Breakthrough in Nine Heavens Thunder Blade

In the blink of an eye, Xu Feng had reached the territory inhabited by Lord-level Monsters. This was already his seventeenth day after first arriving in the Wilderness Zone. As his strength grew, Xu Feng no longer remained on the outskirts of the city and continued deeper into the central area.

Not long after entering City No. 003, having advanced less than twenty li, he heard a monster's roar from ahead!

Xu Feng's expression changed slightly. The monster was a Beginner Lord-level Monster. Although Xu Feng was no weakling now, Beginner Lord-level Monsters were equivalent to late-stage War God human experts. He was not completely confident he could defeat one.

Damn it, there are still more than twenty li to the center of City No. 003. How could a Beginner Lord-level Monster appear here? Xu Feng cursed inwardly, but he did not change direction. A Beginner Lord-level Monster might be powerful, but it was not enough to make Xu Feng retreat without a fight.

A Lord-level Monster—the Crimson Flame Black Panther.

At that moment, the Crimson Flame Black Panther, standing still on a branch, finally moved, its four limbs tensing.

Whoosh. Whoosh. Whoosh.

With a single leap, it landed directly on another tree. Feline monsters were best at running through trees; this was well known. Through the dense gaps in the leaves, the Crimson Flame Black Panther had already spotted the human in the distance.

The Crimson Flame Black Panther waited quietly for the human to approach. Unfortunately, Xu Feng did not come closer. He merely closed his eyes and stood there blankly.

Whoosh. With a fierce kick off the trunk, the Crimson Flame Black Panther abruptly turned into a blue afterimage, charging at Xu Feng along an elusive trajectory.

The human, who had not moved at all, suddenly—

Drew the Blood Shadow Saber from his back like lightning and used the momentum to retreat. At the same time, he swung with the force of ten thousand pounds, chopping directly toward the Crimson Flame Black Panther.

Worthy of being a Lord-level Monster. Its speed was truly terrifying—even that Beginner War God from before could not compare to it.

The Blood Shadow Saber flashed like lightning and struck the Crimson Flame Black Panther's body. Yet its body was only cut slightly inward.

Having failed its ambush, the Crimson Flame Black Panther did not give up. It sprang onto a nearby tree, kicked off with its hind legs, and leaped down from the branches, moving with extraordinary grace.

The panther watched Xu Feng with great interest, then elegantly walked toward him step by step. Its gait truly possessed a striking beauty.

Sensing how troublesome the Crimson Flame Black Panther was, Xu Feng gripped his saber and stared at the black panther before him.

But the moment the Crimson Flame Black Panther landed, its icy eyes fixed on Xu Feng and it let out a low growl. Clearly, it was going all out this time. The Crimson Flame Black Panther kicked off the ground and pounced at extreme speed, so fast it made one's heart tremble.

At that moment, Xu Feng flew forward close to the ground, slipping straight beneath the belly of the leaping Crimson Flame Black Panther. At the same time, his saber stabbed toward its abdomen—

Clang— The saber rang out. Terrifying, powerful defense; monstrous speed—was this Crimson Flame Black Panther really just a Lord-level Monster?

Xu Feng now found himself in an extremely difficult position. He had no advantage over it whatsoever. If this continued, he could only remain on the defensive.

Within the dense woods of City No. 003's central district, the Crimson Flame Black Panther faced off against Xu Feng, who was perched on a tree.

The Crimson Flame Black Panther glared coldly at Xu Feng, rage filling its dark, frigid eyes. It had intended to finish Xu Feng with an ambush, yet after all that effort, it had not even injured him. Its belly was now full of fury.

Whoosh!

In almost the blink of an eye, the Crimson Flame Black Panther crossed nearly fifty meters and arrived before him. Its speed was almost a third faster than before.

Its speed had suddenly increased by a third! Xu Feng had barely been able to dodge the Crimson Flame Black Panther's attacks before, but now he was being utterly overwhelmed. He could not shake it off at all, and its defense troubled him greatly as well.

Too monstrous—this speed! Xu Feng was shocked to the core.

At this rate, it could probably cross a hundred meters in the blink of an eye.

Too terrifying!

No choice. Since I can't escape, I'll fight! Xu Feng suddenly leaped up at high speed. During the leap, the saber in his hand burst forth, then he slashed viciously at the Crimson Flame Black Panther.

The Crimson Flame Black Panther looked coldly at Xu Feng as well, clawing fiercely toward him.

Rip!

Rip!

