Chapter 73: Slaying Lan Junhe with a Sword, Shockwaves Outside the Secret Realm

Chapter 73: Slaying Lan Junhe with a Sword, Shockwaves Outside the Secret Realm

Clad in a blue robe, his aura surged like a torrential flood.

"Chen Feng, hand over the saintly herb," Lan Junhe demanded, his eyes glinting with icy killing intent that rolled forth like a tide.

"Perfect timing. I’ll cut you down."

Chen Feng’s lips curled into a faint smile as he locked eyes with Lan Junhe. Previously, he had been forced to flee under Lan Junhe’s pursuit, only escaping thanks to Yuan Hualong’s intervention. But now, with his strength vastly increased, he could turn the tables.

"Junior Brother Chen, if you give the saintly herb to me, I can join forces with you to kill him," Li Yiming interjected from the side, still convinced that Chen Feng possessed the herb.

Ignoring Li Yiming, Chen Feng took a step forward, drew his sword, and struck at Lan Junhe.

The sword hummed melodiously, its resonance reverberating through the air. A frigid gleam of steel carried overwhelming force, unstoppable in its path.

Lan Junhe’s pupils contracted, but a disdainful smirk played on his lips. Not long ago, Chen Feng had been scrambling for his life under his pursuit, barely surviving thanks to Yuan Hualong. Now, with Li Yiming showing no intention of aiding Chen Feng, Lan Junhe was confident he could subdue him and reclaim the saintly herb.

As for Li Yiming standing idly by—would he play the role of the hidden victor in the end?

Lan Junhe didn’t care.

Because even though Li Yiming was also at the Twelfth Transformation of the Body Forging Realm, he was no match for him.

Chen Feng’s gaze sharpened as his essence, qi, and spirit surged like flowing water into the Flowing Cup Sword, merging into a seamless unity. In an instant, he entered the Sword Unity Realm.

Lan Junhe’s eyes widened involuntarily as he sensed Chen Feng’s aura undergo a drastic transformation.

It was indescribable—as though man and sword had become one.

But Lan Junhe had never trained in the sword, and his understanding of it was limited, far inferior to the now-deceased Ye Mingxuan. He couldn’t recognize that this was the First Realm of Sword Dao.

To Chen Feng’s eyes and senses, Lan Junhe’s flaws were as clear as stars scattered across the night sky.

That single sword strike was profound and razor-sharp.

Before Lan Junhe’s palm strike could land, Chen Feng’s blade had already cleaved through his body.

The entire process took less than half a breath.

After slaying Lan Junhe with a single stroke, Chen Feng immediately withdrew from the Sword Unity Realm to avoid exhausting his essence, qi, and spirit.

Devour!

Lan Junhe’s top-tier Saint-Grade Divine Trait was instantly absorbed by the Divine Talisman Of Creation, with Chen Feng receiving a portion of its power.

His physique was nourished, becoming more refined, while his Force grew even more robust and continuous.

His foundation improved once more, and his strength surged again.

Even his essence, qi, and spirit were enhanced.

Li Yiming’s face, initially twisted in a cold smirk of amusement, froze into an expression of stunned disbelief. The abrupt shift left his features contorted in an eerie manner.

Chen Feng then retrieved Lan Junhe’s Void Ring.

Turning around, he cast a glance at Li Yiming.

The sheer coldness in that gaze sent a shiver down Li Yiming’s spine, as though he had been plunged into an icy abyss. An indescribable dread surged from the depths of his heart, flooding his entire body like a broken dam. Thunderous roars seemed to echo in his mind.

With just that one look, Chen Feng chose not to attack Li Yiming.

Watching Chen Feng’s retreating figure, breathing in the metallic scent of blood lingering in the air, Li Yiming’s gaze fell upon Lan Junhe’s lifeless body.

