Translator: AnubisTL
Gu Feng appeared calm and composed, but in reality, he was anxious. The Soul Shattering Whip was indeed powerful, and its effects were remarkable. After he refined it, its power had greatly increased.
However, the problem was that each strike of the refined Soul Shattering Whip consumed soul power.
As a Qi Refining Realm cultivator, his soul was inherently weak. After just two strikes, Gu Feng felt a wave of dizziness and realized he couldn't use it for extended periods.
Moreover, his fists hadn't yet grasped the true essence of fist intent. Breaking through Qiu Tian's Innate Body was as difficult as scaling the heavens.
Although Qiu Tian was currently at a disadvantage, being suppressed by Gu Feng and looking quite disheveled, Gu Feng knew that these injuries weren't life-threatening. Qiu Tian could turn the tables at any moment.
Gu Feng's steps were as elusive as a phantom, thanks to the Immortal by the River technique. He occasionally unleashed the Jade Lion's Golden Roar to disrupt Qiu Tian's focus. At unexpected moments, he would swing the Soul Shattering Whip, forcing Qiu Tian to dodge awkwardly even if it didn't land. The Ten Thousand Beasts Manual was also pushed to its limits.
With the coordination of these three martial skills and the Soul Shattering Whip, Gu Feng managed to suppress Qiu Tian, leaving him unable to fight back and only able to howl in frustration.
Qiu Tian's eyes were bloodshot, his teeth clenched so tightly that a few had shattered. His throat was hoarse from his desperate roars.
As an Innate Realm expert, ranked 43rd on the Sunset Glow Sect's Heaven Ranking, and one of the renowned "Three Heroes of the Qiu Family" in Cloud Prefecture, he had never experienced such humiliation.
The frustration in his heart was unbearable, threatening to burst his chest.
"Bastard!"
Curses spilled from his lips as he teetered on the edge of madness.
His opponent was just a Qi Refining Realm ant! Even though his strength was suppressed to the Fourth-stage Postnatal Realm in the secret realm, it didn't explain why he was being beaten so thoroughly.
This was a disgrace!
A lifelong disgrace!
"Die!"
Qiu Tian roared like a lion in heat, his voice echoing through the mountains.
He forcefully halted his retreat, allowing Gu Feng's fists and feet to land on his face and chest. Even if his face was bruised and bloodied, he didn't care.
He endured two heavy strikes from the Soul Shattering Whip, ignoring the large bumps forming on his forehead. His face twisted into a grotesque mask, resembling a demon from hell as he lunged at Gu Feng with a bloodcurdling scream.
"Damn it, he's going all out!"
Gu Feng shuddered, sensing the overwhelming killing intent and the terrifying attack Qiu Tian was preparing. He retreated hundreds of meters in an instant, putting distance between them.
"Heh heh heh—" Qiu Tian sneered, blood dripping from his mouth. "You've finally run out of steam. Are you ready to die now?"
"Die? You wish!" Facing Qiu Tian's overwhelming attack, Gu Feng instead dispelled his Spirit Energy Shield.
Like a wooden stake standing firm between heaven and earth, he spread his arms and calmly uttered, "Postnatal Realm, breakthrough!"
Sssss!
The moment these words left his mouth, Qiu Tian froze as if struck by lightning. He retreated frantically.
Thunder Tribulation contained the will of the Heavenly Dao. It would indiscriminately attack any cultivator within a certain range of the one undergoing the tribulation.
This was no joke. Qiu Tian valued his life. Whether the breakthrough was real or not, his first instinct was to flee.
Gu Feng had anticipated Qiu Tian's reaction. The moment he shouted "breakthrough," he had already activated Immortal by the River to its fullest.
Like an arrow released from a bow, he closed the distance to Qiu Tian in an instant.
A flurry of relentless attacks followed!
"Damn it!"
Qiu Tian reacted quickly, but his movement skills were lacking. Once again, he was suppressed and beaten, his rage threatening to consume his sanity.
