Volume 1 Volume 7 Chapter 109

Volume 7 Chapter 109: Feng Qingtian, Chou, Anluo

About a year after Xu Qingfan left seclusion, a piece of news came from the Human Alliance that made Xu Qingfan very happy: Jin Qinghan had once again broken through his limits and had become a master in the Astral Projection Stage.

Although Xu Qingfan could not meet Jin Qinghan, he believed that Jin Qinghan surely understood his heartfelt feelings.

"Junior Brother Jin…"

On Yuheng Island, after hearing about Jin Qinghan’s improvement, Xu Qingfan stood by the sea, gazing into the direction of Shenzhou Continent for a long time.

Behind Xu Qingfan, Ting’er quietly stood. Over the years, it seemed the two had restored their old understanding; as long as they were not in seclusion, Ting’er would definitely follow behind Xu Qingfan like a shadow, carrying a sense of loyalty.

"Ting’er, do you think your Martial Uncle Jin could be the first person in the world to reach the Soul Changing Stage? Among our generation, Junior Brother Jin borrowed the least external help to reach mastery, relying only on the teachings from the ‘Pure Land Sect.’ Although I have the highest cultivation among these people, I have used the most external support. Because I relied so much on others, I can feel that having reached this level of power is almost my limit. Even if I could deepen my understanding of the ‘Cosmic Secret Record’ and ‘Substitute for Heaven’ in the future, I could only match Mr. Liu and the others at most. Going further than that is completely impossible. But Junior Brother Jin, his limits seem far from sight. With the passage of time, he will surely surpass me."

Xu Qingfan seemed to remember something and suddenly turned to Ting’er and said.

A flicker of indifference passed through Ting’er’s eyes. She only cared about Xu Qingfan, no matter how strong the others were. However, since Xu Qingfan returned, he always wore a frown, and it was rare to see him happy. Ting’er did not want to interrupt this rare moment of joy. Yet, being naturally quiet and unwilling to admit that Xu Qingfan was not as good as Jin Qinghan, she simply said, "I don’t know."

To keep Xu Qingfan talking, Ting’er worked hard to find a new topic, "What about Feng Qingtian? And Hua Xian from Qingxu, Deng Tianao from Liuhe Gate, Zenghua from the Five Elements Sect, Lian Guang from Mercy Cloud Temple, and Xuankin from Penance Valley…? They are all from the same generation as you, Uncle, and have become masters over the years. Among them, Feng Qingtian and Hua Xian are even close to reaching the Astral Projection Stage."

Xu Qingfan shook his head and sighed, "Among the people you mentioned, except for Feng Qingtian and Hua Xian, the others are recent masters, and only Xuankin has broken through to become a master by himself. As for the others… Perhaps the last big battle shocked Zizhen and the others too much. Also, the Shura Clan has clearly been recovering these years. In just eighty years, the Human Alliance has produced six masters. It is said that nearly half of the treasures obtained by these masters in the ‘Azure Crystal Treasure House’ were used on these people. Their understanding of the Heavenly Way and the increase in Spirit Qi were forced. It is said that even the ‘Xuanhun Jade’ kept in Penance Valley for many years, the relics left by the ancestors of Mercy Cloud Temple, the Five Elements Sect’s ‘Five Elements Body Sculpting Method’, and Qingxu’s ‘Mind-Opening Transmission of True Spirits’ were all used. You see, I guess in the coming years, the Human Alliance will have a few more masters, but these masters will remain stuck at their current level for their entire lives. They may be strong, but they cannot use their power freely, and because they have been filled with too much, they may die early. In fact, as far as I know, a total of eighteen golden core cultivators have been transformed using these methods, but only five have survived."

"Don’t Zizhen and the others know?"

"Of course they know, which is why they used this method on Lian Guang, Deng Tianao, and others. But truly talented ones like Chou Xuan, Xu Xiurong, and Xuanye are still at the Golden Core Stage. Even when the Human Alliance was the most short of masters, Zizhen did not try to force them to advance too quickly. They are the real future of human cultivators. Deng Tianao and the others are just sacrifices made because Zizhen and the others could not wait any longer. What a pity—they originally had the chance to break through to become great masters on their own. But even Chou Xuan and the others are still clearly a bit weaker than Junior Brother Jin."

