Xu Mei used to rank fifth on the Dragon and Tiger Pillar, right behind Yang Hong, and now she had moved up to fourth, rising by one rank.

Xu Mei looked at Luo Feng and pursed her rosy lips. "There's nothing to congratulate. When Yang Hong challenged me last time, I just barely won by half a move. But you, you defeated the four young masters of Red Maple Ridge; that's truly worth celebrating! When the news reached the academy, it caused quite a stir for several days. You have no idea how many people in the academy idolize you now."

Luo Feng touched his nose. "I only defeated the Fiery Sun Young Master and Young Master Hanshan."

Xu Mei shot Luo Feng a playful glare, chiding, "'Only defeated the Fiery Sun Young Master and Young Master Hanshan'? You really know how to downplay your achievements. Don't you know? In the Four Great Academies of our Flowing Cloud Region, no one has been able to match the four young masters for the past three years."

Luo Feng gave an embarrassed smile.

PFFT!

Seeing Luo Feng's expression, Xu Mei couldn't help but laugh. "Alright, I'll stop teasing you. What did you want to ask about? Perhaps I know something."

Luo Feng pondered for a moment and then asked, "Is there any particular news about the Duanmu Family recently?"

"The Duanmu Family?"

Xu Mei thought for a moment and said, "Family Head Duanmu Xiao's fortieth birthday is approaching, and they've been sending out many invitation cards recently. Apart from that, there's no other particular news."

Hearing this, Luo Feng sighed with relief. It seemed the news of Duanmu Ji's and the others' deaths hadn't leaked out yet.

Xu Mei assumed Luo Feng was still worried about the bounty the Duanmu Family had placed on him, so she smiled and said, "Don't worry, you're a treasure of our Purple Sun School now. The Headmaster won't let anything happen to you."

"Hmm."

"I have to go on a mission, so I'll leave first. When I get back, I'll come find you. I have some questions about Martial Arts I'd like to ask you," Xu Mei said.

"Alright."

Luo Feng nodded.

Xu Mei bid him farewell, then turned and walked towards the academy exit.

Watching Xu Mei's receding figure, Luo Feng took a deep breath and turned towards his own small courtyard.

The news of Duanmu Ji's death hadn't leaked; that was a great weight off his mind. The current problem was how to obtain the Illusion Heart Pill as quickly as possible.

...

Night fell, the moonlight like fallen snow.

The entire Purple Sun School was veiled in a layer of silver gauze, shimmering ethereally with the thin mist, creating a dreamlike, illusory scene.

In his small courtyard, Luo Feng sat cross-legged in the gentle moonlight, his eyes slightly closed, completely immersed in a profound state of cultivation.

With the fluctuation of his Yuan Qi, the moonlight in the courtyard seemed drawn towards him. From a distance, Luo Feng looked like a luminous figure, a truly peculiar sight.

He circulated his Yuan Qi within his body, performing the Grand Circulation. When he completed a hundred Grand Circulations, Luo Feng opened his eyes, and the surrounding moonlight shattered instantaneously.

PHEW.

Luo Feng gently exhaled, a misty, sword-like breath escaping from his mouth. He murmured to himself, "As expected, the higher the realm, the harder it is to improve. Without the Illusion Heart Pill, it's impossible to break through to the late stage of the Ninth Layer Heavenly Court Realm in just one month."

Just now, Luo Feng had wanted to see if there was any hope of breaking through his realm, but after cultivating for several hours, there was no sign of progress at all.

"Oh well, I'll wait until I get the Illusion Heart Pill," he muttered.

Shaking his head, Luo Feng stood up. With a flick of his finger on his storage ring, a red-covered Secret Manual appeared in his hand.

Since breaking through his realm was unlikely in the short term, Luo Feng wanted to use this opportunity to study how to cultivate the Eight Wildernesses Dominating Flame Fist. If he could gain some understanding, dealing with the Awakened Lion, Yang Honglie, tomorrow would be much easier.

