“No wonder you dared to challenge me. You calculated that my Crimson Flame Soul Armor’s power hasn’t fully recovered.”
“You’re right. The power of my Crimson Flame Soul Armor hasn’t recovered yet.”
“But if you think that’s enough to defeat me, you’re underestimating me, Nangong Yifan, far too much.”
At these words, a flash of determination glinted in Nangong Yifan’s eyes.
Boom—
A hurricane whipped up, and oppressive pressure surged. His cultivation level rose again.
Fifth-grade Venerable!!!
Nangong Yifan’s cultivation had now reached the fifth-grade Venerable realm.
Yet, aside from his Heaven-bestowed Divine Power and the strength of his All-Heavens Buddha Body, no other forces were evident.
“What’s going on? Could Nangong Yifan have a hidden treasure?”
“What kind of power has he mastered to elevate his cultivation again?”
“If his Crimson Flame Soul Armor were fully restored, wouldn’t he be able to boost his cultivation by four grades, from a second-grade Venerable to a sixth-grade Venerable?”
As Nangong Yifan’s cultivation surged, the crowd buzzed with astonishment and speculation.
They knew this boost wasn’t from the Crimson Flame Soul Armor but from another power.
What that power was, however, remained a mystery.
“No, it’s not hidden. His true cultivation has increased.”
A different voice suddenly cut through the chatter.
The onlookers found this explanation compelling.
No matter how they looked at it, Nangong Yifan didn’t seem to be using some special force to forcibly elevate his cultivation.
It was more like his actual cultivation had risen by one grade.
“It does seem that way.”
“Does that mean Nangong Yifan’s true cultivation isn’t second-grade Venerable but third-grade?”
“He was hiding his true cultivation before?”
“Exactly, that must be it.”
“No wonder he was so confident from the start. He had victory in his grasp all along.”
“Impressive, truly impressive.”
The crowd showered Nangong Yifan with praise.
“If Nangong Yifan was hiding his true cultivation, could Wang Chen be doing the same?”
“Maybe he doesn’t have any treasure boosting his power. His cultivation increase might not even involve special forces.”
“Could his true cultivation be that strong, and this boost is just him revealing what he hid?”
Some began to speculate that Chu Feng might also be relying on his true cultivation to alter his aura.
“Impossible.”
“Absolutely impossible. If that were true, wouldn’t his real cultivation be fifth-grade Venerable?”
“How could a junior reach fifth-grade Venerable at his age?”
“Exactly, it’s unthinkable. If he were that strong, he’d have made a name for himself long ago. Why would he stay hidden until now?”
Most dismissed this idea, primarily because they couldn’t accept a junior possessing fifth-grade Venerable cultivation.
Even top geniuses like Shentu Haoli and Song Jinglun were only second-grade Venerables.
Nangong Yifan’s third-grade Venerable cultivation was barely acceptable to them.
Fifth-grade Venerable? Unfathomable.
“Surrender now, and I’ll spare you,” Nangong Yifan declared, brimming with confidence.
His arrogance, already palpable, reached new heights with his elevated cultivation.
But Chu Feng merely smirked disdainfully. “Not enough. Show me the treasure you’re hiding.”
“Not enough? This is more than enough for you.”
Swoosh—
As Nangong Yifan spoke, his figure flickered, vanishing like a phantom.
When he reappeared, he was right in front of Chu Feng.
Perhaps wary of harming Beiyang Luo, he opted for close combat.
His fist aimed straight for Chu Feng’s face.
He didn’t intend to cripple Chu Feng but to humiliate him thoroughly.
Yet, the moment Nangong Yifan moved, Chu Feng had already anticipated his actions.
Chu Feng tossed Beiyang Luo aside.
The hand that had held Beiyang Luo formed an eagle claw, striking fiercely toward Nangong Yifan’s neck.
“Using the same trick you used on Beiyang Luo against me?”
“Do you think I’m that weakling?”
“You’ll pay dearly for underestimating me.”
Seeing through Chu Feng’s attack, Nangong Yifan didn’t panic. Instead, he sneered inwardly.
His fist was already inches from Chu Feng’s face, about to land.
Wail—
But the next moment, not only was Nangong Yifan stunned, so were the disciples of All-Heavens Sect and everyone watching.
Nangong Yifan’s punch missed as Chu Feng dodged.
Chu Feng’s hand, like an eagle’s claw, gripped Nangong Yifan’s neck tightly, lifting him off the ground.
Just like Beiyang Luo moments before, the once-arrogant Nangong Yifan was now hoisted by Chu Feng.
The outcome was clear.
But the speed of this victory, the battle’s conclusion, was shockingly unexpected, beyond anyone’s predictions.
No one could understand.
Both were fifth-grade Venerables, so why could Wang Chen defeat Nangong Yifan so effortlessly?
“You’re… a sixth-grade Venerable?” Nangong Yifan choked out.
“What? Sixth-grade Venerable?”
“Indeed, a sixth-grade Venerable. His aura has risen again.”
Following Nangong Yifan’s words, the crowd noticed Chu Feng’s cultivation had indeed increased. He was no longer a fifth-grade Venerable but a sixth-grade Venerable.
“What’s going on? How did his cultivation rise again?”
“What is his true cultivation? What methods does he wield?”
The crowd’s gazes on Chu Feng were filled with complex emotions.
They found him increasingly enigmatic.
“You think you’ve won?”
Yet, at that moment, Nangong Yifan let out a cold laugh.
Whoosh—
A powerful suction force emanated from his body.
As it spread, invisible energies from the heavens and earth surged into him.
Nangong Yifan began to glow faintly.
Though the light was weak, it lent him an almost divine aura.
“His cultivation has risen again.”
“This time, it’s a special power. But… what is it?”
The crowd exclaimed as Nangong Yifan’s cultivation climbed once more.
But Chu Feng’s expression showed not surprise but disappointment.
“As expected.”
“But this level? It’s too disappointing.”
“After all, your All-Heavens Sect studied that stone box for so long.”
“And this is all you got from it? This meager power?”
Chu Feng said with a mocking tone.
“Stone box?”
“Isn’t that the barrier world?”
Chu Feng’s words sparked a storm of reactions.
Everyone understood what he meant.
Bang—
Suddenly, someone slammed the table in the main viewing stand.
It was the Pavilion Master of Dragon Phoenix Immortal Pavilion.
“What do you mean by this?”
He glared at the All-Heavens Sect Leader with fury.
“Sect Leader, explain this,” other sect leaders chimed in, rising with hostile gazes fixed on the All-Heavens Sect Leader.
