The hard mountain stone beneath his feet shattered, leaving two deep footprints before Housekeeper Li finally managed to halt his charge.
Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, he gazed at Luo Feng, his eyes filled with disbelief and uncertainty.
"Your Yuan Qi is remarkably dense! Eh, mid-stage of the Seventh Level Essence Storage Realm! You’ve broken through!"
Noticing the change in Luo Feng’s aura, Housekeeper Li exclaimed in surprise.
Luo Feng advanced step by step, murderous intent emanating from his eyes. He sneered, "Right now, you should be more concerned about your own life!"
Housekeeper Li was startled. Then, a fierce aura erupted from him, his body enveloped in what looked like solid Gang Qi. He roared, "Luo Feng, do you really think this is all I have? I was merely careless for a moment!"
As soon as he spoke, the sword in Li Yuanhao’s hand flared with a purple-red Gang Qi that resembled licking flames.
The Gang Qi from his body surged along his wrist and into the sword. The weapon transformed into what looked like a great, burning blade, its brilliance vying with the midday sun, almost too bright to look at.
"Clouds Burn Thousands Miles!"
With a cold shout, the sword in Housekeeper Li’s hand swelled by several meters, transforming into an illusory, gigantic flaming sword. It conjured a sky-covering wave of fire as it descended upon Luo Feng from above!
This sword strike was incomparably ferocious. A sharp screech followed the blade’s path, leaving a transparent, yet seemingly tangible, gash in the air as if space itself had been rent in two!
Housekeeper Li pushed his Yuan Qi to its absolute limit, his face flushing red, his eyes savage. He hadn’t anticipated Luo Feng’s cultivation advancing again; he could no longer afford to hold anything back!
Luo Feng’s expression instantly turned grave. A crimson light slowly suffused the depths of his pupils, a chilling, domineering killing intent brewing madly within.
Taking a step forward, Luo Feng’s aura reached its zenith. He gripped the hilt of his saber with both hands and slashed downwards through the air.
The blade radiance materializing from the Tiger Soul Saber seemed almost solid, carrying a bone-chilling killing intent as it swept outward.
The giant flaming sword was intercepted by the blade radiance. It held for a bare moment, then shattered inch by inch, finally exploding violently!
Housekeeper Li’s eyes nearly popped from their sockets. He stared at the whistling black blade radiance and let out a furious roar.
He couldn’t understand how he, at the peak of the Seventh Level Essence Storage Realm, could be defeated by Luo Feng!
At this moment, he was filled with regret for not heeding his comrade’s advice and acting recklessly.
Unfortunately, there are no pills for regret in this world.
The dark blade radiance flashed. Housekeeper Li’s voice was abruptly cut off. A thin line of blood appeared on his forehead, and he collapsed heavily to the ground.
Looking at the corpse on the ground, Luo Feng exhaled a turbid breath, a hint of a smile touching his eyes.
Housekeeper Li, an expert at the peak of the Seventh Level Essence Storage Realm, had been slain by him in a single strike.
If I were to face Zi Yuan now, even without using the Blood-Addiction Technique, I wouldn’t be at a disadvantage.
"The Duanmu Family actually sent a peak Seventh Level Essence Storage Realm expert to tail me. They’re really going all out. This matter probably won’t end so easily," Luo Feng murmured softly.
What he didn’t know was that Housekeeper Li held an unusual position within the Duanmu Family.
A peak Seventh Level Essence Storage Realm expert who has cultivated an ultimate martial art holds a pivotal position, even within one of the Six Great Families.
"Whatever. I’ll deal with them as they come. The most important thing now is to increase my strength. As long as I’m strong enough, what do the Six Great Families matter!"
Luo Feng snorted coldly, walked over to the corpse, and found a purple brocade pouch on its chest.
Opening the pouch, he found several gold notes, some loose silver, and a small, exquisite porcelain bottle.
"Only fifty thousand taels..."
Luo Feng curled his lip contemptuously, then opened the porcelain bottle. A rich medicinal fragrance wafted out, refreshing and invigorating.
