"Crap! This kid can already control that mysterious movement technique freely — I've been played!!!"
In that instant, the Hundred-faced Elder finally realized the truth: he had been deceived. Chu Feng had long since gained the ability to control Dragon Drift Nine Heavens at will and employ it in combat. The reason he had been fleeing in every direction before was simply to lower the Hundred-faced Elder's guard and set up this surprise attack.
Though the Hundred-faced Elder had been startled by Chu Feng's move, he was no ordinary fighter. With his vast combat experience, he only froze for a split second before channeling his will and projecting a blue barrier to shield himself.
But he never could have imagined that, in that critical instant, an offensive talisman had appeared in Chu Feng's left hand — and it had already struck the barrier he had formed.
This offensive talisman had been forged by Vice President Gao. Its power was formidable, capable of breaking through barrier arrays set up by World Judges themselves. The Hundred-faced Elder's barrier had no chance of holding.
Boom! A deafening blast erupted as the barrier shattered. In the same moment, Chu Feng's Shura Ghost Axe cleaved viciously into the Hundred-faced Elder's body.
"Argh!"
A scream of agony rang out. Blood sprayed into the air as the Hundred-faced Elder became a streak of light hurtling downward, slamming hard into the ground below and carving out a deep crater. A thick plume of smoke shot up toward the sky.
"Something's wrong." Despite his strike landing, Chu Feng — whose Mental Power was razor-sharp — did not celebrate. Instead, his brow furrowed as he stared intently at the rolling smoke below, a feeling of unease rising within him.
He had realized with alarm that when his axe had struck the Hundred-faced Elder, some kind of force had neutralized part of the attack, preventing the Shura Ghost Axe from unleashing its full power. That strike had not killed the old man.
"You cunning little brat. If not for this artificial relic protecting me, I would have taken a serious hit."
Sure enough, just as Chu Feng sensed something was off, a streak of light rose slowly from within the churning smoke — the Hundred-faced Elder, ascending back into the air.
Blood still stained the corners of his mouth, his face was somewhat pale, and a gory wound marred his chest, but he had not suffered a fatal blow. Moreover, a luminous suit of armor enveloped his body, identical in appearance to the protective wristbands used by Song Qingfeng and the others. It was undoubtedly this light armor that had saved his life.
"Bai Yunfei, Liu Xiaoyao, and Tang Yixiu — you killed them?" Chu Feng's eyes flashed as he demanded in a loud voice.
"That's right, I killed them. I deliberately did so, then pinned the blame on you. That way, I could rile up all four major factions at once. Then I volunteered my services, and they hired me to take you down," the Hundred-faced Elder replied.
"So that's how it is. But I don't understand — if you wanted me dead, you could have made your move that day. Why wait until now? And if it's the bounty you're after, you could have just killed me to claim it. Why go through the trouble of volunteering?" Chu Feng asked, confused.
"The reasoning is simple. I wanted your relic, but I also wanted the bounty. So I had them pay me half up front, and then I'd kill you. That way, even if I broke my word, I wouldn't lose anything."
"But the four major factions aren't fools. No matter how good my reputation is, they wouldn't hand over fifty thousand Mystic Stones for no good reason. That's no small sum, even for them."
"So I had to make them even more furious, even more desperate to kill you — unable to wait even a single moment longer."
"And now, I've succeeded. The final step is to take your life and claim your relic," the Hundred-faced Elder declared.