Xu Feng and the Crimson Flame Black Panther struck each other almost simultaneously. One claw from the Crimson Flame Black Panther carved clear marks across Xu Feng's body, blood seeping out. Meanwhile, the Crimson Flame Black Panther was sent flying by Xu Feng's blow. It rolled across the ground and rose to its feet, completely unharmed.

Pfft! Xu Feng finally could not suppress the blood that had risen to his throat and spat it out.

Damn it, my attacks are still too weak against the Crimson Flame Black Panther's defense. If I had comprehended the third level of the Nine Heavens Thunder Blade, I could definitely injure it. Unfortunately, even now, I still haven't managed to comprehend the third level of the Nine Heavens Thunder Blade. Xu Feng's gaze was somewhat unfocused as he muttered helplessly.

The Crimson Flame Black Panther stomped both legs fiercely against the ground, then flew diagonally toward a massive tree that would take three or four people to encircle. Despite its large size, it was incredibly nimble. It leaped dozens of meters, lightly borrowed force from the trunk, and suddenly became elusive, as though it were weightless. The branches trembled without end, yet its speed grew even faster.

At that moment, a strong wind rose. Xu Feng truly had no mind to care about it, allowing the gusts to buffet him as his eyes remained fixed on the Crimson Flame Black Panther ahead.

Xu Feng watched the Crimson Flame Black Panther's movements, seeming to gain an idea.

"Ha ha, I understand! I understand! The third level of the Nine Heavens Thunder Blade! Ha ha, it was a misunderstanding! All these days, I've been going down the wrong path. I was so stupid! Crimson Flame Black Panther, come on. Let's fight again!" Xu Feng suddenly laughed wildly.

Whoosh. Xu Feng, who had been leaning to one side, suddenly straightened up. His right leg kicked fiercely, and he instantly transformed into a black afterimage, charging toward the Crimson Flame Black Panther along an elusive trajectory.

The Crimson Flame Black Panther found the human before it strange. The human, who had not moved at all before, actually dared to charge in and attack it. It seemed he had not accepted his fate yet. Knowing full well that his speed was inferior, he still dared to rush forward. How laughable.

The Blood Shadow Saber moved only once, and a cold gleam instantly flared. A faint, strange ripple accompanied it, like a bolt of lightning. Puff puff~ The air actually produced sonic booms like bizarre shockwaves.

Using the momentum to surge forward, Xu Feng flashed before the Crimson Flame Black Panther. He swung his saber like lightning, and a sky full of saber light roared forth, carrying the force of ten thousand pounds as it smashed directly toward the Crimson Flame Black Panther.

The saber light was like lightning as it slammed into the Crimson Flame Black Panther's body. Strange saber marks were carved directly across its body, accompanied by the sound of bones breaking.

A single strike killed it!

"Ha ha, yes, this is it! That's right, this is it! I've comprehended it—this is the third level of the Nine Heavens Thunder Blade!" Xu Feng laughed loudly.

"Each level of the Nine Heavens Thunder Blade is harder than the last. I only succeeded in cultivating the second level not long ago, yet I've already cultivated the third level." Xu Feng revealed a faint smile.

"I really should thank the dead Crimson Flame Black Panther."

Each level of the Nine Heavens Thunder Blade was more difficult than the last. Looking across the entire world, only Thunder God had cultivated the ninth level.

One could see just how monstrous this ultimate technique was.

The third level meant his strength had reached 2.8 times what it had been before. Xu Feng's physical fitness was now at the level of a veteran Intermediate General. With a 2.8-fold increase, his attack power could rival that of an Advanced General.

"One slash of mine contains four layers of Hidden Strength, making its power comparable to an Advanced General's. If Mental Power assists the Blood Shadow Saber and adds a fifth and sixth layer of force, then a single slash could probably rival a veteran Intermediate General." Xu Feng understood the power of Mental Power very well. When Mental Power combined with his own physical attack power, the result was even more formidable.

High-intensity battles brought Xu Feng immense pressure. Some people lived in fear under pressure until they eventually broke down. But others worked even harder and fought even more desperately under pressure, advancing at an even more astonishing rate.

Ordinary people would occasionally enter this state of extreme calm in life-and-death situations or moments of crisis. At such times, their strength would exceed its usual limits.

Xu Feng's ears twitched slightly, and he immediately rushed to the balcony to look down. Beneath the residential building, dozens of monsters had gathered.

Xu Feng froze for a moment, then smiled. "Looks like my excited shout after mastering the third level attracted quite a few monsters."

"Now it's time to return to the Base City." Xu Feng immediately strapped on his backpack, saber, and shield. Then, from the eighth-floor balcony, he leaped like lightning and landed directly on the rooftop of a three-story detached villa ahead. In the blink of an eye, he vanished completely.