"What?! A bet of life?!!"
The moment these words left Chu Feng's lips, they undoubtedly sent shockwaves through the crowd once more. A first-rank Martial King was voluntarily proposing a life-or-death wager against a third-rank Martial King — and there was no denying that everyone present had been startled by his words.
"Junior Brother Wuqing, have you lost your mind? He's a third-rank Martial King!" Chun Wu secretly transmitted her voice, trying to stop Chu Feng from such a reckless course of action.
However, Chu Feng paid no heed to the crowd's murmuring or Chun Wu's admonition. Instead, he directed his gaze toward Zhu Tianming below and said, "Do you dare?"
"Ha! What a joke — the one who doesn't is a grandson!!!" Zhu Tianming burst into laughter. In his view, Chu Feng couldn't possibly be his match, and on top of that, he had long harbored a deep hatred for Chu Feng. Now that Chu Feng was practically handing his own life over on a silver platter, how could he refuse?
So not only did he accept, but he even cupped his fists toward the spectators below and said respectfully, "Esteemed seniors, Wuqing wishes to wager his life with me — he said so with his own mouth. I would ask you all to bear witness, so that he cannot go back on his word should he lose."
"This…"
By now, the majority of the crowd stood on Chu Feng's side. They could all see that he was a true talent, and it was indeed Master Wuya and the others who had been in the wrong from the start. They didn't want Chu Feng to throw his life away for nothing, so no one responded to Zhu Tianming.
"Young Master Zhu, Junior Brother Wuqing — our bodies and our hair are gifts from our parents. One must never treat one's life as a game." Xia Yu also spoke up, trying to dissuade them. Having witnessed Chu Feng's talent, she naturally didn't want anything to happen to him either.
"I thank the esteemed seniors for their concern." But Zhu Tianming fully intended to take Chu Feng's life — why would he heed Xia Yu's words? He paid no attention to the reactions of those below. After performing a deep bow of gratitude while standing in midair, he pointed at Chu Feng and declared, "You are arrogant and conceited, with no respect for your elders or betters. Today, I shall teach you a proper lesson on behalf of all the seniors here."
*Boom!* The moment those words left his mouth, Zhu Tianming made his move. However, unlike his younger brother Zhu Diguang, what he employed was neither a martial art nor martial force — it was barrier technique.
Barrier technique was widely considered the most formidable of defensive methods, virtually impenetrable. But in Zhu Tianming's hands, that very same invincibility could be transformed into a devastating offensive.
The barriers that emerged were not walls — they took the form of countless razor-sharp blades, capable of piercing through the void itself, tearing through the very air. This imposing power was in no way inferior to raw martial force.
"You want to contest barrier techniques to salvage your Master's honor?"
"How naive. When a third-rank challenges a first-rank, the moment you made your move, you had already lost."
Chu Feng saw through Zhu Tianming's intentions, but he did not back down. With a mere thought of his own, a vast expanse of violet barrier energy transformed into ten thousand blades that rained down from the sky in dense formation, streaking back toward Zhu Tianming.
*Bang! Bang! Bang!* Barrier collided with barrier, sending ripples cascading in all directions like a dazzling fireworks display. But everyone knew the terrifying power contained within those ever-expanding violet rings of light.
"You have some skill — but if you dare contest barrier techniques with me, you are doomed to lose."
Seeing that Chu Feng had blocked his attack, Zhu Tianming began weaving his hands through the air. Under his command, countless runic patterns materialized before him, forming into a magnificent barrier formation.
*Roar!* The moment the formation appeared, a piercing roar erupted from it. Innumerable colossal beasts, condensed entirely from barrier energy, charged across the sky with overwhelming force.
"Chu Feng, don't let your guard down. In terms of barrier techniques, you're definitely above him. But he's a third-rank Martial King — backed by his cultivation, his barriers won't be any weaker than yours. They might even be stronger." At this critical moment, Eggy, who had been silent for some time, offered a grave reminder.
"Don't worry." Chu Feng could naturally sense that Zhu Tianming was genuinely powerful. But even so, he would not admit defeat. If the other party wanted to contest barrier techniques, then he would use barrier techniques to crush him.
With a single thought from Chu Feng, an equally formidable grand barrier formation materialized in response. Once again, several colossal beasts condensed from barrier energy charged forth and clashed across the sky. And just as before, the two remained deadlocked.
Thus, formation after powerful formation emerged, and all manner of bizarre battles unfolded before the onlookers.
Swords, fire, water, beasts, plants — every conceivable thing that existed in the world was displayed one after another in the clash between Chu Feng and Zhu Tianming.
"Incredible! Now *this* is a battle between Spirit World Masters — ever-changing, boundless in variety. Absolutely spectacular." Even an elder powerhouse couldn't help but exclaim in admiration. Since martial cultivators were accustomed to using martial techniques, even Spirit World Masters typically used barriers only for defense while attacking with martial techniques. A pure barrier confrontation like this was rarely seen.
"No — the truly impressive one should be Wuqing. Fighting as a first-rank Martial King against a third-rank Martial King and remaining undefeated already speaks volumes about how formidable this young man is." Another elder powerhouse offered his assessment.
"Now that you mention it, you're absolutely right. This young man's Mental Power is extraordinary, and his barrier techniques are wielded with absolute mastery. If the two were at the same cultivation level, Zhu Tianming would undoubtedly be defeated." Hearing this, the first elder nodded in agreement.
*Boom!* Just then, another heaven-shaking explosion erupted in the sky. Amid the blinding flashes of light, the crowd watched in astonishment as the barrier offensive launched by Chu Feng had already spread to Zhu Tianming's position, engulfing him entirely.
However, a torrential wave of martial force surged out almost immediately, dismantling Chu Feng's barrier attack. But when the barriers dissipated, the onlookers' expressions shifted involuntarily.
Because there, once again visible to everyone, was Zhu Tianming — his hair disheveled, his clothes in disarray, and even streaks of blood on his face. He had clearly been wounded by Chu Feng's earlier barrier assault.
"He actually lost! Wuqing, a first-rank Martial King, used barrier techniques to wound Zhu Tianming, a third-rank Martial King! The outcome of this barrier contest has been decided!"
This scene left everyone stunned once more. In their eyes, the fact that Chu Feng could fight Zhu Tianming to a draw was already extraordinary — it not only proved his combat power was heaven-defying, but also that his talent was exceptional, commanding barrier techniques of tremendous potency.
But no one had ever imagined that Chu Feng could actually *defeat* Zhu Tianming. It was nothing short of astonishing. One had to say it was practically a miracle, given that there was a full two-rank gap between them.
The Martial King realm was unlike the previous four realms of Spirit Martial, Yuan Martial, Xuan Martial, and Heaven Martial — each rank within it represented an enormous difference, as vast as the gap between heaven and earth.
Under normal circumstances, one who could defeat a cultivator of the same rank was an expert of exceptional talent. One who could defeat someone a single rank above was a rare genius. And one who could overcome someone two full ranks above was an extraordinary prodigy.