Chapter 202: Chapter 202: Second to Last

WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

As Luo Feng entered the Red Blood Fort, at least fifty fort members instantly swarmed him from all directions. Swords and sabers drawn, their killing intent was as palpable as a pack of wolves!

“Boy, you dare to trespass into our Red Blood Fort alone! It seems you’ve grown tired of living!”

“Such audacity! Today, your corpse won’t be left intact!”

“Hack him to pieces and throw him into Sky Water Lake to feed the fish!”

The surrounding fort members roared incessantly.

At this moment, a martial artist who appeared to be a minor leader waved his hand, silencing the crowd.

“Boy, who are you to dare trespass into our Red Blood Fort! Could you be a student from one of the Four Great Academies, here on a mission to eradicate us?”

The minor leader’s face was cold as he stared at Luo Feng, his gaze like one looking at a dead man.

Luo Feng laughed heartily, “A man about to die has no need for my name! All you need to know is that I am the one who will kill you!”

“Arrogant! Die!”

Enraged, the minor leader roared. He unleashed a martial arts technique, sending a fierce palm wind rushing toward Luo Feng.

SWOOSH!

A pitch-black saber light flashed across everyone’s vision. Where it passed, the ground was scored with deep, shocking saber marks. The minor leader didn’t even have time to scream before the saber light bisected him.

Luo Feng’s emotionless gaze swept over the surrounding crowd. He said with a cold smile, “I suggest you all attack together.”

“Arrogant! Everyone, attack together! Kill him!”

“Kill!”

“Kill!”

Luo Feng’s disdainful attitude enraged the fort members. Amidst their roars, dozens of them formed a torrent of blades, surrounding Luo Feng so densely that individual figures could hardly be distinguished.

Watching the crowd rush toward him, a cold smirk played on Luo Feng’s lips.

“Die!”

The pitch-black saber light tore through the crowd. Wherever it passed, several martial artists were instantly killed, blood splattering everywhere!

In a matter of moments, more than half of the dozens of fort members were dead or injured. Not a single one could withstand a single strike from Luo Feng’s saber!

“Too terrifying! Who is he?”

“Could he be one of the Four New Talents? But none of them use a saber!”

“We’re no match for him! Quickly, go notify the three Chieftains! ARGH…!”

Luo Feng’s overwhelming strength terrified the crowd. Their faces turned ashen, and they turned to flee, wishing they had extra legs.

“Sky Slayer Saber Technique, Fifth Form: Slaughter Qi Demon Sky!”

Against these ruthless Jianghu cutthroats, Luo Feng naturally showed no mercy. He raised an eyebrow. Tiger roars echoed through the fort as the Tiger Soul Saber ignited with black flames, its deadly killing intent soaring to the heavens!

Immediately, a deluge of pitch-black saber light rained down like a torrential storm.

With every slash, a man died. Even the nearby fort walls were shredded by the saber light.

In an instant, rivers of blood flowed. Within a hundred-step radius, not a single person remained alive!

At this moment, the sound of rushing wind arose as more than a dozen figures burst forth from deeper within the fort.

The three figures at the head had sharp, focused gazes, their Jing Qi restrained within. Their bodies overflowed with vast Yuan Qi, and they exuded tiger-like auras. All were peak masters of the Seventh Level of the Essence Storage Realm—they were the three Chieftains of the Red Blood Fort.

Qin Shi, the Chieftain of the Red Blood Fort, was tall and burly. He wore blood-red martial attire, his wild, long hair draped over his shoulders. His eyes glinted sharply, radiating a bloodthirsty and brutal aura.

Looking at the corpses littering the ground and the fort, now damaged beyond recognition, Qin Shi’s eyes turned bloodshot. He gritted his teeth, staring at Luo Feng.

“Boy, you dare kill people on my, ’Blood Hand Demon’ Qin Shi’s, territory!”

Luo Feng touched his nose and chuckled, “’Blood Hand Demon’? Never heard of him.”

“Hahahaha… Good! Cocky enough! I’d like to see what skills you possess! Die! Wind Kill Leg!”

