Chapter 33: Crushing Through Like a Hot Knife Through Butter

Chapter 33: Crushing Through Like a Hot Knife Through Butter

A sharp, ear-piercing shriek tore through the air as a streak of cold light split the sky, leaving behind a dazzling trail.

The overwhelming killing intent was undisguised, striking forth with ruthless determination.

Chen Feng's expression remained unchanged, but his figure flickered in an instant, leaving behind an afterimage as he evaded the fatal strike.

"Before the fiftieth layer, all Tower Guardians were at the Perfected Ninth Level of the Body Forging Realm, but their strength varied depending on the refinement of their Force, mastery of martial techniques, and combat experience..."

"Starting from this fifty-first layer, the Tower Guardians' cultivation reaches the Tenth Level of the Body Forging Realm."

The thought flashed through his mind as Chen Feng drew his sword and counterattacked.

The Wind Shadow Sword Technique unfolded—thirteen sword shadows shot through the air in an instant, swift and fierce, piercing through the opponent's body in a single motion.

Outside the tower, the voice of the Tower Spirit rang out once more. On the Hidden Dragon Stone Tablet, Chen Feng's name shifted from the fiftieth spot to the forty-ninth.

Fight! Fight! Fight!

An endless cycle of battle. Chen Feng continued his relentless climb through the Huntian Battle Tower, conquering layer after layer.

From the fifty-first layer onward, the Tower Guardians' cultivation reached the Tenth Level of the Body Forging Realm, having only undergone their first Force refinement. However, the higher he climbed, the more times their Force had been refined—and their Force was unmistakably the Hunyuan Force.

By the time Chen Feng reached the sixty-first layer, he noticed that the Tower Guardians' Force had undergone a second refinement.

At the seventy-first layer, their Force had been refined a third time.

Only then did Chen Feng begin to feel some pressure.

"Still not enough..."

Muttering to himself as he shattered the seventy-first layer's Tower Guardian with a swing of his sword, his eyes only grew brighter.

His original purpose in coming here was twofold: to temper himself and to gain insight into mastering the Juejian Thirteen Swords.

But clearly, if his opponents weren't strong enough, the tempering effect would be limited—and mastering the Juejian Thirteen Swords wouldn't come so easily.

The opponent on the seventy-second layer also possessed Hunyuan Force refined three times, but their strength was noticeably greater.

Using the Wind Shadow Sword Technique, Chen Feng engaged in a brief exchange before defeating them once more.

Outside the Huntian Battle Tower, thousands of people gathered around the Hidden Dragon Stone Tablet, their gazes fixed on the two names shimmering with silver radiance, their expressions filled with shock.

"Twenty-seventh..."

"Twenty-sixth! It's twenty-sixth now!"

"Twenty-fifth..."

"Isn't this tower-climbing speed way too fast?"

"Is True Disciple Chen Feng really just a Mortal Body like the rest of us?"

"Idiot, it's already been said—Senior Brother Chen possesses a hidden divine trait, likely even at the Saint-grade. How could he possibly be a Mortal Body?"

As the Outer Sect disciples chattered among themselves, Chen Feng's name continued its relentless ascent on the Hidden Dragon Stone Tablet.

Twentieth!

...

Eighty-first layer of the Huntian Battle Tower.

"Core Disciple Zhao Fei of Yunyan Peak—I seek your guidance."

The cold, ethereal voice faded before Chen Feng could even clearly see the speaker's face. In an instant, she dissolved into a mist, swiftly drifting toward him.

The mist spread, carrying with it a terrifying killing intent.

Chen Feng's eyes narrowed, barely catching glimpses of cold flashes flickering within the mist. A chill ran down his spine.

Yet, far from feeling fear, a faint smile curled at his lips.

At last... at last, he was facing real pressure.

"I hope you can help my swordsmanship advance further, even to the point of mastering the Juejian Thirteen Swords..."

As his voice faded, Chen Feng's figure flickered, leaving behind a flurry of phantoms as his sword swept through the air like a swift gale, instantly piercing through the mist.

