CHAPTER 335: CHAPTER 334: DUANMU JI, ONCE AGAIN

CLIPPITY-CLOP...

Several horses, unaware their masters were already dead, dashed away with half-dismembered bodies, disappearing into the night.

"Luo Feng!"

Finally seeing the figure in the distance, Duanmu Ji’s expression changed abruptly.

Luo Feng, looking at Duanmu Ji and his men, flicked his knife and said coldly, "Duanmu Ji, we meet again."

The calculating Fang Xiong looked Luo Feng over and then asked Duanmu Ji, "Young Master, is this the Luo Feng from Purple Sun School?"

Duanmu Ji nodded, his face grim.

"So it was this brat who ruined the Green Wood Trading Co.!"

"Shred him to pieces! Avenge Young Master Duanmu Yu!"

Upon learning Luo Feng’s identity, the nearby Duanmu Family Martial Artists roared furiously, their voices filled with murderous intent.

Fang Xiong said to Duanmu Ji, "Young Master, isn’t this Luo Feng attending the summit in Red Maple Lead? How did he appear here?"

Duanmu Ji shook his head, a murderous glint in his eyes. He sneered, "No matter the reason, since he has shown up, it saves us the trouble of looking for him later."

With that, Duanmu Ji urged his horse forward a few steps, his gaze, full of mockery and chill, falling on Luo Feng.

"Luo Feng, you’ve got some nerve, obstructing my path and killing my men! Are you aware of your crime?"

Luo Feng stood firmly, knife in hand, and sneered, "Duanmu Ji, you brought these men intending to deal with my Luo Family in Panlong City, didn’t you? Why bother with the pretense here?"

Duanmu Ji was stunned. He didn’t know how Luo Feng knew about his plans, but he didn’t dwell on it, instead laughing uproariously, "Indeed. I originally planned to cripple your useless elder brother and spare you. Who would have thought you’d have the audacity to destroy the Green Wood Trading Co.! This time, I will pulverize your Luo Family, leaving no one alive, and show the world the dire consequences of offending the Duanmu Family!"

A cold glint flashed in the depths of Luo Feng’s eyes as he said resolutely, "I’m afraid you won’t have that opportunity."

"What?" Duanmu Ji was taken aback.

"Because all of you here are going to die today."

Luo Feng walked forward step by step, his Fury Flame Knife flickering with fiery light, exuding an imposing aura.

HAHAHA...

The Duanmu Family members laughed hysterically, as if they had heard the world’s funniest joke.

"Young Master, this brat seems to have gone mad! Let us deal with him!"

Five Duanmu Family Martial Artists dismounted, drew their weapons, and glared menacingly at Luo Feng.

"Don’t kill him immediately," Duanmu Ji asserted smugly, glancing at Luo Feng from his seat on the Six-leg Demon Horse. "I want him to watch his family turn to ash."

"Yes!"

The five men agreed, their figures flashing forward.

These five men were all at the peak of the Eighth Level of the Hell Realm. Their speed was like lightning. In just a few leaps, they closed in, forcing Luo Feng to within ten steps. Sharp Sword Gang erupted from the longswords in their hands.

WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

The sound of rending air suddenly arose. Five chilling Sword Qi, stirring a fierce cyclone, attacked Luo Feng simultaneously, their momentum as powerful as a thunderbolt.

Looking at Luo Feng, now enveloped by sword light, a cruel smile emerged on Duanmu Ji’s face.

This was the Duanmu Family’s Cold Wind Death Sword, a technique requiring five people to cultivate together. Although this swordsmanship was only a premium Yellow-Level Martial Art, when these five practitioners worked together, their sword techniques flowed as one. Their combined power was comparable to a low-grade Profound Level Martial Art. Together, these five had once killed a Martial Artist in the early stage of the Nine Heavenly Court Realm.

"Overestimating your abilities."

Hearing the approaching rush of air, Luo Feng didn’t even lift his eyelids and threw a direct punch.

Seeing Luo Feng intend to resist the Cold Wind Death Sword with his bare flesh, the five Duanmu Family Martial Artists grinned coldly. "This boy, facing the five of us brothers, dares not even draw his blade! He’s courting death!"

