Chapter 58: Core Disciple of the Wind and Thunder Martial Hall

“The Wind and Thunder Martial Hall truly lives up to its reputation—how terrifying the Wild Thunder and Gale are!” Witnessing with his own eyes the scene of a lightning pillar splitting the mountain peak, Chu Feng felt deeply shaken within.

Warriors may look down on beasts, but before the thunderous might of nature, they cannot help but feel awe. Yet, the path of martial cultivation is one that defies the heavens, striving for victory against the very forces of nature. Thus, whether it is wild thunder, violent storms, or lightning itself, they are all obstacles that martial artists must overcome.

With the astonishing speed of the Cloud-Breaking Roc, as long as Wild Thunder Mountain was within sight, a single breath was all it took to arrive.

Atop the Storm Peak of Wild Thunder Mountain, thunder rumbled and winds howled fiercely. Upon this vast, flat summit, countless visible pillars of wind swept about, as conspicuous as columns of water.

Leaping down from the back of the Cloud-Breaking Roc, Chu Feng wondered if it was merely his imagination, for he felt the ground beneath his feet constantly trembling. Each blast of wind threatened to topple him, forcing him to steady his stance with his body-weight technique just to remain upright.

“Junior Brother Han, has Young Master Chu arrived?”

Hearing this deep, bell-like voice, Chu Feng looked over to see two middle-aged warriors leading four disciples clad in blue martial attire, striding quickly through a swirl of storm some ten yards away.

Han Mo immediately stepped forward to introduce Chu Feng.

The tall, imposing man, with a leopard-like head, round eyes, and a face that seemed thunder itself, was none other than Lei Yingfeng, the head of the Wind and Thunder Martial Hall and a master at the eighth level of the Body Refinement stage.

Beside him stood a man dressed in plain robes, wearing a gentle smile and exuding the air of a benevolent elder. He was Liu Shenghua, the deputy head of the Martial Hall and also an eighth-level Body Refinement master.

As for the four blue-clad disciples, Han Mo did not introduce them.

“Young Master Chu, you’ve come a long way, and I, Lei, thank you! We’ve prepared a welcoming banquet—let’s have a drink first!”

Lei Yingfeng, straightforward and bold, called out heartily.

“Hall Master Lei, you are too kind! But the matter of the Wind and Thunder Caverns is more pressing. Let us speak of it first, and after the ordeal of Wind and Thunder has passed, we can drink at leisure!” Chu Feng replied with a martial salute.

“Haha, it’s rare to see someone so considerate of others’ needs. I, Liu, thank you again!” Liu Shenghua returned the salute and said, “Since that is your wish, let us proceed to the main hall and discuss business.”

“Very well, let’s go!”

Lei Yingfeng wasted no time, striding off at once. Liu Shenghua, grateful for Chu Feng’s arrival, walked at his side. Amid the roaring wind and rolling thunder, Liu Shenghua kept a gentle smile, treating Chu Feng with utmost courtesy.

Chu Feng noticed that the four disciples following Lei Yingfeng and Liu Shenghua were not much different from himself in strength. One of them, a tall and handsome young man, whispered something to the female disciple beside him.

Chu Feng glanced at him, realizing they were discussing him, and, judging by his expression, he didn’t seem pleased by Chu Feng’s arrival.

…

After entering the reception hall, Lei Yingfeng took the main seat and spoke at once: “Young Master Chu, let’s be brief! This time, to dispel the calamity within the Wind and Thunder Caverns, you five will enter together!”

Chu Feng looked at the two men and two women, surprised. “Hall Master Lei, wasn’t it said that your hall would send elite masters to join me in the caverns? Why is it…”

“Hmph!” Before he could finish, the same disciple who’d whispered about Chu Feng on the way snorted coldly and said, “Young Master Chu, are you saying the four of us are not masters? That going into the caverns with you will only hold you back?”

“Run’er, mind your manners! Young Master Chu is our honored guest; how can you speak so? Apologize at once!” Deputy Hall Master Liu Shenghua’s face darkened. He turned to Chu Feng, “Young Master Chu, this is my son, Liu Run. My lack of discipline has allowed him to be discourteous. I beg your pardon!”

Liu Run stepped forward, cupped his hands and said, “My name is Liu Run. I’ve always been blunt—please don’t take my words to heart, Young Master Chu!”

