Looking at the maid in front of him, a flicker of caution appeared in Luo Feng's eyes. He blocked the wine cup, stating indifferently, "I don't drink."

The beautiful maid set the wine cup down. A slight smile touched her red lips as her supple body deftly settled onto Luo Feng's lap. She whispered, her captivating eyes gazing deeply at Luo Feng, "Young Master, you truly don't understand romantic charm..."

"Where is the Townlord?"

Luo Feng looked at the maid pressed against him, his expression calm as he asked coolly.

"The Townlord will arrive shortly. Allow us sisters to entertain you two young masters first." The beautiful maid smiled gently, her voice sweet and cloying, possessing a peculiar allure.

"No need."

Luo Feng pushed the girl off his lap, stood up, and replied coldly.

Nearby, Xu Zhi was embracing two beautiful young women. Watching Luo Feng, he laughed, "Luo Feng, the Townlord is being so hospitable. Why refuse his goodwill?"

A strange smile surfaced on Luo Feng's face. "There's no such thing as a free lunch. Xu Zhi, why do you think the Townlord is treating us this way? Even if we are Disciples of the Twelve Golden Palaces, a Townlord wouldn't need to personally entertain us, right?"

"Hmm?"

Xu Zhi, hearing the implication in Luo Feng's words, was momentarily stunned.

CREAK!

At that moment, footsteps were heard from outside. The room's door was pushed open, and a middle-aged man strode in.

He wore a blue satin robe accented with golden edges, his eyes sharp and glinting, his aura as imposing as a mountain. Upon entering the room, an inexplicable pressure immediately enveloped the entire space.

A glint flashed in Luo Feng's eyes upon seeing the middle-aged man.

Judging by his Yuan Qi fluctuations, this man was a late-stage Martial Artist of the Ninth Level of the Heavenly Court Realm. Strangely, though, his aura felt peculiar, giving one an elusive, ungraspable sensation.

The middle-aged man entered the room, his gaze sweeping over Luo Feng before finally resting on Xu Zhi. He smiled and said, "I am He Yu, the Townlord of Wushan Mountain Town. Are the two of you satisfied with my arrangements?"

Xu Zhi hastily rose and cupped his fists. "Junior Disciple Xu Zhi of Nanmo Palace. Thank you for your hospitality, Elder!"

Luo Feng looked at the middle-aged man and said lightly, "Luo Feng of Purple Sun School."

The middle-aged man walked over to a nearby seat and sat down. He glanced at the maid standing beside Luo Feng and said with a smile, "Young Master Luo Feng, could it be that you are not satisfied with this maid?"

"No, I am very satisfied."

Luo Feng shook his head and looked at the middle-aged man. "May I ask, Townlord, why you've given us such a grand reception?"

The middle-aged man appeared amiable and easy-going. He laughed. "I have always loved making friends with the heroes of rtiad. You two young masters, despite your youth, possess remarkable cultivation. Especially Young Master Xu; to have entered the Twelve Golden Palaces for cultivation at such a young age truly makes you an elite among men! How could I not entertain you properly?"

"Townlord, you flatter us."

Upon hearing the middle-aged man's praise, Xu Zhi beamed and cupped his fists again.

The middle-aged man waved his hand, directing the six maids, "Why haven't you poured wine for the two young masters?"

"Yes!"

The six maids poured wine for Luo Feng and Xu Zhi. The maid standing next to Luo Feng handed him a wine cup. "Young Master, please..."

Across from them, Xu Zhi raised his wine cup.

"Wait!"

Luo Feng suddenly reached out and stopped Xu Zhi. He looked at the middle-aged man seated nearby, noting the venomous look that flashed in his eyes.

"Townlord, you are the lord of this town. Allow me to toast this cup of wine to you."

Luo Feng picked up his wine cup, walked unhurriedly before the middle-aged man, and said with a smile.

