"Brother, is this 'Fist Emperor' really as formidable as you say?" One of the subordinates couldn't help but ask after a moment.

The tall, thin elder gazed into the distance, as if recalling something, and said, "It’s beyond mere formidability to describe him. I've only met him once, and I never even saw him fight, but that single encounter left an indelible impression. I dare guarantee that all of us here combined wouldn't stand a chance against him!"

"Ah..." Upon hearing the tall, thin elder's assessment, the entire group was so astonished they couldn't close their mouths. All eight of them were experts above the Dou Zun rank. If their combined strength wasn't enough, just how powerful was this person called the Fist Emperor?

Ek was the most skeptical, his eyes wide open. "Brother, are you implying he has already reached that level?"

The tall, thin elder mused thoughtfully, "Whether he has reached that level, I don't know. But I heard a Rank Nine Magus challenged him out of dissatisfaction. He merely waved his hand, and that Rank Nine Magus was sent flying hundreds of miles away, severely injured and nearly killed!"

Everyone simultaneously sucked in a sharp breath. To casually dispatch someone of a Rank Nine Magus's caliber—how immense must his power be!

"Never mind the Fist Emperor; his disciple alone is certainly an exceptional talent among men!" the tall, thin elder sighed.

"Indeed!" Ek chimed in agreement. "At fifteen or sixteen years old, to possess the cultivation of a Rank Seven Dou Shi, with physical strength reaching hundreds of thousands of jin—such ability is truly staggering. I recall that when I was twenty, I was only a Rank Five Dou Shi!"

"The height of cultivation is secondary; some major powers and influential families can forge masters rapidly using superior medicinal herbs and specialized methods. What truly impresses me is this young man's state of mind," one of the elders remarked with feeling. "We all profoundly felt the killing intent emanating from that treasured sword. Even if this youth possessed some special technique, the sheer fortitude of his will to walk casually amid such dense murderous aura and draw that sword is something I’ve never witnessed. And you all noticed, didn't you? Eight of us, all at the Dou Zun level, surrounded him. Even a Rank Five Dou Shi would likely turn pale with fright, yet this boy showed not an ounce of distress and calmly departed first. With such composure, his future cultivation path is absolutely limitless!"

Hearing this, the other elders nodded in agreement.

After a pause, the tall, thin elder said, "Alright, stop dwelling on it. Since the precious sword has been claimed by the Fist Emperor’s disciple, our mission is considered complete. Let's depart."

"Good!" Everyone nodded. Circles of water-wave-like light patterns simultaneously emerged from each of their bodies. As the light patterns undulated, the eight elders vanished from their spot simultaneously.

…………

Chen Feng actually felt somewhat uneasy inside. Those elders had clearly misunderstood his lineage, which made them hesitant to forcefully seize the sword from his hand. If he stayed with them any longer, it was inevitable that his disguise would slip. It was best to leave quickly.

He descended the earthen slope and, seeing that they weren't pursuing him, finally let out a sigh of relief. Just as he was considering where to go next, he suddenly heard an excited shout.

"Brother, you're out! How was it? Did you get the sword?" It was Brent.

Chen Feng froze. Brent had followed him up the slope—how had he ended up here now? Moreover, the commotion when he drew the sword was immense; how could Brent possibly not know?

Seeing Chen Feng’s puzzled expression, Brent scratched his head sheepishly and said, "Shortly after you cleaved the barrier and entered the (Míng Yǔ Tíng), my mind suddenly went blank, and I knew nothing until just now."

"It must be that when the eight elders arrived, they found him standing around annoyingly and sent him here. With their strength, knocking out a Rank Five Dou Shi and depositing him outside would be absolutely undetectable," Chen Feng instantly understood the reason but chose not to voice it.

"Young City Lord, Young City Lord..."

A young boy in a green robe came running urgently from a distance. He reached Brent, breathing heavily, and reported, "Reporting to the Young City Lord, we have found the (Lè Fū) family you were looking for!"

"Found them?" Chen Feng exclaimed first.

The Young City Lord hadn't even spoken, yet an outsider cut in first, which made the young boy slightly displeased. He shot Chen Feng a sidelong glance, clearly not taking him seriously, and continued addressing Brent, "Their lodging isn't far from here, about forty-three people..."

The young boy in the green robe grew even more annoyed when Chen Feng interjected again. He pouted, thinking, What a rude fellow. However, he dared not speak his mind. Anyone accompanying the Young City Lord must have a much higher status than himself; he couldn't afford to be too presumptuous.

"They came here to purchase a large quantity of low-grade magic energy crystals. Because the journey is long, for safety, they hired members of the (Fēi Tè) Mercenary Group to help transport them. Everyone is assembled now and is planning to depart immediately."

"The Fei Te Mercenary Group? Why would they take on this job?" Brent asked doubtfully.

The young boy in the green robe shook his head.

Chen Feng asked, "Is the Fei Te Mercenary Group very famous?"

