Chapter 417: Duan Pheng's Secret

The crescent moon was floating in the black sky and there was no stars in sight, the night felt lonely and cold.

"In seven days there will be a full moon!" Lin Pheng whispered to himself. Lin Pheng had heard about the national competition of Xue Yue before but he didn't know any concrete details about it. It seemed like it was organized by the Imperial Family and the Duan Clan, it seemed like they were the ones inviting people, more precisely it was the king of Xue Yue, who was also the head of the Duan Clan.

But that detail was useless, Lin Pheng only knew that there were going to be battles and he was going to have to fight too!

Chu Zhan Peng was the sixth ranked high-official of Xue Yue. In the past, he used to be the best disciple of the Hao Yue Sect. The first time Lin Pheng saw him, Chu Zhan Peng was extremely arrogant, he had come to the Yun Hai Sect and wanted them to deliver Lin Pheng to him, back then, Elder Mo Xie even accepted his demands, if Protector Kong hadn't appeared in the form of a shadow, Lin Pheng would already be dead.

It was clear to Lin Pheng that Chu Zhan Peng was still as arrogant as before and considered Lin Pheng to be an insect, a nobody.

Chu Zhan Peng frequently humiliated Lin Pheng after they met at the Yun Hai Sect. A short time before, he had even gone to the Celestial Academy and displayed his strength, he came looking for Lin Pheng again. Lin Pheng clearly remembered all the past grudges.

Lin Pheng needed to forget about that hatred and animosity. What he needed to do was prove to Chu Zhan Peng that he was not able to bully him the way he did.

When Lin Pheng thought about Chu Zhan Peng, he also remembered the time when he was only at the Qi layer, he was a weak young boy. After having broken through to the Ling Qi layer, he felt so high-spirited and vigorous, he didn't want to see the Yun Hai Sect get annihilated. The Yun Hai Sect had sacrificed themselves to protect Lin Pheng and save his life.

Protector Kong and Nan Gong Ling were killed as Protector Bei helped him escape. Lin Pheng would never forget the bloodbath of the Yun Hai Sect, it was tragic. Lin Pheng could never forget that the ring he had on his finger was the ring worn only by the Patriarch of the Yun Hai Sect. Everybody trusted Lin Pheng and they put all of their hopes of the future in him.

"Just wait until I'm strong enough, the Yun Hai Sect will reappear in Xue Yue." Thought Lin Pheng while looking at the bright moon above. Rivers of blood had been spilt, it couldn't be in vain. Lin Pheng would rebuild the Yun Hai Sect and he would avenge the bloodbath of those who came before him!

Lin Pheng would honour the dead of the Yun Hai Sect.

The sound of somebody's steps interrupted Lin Pheng in his thoughts. Those steps were becoming louder and louder as Lin Pheng saw a young man appear who was walking slowly.

"Lin Pheng, big brother." Shouted that young man with a faint smile. He looked at Lin Pheng with his eyes full of respect.

"Duan Pheng, why are you not resting?" Said Lin Pheng while smiling. Lin Pheng envied Duan Pheng sometimes. His heart was so pure, there wasn't an iota of hatred to corrupt his heart. He was still so pure and innocent. He didn't have any obligations and worries, all he needed to do was focus on his cultivation. On the other hand, Lin Pheng had a great deal of things to worry about, for example, he was carrying the fate of the entire Yun Hai Sect on his shoulders, he also needed to find his father who seemed to have gone missing.

"I can't sleep." Replied Duan Pheng while walking towards him. There was a letter in his hand, he handed it over to Lin Pheng.

"What's this?" Asked Lin Pheng while glancing at Duan Pheng. He then grabbed the letter and read it. There was just a simple text on it.

"In seven days, on the night of the full moon, the national competition will happen at Xiangjiang lake, Your Excellency Duan Pheng is invited." Lin Pheng had received the same letter, it had been sent by the same person.

"Duan Pheng, you also received an invitation, congratulations." Said Lin Pheng while slightly smiling. Only the most talented young cultivators of Xue Yue received it and Duan Pheng was proof of that.

"But Lin Pheng, big brother, only you and a few others know that I have broken through to the Xuan Qi layer, I haven't told any outsider, how did they know?" Duan Pheng sounded anxious and continued: "I don't think that they would bother inviting a cultivator of the Ling Qi layer, young and powerful cultivators who have reached the Xuan Qi layer is what they are looking for."