"None of you are qualified to make me draw my blade."

Luo Feng’s tone was indifferent. As his words fell, his momentum suddenly changed. He was like a perilous peak rising from the ground. Gang Qi vibrated, and countless cracks appeared in the air before his fist, as if space itself would shatter.

"Careful!"

In the distance, Duanmu Ji and Fang Xiong’s expressions changed drastically, and they hurriedly yelled out a reminder.

But it was too late.

The punch, carrying sky-rending power, directly shattered the Sword Gang of the five elite Duanmu Family Martial Artists. The five could not resist the ferocious punch; they spat blood as they were sent flying backward.

BANG!

Their five bodies smashed into the ground, creating a large pit. They were mangled and lifeless, dead on the spot.

The other Duanmu Family Martial Artists were horrified. These five were at the peak of the Eighth Level of the Hell Realm, elites among elites. As long as they stepped into the Nine Heavenly Court Realm, they could become Stewards, rising to positions of power. Unexpectedly, they were all killed by a single punch today.

"You’ve broken through to the Nine Heavenly Court Realm!" Duanmu Ji stared intently at Luo Feng, the corners of his eyes twitching violently, finding it hard to believe what he was seeing.

As a disciple of the Sky Sword Pavilion and the eldest young master of the Duanmu Family, one of the six great families of the Flowing Cloud Region, Duanmu Ji had always considered Luo Feng an ant. Even when Luo Feng became the foremost of the Four New Talents of the Flowing Cloud Region, he hadn’t paid it much mind. Yet now, this ant actually possessed the strength to threaten him. This immense disparity made Duanmu Ji feel an indescribable frustration, and murderous intent surged within him.

Luo Feng looked at Duanmu Ji and said lightly, "It’s too early for you to be surprised."

"Is it?" A cold voice rang out as the previously silent Fang Xiong fixed his icy gaze on Luo Feng, "Boy, with merely your early-stage Nine Heavenly Court Realm cultivation, you dare to be so presumptuous! Well, at your age, possessing such cultivation indeed makes you a future threat. Today, I will personally kill you!"

"Wait." Just as Fang Xiong was about to act, Duanmu Ji, who was beside him, stopped him.

"Steward Fang, don’t interfere. Leave this brat to me." Duanmu Ji stopped Fang Xiong. With a light tap of his foot, he landed before Luo Feng and said menacingly, "Luo Feng, failing to kill you last time was my mistake. However, this time will be different. I forgot to tell you, I stepped into the Nine Heavenly Court Realm a month ago."

As he spoke, a proud expression appeared on Duanmu Ji’s face. A flash of emerald light flickered in his eyes, his clothes rustled, and the Yuan Qi within him surged like a great river. His aura was imposing.

"Steward Fang, I heard this Luo Feng is quite formidable. Will the Young Master be alright on his own?" Seeing the two poised to strike, the surrounding Duanmu Family Martial Artists felt a stir of nervousness.

Fang Xiong, looking relaxed, waved his hand and said, "Have you all forgotten? The Young Master is a disciple of the Sky Sword Pavilion. The Azure Cloud Qigong he cultivates is a mid-grade Profound Level Martial Art. Ten Luo Fengs would be no match for him."

Hearing this, everyone around nodded. They all believed the outcome of this duel was already decided.

"Azure Wind Rises, Clouds Stir!"

Without any unnecessary words, Duanmu Ji attacked directly. A cyan Palm Gang shot through the air, enveloping Luo Feng.

WOOM!

The Palm Gang swelled in the wind, instantly expanding to the size of a house. It descended with world-destroying momentum, seemingly about to smash Luo Feng into paste.

Luo Feng stood his ground, his feet seemingly rooted, motionless. He once again threw a direct punch.

BOOM!

The cyan Palm Gang shattered layer by layer, utterly unable to block the force of the punch.

What just happened? Steward Fang, who had been full of confidence, suddenly looked grave. Duanmu Ji, as a disciple of the Sky Sword Pavilion, was stronger than ordinary early-stage Nine Heavenly Court Realm Martial Artists. That Luo Feng could block Duanmu Ji’s palm so easily was truly shocking to him.

