“Is that so? Zhao Xiu, whatever trump card you have, let us see it.” Li Feng gave a cold laugh. He had never believed the four great families would send only Zhao Xiu to kill him.
“Hmph. It seems you have guessed already. I admit your strength is formidable, Li Feng, but so what? Can you withstand our combined strike?” Zhao Xiu stood up with a cold sneer, his face rather pale.
As soon as the words left his mouth, two figures shot out from the darkness and appeared beside him.
“Two more peak ninth-layer Acquired Realm experts? The four great families really do think highly of me. I wonder which houses you represent.” Li Feng looked at the two old men beside Zhao Xiu, a cold smile curling his lips.
“Qu Senpu.”
“Zhang Shengping.”
The two elders stared at Li Feng icily as they announced their names.
“The Qu family and the Zhang family? So no one came from the Liu family?” Li Feng narrowed his eyes and laughed coldly.
“We are more than enough to kill you.” Qu Senpu said frostily.
“Zhao Xiu said the same thing earlier. Unfortunately, not only did he fail to kill me, he nearly died by my hand.” Li Feng replied indifferently.
“Hmph. Your strength is indeed impressive, Li Feng, but I refuse to believe you can take on all three of us.” Zhao Xiu snorted, his voice tinged with humiliated rage. Earlier he and the other two had been lying in wait nearby. Originally Qu Senpu had wanted them to appear together and finish Li Feng instantly, but Zhao Xiu, eager to torment him personally, had convinced them to let him fight alone.
Reality had slapped him hard across the face. Not only had he failed to kill Li Feng, he had almost been killed himself.
“Idiot.” Li Feng spat the two words coldly.
“What did you say?” Zhao Xiu glared at him with murderous eyes.
“I said you are an idiot.” Li Feng sneered. “You have a trump card. Did you think I would not?”
“What did you say?” Zhao Xiu’s expression shifted. He suddenly recalled what Li Feng had said when he first appeared. Could Li Feng really have been waiting for them here? Then what trump card did he hold?
Li Feng gave a light laugh and snapped his fingers.
Instantly, two figures sped over from nearby and took position behind him.
Zhao Xiu’s face changed at first, then he laughed coldly. “Li Feng, you think these two are a match for us?”
He had assumed Li Feng’s backup would be something impressive, but they were merely seventh-layer Acquired Realm cultivators. A seventh-layer cultivator could never stand against a ninth-layer one. Any one of them could kill the pair in seconds.
Li Feng laughed coldly. Whether seventh-layer cultivators could fight ninth-layer ones was irrelevant. The Blood Kill Twin Eagles were no ordinary seventh-layer experts.
“You two, deal with him.” Li Feng pointed at Qu Senpu.
The Blood Kill Twin Eagles nodded, stepped forward, and fixed their icy, murderous gaze on Qu Senpu.
“Hmph. Then I shall send you both to your graves.” Qu Senpu flew into a rage at the sight of two mere seventh-layer cultivators being sent against him. With a cold snort he charged at the Twin Eagles.
The Twin Eagles met him without a word.
“Li Feng, you cannot possibly mean to face the two of us alone?” Zhao Xiu showed no concern for Qu Senpu. In his view, Qu Senpu could slaughter two seventh-layer cultivators in moments.
“Zhang Shengping.” Li Feng suddenly roared.
“What? Have you decided to let me kill you, Li Feng?” Zhang Shengping stepped forward, staring at him coldly. The four families had agreed that whichever house killed Li Feng would receive the largest share of cultivation resources allocated by the Lord this year. Now that Qu Senpu was busy with the two seventh-layer cultivators and Zhao Xiu was heavily injured, Zhang Shengping saw his chance.
“Kill me? With a fool like you who courts death?” Li Feng looked at Zhang Shengping and laughed coldly. With a flick of his finger, strands of true qi poured into a Wind-Thunder Array talisman. He flung it towards Zhang Shengping.
The talisman, now infused with Li Feng’s true qi, instantly buried itself in the ground. Spiritual light flashed, spreading in all directions as the entire Wind-Thunder Array activated.
Using the Wind-Thunder Array talisman had been a last resort. Tonight he had brought only the Blood Kill Twin Eagles to lure the four families. With their combined strength they could handle two peak ninth-layer opponents, but three was too many, especially since Zhao Xiu, despite his injuries, remained dangerous. Facing both Zhang Shengping and Zhao Xiu together would spell certain defeat. Thus he had no choice but to use the talisman. This Wind-Thunder Array could slay anyone beneath the Innate Realm. When he had obtained it in the underground city he had been thrilled, but now that his own combat strength had reached the peak ninth-layer, its usefulness had diminished. Still, using it to kill Zhang Shengping was putting it to good use.
Mysterious runes appeared in mid-air, radiating brilliant spiritual light before sweeping towards Zhang Shengping.
