Yan Feng Displays Divine Might

Jiang Donghua had also questioned Yan Feng about it these past few days, but aside from scratching his head with a bewildered look, the burly man knew absolutely nothing.

"What Xiao Sect? What Xiao Yan?"

"Is there a Death Spirit Tree in Peace Town? How come I've never heard of it?"

The big man rolled his eyes unusually as he spoke.

"Rumors are just rumors. How could tales from your tiny Black Iron City possibly be true?"

"You'll understand once you reach Jia Nan Academy. None of these things have happened yet..."

Jiang Donghua wore an awkward expression, though a trace of dread stirred within him.

Could I have crossed into a parallel world?

Or was I born several decades earlier than Xiao Yan?

Good thing I have my golden finger. At the very least, I'll have to become a Dou Zun someday!

Jiang Donghua sensed the newly formed Dou Qi vortex within him. His Fire-attribute Battle Qi boiled like a furnace, but when he caught sight of the Idle Gain on the system panel, his brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

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[Idle Gain: 0.1 points/hour]

"Why is it so slow?"

He cursed inwardly.

"After breaking through to Dou Zhe, the idle efficiency actually dropped?"

But he quickly realized that he had yet to cultivate any technique!

At the Dou Zhe realm, a cultivation technique was the foundation.

Without a technique to guide it, the efficiency of Dou Qi circulation would naturally be greatly reduced.

Just as he was pondering this, he suddenly sensed a scorching gaze.

Yan Feng was staring at him, an unusual gleam flickering in his eyes.

"This kid... his Fire-attribute Battle Qi is actually this pure?"

Yan Feng was secretly shocked.

As a Da Dou Shi and a fire-attribute cultivator, he could naturally tell that the quality of Jiang Donghua's Dou Qi far surpassed that of ordinary people. What surprised him even more was that Jiang Donghua had only just broken through, yet his Dou Qi had already begun condensing on its own, faintly showing signs of stable circulation.

This was not something an ordinary Dou Zhe could accomplish!

"Could it be... that he is innately compatible with the fire attribute?"

A sharp glint flashed through Yan Feng's eyes, and the corner of his mouth moved almost imperceptibly.

He suddenly coughed and put on a serious expression.

"Jiang Donghua, you have only just broken through to Dou Zhe. Your Dou Qi has yet to stabilize, so you must cultivate a technique as soon as possible. Otherwise, your foundation will be unstable, and it will be difficult for you to achieve anything great in the future."

Hearing this, Jiang Donghua respectfully said, "Thank you for your guidance, Mentor Yan. It is only that I have just entered the Dou Zhe realm and do not yet have a technique to cultivate..."

A trace of cunning flashed through Yan Feng's eyes as he pretended to ponder.

"Mm... Fire-attribute techniques are precious and difficult for ordinary people to obtain. However..."

He deliberately drew out the last word, watching Jiang Donghua's reaction.

Jiang Donghua's heart stirred, and he immediately understood that Yan Feng was hinting at something. He put on a sincere expression, cupped his hands, and said, "If Mentor Yan is willing to offer some guidance, this disciple would be endlessly grateful!"

Yan Feng nodded in satisfaction, thinking, "This kid is quite clever."

He stroked his beard with an air of profundity and lowered his voice.

"I happen to possess a copy of the Crimson Flame Art. Though it is only Yellow-grade High-tier, it is steady and reliable, making it suitable for those who have just entered the Dou Zhe realm."

Joy flashed through Jiang Donghua's eyes, but he quickly suppressed it and respectfully said, "This disciple is willing to learn!"

Yan Feng chuckled and suddenly leaned closer, whispering, "However... I never teach anyone for free."

Jiang Donghua understood immediately and said at once, "This disciple understands. If I achieve anything in the future, I will never forget Mentor Yan's kindness in nurturing me!"

Yan Feng patted his shoulder in satisfaction and burst into hearty laughter.

"Good! Once we arrive at the academy, I'll teach you personally!"

Inside the carriage, Liu Yuting blinked her large eyes curiously at the two of them, while Liu Mingyu seemed deep in thought, as though calculating something.

