Chapter 11: Killing Momentum

Chapter 11: Killing Momentum

The Beast Arena erupted with waves of cheers.

"Next match!"

"The Unreturning Swordsman fights two beasts above his level!"

A booming voice echoed through the arena, and all noise instantly died down.

A deathly silence fell.

Three breaths later, the crowd erupted like a tidal wave.

"Fighting two beasts above his level!"

"Is the Unreturning Swordsman insane?"

"Does he think killing an Ironbone Tiger means he can handle two Seventh Level Body Forging beasts?"

"Chen Feng!" Li Xinyue's face paled, her expression frantic.

Countless voices rose from all directions, a deafening uproar, yet none of it affected Chen Feng. Instead, he grew calmer, his battle spirit surging higher with each passing moment.

Another roar tore through the air—different from the Ironbone Tiger's but equally savage and filled with terrifying menace.

"Ironback Ape!"

"Windshadow Leopard!"

Gasps of shock rang out.

"The Ironback Ape's strength rivals the Ironbone Tiger's, with arms of immense power, excelling in frontal assaults. The Windshadow Leopard is lightning-fast, its claws razor-sharp, known as an assassin among beasts. Together, they can easily slaughter many Seventh Level Body Forging martial artists."

"The Beast Arena clearly doesn’t want the Unreturning Swordsman to win."

Behind his dark silver mask, Chen Feng's eyes narrowed, a cold glint flashing within. Ahead, two figures emerged.

One was a giant ape, three meters tall, with a thunderous visage and a body like an iron tower. Its gray-white fur stood on end like steel needles, and its arms were monstrously thick—each as wide as a grown man’s waist.

The other was a spotted leopard, over a meter tall and three meters long. As it moved, its muscles rippled like flowing water, exuding an eerie elegance.

"The Beast Arena isn’t giving me a way out."

Staring at the Ironback Ape and Windshadow Leopard, Chen Feng felt a chill.

The Ironback Ape was a powerhouse in direct combat, while the Windshadow Leopard relied on blinding speed and ambushes.

One brute force, one deadly finesse.

An extremely difficult combination to face.

Yet Chen Feng harbored no resentment toward the Beast Arena. After all, it was just business.

"Beast Arena… this time, you’ve miscalculated."

Chen Feng’s thoughts were icy.

The Ironback Ape’s eyes locked onto him, gradually turning blood-red with fury. The Windshadow Leopard’s amber eyes gleamed with a cold, predatory stillness.

Kill!

Chen Feng struck first.

But the moment he moved, the Ironback Ape charged. Its massive arms bulged with muscle, terrifying power coiling within.

Boom!

The ape closed in, its fists hammering down one after another, sending shockwaves through the air. The sheer pressure of its punches threatened to suffocate Chen Feng.

At the same time, the Windshadow Leopard’s limbs flexed lightly, its lithe body vanishing into a blur.

Chen Feng’s hair stood on end.

Without hesitation, he channeled his Tendon and Bone Force, his footwork weaving five afterimages. Cold light flashed as the illusions shattered one by one.

The Ironback Ape’s fists struck empty air, cratering the ground and sending debris flying.

Chen Feng kept shifting his steps, but the Windshadow Leopard clung to him like a shadow, impossible to shake. The Ironback Ape slowly turned, its crimson, frenzied eyes scanning for Chen Feng’s figure. Its arms tensed and relaxed, power surging, ready to unleash devastating strikes at any moment.

"I must break this deadlock—kill one first." Chen Feng's gaze was grave to the extreme.

The Windshadow Leopard was too fast, making him feel as if he were constantly on the run, while the Ironback Ape watched like a tiger eyeing its prey, its every strike earth-shattering.

The demonic beasts possessed formidable physiques and astonishing endurance—their greatest strengths. To engage them in a battle of attrition was to pit his own weaknesses against their strengths.

Once his Tendon and Bone Force was nearly exhausted, he would either be torn apart by the Windshadow Leopard or crushed to pieces by the Ironback Ape.

Indeed, the difficulty between fighting one versus two was worlds apart.

Yet Chen Feng felt not an ounce of regret for his choice.

Strive!

To not strive was to fall behind; to not advance was to retreat.

Recent events had deepened his understanding of this truth. With this thought, Chen Feng erupted into action.

Six Shadows Illusion!

