Liu Chengfeng's shout seemed to alert the figure in the sky.
Standing above the nine heavens, he lowered his head and looked toward Liu Chengfeng.
The might of his gaze was like a primordial torrent, devastating all ten directions.
Even the gods and devils of all the heavens would tremble beneath his gaze.
Such divine might shook Liu Chengfeng to his core.
Under that terrifying divine pressure, the Celestial Body in Liu Chengfeng's mind immediately blazed with light, and the Heavenly Mound began to turn.
The rotation of the Heavenly Mound seemed to awaken this supreme, invincible figure all at once.
"Azure Emperor—"
A thunderous cry reverberated between heaven and earth. Lightning exploded immediately afterward, as though the entire world had plunged into an ocean of thunder and lightning.
A One-Legged Exotic Beast appeared, its body like that of a god or devil. A single roar shattered the stars.
The supreme, invincible figure glanced at Liu Chengfeng again. A ray of golden light shot toward him, and Liu Chengfeng immediately reached out to catch it.
The supreme, invincible figure strode upward through the void, cleaved apart the sea of lightning, and charged straight in to strike at the One-Legged Exotic Beast.
Amid deafening explosions, terrifying lightning surged outward. The entire world blazed with light, dazzling Liu Chengfeng until he could see nothing.
When Liu Chengfeng could see again, everything from moments before had vanished.
The thousand-meter skeleton, the invincible figure, and the One-Legged Exotic Beast had all disappeared without a trace.
The little boat was still moored at the landing, and mist still shrouded the river.
Only the corpse stood there, holding a bamboo pole.
Liu Chengfeng looked at what he had caught. It was a golden incense stick, as though sculpted from gold.
"What was all that?"
Everything had faded away. All he had just witnessed seemed like a dream.
"Imperial Pass Slays Ten Thousand Beasts, One Technique Suppresses the Ages."
"Imperial Pass Slays Ten Thousand Beasts, One Technique Suppresses the Ages."
Liu Chengfeng couldn't help repeating those words.
"We've reached the shore."
Liu Chengfeng knew it was time to disembark, so he jumped off.
"At the time of Full Moon Mid-Yin, come offer incense."
After speaking, the corpse lay down in the little boat and died again.
Liu Chengfeng committed those words firmly to memory, calculated the time, then turned and left.
Just as Liu Chengfeng emerged from the valley, a rank wind suddenly swept toward him, sending sand and stones flying and snapping branches.
An enormous wild boar came around a bend in the mountain, blocking Liu Chengfeng's path.
The wild boar stood three or four meters tall and was over ten meters long. Its bristles gleamed with oil, and bulging muscles covered its body, black and glossy as iron. Its tusks were like blades, flashing with dark light.
When the wild boar appeared, every beast fell silent. No bird or animal dared approach. It was the ruler of this place.
The blood energy within the wild boar surged like a rushing river, exerting tremendous pressure.
At the sight of the wild boar, Liu Chengfeng's heart tightened, and he gripped his sword hilt.
He activated the Celestial Body in his mind and fixed the Sky Eye on the wild boar.
"You're the king of Little Meng Mountain."
Liu Chengfeng knew this wild boar. He had spent half a year on Little Meng Mountain and had spotted it long ago.
This wild boar was the Mountain Lord with a lifespan of three or four thousand years.
Liu Chengfeng considered whether he should find a way to slaughter the wild boar and take its true blood.
The moment Liu Chengfeng spoke, the wild boar froze.
Exotic beasts were innate, unusual species. They possessed intelligence, but were not enlightened, and could not communicate with divine cultivators or other species.
Now Liu Chengfeng could communicate with it, leaving the wild boar utterly astonished.
"Who are you?"
"The most handsome man on Little Meng Mountain."
"Mountain Lord Ah Yuan."
The wild boar snorted at Liu Chengfeng's words.
Seeing that the wild boar bore him no hostility, Liu Chengfeng had no choice but to abandon the idea, though he was still thinking about taking his true blood.
"You can actually enter the God Tomb."
Mountain Lord Ah Yuan was astonished. In all his long years on Little Meng Mountain, this was the first time he had seen anyone enter it.
"The God Tomb?"
Liu Chengfeng glanced back. Where were the valley and landing? A great tomb had risen behind him, with an unmarked stone tablet standing before it.
Had he not experienced it himself, Liu Chengfeng would have thought it was a dream.
"What is the God Tomb?"
Liu Chengfeng was curious as well, but Ah Yuan could not answer. He knew very little.