"What about Hua Xian and Feng Qingtian?"

"Hua Xian is very talented and smart; he might even become the second Immortal Zizhen in the future. However, that is also his limit in this life. As for Feng Qingtian… his inner demons are too strong. Although he is making rapid progress now, he is destined to never become a great master. But you were mistaken earlier; Feng Qingtian is not close to reaching the Astral Projection Stage. He reached it fifty years ago."

Thinking of the conflict between Feng Qingtian and Jin Qinghan, Ting’er couldn’t help but ask, "So, is Feng Qingtian still stronger than Jin Qinghan now?"

Xu Qingfan frowned slightly, unsure how to answer. After a long time, he finally sighed and said, "If Feng Qingtian’s inner demons stem from family hatred, then Junior Brother Jin’s inner demons come from repeatedly suffering defeats at Feng Qingtian’s hands. This is the only obstacle in Junior Brother Jin’s progress… But I believe that the day Junior Brother Jin defeats Feng Qingtian will be the day he soars to great heights."

Seeing the doubt in Ting’er’s eyes, as if she did not believe Jin Qinghan could defeat Feng Qingtian, Xu Qingfan smiled and said, "Just wait, the time is coming soon. I have a feeling that the grudges of these past years will be settled at last."

Just then, Dongfang Qingling came walking towards Xu Qingfan and Ting’er, holding a wooden tray. When she reached Xu Qingfan, she smiled and said, "The mortals from the Polaris Islands have managed to grow fruit trees, and they have survived. This is the fruit they harvested. I just asked a cultivator from Tianxin Camp to bring it to you, as a token of their gratitude for your care over the years."

After Xu Qingfan finished his retreat, for some reason, Dongfang Qingling followed Ting’er back to Yuheng Island and decided to stay. The two women rarely spoke, but seemed to get along well.

Thinking of this, Xu Qingfan raised his eyebrows in confusion.

…

At the moment when Xu Qingfan and Ting’er were discussing Feng Qingtian, Feng Qingtian was swiftly flying deeper into the Western Desert, accompanied by over eight hundred Feng family cultivators who had been infused with the bloodline of a phoenix that he trained over the years.

Three years ago, Xu Qingfan suddenly received two pieces of news from a disciple named Chou.

The first was Xu Qingfan’s assessment of the plan that Zhang Xusheng had set in motion eighty years ago, after sorting through various information over the years.

The second was the news of Niu Wenxing’s death. Niu Wenxing was in poor health and was a mortal. Although he received the best care in the Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands, he still passed away after such a long time. However, Xu Qingfan made it clear that Niu Wenxing never turned to him for help before his death.

Upon receiving this news, Feng Qingtian felt both sadness and shock.

The shock was due to the grand plan Zhang Xusheng had made years ago and the news Xu Qingfan received in the divination about the "Spirit Eater" soon to be reborn.

The sadness, however, was not because of Niu Wenxing’s death, but because Feng Qingtian realized that no matter how hard he tried, he could not surpass the person named Zhang Xusheng. In fact, he had even been left far behind by Xu Qingfan, who was originally much weaker than him.

Moreover, his years of effort had not only failed to grow his own power, but had also significantly decreased it.

Seventy years ago, two elite Shura Clan warriors suddenly found Feng Qingtian’s secret base and began to kill without a word. Although Feng Qingtian fought bravely to hold them off, he still lost most of the power he had built over the years, leaving only eight hundred people now. After the great battle, the Nine-Tails went missing along with countless fox spirits. He also lost the "Shura Statue" he had stolen back then.

Later, Feng Qingtian learned that the "Shura Statue" was originally created by the Shura Clan, and they had their own ways to find its location, which also led them to Feng Qingtian’s main base.

The greatest use of the "Shura Statue" was to change bloodlines. Over the years, the Shura Clan had begun to revive and increase in numbers because they transformed the humans they had captured into Half Shura using the "Shura Statue." Although this method was far less effective than using the "Shura Holy Pearl" to directly create true Shura Clan members, it was still the quickest way for the Shura Clan to increase its power.

