Wen Lanfeng vs. Bi Changchun

Seeing that Ziyi knew him, Wood Lady Mu assumed he was also a friend of the Punishment Envoy and went back to her own business.

"My master is gone, he's not in the Demon Ghost Domain," Ziyi said anxiously. She was truly afraid that things were as she suspected. Both of them were her master's friends, and she didn't want anything to happen to either of them.

"Huh! Nong Zhu actually left you all alone on Shuntian Island?" As he spoke, he released his Divine Sense to scan the entire Shuntian Island. Wen Lanfeng frowned and said, "Bi Changchun isn't here either. Where did he go?"

"Elder Bi and Ancestor Nanming just left," Ziyi said, biting her lip.

"Nanming is here too? Did Bi Changchun invite Nanming to refine treasures?" Wen Lanfeng frowned, realizing he had arrived at an inopportune time. He couldn't help but ask, "Ziyi, are they refining treasures in the Demon Ghost Domain?"

"I don't know either, probably!" Ziyi replied obediently. This person was not only her master's friend, but also a top expert in the Cultivation World, ranked only after Elder Bi. She was still somewhat afraid.

"Since they just left, they probably haven't started refining it yet, so it shouldn't ruin Bi Changchun's plans," Wen Lanfeng nodded to himself. He was quite self-aware, afraid that his reckless arrival might inadvertently jeopardize Bi Changchun's important affairs.

Ziyi asked cautiously, "Senior Wen, are you going to duel with Elder Bi?"

"It's not a duel, just a friendly match. I'll leave after it's over, without bothering him." Wen Lanfeng said this with great confidence. The subtext was: I only want to spar with Bi Changchun, defeat him, and then leave; I won't hurt him.

He rose a few more feet, from a distance of tens of meters to over a hundred meters above the lake, and said loudly, "Bi Changchun, time flies, it has been a hundred years since we last met. Wen Lanfeng has rashly come to pay his respects. Please do not hesitate to come out for a while!"

He spoke very politely and in a low voice, but Ziyi and Wood Lady Mu could clearly hear Wen Lanfeng's voice coming from all directions. They could even hear echoes from afar that were of the same volume, making it impossible to tell where the voices were coming from.

That one sentence echoed layer upon layer, lingering for quite a while, as if someone everywhere was repeating the same phrase over and over. The sound spread out like waves, reaching an unknown distance.

Wherever the voice reached, the demons fell silent, the ghosts stopped talking, and all looked towards Shuntian Island with fear in their eyes. The voice conveying the message sounded insignificant, but the Demon King and ghost kings who heard it knew that without extraordinary cultivation, it would be impossible to transmit a voice so far so easily. At least, they simply couldn't do it.

Ziyi secretly clicked her tongue in amazement. No wonder he was the second-best expert in the world; even a slight display revealed astonishing skill. Wood Lady Mu, on the other hand, subconsciously shuddered. This Punishment Envoy not only powerful, but all his friends were also unfathomably powerful.

Within the array sealing the Azure Flame beneath the Twilight Valley, the Azure Flame released a mesmerizing azure hue. Bi Changchun unfurled a pile of rare items he had collected over the years, and the Ancestor Nanming squatted on the ground, fiddling with them as he said, "Refine these things to their purest state, and then, during the period when the Azure Flame is most stable after the next eruption, we can fuse and refine them."

Bi Changchun nodded and said, "Two days from now should be the day the Azure Flame erupts, and it will be ready to be refined in three days. Nanming, I'll leave it to you then."

"Don't say it's too early. The chance of a top-grade spiritual treasure turning into a genuine treasure is extremely low. I'm worried that, like last time, I'll end up refining a top-grade treasure into a substandard one. Don't blame me then," the Ancestor Nanming said with a wry smile.

"Go ahead and refine it. The gains and losses are up to fate. I won't force you," Bi Changchun said calmly.

"Ah! This Azure Flame is a good thing. I wish my Xuanxuan Island had one." After sighing, Ancestor Nanming suddenly seemed to remember something and asked, "Bi Changchun, I remember you used to have a mid-grade spiritual treasure sword. Wasn't that enough for you? I don't think I saw you take it out last time in the East Sea. I'm afraid there's no one in the Cultivation World who would make you draw your sword?"

"Just because it doesn't exist in the Cultivation World doesn't mean it doesn't exist in the Eastern Pole Sacred Land," Bi Changchun said slowly.

Upon hearing this, Ancestor Nanming shook his head, unsure of what to say. Then, Bi Changchun added, "When my cultivation broke through to the late Spirit Transformation stage, I wanted to test my power. However, that mid-grade spiritual treasure couldn't withstand my full power and instantly shattered into pieces. That's why I asked you to refine a high-grade spiritual treasure, hoping it could withstand my full power."

"What?!" Ancestor Nanming exclaimed in shock. Even a mid-grade spiritual treasure couldn't withstand the power of his cultivation. He asked, dumbfounded, "Heavens! A low-grade spiritual treasure should be able to withstand the use of late Spirit Transformation stage! And a mid-grade spiritual treasure can't even withstand your cultivation... this... this... Bi Changchun, you... this is still considered late Spirit Transformation stage?"

