“Come out, come out!”
“What exactly have you done to my clansmen?”
“I have no grudge against you, and they certainly have none with you. Why are you doing this?”
“Why won’t you speak? Weren’t you waiting for me?”
“What does this even count as?”
“Have you run away?”
“So you’re nothing but a coward who hides his head.”
“All you can do is put on a show. What a useless piece of trash.”
Chu Feng’s furious roars echoed through this world. The vibrations grew ever more shrill, his words ever more vicious.
Faced with an opponent far stronger than himself, Chu Feng had no real options. He could only try provocation, hoping it might work.
If the other party truly left and never returned, Chu Feng genuinely would not know what to do.
“Putting on a show?”
“Heh heh heh… Someone is indeed putting on a show right now.”
“But that someone doesn’t seem to be me.”
Suddenly, the black shadow’s voice rang out again. Chu Feng whipped around and saw the shadow had appeared right behind him.
Now that they were close, Chu Feng could see clearly: the opponent really was nothing more than a shadow.
No eyes, no mouth, no aura.
Yet simply by standing there, it made Chu Feng feel an immense threat.
In fact, it was a threat he had never experienced before.
“Why have you taken my clansmen? I don’t even know you.”
Chu Feng asked gravely, his tone much calmer now.
Against such a powerful adversary, Chu Feng did not dare act too recklessly. He knew he had no capital for arrogance.
He did not fear for himself, but he feared the entire Chu Heavenly Clan suffering because of him.
“Don’t you know who you’ve offended?”
the shadow asked Chu Feng.
At those words, Chu Feng’s heart clenched.
He had offended far too many people. Most of them he had already dealt with, but could one of them have had an extraordinary background?
“Who exactly is it?”
Chu Feng asked.
“Heh heh heh…”
The black shadow let out another eerie laugh before saying,
“Looks like you’ve offended so many that you can’t even remember.”
The shadow had no face and no expression, yet Chu Feng could hear mockery in its tone.
His instincts told him this being was absolutely not benevolent.
Chu Feng could also sense that the world Xianhai Shaoyu had built with supreme treasures possessed extremely strong defences.
Yet this being had broken through those defences and entered. That alone proved its strength was terrifyingly great.
Before such a powerful opponent, Chu Feng felt utterly powerless.
“Since I’m the one who offended you, come at me alone. Let my clansmen go.”
Chu Feng said.
“Come at you alone?”
“Fine.”
The black shadow gave a faint, cold laugh.
Then, like a ghost, it instantly appeared right in front of him.
It was too fast. By the time Chu Feng reacted, he only felt a sharp pain in his chest.
Looking down, he saw that the shadow’s arm had already pierced straight through his chest.
Argh!
Chu Feng let out a sudden, anguished scream.
The shadow’s palm had entered his chest and grasped his heart.
Logically, with Chu Feng’s current realm, even if his physical body were destroyed he would not die.
But what the shadow gripped was not only his flesh. It held his very soul as well.
A strange power flowed from the shadow’s palm, spreading from Chu Feng’s heart throughout his entire body.
Chu Feng felt as though his flesh was being sliced away piece by piece with knives, as though the blood in his veins was being violently sucked out, as though even his bones were being shattered.
Swish.
Yet very quickly, the shadow withdrew its hand from Chu Feng’s chest.
Finally free of the torment, Chu Feng stumbled back several steps before steadying himself.
From the outside, Chu Feng appeared completely uninjured. Even the chest that had clearly been pierced showed not the slightest mark.
It was not that Chu Feng had healed. It was the opponent’s method.
Nevertheless, Chu Feng was drenched in cold sweat, breathing heavily, barely able to stay on his feet.
When he looked at the black shadow again, the wariness in his heart grew even deeper.
The shadow’s earlier technique had been too terrifying. That instant of torment alone was unbearable. If it continued for long, Chu Feng would surely suffer mental collapse.
Yet since the opponent bore him enmity, why not kill him outright? Why stop after only tormenting him briefly?
“You don’t seem very afraid of me?”
the shadow asked, looking at Chu Feng.
Although Chu Feng was terrified inside, his face did not show much fear.
“If you have business with me, come for me. Do not harm the innocent.”
Chu Feng said.
“Heh… You’ve got guts.”
“Very well. I’ll give you one chance to save your clansmen.”
As the shadow spoke, it waved its wide sleeve.
Above the cliff in front of Chu Feng, a black vortex appeared.
At first the vortex was pitch-black, like churning ink, but soon it became clearer.
Strange flames flowed within the vortex, and continuous wails emanated from it.
A dangerous aura and a foul stench rushed towards him.
“This formation is one where nine out of ten who enter will die.”
“If you dare step inside, I will consider sparing your clansmen.”
The shadow pointed at the black vortex and spoke.
“A man must keep his word.”
Chu Feng said this to the shadow, then leapt straight towards the vortex.
Yet when his feet touched the ground again, he found himself still standing atop the mountain peak.
The black vortex had vanished completely.
“You really do have guts.”
the shadow said to Chu Feng.
“What is the meaning of this?”
Chu Feng asked gravely.
“In this world, many greedily cling to life and fear death. Those who do not fear death are rare.”
“But the ones who do not fear death are always the hardest to deal with.”
“If I let you die just like that, it would be far too easy on you.”
“So I’ve changed my mind. I won’t let you die so quickly.”
After saying this, the shadow’s body began to dissipate like wisps of flame.
“Don’t go! Make yourself clear! Where exactly are my clansmen?”
“Who are you? Who do you want revenge for?”
Chu Feng shouted his questions one after another.
“Relax. Your clansmen are not dead yet.”
“It’s just that the place where they’re being held isn’t exactly comfortable.”
“This is for you. Consider it a reward for having the courage to jump into the formation.”
“But whether you can actually save them… heh heh, that depends on your own ability.”
The shadow still disappeared, but after it vanished completely, a scroll appeared where it had been standing.