This time, Gu Feng was smarter. He focused all his attacks on Qiu Tian's chest.
If one punch wasn't enough, he'd throw ten. If ten weren't enough, he'd throw a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand!
From dusk to night, and then to sunrise, the battle raged on.
The prolonged, high-intensity combat left Gu Feng's eyes dull, his brow heavy with exhaustion.
He panted like an ox, sweat pouring down his face, and blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. To keep himself alert, he had bitten his lip.
Qiu Tian wasn't faring any better. His face was twice its normal size, swollen and discolored. His mouth, nose, and even ears were torn and unrecognizable.
Countless bumps, like bamboo shoots after rain, covered his forehead—the handiwork of the Soul Shattering Whip.
Finally, Qiu Tian accepted reality. Even with his second-layer Innate Body and mastery of Martial Intent, and despite being several minor realms above Gu Feng, he had no chance to counterattack. Defeating Gu Feng was nothing but a pipe dream.
With a crack from his chest, Qiu Tian's last shred of hope vanished. If this continued, he would be beaten to death.
Pfft—
A heavy blow to his chest forced him to spit out a mouthful of blood. He smeared the blood on his palms, forming crimson handprints that radiated terrifying energy. Gathering the last remnants of his spiritual power, he launched them at Gu Feng.
At the same time, he turned and fled for his life.
Gu Feng, using the last of his strength, leaped to the side, dodging the blood handprints. He crashed into a pile of rubble, lying there too exhausted to get up.
This battle had been too grueling.
It was a test of endurance. If Qiu Tian had held on a little longer, Gu Feng might have been the first to fall.
Huff, huff, huff—
Gasping for air, Gu Feng crawled on the ground, searching for a few Spirit Replenishing Pills that had fallen from Qiu Tian's hands. Ignoring the dirt and debris on them, he swallowed them whole.
After recovering a sliver of spiritual power, he struggled to his feet and retrieved his Storage Ring. He grabbed a few roasted beast legs, peeled off the outer layer of grime, and devoured them ravenously.
He wanted to check on A Fei and the others, only to remember that the Voice Transmission Stone had been shattered by Qiu Tian.
Gritting his teeth, he trudged forward with heavy steps, recovering his spiritual power and stamina while searching for A Fei and the others.
If Qiu Tian could unleash the power of the Fourth-stage Postnatal Realm in the secret realm, it was likely the same for others.
Qi Tingting and the others were strong, but they were only at the Third-stage Postnatal Realm. Facing a group of Fourth-stage Postnatal Realm cultivators, they wouldn't last long.
"I hope no one has fallen…"
…
In a small valley in the southeast of the secret realm, Qi Tingting and her group were also facing a life-and-death crisis.
More than half of the female cultivators had lost their ability to fight, lying on the ground with barely any breath left. The others were slightly better off, but all bore injuries of varying severity.
A Fei was also there. His body was covered in several gruesome wounds, but his physical condition was relatively stable. However, his spirits were low.
Chu Youhuan, who had entered the secret realm later, appeared unharmed on the surface, but her erratic breathing indicated she was seriously injured.
The group had set up a formation, blocking the entrance to the valley.
Outside the valley, Chu Yanfeng's face was twisted with rage. A scar running from her brow to her chin showed that her two minor realm advantage hadn't given her an overwhelming edge in her duel with Chu Youhuan.
She howled in fury, the scar on her face tearing open and bleeding, making her look even more monstrous.
"Break this formation! That bitch, with her noble Chu royal bloodline—once we cripple her cultivation, you can have your way with her for days!
Hahaha—"
Her words were like a shot of adrenaline, fueling the fighting spirit of the cultivators. They roared and attacked the formation with all their might.
Inside the formation, Chu Youhuan narrowed her eyes, watching Chu Yanfeng's wild display outside the valley. A glint of determination flashed in her eyes.
"A Fei, when the formation breaks, I'll entrust Tingting and the others to you…
You can take all the treasures here, as if they've already been looted.