As for Zhou Yan, he had long since curled up in a corner, his expression shifting unpredictably.

Jiang Donghua withdrew his gaze and chuckled inwardly.

"Instructor Yan certainly knows how to do business."

He looked at the system panel again, calculating inwardly.

"With a cultivation method, my idle-training efficiency should improve considerably. And with the clone assisting me, my cultivation speed will definitely soar!"

Yan Feng narrowed his eyes, letting his gaze rest on Jiang Donghua for a moment as he silently calculated.

"This kid... he's already mastered the Crimson Flame Art?"

He had originally thought that, no matter how talented Jiang Donghua was, he would need at least half a day to initially circulate the cultivation method.

Yet unexpectedly, after merely one hour, the Fire-attribute Battle Qi inside the carriage was already circulating steadily, even showing faint signs of condensing!

"This cultivation speed... it's simply monstrous!"

Yan Feng was deeply shaken, but a trace of greed soon flashed through his eyes.

"If that's the case... perhaps that matter can be planned ahead of time."

He had originally only hoped that Jiang Donghua could break through to Dou Master before reaching the academy, earning him some face during the outer academy selection.

But now, this kid's potential far exceeded his expectations!

Perhaps he could help him win the qualification of "Yellow-grade Class Instructor"!

Within Jia Nan Academy's outer academy, competition among instructors was far fiercer than that among students.

Although Yan Feng was a Da Dou Shi, his strength could only be considered average within the academy.

If he wanted better resources, he had to let his students' results speak for him.

And the selection for Yellow-grade Class Instructor was precisely a contest between students!

Every year, the academy held an instructor competition, where instructors recommended the students they had recruited to fight. The winning instructor would receive additional resources and even... the right to choose a Mysterious-grade Mid-tier Combat Skill!

In the outside world, a Mysterious-grade Mid-tier Combat Skill was worth hundreds of thousands of gold coins at the least, and even then, one could hardly find it for sale!

Yan Feng had been stuck at the Da Dou Shi level for many years. If he could obtain a suitable Mysterious-grade Combat Skill, he might just be able to challenge the Dou Ling realm!

"I originally thought there was no hope again this year..."

He glanced at the others inside the carriage.

Liu Mingyu could barely be considered promising, but he was still far from becoming a Dou Master; Liu Yuting's talent was decent, but she lacked combat experience; as for Zhou Yan... he was useless, and none too bright either, actually trying to pull something sneaky in front of a Da Dou Shi.

But Jiang Donghua was different!

In just three months, he had broken through from Battle Qi Stage Eight to Dou Master, and he could even steadily circulate a cultivation method immediately after breaking through!

"If I give him another month..."

A sharp gleam flickered in Yan Feng's eyes as he stared at Jiang Donghua more and more fervently, even unconsciously licking his lips.

"This kid... he might really be able to challenge Two-star Dou Master before the outer academy selection!"

"Wouldn't that mean there was hope for certain matters of my own?"

Inside the carriage, Jiang Donghua sat with his eyes closed, regulating his breath. On the surface, he was consolidating his realm, but his back had gone cold.

"This old guy... why is his gaze getting weirder and weirder?"

Yan Feng looked like a hungry wolf eyeing a fat sheep, even unconsciously shifting closer toward him.

Sweat beaded on Jiang Donghua's forehead as he screamed inwardly.

"Fuck?"

"What is this? Don't tell me he's..."

Yan Feng edged closer again, his gaze so fervent that it seemed he wanted to devour him alive.

Jiang Donghua finally couldn't take it anymore. He abruptly shrank back, crossed his arms over his chest, and stared at him warily.

"Instructor Yan!"

"I-I sell my skills, not my body!"

"Even if you gave me a cultivation method, you can't demand my body in return!"

Yan Feng froze, then understood. He immediately flew into a rage and slapped the carriage wall.

"Bullshit! I like women!"

Only then did Jiang Donghua breathe a sigh of relief, muttering pitifully.

"You should've said so earlier... that look in your eyes was terrifying! I thought you were plotting something improper against me..."

