Little Tiger, surprised by his leader's recklessness, leaped into the wolf pack with a sharp roar of concern.

The Ice Rock War Wolves, already frustrated by their inability to break through, and possessing an innate aversion to fire, surged toward Chen Feng.

Chen Feng’s gaze was as calm as a mountain, his heart as placid as the sea. Flames enveloped his fists; with every punch thrown, a War Wolf would scream before bursting into a ball of fire, consumed entirely.

Austin and the remaining onlookers were ashen-faced, trembling uncontrollably at the sight of such terrifying prowess. How could this man remain so composed while besieged by the Ice Rock War Wolves, advancing step by step toward the White Wolf King? Was he human, or some kind of Battle Beast?

Unconsciously, an impression settled in the minds of the crowd: this person named Kusanagi was an absolute God of Slaughter. Surrounded by wolves, an ordinary person would have already fainted from the thick scent of blood, yet he remained so calm, timing his attacks perfectly with not a single wasted motion. One punch, one wolf corpse—every time.

The onlookers secretly congratulated themselves. Thank the heavens Kusanagi hadn't displayed his full strength when fighting them earlier. If he had fought like this then, could their group have possibly stopped him?

"Leader, jump!" Little Tiger's voice came from behind.

Confused, Chen Feng felt a vortex of energy erupt beneath his feet, propelling him upward more than twenty feet with a sharp crack. A yellow streak flashed beneath him—Little Tiger had already darted to his side!

"Get on my back!"

Only then did Chen Feng understand his meaning. He retrieved the nearly five-thousand-pound shovel from his back and tucked it securely into his water flask before landing steadily on Little Tiger's back.

Though Little Tiger’s body was formidable, such an unfamiliar weight would surely affect him.

Man and tiger streaked through the air in a brilliant arc, descending into the midst of the wolf pack.

As Chen Feng and Little Tiger plunged into the horde, the surrounding War Wolves forming the attack and defense perimeter thinned considerably. Alfred, having recovered, unleashed several defensive-type spells in quick succession, instantly easing the pressure on the others.

At that moment, they witnessed Chen Feng soaring above the wolves atop Little Tiger, wreathed in flame—truly like the arrival of the God of Fire. Their hearts trembled uncontrollably!

Was this his true strength?

Battle Qi condensing into external flame... that required cultivation at least to the level of a Battle Master!

This youth, who appeared to be barely in his teens, had already reached the Battle Master realm?

Grace’s face turned waxy yellow from the nausea. Watching this scene from the edge of the crowd, her mouth gaped wide. How... how could he be so powerful?

Recalling her previous attitude toward him sent a wave of retrospective terror through her.

Having always been sheltered in the center of her group, she had relished the rare feeling of being forcefully taken captive. Seeing Chen Feng looking somewhat slender and harmless had emboldened her. Now, witnessing this spectacle, she realized how pitifully naive she had been!

If the other party had truly wished to kill her moments ago, it would have been child’s play. Never mind kidnapping her to blackmail the others into inaction to ensure his and his pet’s safety!

Looking at him now, even if the opposing force were doubled, how could they possibly survive against him?

In truth, the others had overestimated Chen Feng. The Ice Rock War Wolves were ice-attribute Battle Beasts, diametrically opposed to the fire elements Chen Feng possessed. Although Chen Feng's cultivation was only at the peak of the Fourth Level, the purity of the fire elements inherited from the Flame Dragon Bloodline was perfectly suited to suppress the War Wolves' Battle Qi. Furthermore, the uncontrolled leakage of the Flame Dragon Aura caused every approaching War Wolf to tremble uncontrollably, making even attacking difficult, let alone harming him.

However, due to his low cultivation, Chen Feng could not unleash the true power of the Flame Dragon Bloodline. If that bloodline were truly awakened, these Ice Rock War Wolves would likely prostrate themselves in fear under the mere Dragon Might, without him needing to lift a finger.

Chen Feng was in a peculiar state. Logically, given his Vortex cultivation, even if the Ice Rock War Wolves offered no resistance, he shouldn't have been able to sustain this level of fighting for so long. Yet, the more he fought, the stronger he became, filled with an unquenchable battle spirit; it felt as if inexhaustible strength surged within him!

He was about to break through!