In an instant, Zhang Shengping’s vision blurred. He found himself in a world where lightning cracked across the sky and violent winds ravaged the earth.
His face immediately paled.
Anyone suddenly transported to an unfamiliar realm would feel fear and unease, and Zhang Shengping was no exception.
Yet as a peak ninth-layer expert, he quickly calmed himself.
A formation. This is a formation.
He realised he had been trapped inside one. Though he could not understand how Li Feng possessed such a thing, his only option now was to break the formation to escape.
At that moment, lightning flashed and thunder roared in the sky. Bolt after bolt of lightning crashed down towards him.
Zhang Shengping’s expression shifted. He hurriedly circulated his true qi, forming a protective aura around his body.
Boom!
With a tremendous explosion, countless silver serpents of lightning slammed into his aura.
When the lightning faded, his aura remained intact, but his face had grown gravely serious.
Though that barrage had not harmed his protective aura, he knew it was only the beginning.
He understood little about formations, but he was certain they would not be resolved so easily.
Sure enough, moments later the sky flashed again. Another torrent of silver lightning poured down like a flood.
Boom!
The lightning struck his aura, producing a deafening roar. Cracks instantly appeared on its surface.
Zhang Shengping’s face changed drastically. A chill ran through his heart. He frantically circulated more true qi to reinforce the aura and withstand the endless onslaught. Yet the silver lightning seemed alive, hammering relentlessly at his defences.
Moreover, violent winds swept across the ground, each gust sharp as a blade, slicing at his aura.
He could only pour everything into blocking the lightning, but with every attack from lightning and wind his face grew a shade paler. He knew he could not hold out much longer.
“An array talisman? How do you possess an array talisman?”
Outside, Zhao Xiu stared at Li Feng in disbelief. He had never imagined Li Feng owned an array talisman, and an offensive one at that. Standing not far behind Zhang Shengping, he could clearly see countless silver serpents savagely assaulting the man inside the formation. Even a peak ninth-layer expert like Zhang Shengping was utterly helpless. With every strike his face grew paler. Zhao Xiu knew Zhang Shengping would not last long.
“Do I have any obligation to tell you?” Li Feng laughed coldly. Yet he himself was astonished by the Wind-Thunder Array’s power. This was merely a second-grade talisman capable of killing anyone beneath the Innate Realm. How terrifying, then, would stronger formations be? How mighty were the ancient formations from the ruins in the Hundred Thousand Mountains?
At this moment, Li Feng’s curiosity about formations reached its peak. He resolved to devote serious time to studying them. If he could master even this second-grade Wind-Thunder Array, today he could have effortlessly annihilated Zhao Xiu, Qu Senpu, and Zhang Shengping.
“Zhao Xiu, not one of you three will leave here alive tonight.” Li Feng declared icily.
Zhao Xiu’s face darkened. He glanced at Qu Senpu and his expression changed dramatically.
The Qu Senpu who should have dispatched two seventh-layer cultivators with ease was now locked in bitter combat, looking utterly dishevelled and clearly at a disadvantage.
“How is this possible?”
Zhao Xiu could scarcely believe his eyes. Zhang Shengping’s predicament was understandable; he was trapped in the formation. But Qu Senpu, a dignified peak ninth-layer expert, was actually unable to handle two seventh-layer cultivators?
“How can this be?”
In any other situation Zhao Xiu might suspect Qu Senpu was holding back, but not now. Killing Li Feng promised enormous rewards. Qu Senpu had every reason to want him dead. The only explanation was that Qu Senpu genuinely could not overcome the combined assault of two seventh-layer cultivators.
How could two seventh-layer ancient martial artists be this powerful, not only holding their own against Qu Senpu but actually gaining the upper hand?
Zhao Xiu found it inconceivable, yet he had no choice but to accept the reality before him.
“Zhao Xiu, now it is just you left.” Murderous intent flashed in Li Feng’s eyes as he stared coldly at him. “Unless you are going to tell me you have even more people hiding nearby, I am about to send you on your way.”
“Li Feng, you are ruthless.” Zhao Xiu glared at him with icy hatred. He had never imagined that without the Innate expert at his side, three peak ninth-layer cultivators would still be unable to deal with him.
Now Zhang Shengping was trapped in the formation, Qu Senpu was tied down by two seventh-layer cultivators, and after experiencing Li Feng’s strength firsthand, Zhao Xiu knew he was no longer his match.
“Still, killing me will not be that easy.” Zhao Xiu said coldly. He still had one final card. Even if he could not kill Li Feng, at least he could preserve his own life.
“Is that so?” Li Feng laughed coldly. He stamped the ground, leapt high into the air, and swooped towards Zhao Xiu like a predator. Mid-flight, the great sabre in his hand slashed down fiercely.
