The Hunt Begins!

Sunlight filtered through the dense canopy, casting dappled shadows. Chu Feng, hidden among layers of leaves, chewed dry rations obtained from a fisherman, washing them down with rainwater.

"Did these pursuers plan this, showing up exactly when I was eating?"

The dry, wild vegetable lumps were hard to swallow. Even after soaking them in rainwater, Chu Feng had to thump his chest to get them down.

Once the last rice ball was swallowed and his strength returned, Chu Feng felt he could take on ten Li Dahais!

"Woof woof..."

Two wolfhounds came charging.

Chu Feng let out a cold smile. "Good timing!"

He leaped down, severing both dog heads with a single saber strike.

The barking abruptly ceased, blood pooling on the ground.

A hundred paces away, Chen Yuan saw this and roared in anger.

"You're asking for death!"

He had been delayed because of the damaged fishing boat. He hadn't expected Chu Feng to still be waiting here, having killed two wolfhounds.

By the time he caught up, he only saw Chu Feng's brilliant smile before the latter quickly vanished into the depths of the jungle.

Chu Feng had no intention of confronting them head-on. There were more than these three pursuers, and he needed to ensure he was unharmed to kill them. This would require some strategy.

"Chase him!"

Chen Yuan glared at Chu Feng's disappearing back and said fiercely.

Without the wolfhounds, if they lost Chu Feng again, it would be truly difficult to find him.

"Whoosh... whoosh..."

Several figures darted through the jungle, startling a flock of birds.

"Huh? Where did he go? He was just here?" one of the shorter guards asked, puzzled.

Suddenly, a cool breeze blew over his head. He looked up abruptly and saw a figure appear. A long saber sliced across his throat, and he fell silently.

[Killed Early Skin Polishing Realm Martial Artist, plundered 2 years of lifespan.]

"Were Liu Hu and Li Dahai also killed by such despicable means?"

Seeing one of his men fall, Chen Yuan's veins bulged on his forehead in anger.

He moved with incredible speed, bursting forth even faster, and swung his saber at Chu Feng's head.

"Clang!"

Chu Feng was prepared, and the clash of metal produced a piercing sound.

Chen Yuan had reached the Muscle Tempering Realm, his strength capable of reaching five hundred jin.

This move, "Mount Tai Crushing Down," forced Chu Feng's saber down by more than three inches.

It was just short of slicing across Chu Feng's face. His pupils clearly reflected the sharp, cold glint of the saber.

Chu Feng unleashed all his strength, breaking free from Chen Yuan's saber's pressure, and retreated rapidly.

Chen Yuan didn't pursue. He chuckled. "I taught you the Breaking Edge Saber Technique. Do you think you can beat me?"

The single strike confirmed that Chu Feng was still in the Marrow Polishing Realm, and Chen Yuan felt reassured.

The path of martial arts was such that even a slight difference in realm was a vast chasm, let alone an entire major realm.

He had entered the Muscle Tempering Realm years ago, his physical strength far exceeding that of the Marrow Polishing Realm. Subduing a Marrow Polishing Realm martial artist would be a piece of cake.

"Steward Chen is mighty!"

The remaining follower, who had been so scared he almost wet himself when his companion died, immediately cheered upon seeing Chen Yuan display his power.

"Indeed impressive, but not quite enough to kill me..."

Chu Feng mused, "There really is a huge difference between the Marrow Polishing and Muscle Tempering realms, especially in strength. It's at least double mine!"

"Arrogant!"

Chen Yuan's face turned as black as the bottom of a pot. He thought about how he had lost men while trying to kill a mere Marrow Polishing martial artist, and he would likely be scolded by his master upon his return.

Now, he could only brutally kill this brat here to vent his hatred!

He lunged forward, radiating killing intent, aiming to tear Chu Feng limb from limb!

Clang, clang, clang!

A series of weapon clashes echoed in the air.

Chen Yuan attacked in anger, but to his surprise, his blows were easily deflected.

His eyes widened as if he had seen a ghost.

His pride in his strength was rendered useless, like wrestling with cotton. All his power vanished like a stone sinking into the sea, sometimes even backfiring on him. After a few rounds, he was so frustrated he felt like spitting blood.