The smile on the middle-aged man's face stiffened for a moment before relaxing. He laughed. "We are all people of rtiad; there's no need for the tedious formalities of the secular world. Please, don't be so reserved."

Luo Feng swirled the wine in his cup, his gaze turning cold as he looked at the middle-aged man. "You, the Townlord, dare not drink? Could it be that there is a problem with this wine?"

Xu Zhi looked bewildered, not understanding why Luo Feng would suddenly say such a thing.

"Hmph!"

The middle-aged man snorted, glared at Luo Feng, and said in a low, dangerous voice, "I offer my goodwill, yet you suspect me of tampering with the wine! Since you doubt me, I won't insist you stay. Show them out!"

The middle-aged man waved his embroidered sleeve, his expression icy.

Xu Zhi quickly stood up and pleaded with an appeasing smile, "Townlord, Luo Feng didn't mean it that way. Please don't be angry."

Luo Feng stopped Xu Zhi and looked at the middle-aged man with a half-smile. "No, that's precisely what I meant."

"How dare you!"

The middle-aged man roared. With a wave of his hand, a blood-red whirlwind appeared, letting out a sharp shriek as it shot forward.

SWISH! SWISH! SWISH! SWISH...

The air within the entire room twisted into a massive vortex. Blood-colored Qi Force overflowed, like a thousand sword energies crisscrossing, threatening to shred space itself. To everyone's surprise, the blood-red vortex shot not toward Luo Feng, but toward Xu Zhi.

"Townlord!"

Xu Zhi hadn't expected the man to attack so suddenly. Startled, he realized that at such close range, he had no way to dodge.

He finally couldn't resist making a move...

Luo Feng's eyes were clear, a cold sneer in his heart. He stepped to the left, unleashing a punch he had already been gathering power for.

BOOM!

Luo Feng's fist slammed violently into the blood-red vortex. Amidst the colossal sound, a tangible shockwave surged out. The floor of the room buckled violently like waves, and the intense Qi Force blasted the doors and windows to smithereens.

Luo Feng tapped his foot on the ground, using the force of the impact to grab Xu Zhi. He flew out into the courtyard and, in mid-air, swung his hand, unleashing a crescent-moon Saber Gang at the middle-aged man.

SWOOSH!

The middle-aged man's face was grim. He neither retreated nor dodged. A bloody glint flashed in his eyes, and a blood-colored barrier suddenly appeared before him.

HUM!

The Saber Gang slashed against it, creating ripples before vanishing instantly.

Luo Feng and Xu Zhi landed in the courtyard. Only then did Xu Zhi recover from his shock. Looking at the devastation around him, a chill ran down his spine.

If Luo Feng hadn't blocked for him in time, he would be dead or severely injured by now.

"Townlord! What is the meaning of this?"

Looking at the middle-aged man in the room, Xu Zhi asked with a grim face, his eyes blazing with killing intent.

Luo Feng stared at the middle-aged man sitting in the room and said with an indifferent laugh, "Xu Zhi, don't you understand yet? He is not the Townlord. Everything we're seeing is just an illusion."

"Illusion!"

Xu Zhi's expression was one of shock. He scanned his surroundings, his brow gradually furrowing.

He knew Luo Feng had no reason to lie to him, but the surroundings didn't look like an illusion at all.

"Let me show you his true face."

Luo Feng said lightly. A glint of a blade flashed in his dark pupils as he swung his palm like a knife.

The palm-blade, infused with Grand Momentum, was immensely powerful. It unleashed a chilling, nearly ten-meter-long blade of light that slashed forward.

RIP!

Where the blade light passed, it sounded like tearing silk. The entire world seemed to split apart, and the rift emitted a blood-red mist that churned continuously—an incredibly eerie sight.

The blood-red mist gradually dissipated, revealing an entirely different scene.

"What is this..."

Xu Zhi looked around, his face instantly draining of all color.

The scene in the courtyard had completely transformed.

The once flower-filled courtyard was now piled high with corpses. Blood flowed freely, staining the ground a dark red. The plaza, bustling just moments ago, was now deathly silent. The food on the tables had begun to rot. The guests were slumped over the tables like statues, their pupils dilated and lifeless; they had clearly been dead for some time.

Looking further, the fine wine in the cups on the tables was actually crimson blood, with bubbles still surfacing within. Those graceful young women now stood frozen, their eyes vacant and faces deathly pale—they were all corpses.

Seeing this scene, Xu Zhi recalled being surrounded by those young women earlier. A chill ran down his spine again, and he couldn't help but swallow hard.

If Luo Feng hadn't spoken up and stopped him from drinking that wine, he'd be dead for sure by now!

Footsteps sounded. The blood-soaked middle-aged man walked to the doorway of the room. His dull, gray eyes stared at Luo Feng, full of resentment. "Grand Momentum! I never expected you to be the most dangerous one!"

He had originally thought the most dangerous person was Xu Zhi, the Disciple of the Twelve Golden Palaces, and had overlooked Luo Feng.

"Thank you for the compliment."

Luo Feng chuckled. His finger brushed over his storage ring, and the Fury Flame Knife appeared silently in his hand.

The middle-aged man looked at the two of them, a cruel smile twisting his lips. He bared his blackened teeth and cackled, "A Disciple of the Twelve Golden Palaces, and a genius who has comprehended Grand Momentum! My luck is quite good. Your vital blood will surely be a great tonic!"

As his voice fell, a dense, blood-red mist suddenly erupted from the middle-aged man's body. His once-hollow eyes now burst forth with a piercing, blood-red light. A thick, metallic scent of blood permeated the entire courtyard.

When Luo Feng met the man's gaze, his mind grew heavy. He immediately focused his spirit and cleared his head.

Turning, he saw Xu Zhi, his eyes vacant, walking step by step toward the middle-aged man.

SMACK!

Luo Feng's palm strike jolted Xu Zhi awake.

Xu Zhi looked around in a daze. "Huh? What happened to me?"

He didn't understand why he was suddenly standing in front of Luo Feng.

"Be careful," Luo Feng watched the middle-aged man intently and warned. "It's an Illusory Blood Demon. Don't make eye contact with it."

"Illusory Blood Demon!"

Xu Zhi gasped.

The Illusory Blood Demon was an extremely rare Demon Beast on the True Martial Continent. These creatures were highly intelligent but not inherently powerful; even an adult was only equivalent to a Martial Artist of the Eighth Level of the Hell Realm. However, Illusory Blood Demons could weave incredibly realistic illusions, making it impossible to distinguish truth from falsehood as they silently reaped lives. Besides creating illusions, an Illusory Blood Demon could also invade a person's mind, control their body, and draw out strength exceeding the host's physical limits.

"It seems this is what created the illusion and slaughtered the people in the previous towns," Luo Feng stared at the middle-aged man and said gravely. "Let's make our move."

Xu Zhi's expression was grim. "Be careful. The Townlord of Wuyun Town was a late-stage Martial Artist of the Ninth Level of the Heavenly Court Realm. Controlled by the Illusory Blood Demon, his strength will be greatly enhanced."

Luo Feng nodded, and the two attacked the middle-aged man in concert.

"Water Cloud Palm!"

Xu Zhi executed his Qinggong, instantly appearing behind the middle-aged man. From mid-air, he shot out a millstone-sized blue Palm Gang.

BOOM!

The blue Palm Gang slammed fiercely into the blood-red mist surrounding the middle-aged man and exploded. The blood-red mist trembled violently, but the man was unharmed. Instead, Xu Zhi was sent flying by the rebound.

Such strong defenses!

Xu Zhi landed, looking at the middle-aged man in shock. His full-power strike couldn't even breach the man's defenses.

CLANG!

Luo Feng's expression was calm. The Fury Flame Knife was unsheathed, and he slashed out directly.

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