The Awakened Lion, Yang Honglie, was at the peak of the Ninth Layer Heavenly Court Realm. Moreover, he was a ruthless killer with at least a thousand lives on his hands. A person like that, with such rich battle experience, possessed truly terrifying strength and must not be underestimated.

Under the soft moonlight, Luo Feng flipped through the fist technique's Secret Manual.

After reading for a while, Luo Feng's brow gradually furrowed.

This Eight Wildernesses Dominating Flame Fist was a Profound Level middle-grade martial art; its cultivation difficulty was far greater than that of the Sky Collapse Fist.

Of course, with Luo Feng's comprehension ability, cultivating it wouldn't be an impossible task.

However, the cultivation method for the Eight Wildernesses Dominating Flame Fist was somewhat peculiar: it required absorbing pure Fire Yuan Qi, integrating it with the fist technique, and practicing them in concert.

A bitter smile appeared on Luo Feng's face. Where could he find something containing pure Fire Yuan Qi at such short notice? Although he had quite a few Demon Cores, they were all from low-level Demon Beasts around the third rank. The Yuan Qi within them could hardly be called pure and was unusable for practicing this fist technique.

"It seems I can only practice this fist technique some other time," Luo Feng pursed his lips in resignation, continuing to read the manual.

Even though he couldn't cultivate the Eight Wildernesses Dominating Flame Fist for now, a Profound Level middle-grade martial art Secret Manual contained many profound concepts that could significantly increase a Martial Artist's theoretical knowledge.

One should never underestimate theoretical knowledge; all Martial Arts evolved from theory. Only with a solid theoretical foundation could one reach higher realms.

Carefully reading through the manual's contents, Luo Feng became completely engrossed in the transformations of the fist technique, entering a state of Self-Forgetfulness.

The night passed quickly. At dawn, Luo Feng closed the Secret Manual, a hint of enlightenment in his eyes.

The Eight Wildernesses Dominating Flame Fist truly lived up to its name as a Profound Level middle-grade martial art; he had learned much from it.

Clenching his fists, a thought flashed through Luo Feng's mind: he wanted to incorporate what he had comprehended last night into his Sky Collapse Fist.

His gaze locked onto a massive boulder, as tall as two men, a hundred steps away. Luo Feng's aura sank, and he unleashed a punch.

BUZZ!

Only a light sound was heard as a tangible shockwave, like a ripple in water, spread out from Luo Feng's fist.

After a brief silence, a loud bang erupted. The two-man-high boulder trembled, then suddenly exploded from the center, shattering into countless fragments that flew in all directions, gouging out numerous craters in the ground.

Seeing the shattered boulder, a delighted smile spread across Luo Feng's face.

"A perfect blend of hardness and softness! I never expected that one night of comprehension would actually allow me to perfect the Sky Collapse Fist!"

Previously, his Sky Collapse Fist was only at the Great Accomplishment Realm; it was overwhelmingly forceful but lacked versatility. Now, the Sky Collapse Fist could generate inner strength to damage an enemy's internal organs—this was the hallmark of its perfection.

Looking at the fragmented rocks scattered all over the courtyard, Luo Feng thought, My Sky Collapse Fist is perfected! I can now use my inner strength to injure enemies internally, increasing its might by at least thirty percent. If caught off guard, even a peak Ninth Layer Heavenly Court Realm Martial Artist would be injured!

Nodding in satisfaction, Luo Feng changed his clothes, washed up briefly, closed his courtyard gate, and headed towards Qingfeng Town.

Upon arriving in Qingfeng Town, Luo Feng went straight to the Medicine Ding Store.

Entering the Medicine Ding Store, Luo Feng saw Elder Zhuang pacing anxiously back and forth in the inner courtyard.

"Elder Zhuang, what's the situation?"