Li Yiming shuddered, his entire body breaking out in goosebumps as he snapped fully awake. His face was deathly pale, drenched in cold sweat, as if he had just been fished out of water. Horror and terror gripped him—it felt like an illusionary dream... no... a nightmare. The thought that he had considered suppressing Chen Feng by force to extort the saintly herb from him made his blood run cold. Thankfully, he hadn’t acted on it, or else he would have been the one lying dead on the ground.

Chen Feng had spared Li Yiming purely out of respect for the Huntian Sect. Of course, it was also because Li Yiming hadn’t actually attacked him. Had he done so, regardless of his identity, Chen Feng would have cut him down without hesitation.

Without lingering further, Chen Feng quickly identified his direction and sprinted toward the exit portal of the Hidden Dragon Secret Realm. After devouring Lan Junhe’s divine trait, his foundation and strength had grown slightly stronger, and his essence, qi, and spirit had intensified, making it easier for him to enter the Sword Unity Realm. Even if the three Saint Sons were guarding the portal, he might still break through by utilizing the Sword Unity Realm. Once he passed through the portal and left the Hidden Dragon Secret Realm, it wouldn’t be so easy for them to pursue and attack him.

But then— Chen Feng’s steps faltered, his eyes narrowing as a sudden realization struck him. Was he taking things for granted? The Huntian Sect was in decline, pressured by the Tianyuan Sacred Land, the Juejian Palace, and even the Tian Dao Sect. If he left the Hidden Dragon Secret Realm and the Tianyuan Sacred Land retaliated, what then? The Nangong Imperial Clan and the Zhenwu Saint would inevitably be dragged into the conflict. Could the Huntian Sect withstand such pressure?

One shouldn’t assume the worst of others, but sometimes, it was necessary—especially in a situation like this. He had to prepare for the worst.

"Void Ring... Creation Space..."

A flash of inspiration lit up his mind, and his eyes gleamed with resolve. He made his decision instantly. With renewed determination, he resumed his advance. If he encountered small groups of enemies along the way, he would draw his sword, cut them down, and devour their divine traits.

---

Outside the Hidden Dragon Secret Realm, Xiao Xuanwu emerged from the portal, his body covered in blood, his face pale, and his aura chaotic—clear signs of severe injury.

"Isn’t that the Huntian Sect’s Heavenly Apex Sacred Body, Xiao Xuanwu?"

"He’s badly hurt."

"Hahaha! The Huntian Sect truly grows weaker with each generation. A top-tier Saint-Grade Divine Trait holder, yet he flees in such a sorry state—and there’s still half a day before the Hidden Dragon Secret Realm closes!"

"What else could he do? If he didn’t leave early, he might have been stuck inside forever."

Mocking voices rose unbridled around him.

The master of Gu Yuan Peak descended from the sky, retrieving Xiao Xuanwu and bringing him back to the Huntian Sect’s Sky Patrol Giant Ship for questioning. Xiao Xuanwu held nothing back, recounting everything in detail.

"Strange movements at Panlong Peak..."

The Transcendent Realm and Dao Integration Realm experts exchanged glances, their eyes flashing with realization.

When they learned that Xiao Xuanwu had been ambushed by three Tianyuan Sacred Land Quasi-Saints and nearly killed—only to be saved by Chen Feng, who then slaughtered all three Quasi-Saints with a single sword strike each—their initial joy was quickly overshadowed by shock.

They were pleased that the Tianyuan Sacred Land’s Quasi-Saints had perished. After all, every Quasi-Saint possessed near-top-tier or even top-tier Saint-Grade Divine Traits, destined to reach the Transcendent Realm or even the Dao Integration Realm, with the potential to break into the Saint Realm.

Even if one is not in the Saint Realm, reaching the Transcendent Realm alone can make them a mainstay powerhouse of a faction. Every additional expert strengthens the force. Now, three such future powerhouses of the Tianyuan Sacred Land were slain in an instant, undoubtedly weakening them. The shock came from the fact that Chen Feng killed them with a single sword strike each—such strength was simply unimaginable.

