Chen Feng’s hunched figure shook constantly, the crescent moon mark on his back trembling with every tremor. Great plumes of fire rose from the ground, completely enveloping the Seventh Prince. With every rough roar torn from Chen Feng, blood spurted from the Prince’s mouth.
“Whoosh…” A sharp whistling sound pierced the air’s restraint. The incoming projectile was moments from striking Chen Feng’s back.
With a crisp “thwack,” the rotating air-arrow mercilessly pierced the muscle.
“Your Highness, the Seventh Prince…” Fenong and Gugolit roared out, their chests burning with fury.
The Seventh Prince collapsed lifelessly to the ground with a heavy “thud,” and Chen Feng stepped out from behind him.
In his berserk state, Chen Feng possessed unbelievably swift speed; the moment Fenong’s finger-formed rotating air-arrow was loosed, Chen Feng snatched up the Seventh Prince and used him as a shield.
“It seems even Dragon Armor isn't trustworthy enough,” Chen Feng said, shaking his head as he looked at the Seventh Prince, whose back was pierced through, leaving a bloody hole.
“You killed the Seventh Prince!” Chen Feng pointed a finger at Fenong and said coldly, “Everyone saw it!”
No matter what, the Seventh Prince was His Majesty Suomen’s own son. His Majesty would certainly not spare him, an “overseas visitor” whose origins were questionable, just for the sake of this intruder who had stormed the competition grounds—someone who could easily serve as a scapegoat.
“No…” Fenong went mad. He had only intended to kill Chen Feng; he never imagined the opponent would be so cunning as to use the Seventh Prince as a shield. “I will kill you!”
He finished speaking, drawing a magic staff and muttering incantations. Magical elements in the surrounding air immediately gathered frantically toward the center of the competition stage.
“This is bad!” Chen Feng dared not linger for an instant. He activated the Wukong Technique and instantly soared into the air, flying toward the edge of the venue. He had revealed the Wukong Technique in his desperation, and now he no longer needed to hide it.
The opponent was summoning powerful magic. If he were hit, his life would likely be forfeit.
Moreover, the Seventh Prince’s brutal death, though not directly inflicted by his own hand, was indirectly his doing. This chaos was the perfect opportunity to escape.
“Stop!” Gugolit roared, leaping into the air.
Only warriors who reached the Dou Zun level could truly fly, but by leveraging his Dou Qi, it was quite simple for the sixth-level Dou Shi Gugolit to leap forty to fifty meters high.
Having ascended, Chen Feng drew the Rear Bow from his water flask. While the Ming Yu Sword was formidable, he dared not use it while flying, as the constant rotation of his vortex energy could trigger the overwhelming killing intent backlash—he might kill himself before harming an enemy.
As soon as the Rear Bow was in hand, Chen Feng stared at the ascending Gugolit and drew an arrow!
The flame-like projectile, condensed from the power of the vortex, shot toward Gugolit with meteor-like speed.
Chen Feng hadn't practiced archery, so his aim was naturally flawed; the shot veered off by more than half a foot. However, the slight evasion forced by this shot caused Gugolit to lose pace. In that opening, Chen Feng flew seventy to eighty meters clear; the pursuer would never catch up now.
Just as Chen Feng felt the boundless freedom of the skies, his waist suddenly tightened. A shimmering halo abruptly appeared, enveloping him, bringing an immediate sense of restraint and causing his body to lighten and plummet downward!
Below, the magic Fenong had been gathering had fully formed—it was a colossal tornado!
Chen Feng’s descent placed him directly into the eye of the storm!
Fenong’s narrow eyes glowed red. For the red-haired youth in the sky, he had only one objective: to kill him.
The Seventh Prince’s cultivation had been taught jointly by him and Gugolit. This success had secured Fenong smooth sailing with His Majesty Suomen. Now, as a member of the Chief Court Mages, his status and wealth were continually rising—the future looked limitless.
He had planned to leverage the Seventh Prince’s victory in this tournament to climb yet another echelon, but things had gone awry with the emergence of the greatest dark horse the Rookie Selection Tournament had ever seen.
This red-haired youth had actually defeated three opponents in the competition!
Furthermore, his demeanor suggested an intent to kill the Seventh Prince. If the Prince were killed, never mind status and wealth—his own old life would be forfeit. His Majesty Suomen’s severity was legendary. He and Gugolit had signed a military pledge that convinced the Emperor to yield the Talisman Sword and Dragon Armor; yet, this situation had unfolded.
The tornado roared through the air with immense force, slowly swirling toward the descending Chen Feng!……………………………………………………………………………………
His Majesty Suomen suddenly stood up, staring coldly at the competition grounds.
“Someone! Find Stanley for me at once!”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
A moment later, Stanley, clad in heavy armor, strode in, dropping to one knee. “Greetings, Your Majesty!”
