At this moment, in this realm, the frigid energy could freeze anything. In such a state, even Chu Feng's body was instantly coated in a layer of frost, freezing him to the point where his body began to stiffen and his movements grew sluggish.
Eventually, Chu Feng's actions slowed to a crawl, transforming him into an ice statue before he completely stopped moving and plummeted into the waves below.
The moment Chu Feng fell, the waves instantly froze solid, encasing him within the ice. Dugu Aoyun descended gracefully, standing upon the ice surface. He surveyed the surroundings with a smile and declared, "The winner is decided!"
"Whoosh~"
A collective gasp rippled through the crowd. Staring at the terrifying, contorted ice sculpture on the combat platform, everyone was awed by Dugu Aoyun's display. Though Chu Feng's combat strength had amazed them, Dugu Aoyun's experience commanded even greater respect. Not only did he wield formidable control to simultaneously execute two sixth-rank martial arts, he also merged their characteristics to unleash power beyond a standard sixth-rank art. By the time they realized the danger, it was too late—Chu Feng had been defeated.
"Dugu Aoyun is truly the foremost among Qingzhou's younger generation. Such methods are truly impressive!"
"Alas, what a pity for Chu Feng. He's just too young. Given a few more years, I'm certain Dugu Aoyun would be no match for him." Many praised Dugu Aoyun's strength, while others lamented the fall of such a supreme genius. It was a heartbreaking sight.
However, compared to the onlookers, the disciples of the Lingyun Sect were ecstatic. Dugu Aoyun's victory not only avenged Feng Hao but also preserved the sect's dignity and maintained its dominant status in Qingzhou.
*Rumble...* Just as everyone believed the outcome was settled, the combat platform began to tremble violently. Simultaneously, fine cracks started spreading across the frigid ice sculpture.
The cracks spread faster and grew larger, swelling from thin lines to thick fissures until they covered the entire massive sculpture. Immediately following this, an extremely berserk energy burst from within, sweeping outward and engulfing that area.
*Boom!* In an instant, the colossal ice sculpture shattered, the large chunks fragmenting into a fine icy rain that scattered downward until it was completely pulverized.
At the same time, a figure reappeared before everyone's eyes in that very space. It was Chu Feng. He stood upon the platform, the frost covering his body sublimating into rising steam. Beneath that steam, a pair of exceptionally sharp eyes could be seen.
With Chu Feng's return came a terrifying pressure that distorted the very space around them. Under this immense force, Dugu Aoyun lost all his former arrogance. His face twisted in agony as he struggled against the pressure, forced to bend lower and lower, his posture becoming one of submission.
"What incredible martial art! This feeling... it's as if it has already surpassed the sixth rank. Does that mean Chu Feng has mastered a seventh-rank martial art?"
"Impossible! There are no seventh-rank martial arts in all of Qingzhou. This must be a top-tier sixth-rank art, combined with Chu Feng's understanding and unique talent, unleashing power beyond the art's inherent limits."
"It's the user's unique comprehension and talent that elevates the martial art's power? If that's the case, then in terms of wielding a martial art, Chu Feng has completely surpassed Dugu Aoyun!"
Chu Feng's Void Dragon Roar Blade was simply too formidable. While it lacked the spectacular visual of Dugu Aoyun's Ocean of Boundlessness or Freezing Heavens and Earth, its aura of absolute suppression left everyone shaken.
"Dugu Aoyun, will you sever your own cultivation, or shall I do it for you?" Chu Feng's voice was cold as he addressed Dugu Aoyun, who was now forced into a near-kneeling position by the Void Dragon Roar Blade, unable to even straighten his back.
"Hmph! Do you truly think victory is already in your grasp? This battle isn't over yet! Now, witness the most powerful martial art of my Lingyun Sect!"
Dugu Aoyun suddenly threw his head back and laughed. Then, an exceptionally peculiar aura surged from his body. The pressure that had been suppressing him was suddenly resisted, and his aura began to skyrocket, breaking through layer after layer, growing stronger with each level.
"This feeling... it's the Deadly Seven Injuries Fist." Observing Dugu Aoyun's rapidly changing aura, Chu Feng's expression shifted slightly, and his brows knitted together.
He recognized the martial art Dugu Aoyun was using. It was one of the Lingyun Sect's cornerstone techniques, the Deadly Seven Injuries Fist. This art was originally a fifth-rank martial art, not inherently threatening, but it possessed a bizarre quality similar to forbidden drugs: it could sacrifice the user's own body to gain power far beyond their normal limits.
Chu Feng had once witnessed this art used by a Lingyun Sect core disciple named "Ding Chou" in Vermilion Bird City. Back then, Ding Chou had drastically increased his cultivation using this technique, and he had only mastered the third layer, which had already placed Chu Feng under immense pressure.
Now, Dugu Aoyun's execution of the Deadly Seven Injuries Fist had completely surpassed Ding Chou's. He had already reached the fourth layer. At this level, his body was entirely free from the suppression of Chu Feng's Void Dragon Roar Blade.
*Hum...* Right then, Dugu Aoyun broke through again, stepping into the fifth layer. At this moment, centered around Dugu Aoyun, waves of Mystic Force spun rapidly outward, beginning to counterattack and press against Chu Feng, making him feel tremendous pressure.
But it wasn't over. Suddenly, another terrifying invisible vortex erupted from Dugu Aoyun's body, completely dismantling Chu Feng's Void Dragon Roar Blade.
Dugu Aoyun had now not only broken through to the sixth layer of the Deadly Seven Injuries Fist, but his actual cultivation had also skyrocketed by an entire realm, advancing from the eighth stage of the Xuan Martial Realm to the ninth.
*Thud!* Under the force of Dugu Aoyun's renewed pressure, Chu Feng was compelled to take a step back, his face turning grim once more. Facing Dugu Aoyun's power surge, he felt the strain acutely.
"Look! How did Dugu Aoyun's aura suddenly soar to this level? This bizarre transformation... Could it be, could it be the Lingyun Sect's foundational technique, the Deadly Seven Injuries Fist?"
Dugu Aoyun's change left everyone astounded. Jumping from the eighth to the ninth stage of the Xuan Martial Realm was simply too horrifying a feat, immediately bringing the Deadly Seven Injuries Fist to their minds.
ps: Third chapter delivered.