The Zhenyuan Lone Mountain had multiple paths leading to its summit.
Duan Liufeng possessed a supreme treasure, and the path he had chosen was faster than the one Chu Feng had taken.
However, while this path was quicker, it was also far more difficult. Duan Liufeng's own abilities were not the issue — his biggest problem was that he was, in fact, not a junior.
At this moment, Duan Liufeng lay prostrate on the ground, engulfed by a sphere of white light.
His face was pale as paper, and cold sweat poured from him like rain. Even his breathing was weak — each ragged gasp betraying his frailty.
He looked as though an invisible mountain had crushed him into the earth.
The source of his suffering was the white light itself — a punitive formation designed specifically to punish people like Duan Liufeng, those who were not juniors yet had intruded upon this place.
"Elder Duan."
A voice called out, and Duan Liufeng struggled to pry open his eyes.
But when he saw the figure approaching from nearby, his expression did not brighten.
It was Zuoqiu Youyu.
"Elder Duan, don't worry. I'll find a way to get you out of there right now."
Zuoqiu Youyu stepped forward and spoke.
"Youyu, I'm fine. There's no need to trouble yourself with me."
"You should head to the summit first and find that elder from our sect."
Duan Liufeng said.
He knew that since the Sect Master had brought Zuoqiu Youyu here, the latter must already know the purpose of this journey.
"Elder Duan, you don't exactly look fine to me. If this continues, your life could be in danger."
"There's no rush to find our sect's elder — it can wait a moment."
"Let me get you out first."
As Zuoqiu Youyu spoke, he unleashed a martial technique and struck at the formation.
The technique appeared to be testing the formation, but its residual force landed squarely on Duan Liufeng.
Several points of martial power struck Duan Liufeng's body.
Wherever they hit, fresh blood quickly welled up.
"Elder Duan, how can this be? With my level of cultivation, how could I possibly wound you?"
"Could it be that here… your body and cultivation have both been suppressed?"
Zuoqiu Youyu asked with a look of surprise.
"Zuoqiu Youyu, you did that deliberately."
"As far as I can tell, you have no intention of rescuing me at all. You want me dead here, don't you?"
"But let me warn you — don't underestimate me. I have a means of contacting the Sect Master. If you kill me, the Sect Master will know."
Duan Liufeng warned Zuoqiu Youyu in a stern tone.
"Ha ha ha ha…"
But upon hearing these words, Zuoqiu Youyu showed no panic. Instead, he burst into laughter.
"Elder Duan, I'm not underestimating you. You are the head of the Ten Wulong Elders of our Wulong Martial Sect. Your abilities are probably not much weaker than my grandfather's."
"If not for this formation, even ten thousand of my kind could be wiped out by you in the blink of an eye. How could I possibly have the power to deal with you?"
"But as it happens, this formation exists right here — and it was designed specifically to target you."
"I, Zuoqiu Youyu, either don't act at all, or once I act, I never stop."
"Don't bother trying to scare me with the Sect Master. Not only do you lack any means of notifying the Sect Master, but even if you did, your life is mine today regardless."
"Really, Elder Duan, don't blame me."
"There was never any grudge between us. It's just that Chu Feng killed my brother, and I will absolutely eliminate him. You've simply been caught up in it because of him."
"So if you want to blame someone, blame Chu Feng."
Whoosh—
Having finished speaking, Zuoqiu Youyu's expression turned vicious. In a flash of cold light, he drew forth an Exalted Armament.
Moreover, his Thunder Marks and Lightning Armor manifested simultaneously.
His cultivation soared from the third rank of Martial Emperor all the way to the fifth rank.
With such cultivation, bolstered by the power of an Exalted Armament, Zuoqiu Youyu's strength at this moment was formidable.
But even so, he did not strike rashly.
Instead, a torrent of martial power gathered within his body — he was preparing an Exalted Forbidden Martial Technique.
He dared not be careless, for he intended to kill Duan Liufeng in a single blow.
Zzzzap—
But suddenly, a bolt of lightning — a blade of thunder — sliced toward Zuoqiu Youyu from the side.
The lightning blade was devastatingly fierce. Nothing in its path could block it — even the fabric of space was cleaved apart.
And it was blindingly fast. By the time Zuoqiu Youyu reacted, the blade had already arrived before him, crashing directly into his body.
Pfft—
Blood sprayed into the air. Zuoqiu Youyu was not merely sent flying — he was cleanly severed in two.
When his body hit the ground, it lay motionless. There was no longer any breath.
He… was already dead.
And yet even then, the raging lightning was not satisfied. Rather than dissipating immediately, it expanded in scope, splitting into countless bolts that continued to bombard Zuoqiu Youyu's remains.