Qin Shi’s killing intent surged. The Yuan Qi in his body churned, and his aura became overwhelming. With a leap, he pounced towards Luo Feng, launching a devastating kick from mid-air.

BOOM!

Even before his figure arrived, the intense wind pressure caused the ground beneath Luo Feng to collapse dramatically, erupting with a blast.

Luo Feng stood his ground, his clothes fluttering despite the lack of wind, rustling sharply. Staring at the attacking Qin Shi, his eyebrows twitched slightly.

The information on the mission jade slip was indeed accurate. This Qin Shi’s cultivation has reached the absolute peak of the Seventh Level of the Essence Storage Realm. He’s just half a step from becoming an Eighth Level Hell Realm expert. His full-powered strike is horrifying.

Facing Qin Shi’s Wind Kill Leg technique, Luo Feng didn’t step back nor evade. Instead, he sheathed his Tiger Soul Saber.

Seeing this, Qin Shi gave a savage grin. Still in mid-air, he unleashed seven consecutive kicks!

With each kick, Qin Shi’s leg force superimposed upon the last. Seven kicks layered together, forming a colossal, jade-green leg shadow. The surrounding air crackled under the oppressive force, as if a small mountain was bearing down on Luo Feng, its power overwhelming!

The Second and Third Chieftains, watching from behind, grew even colder upon seeing this. Qin Shi’s Wind Kill Leg was a top-tier Yellow Grade Martial Art. When its leg force was fully stacked, a single strike could even instantly kill a martial artist at the peak of the Seventh Level of the Essence Storage Realm!

Qin Shi had never been defeated when using this move!

“Well met! Breaking Sky Fist!”

Under the pressure of the leg attack, Luo Feng felt an immense force surging towards him. The battle fire in his eyes intensified. He clenched his fists, his entire figure seemed to grow taller, his aura surging like a rainbow as he threw a punch!

BOOM!

The Gang Qi roared. Luo Feng’s gaze, like two sharp blades, pierced the void. He launched a punch straight up. The air before him shattered like crystal, and with a thunderous rumble, his fist met the enormous jade-green leg shadow.

“Break for me!”

His momentum soared to its peak. Luo Feng was like an ancient, ferocious beast, tearing the earth apart and shattering the heavens!

BOOM!

The astonishingly powerful jade-green leg shadow instantly disintegrated before the fist’s Gang Qi!

“How is this possible! My Wind Kill Leg Gang… shattered!”

Qin Shi’s eyes widened as if they would tear. His pupils filled with despair and terror. Before he could react, he was struck by the punch and sent flying, spewing blood. The distinct sound of bones cracking sent shivers down the spines of the onlookers.

THUD!

Qin Shi’s body slammed heavily onto the ground, creating a meter-deep pit. Covered in his own blood, his pupils were dilated. It was clear he wouldn’t survive.

“He killed Eldest Brother!”

“How can this be! Who exactly are you?”

Looking at Luo Feng, the smirks on the faces of the Second and Third Chieftains had long vanished; they were now deathly pale, their hands trembling.

They couldn’t believe that Qin Shi, already a half-step Hell Realm expert, couldn’t even withstand a single punch from the young man before them!

He was killed by a single punch!

The two had roamed the Jianghu for years, each responsible for hundreds of deaths. They killed without blinking an eye!

But now, facing the black-haired youth before them, both felt a profound, bone-chilling fear!

Luo Feng looked at them and sneered, “You’d best ask your Eldest Brother in the afterlife. Now, die!”

Luo Feng’s figure flashed. His momentum surged as he charged forward, unleashing a flurry of punches.

ARGH…

Amidst terrifying sonic booms, the two Red Blood Fort Chieftains and more than a dozen of its elite members were instantly sent flying, spewing blood, before crashing to the ground and creating horrifyingly deep pits!

The Red Blood Fort, just moments ago clamorous, fell deathly silent in the blink of an eye. The quiet was terrifying.

As expected of a Profound Level Martial Art! In terms of power, Tiger Roar Fist simply can’t compare.

Luo Feng glanced at the bodies littering the ground, let out a breath, then walked over to take the heads of the three Chieftains. He turned and left, his Purple Sun robe unstained by even a single drop of blood.