I had a deal with Gu Feng—saving one person would earn me 500,000 Spirit Stones. But now, it seems I won't be able to fulfill that promise…"
Chu Youhuan spoke calmly, but everyone could tell she was delivering her last words.
"Sect Leader, what about you?" Qi Tingting rushed to Chu Youhuan's side, her voice filled with despair.
"I'll take Chu Yanfeng down with me. As long as she's dead, you'll be able to hold out until the secret realm opens under A Fei's leadership."
A Fei's combat prowess was second only to hers and Chu Yanfeng's. While he couldn't defeat the other Fourth-stage Postnatal Realm experts, he could at least ensure their survival. Whether Qi Tingting and the others could escape depended entirely on A Fei.
"No, we'll die together!"
All the female cultivators stood up, their faces resolute. They had entered the secret realm together, and they would either leave together or die together.
"This is the only way!" Chu Youhuan was moved but spoke in a low voice.
"It's no use. Besides Chu Yanfeng, there's another expert… He's too strong… Even Gu Feng couldn't defeat him… I'm no match. At best, I can last ten moves against him…" At this moment, A Fei, who had been silent, finally spoke.
His words reminded everyone that before entering the secret realm, there had been a suspected Postnatal Realm expert in the opposing group.
But after entering the secret realm, they hadn't seen him again.
"Who is he?"
"I rarely leave Carp Mountain, but Gu Feng knows him. He's probably an Inner Sect Disciple of the Sunset Glow Sect. When he channels his spiritual power…" A Fei's voice was low as he recounted the encounter, a hint of fear in his eyes.
"It's Qiu Tian!" Hearing the description, Chu Youhuan immediately knew who it was.
Her heart sank. If it were any other Inner Sect Disciple, Gu Feng might have a chance to escape. But Qiu Tian was different. He was a peerless genius on the Inner Sanctum Heaven Ranking, already mastering Martial Intent.
Chu Youhuan only realized after entering the secret realm that Martial Intent couldn't be completely suppressed here.
A cultivator with Martial Intent facing an ordinary cultivator was like a storm sweeping through dry grass.
Gu Feng's cultivation level was already low. Against Qiu Tian, he stood almost no chance.
Thinking of this, Chu Youhuan's mind wandered. She couldn't accept that the man who always smiled so brightly, who had a somewhat roguish way of doing things, and who even tricked his friends, had fallen.
It was too sudden. Not just for Chu Youhuan, who had interacted with Gu Feng the most, but even for Qi Tingting and the others, it was hard to accept.
The scene of Gu Feng's rampage on Carp Mountain was still vivid in their minds, as if it had happened just yesterday.
Sigh—
Chu Youhuan suppressed her grief. The most important thing now was to fight for a way out for Qi Tingting and the others.
At that moment, a figure approached rapidly, his aura deep and his spiritual power surging.
Qiu Tian!
He had arrived!
His face was dark as he strode to Chu Yanfeng's side. Seeing the Fifth-stage Postnatal Realm fluctuations emanating from her, his expression grew even grimmer.
"Well, well, Second Young Master Qiu, what took you so long?" Chu Yanfeng looked at Qiu Tian's gloomy face and smiled inwardly.
She knew Qiu Tian had gone after Gu Feng for some treasure.
What good could a Qi Refining Realm cultivator have? Judging by his expression, he hadn't found it.
At this moment, Chu Yanfeng never imagined that Qiu Tian hadn't just failed to obtain the treasure—he had been thoroughly beaten by Gu Feng.
Of course, Qiu Tian wasn't foolish enough to reveal the details. He merely snorted, "You have a Spirit Artifact that can suppress your cultivation to the Fifth-stage Postnatal Realm. Why didn't you give it to me?"
"Hehehe, crafting a Spirit Artifact that can unleash Fifth-stage Postnatal Realm power in the secret realm isn't easy. The craftsman I found spent years just to barely create one!
