The Clan Master Can't possibly Be A Mortal

"Let me take this!"

Senior Disciple Shi Lei stepped forward.

Step!

As he landed on the stone platform, his cultivation level was immediately suppressed to the first layer of the Divine Origin Realm. His right hand gripped Ma Liang's Brush, while his left hand rested behind his back.

"I am Shi Lei, Senior Disciple of the Misty Sect, skilled in painting and city planning. I wonder which friend here would care to spar with me?"

Shi Lei glanced around and asked.

"Painting?"

"Seems he's a master of art."

"But, city planning? What nonsense is that?"

The crowd exchanged puzzled looks.

"Hesitate all you want, but I'm stepping up now."

A young man stepped out and smoothly landed on the platform, his cultivation suppressed from Quasi-Saint to Divine Origin first layer.

"I am Li Liangcai."

The young man cupped his hands and said courteously.

"Pleased to meet you!"

Shi Lei nodded in acknowledgment.

"If you're ready, then let's begin!" Li Chijiao, watching below, quickly announced to avoid wasting time.

"Heavenly Dragon Fury!"

Without hesitation, Li Liangcai drew the Heavenly Dragon Sword from his back and instantly unleashed dozens of Sword Qi streaks, weaving into a net mid-air and enveloping Shi Lei.

In the midst of this, the sound of a dragon's roar echoed.

At the sound, Shi Lei felt a tingling on his scalp. He realized with shock that he was indeed facing a soul-type attack—a clear weak spot of his.

Fortunately, Shi Lei remained diligent and refrained from underestimating his opponent. While Li Liangcai launched his attack, Shi Lei had already begun painting with his brush.

A wall took form.

The wall flung itself forward with thunderous momentum, slamming toward Li Liangcai.

"Heavenly Dragon Sword Aura!"

Clutching his sword with both hands, Li Liangcai slashed down with all his might.

A waterfall-like sword light cascaded down, shattering the wall to pieces. The remaining force hurtled toward Shi Lei below with a fearsome ripping power.

"The lone smoke of the desert rises straight into the sky!"

Suddenly, Shi Lei wrote down this poetic line. Behind him emerged a vast desert mirage, where a column of wolf smoke shot skyward, crashing into the descending sword aura.

Pop!

The two forces collided in mid-air, erupting into countless traces of energy scattering in all directions.

"Impressive battle techniques."

Li Ranmo smiled in praise, waving his hand to dissipate the scattered energies.

On the platform.

The battle between the two continued.

"The long river reflects the setting sun!"

Shi Lei once more wielded his brush to inscribe.

A mirage of a mighty river appeared behind him, its far end basked in the crimson hues of a setting sun. The resulting vision intensified the pressure in the surroundings considerably.

Boom!

The air quaked endlessly as this force bore down on Li Liangcai, forcing him to block frantically with his sword. In an instant, the advantage shifted against him.

"What kind of Divine Skill is this?"

Seeing how Shi Lei pressured Li Liangcai, the crowd looked on in stunned amazement.

From the seating area.

Ye Feng smiled without saying a word.

He had once transcribed ancient Huaxia poetry and stored it in the Misty Sect's Scripture Pavilion.

Shi Lei had taken an interest in it, memorizing the verses effortlessly.

And now, he had applied it in actual combat.

"Admire his insight."

Ye Feng stroked his chin thoughtfully.

Shi Lei, in his eyes, was truly impressive.

On the platform.

"The wildfire never fully consumes; with spring's breeze, life renews!"

Shi Lei inscribed once more.

A vast grassland mirage expanded, engulfing the entire platform. Blades of wild grass surged in the wind, transforming into vines like countless Spirit Snakes, twisting toward Li Liangcai.

"Sword Aura, endless!"

Resolutely, Li Liangcai swung his longsword repeatedly, cutting through the approaching vines and severing countless tendrils, which fell away with a rustle.

Shi Lei remained indifferent.

He stood in place, continuously inscribing one famous poem after another.

"The Yellow River's waters descend from the heavens!"

As the text was completed, a mighty river plummeted from the skies, crashing with countless waves, grand in momentum.

"Withered vines, old trees, faint crows!"

An ancient tree arose, its frame intertwined with dragon-like withered vines. Beneath its deathly silence lay boundless energy, while countless ravens flapped their wings above.

"A red apricot branch peeks over the wall!"

