"Heavens, you—are you Chu Feng?!!"
Upon seeing Chu Feng, the elder who had just been seething with rage saw his face instantly drain of color. For in this moment, Chu Feng had already activated his Thunder Force, elevating his cultivation to the eighth level of the Xuan Martial realm.
With such power, Chu Feng could even slay those at the second level of Heaven Martial, let alone this elder at the first level of Heaven Martial. Therefore, as Chu Feng placed his hand atop the elder's skull, he was currently absorbing the elder's essence for Dan Dan's sake.
"Ahhhhh~~~~~~~~~~" Finally, amidst the elder's piercing scream, Chu Feng devoured and refined his entire essence. The elder's life force was utterly extinguished, and he crumpled lifelessly to the ground, dead.
"Your Fire God Sect dares to put a bounty on me, Chu Feng. Today, every last one of you will die." After dispatching the elder with such brutal efficiency, Chu Feng tilted his head back and roared toward the heavens, the soundwaves shaking the area for miles, startling birds and beasts alike. Even many demon beasts whimpered in fear, fleeing into the distance.
"Chu Feng! It's really Chu Feng! Quick, form the array! Capture him!" Only then did the members of the Fire God Sect finally snap to their senses. The Spirit Realm Masters within the Xuan Martial realm began to erect barrier arrays, intending to use them to trap Chu Feng.
"A bunch of trash thinks they can catch me?" Yet Chu Feng merely sent a casual palm strike forward. A ripple of force exploded outward, and three Spirit Realm Masters were instantly pulverized, slapped to death by Chu Feng.
"Fall back immediately! Leave this boy to me!" Seeing this, the elder at the third level of Heaven Martial intervened. Layer upon layer of Heaven Force surged from him, sweeping toward Chu Feng like a tidal wave.
"Hmph, even the Hundred-Faced Elder was no match for me. Do you think you're fit to fight me?"
Chu Feng let out a cold snort and unleashed his Dragon Soaring Nine Heavens technique. His figure shot forward, transforming into a streak of light that dodged the elder's attack and reappeared behind him. The Phantom Ghost Axe materialized in his grasp, and without a shred of mercy, he swung it directly at the elder's back.
"You're mistaken, old man. I don't intend to kill you—I just need to hold you in place." However, just as Chu Feng's axe was about to land, the elder spun around abruptly. A scheming, triumphant smile tugged at his lips, and a peculiar, small bowl appeared in his hand.
"Buzz!" As the bowl left the elder's palm, it rapidly expanded in size, engulfing Chu Feng within it before slamming down to the ground.
"Quick! Go back and notify the Sect Master! Tell him Chu Feng has been captured by me using this Mystic Eight Trigrams Bowl, but I must continuously channel my Heaven Force to prevent him from escaping. Hurry, bring the Sect Master here for support!"
After trapping Chu Feng with the so-called Mystic Eight Trigrams Bowl, the elder's expression was grim. While the bowl's power was immense, it clearly required a tremendous amount of Heaven Force to sustain.
Nevertheless, he was overjoyed, for capturing Chu Feng was a monumental achievement that would surely earn the Sect Master's lavish rewards.
"Elder Zhao, I'll stay and help you channel Heaven Force into the Mystic Eight Trigrams Bowl," another elder offered.
"No need. I alone can sustain it. Return at once to notify the Sect Master; otherwise, it will be too late," the elder refused.
Hearing this, the elder at the first level of Heaven Martial gritted his teeth but didn't hesitate. He launched himself into the air and soared toward the Fire God Sect's direction.
"Elder, what about us..."
At that moment, the seventeen remaining Spirit Realm Masters stood frozen in place, utterly bewildered.
They had realized that although they were all within the Xuan Martial realm, they were far too fragile in Chu Feng's presence. He was truly as powerful as the legends claimed, and even their presiding elder at the third level of Heaven Martial had to exert such effort just to temporarily subdue him.
"All of you, stay and guard me. I must focus all my energy to drive this Mystic Eight Trigrams Bowl. Otherwise, even though this bowl is extraordinary, without my Heaven Force sustaining it, that Chu Feng could break free with some unknown artifact," the elder said gravely.
"As you command!" The seventeen Spirit Realm Masters dared not delay. They swiftly formed a protective barrier around the elder, arranging themselves from the outside in.
After all, this Beast Region Mountain Range was also a gathering place for demon beasts. While not as formidable as the Myriad Monster Mountain—lacking any Heaven Martial realm beasts—it still harbored peak Xuan Martial realm monsters. Without a Heaven Martial realm cultivator, dealing with them would be exceedingly troublesome.
Thus, the elder continuously channeled his Heaven Force to power the so-called Mystic Eight Trigrams Bowl, while the seventeen peak Xuan Martial realm Spirit Realm Masters stood guard around him with grim determination.
As time passed and day turned into night, Chu Feng suddenly spoke from within the bowl: "Are you not going to make your move yet? If you wait any longer, I'll suffocate in this broken bowl!"
Initially, the members of the Fire God Sect were merely startled by Chu Feng's sudden outburst, but they failed to grasp its meaning.
"Truly annoying." However, a graceful figure darted out from the nearby forest. With merely a casual gesture, she shattered their protective barrier.
And after swiftly eliminating all seventeen peak Xuan Martial realm Spirit Realm Masters, the presiding elder finally realized the truth—they had been deceived. This was an ambush Chu Feng had set long ago.
"You... you're Purple Bell?" This elder had visited the Supreme Villa before, so he recognized her instantly. But he never imagined that Purple Bell, who was only at the ninth level of the Xuan Martial realm, could be so formidable, capable of so effortlessly slaughtering seventeen of his Fire God Sect's Spirit Realm Masters.
These seventeen were arguably his sect's most elite Spirit Realm Masters—each had decades of cultivation, extensive combat experience, and masterful barrier techniques. Yet even so, they were utterly helpless against Purple Bell.
"That's right, I'm Purple Bell. But actually, I can tell you a secret." Purple Bell took delicate steps forward, approaching the presiding elder with an elegant grace and a sweet, innocent smile.
"What? What secret?" Though Purple Bell was only at the ninth level of the Xuan Martial realm, for some reason, the presiding elder sensed a dangerous aura emanating from her.
"Actually, I am a Heaven-Bestowed Divine Body." Suddenly, Purple Bell's eyes began to change, instantly turning a deep violet.
Simultaneously, waves of purple energy surged from her body, and an overwhelming, terrifying might descended from the heavens. This power was so immense that even though the presiding elder was at the third level of Heaven Martial, he could not withstand it.
"Damn it!" At this moment, the elder was struck with profound shock, finally realizing that this beautiful young girl, Purple Bell, was an even more terrifying monster than Chu Feng.
A Heaven-Bestowed Divine Body—it was a legendary existence, a physique granted by the heavens themselves, bearing power bestowed by the divine. Such strength was simply beyond what ordinary mortals could contend with.
Realizing this, the elder abandoned all thought of restraining Chu Feng. Clutching the Mystic Eight Trigrams Bowl, he hurled it directly at Purple Bell.