He had remained at the Fourth-Level Battle Warrior cultivation for a full six months, and now, he was suddenly on the verge of an advancement!

The sturdy Little Tiger seemed to sense his leader's anomaly, moving even faster than lightning amidst the wolves, never pausing for an instant.

Breaking through during combat is inherently dangerous, yet it is also the moment when breakthroughs are most easily achieved! In moments of life and death, individual potential is often unleashed to realms otherwise unreachable.

Chen Feng had cultivated in the Heavy Domain for three full months. Although this deep conditioning didn't enhance his Vortex directly, it vastly increased the capacity his body could bear. To use an analogy: if a Fourth-Level Battle Warrior’s Vortex could be contained in a cup, his body’s capacity had now expanded to that of a water barrel. How could a cup of water show any visible effect in a barrel?

Therefore, the Fourth-Level Battle Warrior Vortex could no longer meet the demands of Chen Feng’s body; a breakthrough was inevitable.

The Origin Energy in the air was drawn to him like iron filings to a magnet, converging upon his body with incredible speed. The influx was so rapid that a visible swirling current formed around him.

"Condensing Qi into Substance?" Austin and the others were dumbfounded.

"Your Highness, did I see that correctly? Condensing Qi into Substance is a technique only achievable by experts at the Battle Venerable level!" a Ninth-Level Battle Warrior exclaimed, unable to believe his eyes.

"I don't know either," Austin shook his head. If it weren't for the pain from his injuries, he would suspect he was dreaming. A Battle Venerable at fourteen or fifteen years old... it was simply impossible!

Condensing Qi into Substance was indeed the method Battle Venerables used to recover their Battle Qi—it meant that an expert of that rank could draw down the elemental energy of heaven and earth, manifesting it as a visible stream entering their bodies. Battle Venerables were only heard of in legends; none of them had ever witnessed such a sight, so they naturally assumed this phenomenon indicated that level.

Riding on Little Tiger's back, Chen Feng was entirely unaware of the immense pressure his appearance was exerting, leading to such a grand misunderstanding.

Vortex energy was, fundamentally, the Origin Energy of heaven and earth. Chen Feng's robust physique should have allowed him to break through long ago, but for certain peculiar reasons, his advancement was delayed. Now, with the sudden surge in cultivation, he could no longer suppress it. The Vortex energy within his Dantian rapidly condensed, appearing even purer under the scorching heat of the surrounding flames!

The elemental energy of heaven and earth pouring into his body circulated wildly within him like cheerful streams of water, constantly entering and exiting the Dantian.

The pale yellow Vortex at the Dantian spun faster and faster in one direction, its color deepening simultaneously.

At that instant, a thread of dark black vortex energy bled out from the center of the pale yellow Vortex, abruptly swallowing more than half of the elemental energy flooding into Chen Feng's body!

Having consumed such a massive amount of primal energy, the volume of that dark black vortex thread remained unchanged; it only grew darker, its sinister appearance tinged with a strange eeriness.

Chen Feng noticed this dark vortex immediately and locked onto it with his intent, trying to exert control. However, the thing seemed to possess intelligence, diving directly into the core of the pale yellow Vortex and vanishing instantly.

After a moment of confusion, Chen Feng dismissed the thought. He suddenly stood up straight on Little Tiger's back, his joints emitting sharp cracking sounds like dry earth receiving sweet rain. The breakthrough was complete. Chen Feng swung his fist, examined the state of his power in his mind, and a burst of intense joy surged through him.

"Mid-Sixth Level!"

He had unexpectedly leaped two full levels during this breakthrough! Chen Feng mused that if not for the influence of that dark black vortex energy, he might have reached the Eighth-Level Battle Warrior realm directly! He quickly let go of the thought, however. An excessively rapid increase in strength placed too great a strain on the body. Even with his currently formidable physique, who could guarantee absolute safety?

It was better to advance step by step! At least that method had no adverse side effects on the body.

With this realization, Chen Feng was about to urge Little Tiger forward again when, with a sharp clack in his mind, a new memory materialized!

This level-up had brought a new Fist Emperor technique!

"It's actually..."

Chen Feng felt dizzy with excitement...

ps: Thank you to all the brothers for your recommendation tickets! Thank you!