No need to worry about such trivial matters. The priority now is to break the formation. Weren't you beaten by Chu Youhuan before? I'll let you have your fun with her later!"
As she spoke, a glint of killing intent flashed in her eyes.
Killing Chu Youhuan was a major event. No one else could know about it. All her subordinates, including Qiu Tian, would have to be silenced.
In the secret realm, Chu Yanfeng's Fifth-stage Postnatal Realm cultivation made her invincible.
"Good. This woman is too domineering and too alluring. I want to see what expression she'll make when she's pinned beneath me.
Heh heh heh—" Qiu Tian sneered, pulling out a golden spear. During his fight with Gu Feng, he hadn't thought to use it at first. By the time he wanted to, it was too late—Gu Feng's relentless attacks left no opening.
The spear's surface shimmered with spiritual radiance as Qiu Tian activated it. Sixty-three runes flickered across its surface.
Spirit Artifacts were categorized into low, medium, and high grades. Those with nine to thirty-three runes were low-grade, thirty-four to fifty-seven were medium-grade, and fifty-eight to eighty-one were high-grade. Artifacts with eighty or eighty-one runes were commonly referred to as supreme-grade Spirit Artifacts.
The golden spear Qiu Tian wielded was clearly a high-grade Spirit Artifact, surpassing even Chu Youhuan's broadsword in quality. It was only a few runes short of Chu Yanfeng's weapon.
If Gu Feng were here, his eyes would have lit up, and he would have howled with excitement.
Behind Qiu Tian, Chu Yanfeng's eyes gleamed like a bloodthirsty beast. She licked her crimson lips, staring intently at Qiu Tian's back.
Chu Youhuan and the others looked on in despair. Chu Yanfeng alone was already overwhelming them. Adding Qiu Tian, a Fourth-stage Postnatal Realm expert wielding a high-grade Spirit Artifact and mastering Martial Intent, made even the thought of a mutual demise seem like a distant dream.
The golden spear erupted with a blinding light, so intense that everyone instinctively closed their eyes.
Sssss—
The sound of flesh being pierced echoed. When they opened their eyes, they were stunned.
A golden spear had impaled Chu Yanfeng's chest. She looked incredulous, her eyes filled with confusion.
"You… you… why?"
"Heh heh heh…" Qiu Tian's face twisted, madness flickering in his eyes. "Didn't you plan to kill me after this was over? I just anticipated your move!
Don't worry, you won't be alone. Everyone here will follow you to hell!"
With that, he twisted the spear, extinguishing her life force. He took the Spirit Artifact that suppressed her cultivation level from her body and attached it to himself. The aura of the Fifth-stage Postnatal Realm filled the area.
Chu Yanfeng's face was filled with disbelief. Her eyes remained open even in death. As her life faded, a faint light drifted out of the secret realm.
"Qiu Tian, you're ruthless!"
As someone who shared the same royal bloodline, Chu Youhuan couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow seeing Chu Yanfeng's demise. Overwhelmed with emotion, she spat out a mouthful of blood, her face pale.
The cultivators who had been hired by Chu Yanfeng looked at Qiu Tian with fear.
Even if they all attacked together, they stood no chance against him.
"Don't kill us! We'll keep our mouths shut. We won't say a word about what happened in the secret realm!"
"Please, we'll swear a Heavenly Dao Oath. We won't reveal a single thing."
"Our tongues—you can cut them out. That way, Young Master Qiu can be at ease!"
"…"
The cultivators stopped attacking the formation and began kneeling, begging for mercy.
Unfortunately, they were too naive. Qiu Tian, with bloodlust in his eyes, wouldn't spare them.
Screams of agony and curses filled the air as the valley's entrance turned into a scene of carnage.
In no time, Qiu Tian had slaughtered the group like chopping vegetables.
"Heh heh heh, this is the most effective way to break a formation!"
He muttered to himself, picking up the Spirit Artifacts of the fallen cultivators. He selected nine of them and hurled them toward the formation.
