"This aura... ninth-rank Martial Lord? This fellow called Chu Feng is actually a ninth-rank Martial Lord?"
Sensing Chu Feng's raging aura and ferocious killing intent, every person present changed expression. As they scrambled backward, their bodies trembled uncontrollably — all of them shaken by Chu Feng's overwhelming presence.
This was especially true for Shen Lang and the others from the Southern Sea Region. The shock and disbelief on their faces were plain to see.
They had all realized before that Chu Feng was no ordinary person, but they never could have imagined that he would be this strong — strong enough to have reached the ninth rank of the Martial Lord stage.
The ninth rank of the Martial Lord stage — in the Southern Sea Region, that was a realm only the top powerhouses of the older generation could reach. Among their peers, absolutely no one had stepped into this realm.
"A ninth-rank Martial Lord?"
In fact, never mind the others — even that black-haired elder who had been targeting Chu Feng now furrowed his brow, a complex mixture of emotions surfacing on his face. He simply could not have imagined that this young man from the Southern Sea Region would possess such cultivation.
The ninth rank of the Martial Lord stage — even across the entire Qingmu Southern Forest, there were only a handful who had reached this realm. Moreover, those disciples who had achieved it were all somewhat older than Chu Feng.
One could say that someone so young who had already reached the ninth rank of the Martial Lord stage was utterly unprecedented, even in the Qingmu Southern Forest.
This made the black-haired elder realize that things were not going well. Although his Han Family held an extremely high position in the Qingmu Southern Forest, at the end of the day, the purpose of the Qingmu Southern Forest was to select outstanding disciples and deliver them to Qingmu Mountain, providing it with talented individuals.
And this Chu Feng, despite coming from the Southern Sea Region, was undoubtedly a rare talent. Such a talent could not be handled carelessly, even by him — if word reached the Sect Master, they would surely suffer the consequences.
"Guards, seize him!" Although he had realized the gravity of the situation and knew he might have provoked a troublesome character, he was still an elder — and a Han Family elder at that. So the black-haired elder did not back down. Instead, he ordered the other four elders to capture Chu Feng.
He planned to play the long game — capture Chu Feng first, then have a private conversation to settle the matter quietly.
*Whoosh! Whoosh!*
However, the four elders did not seem to fully understand the black-haired elder's intention. They struck simultaneously, unleashing the full power of their first-rank and second-rank Martial King cultivation without reservation. Their combined pressure descended upon Chu Feng like invisible beasts.
They did not merely intend to suppress Chu Feng's violent aura with their own pressure — their attacks were no trifling matter either. This was not just about crushing Chu Feng's spirit; they wanted to avenge Han Shi and make a public fool of him.
Two first-rank Martial Kings and two second-rank Martial Kings — for a ninth-rank Martial Lord, that would normally be an insurmountable lineup. But that was only for an ordinary Martial Lord. To Chu Feng, these four were at most four fierce tigers. Though formidable, they were walking straight to their deaths — for Chu Feng was as powerful as a flood dragon.
"You will all die."
Suddenly, Chu Feng moved. Rage surged within him like a flood, killing intent pressing down on all sides. His figure lurched forward like a war god awakening — the void trembled and fierce winds erupted in all directions. He dodged the four Martial Kings' attacks and slipped into their midst like a ghost.
At the same time, an overwhelming torrent of martial power erupted from him, condensing from the invisible into the tangible, forming four massive hands. These hands shot outward and seized all four Martial Kings in their grasp.
"Aaaah~~~~~~~"
The hands were not a martial art — they were merely a means of channeling his martial power. Yet their might was tremendous, piercing straight into the soul. Under their crushing grip, the four Martial Kings felt their strength drain away completely, as if every ounce of power had been ripped from their bodies. Not only were they unable to continue their attack on Chu Feng — they could not even muster the strength to resist.
But that was not the worst of it. The worst came when Chu Feng, using his martial power hands to hold the four elders, leapt into the air, landed before a towering tree, and began swinging his martial power arms to slam the four Han Family elders against it — again and again, like a madman.
*Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!*
Although these trees were massive and towering, they were still trees after all. To protect them, the Qingmu Southern Forest had set up powerful guardian barriers on each one.
Protected by those barriers, the trees were as indestructible as the finest steel. When the elders' bodies slammed into them, a deafening metallic roar erupted, sending violent ripples cascading outward.
Most importantly, Chu Feng used such tremendous force that even the barrier-protected towering trees shook violently under the impact. Massive leaves rained down from above, and cracks even began appearing in the barriers themselves.
Under this barrage, the four elders were beaten to a bloody pulp — hair disheveled, blood streaming from their noses and mouths, old bones broken where they should be broken. Cracking sounds echoed ceaselessly from their bodies. In the blink of an eye, Chu Feng had turned them into four crimson figures. The two first-rank Martial Kings, unable to withstand the punishment, had already passed out.
"Heavens! Is this fellow some kind of monster? He actually used ninth-rank Martial Lord cultivation to beat four Martial King-level elders into this state?"
"My God! He didn't even give them a chance to fight back. Is this really a battle between Martial Kings and a Martial Lord?"
There had already been quite a few people present, and once Chu Feng launched his attack, even more gathered to watch. Not only did disciples of the Qingmu Southern Forest come, but a considerable number of elders arrived as well.
When they saw this, they were all stunned. Even in the Martial Holy Land, those who could fight above their rank were few and far between. Someone who could suppress Martial Kings using only Martial Lord cultivation was recognized as a genius of the highest caliber — not an ordinary genius, but one acknowledged as such across the entire Martial Holy Land.
"Look carefully — aren't those Han Family elders? Who exactly is this fellow? He dares to publicly beat Han Family elders while being only a disciple. That's just insane."
"Ha ha! So satisfying! The Han Family has been running roughshod over the Qingmu Southern Forest for too long. They rely on their numbers and on Han Qingyu, the Punishment Elder who controls the disciplinary authority, to do whatever they please — bullying anyone and everyone. There's practically no one they haven't dared to push around."
"Today, I think they've finally picked a fight they can't win. This kid is so young yet has such cultivation, and his combat power is extraordinary — he's clearly a genius. In my opinion, he must come from an extraordinary background; otherwise, how could he dare to publicly beat Han Family members? Ha ha! This is too satisfying. Who would have thought the Han Family would meet their match like this?"
Those who arrived late did not know exactly what had happened, but they recognized the Han Family members. Recalling how the Han Family had bullied and tyrannized them in the past, each of them felt a deep sense of satisfaction. They all thought Chu Feng was beating them well and beating them thoroughly. If not for the Han Family's formidable strength, they would have clapped and cheered for Chu Feng without hesitation.
"Stop! Stop right now! Not only are you beating your fellow disciples, you're assaulting elders as well — do you have a death wish?"
That black-haired elder never could have imagined that Chu Feng's combat power would be so overwhelming. Beating two first-rank Martial Kings and two second-rank Martial Kings of his Han Family was as easy as beating puppies.
This forced him to reassess Chu Feng and take him seriously. But he was a Han Family member after all, and the honor of the Han Family could not be trampled. So after much deliberation, he sprang forward, unleashing the imposing aura of a third-rank Martial King, and launched himself at Chu Feng.