41: Chapter 41: Displaying Strength, Shocking Iceberg

[You just rushed out of the secret passage and saw Su Qinghan and the others looking at the top of their heads in horror.]

[That pillar of earth-yellow light reaching towards the sky was simply too conspicuous; it was like lighting a giant searchlight in the dead of night, attracting everyone's attention.]

["Tang Xun! What is going on? What exactly did you take?" Su Qinghan asked urgently.]

[She finally understood why you had been so generous in sharing the spirit ginseng fruit with them just now. Compared to the aura from just a moment ago, this three-thousand-year-old thick earth spirit ginseng was simply like cabbage on the side of the road!]

["Don't ask, you wouldn't understand even if I told you." You said irritably, "Now is not the time for this. If we don't leave, we're going to be surrounded!"]

[Your powerful Divine Sense had already perceived that dozens of powerful auras were approaching from all directions at extreme speed. Among them, there was no shortage of those at the Late Foundation Establishment Stage.]

["Go!"]

[You didn't bother wasting any more words with them, grabbed the wrist of Su Qinghan who was closest to you, and shouted to the others: "Keep up!"]

[After saying that, you channeled your magical power, and your whole body shot toward the top of the rift valley like an arrow released from a bow.]

["You...!"]

[With your hand gripping her wrist, Su Qinghan felt a wave of warmth, bringing a hint of heat to her cold wrist. She subconsciously wanted to pull away, but your hand was like an iron clamp, making it impossible for her to struggle free in the slightest.]

[Her cheeks uncontrollably flushed with a hint of red.]

[Growing up, this was the first time a man had dared to make such intimate contact with her.]

[But she also knew that now was not the time to dwell on such things, so she could only let you pull her as she flew upward with you.]

[The remaining Disciples also hurriedly followed behind you.]

[As soon as you rushed out of the rift valley, you saw dense black dots appearing on the horizon, flying toward this side.]

["Damn, they came so fast!"]

[You cursed inwardly, pulling Su Qinghan, and without looking back, you fled for your lives in a direction opposite to most people.]

["Tang Xun, why are we running in this direction? This is the direction of the 'Corpse Rot Forest', it's a forbidden area!" Su Qinghan couldn't help asking.]

["Nonsense! If we don't run into the forbidden area, are we supposed to wait to be beaten up by them?" You said while running, "The most dangerous place is the safest place! They definitely won't expect us to drill into a dead end!"]

[Su Qinghan was stunned by your twisted logic, but thinking about it carefully, it seemed... there was actually some truth to it.]

[Behind you, the pursuers were getting closer and closer.]

["Those in front, stop! Hand over the treasure and I'll spare your lives!"]

[A violent shout came from behind.]

[You saw a Disciple from the Beast Taming Manor riding a Two-Headed Vulture, holding a halberd, who was the fastest and had already caught up to within a hundred feet behind you.]

[His cultivation was unexpectedly at the Late Foundation Establishment Stage!]

["Damn it, they're like ghosts!"]

[A cold glint flashed in your eyes.]

["You guys go first, I'll cover the rear!"]

[You let go of Su Qinghan's hand, stopped abruptly, turned around, and looked coldly at the pursuing Disciple from the Beast Taming Manor.]

["Tang Xun! Don't be impulsive! He is the second-in-command of the Beast Taming Manor, 'War Maniac' Lü Feng! His strength is extremely high!" Su Qinghan shouted anxiously.]

["War Maniac? Heh, in front of me, he's nothing."]

[You hovered in mid-air, your robes fluttering, with a look of disdain on your face.]

[At this moment, you no longer hid your cultivation.]

[An aura, far more powerful and solid than Lü Feng's, at the peak of the Middle Foundation Establishment Stage, erupted from your body!]

[The entire sky seemed to freeze for a moment because of your aura.]

[Su Qinghan and the others who were fleeing for their lives felt your aura and were frozen in place as if struck by lightning.]

[Su Qinghan's beautiful eyes widened, and her cold, pretty face was filled with utter shock.]

[She had originally thought that you killed Xue Li instantly by using some secret technique or a powerful Magic Treasure.]

[She never imagined that your true cultivation had actually reached this level!]

[This huge contrast made her heart feel like it had been stabbed hard once again.]

["So... I was just being wishful. I thought I was protecting him, but in his eyes, I was actually a burden that needed to be protected."]

