Zhang Ruochen had been hiding some of his strength and hadn't brought out the sword intent that could reach the peak with his sword.

  Once revealed, people will be even more shocked. The realm of following one's heart with a sword is already enough to defeat Feng Zhilin.

  "The sword follows the heart to the realm of high levels"

  Feng Zhi Lin's face was extremely unsightly, he had never thought that Zhang Ruochen's swordsmanship realm would reach such a powerful level.

  "No, I won't lose, not yet. I'm three martial realms higher than him, I'll definitely be able to defeat him."

  Feng Zhi Lin gritted his teeth and refused to give up, swinging his long spear and launching another attack.

  Zhang Ruochen's eyebrows furrowed slightly, and the sword tip stirred up a curved wave of air.

  The shape of the airflow was like a wave, with countless sword energies shuttling through it, emitting the sound of surging tides.

  "Heavenly Heart Plays with the Waves"

  A sword swung out, its energy transformed into a five-meter-high wave that crashed onto Feng Zhilin's body, sending him tumbling backward.

  "Ah"

  Feng Zhi Lin let out a miserable cry, the long spear in his hand slipping from his grasp and falling to the ground.

  "Boom"

  The white martial robe on Lin's body was shredded by the sword energy, turning into pieces of torn fabric, leaving only a silver scale armor vest still worn on his back.

  Apart from the places covered by the silver scale armor, other parts of the body were all cut out with blood-soaked wounds by the sword energy, and the whole body was a blur of flesh and blood.

  This was Zhang Ruochen showing mercy, otherwise, the sword just now would have cut off Feng Zhilin's four limbs and head.

  "The wind knows the forest, you have lost"

  Zhang Ruochen held an iron sword and walked over, the tip of the sword pointing at Feng Zhilin's neck. "I said I wouldn't kill you," he said. "I'm only avenging my fourth brother by breaking your arms."

  "Wait a minute"

  Feng Zhi Lin trembled all over and crawled up from the ground, kneeling in front of Zhang Ruochen. He knocked his head against the ground, saying: "Zhang Ruochen, thank you, thank you for sparing my life."

  Looking at Feng Zhilin kneeling in front of him, Zhang Ruochen's face showed a hint of puzzlement, and suddenly, he felt a sense of danger.

  Not good

  Just then, Feng Zhi Lin suddenly lifted his head and spat out three silver needles from his mouth.

  "Hiss"

  Tongue Arrow, Wind Family's Unique Skill.

  Feng Zhiyi could only shoot out one silver needle with his tongue, but Feng Zhilin was able to spit out three in a row.

  No one in the distant viewing platform expected Feng Zhilin to suddenly launch an attack.

  At such a close distance, it's not just Zhang Ruochen who would be affected, even a martial artist at the Profound Extreme Realm's Great Perfection stage would fall for it.

  "Ding Ding"

  Zhang Ruochen's iron sword swung out, accurately slapping the three silver needles, sending them flying back.

  One of the silver needles was inserted into Feng Zhi Lin's throat.

  Two more silver needles pierced Feng Zhi Lin's eyes.

  "Save me, Prince Wang of Huo Xing"

  Feng Zhi Lin was about to pull out the silver needle stuck in his throat, tightly covering his neck, and rushed down from the Mortal Stage. However, his eyes were blindfolded, and he couldn't see the road at all. He accidentally stepped on empty air and fell off the 30-meter-high Mortal Stage.

  In a series of screams, Feng Zhi Lin fell into the Iron Thorn Forest, his body pierced with over ten bloody holes, struggled twice, and then completely hung down his arms, without any sound.

  Silence.

  The entire stage of life and death became extremely quiet, with only the sound of people's breathing and heartbeat audible.

  Zhang Ruochen let out a soft sigh, originally he just wanted to teach Feng Zhilin a lesson and hadn't intended to kill him. Even if he broke both of his arms, as long as he applied the Tendon and Bone Reconnection Ointment, they would still be able to heal within half a month.

  Shaking his head, Zhang Ruochen walked down from the Mortal Arena.

  Then all the disciples of Yunwu County rushed forward, cheering and surging towards Zhang Ruochen.

  "The Ninth Prince is really formidable. Even Feng Zhi Lin died at your hands. From now on, let's see who else dares to bully the students of Yunwu Commandery."

  A beautiful female student gazed at Zhang Ruochen with adoring eyes and said, "Ninth Prince, the sword that defeated Feng Zhilin was truly stunning. Can I learn from you?"

  Liu Chengfeng saw that Zhang Ruochen's mood seemed to be bad, guessed the reason, and smiled: "The Ninth Prince, Feng Zhilin is a self-inflicted punishment, died as he should have, you don't need to put it in your heart again. It was he who fell off the Life and Death Platform and died, and had nothing to do with you."

  Zhang Ruochen nodded slightly and said faintly: "Since Feng Zhilin is already dead, then this matter has come to an end. Everyone can disperse."

  The students of Yunwu County were all very excited, but the face of Huo Xing Wangzi was exceptionally cold, staring at Zhang Ruochen's departing back, "Trash, Feng Zhilin is a waste, and can't even kill a Zhang Ruochen"

  A scholar from a neighboring prefecture said, "What should we do now? Are we just going to let Zhang Ruochen go like this?"

  "How could he be spared"

  Huo Xing Wangzi clenched his fists and said coldly, "I will write a letter to my father the king right now, asking him to spend a high price to hire an assassin from the underworld to get rid of Zhang Ruochen. If Zhang Ruochen is not killed, he will definitely become a great enemy of our four nations in the future."

  After the decisive battle on the life and death platform, Zhang Ruochen returned to Longwudian and continued to practice his swordsmanship.

  On the third day, he finally received an summons from the master of the Western Courtyard.

  The master of the Western Temple, wearing a golden robe, sat on a white stone by the pool, holding a fishing rod in his hand and fishing.

  "Pay respects to the master of the house"

  Zhang Ruochen arrived behind the master of the Western Courtyard and bowed slightly.

  "Zhang Ruochen, do you know why I summoned you only a month after the examination in the Imperial Academy?" The master of the Western Pavilion still held his fishing rod and stared at the surface of the pond without turning around to look at Zhang Ruochen.

  Zhang Ruochen said: "I don't know."

  During the examination at Xue Gong, Zhang Ruochen had seen the master of the Western Academy once, but that time was too far away, and he only took a casual glance.

  At this moment, Zhang Ruochen began to seriously size up the master of the Western House, the only one in the Western House who could wear a golden robe, an absolute top strongman.

  He looked like he was already in his seventies or eighties, with a full head of white hair, but his hands and profile had not a single wrinkle, nor did he have the slightest appearance of being old and frail.

  "It's also unknown what level of cultivation this Western Courtyard Master has reached." Zhang Ruochen couldn't see through the Western Courtyard Master's cultivation at all.

  The master of the Western Courtyard put down his fishing rod, stood up, turned around and looked at Zhang Ruochen, saying: "Do you know that every new student in each session will be taken as a personal disciple by the deputy master. Of course, if it's a new student with exceptional talent, I'll also take him on as my own disciple."

  "Your performance in the Martial Tower was quite impressive, at that time, I had already considered taking you as my apprentice. What I mean by impressive is not that you passed the second level of the third floor of the Martial Tower, but rather that you passed the third level of the third floor and defeated Luo Xiao in the same realm."

  Zhang Ruochen was slightly startled and said: "The master of the courtyard knows about the matter in the Martial Tower"

  Haha

  The master of the Western Temple burst out laughing and said, "You really think that a place as important as the Martial Tower only has Huang Yaotou and Duanmu Yaotou guarding some secrets inside, even if it's just the two of them, they don't know either."

  Then, the master of the Western Mansion's face turned solemn and he said: "However, I do not oppose the methods used by those two. Even if they did not stop you at that time, I would have personally stopped you from ascending to the fourth floor of the Martial Tower."

