The sound of the sword's hum erupted suddenly, its sharp screech cutting through the air.
The blade of the Hundred Refinements Sword, as if carrying a flicker of fire, tore through the air with deadly force, piercing gold and splitting stone, brimming with killing intent.
"Captain, save me!"
Shi Feng's pupils constricted as his body stiffened with fear. His hair stood on end as he cried out in shock and retreated quickly.
"Bold!" A thunderous roar erupted like a storm, accompanied by the whistle of a blade slicing through the air, sending a powerful gust of wind that instantly blocked the sword strike aimed at Shi Feng.
Figures swiftly moved, and Chen Feng realized that he had been surrounded.
Seven!
Including Shi Feng, seven people had surrounded him.
"Chen Feng, you're ungrateful, killing my teammates, and daring to go against Young Master Ye Huai. Today will be your end," Shi Feng snarled, gripping his iron shield tightly, glaring fiercely at Chen Feng.
Chen Feng didn't try to explain—there was no need to.
Because this person... was already dead.
"Young man, are you going to surrender, or should I break your limbs first and then tie you up?" A burly man wielding a large sword grinned maliciously at Chen Feng.
"Chen Feng, our Dark Ming squad's captain is a master of the Body Refinement Ninth Change, with two in the Eighth Change and four in the Seventh Change. Even if your movement is exquisite, you can't escape this time," Shi Feng said through gritted teeth. "We'll hand you over to Young Master Huai. He will personally take your head."
Having watched his teammates die, escaped, and failed to capture Chen Feng with Ye Huai's group, Shi Feng was filled with hatred for Chen Feng.
But he had never considered that everything started because he coveted Chen Feng's Nine Shadows Illusory Body.
"Four in the Seventh Change, two in the Eighth Change, and one in the Ninth Change…" Chen Feng's eyes narrowed slightly, but a surge of inexplicable excitement swelled from deep within.
If his cultivation had not broken through, and before obtaining the Hundred Refinements Sword, facing such a situation, he would have definitely used the Nine Shadows Illusory Body to escape.
"Except for Shi Feng, I'm giving you all a chance. Turn around and leave, and I won't hold it against you," Chen Feng said, his gaze sweeping over them before finally landing on the burly man with the large sword. He spoke in a firm tone.
"Seems like you've chosen to have your limbs broken." The burly man grinned, swinging his large sword like a howling wind, attacking fiercely.
The rest of the Dark Ming squad moved to strike as well.
Chen Feng found that he was surrounded on all sides with no place to escape.
"A Level 9 Beast trapped in our encirclement would only meet death," the burly man sneered, slashing at Chen Feng with his mighty sword.
"Pity... I'm not a beast."
Chen Feng smiled slightly, activating the Nine Shadows Illusory Body. Nine phantom images instantly appeared, indistinguishable from one another, evading attack after attack.
The sword's shadow appeared once again, and in the blink of an eye, nine swords shot out like a tempest, cutting through the air.
Each illusion was accompanied by a sharp sword strike.
The four in the Body Refinement Seventh Change from the Dark Ming squad froze in place, and blood quickly appeared at their throats, spreading outward.
The burly man blocked one of Chen Feng's strikes with his sword, and Shi Feng along with another in the Eighth Change barely managed to block another.
The phantoms and sword shadows came again.
Three sword strikes tore through the air, coming from different angles, as fast as wind. Shi Feng swung his iron shield to defend, but could only block two of the strikes. The third pierced his heart.
Another in the Eighth Change was pierced through by Chen Feng's sword as well.
The burly man's eyes bulged with rage and fear. Without hesitation, he turned and fled.
The illusions flashed again, blocking his escape.
"I admit defeat."
The burly man, experienced in surviving in the Wanmu Forest, knew well how to preserve his life. If he couldn't win, he would escape; if he couldn't escape, he would yield.
Without hesitation, he shouted.
"I'm willing to pay any price."
Chen Feng seemed not to hear him. The sword shadow continued to close in, surrounding the burly man.
"I'll fight you to the end!" the burly man roared, his muscles bulging as he gripped his large sword, swinging it furiously like a mountain breaking apart, aiming to crush Chen Feng.
