In the void of the desert, an elder in a golden-threaded dragon-patterned robe coldly watched the battle.

It seemed his descendant, this person named Suomen, had ultimately disobeyed him and offended this youth.

Suomen might not grasp the terror of the Overseas Continent, but the elder certainly did. The conditions there were treacherous, teeming with high-level magic beasts and fighting beasts—everywhere he looked, there wasn't a beast weaker than an 8th tier!

What did an 8th-tier beast signify? That was equivalent to a 4th to 6th-level Dou Zun existence.

Anyone who could survive where such beasts roamed rampant—were they not peerless powerhouses?

And this foolish Suomen actually dared to offend such an entity; wasn't he courting death?

The only thing to do now was to appease the anger burning in the youth’s heart, though after this battle, the reputation of the entire Luoqi Imperial Family would likely be utterly disgraced!

Shaking his head in the void, the elder mused that perhaps he concerned himself too much. These few centuries had wearying him. Future generations would forge their own paths; after worrying for so long, was it truly worth it?

For a moment, the elder, whom Old Yi called an ancient monster, experienced a flicker of distraction.

At his level of cultivation, worrying about the length of one's life was unnecessary. If a Dou Shi could live a hundred years, a Dou Zun could live at least two hundred, but reaching his own level meant surpassing the physiological limits of the human body—as long as he wasn't killed in combat, he would never die.

Endless life watched generations of descendants perish before his eyes, yet he agonized over the empire he built. Was he overthinking things?

The world could not escape the cycle of dynastic change. Even if he desperately tried to obstruct the inevitable trend, it would be futile; he was merely trying to slow the pace.

Perhaps he should return to the path of cultivation. If he continued to fret over the territory for the sake of his descendants, countless more years would pass without any breakthrough!

However, despite his immense talent, knowing precisely how to advance, he couldn't break through that final barrier. It seemed he truly lacked the inspiration of an external energy—an inspiration surpassing his own power!

To find such inspiration, he could only delve deeper into the Overseas Continent; that kind of energy would never be found here.

With a wry smile and a sigh, the elder looked down at the slightly frenzied, strange youth below.

"To think this young man, so young, holds a divine artifact. Even on the Overseas Continent, he must come from a major family," the elder thought secretly. "Why would someone like this venture out for experience without powerful servants? If he truly lacked formidable backing, how would someone of his low cultivation dare to storm the palace?"

The more he considered it, the more sense it made. The elder secretly congratulated himself for not intervening earlier. "It seems I should lend him a hand if I can..." As he pondered this, his pupils suddenly contracted. Looking at Chen Feng, whose chest was pierced by a long spear, his face was etched with shock!

"It's... it's... God's Blood!"

Chen Feng’s body arched backward like a drawn bow, his arms spread wide, and he roared toward the heavens!

The Ming Yu Sword had already been retrieved into his water flask before his rampage began. Now, white vapor streamed from his mouth, his eye sockets were slightly darkened, and his entire presence was spectral, like a phantom.

Upon going berserk, his muscles began to swell, making him look utterly knotted with sinew—gone was the frail appearance from before. The previously wounded chest, fueled by the burning of the Frenzied Blood, miraculously healed, looking exactly as it had before the injury.

"Hiss... hiss..."

With a sharp sound, Chen Feng shot into the ranks of the guards like a ghost's shadow. Wherever he went, any guard within a three-meter radius was torn to shreds.

"Boom!"

A column of purple flame shot skyward, shredding dozens of guards into meat paste. Blood sprayed into the air, falling like a rain of gore.

Risan Baishiliu Shi: Chai Hua!

"Sizzle... sizzle..."

More purple flames danced across the ground like burning earth rats; anything they touched exploded, resembling rolling landmines.

Bai Ba Shi: An Gou Shou!

Wai Shi Ying Wu Meng Dan, Wai Shi Hong Fu Yin Si Shen, Wai Shi Bai He Zhe, Bai Shi Gui Shao, Er Bai Shi Er Shi Qin Yue Yin, Bai Er Shi Qi Shi Kui Hua... Chen Feng unleashed his moves with the fluidity of flowing water, as fast as lightning. The battle formation of a thousand guards, after suffering massive casualties, dared not approach any further!

"He's a maniac..."

"He's a devil..."

"He's not human!"

Every guard shouted in a frenzy, trying to quell the terror in their hearts with noise.

Yet, the pressure Chen Feng exerted was too immense. His speed was inhuman, the eerie purple flames killed on contact and wounded those they grazed, and his sharp fingers were like steel swords—any scratch meant certain death.

But these were secondary; the critical factor was his absolute indifference to life!

Killing seemed no different from crushing an ant in his eyes. Even the most stalwart veterans couldn't bear to look at the field littered with severed limbs and minced flesh, all the work of this single person...

"What do we do? His speed is too fast. By the time our magic is cast, he's already gone!" The mages floating in the air finally ceased fire after accidentally killing several of their own guards. They stared at the red-haired youth slaughtering below, a shared sense of helplessness washing over them.

Yu Ou frowned deeply and began to speak, "I don't know. Maybe we should..."

