Chapter 87 86: Celestial River Windy Pass
Ling Fei walked out of the Cultivation Room and arrived at the academy, where people immediately came up to strike up a conversation.
They were four beauties, all Mid Level Students.
After learning that Ling Fei was heading to the Celestial River Windy Pass, the women immediately led him there.
Along the way, they took the opportunity to explain the details of the Celestial River Windy Pass to Ling Fei, appearing incredibly enthusiastic.
"The edge of the Celestial River Windy Pass is a giant lake formed by the convergence of great rivers. At the far end of the lake, where two mountains meet, you'll find the Celestial River Canyon. That's the eye of the wind. Fierce gales often whip up monstrous waves along the shore, making it impossible for most people to even stand on the nearby Lake Towers," explained a student named Li Li.
Ling Fei listened carefully.
This information was very useful for his cultivation.
"Many people like to go to the Celestial River Canyon to practice their comprehension. That's why the academy erected rows of Watchtower Pillars and Lake Towers along its edge—to give students a place to stand and comprehend the Mystical of the Wind River," Li Li explained patiently. "If you want to comprehend the Mystical of the Wind, dusk is the best time. Violent gales often rise up then, and many people go out onto the lake just to wait for them."
"Thank you," Ling Fei said, showing his appreciation.
"You're too kind, Young Master Ling." Li Li smiled sweetly, revealing a pair of lovely dimples. "It's my honor to walk beside the academy's legendary Chosen One. If you become famous throughout the Empire one day, I'll be able to boast to my descendants about how I once had such a pleasant chat with you."
"So many female students dream of walking side-by-side with Young Master Ling," the other three women added with charming smiles.
Ling Fei was a little taken aback by all the compliments.
Before they knew it, they arrived at the shore of a lake.
The lake was very large. A thin mist shrouded the shore, as if draping the lake in a light veil.
When the mist stirred, it was like a veil being slowly lifted from a maiden's face, revealing the emerald water below. The sight was utterly enchanting.
By the lakeside was a stretch of majestic, towering green mountains.
At the far end, two rows of giant peaks stood opposite each other, with a massive river in the center dividing them.
That massive river was a branch of the Celestial River.
In the canyon between the two mountains, fierce winds howled and the river water rushed, converging into the lake.
That canyon mouth was the Celestial River Windy Pass.
"What a beautiful lake!" Ling Fei came to the shore, gazing at the green mountains and clear water before him. The gentle breeze made him feel as if he were merging with heaven, earth, and nature itself.
"Wind!" Suddenly, something stirred in Ling Fei's heart. 'This is it! This is the feeling of merging with the wind, of becoming one with heaven and earth!'
Only by comprehending heaven, earth, and nature can one truly achieve the Unity of Heaven and Man.
"If you want to go to the Celestial River Windy Pass, Young Master Ling, you can just follow the Watchtower Pillars," Li Li reminded him.
"Thank you all. If you run into any trouble in the future, you can come find me," Ling Fei said with a smile.
"You're too kind, Young Master Ling." Li Li smiled sweetly. She didn't leave, but simply stood beside Ling Fei without disturbing his comprehension.
Ling Fei stood by the lake, letting the breeze caress him as he continued to immerse himself in the feeling of the natural world.
Comprehending here was clearly a more direct and natural experience than trying to do so through Martial Arts alone.
After a moment of contemplation, Ling Fei strode toward a long walkway that extended out over the lake.
Along the edge of the walkway, the wind over the lake stirred, and the water's surface rippled in response.
Ling Fei stood there, comprehending the wind and the rhythm it carried.
After comprehending for a short while, Ling Fei seemed to have an epiphany and immediately stepped off the walkway.
WHOOSH!
With a flash of movement, he shot out and landed on one of the Watchtower Pillars in the lake.
The pillar was three meters above the lake's surface. The further out into the lake, the taller the pillars became, and there were even Wangfeng Towers in the center.
Ling Fei landed on different pillars, comprehending different intensities of wind.
Finally, his figure moved continuously forward, gradually disappearing from the sight of Li Li and the others.
