Chapter Thirty-Two: Strength

With a single move, Liu Feng forced Zhao Xing back but did not pause, instead quickly giving chase. In just a few steps, he was in front of him.

Liu Feng raised his fist and struck at Zhao Xing, the blow carrying explosive force, causing the air to reverberate with a deafening roar.

Facing this overwhelming punch, Zhao Xing swiftly thrust out both palms, unleashing a powerful stream of energy that surged forth like crashing waves, colliding with the oncoming force of the fist.

There was a resounding bang.

Zhao Xing staggered backward, unable to withstand the force. The immense power erupted outward, tearing cracks through the ground and shattering nearby trees into splinters.

“You’re not bad, kid. Seems I’ll have to show you what I’m really capable of.” Having been forced back twice, Zhao Xing’s expression turned angry.

“Blazing Flame Palm!”

With a thunderous shout, Zhao Xing’s palms glowed crimson, blazing as if aflame. He swept both hands forward in a fierce attack.

Liu Feng felt the temperature around him suddenly rise, the air tinged with a sharp, acrid scent. He brought his palms together, conjuring a ripple of watery energy between them, its aura continuous and unbroken, and thrust it toward the burning crimson light of Zhao Xing’s palms.

Water and fire—two opposing forces—met in midair, erupting in a tremendous explosion. Both men were thrown back by the shockwave.

“I never thought this kid could fight Zhao Xing to a standstill. He’s really something.”

“The power in their attacks must be at the eighth level of Qi Gathering Realm. That’s impressive for people our age.”

The onlookers whispered among themselves. Nearby, a tall young man and a beautiful girl turned pale at these words. They could not bear the thought of someone they had looked down upon showing strength equal to their own; such a situation was a slap in the face.

“Zhao Xing, what are you doing? Hurry up and finish him!” the tall young man said irritably.

“Zhao Xing, defeat him quickly! Isn’t it shameful to have fought him for so long?” the beautiful girl said, her face clouded with displeasure.

Though Zhao Xing was inwardly furious, there was nothing he could do—he simply lacked the strength to defeat his opponent.

He pushed his cultivation to the limit, his palms now glowing even more brilliantly, the heat rising so fiercely that some spectators were forced to retreat before the waves of hot air.

Liu Feng, too, summoned all his true essence, unleashing a Splitting Sky Strike. Sharp blades of energy shot forth, splitting the air with constant thunderclaps as they howled toward Zhao Xing.

The blades of energy and searing waves collided with a thunderous crash. The force blasted outward, forming a massive vortex of energy that swept in every direction.

Sand and stones flew, dust billowed, and splinters of wood shot through the air. The crowd scrambled to dodge the chaos.

In the midst of the swirling battle, the two fighters clashed ferociously, their figures flashing around the battlefield like tigers descending a mountain—relentless and astonishingly fast.

With a final thunderous blow, Zhao Xing was sent flying backward. Liu Feng seized the moment, kicked off the ground, and charged toward Zhao Xing. Before Zhao Xing could react, Liu Feng’s fist crashed into his abdomen.

Zhao Xing was hurled through the air, crashing to the ground with blood pouring from his mouth. He was unable to rise.

“This unremarkable-looking youth actually defeated an inner disciple of the Blazing Flame Sect?”

“Incredible.”

The bystanders gasped in amazement. Many found it unbelievable that Liu Feng had overcome Zhao Xing.

“Liu Feng, I never imagined you’d grown so strong—perhaps even I’m no match for you now,” Wang Yun said in shock. He couldn’t fathom what had happened to Liu Feng, who had only been at the fourth level of Qi Gathering Realm two months ago.

“Haha! You really helped me vent my frustrations. Zhao Xing’s arrogance deserved a heavy lesson,” Li Feng said, finally feeling satisfied after seeing Zhao Xing so thoroughly beaten.

“Kid, you’ve struck down my fellow disciple—don’t think you’ll get away with it.” The tall young man strode forward, voice menacing.

“Zhang Lie, teach him a lesson,” Zhao Xing gritted out from behind.

“That’s right, Zhang Lie, we can’t let it slide after what he did to a Blazing Flame Sect member. Make him pay dearly,” the beautiful girl added, her expression hostile.

“Just watch—I guarantee he won’t walk away unscathed,” Zhang Lie assured them confidently.

“Kid, you’re asking for trouble. Prepare to suffer,” Zhang Lie declared as he struck at Liu Feng with both palms.

A powerful force surged from Zhang Lie’s hands, its heat enough to melt metal and crack stone as it surged forward.

Liu Feng’s hands flashed rapidly, forming afterimages. In an instant, a net of energy, forged from true essence and sharp enough to rend the void, spread toward Zhang Lie’s oncoming palms.

With a bang, the fire-infused true essence in Zhang Lie’s hands was shredded by the net of energy. His expression shifted, clearly shocked by how easily his attack had been broken.

Seizing the opportunity, Liu Feng’s right leg swept out like lightning, a wild current trailing behind it, and struck Zhang Lie squarely.

Zhang Lie was sent stumbling backward, his steps faltering as he struggled to maintain his balance.

“Be careful, Zhang Lie—don’t lose to that boy!” the beautiful girl called out anxiously when she saw him injured.

“Zhang Lie, give it everything you’ve got! Beat that brat until his teeth are scattered!” Zhao Xing snarled.

“That kid is trickier than I thought,” Zhang Lie admitted to himself.

At that moment, Liu Feng lunged forward like a flash, both fists surging with explosive true essence, pounding toward Zhang Lie.

Caught off guard, Zhang Lie hastily raised his arms and gathered his energy. His sleeves billowed as he met the incoming fists head-on.

There was another resounding crash, and Zhang Lie’s arms trembled violently from the impact.

Liu Feng pressed his advantage, channeling his surging true essence entirely into his fists. They shone with dazzling light, each punch carrying a ferocious force that seemed capable of splitting mountains and rocks as they hammered forward.

Zhang Lie had no time to defend. He was struck full force, his body thrown backward before crashing heavily to the ground, blood spraying from his mouth.

Liu Feng, seeing Zhang Lie was down, did not pursue the attack. Instead, he said coldly, “This time, I’ll let it go, as we’re all here to deal with the demon beasts. If you attack us again without cause, don’t blame me for being merciless.”

“Well done, Liu Feng! You routed them completely. Let’s see if they dare act so arrogant again,” Li Feng laughed.

Liu Feng smiled faintly. “Let’s find others to team up with,” he suggested.

The group headed toward a more crowded area.

By this time, Zhang Lie had taken a healing pill and was able to stand. Zhao Xing and the beautiful girl supported him as they made their way to a group of four nearby.

They were on good terms with those four. One of them asked, “Zhao Xing, you really took a beating this time. What are you going to do about it?”

“We’ll follow them, and when they’re alone, give them the thrashing they deserve,” Zhao Xing replied venomously, glaring in the direction Liu Feng’s group had gone.