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After sending the disciples out to search for other Heavenly Demons, in the council hall, Feng Shiren and several family elders discussed how to restrain Feng Qi and make better use of him for the service of the Feng Family without causing a backlash.
They did not believe that the situation had truly become as urgent as Duge had described.
Even though Feng Yunming said they were Heavenly Demons, who could not be measured with the thinking of ordinary people; even after Feng Qi and Feng Jiu were possessed, displaying various strange divine skills.
Yet, their strength was still evident, at such a level that they could not even stir a ripple in the martial world, let alone seize the Qiao Family's sacred land within half a year.
That was simply a huge joke, something that would make people laugh out loud if it were spread, for the martial world was deep and unfathomous, not something that two newly arrived Heavenly Demons could grasp.
Feng Shiren was more inclined towards taking it slow, gathering as many different types of Heavenly Demons as possible, then comprehending their characteristics thoroughly, to use them to their greatest potential.
In his view, it was already quite remarkable to uncover the uses of the Heavenly Demons within a year and help the Feng Family advance a step further.
Before they could come to a conclusion, Feng Yunming rushed over in a fluster, bringing news that shocked everyone — the immense surge in Feng Qi's strength.
Once they learned the reason behind Feng Qi's rapid increase in strength, Feng Shiren and the others were dumbfounded on the spot.
After a good while, Feng Shiren regained his senses and asked with a face full of suspicion, "Yunming, is everything you said true?"
"Father, why would I lie to you?" Feng Yunming was still immersed in excitement, his voice raised an octave, "I saw it with my own eyes. In a flash, Feng Qi leaped to the front of the third brother; his speed was so fast that the third brother didn't even have time to react before being subdued. His agility and speed were not inferior to yours, Father, and completely different from before..."
"How is that possible?" Feng Shiren abruptly stood up, wanting to go and verify with Duge, but soon, he sat down again, "Yunming, tell me in detail, what exactly happened? Don't leave out a single word..."
Feng Yunming recounted the events that had just happened in detail once more.
After listening, Feng Shiren's brow was furrowed, his fingers tapping on the table unconsciously, saying, "How is this possible? I sent people out behind his back, how could it be related to his strength? This increase in strength is too illogical. Yunjie couldn't last a single round against him? Could it be that he really has become bound with the Feng Family, but that makes no sense!"
"Family Head," an elder said, "Even those in the martial world who cultivate heretical Cultivation Techniques and become Demon Heads, cannot increase their strength so rapidly. The Heavenly Demon's malevolence holds many things we do not understand; we must remain vigilant and exercise extreme caution, lest in the end the Feng Family simply prepares a wedding gown for someone else..."
"Yes, yes, shared damage, shared glory, all these came from Feng Qi's mouth. What if it isn't true? Feng Family's legacy, accumulated over decades, has only yielded our current enterprise; we can't afford to gamble recklessly, Family Head, in dealing with the Heavenly Demon, we must be extremely cautious," another elder said.
Feng Shiren picked up the teacup and then set it back down again, his expression changing unpredictably. He, who had already made up his mind, fell into hesitation again due to Duge's sudden surge in strength.
Feng Yunming furrowed his brows and said, "Elders, there is really no need for such concern. Feng Qi even said that if we don't trust him, we can recall the people sent out to look for Heavenly Demons, lock down the information, and even kill Feng Jiu to verify whether he will become weak when the other Heavenly Demons in the world grow stronger..."
"Plausible words and a pleasing countenance," the first Feng Family elder to speak snorted loudly, "He is simply betting that we won't leave the other Heavenly Demons to grow stronger..."
Feng Shiyi, who had not spoken up until now, coughed and looked towards Feng Shiren, saying, "Big brother, I have thought of a possibility that might explain the current situation."
"What is it?" several voices asked at once.
"Speak," Feng Shiren ordered.
Since the appearance of Feng Qi and Feng Jiu, the worldviews of the Feng family had been continually challenged.
They desperately needed a suitable reason to convince themselves to logically accept everything that was happening.
Or a loophole that would let them comfortably dispose of Feng Qi and return to a normal life, rather than being left hanging as they were now...
"Fate," Feng Shiyi began. After uttering those two words, he paused for a moment, surveyed the room, and unveiled his conclusion that he'd been pondering for half a day, saying, "I believe that the Heavenly Demons are related to fate. Diviners in the martial world often say that there is a divine will in the dark, but they also say that fate is not unchangeable, that decisions lead to different outcomes.
The so-called Heavenly Demons, they must be closely connected to divine will and destiny. Their strength does not lie within themselves but in the response from divine will. Previously, Feng Qi only made a suggestion, so his strength did not increase much. But later on, the Family Head actually sent people out to search for Heavenly Demons and put the plan into action.
Therefore, as fate detected the change in the future destiny of the Feng family, it fed the result back to Feng Qi, and this could explain why his strength surged as it did with our decisions.
This is neither a coincidence nor is Feng Qi deliberately arranging everything. After all, we have all examined Feng Qi's physical condition. Moreover, the martial world is so vast; it is unlikely that the Feng Family is worth the effort for someone to set such an elaborate trap against us..."
"Uncle's words do match what Feng Qi said about shared damage and shared glory," Feng Yunming praised.
"Does that mean we can deduce whether the family's future will be prosperous based on the changes in Feng Qi's strength?" Feng Shiren asked in astonishment.
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"If my speculation about the Heavenly Demon is correct, indeed, it is possible to deduce the future as such," Feng Shiyi nodded, his eyes gleaming brighter as he mulled over it, becoming more convinced of his correctness—since he couldn't find a single flaw in his theory, and the logic all matched up.
"So, if Feng Qi's strength has surged so tremendously, does that herald the rise of the Feng Family?" Feng Shiren asked tentatively.
"The Feng Family shall rise," Feng Shiyi and Feng Yunming exchanged a look, saying in unison. Since ancient times, who wouldn't wish for their family's prosperity? Moreover, the various auspicious signs already occurring within the Feng Family could be considered harbingers of good fortune. In their view, Feng Shiren's hesitation was what seemed abnormal.
"Still, we must plan for the long term," Feng Shiren remained cautious after all. He took a sip of tea to steady his emotions, "Heavenly Demon, Heavenly Demon... the name still contains the word 'demon.' Whether it's a blessing or a curse remains unknown. Go, Yunming, take me to see Feng Qi and determine how much his strength has increased—to also test if he truly would take a blade for the Feng Family..."
"Father, how would you verify taking a blade?" Feng Yunming asked in surprise.
"Create an opportunity," Feng Shiren glanced back at him, "This is the Feng Family, after all. It's quite straightforward to make some arrangements at the Martial Arts Stage and set a trap. Yunming, when the time comes, do as I say..."
...
I once thought that attaining the number one ranking would allow me to dominate this world, but I hadn't expected to be unable to defeat even a novice village chief...
On the Martial Arts Stage.
Duge maintained a calm and composed exterior, but inside, countless MMPs flickered in his mind!
Having learned of his substantial increase in strength, Feng Shiren brought a group of Feng Family members to validate the mettle of the Heavenly Demon.
It just so happened that Duge also wanted to know what tier his power ranked in this world.
Thus, the two parties struck an agreement instantly, clearing the Martial Arts Stage of unrelated individuals for a grand combat competition.
The outcome of the contest shocked the Feng Family members to the point of dropping their jaws, but it left Duge somewhat disappointed.
...
With his speed and strength, Duge could overpower Feng Yunming, the eldest son of the Feng Family who had trained in martial arts for over twenty years, and Feng Yunjie, the third son, couldn't last more than three moves against him.
However, when facing individuals like Feng Shiyi with deeper inner strength, Duge would find himself at a disadvantage.
Because inner strength also enhances both speed and strength—not to mention the decades of combat experience and skills of individuals like Feng Shiyi, qualities not easily compensated for by mere physical fitness...
Of course, all this assumes that the others didn't employ the Light Body Technique.
Once they started to move high and low, Duge would be helpless against them. No matter how strong his physical attributes were, he couldn't change physical principles, but inner strength could.
Damn that inner strength!
But when Feng Yunming used his qinggong against Duge, most of it was for evading.
Duge's senses were sharp, and his speed swift. Even if they took to the air, it wasn't easy to hit him.
Perhaps there are Cultivation Techniques in this world that allow for the external release of True Qi, but a small family like the Feng Family clearly didn't possess them.
In a situation where neither could hit the other, the endurance contest still favored Duge. In a world with a low level of martial arts, no one could fly indefinitely, and besides, qinggong significantly exhausted inner strength.
In theory, against an opponent that dashed around like a monkey, as long as Duge was willing to spend time, he would still win in the end...
But this clearly wasn't the result Duge wanted.
During a fight, while others flew in the sky, he could only chase on the ground, which wasn't very elegant.
He didn't want to be just a land tank; if he was to be something, he wanted to be versatile on land, sea, and air...
...
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