As the Shura Clan grew stronger, the one who suffered was Feng Qingtian.

How had he fallen to such a low point?

Feng Qingtian could not understand, he kept trying to understand.

Very few people dare to admit they have taken the wrong path.

But he still had one chance, the last chance to get back at Zhang Xusheng.

"Once the ‘Spirit Eater’ is born, we can no longer trap it or kill it. We can only watch it grow stronger and then devour everything in this world, becoming the sacrifices of its growth… Zhang Xusheng’s plan to destroy the world will succeed, but it will also take him down. And before that, this is your last chance to get back at him."

These were the exact words of Xu Qingfan, spoken by a person named Chou.

Feng Qingtian knew Xu Qingfan was using him to test Zhang Xusheng and deal with him, but he could not help but follow Xu Qingfan’s plan.

At the same time, his hatred for Xu Qingfan grew even deeper.

Xu Qingfan told him that Zhang Xusheng’s followers must be hiding in some barren place, because Zhang Xusheng’s plan was to use the ‘Spirit Eater’ to destroy the world. To ensure that his followers would not be wiped out by the ‘Spirit Eater’, they must be hidden in places where the ‘Spirit Eater’ would not go. Since the ‘Spirit Eater’ seeks to devour and evolve, it would avoid areas with few creatures and little Spirit Qi. Only in such places could Zhang Xusheng’s followers survive during the 600 years of the ‘Spirit Eater’s’ torment.

This kind of place could only be the Western Desert. It is the most desolate place in the world, becoming more barren the deeper you go, with some areas lacking even the Spirit Qi of heaven and earth.

So Feng Qingtian came to the Western Desert and spent three years searching for Zhang Xusheng’s secret base.

Through Xu Qingfan, Feng Qingtian learned that what Zhang Xusheng is now pursuing is to create a new world after the end of the current one, wanting to become the god of this world. Feng Qingtian’s goal is to destroy Zhang Xusheng’s pursuit, even if it’s just to make Zhang Xusheng feel frustrated for a moment, he has achieved his purpose.

Now, he has finally found it, a place deep in the Western Desert that he had been searching for over the past year. The three groups of people he sent to investigate have all disappeared.

And he believes that Zhang Xusheng’s secret base is right there!

At that moment, he was leading his men to that place to destroy Zhang Xusheng’s hope.

…

Soon, Feng Qingtian arrived at the place he was looking for. It was a barren land, just like any other place in the Western Desert, but even more desolate.

But Feng Qingtian was not discouraged. He closed his eyes to sense carefully for a moment, then a slight cold smile appeared on his lips.

While strengthening the phoenix bloodline in his body with the "Divine Plate of Inheritance," he also gained the powerful sensing ability of the ancient Mythical Beast, the Phoenix.

"Come out!"

Feng Qingtian whispered sharply, and with a wave of his hand, a bright flame suddenly rushed towards the sandy ground beneath him, and this flame was a deep green color.

Instantly, under the heat of those flames, which combined both coldness and warmth, even the sand that could not catch fire turned to nothingness.

In just a moment, for miles around Feng Qingtian, a sea of fire rose up; after the flames passed, the sand was gone, and in front of Feng Qingtian appeared a mysterious and eerie black castle.

A colder smile grew on Feng Qingtian’s face, hinting at a touch of excitement.

A tall pillar of fire rose up again in his hand, ready to attack the black castle when suddenly, the castle moved.

The castle buried beneath the sand suddenly emitted a grand aura, slowly floating up from deep underground, hovering in the air at the same height as Feng Qingtian.

Then, the castle doors opened, and countless cultivators, led by several experts dressed in black with half-burned wooden masks, flew out of the black castle and rushed towards Feng Qingtian. Each of these cultivators was incredibly handsome, clearly the new humans created by Zhang Xusheng.

The cold smile on Feng Qingtian’s face turned even sharper.

"Kill!"

Feng Qingtian waved his hand and commanded the cultivators behind him.

At the same time, Feng Qingtian charged towards the suddenly appearing cultivators.