Within the bottle lay a jade-colored pill. A hazy mist swirled around it, dotted with tiny flecks of purple light like distant stars, pulsing with potent Spiritual Energy.
"Eh, this is a Grade Three high-grade spiritual medicine, a Purple Spirit Pill!"
Luo Feng’s eyes widened in surprise, then a look of joy spread across his face.
The Purple Spirit Pill could cultivate Yuan Qi and condense Gang Qi, suitable for martial artists at the Seventh Level Essence Storage Realm.
He had just entered the Seventh Level Essence Storage Realm, and this Purple Spirit Pill was perfect for helping him stabilize his Yuan Qi.
"Good stuff! I’ll gladly take it. It wasn’t a waste for you to bring this to me from so far away."
Luo Feng smiled faintly, put the pill away, and squinted towards the forest.
If people from the Duanmu Family have tracked me to the Red Chain Mountain Range, there must be more than one of them.
If it were any other day, I wouldn’t mind dealing with them. However, my priority now is to get the Red Flame Golden Crystal; I don’t have time to linger here.
The demon beasts will take care of the body. Luo Feng withdrew his gaze, turned, and sped off towards the Smelting Mountain Range.
WHOOSH, WHOOSH, WHOOSH...
Nearly ten figures tore through the forest at high speed, creating a series of sharp sounds as they cut through the air.
These individuals had their Jing Qi restrained, their temples bulged prominently, and their auras were sharp and imposing; clearly, they all possessed formidable strength.
Especially the young man in a green robe leading them. He was about seventeen or eighteen years old, with sword-like eyebrows and star-like eyes, exuding an extraordinary demeanor.
He moved through the trees with an unhurried grace, hands clasped behind his back. His pace seemed slow, yet each casual step covered over ten meters, a truly impressive sight.
"He Qing, are you certain Luo Feng is in this Red Chain Mountain Range? If we continue further, we’ll reach the Smelting Mountain Range, one of the six great perilous lands," the green-robed young man suddenly asked a young martial artist beside him.
The young martial artist called He Qing nodded vigorously and replied respectfully, "Young Master Duanmu, I am certain! Those sword marks are secret signals left by Housekeeper Li. Luo Feng definitely entered the Red Chain Mountain Range!"
Hearing this, a cold light glinted in the green-robed young man’s eyes. He said, "When we find Luo Feng, none of you are to interfere. I will avenge my second brother myself!"
"With the Eldest Young Master here personally, even if Luo Feng had ten lives, it wouldn’t be enough!" the men beside him chimed in, their gazes fixed on the green-robed young man with expressions of deep reverence.
The young man in green was Duanmu Ji, the eldest son of the Duanmu Family and Duanmu Yu’s older brother.
He had been training at the Sky Sword Pavilion, one of the Twelve Golden Palaces. He was currently on a mission and, passing by his family’s territory, had decided to visit Duanmu Yu. There, he encountered He Qing, who was returning to report Luo Feng’s whereabouts. Duanmu Ji had long wanted to avenge Duanmu Yu personally, so he immediately led his men to pursue him.
Duanmu Ji was not only the eldest son of the Duanmu Family but also their foremost cultivation genius.
He had entered the Sky Sword Pavilion of the Twelve Golden Palaces at the age of sixteen. Now, not yet eighteen, his cultivation had already reached the mid-stage of the Eightfold Hell Realm! His Azure Blood Swordsmanship was virtually peerless, and his ruthless, decisive methods had earned him the name ’Sword of No Restrain’ in the martial world.
"Young Master, look! This sword mark was just made! We should be catching up to Housekeeper Li soon!" He Qing suddenly pointed to a nearby tree, exclaiming excitedly.
On the tree trunk was a star-shaped sword mark.
Duanmu Ji nodded, his feet tapping the ground lightly as his figure transformed into a long green streak, shooting into the forest.
SHUSH, SHUSH, SHUSH...
The group advanced rapidly and soon reached the outskirts of the Smelting Mountain Range.
"Hm? There’s the scent of blood!"
Reaching the edge of the forest, Duanmu Ji sniffed the air, his brow suddenly furrowing.
