"Senior Brother Chen Xin, the Red Flame Fruit is here..."
Several figures darted out from the forest, their excited voices suddenly stopping in their tracks.
All five of them spotted the corpse of the Blood Cloud Python and Luo Feng standing on the hillside, their expressions changing instantly.
The square-faced youth in the front stared at the corpse of the Blood Cloud Python, tongue-tied, fear evident on his face. He turned to look at a blue-robed teenager behind him.
The blue-robed teenager, seemingly around the age of sixteen, had a stern look with a Longsword on his back. His eyes bore a cold, relentless spirit that deterred anyone from looking him straight in the eye.
After glancing at the body of the Blood Cloud Python, Chen Xin’s gaze fell on the Tiger Soul Saber, nearly a person tall, behind Luo Feng. A frown appeared on his face. He began walking up the hillside, the other four people hastily following him.
"The Red Flame Fruit!" When they climbed the hillside, the square-faced youth looked behind Luo Feng. Seeing only a bare Red Flame Fruit plant remaining there, he raised his eyebrow, questioning Luo Feng, "Kid, did you take the Red Flame Fruit?"
Luo Feng, realizing he couldn’t hide the truth, observed them and nodded, "Yes."
"Hand over the Red Flame Fruit immediately!" The square-faced youth opened his palm, commanding Luo Feng arrogantly.
Originally, seeing the corpse of the Blood Cloud Python had made him wary of Luo Feng. However, upon closer inspection, he found out that Luo Feng was merely at the late stage of the Rigid-Soft Realm Cultivation, causing him to feel disdainful.
Within their group of five, two were at the middle stage of the Rigid-Soft Realm Cultivation, another two at the late stage, and Chen Xin was the strongest, already at the middle stage of the Iron Bone Realm Cultivation! Given their numerical advantage, they naturally didn’t take Luo Feng seriously.
"Hand it over?" Luo Feng sneered, looking at the youth mockingly, "And why exactly would I hand over the Red Flame Fruit to you?"
Originally, Luo Feng had intended to offer the corpse of the Blood Cloud Python to these men, thinking that if they hadn’t angered the beast, he wouldn’t have been able to seize the Red Flame Fruit.
The corpse of a high-level, tier-2 Demon Beast like the Blood Cloud Python was worth thousands of Silvers. However, their unreasonable attitude changed his mind.
"Hmph, we were the first to discover this Red Flame Fruit! It rightfully belongs to us!" stated the square-faced youth arrogantly.
"HAHAHA..." Luo Feng stood with hands behind his back, laughing heartily.
The square-faced youth’s brow furrowed, his eyes flashing a cold light, "Kid, what are you laughing at?"
Luo Feng pointed at the surrounding forest, replying sarcastically, "You claim to have discovered the Red Flame Fruit first, thus it belongs to you. Does that mean if you run around the entire Red Flame Mountain naked, the entire mountain would be yours?"
"You’re asking for it, kid!" Enraged by his shame, the square-faced youth snorted and launched a palm strike at Luo Feng.
"Wang Wu, stop!" Chen Xin tried to halt Wang Wu, but it was too late.
"Sun-Splitting Palm!"
Wang Wu charged forward, continuously launching palm strikes, generating numerous palm shadows that aimed straight for Luo Feng’s chest.
The force of the palm strikes howled in the wind, causing Luo Feng’s hair to flutter wildly, as though they possessed a mountain-shattering force.
"It’s the low-level, Yellow Grade Martial Art, ’Sun-Splitting Palm’!"
"That’s Wang Wu’s specialty. He has cultivated it to the Small Success stage. A single palm strike from him can reduce rocks to dust. This kid is a goner!"
"He was asking for it! He needs to be taught a lesson!"
The other youths looked on eagerly.
Sun-Splitting Palm... this is a Wanluo School Martial Art. They must be from Wanluo School. As Wang Wu advanced, this thought flashed in Luo Feng’s mind. He nonchalantly threw a punch at Wang Wu.
"How dare you underestimate me!"
Seeing that Luo Feng did not use any Martial Arts, a vicious look flashed in Wang Wu’s eyes. He amplified his Sun-Splitting Palm to its limit. In an instant, palm shadows filled the sky, rushing towards Luo Feng like a wild surge, seemingly keen to drown him.
Luo Feng remained unperturbed, his punch still appearing quite casual.