A fierce battle began!

With a wave of his hand, a sea of green flames rushed towards the enemy before him, like tiny fish. Just as Feng Qingtian imagined, these cultivators were instantly buried in the waves of fire and vanished from sight.

An hour passed…

Two hours passed…

Three hours passed…

Feng Qingtian continued to fight without tiring, while the cultivators pouring out of the black castle began to grow fewer.

The smile on Feng Qingtian’s face became a little more cruel and joyful.

After competing with Zhang Xusheng for so many years, he finally gained an advantage.

However, slowly, Feng Qingtian began to feel a bit unhappy; his opponent was too weak, and each kill was too easy, lacking the thrill of battle.

So, Feng Qingtian changed his strategy; instead of using a sea of fire, he launched countless ghostly green fireballs that carried immense explosive power. Every cultivator hit by a fireball was blown to pieces.

The sounds of explosions, screams, and blood splattering like rain…

The joy in Feng Qingtian’s heart indeed grew stronger.

However, Feng Qingtian did not notice that the blood splattered on his face was slowly disappearing, as if merging into his body.

After an unknown amount of time spent in killing, Feng Qingtian’s body suddenly stiffened!

Then, there was another round of slaughter.

But the killing was aimed at the Feng family members under his command!

Feng Qingtian showed no mercy, raising his hand as countless fire dragons soared, ruthlessly killing his loyal followers.

On Feng Qingtian’s face, there was a mix of horror and despair.

He realized he could not control his own body!

…

When everything was over, Feng Qingtian could move again, but his face was ashen…

There was not a single living being around him; everything he could see had been killed by him.

Whether they were enemies or his own men…

At that moment, Feng Qingtian already knew that he had been tricked by Zhang Xusheng again.

"My name is Anluo."

Suddenly, a pile of broken meat at Feng Qingtian’s feet reassembled into a strange cultivator dressed in a black robe, his face obscured by long hair, cold and eerie, like a wandering ghost.

After the strange cultivator appeared, he spoke to Feng Qingtian in a chilling voice.

Feng Qingtian stared blankly at Anluo in front of him, with no reaction at all.

The power he had worked hard to build, the hope for the revival of the Feng family, was crushed by his own hands!

And in the end, he still could not defeat Zhang Xusheng!

Anluo, however, ignored Feng Qingtian and continued in that chilling voice, "Just now, you were controlled by my blood, and your body could not move. Don’t be surprised. Also, I want to thank you for eliminating those failed creations for my family master today."

Hearing the words "my master," Feng Qingtian suddenly shivered, lifted his head, and his eyes burned with hatred like fire.

"My family master has something to say to you."

Saying this, Anluo took out a black crystal ball from his sleeve, a tool used to project images from afar.

After channeling Spirit Qi, a figure suddenly appeared in front of Feng Qingtian, and it was Zhang Xusheng’s projection.

"The forever immature little fruit, we meet again."

Zhang Xusheng’s smile remained on his face, as if standing before a dear friend he had not seen in many years.

"Zhang! Xu! Sheng!"

Feng Qingtian gritted his teeth and gazed at the projection, speaking clearly word by word.

"Do you know why I say you will never mature?" Zhang Xusheng ignored Feng Qingtian’s gritted teeth and asked softly.

"Probably because you have always been a genius, and all your goals are easily achieved. Because of this, you always look at the finish line and never at your feet. After all these years, you still haven’t changed this habit. When confidence turns into impatience, you will never become a great talent! You lack patience, organization, and have a narrow view. In this regard, you are far behind Xu Qingfan."

Upon hearing Xu Qingfan’s name, Feng Qingtian suddenly shuddered.

"Do you know why I know you would come here? Because there are at least eighty people around you who are my spies. I have watched every move you have made over the years; I know everything about you. You are too confident, thinking everyone will follow you passionately, even sacrificing their lives and enduring countless hardships, just because you are the genius Feng Qingtian? Unfortunately, there are always people who betray you. I won’t even mention my spies; how many of the Feng family members you trusted have left in secret over the years? Even the nine-tailed fox you had high hopes for has left, hasn’t it?"

