The sudden release of that power left Chu Feng momentarily stunned.
He quickly realised the old man had deliberately withdrawn the force that had locked him down.
Looking over, he saw a playful smile spread across the elder’s face.
Chu Feng said nothing. He simply watched, waiting to see what the man intended.
“Little fellow, I do admire your courage in pursuing strength.”
“If I killed you just like that, it wouldn’t look good if word got out.”
“So I’ll give you a chance.”
“If you can defeat my disciple, not only will I let you leave safely, I’ll also let you take this.”
The elder pointed at the bead that had absorbed nearly all the power from the undercurrent of the Daylight Star River.
“Master, are you joking? Someone like him could never be my opponent.”
“Fighting him would be an insult to me. Even if I win, there’s no glory in it.”
The young man spoke with clear reluctance, his gaze towards Chu Feng full of contempt.
That look seemed to say: trash like you isn’t even qualified to face me.
“What’s that look? You seem unconvinced?”
Chu Feng had said nothing, yet the youth spoke again.
“You don’t actually think you can fight me on equal terms, do you?”
“Fool. Let me show you reality.”
Boom!
Suddenly, his robes flared, and overwhelming pressure burst from his body.
Feeling that pressure, Chu Feng’s heart tightened.
This youth, like Chu Feng, was of the younger generation.
Yet his cultivation had already reached Martial Venerable realm.
Only first-rank Martial Venerable, but still far beyond anything Chu Feng could overcome.
As expected, this elder who could wipe out an entire ancient race was no ordinary existence.
Otherwise, his disciple could never have reached such heights.
The youth was arrogant, but he had every right to be.
“Little fellow, what is your realm?”
The elder asked Chu Feng.
“This junior’s cultivation is humble. I am merely fifth-rank Supreme.”
Chu Feng answered honestly.
“Then indeed you are no match for my disciple.”
“But it’s not impossible to fight.”
Saying this, the elder turned to his disciple.
“Here’s the deal. Suppress your cultivation to fifth-rank Supreme.”
“There is one condition: neither of you may use any techniques to raise your cultivation. You must both remain at fifth-rank Supreme.”
The elder declared.
Hearing this, a glimmer of hope sparked in the previously despairing Chu Feng.
In terms of raw strength, Chu Feng was indeed inferior right now.
But if both were suppressed to fifth-rank Supreme, he felt he might not lose.
After all, at the same level, Chu Feng’s combat power was extraordinary. He had never feared anyone.
Still, Chu Feng remained wary.
The other side was far too strong, and the playful glint in the elder’s eyes made it clear he was merely toying with him for amusement.
Chu Feng could not be certain they would honour their word.
If they were dishonourable, even victory would not save him.
Moreover, this was the elder’s proposal. Would the disciple truly accept?
“Fine.”
To his surprise, the youth agreed immediately.
Chu Feng instantly felt the youth’s cultivation plummet. In the blink of an eye, it dropped from first-rank Martial Venerable to fifth-rank Supreme.
With a flick of his wrist, a wooden stick appeared in the youth’s hand.
He held the stick and looked at Chu Feng.
“I won’t bully you.”
“Use whatever weapon you like. I will only use this wooden stick.”
“If I switch to any other weapon, I lose this duel.”
Confidence dripped from every word.
At this, Chu Feng gave a faint smile. Then his palm clenched, and spirit power surged forth.
Soon, that spirit power condensed into a wooden stick in his grip.
“You have already suppressed your cultivation to fight me. I have taken advantage of you.”
“Naturally, I cannot use a Venerable armament against your wooden stick.”
“Though my stick is formed from spirit power, it does not increase my combat strength.”
“And if you do not use martial skills, neither will I.”
Chu Feng said to the youth.
“Oh? I never expected trash like you to have such backbone.”
“But don’t regret it.”
Suddenly, the youth shot forward like a phantom, appearing right in front of Chu Feng.
His wooden stick swept horizontally with terrifying force.
This was the mark of a true expert. Even a mere stick became a weapon capable of destroying heaven and earth in his hands.
And Chu Feng was never one to back down.
Gripping his own stick tightly, he swung it out in response.
His target was not the youth, but the youth’s stick.
He met the attack head-on.
Clang!
Though both were wooden sticks, their collision rang out like clashing steel.
Both were forced back several steps, surprise flashing in Chu Feng’s eyes.
His combat power was immense. At the same realm, almost no one could stand against him.
Yet in that exchange, although both retreated, Chu Feng clearly saw he had been pushed back three steps further.
If three steps were not proof enough, his entire arm now tingled with numbness, and sharp pain shot through the hand holding the stick.
Looking closely, a faint crack had appeared on his stick.
It was slight, not enough to shatter it, but no such crack marred the youth’s weapon.
“So strong. What a monster.”
Chu Feng looked at the youth again, not a trace of carelessness left in his eyes.
Today, he had finally met a true equal.
Even at the same cultivation level, he could gain no advantage.
In pure combat strength, the youth actually surpassed him.
Truly, there was always a sky beyond the sky, a man beyond a man.
For the first time in a long while, Chu Feng faced a peer who exerted immense pressure on him.
Yet this only excited him.
Compared to opponents he could crush at the same level, Chu Feng far preferred battling monsters like this.
After that brief clash, however, Chu Feng was not the only one surprised.
The youth also stared at Chu Feng with astonishment.
The earlier contempt had vanished, replaced by genuine respect.
“Not bad.”
“Your cultivation is weak, but your combat strength is impressive.”
“I never imagined a backwater like the Nine Souls Galactic River could produce someone like you.”
“Interesting. Very interesting. This is how it should be.”
“But I will still win this fight.”
With those words, the youth attacked again, wooden stick in hand.
No martial skills, no secret techniques, no additional powers. Just the purest assault.
Yet Chu Feng could feel this attack was far fiercer than the last.
He tightened his grip, channelling martial power into his stick to strengthen it, then stepped forward and counter-attacked.
This time, Chu Feng changed his approach. Instead of trading blows directly, he used footwork and battle experience to engage in close combat.
And once he did, even the elder who had been utterly confident his disciple would dominate showed a shift in expression.
“This little fellow… how is he this strong?”
Shock escaped his lips.
Because he now saw that his exceptionally gifted, combat-prodigy disciple had actually fallen into a disadvantage!!!
