Chapter 261: Chapter 261: Ninefold Heavenly Court Realm
Luo Feng gave a cold smirk. The sound of wind and thunder resounded in his Dantian, electric arcs radiating and cruising around him. A wild wind swept through the forest, and a massive saber shadow emerged in the void behind him.
"Slash!"
The Tiger Soul Saber swung through the air. Empowered by the Grand Momentum, the blade’s radiance was overwhelmingly stunning. It easily cut through the layers of palm force, its power undiminished, and fiercely slashed onto the mountain-like phantom emanating from Yi Zhong.
CLANG!
The blade radiance collided with the treacherous phantom peaks, producing a metallic clang. The phantom peaks withstood the impact for a moment before shattering explosively. The vicious blade passed through unimpeded, leaving a terrifying gash nearly a hundred feet long in the terrain behind Yi Zhong.
Yi Zhong remained standing, his eyes locked fixedly on Luo Feng, his palms maintaining their attack posture. A thin line of blood seeped from a mark on his forehead.
The saber flash had been too fast; perhaps, even at the moment of death, Yi Zhong never knew what killed him.
"It seems your Iron Wall Technique is nothing special after all."
Luo Feng sheathed his Tiger Soul Saber.
Glancing at Yi Zhong’s corpse, Luo Feng thought, This man was quite formidable, yet he wasn’t even one of the Four Prominent Young Masters. The power of Red Maple Lead’s two great academies is truly unfathomable.
I must continue to cultivate diligently.
Luo Feng took a deep breath and cast his gaze deeper into the Red Chain Mountain Range.
The deeper one ventured into the Red Chain Mountain Range, the more dangerous it became; one might even encounter Level Five or Level Six Demon Beasts. A Level Five Demon Beast was equivalent to a Spiritual Rotation Realm expert. Not even the deans of the four great academies would dare to venture too deep rashly, let alone Luo Feng.
I’ll continue searching for peak Tier-3 Demon Beasts to practice against.
Shaking his head, Luo Feng retracted his gaze. Confirming the direction of Red Maple Lead, he tapped his foot lightly on the ground and, like a wisp of green smoke, flitted up to the treetops. After a few flickers, he vanished without a trace.
SWISH!
Not long after Luo Feng departed, a figure burst through the woods. Even before the figure drew near, clear sonic booms could be heard. Trees splintered and broke in its wake, its speed incredible.
SWOOSH!
The figure burst out from the trees. Spotting the devastated clearing and the corpse on the ground, he flashed to Yi Zhong’s side in an instant.
Examining the marks on the ground, the figure cursed, "Damn brat, you managed to escape again!"
This individual was none other than Duanmu Xiong, who had been tracking Luo Feng since he left Yunlan Peak several days prior. He was also the Second Family Head of the Duanmu Family. He intended to investigate Luo Feng’s involvement in the Green Wood Trading Co. incident. He had followed Luo Feng from Yunlan Peak, prepared to kill him as soon as he had answers.
Unexpectedly, after leaving Yunlan Peak, Luo Feng had headed straight for the Red Chain Mountain Range, plunging into its depths without a second glance. Deep within the Red Chain Mountain Range, Demon Beasts roamed freely, and a heavy miasma shrouded everything. Visibility was poor; beyond a hundred paces, it was difficult to distinguish auras. Duanmu Xiong had lost Luo Feng’s trail on the very first day he entered the forest.
Duanmu Xiong, with his extensive experience in the pugilistic world, had relied on the battle traces Luo Feng left behind to track him to this location.
"Hmph! Even Iron Cedar Master Yi Zhong died at your hands. It seems Chen Feng and Yuan Li were likely killed by you too! Luo Feng, you dared to destroy the Green Wood Trading Co. and strike at the very foundation of my Duanmu Family! Once I find you, I’ll make you wish you were dead!"
Duanmu Xiong glared at Yi Zhong’s corpse. When he looked up, his eyes blazed with murderous intent, the veins on his forehead throbbing. The saber marks at the Green Wood Trading Co. were identical to those on the ground here. Coupled with Yi Zhong’s corpse, Duanmu Xiong instantly understood that Luo Feng was the true culprit behind the Green Wood Trading Co.’s destruction.
