Volume 5 Chapter 5

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Volume 5 Chapter 5: Intent to Kill

The back mountain was always sparsely populated, and where Xu Qingfan was located was even more secluded, so when he removed the formations outside the eerie forest, he was somewhat absent-minded, his mind occupied with thoughts of the two newly trained "external incarnations."

After the previous tests, Xu Qingfan was quite satisfied with Xu Zhiyuan and Xu Ying’s capabilities. Although they couldn’t wield the authentic soul to use spells or magical items, Xu Zhiyuan’s ghostly speed and varied attacks, along with Xu Ying’s almost flawless defense and healing techniques, were, at this stage, no lesser than any cultivator below the Real Golden Core Stage.

With these two "external embodiments," Xu Qingfan was confident he could easily defeat any opponent of the same level, and he was quite eager for Jin Qinghan to appear. In the past, Xu Qingfan had sparred with Jin Qinghan dozens of times, and each time he was completely defeated.

However, Xu Qingfan also discovered a fatal flaw in these two "external embodiments" that he had never noticed before: the fusion of Xu Qingfan’s "Flourish Qi" and "Withered Qi" into the "Yellow Jade"!

Undoubtedly, these two "external embodiments" were centered around the "Yellow Jade," which combined "Flourish Qi" and "Withered Qi." Although this made the "external embodiments" more capable of growth and less easily disrupted compared to the simplified "Golden Armored Soldier God," Xu Zhiyuan and Xu Ying, who should have been purely energy constructs, ended up having something akin to a heart. It was a critical weakness that needed attention.

Most of Xu Zhiyuan’s attacks earlier had no effect on Xu Ying, but one accidental strike hit the place where Xu Ying’s internal "Yellow Jade" was located, causing Xu Ying’s power to diminish significantly afterward. Xu Qingfan estimated that if Xu Zhiyuan had intelligence, and discovered Xu Ying’s weakness before attacking fiercely, Xu Ying could probably endure only about ten strikes before his body would collapse.

"It seems I’ll have to slowly find a way to improve this in the future. I didn’t notice these issues before, and now there’s nothing I can do."

As Xu Qingfan removed the various formations outside the dense forest, he thought quietly to himself.

But when all the formations outside the dense forest were lifted, and the scenery of the back mountain of Jiuhua broke through the barrier and reappeared before Xu Qingfan’s eyes, what he saw left him quite taken aback.

In the deep shade of the dense forest, a tall and proud figure stood quietly, the dark red robe covered with patches of light filtering through the leaves, as if light was spreading in the darkness, yet more like the endless darkness was quickly devouring the little light on the person.

At the moment Xu Qingfan appeared, this person seemed to have a telepathic sense, turning to look at Xu Qingfan with eyes deep and calm as the sea, where emotions seemed like undercurrents beneath, fierce yet undetectable. The face was so handsome it seemed not belonging to this world, making anyone who saw him feel a sense of shame.

The solitary and proud figure was none other than the long-absent Feng Qingtian!

In the eyes of most people on Jiuhua Mountain, Xu Qingfan, Feng Qingtian, and Jin Qinghan were extremely mysterious. Their skills ranked among the best on Jiuhua Mountain, but they were reclusive and rarely seen, perhaps once in several decades. Among them, Feng Qingtian was the most mysterious because he had the highest skills and spent the most time in seclusion.

In fact, among all the cultivators in Jiuhua, Xu Qingfan had relatively more interaction with Feng Qingtian. Due to a series of fortuitous encounters, he established a mysterious connection with Feng Qingtian, allowing them to communicate almost telepathically. However, apart from occasionally sensing some of Feng Qingtian’s emotions, he never truly understood Feng Qingtian’s thoughts.

Given Feng Qingtian’s proud and aloof personality, which made him difficult to interact with, Xu Qingfan never tried to understand Feng Qingtian’s thoughts. He maintained a respectful distance, neither being overly wary nor wishing to provoke him.

