Duan Lang and Nie Feng

"Alas."

Seeing Duan Lang like this, Li Chenfeng reached out and patted his shoulder.

"Now that I know your situation, I absolutely won't allow you to remain in the World Society. In a while, I'll take you back to Sword Worship Villa. With Sword Worship Villa's guidance, I'm certain you can truly rise like a carp transforming into a dragon!"

Duan Lang's eyes immediately lit up. He looked up at Li Chenfeng beside him and asked excitedly, "R-Really?"

"Of course." Li Chenfeng smiled. "As the Duan Clan's heir, Duan Lang, your talent is exceptional. You're a true martial arts prodigy. Since Xiong Ba has failed to recognize your worth and cannot help you achieve greatness, then Sword Worship Villa—Ao Feng—will raise you into a dragon!"

"Please accept me as your disciple, Young Manor Lord!" Seeing the appreciation in Li Chenfeng's eyes, Duan Lang immediately knelt and said excitedly.

Li Chenfeng raised an eyebrow slightly. He hadn't expected the little fellow's mind to work so quickly.

However, Li Chenfeng had no plans to take a disciple at the moment.

Seeing Li Chenfeng shake his head, disappointment immediately appeared in Duan Lang's eyes.

"Young Manor Lord, is there something wrong with Duan Lang? Didn't you just say that I had decent talent and was suited to martial arts?"

Li Chenfeng waved a hand. "Heh, don't overthink it."

"I'm only seventeen right now. I have no plans to take disciples yet."

Seeing the disappointment in Duan Lang's eyes deepen, Li Chenfeng changed the subject. "However, I can accept you as a disciple on my father's behalf. From now on, we can address each other as brothers!"

"Really?!" Duan Lang was instantly overjoyed.

"Haha, of course it's true!"

"But... would the Manor Lord be willing to accept me?" Duan Lang asked hesitantly.

Given his status, he knew nothing at all about Sword Worship Villa.

The smile on Li Chenfeng's face faded as he said in a low voice, "My father passed away when I was young. All these years, it was my mother alone who worked hard to raise me."

"This..." Duan Lang froze. He hadn't expected Li Chenfeng to have gone through something like that as well. Looking at the saddened Li Chenfeng, he didn't know what to do.

Li Chenfeng shook his head and smiled faintly. "It's nothing. That was more than ten years ago. My goal now is to revive Sword Worship Villa and fulfill Father's lifelong wish!"

"Mm!" Duan Lang nodded fiercely. Wasn't his current situation exactly the same as Li Chenfeng's?

At that thought, his gaze toward Li Chenfeng gained several degrees of closeness.

As the two spoke, Li Chenfeng's heart stirred slightly, and he said, "Someone's coming!"

As soon as Li Chenfeng finished speaking, a figure in white rode the wind over the courtyard wall and headed straight toward them.

"It's Nie Feng!" Duan Lang said happily.

But then he thought of the current situation and Nie Feng's identity. His heart immediately tightened. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but in the end, he didn't know what he should say.

Just like in the original story, Duan Lang and Nie Feng were now as close as brothers. Yet this man before him was also his senior brother. Duan Lang's young heart suddenly felt at a loss.

Li Chenfeng placed a hand on Duan Lang's shoulder and chuckled. "Don't panic. It'll be fine."

Hearing Li Chenfeng's words, Duan Lang gradually calmed down.

The smile on Li Chenfeng's face was faintly strange. This time, aside from finding Duan Lang, his other purpose in infiltrating the World Society was the white-robed youth before him!

"Duan Lang, I've come to see you!"

His voice arrived before he did.

There was even a trace of anxiety in his tone.

Ever since Xiong Ba had taught Nie Feng the Wind God Leg, aside from visiting Lingyun Grotto with Duan Lang and Bu Jingyun, he had remained in seclusion cultivating his divine skill after returning, rarely having a chance to go out.

That was why those servants dared to openly bully young Duan Lang. Nie Feng couldn't stay by Duan Lang's side at all times, and his special feelings for Duan Lang only filled many servants with jealousy, leading to Duan Lang's current plight.

After landing, Nie Feng impatiently examined Duan Lang several times. Once he saw that nothing had happened to him, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

But before he could take out the fragrant food in his hand, he suddenly spotted Li Chenfeng dressed in black and was immediately startled.

"You...!"

Just as he was about to question him, Li Chenfeng flashed forward. Nie Feng's expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly used the Wind God Leg to retreat, but as someone only in the Late Houtian Realm, how could he be Li Chenfeng's match? His acupoints were easily sealed.

"Senior Brother, don't...!" Duan Lang cried out anxiously from the side.

"Senior Brother?" Nie Feng, who had been worried about Duan Lang's safety, was instantly stunned at Duan Lang's words. Even the resistance he had been preparing came to a halt.

Bringing Nie Feng back to where they stood, Li Chenfeng shook his head at the anxious Duan Lang. "Don't worry. I won't do anything to him."

Now that he had stepped into the open, Li Chenfeng's face was fully revealed before Nie Feng. Seeing that familiar face, Nie Feng's expression changed instantly.

"It's you!"

At Leshan Duan Family Manor, Nie Feng had encountered Li Chenfeng before, so he naturally knew his identity. But unlike Duan Lang, he also knew what had happened at the World Society earlier that day.

Sword Worship Villa's eldest young master, Ao Feng, had brought his master Sword Demon to force their way into the World Society. Then, at the critical moment when Xiong Ba, the World Society's leader, was locked in battle with Sword Demon, they had abducted Xiong Ba.

This news had spread throughout the Central Plains martial world in just a single day. Because Nie Feng had been in seclusion, he hadn't witnessed it personally. Yet he had urgently emerged from seclusion because of it. For the entire afternoon, everyone in the World Society had been searching for news of Xiong Ba.

"What are you doing here? How is my master now?"

Li Chenfeng smiled slightly as he looked at Nie Feng. "I came this time to take Duan Lang away. I had thought that after you two joined the World Society, you'd both have good prospects. I never expected such a huge disparity to emerge in only three years."

Duan Lang's expression changed slightly, while Nie Feng looked at him anxiously. "Lang, are you really going to leave with him?"

Duan Lang nodded firmly. "I'll leave this place with Senior Brother!"

Seeing Duan Lang's expression, Nie Feng wanted to persuade him to stay. After all, judging from what had happened today, the World Society and Sword Worship Villa had become irreconcilable enemies. Conflict between them was inevitable. As Xiong Ba's disciple, while Duan Lang was the junior brother of Sword Worship Villa's Young Manor Lord, how would the two of them face each other in the future?

Yet seeing Duan Lang's resolute expression and the circumstances he faced in the World Society, Nie Feng couldn't find a single reason to ask him to stay.

Seeing Nie Feng hesitate, his face full of conflict, Li Chenfeng chuckled. "Nie Feng, for Duan Lang's sake, let me give you a warning.

Although you're Xiong Ba's disciple, you should be wary of that master of yours as well. He isn't as good to you as you think he is!"