Xuanwu War Sovereign
Chapter 24 - 23: Wind Realm
Qin Feng’s fists flew like meteors, his body a raging gale. Having cast aside the thousand-pound Ancient Bronze Tripod, his strength was simply beyond belief.
He threw a punch, and it was as if a gale of wind and thunder surged forth to sweep across the land. The Fist Technique was profound, and its chaotic power made the four men stagger, throwing their Saber Technique into complete disarray.
Qin Feng was not boasting. He had long since mastered the Clear Wind Spirit Refining Stake and the Gale Bone-Forging Fist to the level of Great Success, seizing the opportunity to comprehend the Wind Realm. In his hands, the simple Gale Bone-Forging Fist seemed to come alive, its very essence realized, transforming into a natural, world-sweeping gale. He was a god within the wind, commanding the gales, moving among them with ghostly unpredictability. It was as if his body had become one with the wind from his fists.
’How can a Middle-Tier Human Martial Level Gale Bone-Forging Fist possess such terrifying power! How can it be even more fearsome than the Low-Tier Spirit Martial Level Gale Blade Technique!’ the square-faced middle-aged man roared in a low, furious voice. Faced with this dreadful Fist Technique, his strength as a Mid-stage Martial Arts Third Realm practitioner brought him no sense of security. Instead, the longer he fought, the more his heart pounded with fear, and the pressure mounted relentlessly.
The four men’s Gale Blade Technique was completely suppressed; they couldn’t execute it properly at all. Instead, they were ensnared by their opponent’s Gale Bone-Forging Fist and led by the nose. Their once-flawless Gale Blade Technique was now riddled with openings.
On the other hand, their opponent’s crude-looking Gale Bone-Forging Fist, which should have been full of flaws, had become profound and unpredictable. The men roared in fury, yet they were helpless against Qin Feng’s repetitive execution of the same few moves from the Gale Bone-Forging Fist.
For a moment, they were seething with uncontrollable rage.
"You fools. It’s true that the higher the level of a Cultivation Technique, the greater the power it can unleash. But you must understand that it is the Martial Artist who wields the techniques! If you cannot fully comprehend, control, and master even the most advanced Martial Skill, it’s nothing more than an illusion—a flower’s reflection in the water, shattered with a single touch! The true essence of a Martial Skill is its ’realm.’ Only by grasping the realm can you claim to have truly mastered the skill!" Qin Feng suddenly materialized behind a dark-faced man at the Late-stage Martial Arts Second Realm. As his voice faded, an overwhelming strike from his Gale technique crashed down on the man’s back.
In his hands, the Gale Bone-Forging Fist seemed to work miracles, having reached a state of sublime perfection that not even the Spirit Martial Level Gale Blade Technique could stop.
BANG!
His heart seizing with terror, the dark-faced man hastily used the flat of his blade to shield his vitals. But he had underestimated Qin Feng’s strength. ’I don’t know the full extent of Xuanwu’s Power, but I know I’m at least two or three times stronger than an ordinary expert of the Martial Arts Third Heaven.’ 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎
The punch landed. The dark-faced man let out a muffled grunt and was sent flying several dozen feet. In mid-air, he coughed up a clump of blood mixed with pieces of his internal organs. He was dead before he hit the ground.
And then there were three. Like birds startled by the twang of a bow, the remaining men were chilled to the bone. Their group of six had set out to kill him, and yet Qin Feng alone had already killed three of them.
"You little bastard, I’ll take you down with me!" Seeing another of his brothers fall, the square-faced man’s eyes turned crimson. With a great roar, he threw caution to the wind and charged at Qin Feng.
He pushed his Gale Blade Technique to its absolute limit. The gleam of his blade was so faint it was almost invisible, a sign of its blinding speed. He fought like a man possessed, completely disregarding his own safety in a mad desire to take Qin Feng down with him.
Watching the sky fill with a web of blade-light, Qin Feng’s expression flickered. ’After all, this is a Mid-stage Martial Arts Third Realm Martial Artist. When he’s fighting for his life, even I have to be wary.’
Qin Feng’s figure flickered, evading the Mid-stage Martial Arts Third Realm Martial Artist and reappearing before the two remaining warriors of the Late-stage Martial Arts Second Realm.
Seeing Qin Feng appear so suddenly, the two men’s faces filled with panic, and a look of deep despair flashed in their eyes.
It turned out the three had already conferred in secret. Knowing they couldn’t defeat Qin Feng, they had decided that the square-faced man would hold him off while the other two escaped in different directions to call for reinforcements.
But somehow, Qin Feng had seen right through their plan.
"Split up!" The two exchanged a glance and bolted. The woods here were sparse, so one headed east and the other west, both sprinting toward the denser part of the forest. ’As long as we make it into the thick, leafy woods, Qin Feng won’t be able to catch us!’
"And where do you think you’re going?" Qin Feng instantly saw their intent. He was about to intercept them when a figure charged in, a terrifying cold light sweeping down at his head.
"Go and get help! I’ll hold him off! Hurry!" a voice roared. ’His Stepping Technique is incredibly fast. It must be some kind of Light Body Technique!’
Caught off guard, Qin Feng was indeed briefly tied down by the square-faced man’s suicidal attack style. The other two were overjoyed and seized the opportunity to continue their escape.
’No, I can’t let them escape,’ a cold glint flashed in Qin Feng’s eyes. ’If they get away and reveal my location, I’ll be in grave danger!’ His gaze locked onto the square-faced man like a tiger stalking its prey. Moving like a tiger pouncing from a mountain, he finally unleashed his full power!
