Chapter 19: Two Points, One Line, a Single Slash

Chapter 19: Two Points, One Line, a Single Slash

Blades and swords clashed, sparks flying, illuminating the dimness of the Ten Thousand Woods.

Chen Feng retreated repeatedly, his expression grave.

Compared to Wang Qi and the other three he had slain earlier, Ye Huai’s strength was at least twice as formidable.

Thanks to the aid of the Divine Talisman Of Creation, Chen Feng’s foundation was incomparably solid, his refined strength pure and free of impurities. Though only at the Eighth Level of the Body Forging Realm, he was no weaker than an ordinary Ninth Level cultivator. Yet, in their blade-to-sword clash, his strength was shattered by Ye Huai’s overwhelming force.

Chen Feng’s understanding of the Top Ten Disciples of the Dao Academy grew clearer.

With such power, no wonder they could slay a Shadow Leopard.

As he retreated, Chen Feng gathered his strength once more, activating the Nine Shadows Illusory Body. Sword in hand, he lunged forward.

Ye Huai and Ye Yao—both had to die.

But the two were far from ordinary. Fighting them alone, Chen Feng found himself gradually pushed to the defensive.

"Use the Wind Shadow Annihilation Style to kill one first," Chen Feng strategized mid-battle, only to dismiss the thought.

Once unleashed, the Wind Shadow Annihilation Style would drain nearly 90% of his strength, leaving him weakened for a time. The best course was to wait for an opportunity to strike both down in a single decisive blow.

Unbeknownst to him, Ye Huai and Ye Yao were equally shocked.

Even the top disciple of the Dao Academy would struggle against their combined might, yet they couldn’t overpower Chen Feng.

Was this truly the same "lucky charm" who had been a laughingstock for six years?

"Brother Huai, use the secret technique. End this quickly," Ye Yao’s voice reached Ye Huai’s ears.

Ye Huai’s mind raced, and he made his decision.

With a simultaneous roar, their voices shook the surroundings. A dense crimson glow erupted from their bodies, burning like flames, accompanied by a thunderous resonance from within.

Chen Feng’s senses sharpened as their auras surged by several folds, pressing down on him like a mountain.

"What is this?"

Frowning, Chen Feng was utterly baffled.

"To force us to use the secret technique—Burning Blood Force—you can die with pride," Ye Huai sneered.

"A secret technique… Burning Blood Force…" Chen Feng suddenly realized how much he still lacked in martial knowledge.

As Ye Huai spoke, his Treading Waves Step accelerated dramatically, his speed increasing by another 30%.

Wave-Breaking Seven Blades!

Each strike came faster and fiercer than before, wreathed in crimson flames that tore through the darkness of the Ten Thousand Woods like blazing meteors.

From the side, Ye Yao attacked with the Wave-Breaking Six Blades, his strikes cloaked in scorching fire.

Chen Feng’s heart pounded in alarm. He pushed the Nine Shadows Illusory Body to its limit, ten afterimages flickering into existence—only to be shattered one after another by their relentless assault.

Locked onto by their killing intent, Chen Feng faced Ye Huai’s unstoppable blade, its murderous resolve undeniable.

With a swift motion, Chen Feng unleashed the Nine Sword Shadows in rapid succession.

But against Ye Huai’s meteor-like strike, the sword shadows shattered one by one. When blade met sword, an overwhelming force surged through the trembling steel, tearing into Chen Feng’s arm.

His refined strength collapsed instantly. Pain lanced through his flesh, bones, and sinews as if they were being pierced and torn apart.

"At least 50% stronger than before!"

Chen Feng used the recoil to retreat, his mind reeling.

The power of the Burning Blood Force is truly astonishing.

While retreating, Chen Feng circulated his Organ Force to soothe and recover his battered skin, flesh, tendons, and bones.

Yet, Ye Huai and Ye Yao pounced from both sides, each step of their Treading Waves Step erupting with explosive force as they launched a frenzied assault.

Chen Feng pushed his movement technique to the limit, ten illusory shadows flickering into existence only to be shattered.

At the same time, he relied on the towering trees surrounding him, dodging and maneuvering repeatedly.

The Nine Shadows Illusory Body was a combat movement technique suited for all terrains, allowing him to exploit the environment to his advantage. In contrast, Ye Huai and Ye Yao’s Treading Waves Step was an explosive combat footwork, most effective in open spaces where they could charge straight ahead.

The dense, towering trees of the Ten Thousand Woods crisscrossed endlessly, inadvertently restricting the effectiveness of the Treading Waves Step while enhancing the Nine Shadows Illusory Body.

Blades slashed through the trees like blazing meteors, severing them with violent force. Wood splinters flew as the trees collapsed with piercing shrieks.

With his cultivation at the Eighth Level of the Body Forging Realm and an exceptionally solid foundation, Chen Feng’s energy reserves were deeper, and his recovery speed was faster.

Repeatedly executing his movement technique showed no signs of exhausting his energy.

Chen Feng’s eyes narrowed, a cold glint flashing within.

Facing Ye Huai and Ye Yao, who had activated their secret technique, a direct clash was unwise. He could only evade repeatedly while memorizing the terrain, waiting for the right moment.

The Wind Shadow Annihilation Style was a single decisive strike—it required perfect timing.

In Chen Feng’s perception, Ye Huai and Ye Yao were defined as points.

And points could be connected into a line!

His gaze sharpened as he flicked his sword, sending a severed log hurtling toward Ye Yao.

Ye Yao’s eyes narrowed as his blade cleaved through the log effortlessly.

At the same time, Ye Huai swung his blade in a horizontal slash, charging forward.