“No need for formality,” Chu Feng replied in kind.

He knew there was no such thing as baseless hatred in the world. He’d never met Liu Run, had no grudges with him, and couldn’t fathom why the young man seemed so displeased with him. But since Liu Run was the deputy hall master’s son, and Chu Feng was a guest under their roof, he didn’t take the verbal slight to heart.

“Young Master Chu, don’t misunderstand,” Han Mo interjected. “The Wind and Thunder Caverns are unlike any other place. There is a beast inside known as the Thunder Fusion Beast. This time, the five of you will journey together, armed with a map and compass, following a specific route. You won’t encounter storms or lightning, only the Thunder Fusion Beasts. Since you’ve eaten the gall of a Golden Battle Python, you’re more than capable of dealing with them. As for moving stones and other tasks, the other four can handle those well enough.”

“Uncle Han, what if an expert enters the caverns? What would happen then?” Chu Feng couldn’t help but ask.

He had no intention of belittling the four disciples, but for a place as dangerous as the Wind and Thunder Caverns, surely only warriors at the seventh or even eighth level of Body Refinement should be sent in? The four disciples, including Liu Run, seemed to be only at the fifth level—the Iron Bone stage—skilled in external martial arts, but not true internal masters.

“Young Master Chu, it’s not boasting to say the four of them are all as skilled as you,” Liu Shenghua said with a smile. “The caverns are different now. In the past, there were no Thunder Fusion Beasts, so internal masters above the sixth level could enter safely. Now, with the beasts inside, if an internal master enters, the clash of energies with the Thunder Fusion Beasts can easily trigger a beast tide, which even you would not withstand!”

“So only external masters below the sixth level can enter the caverns?” Chu Feng asked.

“Exactly! External masters inside will only encounter the Thunder Fusion Beasts in small numbers. As long as you’re not careless, you can handle it,” Liu Shenghua nodded. “Young Master Chu, rest assured—these four, besides my son, are all core disciples of the Wind and Thunder Martial Hall!”

With this introduction, Chu Feng realized these seemingly ordinary disciples were anything but.

The ponytailed girl, about sixteen, was not as beautiful as Mu Qiaoxue nor as delicate as Xiao Li, but she radiated heroic spirit. She was Lei Yingfeng’s only daughter, Lei Jianqin.

The other female disciple, about the same age as Lei Jianqin, seemed gentle and frail, with a persistent trace of melancholy on her face, yet was quite pretty. She was Tang Jiao, daughter of Tang Dong—the master who had been swallowed by the Golden Battle Python.

The male disciple, Fan Qianjun, had the bearing of a tiger or wolf, his face naturally dignified and stern. Though about Chu Feng’s age, he seemed far more intimidating. He was the son of Fan Shang, the Hall’s law-enforcing elder.

Lei Jianqin, Liu Run, Fan Qianjun, and Tang Jiao—all were fifth-level Body Refinement, Iron Bone stage experts, at the peak of external martial arts, and among the most prominent of the hall’s younger generation. As Liu Shenghua had said, with these four core disciples accompanying him, Chu Feng need not worry; the Hall would not send such valued disciples into danger lightly.

“Very well. In that case, is there anything else to instruct us on? If not, may we set out?” Chu Feng asked.

“No, but there’s one more small matter,” Liu Shenghua said suddenly. “Among the five of you, Lei Jianqin will be the captain, Young Master Chu the vice-captain. Liu Run, Fan Qianjun, Tang Jiao, you three must obey the captain and vice-captain and cooperate closely. Do you have any objections?”

“Yes, sir!” Lei Jianqin, Fan Qianjun, and Tang Jiao all nodded in agreement.

Seeing the troubled look on Chu Feng’s face, Liu Shenghua asked, “Young Master Chu, what do you think? Is there any difficulty?”

“Hall Master Liu, I have never entered the Wind and Thunder Caverns, nor do I know anything of the battle arrangements. I fear I am not qualified for the role of vice-captain,” Chu Feng replied frankly.

“How rare it is for Young Master Chu to be so self-aware!” Liu Run’s sharp voice rang out. “I agree. Young Master Chu is right—he’s not suited to be vice-captain of this squad.”

At these words, Chu Feng looked deeply at Liu Run.