The moment he moved, an immense power erupted, as if a savage beast were roaring within his Fist Technique, a power that could shatter mountains and shake the very oceans. Mid-Tier Spirit Martial Level Fist Technique, Profound Turtle Suppressing the Sea!
The square-faced man cursed his fate. He could clearly feel a deep, immense power, completely different from before. He couldn’t escape; all he could do was grit his teeth and block Qin Feng’s path, praying the other two would bring back help in time.
He roared, raising his great saber to slash at Qin Feng. In the deepening gloom of the forest, the gleam of his blade was barely perceptible. At this life-or-death moment, his Saber Technique had actually improved.
But Qin Feng had no desire to drag out the fight. Every moment he was delayed increased his danger. He was willing to suffer an injury if it meant finishing off this Mid-stage Martial Arts Third Realm Martial Artist.
To the square-faced man’s horror, Qin Feng met the gleaming blade head-on with his own body. Taking a deep gash to his stomach, he clamped down on the long saber with his taut abdominal muscles. A fist pulsing with Xuanwu’s Power struck like lightning, smashing into the terrified man’s midsection with enough force to tear straight through him.
The man struggled to lift his head, staring at the cold, savage youth before him. He opened his mouth to speak. "You... are... ruthless!"
With that, his head lolled to the side, and he breathed his last, his eyes wide in a final, unseeing stare.
Witnessing their leader’s death, the other two were horrified. Panicked, they summoned every last ounce of their strength and sprinted toward the dense woods. ’If we can just reach the forest, we’ll be safe!’
Qin Feng took a deep breath, gritting his teeth against the searing pain from his wound. He locked his sights on the shorter man running east and gave chase like a cheetah. Within a few breaths, he was on him. His arm struck out like a bolt of lightning, moving like a great python eager to devour its prey as it chopped toward the man’s neck. Spiritual Snake Demon Subduing Fist Technique, Spiritual Snake Soul Snatching!
The short man never expected Qin Feng to catch him so quickly. The lethal wind from the incoming fist made his scalp tingle. His heart cold with dread, he tried to duck out of the way.
But he had underestimated the nimbleness of the Spiritual Snake Demon Subduing Fist Technique. This Fist Technique demanded incredible flexibility from the Martial Artist, and through his Cultivation of it, Qin Feng’s entire frame had become as supple as a great python. Once he locked onto his prey, there was no escape, no matter the angle.
His arm coiled around the Late-stage Martial Arts Second Realm Martial Artist’s neck like a snake’s tail. With a sharp squeeze—CRACK!—the sound of splintering bone echoed, and the man died instantly.
Casually tossing the corpse aside, Qin Feng charged after the last man without pause. The man was incredibly fast, reaching the edge of the dense forest in just a few breaths. He was only a hundred paces away from disappearing into the thicket.
Qin Feng shot out to intercept him. His fist was like a turtle’s shell, and an immense power bore down, causing the very air to stagnate. It was as if the world had become an ocean, and he, a divine turtle, was suppressing it with terrifying might.
The man’s breath caught in his throat, his eyes flashing with utter horror. The violent pressure bore down, so intense his scalp prickled with terror. The aura expanded like a tidal wave, growing and growing until, in an instant, it completely engulfed him.
Amidst his terrified expression, a fist slammed into his shoulder. A terrifying shockwave sent his body flying high into the air, and he crashed into an Ancient Wood. Wracked with excruciating pain, he felt as if every bone in his body had shattered.
He struggled to lift his head, staring with defiance at the figure striding toward him, and stammered, "What... what Fist Technique... is this?"
"The Mid-Level Spirit Martial Level Profound Turtle Sea-Suppressing Fist." Qin Feng shrugged, then seized the man. Under the forty-something-year-old’s terrified gaze, he began to circulate the Bone Marrow Extraction and Essence Transformation Technique. A steady stream of Essence was absorbed from the man’s body and flooded into his own. A warm sensation spread through him; the several-inch-long gash on his abdomen began to scab over, and an instant later, the scab fell away to reveal smooth, tender new skin.
His injuries were completely healed!
Qin Feng casually tossed aside the withered corpse and scanned his surroundings. Seeing no one had escaped, he let out a soft sigh of relief.
And just like that, the elite squad—led by a Mid-stage Martial Arts Third Realm Martial Artist and composed of five Martial Artists of the Second Realm of Martial Arts—had been utterly annihilated.
After searching the bodies, Qin Feng was pleasantly surprised to find the haul was unexpectedly large.
From the body of the Mid-stage Martial Arts Third Realm man, he found silver banknotes worth nearly a thousand Gold, as well as a bottle of rare Top-grade Bone Tempering Pills. There were three pills left in the bottle. Consuming all of them would be equivalent to a month and a half of hard Cultivation.
Qin Feng swallowed one on the spot. A warm medicinal energy spread through his body and surged into his Qi and Blood. In that instant, he broke through to the Mid-stage Martial Arts Third Realm.
Suppressing the hint of joy in his heart, he scanned his surroundings one last time. Seeing that he’d left nothing behind, he immediately dashed off in a new direction.
He had only gone a short distance, however, when his footsteps came to a halt. From the dense woods ahead, a middle-aged man with a deep and imposing aura emerged. His gaze fell upon Qin Feng, his lips curved in a smile that wasn’t a smile.
Qin Feng’s expression darkened. The man was dressed in green robes, his face fair and beardless. At his waist hung an ornate Treasure Sword that looked purely decorative. He appeared harmless, yet Qin Feng felt an overwhelming sense of danger from him.
With a single glance, Qin Feng knew—this was a Martial Artist of the Martial Arts Fourth Layer!