CHAPTER 157: CHAPTER 157: TAKING ADVANTAGE OF YOU

BOOM, BOOM, BOOM...

In the valley, a man and a python were fiercely battling. Gang Qi sparkled repeatedly, causing the entire mountain peak to tremble.

Duanmu Ji, undoubtedly a disciple of Sky Sword Pavilion, remained calm and poised even when faced with a ferocious Demon Beast like the Purple Flame Python. With casual ease, he suppressed the Python, preventing it from advancing even half a step.

The other martial artists watching showed admiration on their faces and discussed excitedly.

"The Young Master is truly powerful! This Purple Flame Python’s strength is equivalent to the mid-stage of the Eighth Level of the Hell Realm, yet it stands no chance against him!"

"Naturally. Our Young Master was once the number one prodigy of our family. If Lu Xiao Yun hadn’t burst onto the scene three years ago, he would have been the leader among the Four New Talents of that year!"

"They say that Luo Feng is incredibly formidable, but if he were to face the Young Master, he wouldn’t last three moves!"

"Three moves? You’re giving him too much credit. I think one would be enough!"

With nothing else to do, several martial artists from the Duanmu Family joked amongst themselves.

Behind a large rock in the distance, Luo Feng also wore a shocked expression.

The ’Sword of No Restrain’, Duanmu Ji, truly lives up to his reputation!

Watching the fierce battle in the valley, Luo Feng took a shallow breath. Duanmu Ji’s strength made him feel pressured.

He had comprehended the Grand Momentum and was confident he could defeat the Purple Flame Python, but it wouldn’t be easy.

Yet, Duanmu Ji appeared completely at ease, suppressing the Purple Flame Python until it couldn’t move, all without using his full strength!

I can’t act rashly. I must find an opportunity to seize the Red Flame Golden Crystal.

Luo Feng pondered, considering how to snatch the Red Flame Golden Crystal from Duanmu Ji’s grasp.

Just then, suddenly...

A violent noise erupted from within the valley. Luo Feng stared intently towards the source.

The Purple Flame Python, unable to overcome Duanmu Ji after a prolonged fight and instead suffering injuries from him, was enraged. It roared ferociously, its Demon Qi abruptly surging. Its tail, as thick as a water tank, whipped up a sharp airflow as it lashed towards Duanmu Ji.

"Die!"

Duanmu Ji, having grown bored of the fight, concentrated Gang Qi in his palms and slapped the air four times. Four massive palm winds struck ruthlessly at the Purple Flame Python’s head, its vital point, its midsection, and its tail!

BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG...

Four dull thuds echoed within the valley. Four bloody holes the size of water buckets blasted open on the Python’s body!

With a mournful shriek, the Purple Flame Python’s gigantic body was sent flying into the air, heading directly towards Luo Feng’s location.

BOOM!

The huge serpentine body brutally crashed onto the ground. Crimson blood flowed from the Purple Flame Python’s mouth as it lay dying.

What a stroke of luck!

Even Luo Feng, usually so composed, couldn’t help but exclaim internally at this moment.

The Purple Flame Python had landed just over ten meters in front of him!

"He Qing, retrieve the Red Flame Golden Crystal. We’ll continue our search for Luo Feng," Duanmu Ji said, unconcerned after slaying the Purple Flame Python, speaking to the martial artists beside him.

The martial artists snapped back to their senses and agreed. Three of them stepped forward, walking directly towards the python’s corpse.

Just as they neared the corpse, an unexpected change occurred.

From behind the Python’s corpse, a figure suddenly sprang out, brandishing a saber three times. Three dark streaks of saber light howled towards the three men.

SLICE! SLICE! SLICE!

Before the three men could react, their bodies were slashed open by the saber light, and they toppled to the ground.

"Who is it! Who dares attack people from our Duanmu Family!"

This was no small shock. The others drew their swords, glaring angrily in the direction the Saber Gang had come from. A cold glint flickered in Duanmu Ji’s eyes.

Luo Feng stepped out from his hiding place.

