"First Strike — Heavenly Thunder Appears!!!"
Seeing how dire the situation had become, Chu Feng wasted no time. Once again, he unleashed the First Strike of the Nine Heavens Heavenly Thunder Slash.
Chu Feng had already sensed that the man in black was no ordinary opponent, and having suffered backlash, his combat strength was far below its normal level.
Under these circumstances, he couldn't afford to drag things out. He needed to end this in a single blow.
And the First Strike of the Nine Heavens Heavenly Thunder Slash was his most reliable move at this point.
Crackling—
The thunder light blade materialized once more. Though its power had weakened considerably compared to before, the might it contained still reached the level of an eighth-rank Martial Ancestor.
And this time, the thunder light blade was aimed straight at the man in black.
But all the man in black did was raise his arm once more.
BOOM—
Vast black aura surged from his palm like a tidal wave.
In the blink of an eye, the black aura collided with the thunder light blade.
Martial force erupted in all directions, churning violently.
The thunder light blade kept cutting through the black aura, pushing forward, but the black aura was endless and inexhaustible.
Though the thunder light blade was gradually closing in on the man in black, it simply couldn't break through the shackles of that black aura.
By comparison, the thunder light blade was clearly the more powerful of the two — but the black aura was no weaker either.
Because the power released by the black aura also matched that of an eighth-rank Martial Ancestor.
"Fighting three ranks above?"
Watching this, Chu Feng's gaze grew incredibly complex.
The man's cultivation hadn't changed — he was still a fifth-rank Martial Ancestor.
Yet the techniques he employed had reached the combat strength of an eighth-rank Martial Ancestor.
There was no other possibility. Only one explanation.
He… possessed the ability to fight three ranks above his level.
Along his journey, Chu Feng had encountered countless young geniuses.
But before today, he had never met anyone who could raise their combat strength by three ranks within the Martial Ancestor realm using nothing but their own abilities, without relying on any supreme treasures.
But today, Chu Feng had found one.
And unlike Chu Feng, he hadn't even resorted to any special means to boost his cultivation — yet he already possessed the heaven-defying combat strength to fight three ranks above.
Such an opponent could almost be called the most formidable one Chu Feng had ever faced among his peers.
At this moment, Chu Feng was bleeding from all seven orifices. Blood gushed from his mouth in great mouthfuls, completely beyond his control.
He felt as though every organ in his body had shattered — the slightest movement produced the sound of bones cracking.
This was the backlash of the Nine Heavens Heavenly Thunder Slash. Two consecutive rounds of backlash had not only inflicted greater damage upon Chu Feng, but the pain was more than any ordinary person could endure.
For an ordinary person, the pain alone would have been enough to render them unconscious.
But Chu Feng not only refused to pass out — a look of grim determination surged within his eyes.
"I never imagined that a peer at the fifth rank of Martial Ancestor could push me this far."
The corners of Chu Feng's mouth curved upward into a smile.
That smile, appearing on his blood-soaked face, looked somewhat eerie — yet his eyes burned with unwavering resolve.
Even if it meant death, he would give it his all.
And so, the Ancient Hero Sword in Chu Feng's hand was raised once more.
And so, from Chu Feng's body erupted an even more formidable aura.
And so, blinding thunder filled the heavens and the earth.
"Second Strike — Heavenly Thunder Appears!!!"