[An unprecedented sense of powerlessness and frustration welled up in her heart.]

[And the pursuing "War Maniac" Lü Feng was also startled by the aura you suddenly unleashed.]

[But he was bold and confident in his skills; he only paused for a moment before grinning savagely.]

["So you're someone who likes to pretend to be a pig to eat the tiger! However, in front of me, you'll still die!"]

[He roared, urged the Two-Headed Vulture under him, and turned into a black lightning bolt, with the halberd in his hand carrying a shrill whistle that tore through the air, aiming straight for your head!]

["Well done!"]

[You laughed loudly, and instead of retreating, you charged forward to meet the halberd.]

[You didn't use any Magical Artifacts, remaining unarmed.]

["Seeking death!"]

[Seeing that you dared to catch his Magic Treasure with bare hands, a cruel pleasure flashed in Lü Feng's eyes. His halberd was a High Grade Magic Treasure, extremely sharp, enough to split metal and stone!]

[However, the next moment, a scene that made his eyeballs almost pop out occurred.]

[You extended your right hand, with your index and middle fingers together, forming a sword finger, and pointed it precisely at the blade of the oncoming halberd.]

["Ding!"]

[A crisp sound of metal clashing rang through the sky.]

[The unstoppable halberd was like it had crashed into an invisible mountain, instantly freezing in mid-air, unable to advance even a fraction of an inch.]

[An invisible, sharp, and peerless Sword Qi erupted from your fingertips, surging madly along the blade toward Lü Feng!]

["Not good!"]

[Lü Feng's face changed drastically; he wanted to let go of the halberd, but it was already too late.]

["Crack! Crack!"]

[The High Grade Magic Treasure halberd in his hand shattered inch by inch from the blade, turning into metal fragments filling the sky!]

[And that Sword Qi, its momentum undiminished, slammed directly into his chest.]

["Puff!"]

[Lü Feng was struck by lightning, spraying blood wildly, a deep blood hole visible to the bone appeared on his chest, and his whole body flew backward from the back of the vulture like a broken kite.]

[The Two-Headed Vulture he was riding also let out a mournful cry, hit by the aftermath of the Sword Qi, half of its wings were twisted into blood mist, and it fell from the sky, wailing.]

[One finger!]

[With just one finger, you crippled a Late Foundation Establishment Stage powerhouse, along with his famous Magic Treasure and beast companion!]

[This earth-shattering scene made the other pursuers, who were getting ready to watch a good show, stop in their tracks, looking at you with horror, as if looking at a demon god who had crawled out of Hell.]

[And Su Qinghan and the others were completely numb.]

[Their brains could no longer process the scene before them that had transcended their cognitive range.]

["You... who exactly are you...?"]

[Lü Feng struggled to climb up from the ground; he looked at you, his eyes filled with fear and confusion.]

["Who am I?" You walked down from the sky step by step, landed in front of him, and looked down at him.]

["I am someone you cannot afford to provoke."]

[You raised your foot and stepped on his head.]

["Bang."]

[The second-in-command of the Beast Taming Manor, the arrogant "War Maniac" Lü Feng, had his head crushed by you just like stepping on a watermelon.]

[After doing all this, you raised your head, and your gaze swept coldly over those frightened pursuers in the distance.]

["Who else wants the treasure in my hands?"]

[Your voice was not loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears.]

[Those pursuers, swept by your gaze, all trembled, and then without a word, turned and ran, running several times faster than when they came.]

[Just kidding, even "War Maniac" Lü Feng was killed in one move; this group of ragtag people wasn't enough to fill the gaps between their teeth.]

[A treasure-snatching incident that could have triggered a great melee in the Crimson Trial was forcibly quelled by you in the most domineering and direct way.]

[You turned around, looked at Su Qinghan and the others who were still in a petrified state, and shrugged.]

["Alright, the flies have been chased away. Let's continue on our way."]

[After saying that, you walked toward the Corpse Rot Forest on your own.]

[Su Qinghan looked at your back, her lips moved as if wanting to say something, but in the end, she didn't say a word.]

[She just silently took the remaining fellow Disciples and followed behind you.]

[It's just that this time, the atmosphere in the team had become incredibly eerie.]

[No one dared to point fingers at you anymore, nor did anyone dare to speak loudly in front of you.]

[They looked at your back, and in their eyes, only endless awe remained.]