The clash of swords and blades rang out.
Every impact sent a shock of immense power toward Chen Feng.
That power came from the Body Refinement Ninth Change, clearly far stronger than Chen Feng's own.
But Chen Feng combined the Nine Shadows Illusory Body with the Wind Shadow Nine Swords, using them to absorb the force and push forward again.
At this moment, Chen Feng realized that the Body Refinement Ninth Change, once seen as an insurmountable realm, wasn't as strong as it had seemed.
He could fight!
He could... kill!
The burly man roared, swinging his great sword in all directions, exerting all his strength to block the sword shadows coming from every angle.
From a distance, a crowd had gathered to watch.
"The captain of the Dark Ming squad…"
"Who is that person? He killed all the members of the Dark Ming squad."
Seeing the bodies on the ground, the onlookers' faces changed dramatically, and they gasped in shock.
The Dark Ming squad was one of the top teams in this camp, having hunted Level 9 beasts several times. They were normally very intimidating, but now they had been wiped out, leaving only the captain.
For a moment, everyone was curious about Chen Feng.
As for interfering?
That was impossible. Conflicts regularly broke out in the camp for various reasons—verbal disputes, treasure hunts, and so on. No one would intervene unless they had close relationships with the people involved.
The burly man's strength was overwhelming, but despite his efforts to block the relentless sword strikes, he couldn't avoid them all.
The difference in cultivation was evident. Chen Feng couldn't easily defeat him as he had with the ones in the Seventh and Eighth Change.
"Who exactly is this guy? To think he can overpower the captain of the Dark Ming squad!"
"He looks to be under twenty, yet possesses such strength. He's a true genius!"
Chen Feng ignored the murmurs around him. His focus remained solely on his swordplay, as his experiences in the Wanmu Forest and the moments of enlightenment from before slowly merged into a seamless flow, propelling him forward, unstoppable.
In his mind, countless rays of light converged, forming a figure holding a sword.
Chen Feng's body froze for a moment, as if a wooden statue, motionless.
The burly man, originally intending to flee, suddenly noticed that Chen Feng had inexplicably stopped moving. A surge of courage filled him, and without hesitation, he unleashed his full power, his arms swelling with muscle as he brought his great sword down like a mountain crashing toward Chen Feng.
Chen Feng's body seemed to be on the verge of being cleaved in two under the blade.
A cold gleam flashed in Chen Feng's eyes, and in an instant, a sword shot out from his hand, slicing through the air like lightning.
The sword shadow formed a continuous chain—one, two, three… Eight, nine!
The nine sword shadows merged in an instant, converging into a single, blinding beam of sword light. Its sharpness was unparalleled, exuding a chilling coldness.
The sword light shot out in less than a tenth of a second, so fast that the burly man's eyes trembled. He didn't even have time to blink before the sword pierced his forehead.
The sword returned to its sheath, and Chen Feng staggered back a step, involuntarily retreating.
The burly man's body trembled, blood pouring from his forehead as his stunned eyes filled with confusion. His great sword slipped from his grip, and his massive body fell to the ground with a heavy thud.
"He's dead…"
"The captain of the Dark Ming squad, a master of the Body Refinement Ninth Change, was actually killed with one sword strike."
A faint smile appeared on Chen Feng's slightly pale face.
The Wind Shadow Nine Swords had broken through. The nine sword shadows had fused into a single, extremely concentrated beam of sword light. Not only did its speed increase drastically, but its power also grew exponentially, cutting through everything in its path.
However, the energy consumption and strain were immense. With his current cultivation, Chen Feng could only use this technique once in a short period.
"I wonder if I could kill a Level 9 Beast with this."
Chen Feng thought to himself.
The physical strength of human martial artists is clearly inferior to that of beasts of the same rank. Perhaps, he could find an opportunity to test this out.
Chen Feng's gaze swept over the area, and through the flames, he could clearly see the looks of curiosity and wariness from the onlookers.
His internal energy flowed as the strength he had expended gradually began to recover.
Chen Feng quickly searched the bodies of the Dark Ming squad members, finding some silver—less than a hundred taels.
