That night, Chen Feng slaughtered his way through, wiping out all twenty-odd members of the mercenary group, finally incinerating them to ash using the Azure Flame! After the heavy snow, even if someone wanted to look for them now, they wouldn't know where to begin!

Back at the blacksmith shop, John and Yas were naturally curious about the mercenaries' whereabouts. Chen Feng spun a quick lie. Although Old John didn't entirely believe it, given his simple nature, he could never imagine that this young man before him had annihilated every single one of the enemy!

Since the mercenaries were gone, Old John, after careful consideration, led all their horses to town and sold them, putting the money aside. In John's words, if the group ever returned, he would return the money to them!

Chen Feng offered no defense. After his Dark Vortex power recovered to the level of a Fifth-Stage Fighter, he reverted to his former cold demeanor. The way he viewed matters had changed, and his temper grew increasingly volatile. Chen Feng didn't know the cause, but he knew that as long as he continued cultivating the Dark Vortex power, his state of mind would draw closer to that of Yagami, becoming cold and merciless.

Long ago, Yagami's father, Yagami Tsukumo, brought ten-year-old Iori Yagami to Grass Field City to challenge Kyo Kusanagi's father, Saisyu Kusanagi. Because of his arrogance, Tsukumo severely wounded Saisyu but failed to kill him. The result was that Saisyu incinerated him with a single move, the Orochi Nagi! Ten-year-old Iori Yagami watched his father turn to ash before his eyes without shedding a single tear, illustrating his inherent coldness!

Although Chen Feng had no friends in this world, he was unwilling to become like that. However, whenever he tried to rotate the vortex energy in the positive direction, his entire body seized up, his chest tightened, and the energy inside rampaged too fiercely; he risked exploding at any moment. After several failed attempts, Chen Feng finally abandoned the idea of positive vortex rotation.

So be it if he was cold, as long as he didn't go berserk. This world, however, lacked the Orochi Bloodline, making an actual rampage unlikely. Yet, Chen Feng had a feeling that continuing to cultivate this way would inevitably lead to a rampage sooner or later! Could a Yagami who didn't go berserk truly be called a Yagami?

After these past two weeks of recovery, the Vortex Power within him showed subtle signs of breaking through from the Sixth Stage to the Seventh. He decided to continue cultivating, hoping that reaching the rank of Battle Master might resolve the issue! Chen Feng consoled himself.

…………

In the dense woods behind the mountain, there was a snow mound roughly five to six meters in diameter.

Anyone present would have found it strange to see the elemental energies in the sky above inexplicably surging toward the snow mound at an incredible speed. What was even more astonishing was that the elements flooding into the mound were exclusively Fire-attributed!

Cultivating a Fire-attributed technique beneath an icy snow mound would surely be considered a joke if word got out!

Since antiquity, ice and fire have been irreconcilable. Those practicing Fire cultivation usually reside in intensely hot environments—deserts or under the midday sun. The hotter the surroundings, the more beneficial it is for cultivation (though there is a limit). Only those practicing Ice cultivation thrive in icy, snowy environments, as it allows them to better feel the might of the Ice element.

It was likely that the Kirin had placed the teleportation array in this frozen wasteland due to its own cultivation of Profound Ice Battle Qi.

However, Chen Feng did not believe that cultivating a Fire technique in the snow was a joke!

The Dark Vortex Power could also unleash azure flames. While perhaps not as pure as the Kusanagi Flame catalyzed by the Dragon Bloodline, it possessed an eerie, inexplicable quality, creating a sense of deterrence that surpassed even the Kusanagi Flame!

Moreover, Chen Feng discovered a method to speed up his cultivation: the Limit Training Method!

The Limit Training Method was the name Chen Feng gave this approach: completely draining the Vortex Power within his body, and then burying himself beneath the snow mound to recover his strength!

He discovered this method by chance a week prior. After recovering his strength to the level before fighting the Kirin, he indulged his curiosity by unleashing the moves he had already mastered in the mountain forest repeatedly: Outer Style: Shadow Dance - Dream Bullet, 127th Style: Flower, 108th Style: Dark Hook Hand, Reverse Slash... These techniques flowed from his hands again and again, becoming more practiced while his understanding of the techniques deepened.

Chen Feng had managed to comprehend the ultimate secret of the Araki style, so the power of the Araki was relatively high when unleashed. Unfortunately, Araki was the most fundamental move of the Kusanagi Fist, and its power was too small. As for the immensely powerful Orochi Nagi, he could only use it once with his entire store of Vortex Power; without constant practice, it was hard to tell when he would ever grasp its ultimate secret.

Furthermore, with the vortex now reversing internally, he couldn't even use the Orochi Nagi. As for Iori Yagami's Hachijin or Hachikakusu, he hadn't the faintest clue how to start learning them yet!

Without ultimate skills or super moves, improving the attack power of the basic moves was key. Thus, Chen Feng threw himself into frantically practicing the few moves he was familiar with.

Soon, the accumulated Vortex Power within his body was utterly exhausted. Lying weakly on the snow, he was surprised to find that the Dark Vortex in his Dantian was recovering at an unusually fast rate—nearly double his usual speed!

Chen Feng couldn't fathom the reason, but if he had to offer an explanation, he leaned towards the Dark Vortex being a combination of frigid cold and fiery agitation. Taking Yagami as an example, he was cold and arrogant, decisive in action, and clever; this external coldness and internal fervor were inherent contradictions. The Dark Vortex he was cultivating was assimilating him toward Yagami, and such a power could hardly avoid being contradictory.

…………

Chen Feng sat cross-legged with his eyes closed beneath the snow mound! The dark vortex spun back and forth within his body's meridians. With every rotation, it absorbed energy from the surface to supplement itself. The Dark Vortex in his Dantian grew denser, and the scope of its rotation widened!

The arms of the vortex at its core grew more solidified, and their color deepened!

"Kaka..." Chen Feng's joints emitted a sound like popping beans. A surge of immense power suddenly erupted from his Dantian, surging through his meridians to every part of his body. Instantly, all his muscles were nourished by this power!

"Huhu..." All his muscles contracted and expanded like inflating balloons, continuously growing under the sustenance of this power!

This condition lasted for ten minutes before—BANG—a swath of azure flame suddenly burst from Chen Feng's body. The entire snow mound seemed to explode, sending shards of snow scattering wildly through the forest.

Chen Feng’s lean body suddenly leaped up, letting out a loud cry in mid-air as he lashed out with an azure flame from his hand!

"Boom!"

With a deafening crash, a tree nearly a meter in diameter a hundred meters away was severed by this Dark Hook Hand!

What immense power! Absolutely far surpassing a Level Three single-target magic attack!

Chen Feng slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, descending gently to the ground. His eyes fixed on the sky, his scarlet hair dancing in the wind. A sigh suddenly escaped his lips: "Is this the strength of a Seventh-Stage Fighter?"