"Hahahahaha!"

The carriage instantly erupted with thunderous laughter.

Liu Yuting clutched her stomach, laughing so hard she could barely catch her breath. Liu Mingyu held back his laughter until his face turned red, and even Zhou Yan, huddled in the corner, couldn't help letting out a snort.

Yan Feng was so furious that his beard stuck straight up. Pointing at Jiang Donghua, he cursed loudly.

"You little bastard!"

"This old man saw that you had extraordinary talent and wanted to focus on training you! What the hell are you thinking about all day?!"

Jiang Donghua scratched his head, looking utterly innocent.

"You can't blame me... The way you looked just now was like a wild dog that hadn't eaten in three days spotting a meat bun..."

"HAHAHAHA!"

The laughter in the carriage grew even louder. Even the horse pulling the carriage snorted, its almost human-like expression seeming to mock Yan Feng as well.

Yan Feng was so angry his eyes rolled back. In the end, he could only viciously throw out one line.

"Once we get to the academy, just wait and see how I train you!"

Jiang Donghua shrank back, muttering quietly.

"I'm done for... I'm really going to get 'special attention' now..."

The carriage erupted in laughter again, and even Yan Feng could no longer keep a straight face.

He snorted, but the corners of his mouth still curled upward.

This brat was pretty interesting!

Jiang Donghua happily opened the system panel and watched the changes in his Idle Gain.

[Idle Gain: 2 points/hour, Yellow-tier technique bonus]

[Number of Clones: 2]

[Current Realm: One-star Dou Zhe (1/1000)]

"Hehe, this is great!"

He counted on his fingers.

"Two points for each clone—that's four points an hour!"

"Twenty-four hours a day, 4 × 24 = 96 points!"

"Ten days makes 960 points. I'll shoot straight up to Two-star Dou Master!"

"If I put in some overtime myself now and then, a Dou Zhe can still cultivate for five or six hours a day. That's two or three times more cultivation time than back when I was at the Dou Qi stage."

Thinking of this, he could not help revealing the smile of a capitalist.

"Aren't clones meant to be exploited?"

The instant the Dou Qi fluctuations from Jiang Donghua's breakthrough to Dou Zhe spread out—

"Boom!"

On the wilderness of the Black Corner Region, more than a dozen black figures suddenly leaped out from behind the sand dunes and charged at the carriage with wild laughter!

"HAHAHA! A fat sheep has delivered itself to our doorstep!"

At their head was a One-eyed Strongman with a face full of knife scars. His muscles were knotted all over, and Dou Qi surged around him. He was clearly a Seven-star Dou Shi!

Behind him followed more than a dozen vicious-looking Dou Zhes, each wielding a weapon, greed flashing in their eyes.

"Boss, that carriage looks pretty valuable!"

A lackey shouted excitedly.

The One-eyed Strongman licked his lips and grinned savagely.

"A mere Dou Zhe who just broke through dares flaunt himself around the Black Corner Region? Brothers, kill the men, take the women, and rob the carriage and all their valuables!"

"ROAR!"

The bandits howled strangely as they charged forward, their Dou Qi erupting and kicking up sand and dust across the sky!

After all, the strongest among them was only a Three-star Dou Shi. How could they possibly sense that a Da Dou Shi was hidden inside that carriage?

"Enemy attack!"

Yan Feng suddenly opened his eyes and shouted.

Liu Mingyu's face changed drastically.

Zhou Yan was frightened limp, trembling as he curled up into the corner.

"It's, it's over... They've got their eyes on us... We're dead...!"

Liu Yuting's little face turned pale, but she still gritted her teeth and drew a short sword, standing in front of Jiang Donghua.

"Brother Jiang, wake up!"

"Stop meditating and cultivating. You might suffer a cultivation deviation later."

As the bandits drew closer and closer, Yan Feng suddenly sneered.

"A bunch of trash dares set their sights on me?"

After sensing that there were no other forces nearby watching, he saw only a dozen or so Dou Zhes and one Dou Shi.