Before he could finish, Fidi’s voice rang out loudly: "Damn it, the kid is escaping..."

The mages finally noticed: Chen Feng had burst through the circle formed by the guards. His solitary figure ascended, instantly vanishing into the moonlit night.

"Chase!" Yu Ou shouted. The mages suddenly accelerated, following the distant black silhouette.

"This time... you won't escape!" Yu Ou clenched his fist, a vicious look flashing across his face. "We couldn't attack when you hid among the guards, but now that you've fled, I refuse to believe forty-seven mages can't kill you!"

Chen Feng flew on in a wild frenzy. After going berserk, although he lost consciousness and entered a killing frenzy, for some inexplicable reason, he was able to escape the crowd and fly toward the city limits.

His speed in the berserk state was like lightning streaking across the air, instantly tearing through the sky and dissolving into the darkness of the night.

"How is he so fast?" Fidi yelled while flying.

"We've lost sight of him!" another mage reported.

"Don't worry, he's ahead. Let's keep going!" Yu Ou's face was impassive as he pointed forward.

They had already flown dozens of kilometers past Nuobia City. This area was entirely mountainous, covered in tall trees that armored the ground below.

"This entire place is trees! Forget hiding one person, you couldn't find ten or eight here!" Fidi shouted in frustration.

Hearing this, Yu Ou’s face showed a faint smile. "When he was massacring the guards below, I quietly cast a sustained spell on him. This spell isn't particularly useful, other than this: as long as we are within ten kilometers, I can sense its presence!"

"Oh... Yu Ou, you really are farsighted!" The others were delighted upon hearing this and followed closely behind him. "Whoosh," they flew past.

"Everyone be careful, he seems to be around here!"

Yu Ou stopped before a steep cliff face, took out his staff, held it in his palm, and looked around with extreme vigilance.

"Around here?" The others looked clearly unconvinced, examining the messy leaves and withered grass on the ground, their expressions skeptical.

There weren't many trees here, but the tall reeds were rampant. Because of a nearby mountain spring, the water trickled slowly downward, allowing the reeds to grow taller than a person in many places.

"Can't your magic sense the exact location?" one mage asked doubtfully.

"By rights, it should sense the exact position, but for some reason, the magic stopped working here. There are only two possibilities: first, that Iori Yagami noticed my spell and destroyed it; or second, he is nearby. Since my spell relies on his energy to sustain itself, if he remains motionless, the magic naturally won't register, and I can't pinpoint his exact location," Yu Ou explained.

"Ah..." The others suddenly understood.

Holding their staves, the group landed cautiously.

"Everyone be cautious. This kid is strange," Yu Ou warned first.

"Strange what? I say we don't need to be afraid. Back at the palace, we were afraid of accidentally harming the guards, so we held back. Out here in the wilderness, why don't we just fly into the sky and blast the area into oblivion!" Fidi said dismissively.

"Bombard the area indiscriminately here? Are you trying to die quickly?" Yu Ou looked displeased.

"Why?" Fidi looked confused.

"Although this area is not far from the Imperial Capital, it is still home to unfathomably powerful magic beasts or fighting beasts. Furthermore, we can't find Iori Yagami's exact location. If we randomly bombard the area with magic, he might slip away, and worse, we might attract a lot of unnecessary trouble," Yu Ou countered.

"I see now!" Fidi finally understood.

Just then, a hissing sound suddenly came from the ground, immediately followed by a rolling ball of purple flame creeping along the earth.

"Look out..." one mage shouted first, but before he could even begin his incantation, he was struck by the purple flame. With a loud "Boom...", he was blasted into pieces.

Immediately after, a ghostly figure shot out from the reeds like lightning, slamming his hands onto the heads of two mages. With two loud "Pongs," purple flames ignited, instantly turning the victims' heads into a pulpy mess.

Er Bai Shi Er Shi Qin Yue Yin!

"Aargh... I will kill you!"

Fidi roared, unleashing the magic stored in his staff wildly. The remaining mages were quick-witted too, simultaneously deploying every instantly castable spell they possessed.

After a barrage of magic resembling a rain of light, the ground was blasted into a crater tens of meters deep.

"He must be dead by now!" Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

They hadn't seen anyone emerge from the magic when it was cast. Under the sustained assault of forty-four mages, if he still lived, this person was truly terrifying.

"Yu Ou, tell me, is he dead yet?" Fidi asked Yu Ou, slightly winded.

Yu Ou was silent for a moment, unsure what to say. The impression left by this red-haired youth was too profound. He was always calm, no matter the difficulty; every time Chen Feng seemed doomed, a new breakthrough would occur.

Just like before, he was skewered by two long spears, yet his combat power hadn't diminished—it had increased. It was simply unbelievable.

Shaking his head, Yu Ou murmured internally, "This person cannot be judged by common sense! Otherwise, you won't even know how you died."

With that thought, he called out loudly, "Everyone, be careful. I don't think it's that simple."

As his words fell, a cold voice sounded from above: "Your analysis is correct... Hahaha..."

Chen Feng had, at some point, ascended into the air!

He swooped down, landing with his chest heaving, his back bent at a 90-degree angle, seemingly showing no regard for the mages.