"How did Xu Qingfan establish Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands? He ensured that everyone at Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands had goals to pursue. Every moment, he instilled a shared belief in the hearts of the cultivators at Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands, building his own reputation. He made everyone believe that following him would be far better than before, and established a complete management system and structure. What did you offer your subordinates? A slogan about seeking revenge on me and rebuilding the Feng family? And a life of constant wandering without stability? As for the nine-tailed fox, you brought it only fear. When Niu Wenxing was around, under his advice, you even gave half of your gains to the nine-tailed fox to strengthen it and win its loyalty. But what happened after Niu Wenxing left? Now look at Xu Qingfan’s Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands, which is growing stronger by the day. What about the Feng family you built?!"

"By the way, I also placed many spies in Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands, but soon, Xu Qingfan discovered all of them."

"Feng Qingtian, originally, I thought you were the biggest fruit I was looking for, so I gave you patience, I gave you opportunities, I even secretly helped you grow. But you disappointed me too much. Now, the only fruit I see is Xu Qingfan, and you… are nowhere near Xu Qingfan. After Xu Qingfan had a goal, he still looked around him and even behind him, being careful and considering everything. But you only focus on your goal, stumbling many times without learning from your mistakes."

"The reason I am here to tell you all this is that you were once the fruit I looked forward to the most. Although I am left with nothing but disappointment now, out of pity, I will tell you why you failed. This is the last time we meet; from now on, I will no longer pay attention to you… You do not deserve it."

Zhang Xusheng’s smile remained gentle, but his words felt like sharp swords, piercing directly into Feng Qingtian’s soul.

"How can I not be as good as Xu Qingfan?!" Feng Qingtian suddenly exploded, shouting angrily at Zhang Xusheng’s illusion, "He is just a useless human who got lucky to come this far, but he can’t always be this lucky. He is not better than me; he will never be better than me!"

Humans are very strange creatures; the transfer of hatred is so bizarre.

Perhaps, in Feng Qingtian’s eyes, Xu Qingfan should always be the weak person whom he easily defeated in the Newcomer Comparison, or see himself as Zhang Xusheng’s only rival, valued by Zhang Xusheng. This made Feng Qingtian feel proud deep inside; it is what a genius like him deserves. Now, the gap is too large, and all this humiliation comes from Xu Qingfan. Or he feels that Xu Qingfan’s achievements should have been his, and under Zhang Xusheng’s hints, he believes Xu Qingfan has taken everything from him. The jealousy that gives rise to hatred bursts forth with the greatest ferocity.

Zhang Xusheng’s smile held a hint of sarcasm, "You are better than Xu Qingfan? Then who did your Niu Wenxing take away? Who told you the news about me? This time, who used you as a tool?"

"Xu Qingfan is not my opponent! He is not as good as me!"

Feng Qingtian’s expression suddenly became extremely cold as he stared at Zhang Xusheng, and his gaze was fiercer than ever before.

"If that’s the case, then show me, prove that you are better than Xu Qingfan. When that time comes, I will give you a chance to face me again…"

Zhang Xusheng’s shadow disappeared, but his words continued to echo in the air.

…

Under Anluo’s cold gaze, Feng Qingtian left, feeling a mix of madness and loneliness.

Anluo turned around, ready to leave, but his body suddenly froze.

Behind him, a figure in a black cloak had appeared without notice.

"Anluo?"

The man in the black robe suddenly asked coldly.

"Chou? You really came."

Anluo replied with the same cold tone.

"You knew I would come?"

"The master said that Feng Qingtian is trapped in hatred and cannot escape. He is becoming more narrow-minded and will never achieve greatness. Xu Qingfan knows this and will not trust him to come alone. He will surely send a skilled person to follow him, and that person must be you. You are the strongest expert in the Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands, besides Xu Qingfan. Or maybe your strength has surpassed Xu Qingfan’s now, inheriting everything from the demon Zhong Ling. You hold one of Xu Qingfan’s strongest forces, Tianyou Camp. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t even need to be here. To deal with Feng Qingtian, I wouldn’t need to take action. Destroying you would cut Xu Qingfan’s power in half…"

"Follow Feng Qingtian, destroy everything in sight, and kill everyone I see. That is the order I received," Chou coldly replied. "Anluo, Zhang Xusheng’s proudest creation, uses his own blood as a weapon. Injecting his blood into an opponent’s body allows him to control them. After absorbing their blood, he gains their abilities and strength. As long as a drop of blood remains, he can never die. You are said to be forever unbeatable, right? Killing you might not break Zhang Xusheng’s heart, but at least future actions might go a little smoother."