Such a lineup was only worth wasting half a minute of his time!

He slammed a hand against the carriage.

"Boom!"

A crimson pillar of fire shot into the sky!

"What?!"

The One-eyed Strongman's expression changed drastically.

"This guy... is a Da Dou Shi?!"

"Wasn't the aura they sensed earlier that of some newbie who had just stepped into the Dou Zhe realm?"

"How did a newbie suddenly turn into an old monster?"

Battle Qi erupted from Yan Feng's body, his Fire-attribute Battle Qi transforming into a vicious fire python that coiled around him!

"Mysterious-grade Low-tier Battle Skill—Fire Python Heart Devour!"

"Boom!"

The fire python roared as it charged at the bandits, instantly burning the several Dou Zhe at the front into charred corpses!

"Retreat! Retreat now!"

The One-eyed Strongman was scared out of his wits and turned to flee.

Seeing his companions reduced to ash in the sea of flames, the one-eyed Dou Shi's face instantly turned pale as paper, and his knees gave way.

"Thud!"

He fell to his knees, his forehead slamming heavily into the sand.

"Mercy, my lord! Please spare me!"

His voice trembled as his shaking hands pulled several bottles of pills from his robes, along with a bag of gold coins and even the concealed weapons he had hidden close to his body, all of which he dropped onto the ground.

"I-I failed to recognize your greatness! I offer all of this to you! I only beg you to spare my worthless life!"

Yan Feng watched coldly, then turned to the students behind him and spoke in a deep voice.

"Remember this: when traveling outside, never provoke an expert of unknown origins."

Before his words had even faded, the Dou Shi's lowered eyes suddenly shifted. Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at Liu Yuting, who was closest to him, while the muscles in his legs tensed sharply beneath his kneeling posture!

"Never trust an enemy's pleas for mercy, either!"

"Bang!!"

Yan Feng's fist struck first despite moving later. The instant it touched the man's chest, crimson Battle Qi exploded into a cloud of blood.

The Dou Shi did not even have time to scream before his entire upper body burst apart like a watermelon, shattered bones and flesh splattering across the sand with a sizzling sound.

Jiang Donghua narrowed his eyes as he looked at an eyeball that had rolled to his feet. The pupil still held the malice and shock of its final moment.

Yan Feng shook his wrist, blood droplets falling from his fist.

"Did you all see that clearly? Trash like this should have their corpses burned clean as well."

He kicked the head away, and crimson flames swept over it. The remaining body instantly turned to charcoal.

The bandits lay scattered across the sand. Some had been burned into charcoal by the flames, while others had had their internal organs shattered by Battle Qi. Not one of the dozen or so vicious men survived.

The air was thick with the rancid stench of scorched flesh and blood. Several corpses still wore the savage expressions they had had before death, their eyes bulging as if they could not believe their fate even in death.

The nine young men and women in the carriage were deathly pale. A few even clutched the carriage rails and began dry-heaving.

Though they came from Black Iron City, when had they ever witnessed such a bloody scene?

There had been more than a dozen Dou Zhe, including even a Dou Shi!

In their hometown, experts like that could dominate an entire region, yet under Yan Feng's hands, they could not even withstand a single move.

"Bleurgh~"

A ponytailed girl suddenly bent over and vomited.

"Th-this is too..."

Another boy's legs went weak, and he nearly dropped to his knees.

Yan Feng impatiently dug at his ear and flicked away the earwax from his little finger.

"What a bunch of useless brats. You're already scared stupid from this?"

He lifted his foot and nudged the nearest corpse.

"Why aren't you getting down and looting the spoils? These guys might have some good stuff on them."

Seeing that the students were still standing there in a daze, he snorted.

"We split it nine-to-one. I get nine, you get one. Move quickly—we still have to reach the post station before dark."

Jiang Donghua was the first to jump down from the carriage, efficiently beginning to search the bodies.

Seeing this, the other students also forced down their nausea and followed.

"Th-this Storage Ring has a hundred gold coins..."

"This dagger seems to be made of refined steel..."

"This bottle of pills smells like healing medicine..."