The nine Spirit Artifacts arranged themselves in the air, forming some kind of array.
"Explode!"
With a deafening roar, the nine Spirit Artifacts detonated simultaneously, unleashing an unprecedented burst of light that struck the formation at the valley's entrance.
Crack—
A faint sound, like an eggshell breaking, echoed. The formation was covered in fine cracks before it completely shattered.
"Heh heh heh…
I'm not interested in women, but I'll make an exception for you, Chu Youhuan!"
Qiu Tian's smile was sinister as he strode into the valley, spear in hand.
Chu Youhuan, severely injured, a group of half-dead female cultivators, and A Fei, who was no match for him—Qiu Tian could kill them all without breaking a sweat.
"Qiu Tian, you're also a disciple of the Sunset Glow Sect…"
"Shut up!"
A female cultivator shouted, but Qiu Tian didn't even glance at her. With a casual swing of his spear, she was sent flying, blood trailing behind her. She was on the verge of death.
"Let's fight to the death!"
Chu Youhuan knew that Qiu Tian was far more cautious than Chu Yanfeng. In this situation, taking him down with her was nearly impossible.
But—
Surrendering wasn't an option!
Qiu Tian's heart was as cold as iron. Even before deciding to kill Chu Yanfeng, he had likely resolved to eliminate everyone present, leaving no witnesses.
Qi Tingting and the others stood up, their expressions solemn. Qiu Tian's killing intent was clear. There was no room for hope. Their only chance was to fight with everything they had. The fate of those who had begged for mercy was a stark reminder.
"You killed my brother. I'll take your life!" In the face of silence, one either erupts or perishes.
Over the past few days, A Fei had often wondered—if he had bravely fought alongside Gu Feng that day instead of standing there like a fool, would the outcome have been different?
Back then, Qiu Tian hadn't been nearly as strong.
But—
Time couldn't be rewound.
In this life-or-death moment, A Fei cast aside his fear. He drew his sword, ready to face Qiu Tian, even though he knew he couldn't win.
A Fei roared, black spiritual energy enveloping his body. He looked like a demonic guardian, exuding an aura of madness.
Unlike his transformation at Carp Mountain, this time A Fei remained fully conscious. His combat instincts were sharper than ever.
"Die!"
He charged like a frenzied beast, his hair standing on end. His massive fists swung toward Qiu Tian's face.
"Foolish!"
Qiu Tian didn't reveal that Gu Feng was still alive. That was his shame. Even though everyone here was doomed, he didn't want them to know he had been defeated by a Qi Refining Realm ant.
Facing A Fei's full-force attack, Qiu Tian sneered. Even at the Fourth-stage Postnatal Realm, A Fei had been no match for him. Now, the gap between them was even wider.
"If you want to die, I'll oblige!"
The golden spear swept horizontally, its speed so fast that it split the air into two.
A fierce gust of wind swept through the valley, crashing against the stone walls with a deafening roar.
Chu Youhuan's expression froze. Spears were known for their devastating attack power. Qiu Tian's seemingly casual swing was infused with Martial Intent, and with a high-grade Spirit Artifact in hand, its destructive force was unparalleled.
If A Fei was hit, even if he didn't die, one of his arms would be permanently crippled.
Looking at A Fei, who was fearless and had a murderous glint in his eyes, Chu Youhuan took a deep breath. The silver broadsword in her hand radiated its most intense light as she swiftly moved beside Qiu Tian, blocking the golden spear with a side step.
Clang—
The collision of two top-tier Spirit Artifacts produced a metallic resonance that numbed the eardrums.
The force of that spear strike was immense, and Chu Youhuan, already severely injured, was sent flying like a piece of paper, crashing heavily into a bizarre rock, which shattered upon impact.
Pfft—
Bright red blood sprayed out, making her crimson robe even more vivid. Her hands trembled, and several blood vessels on her jade-like arms burst. Her face turned deathly pale, and she almost instantly lost her ability to fight.
"Sect Leader!"
