Boom, boom, boom…
Although Lord Jue resisted with all his might, he was inferior to Li Feng in both martial techniques and raw power. In an instant, he was struck several times. Though not gravely wounded, his blocking speed slowed considerably.
“Li Feng, if you do not stop now, do not blame me for taking you down with me.” Lord Jue’s face was livid. Before this, he would never have imagined that not only would he fail to kill Li Feng, but his own life would now hang in the balance.
“Take me down with you? Do you have the strength for that?” Li Feng sneered. Not only did his attacks not cease, they intensified. Towards someone who wanted him dead, he would never show mercy. Mercy would mean his own death.
“Ah.” Lord Jue roared in fury. “Li Feng, you bully too much. I will fight you to the end.” With that, he pulled a jade vial from his robes, uncorked it, and poured a black pill into his mouth.
Boom!
Lord Jue’s aura surged instantly.
Was this the Innate realm? A pill that could elevate strength to the Innate realm?
No, this was not the Innate realm.
Li Feng quickly shook his head. He had encountered the Innate realm before. The aura emanating from Lord Jue was definitely not that of the Innate realm.
Could it be half-step Innate?
Li Feng’s eyes brightened.
He had heard that Blood Shadow was at half-step Innate. Was Lord Jue’s current strength now comparable to Blood Shadow’s? If so, defeating Lord Jue would mean he could handle Blood Shadow as well.
If time were not pressing, he might have waited for the pill’s effects to fully manifest and engaged in a grand battle. But now, he had no such luxury.
With that thought, Li Feng charged without hesitation, unleashing a relentless barrage of ferocious attacks.
To reach half-step Innate with the pill, Lord Jue needed several minutes. Those few minutes were more than enough to kill him.
Seeing Li Feng’s savage onslaught, Lord Jue’s face changed dramatically. Just as Li Feng had surmised, the pill required at least a minute to take full effect. He had assumed Li Feng would hesitate in shock, allowing him, after a minute, to kill Li Feng with half-step Innate strength. But he had not expected Li Feng to launch an immediate assault without pause.
Boom, boom, boom!
The clash between the two turned the surrounding area of over ten metres into a wasteland. Flowers, plants, and trees in the flower bed collapsed with a crash. Stones shattered forcefully, fully displaying the dominance of peak Acquired realm martial artists.
Boom!
Li Feng shouted loudly and punched fiercely. Fist force formed a massive fist in the air, smashing into Lord Jue’s chest.
“No…” Lord Jue roared in anguish. His body was sent flying by the fist force. A large cavity was blasted through his chest, killing him instantly.
After all, Lord Jue was a peak Ninth Level Acquired powerhouse. Unlike the one-eyed man, he did not explode into nothingness.
Li Feng sneered coldly. His gaze fell upon Tianfu Building. He knew an even fiercer battle awaited him there. However, eliminating a peak Ninth Level Acquired ancient martial artist here was an unexpected gain. He refused to believe they had dozens of such experts this time.
In a room not far from the battlefield, where Blood Shadow was located, Blood Shadow’s pupils contracted sharply upon seeing Lord Jue fall. “I did not expect Li Feng’s strength to have grown even greater. He actually slew Lord Jue. It seems relying on Lord Jue to delay Li Feng even briefly was a mistaken decision. Fortunately, arrangements in Tianfu Building are complete. Though Lord Jue’s death is regrettable, once Li Feng enters Tianfu Building, what awaits him is my impenetrable net.”
“Lord Blood Shadow, to deal with Li Feng, it seems only you can act personally.” The black-clothed man said gravely.
“Indeed. With strength like Li Feng’s, he is qualified for me to make a move. But before that, I will first take half his life.” Blood Shadow nodded.
The black-clothed man looked at Blood Shadow in surprise. This was the first time he had heard Blood Shadow say Li Feng was worthy of his personal intervention.
“Lord Blood Shadow, to what level has Li Feng’s strength reached?” The black-clothed man asked.
“He should be approaching half-step Innate.” Blood Shadow pondered before replying.
“Half-step Innate?” The black-clothed man’s expression shifted. Breaking through from Acquired to Innate involved bridging heaven and earth. Half-step Innate meant beginning to open that bridge. Once fully bridged, one became an Innate realm expert.
Li Feng was only in his twenties. Reaching the Ninth Level Acquired at his age was already unprecedented. If he broke through to Innate, would they not, as ancient martial artists, die of shame?
“Indeed. Li Feng’s strength is beyond expectation, growing almost daily.” Thinking of Li Feng’s power, even Blood Shadow felt some wariness. He himself had taken at least twenty years longer than Li Feng to reach this realm.
“Lord Blood Shadow, how can Li Feng’s strength be so great? Is it due to talent?” The black-clothed man asked in shock.
“Talent? Impossible. The direct descendants of the eight top families are tested for talent from birth. Li Feng’s talent in this regard is merely average.” Blood Shadow shook his head.