The mist, though torn apart, reformed in an instant, and a cold gleam shot toward him from the side.

Chen Feng sensed that his opponent's Force had reached the level of four temperings.

However, it was still the Hunyuan Force, inferior to the Huntian Force.

A four-tempered Hunyuan Force was roughly equivalent to a three-tempered Huntian Force.

But his opponent's martial prowess was exceptional, his combat experience vast, and for a time, Chen Feng found himself unable to gain the upper hand.

He repeatedly unleashed the Wind Shadow Thirteen Swords, sending wave after wave of sword shadows slicing through the air. Alternating between the Ten Shadows Illusion Form and Treading Waves Ten Steps, his movements became erratic—now fast, now slow—advancing and retreating with ease, as if everything was under his control.

In the depths of his mind, Chen Feng seemed to grasp something profound.

Thirteen sword shadows slashed through the air without pause, and then a fourteenth condensed and struck.

In an instant, the fourteen sword shadows merged into a single, resplendent blade of light, dazzling beyond measure.

This single strike tore through his opponent's mist and pierced straight through his body.

"Wind Shadow Fourteen Swords!"

"This swordsmanship has grown even more powerful."

A trace of joy flickered across Chen Feng's face.

In the past, he would never have imagined being able to continuously refine and elevate the Wind Shadow Sword Technique. But after learning the Juejian Thirteen Swords, his understanding and accumulation of swordsmanship deepened, becoming nourishment that allowed him to gain more inspiration and thus improve the Wind Shadow Sword Technique.

The Tower Guardian on the eighty-second floor was slightly stronger.

The eighty-third floor, the eighty-fourth floor...

Floor by floor, Chen Feng fought relentlessly. The eighty-eighth floor!

Ten phantoms instantly merged into his true form, unleashing an astonishing aura.

Fifteen sword shadows slashed through the air in succession, converging into an even more radiant and overwhelming blade of light—unstoppable.

Wind Shadow Annihilation Style!

His opponent's figure was instantly pierced and shattered.

"This feeling... is truly marvelous..."

Before, when he had elevated the Wind Shadow Sword Technique to the Wind Shadow Twelve Swords, Chen Feng had felt as though he had broken through a shackle, his mind suddenly clear, his body and spirit at ease.

Now, with the Wind Shadow Sword Technique reaching the Wind Shadow Fifteen Swords, that sense of clarity and ease had doubled in intensity.

"The Wind Shadow Nine Swords were of the lower grade, the Wind Shadow Twelve Swords rose to the middle grade, and now the Wind Shadow Fifteen Swords should be of the upper grade..."

An overwhelming surge of emotion welled up in Chen Feng's heart.

It was a joy akin to watching a seed he had planted break through the soil and grow steadily, or like completing a masterpiece with brush and ink and receiving the world's admiration.

Under the influence of this emotion, the Divine Talisman Of Creation within his sea of consciousness seemed to resonate slightly, its divine aura growing more intense. Unconsciously, Chen Feng's comprehension and wisdom received an even greater boost.

"Perhaps one day, I can refine the Wind Shadow Sword Technique to the pinnacle grade, no less than the Juejian Thirteen Swords."

This thought arose unbidden in Chen Feng's heart, filling him with boundless ambition.

As this thought took root, he felt his mental will grow even more refined, clearer, and purer.

Unbeknownst to Chen Feng himself, he was unknowingly laying the foundation for his future path in swordsmanship at this very moment—like planting a seed, nurturing it, and waiting for it to break through the soil.

Chen Feng stepped onto the 89th floor, continuing his challenge.

The Huntian Force, as the foundational technique from the Huntian Sect’s treasured Huntian Dao Scripture, lived up to its reputation. The Force it cultivated was not only overwhelmingly powerful but also incredibly robust. Even when unleashing the Wind Shadow Annihilation Style of the Wind Shadow Fifteen Swords, the Force consumed barely amounted to a tenth of his reserves.

Not only that, but the recovery speed of his Force was astonishing.

