Chapter 44

Ye Feng's physical body surged, his entire arm emitting a clanging sound, like metal colliding. His body was filled with explosive strength, his muscles resembling coiling dragons hidden beneath his skin.

Suddenly, a rumbling sound came from ahead, a dense mass of beasts charging towards Ye Feng, their numbers so vast that they seemed endless, creating a terrifying sight.

Ye Feng quickly recognized these creatures. They were a type of beast that preferred to live in groups, not very powerful, which was why they lived in such large numbers. However, their sheer numbers gave a strong visual impact, making them very intimidating.

These beasts were only as big as a bucket, known as Benman beasts, a weak type of beast with a strength level around the sixth stage of the Later Heaven realm. If one were to be caught in a flood of these beasts, even a ninth-stage Later Heaven practitioner would likely be crushed.

In the blink of an eye, thousands of Benman beasts rushed towards Ye Feng, causing the ground to shake. Ye Feng had no choice but to charge forward, hoping to open a path.

These Benman beasts seemed startled and, upon seeing Ye Feng, actually moved to avoid him, fleeing to a farther distance. Ye Feng was puzzled, wondering if something had happened here.

Although the Benman beasts avoided Ye Feng, the beasts behind them couldn't dodge in time and directly collided with him.

"Bang!"

A spray of blood exploded in the air as Ye Feng's fist turned the charging Benman beast into a bloody pulp.

Standing his ground, Ye Feng did not advance, keeping a watchful eye on the rapidly fleeing Benman beasts, ready to defend against any sudden attacks. For the beasts that couldn't avoid him, Ye Feng simply punched them to death.

After a full hour, Ye Feng finally breathed a sigh of relief as all the Benman beasts disappeared, fleeing to the distance.

"Phew, that was close. Fortunately, they were just fleeing and had no intention of attacking. Otherwise, they would have been difficult to deal with," Ye Feng muttered to himself.

Not daring to linger, Ye Feng hurried towards Xiqia Valley. Along the way, he could still see beasts fleeing to the distance, making him increasingly puzzled. What had happened in Tianxiang Valley that made all the beasts flee?

A massive beast raced past Ye Feng, not even glancing at him, showing no signs of aggression. The sudden change in Tianxiang Valley made Ye Feng feel a sense of unease.

Quickening his pace, after a day, Xiqia Valley appeared before Ye Feng. Passing through Xiqia Valley, it would take another two days to reach Zifeng Mountain. By the full moon, he could enter Zifeng Mountain to gather the Purple Lotus Grass.

"Whoosh!"

The air vibrated intensely, and Ye Feng felt a powerful wave of energy coming from his left, striking him with great speed and force.

In the midst of his rapid run, Ye Feng had no time to react and could only raise his right hand to deflect the force. If he didn't counter, the force would have struck his head, a very dangerous situation. Someone was lurking here, ready to ambush him.

"Bang!"

A fist emerged from the void, followed by a figure, the punch landing directly on Ye Feng's arm with tremendous force. Ye Feng's body swayed as he dodged to the side, dissipating some of the force, but his right arm still felt numb.

The figure did not stop. A bright light flashed, and a strange shovel aimed at Ye Feng's head, moving incredibly fast. The stance suggested a professional assassin.

"Ridiculous!"

Ye Feng, enraged, roared, his nails extending as he grabbed at the shovel.

"Clang!"

Sparks flew as the figure was sent flying back, giving Ye Feng a chance to catch his breath and finally see who the attacker was.

"It's actually you, using such despicable means."

Ye Feng recognized the attacker as Zhang Yuan from Daluo Academy, a person mentioned by Instructor Li as being particularly troublesome, skilled in ambushes. If not for the energy absorbed from the tyrannosaurus armor, which greatly enhanced his physical body, that punch would have killed Ye Feng.

Fortunately, his physical body had grown stronger, allowing him to withstand the blow. Ye Feng still felt a lingering pain in his arm, and a killing intent spread through his eyes.

"You are indeed extraordinary, managing to evade my fatal strike. It seems Fang Yu and the others have failed, or you wouldn't have made it this far."

Zhang Yuan was puzzled, not understanding why Ye Feng's physical body was so strong. The punch had the force of nearly three flying dragons, all concentrated on one arm, yet Ye Feng had withstood it, leaving Zhang Yuan baffled.

"They are dead, and you will join them!"

Ye Feng roared, delivering a powerful punch that produced a thunderous sound, blocking every possible escape route for Zhang Yuan.

Zhang Yuan's strength was inferior to Fang Yu's, his only skill being his ability to ambush. He could use the terrain to perfectly hide himself, creating a fatal strike that was even more difficult to defend against than a direct confrontation. If not for Ye Feng's enhanced physical body, he would have died at Zhang Yuan's hands.

Faced with Ye Feng's punch, Zhang Yuan dared not resist. His strange shovel spun, creating wave-like patterns, and his figure disappeared again. Ye Feng's punch struck the air, producing a loud explosion.

The moment Zhang Yuan disappeared, Ye Feng became alert, his eyes scanning the surroundings to locate him.