"I don't know either, so I thought I'd go to the Eastern Pole Sacred Land to verify it and figure out what's going on." Bi Changchun smiled wryly and then waved his hand, saying, "Let's not talk about this anymore, let's hurry up! Otherwise, the Azure Flame will become unstable in a couple of days, and we'll have to postpone it again."

The Ancestor Nanming clicked his tongue and shook his head, calming himself. Then, he raised his arms, and the twelve rare materials laid out before him flew up simultaneously. But at that moment, both he and Bi Changchun's expressions changed; they both seemed to have heard something. The Ancestor Nanming raised his hand to collect the materials, turned around, and asked in astonishment, "Wen Lanfeng? What's he doing here?"

"Hmph!" Bi Changchun snorted coldly, turning away expressionlessly and passing through the Xuanbo light wall that sealed the Azure Flame. Without a word, the Ancestor Nanming quickly collected all the materials into his Storage Bag, then also dashed out. Opportunities to see the Number One Expert Under Heaven and number two experts meet are rare, especially two sworn enemies...

In the distant sky, Nong Zhu was hurriedly dragging Furong along, flying deep into the Demon Ghost Domain. If it weren't for Furong being such a burden, he would have already reached Shuntian Island. However, just as they could see the bright, distant Thousand Mile Lake, they suddenly heard a series of sounds.

Nong Zhu's expression changed drastically, and she said angrily, "Damn Wen Lanfeng, you still came. Is it worth it for a woman!" She then increased her speed to the maximum.

After shouting his words, Wen Lanfeng looked at Ziyi with a smile, standing quietly in the air, waiting for Bi Changchun's arrival.

After waiting a while, Wen Lanfeng seemed to notice something was off about Ziyi's gaze and her slightly agape expression of surprise. Zi Yi's focus seemed to be on something behind him. The woman in white on the island was also staring blankly in his direction.

Someone was behind him! This was the thought that flashed through Wen Lanfeng's mind for a moment, but he immediately dismissed it. With his current cultivation level, it was impossible for someone to be behind him without him noticing. But his intuition told him that someone was watching him from behind.

Someone with his level of cultivation sometimes has a better intuition than sight. A chill ran down his spine, making his scalp tingle; he truly didn't want to believe it was real.

"You need something?" A short voice sounded from behind. Wen Lanfeng heard that long-lost voice, the voice that he would never forget... Bi Changchun's voice.

Wen Lanfeng's pupils contracted sharply, then gradually returned to normal... Perhaps it was due to his carelessness, or perhaps Bi Changchun had cultivated some mysterious Movement Method that allowed him to approach people silently.

However, one thing is undeniable: if Bi Changchun had attempted a sneak attack just now, the consequences would have been unpredictable. But Bi Changchun certainly wouldn't have done that; otherwise, he wouldn't be Bi Changchun. He's too proud; he always defeats his opponents honorably and disdains doing the work of a petty person.

Wen Lanfeng floated in the air and turned around, gazing at the still vigorous old man standing with his hands behind his back. He still possessed that unyielding spirit that had withstood the test of time, only growing more spirited with age, like an ancient pine tree standing firm on a mountaintop, unmoved by the changing winds and clouds, looking down upon the world. Eternal glory!

The Wood Lady Mu on the island sensed something was amiss. If this person was truly a friend of the Punishment Envoy, meeting in this atmosphere was far too eerie. The woman in Ziyi gripped her clothes tightly, her knuckles turning white. If these two peerless masters were to start fighting, the consequences were unimaginable. Should she keep her distance...?

Wen Lanfeng felt numb from his mouth to his throat, wanting to speak but unable to utter a word. He realized that all his confidence had completely crumbled the moment he saw Bi Changchun with his own eyes. The feeling was indescribable, just like when he first ventured into the Demon Ghost Domain and met Bi Changchun —yes, exactly the same feeling he had back then...

Bi Changchun was right in front of him, standing there expressionless, staring at him. Yet, he gave the feeling that Bi Changchun was a part of the universe, that he could simply stand there and naturally blend into the world, as if he could move the world with a mere gesture.

In comparison, I am but one of the countless beings in this world, while he is the entire world, always encompassing me. This feeling is like a dream, both real and ethereal, the person before me so close yet so distant, elusive and intangible.

Feeling this invisible pressure from your opponent during a confrontation is truly terrifying. In reality, your opponent didn't put any pressure on you at all, yet you felt as if you were carrying the weight of the entire world on your shoulders.

Wen Lanfeng understood; this was a kind of aura! But he couldn't understand it. Back when he faced Bi Changchun, this feeling was understandable. But now, his cultivation was vastly different from then. Could he really not see through this aura?

How could this be? Wen Lanfeng asked himself honestly. He had already reached the critical point where he could merge the seventh spirit Ying into his Life Soul and ascend, yet Bi Changchun was still dragging his feet. His cultivation should have surpassed Bi Changchun's, so why was he still like an ant, unable to see through him? Had Bi Changchun also reached that level? Then why was the news that he was going to the Eastern Pole Sacred Land to seek a breakthrough? The fact that the Ancestor Nanming came here to forge weapons for him was good proof...

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