit.

"I'll go check it out. The fact that they sent you here to report means they must have revealed something, right?"

He opened the door and saw a hint of embarrassment on Wang Hongshi's face.

"Yes, we sparred a bit, but I lost," Wang Hongshi said helplessly in a low voice.

"Strong?"

“Very strong! He should be a Summoner, but since I am not at the Inner Strength Realm, I don’t know what realm he is. Elder Xue of the Intent Blade Clan is currently accompanying him,” Wang Hongshi replied.

Now that Xue Meng has joined Qingfeng Temple, he is living a very comfortable life, and no one in the Inner Strength Realm dares to cause trouble for him.

Since Lin Hui's trip to the Hundred Flowers Sect, the name of Qingfeng Sword has become widely known.

Despite the Hundred Flowers Sect's various attempts to block it, the fact that Lin Hui stormed into the headquarters and ultimately reached an agreement with the Hundred Flowers Sect Master, Ou Tianrong, was still leaked.

No one knows how it was achieved, but judging from the result, the Hundred Flowers Sect was undoubtedly the one who suffered a loss. After all, the Hundred Flowers Sect was a much larger entity.

Those forces that manage to take a piece of the pie from above are no ordinary characters.

So, in just a few days, Lin Hui was subtly regarded by some well-informed forces as being on par with Ou Tianrong, a top expert in the outer city.

As for whether he broke through his internal energy barrier, no one believes he didn't, no matter how much he claims to have tempered his body.

Stepping out of the study, Lin Hui glanced at his white robe. Because of sword practice, the edges and cuffs of the robe were frayed with many loose threads. The sleeves were too large, significantly hindering the ease of striking and making it easy for him to block his own movements.

“We need to redesign a set of close-fitting sect attire. This one won’t do. We practice fast swordsmanship, so speed is the most important thing; aesthetics are secondary. We must minimize wind resistance as much as possible,” Lin Hui casually patted his robe and mentioned to Wang Hongshi.

"Is it a redesign of the main branch of Qingfeng? After all, the situation of Yi Dao and Heilong branch is different," Wang Hongshi asked.

"Not only the Qingfeng lineage, but the other two lineages can all use the same mark. You can choose your own clothing. As for the mark, use..." Lin Hui walked through the corridor and happened to see the fine snowflakes falling outside.

"Look at these snowflakes, falling and covering the earth, all things will fall silent. Let's use the character 'wind,' a neat and tidy one."

"Um, what is the connection between the character 'wind' and 'snow'?" Wang Hongshi didn't understand what it meant.

"Huh? Related? No, not at all. I just saw it was snowing and it made me think of it." Lin Hui paused for a moment before replying.

Wang Hongshi was speechless, feeling that he couldn't quite keep up with the abbot's train of thought.

He's an honest man, so it's normal that his thinking isn't very innovative.

The two soon arrived at the reception room.

In the same place where the New Martial Alliance envoy was entertained last time, a handsome young man, no more than thirty years old, was standing in front of the same mural on the wall.

The man had waist-length black hair, wore a white robe with silver trim, and had exquisite floral and branch patterns on the collar and hem. His face was meticulously groomed, and a strong fragrance could be smelled from more than ten meters away.

Seeing Lin Hui approach, the man smiled slightly, put his hands behind his back, and turned to the side. "Lin Hui, the Qingfeng Sword?"

"Indeed, who are you?" Lin Hui stopped when he was three meters away from the other party, and waved for Wang Hongshi and the people around him to keep their distance.

Xue Meng, who was sitting to one side, did not leave and remained in the reception room to watch the two meet.

He gave Lin Hui a subtle wink, signaling him to be careful, as the newcomer was no ordinary person.

Lin Hui glanced back to indicate that he understood, and then focused his attention on the young man.

"An inner city summoner? From Amamiya? I wonder if you know Lady Youying?"