"Kill him!" The mages shared the same thought, simultaneously aiming their magic staves at the strange youth before them.

As the waves of magical light began to rise, Chen Feng raised his left hand upward.

"Bang!"

A burst of white light flared, immediately followed by a scorching torrent of purple flame that billowed out like an overwhelming tide.

"Aargh..." Several screams followed. The purple flames formed an ocean of fire around them, the immense heat scorching the group like a furnace. The seven mages closest to Chen Feng were instantly incinerated into ash!

Li Bai Ba Shi: Da She Zhi!

Unleashing Kyo Kusanagi's move while berserk—if Chen Feng were conscious now, he would surely find it unbelievable. The reason Iori Yagami went berserk was his willingness to accept Orochi's power, triggering the dormant Orochi's Blood within him. However, the berserk Iori was an unconscious entity, whose only purpose was indiscriminate killing. But the current Chen Feng, while berserk, escaped and used Orochi no Mai (Serpent's Dance)—thus, he was already diverging from the true Orochi rampage.

The power of Orochi no Mai was comparable to Ya Otome (Eight Maidens). If the two fought, it would be an even match. But in this situation, facing a large group, Ya Otome was far inferior to Orochi no Mai, whose flames could scorch the ground within a dozen meters!

"Fly up!" Yu Ou shouted, taking the lead as he ascended into the sky.

The remaining members reacted, activating their Flight spells and rising into the air.

In reality, even if they had thought to use Flight magic to evade, they would have suffered burns. Chen Feng released Orochi no Mai in a split second; they could not possibly fly outside the attack range in time.

Yu Ou and the others hovered in the air, watching the reeds below consumed by fire, which the night wind swiftly spread. A chill ran through them.

Who exactly was this youth? Why did he possess such powerful fighting techniques? And what was this flame technique, and why was its power so immense?

For the first time, a clear realization dawned upon them: even a Dou Shi... could be very formidable!

In this world, the status of a Mage was clearly higher than a Dou Shi, especially once they reached the 5th level and could fly. The difference in status between a 5th-level Mage and a 5th-level Dou Shi was like heaven and earth. For example, the 5th-level Dou Shi Old Wolf Head had to rely on his own efforts, bowing slightly to every official he met, whereas these 5th-level Mages could enjoy riches and luxury within the Imperial Palace, receiving high honors.

Before this, these 5th-level Mages regarded non-flying Dou Shis as mere targets who could never resist. But seeing Chen Feng's ferocity now, their hearts turned ice-cold, as if doused with icy water. They clearly understood that even a Dou Shi possessing advanced techniques was not simple.

However, these thoughts flashed briefly through their minds before they each raised their magic staves and fired simultaneously at the center of the flames—the spot where the red-haired youth had been standing.

This time, none of them held back; almost everyone used their maximum power, with nearly every one casting a 5th-level spell.

A 4th-level spell could blast a crater fifty meters in radius on the ground; how could they compare?

Once a 5th-level spell was unleashed, it could certainly scorch a massive pit eighty meters in radius!

Thirty-odd 5th-level spells aimed at a single spot—never mind Chen Feng, even Old Yi’s 7th-level barrier would struggle to withstand it!

"Boom..."

The resulting explosion on the ground immediately formed a pristine white mushroom cloud. The mages hovering in mid-air seemed to lose stability in their flight due to the cloud, feeling an urge to fall.

The resulting shockwave, like a hurricane, instantly shredded the trees and reeds within two thousand meters of the explosion's center. The cliff face nearby also began to collapse under the blast.

The tremendous sound, like rolling thunder, traveled far into the quiet night, startling many nocturnal animals into fleeing.

The ground, where thirty-odd 5th-level spells detonated simultaneously, was now a pit three hundred meters in diameter!

"Surely he's dead now!" The group looked up at the sky and around the area. Seeing no figures, they finally breathed a long sigh of relief.

An explosion of this magnitude was almost comparable to a 9th-level spell. If this Hachijin Iori still survived such power, they would have no choice but to flee; this person was clearly beyond the capacity of a mere group of 5th-level Mages to defeat!

Just as the group relaxed and sought a moment to catch their breath, several sharp cries echoed from the distance!

"It's... 5th-level Magic Beasts, the Flying Eagle Beasts... they like to travel in packs. That's a flock of Flying Eagle Beasts..." Yu Ou's face instantly turned ashen.

... The rest is free content...

ps: Died miserably, my poor 16 update vouchers... I've written up to 10,000 characters by now, but it seems like a decent amount. Everyone please cast a few monthly tickets to comfort Old Ya. I just bought a new phone and haven't even unboxed it yet. What’s more depressing is that I’ve been rushing to finish this draft since the afternoon and haven't gotten up since. I haven't even had an afternoon meal—only breakfast eaten more than ten times today. Miserable! I checked, and unexpectedly, I have 18 vouchers demanding 12,000 words tomorrow. Wow, everyone is quite fierce. So, tomorrow I will definitely surpass 12,000 words in an explosive release... Look forward to it!! (To be continued. If you wish to know what happens next, please log in to www**m for more chapters, support the author, and support genuine reading!)