Decaying World-Chapter 29

Silence.
Absolute silence.
Thud.
Ouyang Zhong toppled backward onto the ground, a tiny, bloody gash slowly splitting open on the tip of his nose.
He sat there in a daze, afraid to move—afraid even to breathe. He could only stare blankly at Lin Hui standing before him, watching as the other slowly retracted his sword and composed his stance.
Only when he truly couldn't hold his breath any longer did Ouyang Zhong begin to gasp for air in great, heaving gulps.
"You went easy on me, Senior Brother," Lin Hui said, taking a similarly deep breath, his voice sounding weak and frail.
The weakness was, naturally, feigned. After all, having used his trump card, if he didn't act a bit drained, it would attract far too much attention.
"I... concede." Ouyang Zhong was helped down from the stage by several others. Even at the very end, he didn't forget to ask Lin Hui, "That move you just used... what do you call it?"
"Shadow Strike. It is a desperate killing move I can only use once by exploding all the strength in my body," Lin Hui sighed.
Although in his current fatigued state, he could casually use Shadow Strike another ten or twenty times, he certainly had to stick to this narrative for the outside world.
"Shadow Strike... What a move... Shadow Strike!" Ouyang Zhong's face was pale as death. He gave Lin Hui a thumbs-up before being forcibly dragged away and taken off the field.
In the spectator stands, Daoist Baohe narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Lin Hui.
"An instantaneous burst... it resembles the Blood-Burst Secret Art... instantly accelerating sword speed. Junior Brother Mingde, was it you who taught him?"
Mingde shook his head.
"I haven't taught him any secret arts. His Body Tempering level is too low; using secret arts prematurely would only consume his potential—the loss outweighs the gain. However, that sword strike was indeed formidable. Even if he can only use it once, it poses a threat to the others in the top ten."
"This Lin Hui has only been promoted for half a year, right? Reaching the 4th Rank of Body Tempering at this pace... he can be considered a minor genius, second only to the likes of Huang Shan. Coupled with that sword strike... verify it later. If it hasn't damaged his foundation or potential, then he is indeed worth cultivating." Baohe nodded.
"Understood," Mingde responded quickly. He turned his head to look at Lin Hui, who was actively conceding his fatigue and stepping down to rest. A hint of appreciative laughter appeared on his face.
"Judging by his state afterward, that burst shouldn't have harmed him much. It likely just consumed physical stamina. I didn't expect this kid to be hiding such a move. Very good, very good..."
At this moment, it wasn't just them. Among the top ten disciples of the Front Courtyard, quite a few knowledgeable individuals recognized the true caliber of that instantaneous burst. Their expressions grew heavy as they began to ponder: if they stood opposite Lin Hui, could they block that strike?
Chen Chong hadn't taken the stage earlier, having declined the Grand Competition on the grounds of physical frailty—he didn't care about the rewards anyway. But that instantaneous burst Lin Hui had just unleashed... he saw it clearly.
If it were just a simple burst technique, he had heard of martial artists possessing similar secret arts—it wasn't rare. The key was that when he had been injured by Lin Hui previously, the other party had used this exact technique, yet had deceived him into believing he couldn't see the sword speed because he was too weak.
Now, Chen Chong reacted instantly. It wasn't that his eyes were blurred; it was simply that Lin Hui had used a technique he mastered to trick him!!
Crack.
Chen Chong clenched his fists with both hands, teeth gritted tight. After realizing this, his entire body trembled with rage.
"Lin Hui...!! How dare he deceive me so!!?"
He wanted to explode, but the moment he thought of Lin Hui fighting his way into the top ten, and that technique... even if he were fully focused and guarded, it would be extremely difficult to avoid such a surprise attack.
"Senior Brother Chen, why is your complexion so poor?" Lin Hui's voice suddenly drifted from behind him.
Chen Chong's body trembled. He turned slightly to see Lin Hui, who had just been incredibly weak, now looking perfectly normal, standing behind him at some unknown point.
Lin Hui's gaze seemed to be on the new match starting on the ring, but those pitch-black, deep pupils seemed to rest on him, seemingly absent yet undeniably present.