“Of course I know. You Ying is a genius in the Vice Palace Master’s faction. She has reached a very high level in practicing the Ruyi Divine Skill and is one of the top performers among the upper-level summoners.” The man smiled and said, “I am Wang Yueheng, from the Wang family in the inner city. Although I also come from the Rain Palace, the Rain Palace is an extremely large group with many factions. The You family is one faction, and my Wang family is no less so.”

"What brings you here, Lord Wang Yueheng?" Lin Hui gestured for the other party to sit down and talk. He then walked to the opposite chair and sat down as well. The atmosphere was relatively mild.

"Qingfeng Temple has now developed to such a scale, involving many industries and generating high profits. I wonder if Abbot Lin has any plans to take it a step further?" Wang Yueheng smiled and sat down.

"Are you here representing the royal family? Or Amamiya?"

"Naturally, it's the Wang family. In fact, a portion of the profits from the Hundred Flowers Sect will also be sent to my Wang family in the inner city. After receiving the news, I immediately put aside all other matters and came to pay a visit. I just wanted to see what kind of talent this young genius, who could defeat Ou Tianrong at the age of nineteen, truly possessed."

"So now you see. Aren't you disappointed?" Lin Hui's expression softened even more. He felt quite pleased after being showered with kind words.

This is the other party's way of showing goodwill.

"It's alright. After all, we martial artists don't care about appearances, we only care about strength," Wang Yueheng said with a smile. "Alright, let's get back to the main topic. Qingfeng Temple is now of a certain size, so you should understand the rules by now, right? Before, it was too small, and no one in the inner city cared about it. But now it's different. You took a share from the Hundred Flowers Sect and sent the Black Dragon Sect and the Intent Blade Sect. Your influence and martial power are not weak in the outer city. So, which side you choose to ally with needs to be put on the table."

"Why must we choose to side with someone else?" Lin Hui asked.

"The abbot still has the same narrow-minded thinking as before. Although the outer city is dark, backward, and dangerous, it can still produce some resources. Most of the people in the inner city don't care about these resources, but there are still a very small number who are willing to spend some time to get involved and divide them up. My Wang family, Liu family, and Chen family are all like this. If you don't choose, then the corresponding industries will also be hit instantly. It's much easier for the inner city to destroy a power than you think."

"What benefits will I get?" Lin Hui naturally knew these things, but he asked casually to obtain more information.

"Half of the profits will be deposited into my account every month. In exchange, I will grant you three slots per year. These three slots are open to all applicants regardless of their qualifications. If a child fails to be successfully recruited after being sent to the city, they will be nurtured from a young age until they are successfully recruited," Wang Yueheng replied.

"Three slots." Lin Hui's heart stirred. This meant that every year, a stable three disciples could enter the inner city. Although they might not become Summoners, the resources and cultivation techniques of the major families in the inner city were far superior to those in the outer city.

"By the way, even if the summoning fails, children who cultivate mind-body techniques and body-tempering techniques from a young age have a high chance of breaking through to the inner strength realm when they grow up. Of course, this is only a long-term transaction, so you need to think it through," Wang Yueheng said with a smile.

Lin Hui nodded slowly. This is indeed something that requires long-term investment to see returns, after all, raising and growing a child takes years.

Since his blood seal evolution also takes a long time, he can take the opportunity to train some assistants.

"So, other forces, such as the Hundred Flowers Sect, also engage in similar transactions?"

“Of course there are, but they’ve only sent four people into my Wang family. It’s still early, and we won’t see any returns for at least five or six years,” Wang Yueheng said with a smile. “In fact, people like these who exchange between the inner and outer cities will become managers and stewards in various places within our Wang family in the future, thus forming a large-scale power that combines internal and external influences. This is also the management method of some families in the inner city. Otherwise, relying solely on the family members, there are too few talented people. If a family’s power wants to develop, it must introduce external forces.”

"That makes sense." Lin Hui nodded. This kind of alliance, with shared interests, could undoubtedly quickly bind many forces to the war effort.

"Can I think about it for a few days?" he asked, looking at the other person.

