Mainland Martial Arts

Chapter 264 Bear the pain

He tried to focus his thoughts, his mind racing through the various secret manuals of his cultivation techniques. Suddenly, the Xuanling Manual appeared in his mind. This was the manual he had diligently studied. Although he wasn't sure if it could handle the current crisis, it was his only hope.

Lin Feng took a deep breath, trying to calm his breathing, which had become rapid due to the pain. He closed his eyes, concentrated his mind, and began to practice the Xuanling Secret Book.

As the Xuanling Secret Book was activated, Lin Feng felt a familiar power slowly rising within him. This power was like a trickle of water. Although it seemed insignificant compared to the energy of the Star Blade, it was full of vitality and energy.

The energy from the Star Blade surged like a raging flood, filling Lin Feng's meridians. Under the powerful onslaught of energy, his meridians felt like ropes about to break, tingling with pain. Meanwhile, the power of the Mysterious Spiritual Manual was like a brave navigator, inching closer to these ferocious beasts, attempting to tame them.

Lin Feng's expression remained agonizing, yet within that pain, there was a newfound focus. His brows were furrowed, and the veins on his forehead bulged like serpentine snakes. His lips parted slightly as he breathed rapidly, each breath a harsh, wheezing sound like a bellows. His hands clenched unconsciously into fists, the muscles in his arms bulging with the strain, like hard stones.

The power of heaven and earth absorbed by the Star Blade was a vast and overwhelming force, like a surging ocean. Previously, he had only been able to absorb this power, bit by bit, like a cautious drinker, using a thin straw to absorb a drop of water from the ocean. But now, this vast mass of energy surged uncontrollably into his relatively small body like a flood bursting through a dam. He knew in his heart that his not being instantly shattered by this force was a special favor from fate, a near-miraculous stroke of luck.

As this energy began to wreak havoc within him, Lin Feng's body reacted violently. Like an overinflated balloon, his body began to swell uncontrollably. His skin gradually turned a piercing red, a crimson like a burning flame, radiating a fiery aura from within. This red wasn't a healthy flush, but a dangerous, warning color, as if a fierce internal combustion was underway.

His forehead was covered in fine beads of sweat. These beads, barely condensing in his sweat glands, hadn't yet seeped out of his pores when the heat radiating from his body instantly evaporated into steam. This steam formed a thin layer of mist above his forehead, like a hazy cap. His hair was also soaked with sweat, sticking to his scalp in strands, making him look disheveled.

At first, Lin Feng stood stubbornly, attempting to resist the surging energy within his body with his willpower. He planted his feet firmly on the white ground, each toe digging into the earth as if seeking solid support in this void. His legs were slightly bent, his muscles tense like two stretched springs, ready to withstand ever greater pressure. His eyes were filled with determination, a resolute willingness to face death. He clenched his teeth, his cheek muscles bulging and his teeth chattering as if silently declaring war on the energy within him.

However, the energy was too powerful. As time passed, the swelling and pain surged over him like a surging tide, wave after wave. Each wave of pain felt like countless sharp blades, slicing through his meridians and piercing his bones. His body began to shake violently, like a candle in the wind, ready to go out at any moment.

"This power... How could it be so strong..." Lin Feng secretly marveled in his heart. A trace of fear began to appear in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by determination. However, his body gradually couldn't bear it anymore.

Finally, his legs seemed to lose their support, and with a "thump", he knelt on his knees. This kneeling was filled with helplessness and submission, but it was more of an instinctive reaction of the body. He supported himself on the ground with his hands, pressing his palms hard on the ground, trying to gain some support from the cold ground. His body leaned forward, his head lowered, like a wounded beast, silently enduring the pain. His eyes revealed a trace of despair, which was the fear that his body was about to collapse. Sweat continued to drip from his chin to the ground, and every drop of sweat turned into a white mist the moment it touched the ground, dissipating in this white space.

"I can't be defeated like this..." Lin Feng roared inwardly. He tried to stand again, but the pain in his body rendered his efforts futile. Kneeling could no longer alleviate the pain that throbbed like a meat grinder. His body felt like it was being pulled and twisted by countless invisible hands, every joint like it was being tightly clamped and twisted by giant pliers. His body fell backward uncontrollably, and he lay flat on his back.

He lay on the ground, his body tumbling like a fish thrown from shore. His hands clutched tightly around himself, as if to contain the energy surging through his body. His eyes were tightly closed, his brow furrowed, and the muscles of his face twisted into strange shapes in agony. His lips trembled, and a low moan escaped him, a sound like the whine of a wounded animal in the darkness.

In this extreme agony, time seemed to lose its meaning. Lin Feng felt that every second felt like a long century, and every moment of pain felt like eternal torture. He felt as if he had spent several months in this painful purgatory, and this endless torment had nearly broken his spirit.

Yet, a flame always burned within him, a fire of his unwavering pursuit of martial arts, a stubborn will that refused to be defeated by this power. He kept telling himself, "I must persevere, I must refine this energy. This is my chance to become even stronger, the only path to the pinnacle of martial arts."

His body was still trembling slightly, partly due to the unbearable pain, and partly because he was concentrating on practicing the Mystical Spirit Manual. He silently encouraged himself, "I must hold on. I cannot be defeated by this force. I still have unfinished business, and I still have much further to go on the path of martial arts."