A moment later, Duanmu Xiong gradually calmed himself and retrieved a map from his robes. It was a map of the Red Chain Mountain Range. The map depicted several red dots that formed what looked like a route.
"So this little whelp intends to cross the Red Chain Mountain Range to reach Red Maple Lead!"
Staring at the markings on the map, Duanmu Xiong’s eyes lit up, then his gaze turned fierce and chillingly cold. "To dare cross the Red Chain Mountain Range at such a young age... Given time, you might have truly become a regional hegemon. Too bad, you’re about to die in this forest, becoming nothing but nameless bones. You’ll have no more chances..."
Duanmu Xiong smirked coldly, put away the map, and after determining his direction, his body transformed into a searing streak of light, darting into the dense forest.
「In the mountains, time passed unheeded.」
Day by day, it slipped away. Half a month had now gone by since Luo Feng ventured into the depths of the Red Chain Mountain Range. During this half-month, Luo Feng hunted Demon Beasts daily to advance his cultivation.
SWISH!
Deep in the forest, an immense, pitch-black saber flash swept out, bisecting a Demon Wolf that was attempting to flee.
SWOOSH!
A figure shot through the air, landing beside the Demon Wolf.
A high-grade Tier-3 Demon Beast—the Blood Pattern Wolf.
Luo Feng observed the Demon Wolf’s corpse on the ground and nodded. After half a month of intense training, his cultivation had advanced by leaps and bounds. He had refined the twenty percent of Heaven and Earth Yuan Qi within his Yuan Qi Seed, and his cultivation had successfully broken through to the late stage of the Eighth Hell Realm two days prior. Now, he could slay a high-grade Tier-3 Demon Beast with a single strike.
SWISH!
With a flick of his saber, Luo Feng extracted the Demon Core from the Blood Pattern Wolf. He toyed with the thumb-sized, blood-red Demon Core in his hand, a satisfied expression in his eyes. Since his cultivation reached the late stage of the Eighth Hell Realm, his strength had risen by several levels. Now, martial artists at the late stage of the Eighth Hell Realm posed little to no threat to him.
If I were to encounter Iron Cedar Master Yi Zhong now, I wouldn’t even need to use Grand Momentum. A single Sky Collapse Fist could kill him outright!
With my current strength, I should be able to contend with the Four Prominent Young Masters. However, I’m not sure if I can actually defeat them...
Luo Feng assessed his strength but still harbored some uncertainty. The Four Prominent Young Masters of Red Maple Lead were no ordinary individuals. Even Iron Cedar Master Yi Zhong wasn’t qualified to be counted among them. This alone spoke volumes about how extraordinary the Four Prominent Young Masters truly were.
There are still a few days left before the invitation date. I should consolidate my cultivation before heading to Red Maple Lead.
Luo Feng took a breath and stored the blood-red Demon Core in his storage ring. Just as he was about to continue searching for Demon Beasts to practice with, his brow twitched, and his sharp gaze shot towards the area behind him.
Such a powerful oppressive aura! Could it be an expert from the Ninth Heavenly Court Realm?
With his improved cultivation, Luo Feng’s senses had sharpened considerably. He now detected a terrifying aura rapidly approaching from a kilometer away.
It’s here!
The opponent’s speed was incredible. A moment ago, they were still a kilometer distant; in the blink of an eye, they had closed to within a hundred meters. Luo Feng instinctively tightened his grip on the Tiger Soul Saber, Yuan Qi gathering silently within him as he fixed a sharp gaze ahead.
WHOOSH!
A sound of rushing wind, and a figure shot out, landing on a treetop a hundred meters away.
The figure was that of a middle-aged martial artist, powerfully built and clad in a brocade robe. His short hair stood on end, and his clothes strained against his bulging muscles. His complexion was dark, like charcoal, but his eyes were alarmingly bright, like two sharp swords, exuding a brutal and ferocious aura.
The middle-aged martial artist squinted at Luo Feng, a cold smirk playing on his lips. "Heh heh, brat, I’ve finally found you!"
Luo Feng’s heart clenched; he sensed a palpable killing intent emanating from the man. The man’s aura was profound and heavy; his Yuan Qi resonated with his breathing, imbued with spirit. He was clearly an expert of the Ninth Heavenly Court Realm.