The punch and palm met, causing a thunderous impact between Luo Feng and Wang Wu.
Wang Wu screamed and spat out a mouthful of fresh blood. His body, like a kite with its string cut, flew backward and landed over ten meters away.
What terrifying power!
The other youths watched Luo Feng, all of them drawing in a sharp breath.
Wang Wu was a master of the late stage Rigid-Soft Realm Cultivation. They never imagined that he would be unable to even stand up to a single punch from Luo Feng. Not to mention, Luo Feng hadn’t even used any Martial Arts!
Chen Xin had one of the youths attend to Wang Wu. He then turned back to Luo Feng, his eyes as sharp as a sword, and asked, "I am Chen Xin, an outer disciple from Wanluo School. May I ask for your name?"
"Luo Feng, an outer disciple from Purple Sun School," Luo Feng replied indifferently while retracting his fist.
The youths exchanged glances, a strange look in their eyes.
The relationship between Purple Sun School and Wanluo School had always been tense, and rivalry existed among their disciples. Hearing that Luo Feng was a student of Purple Sun School, their minds immediately became active.
"So, you are the trash from Purple Sun School!" Wang Wu, being supported by someone, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, glaring at Luo Feng hatefully.
"Wang Wu, shut up! Haven’t you embarrassed yourself enough?" Chen Xin glared at Wang Wu, whose face turned pale as he clenched his fists, keeping quiet.
Chen Xin’s gaze swept over the corpse of the Blood Cloud Python beside them. Turning to Luo Feng, he asked, "Did you kill this Blood Cloud Python?"
Luo Feng shrugged, "Apart from me, it didn’t seem like there was anyone else around here. If you don’t have any other business, then I’ll be leaving."
Not wishing to get further entangled, Luo Feng prepared to leave, but Chen Xin extended an arm to stop him.
"You don’t intend to ask for the Red Flame Fruit as well, do you?" Luo Feng asked Chen Xin with a furrowed brow.
Chen Xin looked at Luo Feng, a fervent battle spirit rising from his body, bubbling like boiling water.
"Indeed. My younger cousin has already reached the pinnacle of the Rigid-Soft Realm Cultivation and needs this Red Flame Fruit to break through. Besides, you injured Wang Wu. Since they call me Senior Brother, I naturally can’t let you leave just like that."
"What do you want then? Say it! I’ll see this through with you!" Luo Feng was a bit impatient, his tone slightly icy.
"Senior Brother Chen Xin, let’s team up and get the Red Flame Fruit back!" Wang Wu, defeated by Luo Feng, was unwilling and glared at Luo Feng.
Chen Xin waved away the eager youths around him. Looking at Luo Feng, he said condescendingly, "I don’t like taking advantage of someone in a difficult situation. Luo Feng, as long as you can withstand three of my punches, I’ll let you go! I won’t stop you. Otherwise, you must leave the Red Flame Fruit."
"Three punches?" Luo Feng narrowed his eyes, knowing that there was no amiable conclusion to the matter at hand. He cracked his knuckles and said, "Good! But, if I lose, I’ll leave the Red Flame Fruit. What if you lose?"
"What a joke, how could Senior Brother Chen Xin lose!"
"Exactly, Senior Brother Chen Xin is ranked fourth among our Wanluo School’s outer disciples. With your insignificant strength, you most likely can’t even take one of his punches!"
The few Wanluo School students beside them laughed at Luo Feng’s words.
The gap in Cultivation between the two was enormous. In their view, Chen Xin could defeat Luo Feng with a single punch!
Chen Xin, looking at Luo Feng’s confident eyes, his gaze became more serious. He took out a Secret Manual from his bosom, saying, "If I can’t defeat you with three punches, this ’Floating Cloud Sword Technique’, a mid-level Yellow Grade Martial Art, will belong to you."
A mid-level Yellow Grade Swordsmanship...
Luo Feng glanced at the Secret Manual in Chen Xin’s hand and nodded, "Deal!"
"Watch closely! Mountain Breaking Fist!"
With no further words, Chen Xin’s figure seemed to grow taller, emanating an aura of dangerous and imposing cliffs. With a flash, he launched a punch at Luo Feng. The fierce wind from his punch forced the other Wanluo School students standing by to step back two paces.
Luo Feng uttered a light shout, formed a loose fist, and neatly struck out.
The two figures clashed head-on, making no attempt to dodge or yield.
