Chapter 22

Ye Feng's words left the surrounding disciples stunned, their mouths agape and eyes wide open, looking at Ye Feng with disbelief. Someone actually dared to defy the punishment mentor so openly.

"I am the punishment mentor, and I know the academy's punishments best. You have harmed your fellow disciples, and the evidence is clear. Don't even think of denying it!"

Mentor Di didn't give Ye Feng any chance to explain, extending his hands and lunging at Ye Feng. His innate aura burst forth, a terrifying force overwhelming the area, causing the disciples around the arena to retreat continuously.

"How vicious!" Ye Feng had no time to think. His axe appeared, and he swung it down, using the Shadow Step to rapidly retreat, trying to dodge the attack.

Nine axe marks emitted an overwhelming aura, sealing off all of Mentor Di's space. Everyone around was stunned, not expecting Ye Feng's axe to reach such a level, capable of shaking an innate realm expert. This must be Ye Feng's true strength.

The fierce axe marks blew wildly, stinging the skin of the surrounding disciples.

"Boom!"

A violent collision sent Ye Feng flying backward, landing at the edge of the arena. A trickle of blood appeared at the corner of his mouth. Although he had defended himself, he was severely injured, relying on the Xue Tian Axe to evade Mentor Di's fatal blow.

His body like lightning, Mentor Di, seeing that his attack had not killed Ye Feng, was furious. A surging killing intent erupted from him as he prepared to launch another attack.

Ye Feng, though capable of withstanding a ninth-layer postnatal realm attack, was powerless against an innate realm expert. His face turned pale, and without time to tend to his injuries, he raised his axe, preparing to counterattack.

Suddenly, a shadow fell quickly, a palm sweeping toward Mentor Di.

"You are truly shameless. In a conflict between juniors, you, a mentor, actually intervene. What do you think the other disciples will think? Do you want me to report to the headmaster that you are favoring your disciples and suppressing talent?"

The shadow landed, intercepting the attack. A wave of energy flew out, scattering countless pebbles and whistling as they shot in all directions.

"Boom!"

Ye Feng almost got blown away by the energy wave, his clothes flapping. Seeing another shadow appear in the arena, he recognized it well.

"Lao Li, stay out of my business. I am the punishment mentor and have the authority to speak. How dare you protect him?"

Seeing the newcomer, Mentor Di shouted angrily. The one who had intercepted the attack was Mentor Li, who taught martial techniques and could no longer stand by.

The surrounding disciples watched intently, as this was a battle between the academy's upper echelons, a rare sight of innate realm experts in conflict.

"I don't want to get involved, but don't you think you are being too overbearing? What has Ye Feng done wrong? You, an innate realm expert, attack a disciple. If this gets out, it will be a laughingstock and tarnish the academy's reputation. Clearly, Qian Wudi attacked first, and Ye Feng retaliated. The right and wrong are obvious."

Mentor Li's words echoed powerfully in the vast square, and many nodded, believing that Mentor Di was using this opportunity to take revenge on Ye Feng for his disciple.

Various thoughts raced through Mentor Di's mind. Hearing the whispers around him, he realized the situation was turning against him. If it continued, it would be a laughingstock. He could only vent his anger on Ye Feng, but he hadn't expected Ye Feng to withstand his attack, leaving him in a difficult position.

Moreover, Mentor Di and Mentor Li had long-standing grievances. If he backed down now, he would lose face, and his anger surged.

At this moment, several more mentors appeared, landing on the arena and trying to mediate. With so many disciples watching, continuing the conflict would be difficult to resolve if it reached the headmaster.

"Everyone, let's each take a step back. Let's call this a draw, shall we?"

Someone took on the role of mediator, not wanting the situation to escalate further. Although this outcome was unfair to Ye Feng, it was the best way to protect him, as he had already caught the attention of the academy's upper echelons, and some were even considering taking him as a disciple.

"Hmph!" Mentor Di reluctantly returned to the platform, his face cold. Continuing the conflict would be disadvantageous for everyone.

The competition resumed. Ye Feng prepared for the fourth round, taking the time to heal his injuries. He took several Qi-gathering pills, and the violent true qi flowed through his body, rapidly healing the damaged areas and even enhancing his strength.

Ye Feng's opponent in the fourth round was not very strong. In a single move, he was swept away. Ye Feng's reputation was rising, and some even compared him to the top five inner disciples.

By the fifth round, a cold voice rang out: "I didn't expect you to make it this far, but pray, because I will tear you apart." Ye Feng slowly walked onto the arena, a sinister laugh echoing from it.

"You should be the one praying. If I can injure your brother, I can just as easily cripple you."