"Don't... don't worry about me. Go help A Fei. He's no match for Qiu Tian." As she spoke, Chu Youhuan struggled to her feet and charged at Qiu Tian once more.
Meanwhile, A Fei, thanks to Chu Youhuan blocking the spear for him and his clever change of trajectory, miraculously managed to land a hit on Qiu Tian.
"You... die!"
This punch brought back memories of Qiu Tian's battle with Gu Feng that day.
The thought of being beaten into a humiliating retreat, nearly losing his life, filled him with uncontrollable rage. His crimson eyes flickered with murderous intent, flowing like water.
"Even Gu Feng couldn't break my Innate Body, and you think you can, you fat pig?
Die!"
"Kill—"
Qi Tingting and the others, using a combined attack technique, surrounded Qiu Tian and launched a fierce assault. However, the gap in strength was too vast. They only managed to withstand two spear strikes before their combined technique was shattered, and they were sent flying, coughing up blood, completely incapacitated.
Three figures clashed in the field. Chu Youhuan, working with A Fei, exchanged several blows with Qiu Tian. Though they were at a disadvantage, they hadn't been completely defeated yet.
Watching the two being repeatedly pushed back yet still charging forward, Qiu Tian's irritation began to surface. Among everyone present, only he knew that Gu Feng was still in the Secret Realm.
The pressure Gu Feng exerted far surpassed that of Chu Youhuan or A Fei individually. He needed to end this quickly to face Gu Feng one-on-one; otherwise, the outcome would be unpredictable.
"Purgatory Sky-Piercing Spear!" With this thought, he roared.
A massive spear shadow, about ten meters long and over a meter in diameter, appeared above Qiu Tian's head. Accompanied by a mournful wail, the atmosphere in the valley grew heavy, as if a demon had emerged from hell.
The spear shadow descended toward Chu Youhuan and A Fei.
Chu Youhuan kicked A Fei, who was still shouting about killing Qiu Tian, sending him flying toward the back of the valley. She herself retreated at high speed.
She knew the power of this spear strike. In their current state, taking it head-on would be certain death.
Entering the valley, she steadied herself and activated a formation, shouting at A Fei, "Work with me to control the formation!"
"Control the formation? I don't know how!" A Fei, too, sensed the ferocity of the spear strike. Sweat poured down like rain, soaking his entire body.
"You..." Chu Youhuan was truly exasperated. A Fei's combat prowess was impressive, but his intelligence and knowledge were a complete mess. "Channel your Spiritual Power into the formation disk!"
"Oh, okay—"
Two powerful streams of Spiritual Power converged, impacting the formation disk, causing the Runes to flash.
The spear shadow struck the formation, and the overwhelming Spiritual Power, passing through the formation, blasted into the two of them.
Pfft—
Pfft—
Both spat out large mouthfuls of blood and were sent flying.
A Fei was knocked down, unable to stand. Chu Youhuan wasn't much better off, but with her incredible willpower, she firmly held the formation disk, preventing the formation from collapsing.
Qiu Tian, having unleashed his ultimate move, saw the formation still intact. Breathing heavily, his expression turned extremely grim.
He regretted killing those fourth-level Postnatal Realm cultivators so quickly earlier.
Taking a few deep breaths, he took out nine Spirit Artifacts, seemingly preparing to replicate the move he used to break the formation before.
At this point, Chu Youhuan and the others, though protected by the formation, were merely clinging to life. They had no hope of escaping.
They were deeply despairing, waiting for death to come.
Sensing the fading will to survive among the group, Qiu Tian laughed maniacally. The outcome was decided; he had won.
However, just as he was about to throw the nine Spirit Artifacts to break the formation, a sharp whistling sound came from behind him. He tilted his head to dodge and saw, to his surprise, a roasted beast leg stripped down to the bone.
"Hey—
Everyone's here!
Huh??
Senior Sister Chu?
You didn't come into the Secret Realm just to stop me from getting too many treasures, did you?"
(End of the Chapter)
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