Chapter 99: Third Time's the Charm... Or Maybe the Fourth

Chapter 99: Things Should Not Happen More Than Three Times... Let’s Make It Four

With Luo Feng’s performance, complemented by the commentary of the bystanders, the image of a young man who had endured great hardships and was bitterly pursuing the path of immortality was vividly brought to life. He was a youth who had poured his own efforts into his cultivation, only to be met with denial and mockery, fueling his indignation and obsession with diligent practice. The faint glint of tears in his eyes reflected the boy’s complex inner struggle—a mixture of anger and deep sorrow. He pleaded with his martial uncle for a fair fight, determined to let his cultivation speak for itself. In an instant, his character, his movements, and his emotions were perfectly aligned. The background character, previously known only by reputation, suddenly became three-dimensional; he was truly alive.

None of the onlookers found it strange. Even the three rogue cultivators, Shunfeng and Xuanyi, perceived this as a normal display. Only Yun Ruo fell into deep self-doubt.

"This performance... it doesn't feel right. It’s too reckless. How could he...?"

"Could he truly be a young disciple? Did I guess wrong?"

Unbeknownst to her, a hint of guilt began to rise in Yun Ruo’s heart. As a dignified Golden Immortal, was it really appropriate to scheme against a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator? This cultivator was, after all, a junior from her own sect—just a child.

"Perhaps..." Standing to the side, a guilty Yun Ruo thought to herself, "I should just test him once more."

"Once... well, that’s a bit too little. As the saying goes, the first drum lifts the spirit, the second weakens it, and the third exhausts it. Why not three times?"

"Three times... three times, and then one more? Four times? No, no, four is unlucky."

"...Five times. That’s it, five times!"

Yun Ruo cast a deep, meaningful look at Daoist Huoyun. The Daoist’s expression stiffened instantly, and he cursed inwardly. *I am just an honest and simple-minded Nascent Soul cultivator—weak, powerless, and harmless. Why are you staring at me?*

Yun Ruo spoke in a soft, gentle voice: "Junior Brother Tianyi, please stand up. I trust the sect will surely give you a fair account." She turned, "Isn't that right, Martial Uncle Huoyun?"

*Since you’ve already said so, what else can I do?* Daoist Huoyun coughed softly and tapped the void, instantly enveloping a five-hundred-meter radius in a blue glow. The space before them transformed into a small, isolated pocket. "You two may enter and spar. Under my spiritual pressure, you will be restricted to the strength of the Foundation Establishment realm."

Luo Feng nodded solemnly, bowed to Daoist Huoyun, and stepped into the space. The puppet senior brother bowed to the Daoist as well before resolutely stepping inside. Looking at Luo Feng, the puppet senior brother sneered, "I don’t know why the Junior Sister is helping you, but you must remember your place! How can an ant be compared to a soaring dragon?"

Luo Feng remained silent, guarding himself inwardly, while his mind raced with internal monologue. *This is a cliché from years ago. Brother, Sister, just when did you transmigrate here? And what is this talk? Are you trying to play a game of Narcissus? Falling in love while trying to kill each other?! Tsk, tsk, tsk, the Immortals of the Primordial Era really know how to play.*

Luo Feng, still silent, pulled out an ordinary-quality sword. The puppet senior brother flew into a rage. "You're courting death!" He slapped his waist, and a high-quality magical artifact hovered beside him. With a flick of his fingers, he launched an attack at Luo Feng, the rolling sword energy aimed straight at his vitals.

The crowd outside began to murmur, and Senior Sister Yun Ruo even let out a gasp of concern. Luo Feng did not panic; he channeled his Foundation Establishment water-based power, flickering nimbly, his steps kicking up ripples of water as if he were a rushing river charging toward his opponent.

One was a practitioner of an ancient water-immortal foundation, his technique pure and his breath long. The other was a True Person suppressing his cultivation, powerful and experienced. The two traded blows, neither giving an inch, in what looked like a battle of three hundred rounds—or, more accurately, two amateurs pecking at each other.

However, Luo Feng gradually began to lose ground. This was because his weapon was a common piece of street-market junk, while the puppet senior brother held a high-quality artifact.

The puppet senior brother gave a sinister grin, fully embodying the role of a villain. "Surrender now!"

"I would rather die than surrender!" Luo Feng played along, shouting with a firm, resolute tone that showed he would never back down. Despite being knocked back three or four steps, his eyes remained bright, staring at his opponent with unyielding defiance.

"Then I shall grant your wish!" The puppet senior brother lunged forward, his thick, true energy striking directly at Luo Feng’s chest. This was a speed Luo Feng could not evade. Thus, he began calculating exactly how many meters he should roll to make it look as realistic as possible.

Just a second before the energy was about to hit him, the puppet senior brother’s aura suddenly shifted, erupting with the power of a Nascent Soul expert. He had abandoned the restriction entirely. Daoist Huoyun’s spiritual pressure had no effect on him at all.

*I can't block this!* In the flash of a lightning bolt, thoughts raced through his mind, and Luo Feng immediately adopted a look of sheer astonishment. Amidst Daoist Huoyun’s angry shout and the condemnation of the bystanders, he spat out a mouthful of blood and flew hundreds of meters back, crashing directly into the spiritual barrier.

Foundation Establishment level, Nascent Soul aura, Golden Core attack. In an instant, the puppet senior brother had shifted his power control three times. From start to finish, Luo Feng had not wavered, maintaining the performance of a Foundation Establishment cultivator. What happens when a Foundation Establishment cultivator takes a hit from a Golden Core? They pass out.

Luo Feng very graciously fainted. Before losing consciousness, he saw Fairy Yun Ruo running over with a look of deep concern. He sighed inwardly: *They really know how to play. You beat me until I vomited blood, and now you’re here acting all concerned. What’s so great about having multiple masks? Just picking on a newbie like me!*

About ten minutes later, Luo Feng sensed that he had been fed a medicinal pill. He was just about to rise to the occasion when his surging blood flow suddenly calmed down. *Holy crap! A Blood-Stilling Pill?! If I didn't know a thing or two about alchemy, I would have been exposed right here.* He withdrew his divine sense, allowing the medicinal effect to reshape his physical body.

About half an hour later, Luo Feng finally tasted a normal healing pill. "Ugh..." He slowly opened his eyes and scanned his surroundings. He was already on the red gourd, and the one tending to him was Fairy Yun Ruo.

Luo Feng hurriedly tried to rise, barely supporting his body with his hands. He sat up, lowered his head, and said in a low voice, "Thank you for your care, Senior Sister."

"Tianyi, Tianyi..." Fairy Yun Ruo smiled gently, like a flower bud about to bloom. "Helping a fellow sect member is only right and proper."

*I don't believe a word of it, you old fox in disguise.*

At that moment, a fellow disciple nearby laughed good-naturedly. "Little Junior Brother, you have quite the fortune!"

"That’s right, that’s right! It’s the first time I’ve ever seen Senior Sister Yun Ruo take care of anyone."

The teasing and sighs were endless. Luo Feng froze, then lowered his head in shame, his fair, delicate face turning slightly red. He appeared incredibly nervous, yet every so often, he would peek up at Yun Ruo. But as if afraid of being caught, he would quickly lower his head again.

However, since everyone present was a cultivator, how could they not notice this? Like fish taking the bait, every time Luo Feng looked up, the kind laughter would erupt once more. After a while, even Luo Feng was infected by it, his lips curling into a slight smile.

*What you understand is only what I intentionally showed you. What you know is only what I let you know.*