Even with Chen Feng’s astonishing stamina, he felt a measure of fatigue. Having battled Spencer for half the night and then presided over the pterodactyls' soul sacrifice, he had known no rest whatsoever.
He sat cross-legged on the ground, remaining still for a full hour before feeling his condition improve, his internal vortex energy and mental state once again reaching their peak.
Standing up, he surveyed the area. The corpses of the dragon riders had been mostly devoured by the Ice Rock Battle Wolves, leaving nothing in the valley but scattered flesh, tattered clothing, and broken spears. However, the fifth-level Battle Core that Spencer had produced the previous night, safely encased in its jade box, remained undamaged, lying alone next to a pile of shredded meat.
It seemed this pile of scraps was all that remained of the once arrogant Spencer!
To think that the foremost genius of the Loki Empire had ended up as a meal for the Ice Rock Battle Wolves in some nameless valley.
Chen Feng picked up the fifth-level Battle Core and placed it in his waterskin before heading toward Austin’s tent.
The night before, Chen Feng had performed the Dragon Blood Sacrifice ritual with the pterodactyls, sending the others away beforehand so as not to have too many witnesses. To be honest, how could Austin and the others sleep after witnessing such a gruesome scene? Yet, fearing Chen Feng’s wrath, they had dutifully tidied their tents and retreated inside, barely daring to breathe.
They had endured the night in agony.
However, when the night passed and Chen Feng showed no ill will toward them, they finally relaxed. But this relaxation proved costly: three people immediately collapsed.
Grace was one of them. With everyone unable to walk, they had no choice but to rest in the valley for a day.
Chen Feng, riding the peak fifth-level flying dragon with Little Tiger, circled above the valley to survey the terrain.
The area surrounding this valley harbored quite a few high-level magical beasts. But upon seeing the flock of pterodactyls soaring overhead and the Ice Rock Battle Wolves pacing the ground below, the local beasts wisely kept to their own territories, daring not to emerge.
After Grace fell ill, Chen Feng paid her a visit. He held a good impression of this courageous girl. Although she had been forced into a hostage situation by the circumstances at the time, the young girl had shown him no complaints or resentment afterward. Seeing him with a perfectly composed face was something that made him look at her with newfound respect.
If only Chen Feng knew that the image of a killing god he had inadvertently cultivated among the group—which resulted in no one daring to utter a single ‘no’ to him—he would likely be too stunned to speak.
Chen Feng retrieved some spring water from the Azure Cloud Spring in his waterskin and gave it to Grace to drink. The effect was indeed remarkable; by that afternoon, she was energetic and alive once more.
At this point, Austin was even more certain of Chen Feng’s identity. To command the submission of a large flock of pterodactyls, to casually produce such a miraculous medicine—what other source could provide such bounty besides "that place"?
Once he understood this, his attitude was replaced by sheer dread. He acted with extreme caution in everything he did, terrified of offending Chen Feng, which in turn made Chen Feng hesitant to speak. If he so much as opened his mouth, Austin would immediately launch into a string of apologies.
The next day.
Chen Feng ascertained the direction of the Nine Nether Canyon and led everyone to mount the backs of the pterodactyls, flying toward that destination.
Along the way, the pterodactyls occasionally unleashed their draconic might. Although Dragon Diagram Mountain was teeming with magical beasts, none of the high-level ones dared to provoke them, suppressed as they were by the dragon’s aura.
However, because the pterodactyls had to wait for the pack of Ice Rock Battle Wolves running on the ground below, their speed was not very fast.
Due to the White Wolf King’s summons, the number of Ice Rock Battle Wolves had rapidly swelled from their original count of just over a hundred.
On the fifth day of flight, the group encountered a torrential downpour and had no choice but to take shelter in a small cave.
The rain lasted for three days. When Chen Feng finally stepped out of the cave on the third day, he felt as though he might have started to mildew.
He stretched his limbs, just about to urge the group forward, when his powerful spiritual sense suddenly registered a violent, familiar energy fluctuation ahead!
This fluctuation was exceptionally fierce and pointed in the exact same direction as their path toward the Nine Nether Canyon.
Chen Feng’s expression grew grave. Many magical beasts had been fleeing in all directions on their journey, especially low-level ones, which traveled in large packs. If his group hadn't been so formidable, they might have died ten times over just from the beasts they passed.
What exactly had happened in the direction of the Nine Nether Canyon?
With this thought, Chen Feng hesitated no longer and led the group onward. Initially, Chen Feng had considered leaving Austin and the others behind, but then he reflected that he was unfamiliar with the Nine Nether Canyon, and Austin, though young, was incredibly learned and adept at many things. Keeping him close would surely offer some advantage to their progress.
This was why he kept this group, whose strength was decidedly mediocre, rather than choosing to eliminate them.
The group flew for another day perched on the backs of the pterodactyls.
The further they flew, the more pronounced the energy fluctuation became, and the familiar scent grew stronger. What could it be?
He questioned Little Tiger, but the creature sensed nothing, not even the energy fluctuation, which made Chen Feng even more perplexed.
Little Tiger’s current strength was at the peak of an eighth-level Fighter. In every aspect, he should surpass Chen Feng. Yet, Chen Feng had sensed the power fluctuation a day earlier that Little Tiger failed to perceive! This was truly strange.
After flying another half a day, the pterodactyls beneath them grew restless and agitated, as if intimidated by a power ahead.
They had no choice but to abandon the flying dragons. The group proceeded on foot toward the Nine Nether Canyon.
Chen Feng carefully settled the pterodactyls in a secure location. They were the first force to submit to him, just like the Ice Rock Battle Wolves. He would regret it immensely if he lost them; they needed proper arrangement.
Advancing on foot drastically reduced their speed. Walking through the forest, they constantly had to guard against sudden appearances of magical beasts and battle beasts, while also watching out for the exceptionally poisonous flora beneath their feet.
What should have taken half a day by flying dragon according to the map, ended up taking them a full five more days of walking to reach the periphery of the Nine Nether Canyon!
By the time they arrived at the outer reaches of the canyon, night had fully descended. A radiant, pure moon was slowly rising from the horizon, hanging on the nearby mountainside like a massive bronze mirror set into the stone.
Austin organized the others to form a circle and pitch their tents. Chen Feng had the Ice Rock Battle Wolves deploy around the perimeter to form a defensive perimeter. Chen Feng was not skilled at overall coordination and planning; Austin, however, was a master of it. The fact that he managed to withstand the fierce attacks of the Ice Rock Battle Wolves despite having a lower cultivation level than the dragon riders proved his extraordinary talent for command and direction.
It was precisely because of these qualities that Chen Feng looked upon him with respect. All matters of logistics and routing were left to Austin's arrangement.
The Nine Nether Canyon was renowned throughout the world. It must contain incredible power, otherwise, so many people would not circulate legends of its terror!
During the few quiet days, Chen Feng busied himself studying the deepening vortex within his body, trying to uncover the source of the enigmatic dark-black vortex that had long puzzled him, but he found nothing.
However, he felt no discouragement. The vortex energy within him was carried by the sudden influx of memories from the King of Fighters, and it certainly wouldn't be simple. As the foundation for all King of Fighters skills, how could one execute monstrous moves like Orochi without meeting various prerequisites?
This vortex energy must possess other incredible abilities, merely hidden because his current cultivation was too low to discover them!
PS: I am a friend of Lao Ya, uploading this on his behalf, and I’m also soliciting votes. Thank you all! (I checked and we are only about 500 recommendations away from the recommendation list. If you have one, please cast it. Lao Ya caught a cold this morning but still went to the construction site; he looks quite worn out…)