Previously, Lü Jie was a hero in everyone’s eyes.
But in the blink of an eye, he became a laughingstock.
Such a drastic shift was already hard for Lü Jie to accept.
What was even harder for him to bear was that he had lost, defeated once again by Chu Feng.
Compared to the first time, this defeat was far more humiliating, leaving him utterly disgraced.
At least the first time he lost, no one dared to mock him.
But this time, he faced public humiliation.
Yet, he had no way to refute their insults.
Lü Jie, a prodigy since childhood, had never endured such shame.
But today, he did.
That was why Lü Jie spat blood.
He, who had always been praised, could not withstand such humiliation.
“Lü Jie, your mental resilience is lacking,” Chu Feng’s voice rang out.
Looking up, Lü Jie saw Chu Feng grinning at him.
Wasn’t that the victor’s taunt toward the vanquished?
More infuriatingly, Chu Feng’s words were too harsh.
Was this something a person would say?
Chu Feng’s own resilience was his business.
Was Lü Jie not allowed to be less resilient?
Yet, Chu Feng’s words delighted many onlookers.
Especially Yuan Shu, Tang Chen, and even Yu Ting burst into laughter at his remarks.
Chu Feng had indeed endured much injustice before.
But now, he could finally return it all to Lü Jie.
“You bastard,” Lü Jie glared at Chu Feng, his eyes blazing with unmasked fury and killing intent.
“What, can’t handle the truth?” Chu Feng continued, grinning. “You may have talent, but being a sheltered flower won’t do. Lü Jie, you need to face more insults, endure more shame. Otherwise, if you’re not beaten to death but die of anger, that’d be a colossal joke.”
Despite Lü Jie’s evident killing intent, Chu Feng showed no restraint, doubling down instead.
“Shut up!” Lü Jie roared, unleashing a punch. A massive surge of barrier energy formed a giant fist, hurtling through the void toward Chu Feng.
Though a casual strike, its power was formidable.
Seeing this, Chu Feng swiftly dodged the blow.
After this simple attack, Lü Jie froze, then grinned with delight.
Previously, the Ancient Spirit Domain’s rules had prevented him from attacking Chu Feng, nullifying his strikes.
But this time, his attack seemed effective.
The Ancient Spirit Domain no longer intervened.
This meant that after the rewards on both of them were taken by the crowd outside, Lü Jie could now attack Chu Feng.
Their duel could finally begin.
“Chu Feng, I gave you a chance to leave, but you didn’t take it. Now, even if you want to, you can’t. Today, I, Lü Jie, will see you dead!” Lü Jie’s laughter turned menacing, his expression terrifying despite his smile.
“Chu Feng, run!” Master Tang Chen, Yuan Shu, and others shouted, urging him to flee the Ancient Spirit Domain.
They realised the domain would no longer prevent a fight between Chu Feng and Lü Jie.
Lü Jie’s attacks would now go unchecked.
No matter how strong Chu Feng’s spirit techniques were, he couldn’t possibly match Lü Jie.
Lü Jie’s frenzied, menacing laughter showed his rage.
If Chu Feng didn’t escape, he was in grave danger.
Lü Jie would vent all his resentment on Chu Feng.
He would kill Chu Feng, no doubt about it.
But, astonishingly, despite their pleas, Chu Feng seemed deaf to them.
He stood his ground, his gaze toward Lü Jie filled with contempt.
What was Chu Feng doing? Why wasn’t he running?
As the crowd puzzled over this, Chu Feng spoke.
“Lü Jie, I suggest you give up. Struggling is pointless. If only one person can reach that stone tablet in the Ancient Spirit Domain, it’s clearly not you. It’s me, Chu Feng.”
His words stunned not only Master Tang Chen and others but everyone present.
How could Chu Feng be so bold as to say such things to Lü Jie?
His exceptional talent was evident, having defeated Lü Jie and broken the chess formation.
But this was different.
This was a true duel, testing their current strength.
On the Dragon Transformation Stone, their spirit technique strengths were clear.
Lü Jie had mastered the third level of Dragon Transformation, wielding power comparable to a Sixth-Rank Supreme.
Chu Feng, however, was only at the first level, equivalent to a Second-Rank Supreme.
Their strengths were worlds apart, a gap of four realms. How could they compare?
“Could it be that Chu Feng is not only a master spiritist but also a martial cultivator? Is his cultivation at the Sixth-Rank Supreme level, so he doesn’t fear Lü Jie?” someone speculated.
“It’s possible. His spirit techniques are extraordinary, and such geniuses often excel in martial cultivation too. It’s not impossible for Chu Feng to have such strength,” another agreed.
Surprisingly, this theory quickly gained traction.
Seeing Chu Feng fearlessly taunting Lü Jie, people wondered what gave him such confidence.
Given his known spirit technique prowess, his martial cultivation strength seemed the most plausible explanation.
“You dare compare yourself to me? You’re a dead man!” Lü Jie roared, his voice dripping with resentment.
With that roar, he attacked again.
If his earlier strike was casual, this one was different. He unleashed his full power.
A brilliant beam of barrier energy shot forth, roaring as it shook the void.
Its aura was overwhelming, equivalent to a Sixth-Rank Supreme’s power.
Though the attack seemed simple, few could achieve it.
This was a true, all-out strike.
Lü Jie showed no mercy, aiming to take Chu Feng’s life.
“Hmph,” Chu Feng snorted, facing the oncoming attack.
He formed a hand seal with his left hand and thrust his right hand forward.
A surge of barrier energy erupted from him like a volcanic explosion, as fierce as a flood of wild beasts.
In power and scale, it matched Lü Jie’s attack perfectly.
In an instant, the two forces collided.
Ripples spread, and the heavens trembled.
Yet neither force yielded.
They were evenly matched.