However, Li Li and the others remained by the lake, waiting.
"What are you all doing here?" A female student walked over, her eyes showing surprise when she saw Li Li's group.
"We're waiting for Young Master Ling Fei!" a young woman replied with a sweet smile.
"Ling Fei?" Instantly, the newcomer's eyes showed astonishment. "You mean *the* Ling Fei? The genius who broke the records?"
"Who else could it be?" Li Li said with a sweet smile. 'Besides this Chosen One, who else would be worth waiting for like this?'
"Wow, it really is him! Then I have to wait here too." At once, many people's eyes lit up with excitement.
Some even stepped onto the Watchtower Pillars, wanting to get a closer look at Ling Fei's magnificent presence.
In addition, the news of Ling Fei emerging from his seclusion also began to spread.
"So Ling Fei has come out of seclusion?" The eyes of several geniuses glinted, and they began to head toward the Celestial River Windy Pass.
...
「Celestial River Windy Pass.」
Here, fierce winds howled, and the churning waves were like roaring pythons.
At this moment, Ling Fei was on one of the Wangfeng Towers at the Celestial River Windy Pass.
The fierce winds swept in, and monstrous waves crashed against the Wangfeng Tower. The Power of the impact was comparable to a full-force strike from an Early-stage Innate Realm Cultivator.
The gales swept in, threatening to pull a person into the Void.
Ling Fei stood on the Wangfeng Tower, letting the giant waves crash and the fierce winds rage. He released his Heart Spirit, comprehending the gales.
It was now dusk. A weary bird, returning to its nest, tried to fly toward the ancient trees on the mountain peaks ahead.
But the hurricane ahead howled, growing more and more tyrannical. The great bird beat its wings, trying to break through the wind and waves to fly forward.
SMACK!
But a huge wave crashed into it, knocking it away.
Then, a great gust of wind swept up, and the bird was pulled into a vortex, its figure vanishing completely.
"Trying to fly against the wind without enough strength is no different from a moth flying into a flame," Ling Fei murmured.
He then continued to peer forward.
Because he saw other birds in flight.
It was a flock of white-necked cranes.
Many of the cranes flew out, only to be struck by the massive waves or forced to retreat, not daring to advance.
However, one crane gave a long cry. It spread its wings and flew, yet it didn't seem to use much force.
It let the fierce wind sweep over it and chose to Move with the Wind.
The next moment, the gale surged, but the crane used the hurricane's rotation to break free from the edge and fly into the Void ahead.
"This..." Seeing this, Ling Fei's pupils shrank, and his heart trembled. 'Move with the Wind, move with the momentum!'
"Yes, that's it." Ling Fei's eyes lit up. He then took a large stride, and with a flash, he shot into the fierce winds ahead.
The gales surged toward him, and he allowed them to engulf him, not using an ounce of strength.
But as his body began to Move with the Wind, he wasn't just letting it carry him away. His Heart Spirit seemed to merge with it, following the rhythm of the wind.
Only in this way could he merge with the wind without being controlled by it, able to withdraw at any moment.
WHOOSH!
Ling Fei was inside the hurricane, sensing the wind's rhythm. He appeared at various points within the Void from time to time, yet was never pulled into the vortex.
It truly looked as if he had merged with the wind.
The wind grew more and more tyrannical, continuously stirring up giant waves.
'This lake water moves with the wind, but it doesn't use the wind's momentum. That's why it's just being churned into waves!' Ling Fei was in the midst of it all, continuously exploring the Mystical of the Wind.
To comprehend the Mystical of the Wind, one must first understand its patterns.
...
While Ling Fei was comprehending the Mystical of the Wind, more and more Cultivators arrived at the lakeshore.
Most of them were geniuses from the top twenty of the Earth List.
"Where is Ling Fei?" These geniuses asked hurriedly as soon as they arrived.
From the looks of it, they seemed impatient to see this genius for themselves.
And by "see," they naturally meant to spar a round or two.
"Young Master Ling has already gone to the Celestial River Windy Pass," a woman said.