"Peak Master Wang, congratulations," several people immediately said to Wang Yuandao. His expression remained unchanged, but inwardly, he was stunned. He had a clear understanding of his disciple's strength—at least before entering the Hidden Dragon Secret Realm. But now, he was utterly baffled. To kill an Eleventh Transformation of the Body Forging Realm cultivator with a single strike, and to do so three times in a row against three such opponents—slaughtering them like chopping vegetables—this level of strength had to be at least on par with the Twelfth Transformation of the Body Forging Realm.

"Could there be some opportunity within the Hidden Dragon Secret Realm that allows one's strength to advance by leaps and bounds?" Wang Yuandao couldn't help but ponder. Yet, no matter how much he thought, he couldn't figure it out. The Hidden Dragon Secret Realm did indeed hold opportunities, but they were mostly in the form of various spiritual herbs. As for inheritances or the like, there were none. As for spiritual herbs, the best method was to refine them into pills or medicines, though consuming them directly was also possible. However, fully absorbing and refining them in just a day or two was impossible, let alone the fact that the Hidden Dragon Secret Realm had only been open for three days.

"It seems my disciple's constitution for refining and absorbing pills and spiritual herbs is even stronger than I imagined. Not only that, his swordsmanship has also improved." These were the only two explanations Wang Yuandao could think of. A smile unconsciously crept onto his lips, and he felt an indescribable joy, relief, and lightness in his heart. With less than ten years of lifespan left, he couldn't claim to have fully accepted it. It was precisely because of this that he had taken on a disciple. Now, seeing his disciple excel so brilliantly filled him with happiness. If Chen Feng could grow to inherit Juejian Peak and continue its legacy, Wang Yuandao would have no regrets even if he died now.

As time passed, more people gradually exited the Hidden Dragon Secret Realm. These individuals came from various factions and brought with them news that caused everyone's expressions to change dramatically, stirring up a frenzy.

"A saintly herb has appeared! The Hidden Dragon Secret Realm truly has saintly herbs—unbelievable!"

"Experts from all sides had long speculated that saintly herbs existed within the Hidden Dragon Secret Realm, but they were restricted by timing and hadn't appeared until now. Who would have thought the timing would be now? How fortunate!"

The powerhouses of the major factions blazed with fervor in their eyes. A saintly herb! And not just any saintly herb—a dragon-shaped saintly herb, far more valuable than ordinary ones. Countless factions spanned the Eastern Wasteland, but only the Ten Great Powers possessed saintly herbs, and even then, their numbers were scarce. Each one was immensely precious. Even the three Sacred Land-level factions wouldn't take a saintly herb lightly. The more, the better!

Then came even more explosive news. A group of Twelfth Transformation Body Forging Realm cultivators had fought over the saintly herb, with three Saint Sons joining the fray and unleashing their God-Grade Divine Traits. Yet, in the end, the saintly herb had fallen into the hands of the Huntian Sect's Quasi-Sect Heir—Chen Feng.

Who was Chen Feng? He had initially made a name for himself by defeating the three Quasi-Saints of the Tianyuan Sacred Land, letting the world know that the Huntian Sect had someone with an so-called inverse mortal body. However, many hadn't taken the inverse mortal body seriously. After all, a mortal body was still a mortal body—defying the heavens was difficult, nearly impossible.

Throughout the ages, Mortal Bodies have been as countless as the sands of the Ganges, endless in number. But how many could defy the heavens?

Hardly any could be found.

And now, against all expectations, someone actually snatched the saintly herb right under the noses of the three God-Grade Divine Trait Saint Sons—utterly inconceivable!

The faces of the Huntian Sect's experts all turned grave, and the atmosphere instantly grew solemn and tense.

A chilling aura spread.

Xiao Xuanwu was still in a daze.

In just this short time, Junior Brother Chen Feng had stirred up such a massive commotion again?

Then came the third piece of news.

"Now, the three Saint Sons are guarding the exit with their men. There’s no way Chen Feng can leave."

"Indeed. Unless he hands over the saintly herb."