This meant his endurance was formidable, and the Wind Shadow Annihilation Style was no longer a one-time trump card.

Defeat. Ascend.

91st floor!

"Lei An, Core Disciple of Tianlan Peak, seeks your guidance."

A deep, resonant voice rang out as a beam of light descended, revealing a towering, muscular figure.

Chen Feng’s pupils constricted.

The aura!

The oppressive aura emanating from this man was far stronger than his own.

Lei An gripped a thick Copper Rod, each step causing the ground to tremble as if a mountain were shifting. With a sweeping motion, the rod cleaved through the air, shattering it outright.

Chen Feng’s body was also shattered— An illusion dispersed as Chen Feng reappeared beside Lei An, his sword lashing out like a bolt of lightning.

But Lei An reacted swiftly, pivoting instantly to deliver a sweeping strike capable of toppling armies and crushing mountains.

Chen Feng retreated in a flash, then surged forward again, his steps like treading waves, his speed increasing with each stride. After ten steps, his velocity doubled as he closed in, fifteen sword shadows converging into a single, domineering sword light that slashed toward Lei An.

Lei An blocked the lethal strike with his Copper Rod, his massive frame forced back. With a low roar, an overwhelming surge of energy erupted from his body, cloaking him in a layer of Blood Light. The sheer force radiating from him grew denser and more oppressive.

Chen Feng immediately understood—Lei An had activated his Divine Trait.

Every Core Disciple possessed at least a Spirit-Grade Divine Trait, the lowest tier among divine traits, yet still far surpassing a Mortal Body.

Simply put, while those with Mortal Bodies had a low chance of breaking through to the Tenth Level of the Body Forging Realm, those with Spirit-Grade Divine Traits were guaranteed to reach it.

With his Divine Trait activated, Lei An’s strength skyrocketed. His originally tempered Hunyuan Force grew even more formidable, pressing down on Chen Feng with suffocating intensity.

"Come on..."

Yet, Chen Feng only grew more exhilarated.

His fighting spirit blazed!

The Wind Shadow Fifteen Swords, Ten Shadows Illusion Form, and Treading Waves Ten Steps intertwined seamlessly, their execution gradually merging as if finding a natural synergy.

Lei An’s Copper Rod, now sheathed in a dense Blood Light, struck with even greater weight and devastation, each swing carrying the force to crush boulders and topple peaks.

As the rod howled through the air, Chen Feng raised his sword to block.

A monstrous, tsunami-like force crashed into him, vibrating through his blade and surging into his arm, shaking his entire body.

Under that overwhelming power, Chen Feng was sent flying back several meters.

Seizing the advantage, Lei An advanced, his Copper Rod trembling mid-air before thrusting forward like a spear—though lacking a spear’s piercing edge, it carried an unstoppable, tyrannical momentum.

The air was torn apart beneath the rod’s assault, the pressure alone nearly suffocating Chen Feng.

Retreat!

Retreat again!

There was no choice but to retreat!

The opponent's strength was overwhelmingly fierce, and their rod technique was exquisitely refined, no less formidable than Chen Feng's swordsmanship. Their combat experience was also incomparably vast—every strike and stance was executed with ruthless efficiency, devoid of any excess.

Chen Feng's eyes sharpened to their limit, their gleam like sword points piercing through all. His focus reached an unprecedented intensity, and even the Divine Talisman Of Creation seemed to resonate, its divine aura growing denser as it radiated outward.

Between each breath, a dawning comprehension gradually took shape in Chen Feng's mind.

The Copper Rod came crashing down, sealing off every possible escape.

In a flash, his figure blurred—an afterimage flickered into existence as his speed surged. He narrowly avoided the strike, and in that fleeting instant, inspiration erupted in his mind. Countless insights into swordsmanship surged forth, and suddenly, an overwhelming sensation took hold—the mysteries of the first form of the Juejian Thirteen Swords flooded his heart. His body paused ever so slightly as the pure, tyrannical, and immensely potent Huntian Force within him roared to life. Every muscle, every sinew, every bone in his body trembled in resonance.