Inside the deep pit, everything was a bloody blur. Dugu Aoyun, the number-one genius of the Lingyun Sect, was now completely devoid of life. Not even his bones remained—he had been slapped into a bloody pulp by Chu Feng with a single palm strike.
At that moment, silence fell over the entire arena, both inside and outside. Not only the Lingyun Sect members, but even the outsiders were frozen in terror, staring blankly at Dugu Aoyun's remains in the pit, their eyes filled with shock and dread.
At that moment, Yanyangtian stood atop the high platform, watching as the future hope of his Lingyun Sect had been reduced to nothing more than a pool of blood. His whole body was trembling, and an indescribable fury was surging within him.
"Chu Feng, I'm going to kill you!!!"
Suddenly, someone screamed, and right after, a chorus of furious shouts and cries for blood erupted. The elders and disciples of the Lingyun Sect swarmed forward, converging on Chu Feng with the clear intent of taking his life.
"You want to kill me? As if you're worthy."
Facing the murderous mob, Chu Feng showed not a trace of fear. With a sweep of his wide sleeve, a wave of powerful Xuan Force erupted from his body, radiating outward in all directions.
"Aargh~~~~"
Before that ripple of force, the thousand-plus disciples and elders of the Lingyun Sect were utterly powerless. They were blown away like straw men, unable to withstand even a single strike from Chu Feng.
"Arrogant brat—you will pay for what you've done today."
Just then, twelve figures descended from the high platform. They took up positions in twelve different directions, forming a perimeter around Chu Feng. These twelve were the Lingyun Sect's Twelve Guardians—twelve peak experts at the ninth level of the Xuan Martial Realm.
At the same time, a gray barrier materialized, enveloping Chu Feng and the Twelve Guardians together. It was the gray-robed Spirit Realm Master of the Lingyun Sect who had made his move.
"Chu Feng, we agreed to stop at first blood. Why did you go for the kill?" Yanyangtian spoke.
His eyes were bloodshot, and even his voice trembled. Everyone could see that the sect master of the Lingyun Sect was truly enraged—he was struggling to hold back his fury, fighting the impulse to kill Chu Feng on the spot.
"Actually, I didn't intend to kill anyone. I was only going to stop at first blood."
"But your Lingyun Sect people kept shouting about how Dugu Aoyun was in an invincible state, indestructible and unstoppable."
"I got a little nervous and used one extra layer of force. Who could have guessed he'd crumble so easily? One slap from me and he was dead."
"Sigh, Sect Master Yanyang, you really can't blame me for this. Dugu Aoyun's death is the responsibility of all your Lingyun Sect members. If they hadn't been screaming and yelling, I wouldn't have been fooled into thinking he was actually strong, and I wouldn't have accidentally killed him." In response to Yanyangtian's accusation, Chu Feng merely shrugged, his face a picture of innocence.
"You've got some nerve, Chu Feng—you kill one of my Lingyun Sect's people and then pin the blame on us. Today, I don't care who's backing you—I'm taking your life!"
Finally, Yanyangtian could no longer control the rage boiling inside him. He threw his head back and let out a heaven-shaking roar. In that instant, the aura of the Heaven Martial Realm surged outward from him, and his unique power swept across heaven and earth. The entire plaza shook violently, and a savage gale sent everyone tumbling, unable to keep their footing.