A young man in his twenties, even if he seemed to have some abilities… they originally thought he was just putting on an act. But now, two of their Protector Lords were trapped in a strange formation. To make matters worse, another Protector Lord was now frozen in place, terrified by a horrifying object… a fiercely burning Eerie Flame Lamp.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Just then, an explosion thundered in their ears, making everyone's scalp tingle and their hearts seize. They then heard the sound of a body hitting the ground, the thud reaching their ears with unmistakable clarity. In an instant, everyone was dumbfounded.

HISS!

"Dead… He's dead!? The Protector Lord…"

The crowd stared in horror at the figure that had been turned into a charred husk and collapsed to the ground. A violent shiver ran through them from head to toe, their pupils dilated in alarm, and an icy chill shot up their spines.

They had to remember, that was a Protector Lord of their Tiger Leopard Hall! A genuine Innate Early Stage expert! Yet now…

Now, he had been killed so inexplicably without even touching the corner of his opponent's clothes. Everyone instinctively staggered backward in terror. When they looked again at the charred corpse, or at the cold-faced young man standing in the center of the clearing, they could no longer control the fear on their faces.

Dead… He was dead…

Really and truly dead?!

"This… I…"

Witnessing this from the nearby mountain peak, Ruan Jing and Wang Dashan froze, their expressions stunned. Their bodies even began to tremble subconsciously.

Clearly, this was a turn of events they had never anticipated. A moment later, they both took a deep breath in unison. After exchanging a look of profound shock, they suppressed the tumultuous waves in their hearts. It was only then that they finally understood why the kid had the guts to charge in alone, and why both Yama and Ming Daochuan had been so confident in him.

It turned out that this kid, right under their noses, had already grown so powerful.

So when they looked at Chen Fei again, even someone like Ruan Jing—a man of high status and exceptional strength at the Early Stage Peak of the Innate Realm—couldn't help but feel a sliver of fear. To say nothing of Wang Dashan, who had just entered the Innate Realm; the trembling in his body was completely uncontrollable.

"…That kid dared to get even stronger." It wasn't just them. Even Yama, a true Innate Mid-Stage Expert who was considered formidable even within that realm, couldn't help the sharp twitch in his eyelids as he watched. An indescribable feeling washed over him, and after a long moment, he simply shook his head and sighed.

At that moment, he suddenly remembered the incident in Italy, in the Great Rift Valley of the Alps. He had wanted to fight Jack the Blade in the kid's place, but the kid had stopped him. He had then fearlessly risked his life in that battle.

Cowards never have good endings. That's why, even though he knew that battle was a fight to the death, he still gambled his pride and dignity to reclaim his honor.

Perhaps it was his stubborn, almost maniacal personality that allowed him to grow at such a monstrous, shocking rate.

This…

Seeing such a terrifying and astonishing scene, Kang Zhouxue, who had been wearing a confident expression just moments before, felt his face pale with shock and disbelief. His eyes were bloodshot as he stared at Chen Fei, his gaze flicking to the 'charcoal' lying on the ground. His forward momentum ceased abruptly, and he even began to retreat involuntarily.

"What's the matter? Thinking of leaving? Don't you think it's a bit late for that now?" Noticing his movement, Chen Fei's gaze swept over him. A grin that wasn't quite a smile spread across his face, cold and menacing.

WHOOSH!

In the next instant, his figure flashed and reappeared directly in front of Dominating Black Arm Saber Kang Zhouxue.

An intense, scalding power flowed out once more. Chen Fei looked down at the shorter Kang Zhouxue, whose face was rigid, and gave a cold sneer. Then, he spoke with a chilling laugh, his words causing cold sweat to pour down the other man's forehead.

"I told you, you only get one chance. Now, make your move. Either you die… or I do."

At the edge of the clearing, the terrified members of the Tiger Leopard Hall trembled as they backed away. The one-sided battle they had envisioned had been completely turned on its head.

Of the four powerful Protector Lords from their Tiger Leopard Hall who had arrived so menacingly, two were now trapped in that bizarre formation, and another was a charred corpse. Only the strongest among them, Dominating Black Arm Saber Kang Zhouxue, an expert at the Early Stage Peak of the Innate Realm, was left standing before Chen Fei.

However, the shock and panic on his face were clear proof of how desperately he wished he wasn't the one standing there.

This kid… how could he be so powerful? Is he some kind of humanoid monster?

"Idiot! Make your move! Are you just going to stand there and let him slaughter you?"