"Lin Hui, that time before... were you lying to me?!" Chen Chong couldn't hold back, opening his mouth to question him.
"Why would Senior Brother say such a thing?" Lin Hui frowned. "What benefit is there in lying to you? You and I have no deep hatred; why would I fight you for no reason? You really were physically weak back then—did you not go get checked afterward?"
"..." Chen Chong immediately felt a pang of doubt regarding his own guess just now.
Because he had gone to see a physician, and they had indeed concluded that his body was very weak.
"Did Senior Brother not see me just now? After using Shadow Strike, I was weak and powerless, unable to muster any strength. And back then, I was only at the 2nd Rank of Body Tempering—what ability would I have had to make a 4th Rank like you unable to see clearly? If I really had such strength, why would I only fight into the top ten today?" Lin Hui continued.
These words instantly lightened the suspicion in Chen Chong's heart. He felt that perhaps he really had misunderstood Lin Hui.
But regardless, he had been injured in the waist by Lin Hui—that was an indisputable fact.
"But the debt of you injuring me before... won't be settled just like that!" Chen Chong's voice turned cold.
"Senior Brother now... probably can't beat me, right?" Lin Hui suddenly smiled.
"..." Chen Chong's face froze, left speechless.
Indeed. With his current strength... was he Lin Hui's opponent anymore? How much time had passed??
Thinking of this, an inexplicable chill rose in Chen Chong's heart.
He remembered—Lin Hui had been promoted for less than half a year, right? And he was already 4th Rank? And had even fought into the top ten??
This speed was already comparable to Huang Shan, Qiu Yiren, and their ilk.
Could it be... he had to ask his sister to intervene?
His sister was a Called One. Her missions were heavy on ordinary days; she had no time to pay attention to him. Chen Chong knew clearly in his heart that if he went to her for such a trivial matter, he would definitely be beaten up first.
"Senior Brother, we are all fellow disciples. We see each other constantly. Why make things so ugly?"
Lin Hui stepped forward, patted him on the shoulder, and said no more. He simply brushed past him, walking toward Huang Shan and the others who were waving at him from the front.
Regarding Chen Chong, the background of his Called One sister was indeed concerning. But as long as Lin Hui didn't take excessive action that would draw out that background, it actually wasn't a big problem.
"Impressive! You were hiding such a hand?!" Huang Shan patted Lin Hui's arm, exclaiming in surprise.
"Indeed impressive. If I weren't paying attention, even I wouldn't be able to dodge that move," Qiu Yiren said earnestly from the side.
She was an honest soul; if it was good, it was good. If not, it wasn't.
"It's alright, it's alright. That was a move I was forced to use when pushed to the limit. It damages my vitality greatly to use; I'll need to recuperate for a long time," Lin Hui sighed.
"That's still very strong," First Senior Brother Chen Sui said in a deep voice from the side. "You've only been promoted for half a year, and you've entered the 4th Rank. Give it another half year, and you'll likely stabilize in the top ten. Though your sword technique is weak, your Body Tempering progress is truly fast."
"Eldest Senior Brother flatters me. It's just luck." Lin Hui smiled reservedly.
After displaying his strength, the attitudes of those around him had changed. Listening to the discussion and exchange between Huang Shan and Qiu Yiren, and seeing Second Senior Brother Zhao Jiang'an nodding friendly and giving a thumbs-up from not far away...
Lin Hui suddenly and profoundly understood what kind of life Huang Shan and Qiu Yiren had been living all along.
While dealing with the interactions around him, his thoughts drifted to the corresponding treatment he would receive after ranking in the top ten this time.
In the distance, First Senior Sister Mu Qiaozhi and Xie Li watched Lin Hui silently.
Mu Qiaozhi didn't speak. For her, Lin Hui's improvement had indeed caused her to misjudge, but she wasn't willing to admit she was wrong.
So, at this moment, she could only remain silent.
Xie Li, however, watching Lin Hui stand in Huang Shan's circle relying solely on his own strength, felt an inexplicable bitterness in her heart.