"Two points forming a line—now!" Chen Feng’s pupils contracted, reflecting the figures of Ye Huai and Ye Yao. Originally attacking from left and right, his maneuvering had unknowingly aligned them into a single, albeit slightly crooked, line.

But it was enough.

His Tendon and Bone Force erupted in full force. Nine Sword Shadows linked seamlessly, converging into a single, dazzling sword light—radiant and blinding.

The brilliance of the sword forced Ye Huai’s eyes shut involuntarily. A sharp screech pierced his eardrums, and his skull trembled as if stabbed by needles.

"Brother Huai, watch out!"

Ye Yao’s voice seemed to echo from the heavens.

But Ye Huai felt as if all his reactions had slowed. He desperately swung his blade, but it was like moving against a current—every motion met heavy resistance, always a fraction too late.

The sword light pierced through Ye Huai’s defenses like it was cutting through gold and stone, then continued unrelentingly toward Ye Yao.

Ye Yao’s face turned deathly pale as he frantically dodged.

A flash of the sword— A severed arm, still gripping a blade, flew into the air. Ye Yao screamed, his body tumbling as he staggered away in a desperate attempt to flee.

"You won’t escape."

Gathering the last of his Tendon and Bone Force, Chen Feng hurled his sword through the air. It pierced Ye Yao’s body from over a dozen meters away, the immense force sending him crashing into a tree.

"Spare me… don’t kill me…" Ye Yao wailed.

"Has Ye Yunqi emerged from seclusion?" Chen Feng appeared behind Ye Yao, gripping the hilt of his sword, his voice calm.

"Yes, he emerged yesterday. His cultivation soared to the peak of the Ninth Level of the Body Forging Realm. He defeated the former top disciple of the Dao Academy in a single move and became the new chief disciple," Ye Yao blurted out, desperate to live.

"How strong was the former chief of the Dao Academy?" Chen Feng's eyes narrowed as he asked coldly.

"Very strong. He could defeat Ye Huai in three moves," Ye Yao hurriedly replied.

Chen Feng's heart sank.

If the former chief could defeat Ye Huai in three moves, yet Ye Yunqi had defeated the former chief in a single move, that level of strength was unfathomable—far beyond his current capabilities.

But Chen Feng did not belittle himself.

Once his cultivation reached the Ninth Level of the Body Forging Realm, he might very well be able to fight Ye Yunqi.

Moreover, the Body Forging Realm was merely the starting point of martial arts.

"How do you cultivate the Treading Waves Step? How do you cultivate the Burning Blood Force?" Chen Feng pressed.

"Let me go first. Release me and treat my wounds," Ye Yao bargained instead.

Chen Feng's eyes turned icy. In an instant, his sword flashed, and blood sprayed as Ye Yao let out a pained groan.

After briefly treating Ye Yao’s wounds, Chen Feng knocked him unconscious with a slap and immediately searched the bodies of those he had slain.

Twelve Crimson Vein Fruits were secured, along with five hundred taels in banknotes and dozens of taels in loose silver. There were also six Hundred-Tempered Weapons, which could fetch over two hundred taels if sold.

Gathering the weapons and hauling Ye Yao’s body, Chen Feng swiftly headed back toward the area where he had slain the Quasi-Second Rank Giant Strength Bear.

As for the corpses of Ye Huai and the others, it wouldn’t be long before demonic beasts caught the scent of blood and devoured them.

Thud!

Ye Yao’s body was flung to the ground by Chen Feng, jolting him awake.

"Who else knows you came to kill me?" Chen Feng loomed over him, his gaze sharp as a blade.

"Ye Huai asked for my help. I don’t know if he told anyone else," Ye Yao stammered, realizing his dire situation.

"The cultivation methods for the Treading Waves Step and the Burning Blood Force," Chen Feng demanded again, shifting the topic.

"Swear you’ll spare me, and I’ll tell you how to cultivate them," Ye Yao bargained once more, his eyes darting.

Chen Feng frowned slightly. His sword flashed, severing one of Ye Yao’s fingers. A scream tore through the air.

"You still have four fingers and ten toes left..."

Chen Feng’s indifferent tone sent chills down Ye Yao’s spine.

"I’ll talk... I’ll talk..."

Gritting through the pain, Ye Yao revealed the cultivation method for the Treading Waves Step. Chen Feng memorized it in one go but didn’t trust him, repeatedly questioning in different ways to expose any lies or omissions.

For this, Ye Yao lost another finger.

Now thoroughly cowed, he divulged the Burning Blood Force method without any deceit.

"To thank you, I’ll reunite you with Ye Huai," Chen Feng said coldly, his voice razor-sharp.

"No... You can’t kill me! The Ye Family will never let you go!" Ye Yao shrieked, scrambling backward in terror.

"Anyone who tries to kill me will join you," Chen Feng declared mercilessly before his sword pierced Ye Yao’s forehead.

"I’ll stay here for now. Once I master the Treading Waves Step and the Burning Blood Force, I’ll return to the Dao Academy."

With that thought, Chen Feng tossed Ye Yao’s corpse aside and cleaned up the remaining traces of blood.

"The Treading Waves Step, also known as the Nine-Step Treading Waves, is a combat movement technique. Once mastered, each step increases speed by 10%, and nine consecutive steps can boost speed by 90%..."

Ye Yao had only mastered five steps, while Ye Huai had achieved six, granting them extraordinary bursts of speed.

According to Ye Yao, Ye Yunqi had mastered all nine steps.

"If I master the Nine-Step Treading Waves and then unleash the Wind Shadow Annihilation Style, the speed and power..."

The mere thought filled Chen Feng with immense motivation, and he immediately began practicing.