"Luo Feng! It’s you!"

Seeing Luo Feng, everyone present was momentarily stunned.

Luo Feng said nothing. He walked over to the Purple Flame Python’s corpse and slashed his Tiger Soul Saber a few times. The Python’s body split open at its vital point, revealing an inner core radiating a brilliant red light.

"Red Flame Golden Crystal!"

Luo Feng’s eyes lit up with delight. He reached out, grabbed the Red Flame Golden Crystal, and, looking at Duanmu Ji, smiled. "Duanmu Ji, this Red Flame Golden Crystal is mine now."

For the first time, Duanmu Ji’s calm expression changed, twisting into a ferocious grin. "Luo Feng, I’ve been looking everywhere for you, and you just show up on your own. It’s true what they say: ’After wearing out iron shoes in a fruitless search, one finds it effortlessly!’"

A square-faced youth nearby, observing the situation, stepped forward and shouted, "Luo Feng, you dare harm members of the Duanmu Family! Kneel and confess your crimes at once!"

"That’s right! If you know what’s good for you, crawl over here. Our Young Master might even spare your life!" With Duanmu Ji present, the others didn’t take Luo Feng seriously and tried to intimidate him with their words.

"Insignificant lackeys, shut up! Die!"

Luo Feng couldn’t be bothered to argue. His Tiger Soul Saber flashed out repeatedly, sending two streaks of saber light whistling towards the two men who had just spoken.

These two were only at the peak of the God Bravery Realm. The moment the saber light locked onto them, an intense killing intent stimulated them so strongly that the hairs on their bodies stood on end, and their limbs froze. They shrieked, "Young Master, save us!"

"Arrogant!"

Duanmu Ji barked coldly and slapped out with both palms. Two azure palm energies blasted towards the saber light.

However, he had underestimated the power of the saber light.

The two palm energies only shattered the first streak of saber light. The second streak shot past, slicing the two men who had just spoken in half at the waist!

The remaining three martial artists stared at Luo Feng as if they had seen a ghost, not daring to utter another word. Duanmu Ji is a powerhouse of the Eighth Level of the Hell Realm, yet Luo Feng kills as he pleases, completely disregarding him! He’s utterly arrogant! What terrified them even more was that Duanmu Ji had already tried to intervene, yet Luo Feng had still killed the two men!

Looking at the two corpses on the ground, Duanmu Ji’s face was so gloomy it seemed water could be wrung from it.

Shifting his gaze, Duanmu Ji gritted his teeth and declared, "Luo Feng, today I will make you wish you were dead but unable to die, and wish you were alive but unable to live!"

"Is that so?"

Luo Feng raised an eyebrow, flicked his saber blade, and replied indifferently, "I’m afraid you don’t have the strength for that."

Duanmu Ji looked as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world and burst into laughter. The killing intent in his laughter was undisguised; he was clearly enraged to the extreme.

"I heard about your performance in the Purple Sun School’s challenge tournament. It seems that insignificant achievement of getting onto the Hidden Dragon List has inflated your confidence!"

Duanmu Ji’s gaze suddenly sharpened. He bellowed, "I’ll let you, a frog in a well, see what true strength is! Kneel before me!"

Before his laughter had even faded, Duanmu Ji struck out with his palm from mid-air.

The Gang Qi palm, twenty feet long and wide, descended with world-destroying momentum, seemingly intending to flatten Luo Feng into a meat patty.

A powerful sense of oppression bore down from above. Luo Feng didn’t dodge; he wanted to test just how great the gap between himself and Duanmu Ji truly was.

His right hand loosely gripped the Tiger Soul Saber, and his eyes suddenly sharpened!

SWOOSH!

The next moment, a series of imposing, pitch-black saber gleams manifested, raining down like a torrential storm towards the Gang Qi palm.

Luo Feng instantly unleashed sixteen saber gleams. The azure palm gradually dimmed and finally shattered with a boom.

The massive impact forced Luo Feng to retreat several dozen steps before he stabilized himself.