Just then, a furious roar like thunder boomed across the clearing. Zhou Ye could no longer hold back and rushed forward, ready to intervene.

It was clear that while he had intended to let Kang Zhouxue and the others test Chen Fei's recovery from his previous battle, he never expected them to be so useless. In a single exchange, they hadn't even touched their opponent's clothes before one was killed. It seems I have no choice but to take action myself now.

After all, though Kang Zhouxue and the others were his subordinates, they represented the pinnacle of the Tiger Leopard Hall's strength. They were dignified Innate Experts! To lose one so inexplicably was a blow he couldn't accept.

If Lord Luo Zun decided to investigate such a loss, even he, Zhou Ye, would be in serious trouble.

"Weren't you the one who didn't want to fight? Since that's the case, just stand aside and watch. Don't worry, I'll let you join them soon enough."

"Minor Chi Snake Sword Formation!"

However, just as Zhou Ye lunged forward to attack, Chen Fei's cold and hair-raising voice suddenly echoed in everyone's ears.

Immediately after, as the pupils of both Dominating Black Arm Saber Kang Zhouxue and Zhou Ye dilated, nine blazing Yan Swords erupted from Chen Fei's body. Then, an unstoppable roar and a scorching power, like a volcanic eruption, swept shockingly across the entire clearing.

Before their very eyes, wisps of flame enveloped the nine Yan Swords, converging wildly in the hazy sky. They coalesced and took shape, and then, a Flame Serpent large enough to strangle an elephant slowly materialized under their horrified, trembling gazes. Its emotionless eyes locked onto Zhou Ye, who was frozen to the spot.

An unbelievable pressure descended upon the area.

ROAR!

It then tilted its head back and unleashed a deafening, irresistible roar that vibrated violently through the air.

"GULP… What is that?!" On the distant mountain peak, Ruan Jing couldn't help but swallow hard, his head slick with cold sweat as he murmured in horror.

It wasn't just him. Even Ming Daochuan's gaze on the battlefield had shifted slightly. This was the first time he had seen his disciple use such a technique. A Formation? Or a Qi Practitioner's technique? Perhaps even Yama couldn't withstand an attack like that. This kid really is full of surprises.

Meanwhile, deep within the Tiger Leopard Hall, in a subterranean structure, a withered and small silhouette in the deepest chamber suddenly felt a trace of an aura seep in. Its ancient body shuddered violently. It slowly looked up, a face as old as tree bark filled with a faint tremor and a cold, grim chill.

Back on the battlefield, Chen Fei's indifferent voice slowly reached the ears of Zhou Ye, whose face had become incredibly stiff and wary. "Stay right there. Otherwise, I can't guarantee what it will do to you. You should know I don't like to lie."

Then, he turned his gaze back to the man before him.

"I'm giving you one more chance. End it yourself, or I'll help you."

"You…"

Chen Fei's casual, almost dismissive tone struck Dominating Black Arm Saber Kang Zhouxue as a profound humiliation. Telling me to kill myself? It's been years since anyone dared to speak to me like that. He subconsciously started to shout a curse but bit it back, a cold sweat breaking out on his skin.

He had finally snapped back to reality, realizing that the young man before him, despite his age, truly seemed to have the qualifications to make such a demand.

After all, that colossal, suffocatingly terrifying Flame Serpent was still coiled silently in the air, keeping even Deputy Hall Master Zhou from making a move. Damn it… where in the world did this monster come from? Is he some old master who has regained his youth? How else could he be so terrifying?

"You want me to kill myself? Don't get ahead of yourself," Dominating Black Arm Saber Kang Zhouxue suddenly laughed, a crazed look in his eyes. "I refuse to believe you can take on all of us by yourself! Don't think so highly of yourself. Let me tell you, I, Dominating Black Arm Saber Kang Zhouxue, am not like those other weaklings! I'm no pushover!"

Under the crushing pressure, his reasoning took a sharp turn. He can't believe this kid, after expending so much energy and still having to split his focus to control two Great Formations, could possibly have much power left. In other words, he must be putting on a brave front! He's surely running on empty. And if that's the case… what do I have to fear?

A ferocious and maniacal look appeared on his face. He swung the massive broadsword he carried forward. Instantly, an overwhelming and tyrannical pressure burst forth from his body and the exaggeratedly designed blade. In a flash, he charged toward Chen Fei with extreme killing intent, the edge of his blade chopping viciously down at Chen Fei's head.

"Tyrant Blade Art Third Form, Unstoppable Advance!"

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