However, the area was silent, and Zhang Yuan seemed to have vanished, leaving no trace.

"Whoosh!"

A whistling sound came from behind Ye Feng's head. He was even more enraged by the use of a hidden weapon, a despicable tactic.

Using the Shadow Step, he dodged to the side, and a sleeve arrow flew past, its tip glowing with a deadly green light, indicating it was coated with poison.

"Die!"

Ye Feng punched again, aiming at the direction the hidden weapon had come from, which should also be where Zhang Yuan was hiding.

"Boom!"

The space rippled, and a figure emerged, revealing Zhang Yuan, who had used light refraction to perfectly hide himself.

"Kill!"

Ye Feng did not give Zhang Yuan a chance to recover, delivering a series of increasingly powerful punches that sealed off all escape routes, forcing Zhang Yuan into a corner.

"Crack!"

After three strikes, Ye Feng's punch landed directly on Zhang Yuan's chest. Zhang Yuan's body flew back like a broken kite, blood and internal organs splattering in the air.

"Thud!"

Zhang Yuan's body hit the ground with a heavy thud, raising a cloud of dust. He was left with only a breath of life, Ye Feng's punch nearly ending his existence. A large hole in his chest gushed blood.

"No... don't kill me!"

Seeing Ye Feng's murderous gaze, Zhang Yuan was terrified and began to beg for mercy, almost kneeling to plead. The fear of death began to spread.

"Hmph, now you think of begging for mercy. Your Daluo Academy has been plotting to eliminate me. Do you think I will let you go?" Ye Feng sneered.

"As long as you don't kill me, I can tell you a secret."

Zhang Yuan tried to trade a secret for his life, hoping Ye Feng would spare him. When death truly approached, anyone would feel fear, and Ye Feng was no exception, though he did not show it.

"Oh, let's see what secret it is, and whether it's worth your life." Ye Feng became interested, lowering his fist and listening.

"This time, Daluo Academy has joined forces with Guiyun Fort, with the aim of wiping out all of Tianling Academy. If you leave now, you might still have a chance. If you go to Zifeng Mountain, you will fall into their trap."

Zhang Yuan revealed a shocking secret. Daluo Academy had allied with Guiyun Fort to kill all of Tianling Academy in Tianxiang Valley. The news was indeed shocking, and although Ye Feng showed no outward reaction, his mind was in turmoil.

"Tell me more. What exactly is happening? How did they form this alliance, and what kind of trap have they set?"

Ye Feng needed to understand these details to avoid being caught off guard. Since the enemy had made plans, they would take action, and Ye Feng needed to be fully prepared.

"This time, the leader is Ma Wenqiang from Daluo Academy and Gui Wujia from Guiyun Fort. Any Tianling Academy disciple they encounter will be killed without mercy," Zhang Yuan said quickly.

"Isn't Gui Wuxue the strongest in Guiyun Fort?" Ye Feng asked.

"No, the outside world only knows of Gui Wuxue, but the strongest disciple in Guiyun Fort is actually Gui Wujia. He is even more ruthless, twice as strong as Gui Wuxue, and is said to be on the verge of condensing innate qi, just one step away from the Innate realm," Zhang Yuan explained.

Ye Feng pondered. Guiyun Fort had deep plans. During the footrace, Ye Feng had felt a piercing gaze, which turned out to be Gui Wujia hiding in the crowd, letting Gui Wuxue take the lead, a deep and cunning strategy that made people lower their guard.

"Why didn't you stay with them and wait for me here?"

Five days had passed, and most people should be close to Zifeng Mountain. Ye Feng had only slowed down, reaching Xiqia Valley, but he encountered Zhang Yuan, who had been lurking here.

"I was after the secret you possess. Everyone knows your cultivation advanced rapidly in three months, and everyone wants to know this secret."

Zhang Yuan laughed bitterly, realizing he had underestimated Ye Feng. He thought his ambush skills would easily kill Ye Feng, but now he regretted it.

Ye Feng frowned. This trip to Zifeng Mountain was bound to be anything but peaceful. Retreat was not in his nature, and he had to go to Zifeng Mountain, but he needed to plan carefully to avoid falling into their trap.

"I've told you everything. Can you let me go now?" Zhang Yuan asked with a pleading tone.

"Death can be spared, but not the living punishment!" Ye Feng kicked Zhang Yuan in the dantian, and a cracking sound was heard, as if an egg had shattered inside Zhang Yuan's body.

"You..." Zhang Yuan's words were cut off as his body flew out, fainting from the blow to his dantian.

"I promised to let you go, and I have. Whether you can survive is up to your fate."

Ignoring the unconscious Zhang Yuan, Ye Feng took his storage ring and slowly walked deeper into Xiqia Valley.

A figure in a blood-red robe stood atop a giant tree in Xiqia Valley, seeing a shadow approaching. Licking his blood-red lips, he said with a fierce tone, "You finally came, making me wait for five whole days."

Gui Wuxue had been waiting here for five days, just for Ye Feng to arrive.

(End of page)