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Lin Feng stepped into the great hall, his eyes swiftly sweeping over the surroundings. At the head of the hall sat Tang Zhen, still looking as vigorous and spirited as ever.
Beside his seat, apart from the Second Elder whom Lin Feng had seen before, there were now two unfamiliar old men in red robes, both with hair and beards as white as snow.
Their faces were stern, carrying a natural air of authority that came without anger. From one of them, Lin Feng could sense the aura of someone at the peak of Eight-Star Dou Zong.
As for the other, whose seat was even higher than that of the Second Elder, he made Lin Feng's eyes narrow slightly.
From the faint, yet boundless Dou Qi emanating from the old man's body, though he was not quite as strong as Tang Zhen, he definitely was not much weaker either. As for the other Dou Zong elders present, Lin Feng simply ignored them.
"Valley Chief Tang, I wonder how you and your esteemed elders have decided on the matter we discussed earlier?"
Under the oppressive atmosphere of the hall, with countless gazes fixed upon him, Lin Feng slowly walked forward. He cupped his fists toward Tang Zhen and spoke calmly.
"You are that Lin Feng who wants the Skyfire Three Mysterious Change from my Burning Flame Valley?"
Hardly had his words fallen when an indifferent, elderly voice suddenly echoed within the hall. Lin Feng's gaze followed the voice, landing on the unfamiliar white-haired elder seated beside Tang Zhen.
"So, that man is to be my opponent this time."
Lin Feng thought to himself, before nodding slightly. "That's right. Before refining the pill, I already made an agreement with Valley Chief Tang. May I ask if this Elder has an issue with that?"
Hearing this, the people of Burning Flame Valley all furrowed their brows.
Lin Feng's first words directly brought up the prior agreement with Tang Zhen, showing no intention of backing down. This one, clearly, was not easy to deal with.
"This old man is Wu Xin, the Grand Elder of Burning Flame Valley. Since you helped the Valley Chief refine the Fire Bodhisattva Pill, I will first extend my thanks to you on behalf of the Valley."
After saying this, Wu Xin's expression remained calm, but his tone immediately hardened. "But the Skyfire Three Mysterious Change is our Valley's exclusive secret technique. There are strict rules forbidding its transmission, even for the Valley Chief. Young friend, allow me to take you to our Dou Technique Pavilion instead, so you may choose a technique from there."
At those words, Xiao Yixian and Tian Huo Zun Zhe, standing behind Lin Feng, both narrowed their eyes.
So, Burning Flame Valley had agreed so readily before, but when the time came, they still planned to go back on their word!
In Lin Feng's heart, a cold laugh also escaped. He immediately turned his gaze toward Tang Zhen, his expression calm as he said, "Valley Chief Tang, are you telling me that what you said earlier… was just toying with a nobody like me?"
Hearing this pointed question, Tang Zhen's expression grew a little unnatural.
But thinking of the other's status as a peak seventh-tier alchemist, along with the two Dou Zun experts at his side, Tang Zhen could not help but sigh in his heart.
He knew now that their plan to pressure Lin Feng into giving up on the Skyfire Three Mysterious Change had completely fallen through. His aged face then feigned anger as his eyes turned toward Wu Xin.
His palm slapped down on the armrest of his chair, his voice heavy as he said, "Grand Elder, I already gave my word to young friend Lin Feng beforehand. If you do this now, are you not making me break my promise?"
At Tang Zhen's words, the Grand Elder's face was full of unwillingness. With a cold snort, he replied, "Even if the Valley Chief promised him beforehand, according to our Valley's rules, this matter can never be allowed!"
At this moment, the Second Elder stepped forward to smooth things over, saying, "Valley Chief, don't be angry. The Grand Elder only spoke out because of the Valley's rules. After all, the Skyfire Three Mysterious Change is no ordinary secret art. Handing it to an outsider requires extra caution."
He paused, then pondered for a moment.
His gaze swept across Lin Feng before continuing, "How about this—let's follow the Valley Chief's original promise. We'll grant Lin Feng the treatment of a core disciple. As long as he can pass the Grand Elder's test, he may then enter the Dou Technique Pavilion to study the Skyfire Three Mysterious Change. How does that sound?"
"Second Elder, asking my husband to fight a Dou Zun—don't you think that's going too far?"
Before the words had fully settled, Xiao Yixian stepped forward, her tone faint yet sharp.
Seeing her displeasure, the Second Elder quickly explained, "According to the core disciple assessment, young friend Lin Feng only needs to withstand ten moves under the Grand Elder's hand. He doesn't need to defeat him."
"Oh? So, what you're saying is that the core disciples of your Burning Flame Valley all have to endure ten moves from a peak Two-Star Dou Zun in order to study the Skyfire Three Mysterious Change? I'd very much like to see how your disciples managed to do that."
Xiao Yixian sneered coldly, her voice dripping with disdain.
"Uh… well, Lin Feng isn't one of our Burning Flame Valley disciples. It's only natural for the test to be harder," the Second Elder stammered awkwardly after a moment of hesitation.
Around the hall, many of the Valley's disciples couldn't help but show envy in their eyes as they looked at Lin Feng.
To have such a beautiful and powerful woman standing protectively at his side… what kind of life was this? Truly enviable. To call it having both beauty and fortune—it was no exaggeration at all.
"Xian'er, since the Second Elder insists on letting Elder Wu Xin conduct the test, then we'll do it his way."
Lin Feng finally stepped forward and spoke.
His words left Tang Zhen and the other elders of Burning Flame Valley slightly stunned. They had thought there would be a tug-of-war before Lin Feng reluctantly agreed. They never expected him to accept so readily.
Xiao Yixian, hearing Lin Feng's calm acceptance, quietly returned to her place.
Tang Zhen then spoke once more, "Since you agree to the Second Elder's proposal, I have no other choice. But remember, this chance comes only once. If you fail the assessment, then the Skyfire Three Mysterious Change will no longer be fated with you."
Though he secretly did not want Lin Feng to obtain it, appearances still had to be maintained.
"Rest assured, Valley Chief Tang. Since I made my choice, I'll naturally shoulder the consequences myself."
Facing the red-haired Tang Zhen seated on the main seat, Lin Feng spoke calmly.
If Tang Zhen had honored their agreement and handed over the Skyfire Three Mysterious Change directly, Lin Feng would have remembered the favor.
In the future, should Burning Flame Valley encounter trouble, or need certain pills, he would have gone out of his way to help.
But now, since they chose to handle it like this, he wouldn't bear a grudge—but neither would he treat it as a favor.
From here on, if Burning Flame Valley came to him with requests, he would treat them like ordinary business, nothing more.
"Since both sides have agreed, let us head outside for the test. This hall is far too cramped—there's no room to unleash our strength."
Hearing Lin Feng's agreement, Wu Xin's aged face immediately revealed a confident smile.
As a peak Two-Star Dou Zun, he was certain he could settle this boy, whose strength was no more than the peak of Dou Zong, in just three moves.
No matter how brilliant this youth might be, in the face of a seasoned veteran like him, he was still far from enough.
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