"Is he truly a fourth-stage Heavenly Immortal?"
Sensing Chu Feng's aura, many people looked on with astonishment, for this was simply too shocking a thing for them to comprehend.
Before his disappearance, Chu Feng had been a sixth-stage True Immortal. Now, however, he was a fourth-stage Heavenly Immortal. To have his cultivation rise by so much in such a short period of time—it was impossible for them not to be surprised.
But compared to the crowd from the Great Thousand Upper Realm, the corner of Li Yan's mouth merely curled into a cold smirk.
He stood rooted in place, not moving an inch, simply waiting for Chu Feng to attack. And the look on his face was one of complete fearlessness, brimming with confidence.
He was utterly convinced that as long as Chu Feng's cultivation was inferior to his own, it wouldn't matter how heaven-defying a technique Chu Feng wielded—he could not possibly prevail.
As the second most talented individual of the current generation of the Li Heavenly Clan, he had every reason to hold that confidence.
And in the blink of an eye, while everyone was still marveling, Chu Feng had already arrived before Li Yan.
At that moment, the smile on Li Yan's lips grew even wider, and he said, "You haven't even released your lightning markings? Chu Feng, you've already lost."
Li Yan's words were mockery—ridiculing Chu Feng for underestimating his opponent.
And after those words left his mouth, Li Yan released his aura. With his cultivation a full realm above Chu Feng's, Li Yan had no need to lift a finger. His mere aura would be more than enough to force Chu Feng, who stood so close, flat onto the ground.
Boom— But the instant Li Yan unleashed his aura, he felt a crushing force descend from the heavens, slamming down upon him. Then, with a heavy thud, he collapsed face-first onto the platform.
And almost simultaneously with his fall, Chu Feng was already standing before him.
"Tell me—do I qualify now?" Chu Feng asked Li Yan with a pleasant smile.
At this moment, among everyone present—aside from the Stellar Monk and the Chu Heavenly Clan's Clan Chief and a precious few others—whether from the elder generation or the junior, all were struck dumb with their jaws hanging open.
And Li Yan, the one face-down on the ground, wore an expression of utter disbelief.
Because the aura Chu Feng was releasing at this moment was not that of a fourth-stage Heavenly Immortal—it was that of a sixth-stage Heavenly Immortal.
"A sixth-stage Heavenly Immortal! Chu Feng's cultivation is actually at the sixth-stage Heavenly Immortal level!"
"Am I sensing wrong? Am I really sensing wrong?"
"No, you're not! It's definitely the sixth-stage Heavenly Immortal realm! He has truly stepped into the sixth-stage Heavenly Immortal!"
"But wasn't he only a sixth-stage True Immortal before his disappearance? How has he now become a sixth-stage Heavenly Immortal? How could he have risen so many realms in such a short span of time?"
"This is far too unbelievable! This is absolutely impossible!!!"
In an instant, exclamations of shock echoed throughout the area.
And even after hearing the cries of astonishment from the crowd, the juniors of the Li Heavenly Clan were filled with stunned disbelief as well.
To rise from a sixth-stage True Immortal to a sixth-stage Heavenly Immortal in such a short period of time—such speed was truly too terrifying.
Setting aside the juniors of the Chu Heavenly Clan, even across the entire Ancestral Martial Starfield, there probably weren't many individuals like Chu Feng to be found.
"You bastard! You were hiding your cultivation? Despicable and shameless!" Suddenly, an furious curse rang out—it was Li Yan.
Li Yan's face had practically turned green with rage.
Although he too was shocked by Chu Feng's true cultivation, his fury stemmed from Chu Feng having concealed it earlier. If Chu Feng had revealed his true strength from the very beginning, Li Yan would never have been so careless, and he never would have suffered such a humiliating defeat. That was why he could not accept this.
"Despicable?" Chu Feng let out a cold laugh, then said, "You don't even understand the principle that all is fair in war?"
"Could it be that the juniors of your Li Heavenly Clan were all raised in a greenhouse?"