SWISH, SWISH, SWISH...
The Duanmu Family martial artists following behind all drew their swords, their sharp gazes scanning the surroundings.
A moment later, they burst out of the forest, and the scene before them made them jump in fright.
In the valley, nearly ten entirely green-furred demon wolves were tearing at a corpse.
"Those are Green Shadow Wolves! Grade Three, low-rank demon beasts!"
Looking at the Green Shadow Wolves ahead, He Qing couldn’t help but swallow hard.
The other martial artists nearby also looked somewhat nervous.
Their cultivation levels were all around the peak of the Sixfold God Bravery Realm; the strongest among them was only at the early stage of the Seventh Level Essence Storage Realm. They were no match for the Green Shadow Wolves.
The feasting Green Shadow Wolves also spotted them. With a furious howl, the five wolves at the front simultaneously launched an attack.
These Green Shadow Wolves were incredibly fast, like bolts of green lightning as they ran. Their cold, emotionless green eyes sent a chill deep into one’s heart.
"You all, fall back."
Duanmu Ji ordered sharply, stepping forward. He formed a sword with his fingers and made several quick thrusts in the air.
CHH, CHH, CHH, CHH...
Streaks of azure light shot out. The five charging Green Shadow Wolves each sprouted a bloody hole on their foreheads, their massive bodies thudding to the ground, devoid of life.
The remaining Green Shadow Wolves, shocked by the newcomer’s overwhelming power, had their fur stand on end in terror and turned to flee.
A savage smirk touched the corner of Duanmu Ji’s mouth as he made a grasping motion with his right hand.
A ball of azure Gang Qi spun madly in his palm, causing the surrounding air to crackle.
Duanmu Ji shouted, thrusting his palm forward.
The azure whirl carved a beautiful arc through the air. The fleeing Green Shadow Wolves let out several pitiful cries and collapsed to the ground.
These Green Shadow Wolves were riddled with wounds so deep that bone was visible, as if they had been dragged over a mountain of blades—a truly gruesome sight!
"A bunch of beasts dare to block my path!"
Duanmu Ji dusted off his hands, a cold sneer on his face.
The martial artists nearby finally snapped out of their daze. Looking at Duanmu Ji with fear and awe, they said respectfully, "Young Master, your Azure Cloud Gangqi grows more formidable by the day! It won’t be long before you rank among the Ten New Dragons!"
"The Ten New Dragons are more than just this," Duanmu Ji said casually.
While the others were unsure how to respond, Duanmu Ji’s eyes flickered as he added, "However, give me a little more time, and I will undoubtedly become one of the Ten New Dragons!"
With that, Duanmu Ji ignored the others and walked directly towards the corpse being mauled by the Green Shadow Wolves.
The corpse was mangled beyond recognition. Duanmu Ji frowned. When his gaze fell upon a dark brown wooden token beside the body, his eyes narrowed.
"That’s a Black Wood Order! How did it get here? Who is this person?" He Qing cried out upon seeing the black token.
Only high-ranking members of the Duanmu Family possessed a Black Wood Order!
Duanmu Ji’s expression was so grim it seemed water could drip from it. He stated coldly, "No need to guess. It’s Housekeeper Li. He cultivated the Flamming Cloud Swordsmanship; his meridians would be crimson red. It must be him."
The surrounding martial artists gasped.
Housekeeper Li was a peak Seventh Level Essence Storage Realm expert, one of the top masters in the entire Duanmu Family, holding a very high status!
No one had imagined he would die here, suffering such a tragic fate as being dismembered and devoured by Green Shadow Wolves.
"Could Luo Feng have killed him? But Luo Feng shouldn’t be Housekeeper Li’s match," He Qing mused, having regained some composure.
Duanmu Ji stood up, his face terrifyingly grim. He squinted towards the Smelting Mountain Range and said, "Whether it was him or not, we’ll know once we find him. This path leads to only one place: the Smelting Mountain Range, one of the six great perilous lands!"
Duanmu Ji’s voice was calm, yet it carried an intense, almost palpable killing intent.
The others beside him couldn’t help but shiver involuntarily.