"Not good, Cousin—run!" At that moment, even Xue Jian, who was also at the Heaven Martial 9th Stage, panicked. Like Xue Yi, he too could feel the terror radiating from Chu Feng, and as a fellow Heaven Martial 9th Stage cultivator, he was even more acutely aware of just how terrifying that pressure truly was.
Without a moment's hesitation—and with no regard whatsoever for his cousin's survival—Xue Jian shouted out, twisted around, and bolted.
"You want to run? Neither of you is getting away." Chu Feng merely let out a cold laugh. Without even moving a muscle, a violent surge of Heaven Martial power erupted from his body, transforming from the invisible to the visible as two monstrous, gaping maws materialized and swallowed both Xue Jian and Xue Yi whole in the same instant.
"Ahhhhhhh!"
Piercing, agonized screams tore from the brothers' throats. Through the violent torrent of Heaven Martial power, one could see their bodies enduring the most ruthless torture imaginable. Their flesh was being torn apart bit by bit, and even their very sources were being siphoned away. Yet through all of this, they remained alive—able to feel every excruciating sensation of their own dismemberment.
By the time they finally stopped screaming, they had long since stopped breathing. More precisely, there was nothing left—no heart, no liver, not even a single splinter of bone. Chu Feng had utterly stripped them of everything.
*Whoosh!* As the violent Heaven Martial power surged back into his body, two Universe Bags dropped into Chu Feng's hands. He clutched them in his palm, gave them a couple of light tosses, and then remarked with a hint of disappointment: "They were bragging so much earlier. Turns out they were nothing but paupers."
Chu Feng's words were not without reason. Xue Jian had previously boasted about possessing all manner of martial medicines, yet after inspecting their Universe Bags, Chu Feng found that while they did contain some martial medicines, they were all low-grade—not a single mid-grade among them.
Though they lacked anything as comparatively valuable as mid-grade martial medicines, the bags still held a considerable amount of resources. For ordinary people, it would have been a fortune. But for Chu Feng, it was merely a modest haul.
After stowing the Universe Bags, Chu Feng cast a sidelong glance behind him, then smiled faintly as he released his triple Thunder Force, returning his aura to the Heaven Martial 6th Stage. With that, he shot off toward the Ancient Teleportation Formation.
As Chu Feng traveled further and further until his figure vanished entirely, two graceful silhouettes rose from a patch of grass not far away—Jiang Wanshi and Sun Yihan.
"Oh my god, he's actually at the Heaven Martial 9th Stage! And his combat strength is beyond anything I could have imagined—surely even a First-rank Martial Lord would have to take him seriously in a fight?"
"It's unbelievable. He hid his strength so deeply that there wasn't the slightest flaw to detect. No wonder—no wonder he was able to forge a contract with the Asura Spirit Realm. He's an absolute monster. This is the first time I've ever seen a peer this freakishly powerful." Sun Yihan's mouth hung wide open, her eyes brimming with shock.
As for Jiang Wanshi, she continued staring in the direction Chu Feng had departed. She said nothing, but within those small yet luminous eyes of hers, there gleamed not only astonishment but also a trace of shame.
After a long moment, Jiang Wanshi finally came back to herself. The corner of her lips curved upward in a bitter smile. "We prided ourselves on being geniuses, dismissing everyone around us as beneath our notice—never realizing that some people hide their strength deep within, powerful yet humble. They may seem ordinary on the surface, but in truth, they've long since left us far behind."
"We were flaunting our arrogance right in front of his people, treating him as if he didn't matter, when all along—in his eyes—we were probably nothing more than trash, utterly insignificant."
Hearing Jiang Wanshi's words, Sun Yihan's expression shifted as well. Then, as though some realization had dawned upon her, she said, "Senior Sister… is this what Master meant by 'there are always people beyond people, and skies beyond skies'?"
Jiang Wanshi and Sun Yihan had followed after them because they feared that, given Xue Jian and Xue Yi's temperament, they would not let Chu Feng go. They had intended to secretly protect him until he safely reached the Ancient Teleportation Formation. Instead, they had stumbled upon his true strength by sheer accident—and without question, what they had witnessed had thoroughly shaken them to their core.
In truth, with Chu Feng's Mental Power, he had not only detected the Xue brothers long ago but had also sensed Jiang Wanshi and Sun Yihan the entire time. However, he had chosen to give them face by not summoning them out. That said, after sensing their shock, Chu Feng quietly made a decision.
There would be certain situations and certain people before whom he simply should not hide his strength. After all, in this world, the strong commanded respect. Only overwhelming power and exceptional talent could earn people's genuine reverence. With meager strength, no matter how humble one's conduct, all one received was contempt and scorn.
So Chu Feng resolved that from now on, he would traverse the Eastern Sea in this guise. Whether he performed some earth-shaking feat or committed some terrible transgression, he would do it all as this person—Wu Qing. Only when fleeing or facing an insurmountable enemy would he change his appearance.
But he would make the people of the Eastern Sea understand that Wu Qing was not someone to be trifled with. And one day, he would let everyone know that Wu Qing was merely an alias, that his true identity was Chu Feng.
That day, however, would only come when he could be certain that no one in the Eastern Sea posed a threat to his loved ones and friends—and when he could crush the Immortal Execution Archipelago beneath his feet.
The Eastern Sea was vast, with a land area far smaller than its expanse of ocean—hence the name.
The Boundless Blood Sea lay at the center of a vast stretch of waters, far removed from any landmass. Naturally, the distance from the Mandarin Duck Platform was considerable. However, given that the central region of the Eastern Sea was dotted with numerous Ancient Teleportation Formations, distance was no obstacle—as long as you had the money.
Chu Feng was not particularly wealthy, but the fees for an Ancient Teleportation Formation were absolutely no challenge for him. Thus, after a few days of travel, he arrived at the Boundless Blood Sea.
"No wonder it's called the Boundless Blood Sea—the seawater here is truly blood-red." Gazing downward, Chu Feng could not help but marvel. Ordinary seawater was blue, but the waters of this Blood Sea were red, as if formed from gathered blood. Yet despite its crimson hue, rather than appearing terrifying, the sight was surprisingly beautiful.
The reason was that the seawater carried no stench of blood—instead, it possessed a faint, delicate fragrance. Moreover, while the Eastern Sea was known for its fierce winds and violent waves, with most seas churning so violently that ordinary people could not approach their shores, the Boundless Blood Sea was remarkably calm. There was not a single ripple—its surface was as smooth as a mirror. Especially under the gleam of sunlight, a soft crimson glow shimmered above the water, dazzlingly radiant and stunningly beautiful, inspiring endless admiration.