To be fair, since the time they both trained together in "Jiuji Cave" years ago, Xu Qingfan and Feng Qingtian hadn’t seen each other for decades. Over the years, Feng Qingtian seemed to have been in seclusion at the Feng family’s old residence, and no one knew what he was doing there, much like how no one knew to what level Feng Qingtian had reached.

Because of this, Xu Qingfan was so surprised to see Feng Qingtian suddenly appear here, especially since Feng Qingtian looked as if he was waiting for him.

Seeing Feng Qingtian’s figure, Xu Qingfan was momentarily stunned but quickly regained his composure. He clasped his hands with a smile and said, "Senior Brother Feng, what brings you here today to enjoy the scenery of the back mountain?"

Feng Qingtian did not immediately answer but instead kept scrutinizing Xu Zhiyuan and Xu Ying behind Xu Qingfan, a look of surprise flashing in his eyes. After a long while, he turned to Xu Qingfan and asked, "A technique of substitution? A shadow clone? A spirit puppet technique?"

The "External Incarnation" did not possess an Original Soul, so although Xu Zhiyuan and Xu Ying were very similar to Xu Qingfan, Feng Qingtian wouldn’t mistake them.

The three cultivation methods Feng Qingtian mentioned are among the famous Dao techniques of Jiuhua Mountain, and the puppets refined from them bear some resemblance to Xu Qingfan’s "external incarnation."

Xu Qingfan shook his head and explained, "It’s merely a divine power I happened to comprehend, but it has amused you, Senior Brother Feng."

A serious look flashed in Feng Qingtian’s eyes, but he finally began to answer Xu Qingfan’s previous question, seemingly contemplating how to express himself. After a moment of reflection, he slowly said, "I came to the back mountain of Jiuhua to find you."

After a pause, Feng Qingtian continued, "Three months ago, I went to your cave to look for you. Your disciple said you had been in seclusion for over three months, that’s why I’ve been waiting for you here."

Xu Qingfan had already thought of this but was nevertheless extremely surprised to hear it from Feng Qingtian. Firstly, he hadn’t expected the "external incarnation" technique to take over half a year, and secondly, Feng Qingtian, who spent all his time cultivating, had been waiting here for three months. Curiously, he asked, "I wonder what brings Senior Brother Feng here to see me?"

A sudden, faint smile appeared on Feng Qingtian’s face, as if containing an ancient chill; it made the coldness even more intense. He stared into Xu Qingfan’s eyes and quietly said, "Since the grand competition in the sect years ago, we haven’t sparred again, have we?"

Xu Qingfan nodded slightly and smiled, "Indeed, it has been over sixty years now."

"Yes, it has been so long. To be honest, back then, you were no match for me, but now, I’m not entirely confident I can defeat you." As he spoke, a strange emotion brewed in Feng Qingtian’s eyes, yet he kept his gaze fixed on Xu Qingfan and slowly asked, "Are you interested in having another match now?"

Xu Qingfan was truly taken aback by Feng Qingtian’s words. He had just been thinking about using his "external incarnation" technique to spar with Jin Qinghan, but he hadn’t expected Feng Qingtian to seek him out so suddenly. According to Xu Qingfan’s previous impression, Feng Qingtian wasn’t the type to aimlessly look for sparring partners.

So, why did Feng Qingtian suddenly challenge me to a duel? What is his true intention?

Was it just an illusion, or at the moment Feng Qingtian proposed the duel, did Xu Qingfan sense a fleeting but intense wave of hostility and guilt in Feng Qingtian’s heart? The hostility was so strong that it startled Xu Qingfan, but it vanished almost instantly, making Xu Qingfan wonder if it was just his imagination.

"If Feng Qingtian wanted to test his skills, he should have challenged Jin Qinghan, who is closest to him in terms of skill level. Jin Qinghan would surely agree. So why has Feng Qingtian waited here for three months, just to have a duel with me?"

"What was the meaning behind the hostility and guilt I felt from Feng Qingtian earlier? Could he be planning to kill me under the guise of a duel? Why would he want to kill me?"

"If there’s any difference between me and others in Feng Qingtian’s eyes, it’s because of the ‘Phoenix Rebirth.’ This has created a mysterious connection between us. I can sense Feng Qingtian’s emotions when they become intense."

"Could it be that Feng Qingtian plans to do something and fears I might discover it early, so he wants to eliminate me as a potential threat?"

"But what exactly does Feng Qingtian intend to do, that he would go to such lengths to kill me under the pretense of a duel?"

Xu Qingfan analyzed silently.

While Xu Qingfan was secretly contemplating Feng Qingtian’s intentions, Feng Qingtian smiled slightly and asked, "What is it? Are you afraid of losing miserably like last time?"

Xu Qingfan sighed slightly and said, "In that case, I humbly accept."

Feng Qingtian looked around, nodded slightly, and said, "The scenery here is nice, and the place is spacious. Let’s settle here."

Xu Qingfan nodded slightly.

To be honest, Feng Qingtian’s provocation was quite basic. Perhaps because of his focus on training, Feng Qingtian wasn’t great at schemes. However, Xu Qingfan agreed to Feng Qingtian’s challenge because only through the competition could Xu Qingfan understand Feng Qingtian’s sudden interest in a trial. After all, Xu Qingfan suspected that Feng Qingtian wanted to kill him. Moreover, Xu Qingfan indeed wanted to find a skilled opponent like Feng Qingtian to test his current abilities and the power of his "external avatar."

Although it seemed Feng Qingtian intended to use the trial as an excuse to kill Xu Qingfan, Xu Qingfan had just completed his two "external avatars" and wasn’t too afraid of Feng Qingtian.

Hearing that Xu Qingfan agreed to the challenge, Feng Qingtian nodded slightly, but the complex expression in his eyes vanished, leaving only an icy coldness as vast as a relentless snowstorm.

At the same time, an immense aura erupted from Feng Qingtian, and while the Spirit Qi was restrained, the blazing red spiritual light that radiated outward surged into the sky, seemingly covering half the horizon.

Seeing that Feng Qingtian no longer concealed his power, Xu Qingfan frowned slightly.

Judging from the aura Feng Qingtian unleashed, he had fully integrated all the Spirit Qi that Xiao Huazhe had infused into him years ago, now reaching the preliminary stage of the late Real Golden Core Stage.

Such cultivation speed and talent are truly a rare sight seen once in a thousand years.

Yet, despite this, Xu Qingfan did not hesitate. He no longer concealed his power and fully unleashed his cultivation at the late stage of the Fake Golden Core Stage. At the same time, Xu Zhiyuan and Xu Ying quickly stood in front of Xu Qingfan, their combined aura merging with Xu Qingfan’s, able to hold their ground against Feng Qingtian.

Meanwhile, Little Black on Xu Qingfan’s shoulder was startled by Feng Qingtian’s presence, spreading its wings and circling above Feng Qingtian’s head, seemingly ready to dive down and attack at any moment. After evolving, Little Black had reached the Real Golden Core Stage, becoming a main force in the battle against Feng Qingtian.

But Feng Qingtian showed no concern, quietly saying to Xu Qingfan, "Well, shall we begin?"

As he spoke, fierce flames suddenly rose from Feng Qingtian’s body, transforming into the cry of a phoenix, taking the shape of the "Flame Phoenix" and soaring towards Little Black in the sky.

This was indeed one of the three great secret techniques of the Feng family, "Flame Phoenix"!

Feng Qingtian saw that Little Black’s strength was closest to his and chose to first unleash the "Flame Phoenix," aiming to entangle Little Black.

At the same time, Feng Qingtian’s body transformed into a wildly fierce and violent "Thunderbolt Thunder Fire," like lightning charging straight towards Xu Qingfan. The power of this "Thunderbolt Thunder Fire" was so immense that with Xu Qingfan’s current cultivation, if harmed by it, there would be no chance of survival.

"This Feng Qingtian truly intends to kill me!"

Xu Qingfan thought to himself quietly.