"Who is buried in this tomb?"
"When was it built?"
Liu Chengfeng asked several more questions, but Ah Yuan still could not answer them.
Ah Yuan, the wild boar, ruled Little Meng Mountain. He was an exotic beast with a lifespan of three or four thousand years.
This was his first time communicating with a divine cultivator, and he was full of curiosity about Liu Chengfeng.
Their conversation gave Liu Chengfeng a better understanding of Little Meng Mountain.
"I noticed a few exotic beasts in these mountains that are nearly a thousand years old. Their true blood is pretty good."
Liu Chengfeng was too embarrassed to admit he had been eyeing Ah Yuan and wanted to take his true blood.
"They're my subordinates. I told them all not to provoke you."
That left Liu Chengfeng speechless. One did not strike a smiling face, and now he felt even more embarrassed about killing the other exotic beasts for their true blood.
Liu Chengfeng turned to leave and return to the Wu Dao Sect. He had been away for half a year.
Ah Yuan escorted him part of the way before returning.
As Liu Chengfeng left the God Tomb, in an unknown place within the Green Meng Realm, eyes as large as lanterns suddenly opened, blazing with terrifying light.
"Our lord is still alive? If our lord returns, he will surely slaughter the gods and level Qingmeng."
Before Liu Chengfeng returned to the Wu Dao Sect, Zhao Jinnian had already stormed its gates.
Zhao Jinnian had not come alone. He had brought more than a dozen helpers and surrounded the Wu Dao Sect.
Zhao Jinnian had originally been a servant of the Wu Dao Sect. Apart from its tenant farmers, the sect had no other disciples at all.
But news that Zhao Jinnian's son had been accepted as a divine son by the Ancient Kingdom Court had long since spread, and some rogue cultivators had flocked to Zhao Jinnian.
In just one year, Zhao Family Village had gained several dozen disciples.
This only fueled Zhao Jinnian's ambition to swallow up the entire Wu Dao Sect and take over all its holdings.
Zhao Jinnian brought more than a dozen disciples to storm the sect, smashing its gates outright.
"Zhao Jinnian, you still have the gall to come back—"
At the sight of Zhao Jinnian, Zhou Yinfeng flew into a rage.
"Not only have I come back today, I'm going to wipe you out. From this day onward, I will be the master of Little Meng Mountain."
Without waiting for Zhao Jinnian's orders, the dozen or so rogue cultivators loyal to him grabbed their sabers and swords and immediately charged forward to kill Zhou Yinfeng.
"You're courting death—"
With a roar, Zhou Yinfeng hefted his great hammer and charged into the crowd.
Zhou Yinfeng's fury soared to the heavens. All his blood energy erupted, and his great hammer swung like a raging storm, smashing toward the dozen or so rogue cultivators.
The rogue cultivators who had joined Zhao Jinnian were no experts. They were only at the first or second tier of the Blood Sea Divine Treasury, with just one or two at the third tier.
They were no match for Zhou Yinfeng. Screams rang out as he smashed several of their skulls.
A third-tier Blood Sea Divine Treasury cultivator rushed forward and blocked Zhou Yinfeng with a shield.
Like a wild ox, Zhou Yinfeng's sinews and bones rang out, his blood energy surged, and his great hammer pounded down without pause.
The dozen or so rogue cultivators could not even pin him down, much less kill him.
"This ends here—"
Zhao Jinnian joined the battle. Roaring like a wild ox, he charged straight at Zhou Yinfeng, moving faster than him. His hammer crashed down, bursting the air and shattering stone.
Zhou Yinfeng raised his hammer to meet him, but was no match for Zhao Jinnian. With a bang, he was sent flying, blood spraying from his mouth.
"The fourth tier—"
Zhou Yinfeng's expression changed drastically as he realized Zhao Jinnian's strength.
"My master is an elder of the Ascending Wu Clan. Did you think I've spent this past year twiddling my thumbs?"
After becoming a disciple of the Ascending Wu Clan, Zhao Jinnian had received many benefits, allowing him to break past the third tier and advance to the fourth tier of the Blood Sea Divine Treasury.
Zhou Yinfeng tried to get up and fight again, but the rogue cultivators swarmed him and took him alive.
"Take him back and string him up. Let's see whether that brat comes to save him. If you cut the weeds without pulling out the roots, they'll grow again with the spring breeze."
Discovering that Liu Chengfeng was not at the Wu Dao Sect, Zhao Jinnian decided to drag Zhou Yinfeng back as a captive.
