Chapter 1 The Juvenile Called Chen Feng The sun was shining in the sky, and many people had gathered in the Yan Wu Hall. But Chen Feng didn’t feel any warmth.
He stood at the center of the Yan Wu Hall. His face turned red because of tension, and his hands were clenched tightly. He was going through his annual family test. “You can do it, Chen Feng,” he secretly cheered himself on.
“Chen Feng, are you ready?”
At this moment, a middle-aged man at the front of the hall suddenly opened his mouth with a serious face.
Chen Feng nodded and posed. And then the surrounding Ling became a thin line into his body, but the Ling dissipated quickly, leaving only a small part in his body. And then the Ling continued to dissipate.
A fist went out, and the wind sounded.
Bang!
Like hitting a ma.s.s of cotton, Chen Feng looked at the man in front of him through narrowed eyes with a feeling of helplessness.
“Chen Feng, twelve years old, the peak of Ling guide level.”
“Well. He’s really staying in this level. Four years, and no progress!”
“He is too confident. In fact, he is not the genius he used to be. He reached the Ling gather level at the age of eight, but now at the age of twelve, it’s regressing back to the Ling guide level. But since his father is the master of the family, will he still be able to safely stand here? A man like him should no longer enjoy the resources of the family.”
Chen Feng’s confident expression was stiff on his face, and he was no stranger to the sarcasm that he had heard more than a hundred times in these four years. But, at this moment, he felt something in his face was breaking.
Over and over again, from hope to expectation, and then to disappointment. Over the past four years he had tried more than a million times, but had failed each time.
Was that despair?
Chen Feng laughed at himself and slowly walked down the Yan Wu stage. The twelve-year-old boy’s posture unexpectedly revealed a sad and lonely feeling.
The family tests were still going on, but Chen Feng didn’t want to stay here anymore.
In the evening, a lot of heavy sighs suddenly went through the Chen family. There were masters who had reached the Ling shape level. They’d come from the branches of the Chen family in various places.
In the hall of the Chen family, Chen Xiong, the master of the Chen family, sat on the high position, frowning at the branches of the Chen family. Many of these people were his brothers, but Chen Xiong had known the purpose of these people for a long time.
“Master, we all heard that Chen Feng has been stuck in the Ling guide level for four years. But in the past four years, he has consumed many of the family’s resources. Now, he is still not growing. I don’t think it is necessary to let him stay in the family.”
Who could appear in the hall of the Chen family, and with such a simple character? The person who was talking was BeiChen Shan. His tone was cold, and his strength had reached the Ling sense level this year. He could catch up with Chen Xiong soon.
Upon hearing this, most people nodded and expressed their deep approval. Chen Xiong looked at these people’s faces, but he was sneering in his heart. At the same time, he felt a chill and thought, When Chen Feng was eight years old, he had shocked the whole Chen family, so they felt threatened. Now, so many people have come to the capital that I’m afraid there was premeditation.
Suddenly, a person came out, wearing a sneer on the corner of his mouth. The cold breath from his body made people afraid to approach. It turned out to be Chen Han.
“Brother, I have watched Chen Feng grow since childhood. But under the present circ.u.mstances, he can no longer be allowed to stay in the family. Resources are not so important, but our family’s reputation mustn’t be tarnished.”
“Yeah! Master, you must think clearly!” the crowd shouted.
Chen Xiong’s expression became serious, but more than that, he was angry. He stood up and said faintly, “Are you going to stage a rebellion? I am the master of Chen family now. If anyone dares to let Chen Feng leave, I will punish them without exception. Don’t think I can’t do it with the protection of the Presbyterian order. If you don’t believe me, just try it! Hmph!”
Chen Xiong didn’t linger. His face was twitching slightly. He was afraid that he could not help attacking these people, and if that happened, the Chen family would become chaotic. He would not do this unless it was his last resort. But Chen Feng was like a stone in his heart.
“Yan Feng, what am I gonna do? Chen Feng is a gift for us, and I can’t leave him alone.” Chen Xiong walked out of the hall, looking at the sky. His eyes took on a deep look.
Who was Yan Feng? The very name was taboo. No one dared speak of it. Chen Xiong seldom mentioned it; even in front of Chen Feng, he had never spoken of it.
He stayed by the pool at the back of the family. At this moment, he lay on a huge stone beside the pool, looking at the stars all over the sky. But he didn’t appreciate them.
Suddenly, a gust of wind came, and it gave him a shiver.
“Can I not resist this cold wind now?” Chen Feng laughed at himself. Suddenly, he felt something approaching, and instead of rising, he lay on the stone and said, “Father, you are coming again.”
It didn’t sound like a twelve-year-old at all. Perhaps because he was often ridiculed during the past four years, he had grown up a lot. Chen Feng would never be as weak as a typical twelve-year-old.
The only person in the whole Chen family who knew he was here was Chen Xiong. This was a holy place of practice, br.i.m.m.i.n.g with Ling. It was originally a place for Che Xiong to practice, but the strength of Chen Xiong had reached the Ling sense level, and there was no need for further practice.
“Chen Feng, don’t give up. It’s just that you can’t gather Ling. It’s okay. Perhaps you can do it on a casual day!” Chen Xiong had a smile on his face. To Chen Feng, he was not the master of the family, but a father.
The humiliation on Chen Feng’s face was gone. He wouldn’t be weak in front of Chen Xiong. He didn’t want to disappoint him.
“Father, did those people bother you? Although I am not strong, I feel your steps are very heavy. Obviously there is something wrong.” Chen Feng’s eyes sparkled with confidence; his feeling was much more sensitive than normal. That was his only advantage right now.
Chen Xiong’s eyes returned to twinkling, as if he had seen Chen Feng once again.
“Hha. Everybody says a father knows his son, but I think you know my heart. Those people are not worth considering. Although some of them are strong, they are not enough to fight with me,” Chen Xiong said, holding his hands slightly. A strong stream of breath emanated from his body, and a circle of ripples were made on the pool.
Chen Xiong took out a box in his hand, which flickered with a dim red light. It was a high-level Ling gra.s.s, and Chen Feng knew it, too. It was the clotting fruit which could replenish the vital essence of the pract.i.tioner and consolidate the foundation.
“Father, don’t bring me these things anymore. I know there are not enough resources in the family.” Chen Feng reached for it, because he knew his father’s character, and he couldn’t refuse.
Chen Xiong nodded and said, “I will do as you wish. In fact, the Chen family pays attention to physical training. Even if you cannot gather Ling, all you need to do is practice your external skills to a high level. It is not worse than or even better than a Ling pract.i.tioner. So the Chen family can become a powerful family in the empire.”
Chen Feng’s eyes sparkled again as he asked, “Father, the fist position you taught me before is the external skill; is this it?”
“Yes. It is called the Overlord Fist Position. It is an advanced method of practicing the external skill, but it’s difficult to practice. If you succeed, you can confront the master of the Ling shape level.”