「A moment later, Luo Feng appeared beside Sky Water Lake.」

The old boatman was waiting anxiously. Seeing Luo Feng approach, he immediately hurried over.

“Young Hero, are you alright?”

“I’m fine.” Luo Feng shook his head.

Seeing Luo Feng’s clothes clean and tidy, as if he hadn’t been in a fight, the old man hesitated for a moment before finally asking, “Young Hero, perhaps you didn’t find the Red Blood Fort?”

Luo Feng knew why the old man asked and, smiling faintly, said, “I did.”

The old man was still puzzled when he saw Luo Feng produce a bloodied human head. The sight terrified him so much he nearly stumbled into the river.

When he recognized the face on the head, the old man’s eyes widened. He screamed, “That’s Qin Shi, the Chieftain of the Red Blood Fort! You… you killed him?”

“Yes. From this day forward, the Red Blood Fort will no longer exist on Gulangyu.” Luo Feng nodded.

THUMP!

The old man stared blankly for a moment, then suddenly dropped to his knees and kowtowed, tears streamed down his aged face. “Young Hero, by eradicating the Red Blood Fort, you’ve saved the lives of hundreds of thousands of people around Sky Water Lake! This old man is eternally grateful!”

Since the Red Blood Fort appeared, those who made a living fishing in Sky Water Lake dared not venture out. People starved to death daily.

Luo Feng was taken aback and quickly helped the old man up. “It was a small effort, hardly worth mentioning. The Red Blood Fort bandits committed countless evils. Even if I hadn’t dealt with them, someone else would have eventually.”

The old man cupped his hands and said, “To a Young Hero like yourself, it might be a small effort, but for us who live by Sky Water Lake, it’s a matter of life and death! When I return, I will tell everyone of today’s events, so they may revere the Young Hero’s great name!”

Luo Feng knew he couldn’t refuse this. Besides, having a reputation in the Jianghu had its benefits, so he acquiesced.

The boatman rowed Luo Feng to the shore. Before disembarking, Luo Feng left a silver note worth one hundred taels in the boat—enough for an ordinary family to live on for several years—as thanks for the passage.

After bidding farewell to the old man, Luo Feng found the Dark Cloud Treasure Horse in the forest and galloped towards Purple Sun School.

「Only a few days remained before the Rookie Championship.」

On the way, the news Luo Feng heard most frequently concerned various discussions about the Rookie Championship.

「Qingshui Town.」

「Lai Yue Restaurant.」

The second floor of the restaurant was packed with martial artists from the Jianghu, eating, drinking, and swapping interesting tales from across the Jianghu.

“There are only five days left until the Rookie Championship. What do you all think? How will the rankings of the Four Great Academies change this year?” a martial artist suddenly asked.

Upon hearing the words “Rookie Championship,” the buzz of conversation throughout the restaurant instantly intensified.

“Is there even a need to ask? He Qin, the ’Heavenly Fragrant Woman’ from Tianlan School, has already reached the Eighth Level of the Hell Realm. She’s in a class of her own! First place will undoubtedly go to Tianlan School!”

“Ji Wufa, the ’Traceless Young Master’ from Floating Snow School, has comprehended Sword Intent. Wan Feng, ’The Thunderbolt Spear’ from Wanluo School, seems to have had a fortuitous encounter. Their cultivation levels are comparable, so it’s unclear who will take second place. Only Purple Sun School, lacking truly outstanding talents this year, seems destined for the bottom again.”

“Hmm, Zi Yuan’s talent isn’t bad, but compared to the other three, there’s still a considerable gap.”

“It’s hard to say for sure. Purple Sun School recently produced a new rising star, Luo Feng. He fought Zi Yuan to a draw in the challenge matches and is now co-ranked first on the Hidden Dragon List!”

“Luo Feng? I’ve heard of him. He first defeated Duanmu Yu, and now he’s even on the Hidden Dragon List. His potential shouldn’t be underestimated. However, if his strength is only comparable to Zi Yuan’s, it’s unlikely he can challenge the positions of the top three.”

“Exactly. Potential is, after all, just potential. The overall outcome of this year’s Rookie Championship is already set in stone!”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep