Blade and sword clashed, sparks flying, illuminating the dim forest of ten thousand trees.

Chen Feng repeatedly retreated, his expression grave.

Compared to the four he had previously killed - Wang Qi and the others - Ye Huai's power was at least double, if not more.

Thanks to the support of the Creation Divine Talisman, his foundation was incredibly solid, his power refined and pure without any impurities. Although he was only at the eighth transformation of body refinement, he was not inferior to an ordinary ninth transformation. Yet in the blade and sword exchange, his power was still overwhelmed by Ye Huai's.

Chen Feng suddenly gained a clearer understanding of the concept of the Dao Institute's ten seats.

No wonder he could kill a shadow leopard with such strength.

Chen Feng flew back, simultaneously mobilizing and condensing his power, executing the Nine Shadow Illusion Body, crossing his sword to strike.

Ye Huai and Ye Yao must be killed.

However, Ye Huai and Ye Yao's strength was indeed extraordinary. Fighting two against one, Chen Feng was gradually falling into a disadvantage.

"Use Wind Shadow Absolute Kill technique to strike down one first," Chen Feng thought while maneuvering between them, but then immediately rejected the idea.

Once the Wind Shadow Absolute Kill technique erupted, his power would inevitably be consumed by eight or nine-tenths, causing his strength to decline sharply in a short time. It would be best to find an opportunity to kill both with one sword strike.

Unbeknownst to him, Ye Huai and Ye Yao were even more shocked.

The two working together could battle even the institute's chief, yet they couldn't subdue Chen Feng.

Was this really the same waste who had been a delivery boy for six years?

"Brother Huai, use the secret technique and end this quickly," Ye Yao's voice transmitted into Ye Huai's ear.

Ye Huai's thoughts turned, and he immediately made a decision.

Both suddenly roared, their momentum shaking the surroundings. Sound waves surged in all directions, and a dense blood-red light emerged on their body surfaces, burning like flames. A thunderous roar seemed to resonate from within their bodies.

Chen Feng keenly sensed that their aura had instantly increased by several times, creating overwhelming pressure.

"What is this?" Chen Feng frowned, completely puzzled.

"Being able to make us use our Blood Burning Technique means you can die without regret," Ye Huai sneered.

"Secret technique... Blood Burning..." Chen Feng suddenly felt he still had much to learn about martial cultivation.

As Ye Huai's words fell, his wave-treading steps dramatically increased in speed, now thirty percent faster than before.

Breaking Waves Seven Blades!

Each blade struck with faster speed and more domineering posture, covered in a layer of blood-colored flame, shattering the forest's darkness like a violent crimson meteor.

Ye Yao attacked from the side with Breaking Waves Six Blades, also covered in blazing crimson, wildly intense.

Chen Feng was horrified, immediately pushing his Nine Shadow Illusion Body to its limit. Ten phantoms appeared but were consecutively slashed to pieces by their blades.

With their qi locking onto his body, Ye Huai's blade came crushing down with an unstoppable momentum, carrying an unprecedented killing intent.

Chen Feng struck out with a sword, accompanied by nine sword shadows.

But under Ye Huai's blade - like a crimson meteor - the sword shadows were systematically shattered. When blade and sword collided, a terrifying force surged through the sword, directly attacking Chen Feng's arm.

His pure power was instantly dispersed, and Chen Feng felt as if his flesh, muscles, and bones were being pierced and torn, sending waves of intense pain.

"This is at least fifty percent stronger than before!"

Chen Feng retreated using the collision's force, secretly shocked.

The power of this Blood Burning Technique was actually so terrifying.

While retreating, he circulated his internal organ power to soothe and recover the impacted flesh and bones.

Ye Huai and Ye Yao attacked from left and right, treading waves, explosively striking, frantically pursuing.

Chen Feng deployed all his body techniques, ten phantoms emerging and being destroyed.

Simultaneously, he used the surrounding trees to repeatedly dodge and maneuver.

The Nine Shadow Illusion Body was a roaming combat technique suitable for various terrains, able to leverage environmental advantages. In contrast, Ye Huai and Ye Yao's Wave Treading Steps were an explosive combat method best suited for open spaces, direct and straightforward.

The forest's dense trees with their intertwining branches naturally restricted the Wave Treading Steps while facilitating the Nine Shadow Illusion Body.

Long blades struck the trees like crimson meteors, instantly cleaving them in two. Wood fragments flew everywhere, creating piercing sounds as trees toppled to the side.

With an eighth transformation body refinement and an incredibly solid foundation, Chen Feng's power remained remarkably enduring, his recovery speed equally impressive.

Repeatedly executing his body techniques showed no signs of power depletion.

Chen Feng's eyes condensed, a trace of cold light circulating.

Facing the secret technique-empowered Ye Huai and Ye Yao, direct confrontation was impossible. He could only continuously evade while keeping the surrounding terrain clearly in mind, searching for an opportunity.

The Wind Shadow Absolute Kill technique was a one-line fatal strike that required precise timing.

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

Connect the points into a line!

Chen Feng's eyes narrowed, and he casually flicked a broken piece of wood with his sword, sending it whistling toward Ye Yao.

Ye Yao's eyes condensed, and he cleanly split the wooden fragment with his long blade.

Simultaneously, Ye Huai's blade slashed horizontally toward Chen Feng.

