Learning there was a way to kill Chu Feng, Linghu Tiemian’s eyes shifted, his heart surging with excitement.
His hatred for Chu Feng ran so deep he dreamed of his death.
Now, hearing there was a method to kill Chu Feng himself, he was naturally thrilled.
“What method?” Linghu Tiemian asked, though still via secret transmission, his voice carried an unmistakable urgency.
“I have a secret treasure, it can’t kill Chu Feng, but its power is not to be underestimated. Aim it at him, and he won’t escape, he’ll be gravely injured,” Tantai Xing’er said, producing a pearl-sized black orb inscribed with dense runic patterns.
It flashed briefly, unnoticed by others, but Linghu Tiemian caught it.
“That looks like the legendary Dark Storm Talisman,” he remarked.
The Dark Storm Talisman was a rare treasure, more a weapon than a relic.
Its destructive power was immense, said to annihilate Martial Immortals, with only Venerable Realm experts able to resist. But, being single-use and extremely hard to craft, it was mostly legend, rarely seen in reality.
“It is the Dark Storm Talisman, but its power isn’t as great as rumored, so it alone can’t take Chu Feng’s life,” Tantai Xing’er admitted.
“You said we could kill him, if this can’t do it, how am I supposed to?” Linghu Tiemian asked.
“I originally planned to use it to catch Chu Feng off guard, not to kill him, but to gain a chance to defeat him,” Tantai Xing’er explained. “But now it’s different, the phenomenon has marked the certain-death path. Use the talisman to force Chu Feng into that path, and he’s as good as dead.”
“For real?” Linghu Tiemian pressed.
“If you don’t believe me, forget it,” Tantai Xing’er replied.
“Why not do it yourself?” he asked.
“Because I don’t want to be the villain,” she said.
“That’s blunt of you,” Linghu Tiemian said, exasperated.
Tantai Xing’er didn’t want to be the villain, but did he, Linghu Tiemian, want to?
Geniuses like them craved a good reputation. Even if they acted arrogantly or did wrong in private, in front of so many elders, experts, and onlookers, they strove to maintain a positive image.
At the very least, sneak attacks were off-limits.
“Think it over, this is a rare chance, miss it, and you’ll regret it,” Tantai Xing’er urged.
“I’ll have plenty of chances to kill him later,” Linghu Tiemian said.
“You’ll have chances, sure, but today?” Tantai Xing’er countered. “Linghu Hongfei isn’t here for the Ancestral Martial Ten Stars, who in your clan can challenge Chu Feng? If he takes first, it’ll be a stain your clan can never erase, even if he dies later, what then?”
At this, Linghu Tiemian’s face darkened, sinking into thought.
Chu Feng hadn’t noticed the covert exchange between Linghu Tiemian and Tantai Xing’er.
He stood before the twelfth gate, which he deemed the safest and fastest route to the exit.
Though positioned at the twelfth gate, his gaze lingered on the thirteenth.
The phenomenon had faded, and the probing gaze was gone, but his Nine Dragons Saint Cloak still reacted.
The cloak didn’t manifest outwardly, invisible to others, but Chu Feng felt its power stirring, as if summoned by the thirteenth gate.
“Maybe the legend is true,” Chu Feng mused, wondering if the thirteenth gate truly led to the Nine Dragons Upper Realm’s depths.
Those who never returned might simply indicate the path’s extreme danger or their own inadequacy.
If he could, Chu Feng wanted to explore it.
But he couldn’t, he had to save Bai Liluo, and the only way was to win first place in the Ancestral Martial Ten Stars, he couldn’t afford delays or risks.
“Why do you keep staring at the thirteenth gate?” a voice asked beside him, Wuma Shengjie.
Chu Feng had told Wuma Shengjie the twelfth gate was safest, so she’d stayed by his side.
Standing before the twelfth gate yet fixating on the thirteenth puzzled her.
“No reason, just looking, come on, let’s see if these hidden paths are as mysterious as the rumors say,” Chu Feng said.
Observation was key, but some bold souls had already rushed into the paths, so Chu Feng and the others, having chosen their route, couldn’t linger.
“Careful!”
Suddenly, Wuma Shengjie shouted, shoving Chu Feng aside with a forceful palm.
*Crackle—*
The next moment, lightning erupted behind her, thunder roaring.
Countless bolts scattered from her back, spreading outward.
It wasn’t just lightning, a gale surged with it, its force pushing Wuma Shengjie, not toward the twelfth gate, but straight into the thirteenth.
It happened too fast, by the time Chu Feng reacted, Wuma Shengjie had vanished into the thirteenth gate.
“Linghu Tiemian, what are you doing?”
Chu Feng roared, glaring at Linghu Tiemian with fury.
It was Linghu Tiemian who’d used the secret treasure to push Wuma Shengjie into the thirteenth gate.
His hatred for Chu Feng was so intense that, despite the risk to his reputation, he’d acted in full view of all.
But he hadn’t expected Chu Feng to miss his move, only for Wuma Shengjie to notice and save Chu Feng, leaving Linghu Tiemian both enraged and humiliated.
He’d played the villain, would bear the infamy, yet failed his goal, anyone would be livid.
“You got lucky,” Linghu Tiemian sneered, then darted into a hidden path.
“He dared attack someone, Linghu Tiemian’s so despicable, he should be punished!” Gong Qing shouted from the sidelines.
She didn’t need to say it, anyone with eyes could see Linghu Tiemian’s target was Chu Feng, only thwarted by Wuma Shengjie.
“His methods were low, but the Ancestral Martial Ten Stars is a competition, past selections saw plenty of sneak attacks, even killings, it’s within the rules, just… for someone of Linghu Tiemian’s status to do this, it’s not a good look,” the Gong Heavenly Clan’s patriarch said.
“What kind of grudge could drive Linghu Tiemian to do this to Chu Feng?”
Speculation swirled among the crowd.
“There’s only one reason someone resorts to such shameful tactics,” a clear-headed voice said.
“What’s that?” others asked.
“They can’t win openly, so they stoop to this,” the voice replied.
“What? If that’s true, does it mean Chu Feng is so strong that even Linghu Tiemian has to use dirty tricks?”
“And after failing, he fled into a path, is he… scared Chu Feng would retaliate?”
The words woke the crowd, their awe of Chu Feng deepening, how else could Linghu Tiemian be so desperate?
“Linghu Tiemian’s third among the Ancestral Martial Ten Stars, if even he fears Chu Feng, just how strong is Chu Feng? Could he be like Chu Xuanyuan in his youth, dominating all?”
Eyes turned to Chu Feng with growing anticipation.
Many now believed he’d likely claim first place, given the strength that intimidated even Linghu Tiemian.
But the next moment, gasps rippled through the crowd, young and old alike stunned.
Chu Feng had turned and stepped into the thirteenth gate.