As Chou finished speaking, both of them moved at the same time.

…

One is the Rainbow Spirit of the Seven Islands, a master who sits above all, the last of the demons in the world. The other is the most perfect creature created by Zhang Xusheng, known as the undefeated being. Who is stronger?

They are evenly matched!

Chou continuously used various illusions, poisons, and ice spells to try to control Anluo’s movements, but Anluo turned his blood into a mist and surrounded himself with it. Chou’s many abilities could not enter the mist at all.

Meanwhile, Anluo formed countless blood whips and blood swords to attack Chou. They seemed weak, but Chou knew very well what would happen if he got touched by them, so he created many death auras to block them, not daring to underestimate them.

In the end, without allowing the blood to enter Chou’s body, Chou, who was faster and had thicker energy with more powerful abilities, gradually gained the upper hand.

The battle lasted for two full hours. Finally, when Anluo was caught off guard, a sword tail suddenly appeared and pierced his chest, sending a steady stream of death energy into Anluo’s body through the sword tail.

At that moment, Chou couldn’t help but relax for a moment. In past battles, when he pushed death energy into his opponent’s body, the fight was usually over.

However, Anluo felt no pain at all and showed no fear of the mutated death energy flowing into him through the sword tail. Instead, he gave Chou a strange smile.

Then, the long hair on his face suddenly lifted, revealing his strange face without features, and he bit down on the sword tail in his chest. His teeth were so sharp that the scales on the sword tail couldn’t stop them at all.

At the same time, the blood in Anluo’s chest gradually seeped through the scales inserted into it, flowing into Chou’s body, proving that the seemingly strong scales could not block it at all.

In an instant, Chou’s body froze; he felt as if he had lost control of his own body. No matter how hard he tried, he could not move even a little.

Just like Feng Qingtian, he was controlled by Anluo’s blood. Though he was a demon, Anluo was also a monster!

Chou never expected that the scales on his body, formed from the countless characteristics gathered over the years of devouring and evolving, would have no effect against Anluo’s teeth and blood! He also never thought that the deadly energy he had injected into Anluo would not cause Anluo any panic, nor would it make Anluo lose body functions quickly like other opponents…

This was the first time he had encountered such a situation.

While his body was being controlled, a swirl of bloody mist surrounded Anluo. When the mist cleared, another "Chou" appeared before him, with the same green scales, the same strange eyes all over his body, the same two black wings on his back, and thirteen sword-like tails…

This was another "Chou" that Anluo had transformed into after absorbing Chou’s blood, gaining his abilities in a short time!

"You have too much confidence in your deadly energy, but you should know that not everyone is powerless against your body. At least I can withstand it before I changed into you, and once I become you, this deadly energy will not harm me."

Anluo stared at Chou and said coldly.

With Chou’s body under control and Anluo gaining Chou’s power, it seemed that the battle was decided.

However…

After a short while, Chou’s body regained its freedom and slowly floated to Anluo’s body.

Although it was called a body, it was really just a pile of rapidly decaying flesh.

During that short time, Anluo had turned into this state amidst cries of agony.

"Remember, even though you are a monster, I am also a demon. The blood of a demon is not so easy to drink; it will make you die faster than pure death…"

It seemed like a tease, yet also a self-mockery.

At that moment, over a hundred black-robed cultivators quickly flew behind Chou.

They were from the Tianyou Camp. Over the past eighty years, the strength of the Tianyou Camp had grown even more formidable.

"Kill everyone you see and destroy everything you see!"

Chou pointed at the black fortress floating above, coldly repeating Xu Qingfan’s command.