Their fierce fists collided, and a hurricane burst out from the center of their contact.
Both of them retreated simultaneously, each step leaving a deep footprint on the ground.
On the side, Wang Wu and the others, who had been waiting to see Luo Feng’s defeat, displayed a hint of surprise in their eyes.
To them, Luo Feng, who only had late-stage Rigid-Soft Realm strength, certainly couldn’t withstand even one punch from Chen Xin. However, it seemed that the two of them were evenly matched.
"Senior Brother Chen Xin must be testing this kid’s strength and hasn’t really started yet. He’s going to show that kid some real skill next!" Wang Wu licked his lips, his face turning red as he glared at Luo Feng.
The three other Wanluo School students nearby nodded, agreeing with what Wang Wu said.
After retreating four steps, Luo Feng stabilized himself and looked at Chen Xin, calmly stated.
Chen Xin also retreated four steps. He looked at Luo Feng, standing still for a moment, then shook his head, "No need."
"I lost. Here’s the ’Floating Cloud Sword Technique’ Secret Manual." Chen Xin tossed the Secret Manual to Luo Feng.
"Hehe, decisive!" Luo Feng took the Secret Manual and glanced at it. It was indeed a mid-level Yellow Grade Martial Art.
"Senior Brother, what’s going on? Aren’t there two more punches?" Wang Wu and the others, once they regained their composure, looked at Chen Xin eagerly. The other three, too, looked at Chen Xin with confusion.
In their minds, Chen Xin had always been arrogant, not easily admitting defeat. However, the current situation left them puzzled.
A bitter smile crossed Chen Xin’s face. "You all should know my Mountain Breaking Fist is a mid-level Yellow Grade fist technique."
Wang Wu and the others nodded.
Chen Xin glanced at Luo Feng and said, "If I’m not mistaken, the Martial Art you just used should be a basic one, the ’Leopard Fist’!"
"Sharp eyes!" Luo Feng nodded.
Wang Wu and the others swallowed hard, completely stunned.
Logically, the power of a basic Martial Art should not be as strong as a mid-level Yellow Grade Martial Art. Luo Feng was able to hold his own with a basic Martial Art against Chen Xin’s Mountain Breaking Fist, and they even fought to a draw! This was simply unthinkable!
"Even after another hundred moves, I wouldn’t be able to defeat him," Chen Xin said, glancing at Luo Feng. He, too, was puzzled—how could Luo Feng, who clearly only had late-stage Rigid-Soft Realm Cultivation, possess such terrifying power?
Hearing Chen Xin’s words, Wang Wu’s eyes shook, his expression almost completely blank.
Chen Xin was ranked fourth among the outer disciples of Wanluo School, with mid-stage Iron Bone Realm Cultivation. Yet, he couldn’t even handle this fellow before him, who was only at the late-stage Rigid-Soft Realm Cultivation!
Upon realizing this, Wang Wu understood that Luo Feng had not used his full strength when fighting him! Otherwise, his hands might have been crippled!
A cold shiver ran down Wang Wu’s spine.
"Not at all, not at all. Actually, I was barely able to hold on just now."
Luo Feng put away the Secret Manual and smiled at Chen Xin, saying, "We can have another match. Maybe, you can win back this ’Floating Cloud Sword Technique’."
Chen Xin’s mouth twitched. He silently cursed Luo Feng’s shamelessness in his heart, yet he was helpless. He responded with a bitter smile, "Mid-level Yellow Grade Martial Arts aren’t cabbages. I got this ’Floating Cloud Sword Technique’ after I killed a major thief in the Jianghu. I don’t have any other mid-level Yellow Grade Martial Arts."
"Oh, then never mind." Luo Feng lost interest immediately after hearing this.
Having received a mid-level Yellow Grade Martial Art, Luo Feng didn’t want to appear petty, so he generously gave the body of the Blood Cloud Python to Chen Xin and the others. After all, it was too large for him to carry.
After retrieving his package from a tree, Luo Feng was preparing to return to his school when Chen Xin’s stern voice suddenly came from behind.
"Luo Feng, this duel hasn’t determined a winner. After some time, once I break through to the next realm, I will personally come to Purple Sun School to challenge you!"
"Remember to bring more Martial Art Secret Manuals then." Luo Feng could tell that Chen Xin was a battle maniac. Not wanting to get tangled further, he waved his hand and leisurely walked away.