Talent?
In Hongmen, countless talented young men and women had been cultivated from childhood, yet none matched Li Feng.
“Could Li Feng have consumed some heavenly treasure? Otherwise, how could his strength be so immense?” The black-clothed man speculated.
“That is possible. After all, many heavenly treasures still exist in this world.” At this, a trace of envy flashed in Blood Shadow’s eyes.
Heavenly treasures, things he dreamed of obtaining. The prices for exchanging such treasures in the Ancient Martial Artists Association were exorbitant. Even with Chen Junyi’s support, some items he desired remained beyond reach. If only the heavenly treasures Li Feng had consumed still existed.
Wait.
What heavenly treasures had Li Feng consumed? Had he truly used them all up? What if Li Feng still possessed some?
At this thought, Blood Shadow’s gaze burned fervently. Whether Acquired or Innate ancient martial artists, none would disdain more heavenly treasures. If Li Feng still had those he had taken, or others, obtaining them would mean…
It seemed he could not kill Li Feng on the spot. He must first extract the whereabouts of those heavenly treasures before ending him.
“Lord Blood Shadow, Lord Blood Shadow.”
The black-clothed man’s voice snapped Blood Shadow from his reverie.
“What is it?” Blood Shadow asked.
“Lord Blood Shadow, Li Feng has now headed to Tianfu Building. Should we commence the encirclement kill on the surrounded Black Eagle team members?” The black-clothed man asked.
“The Black Eagle team showed boldness by cutting power to the entire Tianfu Building. However, for ancient martial artists, this darkness means little.” Blood Shadow glanced at Tianfu Building and said gravely, “But commencing the kill on the Black Eagle team is not urgent yet.”
“Lord Blood Shadow, why is that? Li Feng has arrived. Continuing to merely surround them serves no purpose.” The black-clothed man asked, puzzled.
“Li Feng’s forces have not all revealed themselves. I need bait.” A sharp gleam flashed in Blood Shadow’s eyes. He thought of the empty Tianya Pavilion, a lingering shadow in his mind.
“Li Feng has hidden many people in secret. But now that he has come, those people should appear, right?” The black-clothed man said.
Blood Shadow shook his head. “Whether they appear or not, no one knows. But if they do not, I will force them to. Now, we can begin the third phase of the plan.”
“Rest assured, Lord Blood Shadow. I will arrange it immediately.”
Time rewinds three minutes. While Li Feng battled Lord Jue, Caidie and Situ Qiang observed the fight through binoculars.
Caidie remained composed, having some understanding of Li Feng’s strength. But Situ Qiang was different. He watched the battle between Li Feng and Lord Jue in utter shock and disbelief.
“This, this is a battle between ancient martial artists? Caidie, is this not like filming a wuxia drama?” Situ Qiang stared in horror at the gang qi that only appeared on television.
“Young Master Situ, are you truly a member of the Situ family? Your grandfather, Situ Kuang, is an Innate realm expert, far stronger than Li Feng and the like.” Caidie said coldly.
“Impossible. How could Grandfather be stronger than Li Feng?” Situ Qiang looked incredulous. The battle between Li Feng and Lord Jue featured flying gang qi and swirling sand and stones. If Situ Kuang surpassed them, to what level had his combat power reached?
In Situ Qiang’s eyes, Situ Kuang was merely a kind and amiable elder. He had never imagined him as an Innate realm expert.
“Young Master Situ, have you not cultivated since childhood?” Caidie asked coldly. Encountering someone like Situ Qiang, she wondered if it was her fortune or misfortune.
“Of course I have cultivated.” A flicker passed through Situ Qiang’s eyes. From childhood, he had viewed cultivation merely as a means to strengthen his body. After discovering his physique superior to ordinary people, he had ceased practising, unknown to Situ Kuang and the others.
“Cultivated? Then have you manifested gang qi?” As she spoke, Caidie struck the nearby wall with a palm.
Boom!
A palm force materialised in the air, leaving a palm print on the wall.
“Young Master Situ, can you do that?” Caidie asked coldly.
Situ Qiang’s pupils contracted. Gang qi, this was the first he had heard of it. But he had not expected Caidie to possess it, and with such devastating power.
Fear flashed in Situ Qiang’s eyes. He had been with Caidie for so long without knowing she had this attack method. If she wanted to kill him, he would have no power to resist.
More importantly, he did not know how to answer her question. Could he do it? Obviously not. Previously, he had thought ancient martial arts outdated. Now, he realised it was not ancient martial arts that were obsolete, but his own ignorance and arrogance. Had he known cultivation could grant such power, he would have practised diligently.
Caidie ignored Situ Qiang further. Her gaze returned to the battlefield, just in time to witness Li Feng slay Lord Jue. Her pupils contracted as she exclaimed in shock, “How is this possible? How can Li Feng’s strength be so great?”