Instantly, he shook off the Windshadow Leopard’s lock-on, disrupting even the Ironback Ape’s tracking in an instant.

This was an opportunity not to be missed!

Chen Feng’s sword flashed, a streak of light splitting the air as six consecutive sword shadows surged toward the Windshadow Leopard.

The leopard’s dark yellow, cold, and savage eyes flickered with a trace of human-like surprise. It reacted with extreme speed, dodging to the side—but still a fraction too slow. The blade pierced through, leaving several gaping wounds as blood gushed out. A strike to its hind leg severely impaired its movement.

Illusions overlapped; sword shadows flickered.

Seizing the momentum, Chen Feng pressed the attack, driving his blade straight through the Windshadow Leopard’s neck.

With the leopard slain, he immediately activated Six Shadows Illusion again, closing in on the Ironback Ape. The Six Shadows Sword Technique unfolded, each strike aimed at the beast.

"The Unreturning Swordsman actually killed the Windshadow Leopard—unbelievable!"

"Six Shadows Illusion, Six Shadows Sword Technique… He was hiding his strength earlier!"

Gasps of shock erupted one after another.

"At this rate, the Unreturning Swordsman might actually win!"

"Not so fast. The Ironback Ape isn’t so easily dealt with. Besides, at the Sixth Level of the Body Forging Realm, his Tendon and Bone Force is limited. How long can he last?"

The Ironback Ape roared furiously, its massive arms bulging with muscle as it swung like a windmill, sweeping through the air in all directions, forcing Chen Feng to keep his distance.

Chen Feng circled, biding his time.

Though demonic beasts possessed incredible endurance, it was not infinite.

The moment the ape’s arms faltered, Chen Feng exploded into motion, his movement and swordplay merging as he shot forward in a flash.

This strike aimed for the Ironback Ape’s eye.

Earlier attempts had proven that even his Hundred Refinements Sword could not effectively damage the ape’s arms.

Moreover, the Wind Shadow Sword Technique excelled at exploiting weaknesses.

The blade pierced through the ape’s right eye in an instant, penetrating its brain. With a twist of his wrist, Chen Feng scrambled its insides before withdrawing and retreating.

The Ironback Ape staggered as if drunk, its arms flailing wildly, each strike carrying its full force.

Chen Feng kept his distance.

After a dozen breaths, the ape’s towering, iron-like frame crashed heavily onto the stone floor with a dull thud.

"Fighting two is indeed far harder than fighting one."

Chen Feng stared at the Ironback Ape’s corpse, silently reflecting.

Had he not taken the Windshadow Leopard by surprise and killed it first, facing both would have meant exhaustion and death.

"He won!"

"The Unreturning Swordsman actually won!"

"Incredible!"

Many rose to their feet, cheering wildly.

"This strength... even against an Eighth Level Body Forging cultivator, he could put up a fight..." Li Xinyue was utterly astonished.

Meanwhile, Beast Arena staff came forward to remove the corpses of the Windshadow Leopard and Ironback Ape.

"Honorable Unreturning Swordsman," one of the Beast Arena attendants addressed Chen Feng with slight reverence, "will you continue your challenges or conclude for today?"

"Conclude," Chen Feng replied without hesitation. After two battles, his Tendon and Bone Force had been depleted by eighty to ninety percent. To fight again would be courting death.

Sheathing his sword, Chen Feng exited the arena amidst thunderous cheers.

"Congratulations on your victory," the Square-Faced Steward who had previously received Chen Feng said with a smile, handing over three silver notes. "This is three hundred taels."

Chen Feng unceremoniously accepted the silver notes. It had to be said—the Beast Arena was brutal, but fair. When it came to payment, there wasn't the slightest hesitation.

"Additionally, honorable guest, our arena owner requests your presence," the Square-Faced Steward added with a smile.

"The owner?" Chen Feng's brow furrowed slightly beneath his mask. "For what purpose?"

"You'll understand when you meet him," the steward replied. "It might prove to be an opportunity for you."

Chen Feng's eyes gleamed with contemplation as he weighed the offer.

"Lead the way."

After a few breaths, he made his decision.

"Please." The Square-Faced Steward guided him deeper into the Beast Arena, passing through several gates and ascending a winding path before finally stopping before a stone chamber. He knocked rhythmically on the door.

The door opened, revealing a dimly lit interior, silent as a tomb.