This woman had also gone out onto the lake earlier, but the winds there were too terrifying. Even ordinary Innate Realm Cultivators felt immense pressure.
So they returned.
"He went to the Celestial River Windy Pass?" The geniuses' eyes lit up. "Let's go, we'll go take a look."
Immediately, dozens of geniuses shot out across the lake.
As they departed, more and more people arrived at the location.
Soon, person after person leaped onto the Watchtower Pillars, heading out over the lake.
The Celestial River Lake became incredibly lively.
WHOOSH!
Another group of geniuses arrived.
The one in the lead was a man dressed in a crimson-patterned brocade robe.
At his side followed a group of men in fine clothes.
By their appearance, they were clearly disciples of great clans.
"It's Liu Fei!"
"And Liu Yun!" As these people arrived, an uproar immediately broke out by the lake.
"He came too?" Li Li's brow furrowed slightly.
"Liu Fei is number one on the Earth List, and Liu Ming is his cousin. Don't tell me he's here to stand up for Liu Ming?" The other women looked worried. 'One is a veteran student, the other a new one. If they clash, can Ling Fei handle it?'
It was a worrying thought.
Liu Fei and his group shot out toward the center of the lake.
On a high tower by the shore, Liu Yuan, Tang Hai, and their followers stood proudly.
Liu Yuan's expression was rather grim.
Ever since Ling Fei broke the record, he had been sullen and depressed, like a fishbone stuck in his throat. If he couldn't get rid of him, he wouldn't be able to sleep at night.
"With these people making a move, we should be able to test Ling Fei's true strength," Tang Hai whispered from the side.
Liu Yuan nodded slightly.
However, his face remained grim. Even if they tested Ling Fei's strength, it wouldn't be enough.
What he wanted now was not so simple.
「In the middle of the lake.」
Person after person shot toward the Celestial River Windy Pass.
Figures constantly flitted past on the nearby Watchtower Pillars.
Finally, the crowd gathered on a Wangfeng Tower up ahead, gazing into the distance.
All they could see were the unabating gales and the surging waves that crashed against the rows of Watchtower Pillars.
Ling Fei was still comprehending the Mystical of the Wind.
'Move with the Wind, and the wind moves with me!' Inside the hurricane, Ling Fei's Heart Spirit stirred. His body became like the wind, drifting forward.
As he drifted, his body guided the hurricane beside him.
WHOOSH!
The hurricane howled. Ling Fei seemed to have transformed into the gale itself as he whistled away.
The momentum of the wind behind him followed his movements.
"That Ling Fei has comprehended the Mystical of the Wind! He's reached the Realm of being one with the wind!" In the distance, on the Wangfeng Tower, Liu Yun's gaze sharpened.
"He just comprehended Sword Intent, reaching the Innate Mid Stage Realm with it, and now he has comprehended the Mystical of the Wind. Is this Ling Fei really from a Humble Family?" A glint flashed in Liu Fei's eyes as well, filled with suspicion. The talent Ling Fei displayed was astonishing, clearly surpassing that of countless disciples from major clans.
If he were to take another step, it would be the unity of wind, heaven, and man.
Or, the unity of sword, heaven, and man.
Reaching either of those states was a sign of being at the Late Innate Stage.
'So that's how it is.' Just then, Ling Fei's body, like the wind itself, seemed to ride a gust and land on a Watchtower Pillar up ahead.
He could now clearly guide some of the wind's power to glide on its momentum.
Although the distance he could glide through the air wasn't far, it was still a huge step forward.
"Let me go test his combat strength!" At that moment, on the nearby Wangfeng Tower, Liu Yun made his move.
Liu Fei, who was next to him, nodded slightly and did not stop him.
WHOOSH!
Then, with a flicker of his body, Liu Yun shot like a storm cloud toward the row of Watchtower Pillars where Ling Fei was.
In a flash, he landed about thirty meters from Ling Fei.
"Ling Fei, take my sword!" As Liu Yun landed, a low voice came from his lips.
The next moment, he pushed off the ground, his body leaping forward. The Long Sword in his hand became like a rainbow as it stabbed toward Ling Fei.