"Of course, but let me remind you, Qingfeng Temple has already attracted the attention of quite a few people. Next, you will not be dealing with these ordinary martial artists in the outer city, but with the summoners in the inner city." Wang Yueheng paused, "Of course, Abbot Lin's Qingfeng Sword is exceptionally strong, and he may be a little unconvinced. If it is convenient, you and I can spar a bit and test the difference between the martial arts of the inner and outer cities. I wonder if Brother Lin dares?"

In the end, he even changed how he addressed people. A strange metallic sheen appeared on his body.

"Why wouldn't I dare?!" Lin Hui had just broken through and was itching to get his hands on the ground when an opponent immediately came knocking on his door. It was a golden opportunity.

He had long wanted to test the strength of the Summoner.

Just right now.

Standing up, Lin Hui looked at Xue Meng.

"We would appreciate it if Mr. Xue could act as our witness."

"It's my honor!" Xue Meng smiled and stood up as well.

"Lead the way, let's find a more spacious place, otherwise it would be a shame to ruin this place," Wang Yueheng said with a smile.

"Come with me." Lin Hui immediately thought of Gale Plains.

He immediately slipped out of the reception room, crossed the training ground, and in the blink of an eye rushed out through the main gate.

He didn't use his maximum speed; he simply ran with his physical body, without using internal energy.

Without special effects, this speed is fast, but only slightly faster than Baohe Daoren's.

If the opponent can't keep up even with this, then it means their strength is nothing special.

Lin Hui ran ahead for several hundred meters before looking back.

But then he saw Wang Yueheng following closely behind him with a nonchalant smile on her face, and she had picked a small purple flower in her hand.

Despite moving at such high speed, the small purple flower in his hand was not blown by the wind at all, as if it were in a windless environment.

This strange sight gave Lin Hui a slight jolt.

"Since Brother Wang can still keep up, then I, Lin, will not hold back."

He immediately channeled his internal energy into his legs.

laugh!
In an instant, the speed increased dramatically, becoming 20-30% faster than before.

The speed made Wang Yueheng, who was behind, twitch and quickly accelerated to catch up. At this moment, even he was no longer as composed as before.

He tossed aside the small flower in his hand, not daring to slack off, and followed closely behind.

The two chased each other, leaving Xue Meng far behind.

The speed-type expert's advantage in rushing and escaping is amplified at this moment.

Before long, the two arrived at Gale Plains.

Hills are scattered all around.

Lin Hui slowed down, stopped at his usual sword-practicing spot, and turned to look at Wang Yueheng.

"Brother Wang has indeed not disappointed me."

"..." Wang Yueheng's smile faltered slightly. He had done his research before coming and knew that Lin Hui was known for his speed. He himself also practiced speed-type internal martial arts. With his status as a superior summoner, he thought he was unlikely to be left behind by the other party.

But now it seems... something's not right with this guy.
He had thought this trip would be like the previous ones, where he could easily defeat his opponent with a simple move, and then use his gentle and persuasive manner to reason with him and win him over, turning him into his good brother (loyal servant). However, he did not expect that his opponent would give him a hard time from the very beginning with his agility.

"Brother Lin's speed has truly broadened my horizons. However, in actual combat, while agility is important, offense and defense are the core." He glanced around, a calm smile returning to his face.

As a price to pay for his somewhat humiliating defeat, he decided that after defeating Lin Hui, he would directly use the Mind Control Worm to control him.

In the past, he would have been interested in playing along with the other party. Such a proud and talented martial artist was the most interesting subject for psychological games of tug-of-war.

But now, he has no time. If the two siblings from the Liu family both break through to the Divine Official level, the pressure on his eldest sister will be too great.

Controlling Lin Hui was a way to secretly plant seeds of trouble for Liu Wujun and his sister in the future.

'Why not just cripple him? I wonder if Liu Xiao will even be able to pass the Divine Sound stage if he finds out Lin Hui has been crippled? It would be even better if he were crippled due to a qi deviation.'

Wang Yueheng's spirits were only slightly dampened before her mood immediately plummeted, and the sinister coldness in her eyes was almost impossible to suppress.

(End of this chapter)