"Clang!"

With a clash of metal, Chu Feng lightly flicked his wrist, redirecting all of Chen Yuan's explosive power into the ground.

Then his figure flashed, quickly closing the distance and lunging towards Chen Yuan, like a swallow returning to its nest, bringing a devastating blow.

His elbow struck heavily on Chen Yuan's chest like a hammer.

Chen Yuan saw it clearly but had no time to block, so he could only gather his strength and take the hit.

"Bang!"

A muffled collision sound echoed. Chen Yuan almost coughed up his breath, clutching his chest and staggering back several steps before he stabilized himself.

"The Muscle Tempering Realm is nothing more than this. I was being too cautious..." Chu Feng gracefully twirled his saber, sighing leisurely.

Although Chen Yuan was in the Muscle Tempering Realm, his martial arts were far inferior to Chu Feng's. The opponent's movements, in Chu Feng's eyes, were like a child playing with swords and spears, full of openings. He was just a strong but foolish brute.

"What saber technique is this?"

Chen Yuan's face was grim. He could only vaguely recognize that the saber technique Chu Feng used was somewhat familiar, but he didn't know the specific name.

"Breaking Edge Saber Technique!" Chu Feng replied calmly.

"Impossible!"

Chen Yuan couldn't believe it. He was all too familiar with the Breaking Edge Saber Technique. How could a basic saber technique possess such power?

Despite his disbelief, he no longer dared to underestimate Chu Feng. He quietly said to his attendant beside him.

"Fire the Heaven Shaking Thunder. You and I will attack together. As long as we can stall him for a moment, once reinforcements arrive, he will surely die!"

"Whoosh!" A Heaven Shaking Thunder shot into the sky, emitting a loud noise.

Chen Yuan and the guard let out a roar and charged towards Chu Feng.

Chen Yuan unleashed a "Mountain Splitting Strike," intending to force Chu Feng into a direct confrontation of strength.

How could Chu Feng use his weakness to clash head-on with the opponent?

With his perfected Breaking Edge Saber Technique, he easily neutralized Chen Yuan's powerful strike.

Chen Yuan felt as if he had struck a muddy swamp. This feeling of having strength but being unable to use it made him extremely uncomfortable.

However, he already knew Chu Feng's prowess and was not discouraged. Instead, a strange smile appeared on his face.

Just as Chu Feng was using Chen Yuan's momentum against him and suppressing him.

The remaining Fang Family guard suddenly slashed horizontally at Chu Feng's legs from a strange angle.

A look of ecstasy flashed in his eyes. He thought that the formidable opponent who even Steward Chen couldn't defeat would have his legs easily severed by him. He couldn't help but reveal a smug smile.

He could already picture Chu Feng's legs being cut off at the root, with blood gushing out.

Alas, wishful thinking is often contrary to reality.

"Wind Cutter!"

Chu Feng let out a soft cry, and the long saber in his hand suddenly let out a sharp whistle.

The smile on Chen Yuan's face vanished. He felt as if the surrounding air had been sliced apart, and his eyes couldn't even track the trajectory of the saber strike.

"Whoosh..."

A streak of light flashed, and his body was cut in half at the waist.

"Ah..."

Chen Yuan, cut in half, writhed and crawled on the ground like a segmented maggot, wailing.

"Clang!"

At the same time, the guard's long saber also struck Chu Feng's calf.

Then, to his shock, he found the saber vibrating violently, as if he had struck a metal lump. It jolted his hand so hard that his tiger's mouth split open, and he almost dropped the saber.

The guard saw the scene of blood gushing out as he wished, but it was Chen Yuan's blood.

Hot blood splattered onto his face. The guard felt no joy, only fear.

"Brother Chu, we are both servants. You know I was forced. Let me go, and I absolutely won't reveal your whereabouts."

Knowing he couldn't defeat Chu Feng, the guard immediately knelt down, trembling, and pleaded.

His eyes were filled with terror as he looked at Chen Yuan, who was still wailing and struggling. He was extremely frightened.