  Zhang Ruochen said: "The master of the court is worried that I will show too high a talent and suffer from the harm of some people."

  The head of the Western Academy nodded and said, "The Wushu Academy is not absolutely safe. In recent years, the Black Market and the Baiyue Demon Sect have been infiltrating the academy. Not only are there their people among the students, but also some high-ranking officials in the academy."

  "If you had reached the fourth floor of the Martial Tower at that time, the Black Market's forces would have definitely annihilated you without hesitation, and even I would have found it difficult to protect you."

  Zhang Ruochen said: "The head of the court refers to Operation Beheading Miao"

  The master of the Western Courtyard hummed softly and said, "You know about Operation Beheading Miao?"

  It is known that Hei Shi and Wu Shi Qian Zhuang have been in a hostile relationship since ancient times, fighting each other, killing each other, expanding their territory, and competing for market resources.

  Wu City Academy is the main base for Wu City Qianzhuang to cultivate talents. In order to defeat Wu City Qianzhuang from the source, Hei City launched the "Cutting Seedlings Operation", specifically targeting and assassinating the elite geniuses within Wu City Academy.

  Eight hundred years ago, Hei Shi launched Operation Cut the Seedlings, and Zhang Ruochen naturally knew about it.

  Zhang Ruochen couldn't explain to the head of the Western Academy, and could only push it onto Yunwu County King's body, saying: "Before I came to participate in the Imperial College examination, my father mentioned it once. Actually, I'm not very clear about Operation Beheading Miao."

  "Apparently, Yun Wu County King has already reminded you, so there's no need for me to say more."

  In the eyes of the master of the Western Temple, King Yunwu would find out about Operation Beheading Miao was not a difficult task, after all, Operation Beheading Miao had been going on for thousands of years and was no secret.

  Zhang Ruochen's expression changed, and he said: "The reason why the master of the courtyard delayed summoning students for a month is probably to use the students as bait to catch the evil people who have infiltrated the Western Courtyard with Heishi and Baiyue Demon Sect."

  "That's right," said the master of the Western Courtyard with a smile: "You won't bear a grudge against an old man like me, will you?"

  Zhang Ruochen smiled and said, "Since the headmaster has already told the students about this matter in person, how can the students still resent the headmaster? I really want to know if the headmaster has found out who the evil person hiding in the West Wing is."

  "Some clues have been found, just waiting for the big fish to take the bait, and I believe it will be wrapped up soon." said the head of the Western Courtyard.

  Then, the master of the Western Temple said: "Zhang Ruocheng, are you willing to take me as your master and become my direct disciple?"

  There is a big difference between students and direct disciples.

  A teacher can teach many students, but a personally transmitted disciple is extremely rare.

  Once he becomes a direct disciple of the master of the Western Academy, it's equivalent to having another backer, so Zhang Ruochen's status in the Western Academy will immediately rise, and from now on, no one dares to find trouble with him. Even in the inner palace of the Wumeng Xuegong, Zhang Ruochen's identity and status are still higher than those of other inner palace students.

  However, Zhang Ruochen did not want to take the master of the Western Mansion as his teacher, because there were too many secrets on his body that he didn't want outsiders to know. If he took the master of the Western Mansion as his teacher, some of these secrets would definitely be exposed.

  Zhang Ruochen bowed respectfully to the master of the Western Courtyard and said, "Thank you for your appreciation, Master. However, I want to cultivate my own martial path, so I don't plan on becoming an apprentice for now."

  Surprisingly, the master of the Western Temple did not get angry, but instead showed a smile and said: "Hehe, I have been the master of the Western Temple for 34 years, and I have taken the initiative to accept disciples 11 times. You are the second person to refuse me."

  Note: The previous mention of the Western Temple having a history of only 460 years refers to the Western Temple of Wushi Academy in Tianmoling. Wushi Academy is spread throughout the Kunlun Realm, and its history far exceeds 460 years.