"You haven't told anyone?" Lin Pheng was surprised. Indeed, Xue Yue was a vast country, the Imperial City itself had a myriad of extremely young yet strong cultivators. Inviting members of the Ling Qi layer would be meaningless for them. What Duan Pheng said was true, they were only interested in cultivators of the Xuan Qi layer, as a minimum requirement.

But Duan Pheng was saying that he had told nobody else about it, how could they know that he had broken through to the Xuan Qi layer?

"The water of Xue Yue is deeper than what I had imagined." Lin Pheng thought with a smile while shaking his head. If he couldn't find the answer, it wasn't necessary to drive himself nuts over it, he then said to Duan Pheng: "Duan Pheng, since you received that letter, just relax, don't drive yourself crazy. It might also be due to your incredible natural abilities. In seven days, we will go to Xiangjiang lake together."

"Alright." Nodded Duan Pheng but then he slightly frowned and said, while looking at Lin Pheng: "Lin Pheng, there is something else I would like to tell you."

"What is it?" Asked Lin Pheng. He was a bit surprised when he saw that Duan Pheng frowning. Duan Pheng had been always pure and innocent, and was always smiling. Lin Pheng was wondering what was going on, it seemed like he had something heavy in his heart.

"Lin Pheng, you remember when you asked me that question last time, where I had gotten that incredible skill?" Asked Duan Pheng which surprised Lin Pheng. Duan Pheng was talking about this again, was he hiding something?

"Didn't you say that you found it in your memories?" Asked Lin Pheng.

"Indeed, I found that skill in my memories." Said Duan Pheng while slightly nodding but then continued: "But while my cultivation increases, new memories appear in my brain as well. Each time I progress, new memories appear but they don't belong to me! I never had memories of them before, but there are some amazingly powerful skills and techniques that appear, it's extremely strange."

"Huh?" When Lin Pheng heard Duan Pheng, he was stupefied. New memories were appearing in his brain as his cultivation increased, it was indeed very strange!

"Could it be that somebody sealed your memories and as your cultivation increases, the seals open themselves?" Guessed Lin Pheng but he wasn't sure. If someone could seal memories inside somebody's brain and make the seal open by itself as the person's cultivation increased, how terrifying would that person be? There was probably nobody in Xue Yue who could achieve such a thing.

"Duan Pheng, your father and mother. ." Suddenly said Lin Pheng.

But Duan Fen immediately shook his head and said: "Lin Pheng, brother, I have never met my parents, I only know that I have the blood spirit of the Imperial Clan. I only know that they have been transported to a distant place to be punished. I've always been in that small village where I lived an aristocratic life, but I don't even know who my father is."

Lin Pheng frowned. Duan Pheng had never seen his own parents, those memories were extremely strange.

But if nobody had sealed those memories in his brain, what other explanation could there be? Could it be a sort of sixth sense? If it was, his natural abilities were even more terrifying.

"Lin Pheng, there is something else, not only does my cultivation increase extremely quickly but I also learn skills and techniques very quickly, as if I already know them. I only read them once and then I am already able to use them. I have tried to practice skills which were not part of my memories and it was extremely difficult, even if they were only low-level ones!" Continued Duan Pheng. Lin Pheng was growing more and more surprised and had also started to frown. How strange! Why! Lin Pheng had no idea.

He looked pensive for a while but then he smiled and said: "Duan Pheng, being able to practice cultivation quickly is a great thing, maybe you really have a sixth sense or a strange ability that you know nothing about. Since. We you don't understand it, don't drive yourself crazy because of it. I will ask Senior Yan Yu for you next time."

Duan Pheng nodded. He wanted to understand it but couldn't and it was driving him insane. He couldn't practice calmly as it was always on his mind. No matter what, being able to cultivate quickly and easily was always a great thing.

"Lin Pheng, brother, I will go back now. You should rest too." Said Duan Pheng. Lin Pheng slightly nodded and Duan Pheng left.

But Lin Pheng stayed at the same place, calmly looking at the crescent moon. He stayed there all night.

During the following day, the news that the Imperial City had been sending invitation letters spread quickly, and then the news was spread through the entire country.

Those who received an invitation became the focus of everybody's attention!