Upon hearing this, both Brent and the young boy stared at him as if he were an alien. Brent wiped a bead of cold sweat: "B... Brother, don't tell me you haven't even heard of the number one mercenary group in the Finlay Empire..."

"The Finlay Empire's Number One Mercenary Group?" Chen Feng repeated, shaking his head with no change in expression. He looked at the boy and asked, "How many people from the Le Fu family came in total?"

The young boy glanced at Brent. Seeing Brent nod and make no move to stop him, he replied, "I don't know exactly, but it looks like only about a dozen or so people!"

"A dozen people? Hmph!" A murderous intent rose in Chen Feng's heart.

Having just contended with the murderous consciousness within the precious sword in the Ming Yu Pavilion, he now had a degree of understanding of that aura. As the killing intent surged, his own killing aura immediately manifested, mimicking the form found within the sword. Brent felt his breath constrict and looked at Chen Feng with eyes full of dread.

The young boy in the green robe suffered even more. With his low cultivation, he couldn't withstand the overwhelming killing aura and immediately fell to his knees, his senses becoming hazy. "I didn't mean to curse you just now..."

Chen Feng snapped back to reality, and the killing aura instantly dissipated. At the same time, he was inwardly astonished. When did my killing aura become this intense? After a moment of thought, he finally understood: although the time spent in the Ming Yu Pavilion was short, the test his willpower endured was the most brutal he had ever experienced. His spiritual power and willpower had sublimated without him realizing it.

The young boy in the green robe now remained deathly silent, trembling internally, intense fear lingering in his heart. He had just rolled his eyes at him and spoken with a hint of disdain; perhaps this red-haired man would kill him over it...

"Lead the way!" Chen Feng's lips curled slightly as he uttered four words.

The young boy in the green robe breathed a sigh of relief, realizing the other party hadn't pursued his rudeness, and started running forward fearfully. Brent, however, hesitated: "B... Brother, your aggressive demeanor—you're not planning to seek revenge, are you!"

Seeing Chen Feng nod, he quickly added, "They have the Fei Te Mercenary Group protecting them! You alone might be too few; why don't I gather some people to go with you!"

Chen Feng turned to look at Brent, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes: "If you're scared, you don't have to come!" He followed closely behind the young boy in the green robe.

Brent stood stunned for a moment. He had always relied on being the Young City Lord to swagger around the city, stirring up trouble. He had never considered venturing out alone without the advantage of numbers! Now, seeing Chen Feng's aloof silhouette, his heart suddenly felt a sense of clarity. Brother was Brother; the reason he was so imposing wasn't due to other factors—it was because he was utterly fearless.

That's right! What is there to fear? A surge of heroic spirit seemed to rise in Brent's heart as well. Let's go, I'll try adventuring too! He followed closely behind Chen Feng.

After walking four or five streets with the young boy in the green robe, Chen Feng spotted an inn. The place wasn't large, but it was quite neatly kept, and the atmosphere was elegant.

Entering the inn's main gate led into a spacious courtyard. A group of people were packing things inside. Seven or eight carriages were parked side-by-side in the yard, and judging by the taut ropes bent over the horse saddles, the cargo on the carts must be very heavy.

The mercenaries busy packing the carts stopped their work when they saw Chen Feng approaching, looking up at him with clear wariness.

"Which one of you is from the Le Fu family!" Chen Feng stood still and asked coldly.

"What do you want with the Le Fu family?" A broad-shouldered, stout man carrying a large copper hammer walked over.

"Who is from the Le Fu family?" Chen Feng repeated, demanding, "Step forward!"

The large man was clearly angered by Chen Feng ignoring him. Seeing his young age, he couldn't help but harbor a slight sense of contempt. "Little brat, go home and drink milk! Why are you acting like a big-shot fly here!"

"Hahahaha..." The surrounding people burst into loud laughter upon hearing the big man's words.

"Is this kid's brain broken? Why is he running over here causing a scene..."

"I bet this kid has too much food in his stomach, or he wouldn't be acting like this..."

The crowd chattered incessantly, none of them taking him seriously.

Chen Feng’s expression remained unchanged, but his tone grew more sinister: "The people from the Le Fu family step forward, or I will kill until you speak up!"

The large man holding the copper hammer was momentarily stunned by Chen Feng's words. He had seen arrogance, but never such audacity. He roared, "Impudent brat! So you're here to cause trouble! Granddad will let you know that trouble isn't so easily stirred up!" With that, he swung the hammer towards Chen Feng’s ear.

His intention was not to actually strike Chen Feng but to scare him. The seventy or eighty jin hammer whistled down, creating a powerful whooshing sound in the air—it would certainly intimidate any real troublemaker or coward.

However, Chen Feng was neither there to cause trouble nor was he timid. Watching the massive hammer hurtle toward him, he didn't even lift his eyelids. He extended two fingers, pinched upward, and the immense force came to an abrupt halt!

ps: It's Sunday today, we're pushing for rankings, and there will be another chapter after 12 o'clock. Please help us out... (To be continued. To know what happens next, please log in to www**m for more chapters, support the author, and support legitimate reading!)