"Such poverty."
He couldn't help but sigh as he pocketed the small amount of silver. Then, he took the weapons of the Dark Ming squad to a nearby merchant to sell.
After accounting for depreciation and wear, he managed to sell the weapons for just over two hundred taels.
"Truly, killing and arson lead to a golden belt." Holding the more than three hundred taels in his hand, Chen Feng couldn't help but quietly marvel at the difference.
He had spent most of the day in the Wanmu Forest and earned just over a hundred taels, even with the three Chi Xue Fruit he had consumed. The total amount barely reached two hundred taels. Yet, in just a short moment, he had earned more than three hundred taels—such a stark contrast made Chen Feng shake his head in amazement.
However, the three hundred taels didn't even get warm in his hands before they were spent. He exchanged it all for three Pei Yuan Dan (Vitality-Boosting Pills).
Chen Feng swallowed the three pills, feeling his vitality surge once again. His internal organs were refined and strengthened, becoming even more robust. His vitality surged, and his internal strength deepened.
"At least three more Pei Yuan Dan, maybe four, and then I'll have a chance to break through to the Body Refinement Eighth Change."
Chen Feng couldn't help but shake his head.
Well, he thought, he would focus on grinding away in the Wanmu Forest for a while, striving to break through to the Eighth Change—or even the Ninth Change—before the examination of the Huntian Sect.
Calming his mind, Chen Feng sat by the campfire, the Hundred Refinements Sword resting on his legs. His eyes gently closed as the flickering firelight danced on his face, casting shadows that shifted with the light.
The Wind Shadow Nine Swords had broken through its limitations. The nine sword shadows fused into a seemingly indestructible beam of sword light, and Chen Feng sensed that there was still much potential in this technique to explore.
"This sword… should be a killing blow. It needs a name."
Chen Feng sat quietly, his thoughts swirling as he contemplated the sword technique he had just executed. The fusion of the nine sword shadows into a single devastating beam of sword light had exceeded his expectations, but he knew there was still more to refine. The technique was still in its infancy, and he could feel the immense potential it held, waiting to be unlocked.
"A name," Chen Feng muttered to himself, his gaze fixed on the glowing embers of the campfire. "This sword, it needs a name worthy of its power."
He sat in deep contemplation, the idea of naming his technique stirring in his mind. He could feel the energy in the air around him, as if the very atmosphere was urging him to find the right name—one that would encapsulate the sword's essence, its deadly precision, and its overwhelming might.
As he closed his eyes, he recalled the way the sword had sliced through the burly man's forehead with the speed and sharpness of a lightning strike. The imagery of the sword light piercing the air, like a comet blazing across the sky, flashed in his mind. The power, the speed, the coldness—it was all there, flowing through him.
Chen Feng's lips curled into a slight smile. "Celestial Slash," he said, his voice low but firm. The name felt right. It spoke to the speed and finality of the attack, the way it cut through the heavens with unstoppable force.
"Celestial Slash…" He repeated the name softly, allowing the words to settle in his heart. Yes, this was the name he would give to his ultimate move, the technique that could cut down any enemy in its path with the force of the heavens themselves.
With the name settled, Chen Feng stood up, the firelight casting long shadows across his face. He felt a sense of satisfaction, a feeling of growth and progress. But even as he reveled in the moment, his mind shifted back to the task at hand—his cultivation, the upcoming challenges, and the tests he had yet to face.
The Pei Yuan Dan had strengthened his internal energy, but there was still much to be done. The Wanmu Forest held many dangers, and he had already sensed that his current strength might not be enough to face the beasts and challenges that awaited him. To break through to the next level of his cultivation, he needed more than just pills and techniques—he needed experience, endurance, and the will to push beyond his limits.
"I will not stop here," Chen Feng thought to himself, determination filling his chest. "I will break through. I will become stronger."
With a deep breath, he adjusted his stance, the Hundred Refinements Sword still in his grasp. The familiar weight of the weapon grounded him, and he could feel the power within it resonating with his own.
The next phase of his journey had already begun.
[--------------------------------------------]
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