"How is that possible! He actually withstood Young Master’s Azure Cloud Palm!"

"How could he execute such powerful saber techniques in such a short time!"

The surrounding martial artists were completely dumbfounded.

The moment Duanmu Ji had attacked, they had thought Luo Feng was finished!

Azure Cloud Palm was a Yellow Grade peerless martial art. When executed by Duanmu Ji, with his mid-stage Eighth Level Hell Realm cultivation, even a peak martial artist of the Seventh Level of the Essence Storage Realm would struggle to resist it.

Such a formidable attack had actually been blocked by Luo Feng. Some of them couldn’t even believe their own eyes.

Duanmu Ji’s pupils also contracted.

Although he hadn’t used his full strength in that palm strike, he had used sixty to seventy percent of his power. He, too, hadn’t expected Luo Feng to be able to withstand it so easily.

Luo Feng calmed the surging Qi and blood in his chest. He looked at Duanmu Ji and laughed heartily, "Duanmu Ji, your strength is merely average. This Young Master is busy today, so I won’t play with you all."

Saying this, Luo Feng leaped, activating Teng Dragon’s Step, and sped towards the outer edge of the Smelting Mountain Range.

Although he had successfully blocked Duanmu Ji’s attack, he had also consumed nearly one-tenth of his Yuan Qi.

Knowing he was no match for Duanmu Ji and having already obtained the Red Flame Golden Crystal, there was no need to stay.

Duanmu Ji was just about to unleash his full power to kill Luo Feng when he saw his opponent turn and flee, which made him furious.

"Brat! Today, you will die without a doubt!"

With a furious roar, Duanmu Ji employed his Qinggong and gave chase.

Both of their Light Martial Arts skills were extremely high. In the blink of an eye, they disappeared among the mountains, leaving behind a group of astonished martial artists.

"Do you think the Young Master can kill Luo Feng?"

"He should be able to, right? The Young Master’s Qinggong realm isn’t bad either. With his cultivation, Luo Feng probably won’t be able to shake him off."

The few of them looked at each other, their voices lacking their earlier confidence.

...

Luo Feng and Duanmu Ji’s figures flitted through the mountain peaks.

Luo Feng pushed his Teng Dragon’s Step to the extreme, eight Qi Dragons roaring and soaring around him.

This time, he revealed his full cultivation and potential. His figure created sharp sonic booms in the air as he moved like lightning towards the outer edge of the Smelting Mountain Range.

"Stinking brat, halt!"

Duanmu Ji’s figure, like a phantom, stuck close behind Luo Feng, roaring repeatedly in anger.

After chasing for several miles, Duanmu Ji’s astonishment grew.

His Light Martial Art was a Yellow Grade peerless technique, the Light Body Floating Luo Step. Yet, even with his cultivation, he was unable to catch up with Luo Feng quickly!

What kind of Light Martial Art did this fellow cultivate?!

Duanmu Ji gnashed his teeth, the killing intent in his eyes intensifying as he pushed his speed to the absolute limit.

Although their speeds were comparable, Luo Feng felt no ease.

Duanmu Ji was an Eighth Level Hell Realm expert with incomparably dense Yuan Qi. If this chase continued, once his own Yuan Qi was exhausted, he would be at Duanmu Ji’s mercy.

As Luo Feng pondered how to shake off Duanmu Ji, his eyes suddenly lit up.

You look so tender and delicate; you’ll probably be quite to the Scorpion Tail Fire Lion’s taste!

Luo Feng smirked coldly and, following his memory, sped towards the Scorpion Tail Fire Lion’s den.

Leaping and dashing along, under the immense pressure, his Yuan Qi surged wildly within his body. Luo Feng felt his Teng Dragon’s Step improve further.

By now, he could see the Scorpion Tail Fire Lion’s den in the distance.

The lava on the ground had solidified, and rugged stones stood densely. At first glance, it looked no different from any other part of the Smelting Mountain Range.

However, Luo Feng knew clearly in his heart what terrifying danger lay hidden beneath this tranquil surface!