A high wall appeared, with a branch of red apricot extending outward. Its fragrance exuded a beguiling aroma, disrupting the minds of unwary cultivators.

"Endless mountains where birds have ceased to fly; paths upon which no footprints lie!"

A mirage of desolate mountains blanketed in snow emerged. The deep stillness, devoid of human trails or even footprints, emanated an unyielding loneliness.

Shi Lei continued writing.

Layer after layer of mirages stacked up, forming a torrent that ultimately shattered Li Liangcai's Sword Dao defenses, striking his chest and sending him crashing to the ground.

Puff!

Li Liangcai spat a mouthful of blood, his eyes filled with utter disbelief.

"Incredible!"

He muttered in a grave tone.

"Huff!"

Shi Lei withdrew Ma Liang's Brush, cupped his hands toward Li Liangcai, and said, "Thank you for the bout!"

"Shi Lei is victorious!"

Li Chijiao announced the result.

"Wow!"

"What remarkable techniques!"

"Just now... was he composing poetry?"

"This one's combat methods are truly extraordinary; ordinary challengers can't match him."

"Even someone as exceptional as Li Liangcai, a top-tier genius, fell to the Misty Sect's Senior Disciple like this."

"Don't be alarmed, everyone. Shi Lei is the Senior Disciple of the Misty Sect; among its disciples, he should be the strongest."

"Perhaps!"

The crowd buzzed with discussions.

From the seating area.

Ye Feng smiled without commenting.

The strongest disciple?

No!

In terms of raw combat strength, Shi Lei only barely made the top ten among the Misty Sect's disciples.

The truly formidable ones were Huo Yunjie, Long Tianxing, Qiao Jiaxi, and Mo Ying—the Four Heavenly Kings!

Their strength was outright overwhelming.

Even compared to senior generations, they were on par, capable of shaking the many realms as top-tier geniuses.

"Li Liangcai, your strength is commendable, and your Heavenly Dragon Sword is sharp. I grant you this Sword Heart Jade."

Li Ranmo waved his hand.

A jadeite in the shape of a sword appeared, landing in Li Liangcai's hand, filling his face with joy.

"Thank you, Clan Leader!" Li Liangcai retrieved the Sword Heart Jade and returned to his seat.

Li Ranmo then turned to Shi Lei.

"This is the Heart of the World. Fuse it with Ma Liang's Brush, and its grade might ascend further."

With those words, Li Ranmo tossed out a crystal.

Seeing it, Ye Feng's gaze flickered slightly.

That was the Heart of the World from a self-contained small world. Fusing it with Ma Liang's Brush, which was already a Saint Entry Level Sacred Arm, could raise its grade to the Saint Entry Peak.

This was quite the gift!

"Thank you, Senior Immortal Emperor!"

Shi Lei accepted the treasure and expressed his gratitude earnestly.

"Does anyone else wish to spar?" Li Chijiao scanned his surroundings.

The crowd hesitated, glancing at one another.

"I'll go!"

"Count me in!"

As members of the Misty Sect had taken their turns, they refrained from further participation. Those stepping onto the platform were now all young talents from the Li Clan.

Soon, the sparring matches continued.

Ye Feng and his companions watched from their seats, occasionally erupting into applause.

In the blink of an eye, half a day passed.

The banquet reached its conclusion.

Most of the guests began to disperse.

Outside the banquet hall.

Li Ranmo and Ye Feng strolled side by side, admiring the scenery within the Li Clan's vast domain, occasionally exchanging insights on their respective cultivation paths, each gaining significant insights.

Shi Lei, Wang Ping'an, and Zhang Tianyuan, on the other hand, returned to the Misty Sect to refine the treasures they had obtained that day.

"Sect Master Ye, what are your plans moving forward?"

Li Ranmo inquired curiously.

"I'll wander around the vicinity of Sky Piercing City. If any of your disciples have questions, they are welcome to seek me out. I pride myself on explaining spells and Divine Skills quite effectively."

Ye Feng replied with a smile.

Through careful deduction, Ye Feng had discovered that aiding the Li Clan could boost his progress toward gaining insight into the Nameless Stele's "Insightful Eye".

Thus, he was more than willing to contribute.

"Excellent! This Clan Leader couldn't ask for more."

Li Ranmo laughed heartily.

Before long.

Ye Feng sat once more, surrounded by several dozen of the Li Clan's most talented youths, each posing their questions, which Ye Feng addressed one by one.