However, the person most shocked was Duanmu Ji himself. That palm strike had contained his full strength. He had expected Luo Feng to be either killed or severely injured, never imagining it would be shattered so easily.

Luo Feng glanced indifferently at Duanmu Ji and advanced step by step. "If you have any other techniques, use them now."

Duanmu Ji’s eyes turned bloodshot, as if about to drip blood. Gritting his teeth, he suddenly pressed two fingers together and tapped them against his Dantian. Then, he moved them upwards, inch by inch.

With every inch his fingers moved, the crimson color of Duanmu Ji’s skin intensified. Finally, his entire body turned an eerie, demonic red. His eyes blazed like two balls of bloody flame, flickering and exuding a frenzied aura that was terrifying to behold.

"Red Blood Technique!"

"The Young Master has even used the Red Blood Technique, a secret technique! Is Luo Feng’s strength really that terrifying?"

The Duanmu Family Martial Artists watched the changes in Duanmu Ji, aghast.

Luo Feng watched all this, his expression calm. The Red Blood Technique is a secret technique unique to the Duanmu Family, capable of stimulating a cultivator’s latent potential. This isn’t the first time I’ve seen it; Duanmu Yu also used it during our previous battle. However, Duanmu Ji’s Red Blood Technique is clearly more profound; his aura is now thirty percent stronger than before.

HISS...

Duanmu Ji exhaled a scalding breath. His crimson pupils fixed on Luo Feng, the bulging veins on his face making his expression incredibly ferocious, like a primeval beast awakening.

"Luo Feng, you were an ant in my eyes before, and you will always be an ant!" Duanmu Ji roared, his entire body’s Yuan Qi seeming to boil. His treasured sword slid silently from its sheath and thrust out.

In that instant, a fierce wind swept through the valley. The sword blade transformed into countless emerald sword lights that filled the sky! Each of these emerald sword lights was incredibly fierce, like clusters of emerald crescent moons, exuding a chilling aura. The astonishing sword momentum even dispersed the drifting clouds in the sky.

"Green Wind Cold Moon Sword! Die!"

The crescent Sword Gang, radiating a bone-chilling cold, swept towards Luo Feng like a torrential downpour. Wherever it passed, terrifying fissures were rent in the ground, and the surrounding air rippled and distorted violently.

Green Wind Cold Moon Sword! Steward Fang stared at the sky full of crescent Sword Qi, his expression momentarily stunned, and he suppressed the urge to intervene. The Green Wind Cold Moon Sword is a sword move that manifests after achieving Great Accomplishment in the Azure Cloud Qigong. Its power is astonishing. I hadn’t expected Duanmu Ji to have cultivated the Azure Cloud Qigong to such a level. Furthermore, Duanmu Ji has used the Red Blood Technique. I’m certain that Luo Feng, with only early-stage Nine Heavenly Court Realm cultivation, cannot possibly withstand this strike.

Facing Duanmu Ji’s strike that surpassed his limits, Luo Feng’s expression finally grew somewhat serious. His gaze sharpened, becoming almost tangible, like an illusory blade light that pricked everyone’s eyes.

"Cut!"

The Fury Flame Knife instantly left its sheath, overflowing with sharp aura. Luo Feng executed a simple, direct downward chop.

SWISH!

In that instant, Luo Feng and the Fury Flame Knife seemed to merge into one. His aura skyrocketed, instantly blasting away the clouds above. A massive blade light roared out, as if a mountain peak were crashing down.

CRACK!

The blade light charged into the emerald Sword Qi like a tiger among sheep. The sky full of emerald Sword Qi vanished in an instant, and the blade light fiercely struck Duanmu Ji’s Protective Gang Qi.

AH!

Duanmu Ji shrieked in pain. His right arm, clutching his sword, was severed at the shoulder by the blade light, and blood gushed out. The residual power of the blade light gouged a terrifying, foot-wide scar into the ground beside him.

Luo Feng had intentionally aimed the blade light slightly askew; otherwise, Duanmu Ji would have already been dead.