His Majesty Suomen turned his face, a hint of impatience in his tone. “Listen closely. Do not let Fenong kill that red-haired youth. I want him alive. Additionally, swiftly send the Seventh Prince to Elder Yi. Only his Light Element magic can save him!”
“Yes!” Stanley saluted and turned to exit the room.
After Stanley departed, His Majesty Suomen sighed and slowly sat down, tapping his fingers lightly on the table, lost in thought.…………………………………………………………………………………………
Chen Feng watched himself drawing closer to the tornado, feeling the elemental fluctuations in the air becoming increasingly chaotic. A fifth-level spell—the Cyclone—was absolutely beyond what his current cultivation level could withstand!
“No, I cannot die!” Chen Feng screamed internally. A ring of azure flames suddenly burst forth around his body. Under the fierce burning, his descent halted in mid-air.
The muscles in Chen Feng’s arms bulged like thick ropes; his whole body flushed crimson from the immense exertion. “Break…” With a roar, the magical halo around his waist—
“Boom!”—shattered.
“Hoo, hoo…” Chen Feng gasped for breath. Unleashing the Wukong Technique again, he propelled himself upward several dozen meters, dodging the tornado’s assault.
Having escaped the cyclone, Chen Feng dared not hesitate any longer. He straightened and flew toward the exit of the “Rookie Inn.”
The truth was, after unleashing the Hachijyoji technique, his vortex energy should have been completely depleted. However, since Fenong had attacked halfway through the technique, the interruption had allowed him just enough residual power to utilize the Wukong Technique for flight.
But the earlier arrow shot and the subsequent use of vortex power to shatter the magical restraint had left him profoundly exhausted. Moreover, his heightened state was about to end; once it faded, not only would he be unable to flee, but he would certainly plummet from the sky, likely suffering grievous injury.
“I must increase my speed!” Chen Feng forced himself on, suppressing the fatigue gripping his body, rushing toward the city gates.
Only by reaching the outskirts and evading the search could he recover his strength and find a chance to live; otherwise, it was a dead end!
Chen Feng understood clearly that killing the Seventh Prince today would bring him endless calamity. But being blasted by a fifth-level magic scroll and treated like a monkey—if he didn’t strike back, how could he swallow that insult? And if he hadn’t fought back, he might very well have been killed by the other party. In truth, he knew this temperament would bring him countless unnecessary problems, but whenever the Dark Vortex energy spun within him, rage surged uncontrollably, feeling almost beyond his command.
Air currents surged behind him, propelling him forward.
“Trying to run? I want you dead!” Fenong shouted loudly, also flying up.
Once a mage reached the rank of fifth-level Magus, they could fly, and as a wind mage, Fenong’s speed in the air was terrifyingly fast. Chen Feng hadn’t flown far before the pursuer caught up.
Chen Feng didn't know why Fenong had tried to kill him the moment they reached the stage, but without needing to guess, he knew Fenong must be one of His Majesty Suomen’s men. If Chen Feng intended to kill the Prince, it would be strange indeed if Fenong remained passive.
Profound killing intent flared in Fenong’s eyes. A Wind Blade shot from his magic staff.
“Bang!” It struck Chen Feng directly on the back. Chen Feng staggered in the air, his flight immediately becoming unstable as he began to fall!
Seeing his attack connect, Fenong pressed his advantage without pause. His magic staff moved rapidly, instantly forming seven or eight Wind Blades of equal size in the air, which sliced toward the plummeting Chen Feng!
While the individual power of these Wind Blades wasn't immense, seven or eight successive attacks were unbearable. Chen Feng felt utter weakness, a burning pain across his body, and the spot where the blade hit his back tore open a bloody gash, oozing blood with a gurgle.
He forcefully tried to channel the vortex energy within him to fly again, but his muscles instantly slackened. Chen Feng was like a punctured ball; not a trace of vortex energy could be found anywhere on him!
The overcharged state had ended!
The Wind Blades struck Chen Feng’s back heavily at that moment. A wave of dizziness swept through his mind, and his body slipped beyond his control, dropping heavily toward the ground.
Fenong saw him in freefall, knowing that even if he didn't die, he was nearly finished. Just as he prepared a final strike, a heavily armored, stout man suddenly leaped up from the ground, catching the falling Chen Feng mid-air, and gently settling him onto the ground.
It was Stanley.
ps: Seeing the incredible surge in monthly votes, Old Ya is truly grateful for the brothers' support. Thank you all here! But the revolution is not yet won; comrades must still strive! For four chapters a day next month, please push Old Ya into the top six! Thank you all! Also, there will be another chapter tonight, a long one—I won't say how many words, but it will exceed 4000. However, it will be very late, so please read it tomorrow! Log onto wwwncom for more chapters, support the author, and support genuine reading!) .