"Two points forming a line, now is the moment!" Chen Feng's eyes sharpened, with Ye Huai and Ye Yao's figures reflected in his pupils. The two who had been attacking from left and right had, through his continuous maneuvering, unknowingly converged into an almost straight line - not perfectly straight, but sufficient.

His entire body's strength erupted completely. Nine sword shadows interlinked, condensing into a single sword light, brilliant and dazzling, blindingly bright.

Illuminated by the sword light, Ye Huai's eyes involuntarily closed. A sharp whistle pierced his eardrums, his forehead trembling as if stabbed by a needle.

"Brother Huai, be careful!" Ye Yao's voice seemed to come from the distant sky.

Ye Huai felt all his reactions had slowed. Raising his blade felt like moving against a heavy current, with resistance at every moment, always a beat too late.

The sword light pierced through Ye Huai, then continued unstoppably toward Ye Yao.

Ye Yao's face turned deathly pale, attempting to flee at high speed.

The sword light flashed, and a severed arm holding a blade flew up. Ye Yao let out a miserable scream, his body tumbling, immediately staggering and fleeing into the distance.

"You can't escape," Chen Feng said.

Gathering his remaining bodily strength, he launched his sword, which broke through the air and instantly penetrated Ye Yao's body dozens of meters away. The tremendous force carried Ye Yao's body forward, pinning him to a large tree.

"Spare me... don't kill me..." Ye Yao wailed.

"Has Ye Yunqi come out of seclusion?" Chen Feng appeared behind Ye Yao, holding the sword handle, his voice calm.

"He came out yesterday," Ye Yao said frantically to save his life. "His cultivation suddenly advanced to the perfect ninth body refinement stage. He defeated the tenth seat with one move and became the new chief disciple."

"How strong was the previous chief disciple?" Chen Feng's eyes narrowed, asking in a cold voice.

"Very strong. He could defeat Ye Huai in three moves," Ye Yao quickly responded.

Chen Feng's heart sank.

The previous chief could defeat Ye Huai in three moves, while Ye Yunqi defeated the previous chief in one move. Such strength was immeasurable and definitely far beyond his current level.

But Chen Feng didn't underestimate himself.

When his cultivation reached the ninth body refinement stage, he might not be unable to challenge Ye Yunqi.

Moreover, the body refinement realm was merely the starting point of martial cultivation.

"How do you cultivate the Wave Treading Steps? How do you practice the Blood Burning Technique?" Chen Feng interrogated.

"Release me first, give me treatment," Ye Yao set conditions.

Chen Feng's eyes narrowed, immediately drawing his sword. Blood sprayed out, and Ye Yao screamed in pain.

After simply treating Ye Yao's wounds, he slapped him unconscious, then immediately searched the bodies of those he had killed.

Twelve crimson-veined fruits were obtained, along with five hundred taels of silver notes, several dozen taels of loose silver, and six hundred-refinement level weapons. If sold, these would fetch over two hundred taels.

Carrying the weapons and dragging Ye Yao's body, Chen Feng headed toward the direction where he had previously killed the quasi-second-level giant force bear.

The corpses of Ye Huai and the others would likely be consumed by wild beasts attracted by the blood scent soon enough.

Bang!

Ye Yao's body was casually thrown to the ground, instantly awakening him.

"Who else knows about your attempt to kill me?" Chen Feng looked down, his gaze as sharp as a sword's edge.

"Ye Huai asked me to help him. I'm not sure if he told anyone else," Ye Yao responded, realizing his precarious situation.

"Tell me the cultivation methods for Wave Treading Steps and Blood Burning Technique," Chen Feng switched topics, continuing to interrogate.

"Swear to spare me, and I'll tell you how to cultivate Wave Treading Steps and Blood Burning Technique," Ye Yao bargained.

Chen Feng's eyebrows slightly furrowed, drew his sword, and with a cold flash, severed one of Ye Yao's fingers. Intense pain made Ye Yao howl.

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

Chen Feng's indifferent words made Ye Yao's scalp go numb.

"I'll talk... I'll talk..."

Ye Yao described the Wave Treading Steps' cultivation method while enduring pain. Chen Feng memorized it immediately but didn't fully trust him, repeatedly changing his questioning method. Whenever Ye Yao seemed to hide or modify information, Chen Feng would expose the discrepancy.

Another finger was cut off for his trouble.

This time, Ye Yao became completely honest, revealing the Blood Burning Technique without any concealment.

"As thanks, I'll help you reunite with Ye Huai," Chen Feng's gaze was sharp, his voice cold.

"No... you can't kill me. If you kill me, my Ye family won't let you go!" Ye Yao retreated in terror, screaming.

"Whoever wants to kill me, I'll send them to meet you," Chen Feng's ruthless words fell, and his sword broke through the air, instantly piercing Ye Yao's forehead.

"I'll stay here for a while and practice Wave Treading Steps and Blood Burning Technique before returning to the Dao Institute," Chen Feng thought to himself.

He threw Ye Yao's body far away and casually cleaned up the remaining blood traces.

"Wave Treading Steps, also known as Wave Treading Nine Steps, is a combat footwork technique. After mastering it, each step increases speed by ten percent. Nine consecutive steps can increase speed by ninety percent..."

Ye Yao had only mastered five steps, while Ye Huai had reached six steps, giving them extraordinary burst speed.

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

"If I master the Wave Treading Nine Steps and then execute the Wind Shadow Absolute Kill technique, the speed and power would be..."

Chen Feng imagined this briefly, feeling incredibly motivated, and immediately began practicing.

[--------------------------------------------]

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