"Tell that brat Liu to come to Zhao Family Village to ransom him. Otherwise, I'll flay his servant alive."
Zhao Jinnian left this message with the tenant farmers of Ten Mile Village.
The tenant farmers of Ten Mile Village were only mortals who farmed and mined for the Wu Dao Sect. Faced with Zhao Jinnian, they could only tremble.
By the time Liu Chengfeng rushed back, he was already too late. Zhao Jinnian had taken Zhou Yinfeng away.
When Liu Chengfeng learned what had happened from the tenant farmers, his expression instantly turned cold. Without another word, he turned and headed straight for Zhao Family Village.
Zhao Family Village had been built outside Ten Mile Village, only a few dozen li away.
After the Zhao family's rise, Zhao Family Village had grown ever larger and taken in ever more disciples. Its scale was far beyond anything the Wu Dao Sect could compare with.
With such strength at his command, it was no wonder Zhao Jinnian wanted to become the master of Little Meng Mountain.
"You dog of a servant, come out and die."
When Liu Chengfeng reached Zhao Family Village, he saw Zhou Yinfeng hanging from the gate tower, drenched in blood and covered in wounds.
"Young master, be careful. He has powerful backing."
Seeing Liu Chengfeng arrive alone, Zhou Yinfeng was alarmed.
"Well, brat, you've got guts. You actually dared to come."
Zhao Jinnian was surprised to see Liu Chengfeng. He had not expected him to actually dare come.
"Today, I will cleanse the Wu Dao Sect of its traitor."
"Ha, ha, ha! Cleanse it of its traitor? Do you know who I am now?"
"My son is a divine son of the Ancient Kingdom, and I am the personal disciple of an elder of the Ascending Wu Clan."
"A mere Wu Dao Sect? Killing every last one of you would be no different from crushing an ant," Zhao Jinnian said with a wild laugh.
"In that case, to cleanse the sect, I must kill not only this wicked servant, but your son as well."
Liu Chengfeng sneered.
"An ant like you dares to boast so shamelessly? You deserve death."
Zhao Jinnian roared in fury.
"In just one year, a servant like you thinks he's become a master and can look down on everything. Look at that vile servant's face of yours. What a disgrace."
"Kill him! Hack him into ten thousand pieces."
Zhao Jinnian's fury blazed to the heavens. Ever since his son's status had elevated his own, he had turned his fortunes around and regarded himself as a cut above others, no longer a servant.
Now Liu Chengfeng's words were humiliating him.
At Zhao Jinnian's command, the dozens of disciples of Zhao Family Village rushed forward and surrounded Liu Chengfeng.
"Die, brat—"
All the disciples wanted to claim the credit. They eagerly attacked Liu Chengfeng, sending sabers, swords, and spears thrusting toward him.
"You're courting death—"
Liu Chengfeng's eyes turned cold. With the Red Iron Sword in hand, he sprang forward and charged.
Liu Chengfeng's blood energy erupted. With ten thousand jin of strength and speed surpassing tigers and leopards, he slashed wildly with the Red Iron Sword, cutting down one man with each strike.
Liu Chengfeng tore into them like a raging dragon, and the rogue cultivators raised their weapons to meet him.
They were only divine cultivators at the first or second tier of the Blood Sea Divine Treasury. None could withstand a single strike from Liu Chengfeng.
Screams rang out. Liu Chengfeng's ferocious sword blows shattered sabers and snapped swords. The rogue cultivators were either cleaved apart or had their skulls smashed.
Blood sprayed, and chunks of flesh and severed limbs fell to the ground. It was a one-sided slaughter.
The other rogue cultivators were scared out of their wits and turned to flee.
Liu Chengfeng caught up with them in two or three strides, raised his sword, and cut off their heads.
Even the shield expert at the third tier of the Blood Sea Divine Treasury could not withstand Liu Chengfeng's ferocious sword strike. His shield was cleaved apart, and he was sent flying.
"Die—"
Zhao Jinnian was both shocked and furious.
He had never expected a mortal to become so powerful in just one year. In that same year, he himself had only managed to break past the third stage.
With a great roar, Zhao Jinnian raised his hammer and advanced. He practiced the Wild Ox Hammer Technique, a mid-grade Human Scroll technique taught to him by Liu Chengfeng's master.
With one strike of Wild Ox Turning Over, his body spun and his hammer swung, hurtling toward Liu Chengfeng like a meteor.
Thanks to alliance leader: Li Baye Has One More Night Than Li Qiye.
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