Ye Feng's opponent in this round was Tie Kui, who could at least rank in the top five among inner disciples. Last year, he was challenged and fell to the inner disciples, but his strength was considerable.

"Whoosh!" A pair of large hammers appeared in Tie Kui's hands, each weighing a hundred pounds. As he swung them, they created a whistling wind.

"Die! Taste my hammer!" Tie Kui shot forward, leaving footprints on the ground. The two massive hammers came down with great force, capable of turning someone into a meat paste if they hit.

Ye Feng's axe appeared at his waist. Facing Tie Kui, he did not dare to be careless, emitting a fierce aura that instantly overwhelmed Tie Kui.

"Repairing Moon Slash!"

Nine axe marks appeared, sealing off every inch of space around Tie Kui. The power of the axe was overwhelming.

The axe swung down, slicing through the air, leaving a black mark. It struck the hammer, producing a sharp explosion.

"Boom!"

Like a smoke dragon, a swirling vortex of energy swept the area. "Thud, thud, thud!" Tie Kui was forced to retreat, actually being split by one axe blow.

"Damn, how is this possible? How can Ye Feng be so strong? Is even Tie Kui not his match?"

The surrounding disciples watched in shock as Tie Kui was split by one axe blow, finding it hard to accept. After all, Tie Kui was at the eighth-layer postnatal realm, one level higher than Qian Wudi, yet he could not stop Ye Feng.

The second axe followed closely, not giving the opponent a chance to catch his breath. It was the Repairing Moon Slash again, simple yet incredibly effective, slicing down from the air. Tie Kui's face turned cold, enraged by Ye Feng's attack.

"Overlord Hammer!" Tie Kui swung his hammers, shooting them like meteors toward Ye Feng. The hammers flew out of his hands at incredible speed.

Ye Feng smirked, his steps shifting to the extreme, using the Shadow Step to the fullest, leaving only a faint shadow. The hammers lost their trajectory, unable to catch Ye Feng's true form.

The axe fell again, and Tie Kui had no choice but to fight bare-handed. His powerful body soared, and he punched at Ye Feng with a fist as large as a wok, roaring like a raging wind.

"Boom!"

A powerful shockwave rippled through the air. Ye Feng's axe struck Tie Kui's fist, but not with the blade, but the back, hitting it hard.

"Crack!"

A sharp sound of bones breaking, blood splattering, and Tie Kui's fist shattered, a mess of flesh and bone.

"Die!"

A cold smile appeared on Ye Feng's lips, and a fierce killing intent erupted. Another axe blow struck Tie Kui's body, the sound of bones breaking making everyone shudder. This blow could turn a person into minced meat.

"Crack, crack..." A series of bone-breaking sounds echoed in the square. Tie Kui's body flew high and crashed to the ground, creating a large pit, his condition unknown.

"Thud, thud!"

The two hammers landed beside Tie Kui, creating two more large pits. Ye Feng had once again defeated his opponent in an extremely brutal manner.

Before Ye Feng appeared, everyone would have thought Lei Zhan was the most brutal disciple, followed by Tie Kui. Now, compared to Ye Feng, they seemed like children. Ye Feng was the true brute, leaving his opponents either crippled or unrecognizable, with no part of their body left unscathed.

The way people looked at Ye Feng changed, adding a hint of fear. Ye Feng was now a beast, a crushing machine, capable of crushing everything.

Ignoring the shocked looks around him, Ye Feng looked into the distance, seeing the Three Wolves trembling. When they saw Ye Feng's gaze, they quickly retreated, too afraid to face him. The once formidable Three Wolves had come to this.

In the distance, a few more battles ended. After a brief rest, Ye Feng began the lottery for the sixth round, unsure who his opponent would be.

As the battles continued, the remaining participants dwindled, leaving fewer than a dozen. It seemed only a few more rounds would end the competition.

With Tie Kui eliminated, Ye Feng was almost certain to enter the top five, as long as he didn't face the other top five early.

His opponent in the sixth round was a young man named Dong Yan. Upon seeing Ye Feng, he immediately conceded, without hesitation. He had watched the previous battles closely and did not want to end up like the others, with broken bones.

Soon, it was the seventh round. The further it went, the more intense the battles became, as the remaining participants were all elite inner disciples, each with a chance to enter the top five.

"Great, this boy is facing the third-ranked inner disciple, Shui Wubo. This should end his winning streak."

Ye Feng walked onto the arena, and the surrounding discussions had already begun. His opponent was Shui Wubo, the third-ranked inner disciple, who had mastered the Soft Water Fist to its peak and reached the eighth-layer postnatal realm. As soon as he appeared, Ye Feng felt a surge of fighting spirit.