Hearing his voice, Elder Zhuang turned, saw Luo Feng, and seemed to sigh in relief. "I've had someone spread the rumor that I've appeared in Qingfeng Town. Presumably, Yang Yunshi has received the news by now."

"Then let's go. I know a restaurant in town with excellent food and wine," Luo Feng said with a smile.

Seeing Luo Feng's calm expression, Elder Zhuang paused, then asked, "Why aren't you nervous?"

"Why should I be?" Luo Feng countered.

Elder Zhuang was speechless. He shook his head and lamented, "To think that I, Zhuang Yuan, after roaming the martial world for decades, am not as composed as a young man. Let's go."

As they spoke, Elder Zhuang's composure returned.

After bidding farewell to Lan Congfeng, the two of them went directly to a restaurant in the center of Qingfeng Town.

The restaurant was bustling with noise. Elder Zhuang found a table by a window on the second floor and sat down calmly.

Luo Feng chose a table in the shadows about ten steps away from Elder Zhuang, ordered a few small dishes, and secretly observed the activity in the restaurant.

"Boss, isn't that the Man of Virtue, Zhuang Yuan?" a Martial Artist in a corner of the restaurant whispered to a burly man beside him, his eyes on Zhuang Yuan.

The burly man glanced at Elder Zhuang, a smirk playing on his lips. He nodded and said, "The Man of Virtue, Zhuang Yuan, has a black mole on his left hand. It's him, no doubt!"

The Martial Artist who had spoken first licked his lips, excitement showing on his face. "Heh heh, aren't we in for a windfall? Finding Zhuang Yuan's whereabouts means a hundred Yuan Stones and five thousand taels of gold!"

The faces of the few Martial Artists beside him also lit up with smiles.

The burly man gestured for silence. "I'll take seventy percent of the hundred Yuan Stones and five thousand taels of gold. You can split the remaining thirty percent. How about it?"

The others nodded, having no objections.

"Alright then. You lot keep an eye on him; don't lose him. I'll go inform that person. Once we get the gold, I'll treat you all to a night at the Light Cloud Building tonight!"

"Heh heh, thanks, Boss! I heard they got a new batch of 'goods' recently. Those lasses are all incredibly tender!" one of the Martial Artists couldn't help but drool.

"You young rascals, keep your eyes peeled."

The burly man chuckled, then turned and went downstairs.

Luo Feng watched the burly man descend the stairs, shaking his head slightly, a look of pity on his face. It seems they don't know they're about to face the Awakened Lion Yang Yunshi. This trip is undoubtedly a one-way street for them.

In a restaurant in Qingfeng Town.

The main hall of the restaurant was teeming with people, packed everywhere. Yet, strangely, in such a crowded place, the eastern side was quite empty.

In the innermost seat on the eastern side sat a dark-faced man.

The man wore a brown martial attire, his hair standing on end like spikes, giving him a wild appearance. His fists, resting on the tabletop, had large knuckles and skin of an eerie crimson red, resembling two pieces of red-hot iron. He had a square face, thick eyebrows, and a face covered in scars. His eyes, glinting fiercely, radiated a brutal aura, like a savage lion, making those around him afraid to approach.

This man was the infamously fearsome Awakened Lion Yang Yunshi of the martial world.

The sound of footsteps approached. A burly man walked over.

Yang Yunshi's gaze flashed towards the newcomer. He coldly spat out two words, "What is it?"

Stared at by Yang Yunshi, the burly man felt his steps become incredibly heavy. Swallowing hard, he bowed and said, "I've found Zhuang Yuan's whereabouts."

Yang Yunshi's eyes flashed with a keen light, and a terrifying murderous aura radiated from him. He growled, "Where is he?"

The burly man wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, hesitated, then asked, "My lord, the Yuan Stones and the gold...?"

Yang Yunshi's knife-like gaze fell on the man's face. He gave a cold, ruthless smile. "I'm asking you a question. You answer truthfully. You dare try to bargain with me?"

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.