She had exhausted her mind pleasing people and running errands—wasn't it all to squeeze into the elite top ten circle of the Front Courtyard?
But squeezing in like that naturally didn't garner equal respect. Whether it was First Senior Sister, Huang Shan, or Qiu Yiren, they actually all viewed her as a follower, a little sister. There wasn't much respect.
And now, Lin Hui hadn't relied on anyone. In just over half a year, he had successfully squeezed into the Front Courtyard's top ten.
This made Xie Li, who had previously abandoned the small circle of Chen Zhishen and Lin Hui, feel somewhat unsettled.
But, it doesn't matter. Regardless, following First Senior Sister is absolutely better than that three-person small circle from before. If things were still like the old days, how could I get the generous treatment I have now at the Mu family?
After comparing in her heart, Xie Li felt the knot of emotion unravel significantly.
At this time, another match concluded on the stage. The fights within the top ten were far more intense than before.
It was almost time for Huang Shan to go up. Lin Hui followed Qiu Yiren, still cheering for her from below, when he heard Huishen's voice pop up from behind.
"Junior Brother Lin, Perfected Mingde is calling you over for a moment."
Huishen's tone had returned to its former enthusiasm. It was as if the change in attitude previously had never happened.
"Mn, understood." Lin Hui nodded, following Huishen through the crowd toward the 'Ming' generation stands.
Before they had walked halfway, he saw Huang Shan on the stage knock her opponent down with a single sword strike, winning easily.
Cheers from her fans erupted all around. Many representatives of large households were already whispering to one another, clearly planning to propose marriage.
Female disciples like Huang Shan and Qiu Yiren, who possessed both talent and beauty, were hot commodities in any martial hall.
Simultaneously, they were the top choices for wives and concubines for various large households.
If male disciples entering the top ten meant changing their lives and raising their social class, requiring time to slowly transition and struggle, then female disciples could essentially leap over the dragon gate, marrying directly into wealthy households and instantly stepping into a new stratum.
This was one of the reasons why there was an endless stream of female disciples in the major martial halls.
Amidst the cheers, Lin Hui walked up to Daoist Mingde. He first bowed to Daoist Baohe, then bowed again to the three 'Ming' generation masters.
"Lin Hui, now that you've entered the Front Courtyard, you're still handling parts of the ledger affairs, correct?" Daoist Baohe asked amiably.
"Yes," Lin Hui nodded.
"Good child. With your current attainments, you are qualified to formally study under my tutelage. Are you willing!?" Beside him, Mingde's face was solemn.
According to the rules of Clear Wind Temple, those entering the top ten were qualified to choose a mentor, allowing them to ask questions and seek guidance on cultivation at any time, daily.
This was a major rule set within the temple, aimed at letting disciples with more potential grow as quickly as possible.
According to the previous allocation, Huang Shan, Qiu Yiren, and Lin Hui—the three of them would each take one.
"I am willing! It was Perfected Mingde who guided this disciple into the temple back then, and he has protected me many times since. Disciple has always kept this in his heart," Lin Hui said earnestly.
Hearing this, Mingde laughed instantly.
"Good, good. I already have two people under my name. Adding you makes three. We'll gather later to get familiar."
He was in a good mood. After all, the other two disciples under his name didn't have as much potential as Lin Hui.
Huang Shan and Qiu Yiren had been split between Mingxiu and Mingchen earlier; now it was finally his turn.
The other two were slightly envious. Although Huang Shan and Qiu Yiren were also geniuses, they were women. Women ultimately couldn't be cultivated for the long term; before long, they would likely marry into large households or great clans—lucky ones might even marry into Inner City families. They couldn't support the master's lineage for the long haul like male disciples could.
"Yes!" Lin Hui bowed respectfully.
"From now on, you may call me Master," Mingde reminded him with a smile.
"Yes, Master!" Lin Hui's heart settled.
This address change wasn't just a title; it carried Mingde's expectations for him.
The word "Master" wasn't something just anyone could call him. It represented that Mingde had some intention of transferring his resources and connections to Lin Hui.