1 Young Zhao Feng (1/2)

_Morning. Just as the sky lit up, while the whole of Sun Feather City was still hidden in the darkness before dawn……_

_Sun Feather City, Zhao Family Clan_

__

_Fwoosh!_

A young man reacted on instinct, throwing off his warm and comfortable covers, jumping up from his bed and put his clothes on. All of this was done in less than one breath. At this time most of the family sect disciples and even some of the servants, were still sleeping.

The young man was between thirteen and fourteen years old, with a slim body and a childish face. He wasn’t super handsome, but still good-looking. His eyes were especially clear and full of fighting spirit.

“Just a bit longer and I can reach the second rank of the Martial Path, then I’ll have all those other Zhao family sect disciples shut up.”

This young man’s name was Zhao Feng. Half a year ago, he came from the Green Leaf Village’s Zhao branch family to the Sun Feather Zhao main family sect, based on his superb performance.

At the Green Leaf Branch, he was a genius for his age and was the first to reach the 1st rank of the Martial Pathway. From then on, he left the life of mortals and stepped into the gateway of cultivation. At that time, every old person in the village praised him for his talent, saying his future could not be measured. His family sect, parents, they all had high hopes for him!

However, only Zhao Feng knew how much more effort he put in than his peers, allowing him to become the genius of Green Leaf Village…

The Green Leaf Village Zhao family was one of the main Zhao family sect’s side branches. Every five years, there would be two people recommended into the main sect from Green Leaf. The person who came with Zhao Feng was Zhao Xue, a girl who had reached the first rank of the Martial Pathway only two months after him.

After leaving Green Leaf Village, Zhao Feng was full of fighting will, determined to go to the main Zhao family sect and show off his skills. However, it was only after he had come to the main Zhao family sect that he realized that he was just a frog at the bottom of a well…

In terms of population, Green Leaf Village Zhao family only had a hundred people, with only seven or eight around his own age. At the main Zhao family, there were tens of thousands of people, and they controlled large amounts of land, mines, and resources. Compared to the Zhao family of Green Leaf Village, this family was over a hundred times larger!!!

In the side branch at Green Leaf Village, he was considered a talent, even a genius by some. Here at the Zhao sect, he was merely considered to be one of the lowest level of cultivators for his age, a lowly outer disciple.

In the Zhao sect, there were many youths his age who had broken through to the second rank of the Martial Path. There were even some who were talented, having broken into the third rank. And according to some rumors, some of the family geniuses had already broken through to the fourth rank…

Confronted with this reality, Zhao Feng started to realize that he was nothing compared to them. He had been innocently ignorant and small in comparison.

Also, Zhao Xue, the beautiful girl who came with him from Green Leaf Village, slowly became distant from him after entering the Zhao sect. She interacted more and more with one of the top three outer disciples.

Looking back, when Zhao Xue was still at Green Leaf village, she had looked up to him in awe and even adored him. At that time, Zhao Feng had only focused on cultivating, and ignored her.

Now, he became more and more desperate, and put in even more effort into his cultivation after feeling a sense of gnawing despair.

He made an oath: He would take a spot at the top at Sun Feather City in the Zhao sect! He would never go back to Green Leaf Village!

******

After washing up, Zhao Feng took a deep breath and then ran towards the family sect’s martial arts field.

“Hah! Hah!”

Zhao Feng took a half step with both fists carrying the wind, and practiced the Zhao sect’s Flaming Metal Fists. Flaming Metal Fists was only a core martial art, but Zhao Feng practiced it carefully, polishing it beautifully.

In laymen’s terms, normal martial arts were divided into 5 categories: core, low, middle, high, and peak. Normally, the higher the rank of a martial art, the higher the damage dealt by it would be and the better it would be for cultivating.

Core martial arts, the lowest of martial arts, were used to strengthen one’s body and blood, and the damage dealt by them was very low. However, with Zhao Feng’s side branch identity, as well as having no exceptional talent, it was very hard for him to learn martials arts of a higher rank.

“I have been staying at the first rank of the Martial Path for a long time. However, to break through to the second rank, I still need some time.”

After practicing for a while, Zhao Feng’s face was raining sweat, and his breathing rate was quick.

Zhao Feng’s talent wasn’t considered bad. The reason why he couldn’t catch up to the others was because he didn’t have martial skills of a higher rank. He also wasn’t rich, like the main family disciples who could buy precious pills to increase their cultivation speed.

Some said a few disciples of the Zhao sect would use precious pills from birth to strengthen their bodies. Before reaching age ten, they had already broken through the first rank of the Martial Path, gaining a distinct advantage over others.

At the starting line of life, Zhao Feng was already far behind them.

Half an hour later, the sun slowly rose into view. At the martial arts field, some of the Zhao sect disciples slowly but steadily came, and some laughed and played with one another. However, when their gazes landed on Zhao Feng, their eyes suddenly became cold, and some even showed disdain.

This attitude wasn’t pointed at Zhao Feng alone. The Zhao sect disciples looked down upon everyone who came from the side branches. In front of those who came from the side branches, they felt a certain amount of pride!

While Zhao Feng was lost in his thoughts, a sound came whistling from this back: “Little broomstick! Stop there!”

_Pah!_

A hand as strong as metal hit him hard on the shoulder.

“It’s you…”

Zhao Feng was caught off balance and almost fell. Luckily, his core skills were good and he steadied himself in time.

The hand’s owner was a youth dressed in black. His body was fit and muscular, and he had thick eyebrows. His eyes had a tinge of playfulness inside of them as he looked down at Zhao Feng, who had just regained his balance.

“Zhao Kun! What is the meaning of this?” Zhao Feng had a face full of anger and wanted to hit Zhao Kun.

When Zhao Feng first came to the Zhao sect, the two of them had a little conflict. This was because Zhao Kun was mocking those who came from the side branches and Zhao Feng was dissatisfied with him.

Zhao Kun was a person who took revenge at every possible opportunity, and from then on, whenever he found Zhao Feng he would humiliate him every time.

“Zhao Kun! With your strength, if you cannot take this side branch disciple in ten moves, then it would not be cool!”

“Ten moves? Zhao Kun is already at the peak of the second rank of the Martial Path! To fight that kid, I think three moves will be enough!”

“Three moves? If they fight straight on, it will not be that easy!” the disciples nearby said, ready to watch the show. Most people did not care about what happened, so they spoke without restraint.

“Three moves? Hahaha...” Zhao Kun raised his head and laughed with a look of disdain on his face, “You are all looking down on me, Zhao Kun! To beat this kid, I will only need one move!”

Only need one move!

The disciples who were present had looks of shock on their faces.

“One move?”

Zhao Feng’s eyebrows crunched up and his face changed. The anger in his heart also rose again.

He and Zhao Kun only had one rank in difference between them. If Zhao Kun did well, maybe he could win in three moves. That was true.

However, just one move…this was a humiliation!

Facing Zhao Kun‘s provocative eyes, Zhao Feng calmed down soon and thought, I cannot fall into this trap. Even if I live through this one move, he will still humiliate me afterwards.

Having been at the Zhao sect for half a year, Zhao Feng had been beaten a few times and had learned to bear with it.

“I am quite tired from training today. Let me rest a few days, and then I will fight you.” Zhao Feng’s face was expressionless as he then left without another word.

His performance gave Zhao Kun, who was the same age as him, pause.