"Who are you?" Luo Feng asked, his nerves taut, his right hand gripping the saber hilt tightly, his entire being coiled and ready to strike.
This man is an enemy, not an ally! And a Ninth Heavenly Court Realm master at that. The slightest carelessness could be fatal!
"Who am I?" The middle-aged martial artist chuckled derisively. "Heh, on the brink of death and still clueless. Do you recall the Green Wood Trading Co. incident in Giant Stone City a month ago?" He stood on the treetop, looking down imperiously at Luo Feng, a cold sneer playing on his lips.
Green Wood Trading Co.!
Luo Feng took a deep breath, his gaze fixed on the middle-aged martial artist. "Are you from the Duanmu Family?"
Although he’d long anticipated that the Green Wood Trading Co. affair couldn’t be kept secret forever, Luo Feng hadn’t imagined they would track him down so quickly, nor that his pursuer would be a Ninth Heavenly Court Realm expert!
"I’ll let you die knowing. I am Duanmu Xiong, Second Family Head of the Duanmu Family," Duanmu Xiong announced, his voice resonant.
Duanmu Xiong! It’s really him!
Luo Feng’s expression hardened, and a cold smile touched his lips. "For the Second Family Head of the Duanmu Family to personally come after me, I am truly flattered." As he spoke, Luo Feng covertly scanned his surroundings, searching for an escape route.
My cultivation has reached the late stage of the Eighth Hell Realm, but there’s still a considerable gap compared to a Ninth Heavenly Court Realm martial artist. I have no chance of winning a direct confrontation.
"No need for false modesty." Duanmu Xiong’s eyes, sharp as lightning, fixed on Luo Feng as he said in a deep voice, "When my elder brother tasked me with investigating you, I, too, thought it was making a mountain out of a molehill. But I no longer think so. A fifteen-year-old martial artist at the middle stage of the Eighth Hell Realm who has even comprehended Grand Momentum—you are indeed worthy of me taking action personally!"
Sensing the unusual stirring of Yuan Qi around Luo Feng, Duanmu Xiong roared with laughter. "Brat, are you actually thinking of fighting me? The Eighth Hell Realm versus the Ninth Heavenly Court Realm—one is earth, the other is heaven! Resistance is futile. Surrender obediently, and I can spare you some physical suffering!"
Duanmu Xiong wore an expression that clearly said he had Luo Feng cornered. While Luo Feng’s potential was alarming, Duanmu Xiong held his current strength in utter contempt.
"Bullshit! If you’re the heavens, then I’ll pierce through these heavens!"
Luo Feng, already poised to strike, roared. The massive phantom behind him merged with his form, and the Tiger Soul Saber erupted with an immense beam of saber energy, slashing through the air toward Duanmu Xiong.
BOOM!
Under immense pressure, this slash even surpassed the limits of Luo Feng’s current cultivation. The colossal saber beam tore through the void, and even the sky seemed to dim.
CRACKLE! CRACKLE!
The trees surrounding Duanmu Xiong couldn’t withstand the sharp Qi Force contained within the saber beam and exploded one after another.
A flicker of surprise flashed in Duanmu Xiong’s eyes, quickly replaced by a surge of murderous intent as he sneered, "Insignificant tricks!"
His robes billowed as Duanmu Xiong’s pupils turned a pale gold. He pressed down with one palm.
BOOM!
A colossal stream of golden light surged forth. The very air within a radius of roughly one hundred and fifty meters instantly imploded under its pressure. The black saber beam, infused with Grand Momentum, abruptly shattered and vanished without a trace.
So strong! This is the power of the Ninth Heavenly Court Realm! I’m no match for him!
Seeing his all-out attack effortlessly neutralized, Luo Feng knew he couldn’t linger. Qi waves churned beneath his feet as ten illusory dragons appeared. Pushing his Teng Dragon’s Step to its absolute limit, he soared towards the depths of the dense forest.
"Trying to escape?"
Duanmu Xiong snorted coldly. Without any apparent movement from him, the terrifying stream of golden light, as if possessing a will of its own, changed direction and bore down on Luo Feng from above!