Chen Feng’s heart was seized with a desperate panic, causing him to dart forward in an uncontrolled frenzy, expending the internal energy in his body as if it were limitless, his entire form blazing across the sky like a shooting star.

“Boom…”

Everywhere he passed, bursts of explosive air resonated.

The residents of Longshan Town, startled by the sound, looked up in alarm, thinking some powerful fierce beast had arrived. But by the time their eyes settled, Chen Feng had already vanished into the distant horizon.

“A Magister’s spiritual power is overwhelmingly potent. If I hide within the town, he’ll surely detect me. I’d better charge into Dragon Peak Mountain!” Chen Feng firmly decided.

The outskirts of Dragon Peak Mountain were mostly inhabited by high-level fierce beasts. Possessing the Flame Dragon bloodline afforded him some resistance against them, but his pursuers had no such defense. If he could plunge into the mountains, wreak havoc in the territory of the high-level beasts, and force them into action to help him fend off those two old relics, that would undoubtedly be the best strategy.

If he could draw out a few Ninth-level fierce beasts, or even two Ninth-level Battle Beasts, it was entirely predictable that those two old fellows would meet their demise.

However, Ninth-level fierce beasts possessed the ability to assume human form; such intelligent beings rarely congregated unless under extraordinary circumstances.

The Ninth-level Magisters, having mastered their Domains, were more than three times faster than Chen Feng. Even though Chen Feng had a nearly one-minute head start, they caught up to him within moments.

Douglas and Alshius unleashed their Domains, moving as if teleporting; each reappearance in the air covered a distance of a thousand meters.

Originally, the rapid flight generated shockwaves and the whistling sound of displaced air. Now, with their Domains deployed, the two seemed to leap across the air, emitting not the slightest sound, yet accelerating faster and faster.

“This is bad. If this continues, I won’t even reach Dragon Peak Mountain before they catch me!” Cold sweat beaded on Chen Feng’s forehead, instantly dried away by the powerful airflow. He began to grow frantic.

Flipping his wrist, he drew the Rear-Arch from his waterskin. Drawing the string taut, he condensed the circulating cyclone energy within his body into a single Purple Flame Arrow, launching it directly at the two figures behind him.

At this moment, precision was irrelevant; the only goal was to ensure the arrow detonated in mid-air.

The Purple Flame Arrow hissed, slicing through the vast sky toward the pair. Before it even reached their vicinity, it exploded violently.

“Boom…” A massive sea of fire erupted in the sky.

However, the explosive force of the Purple Flame Arrow, apart from alarming the ground dwellers, had not the slightest effect on the two pursuers. Unless a power strong enough to threaten their Domains appeared, it was nearly impossible to impede their progress.

Chen Feng’s hands trembled ceaselessly as he rapidly loosed twelve more arrows. These twelve arrows, varying in speed, all detonated simultaneously behind him.

The resulting inferno this time was significantly larger than the blast from a single Purple Flame Arrow. The pursuing Douglas and Alshius experienced a slight hindrance in their movement, falling marginally behind.

Yet, these twelve arrows had nearly drained the cyclone energy from his Dantian. When he wreaked havoc in the Royal Palace of the Luo Qi Empire, firing five consecutive arrows had almost exhausted his reserves. Now that his cultivation had advanced six levels, managing thirteen shots represented his absolute limit.

Letting out a breath, he uncorked an energy potion and drank it down, then Chen Feng pressed onward.

It seemed that in the face of absolute power, even treasures like the Rear-Arch and the Nether Feather Sword were futile.

Sheathing the Rear-Arch back into his waterskin, Chen Feng desperately urged his body to assimilate the consumed energy potion.

Energy potions absorbed far quicker under conditions of forced circulation. In less than ten seconds, his cyclone energy was fully restored. However, in those ten seconds, his pursuers had closed the distance somewhat.

Chen Feng felt a crushing headache. He had only just reached the periphery of Dragon Peak Mountain. Even reaching the outer areas known to host fierce beasts would take at least another minute of flight. Yet, under the current circumstances, the enemy would catch him in perhaps ten more seconds. Moreover, even reaching the outskirts guaranteed the presence of high-level beasts?

While high-level beasts were numerous, they weren’t ubiquitous. Finding a hundred Tier Seven or Eight beasts combined across the entire Dragon Peak Mountain would be a stretch, let alone Ninth-level ones!

In desperation, Chen Feng had no other recourse. He twisted his body downwards, transforming his entire form into a downward surge of energy, diving toward the dense forest below.

The dense foliage offered no shield against their spiritual sensing, but it could disrupt their magical attacks.

If the opponents wished to attack him, they would likely employ magic of Tier Seven or higher; Ninth-level spells were out of the question—first, because the destructive fallout was too immense, and second, because operating within the dense woods made casting cumbersome. Even if they tried to strike him magically, he could quickly evade.

What Chen Feng hadn't anticipated was that upon seeing him plunge into the thicket, the expressions of the two men behind him turned ashen.

Killing Chen Feng from the air allowed for stealth; but engaging in combat within the forest, if the magic was powerful enough, would leave undeniable scars on the terrain. Any observant person could trace the evidence back to them.

Every individual’s Domain space was unique, meaning the damage caused by casting magic bore a similar signature. The entire purpose of pursuing Chen Feng was assassination; deploying powerful magic in the forest would be tantamount to announcing precisely who had killed the red-haired youth.

“What should we do?” Alshius frowned deeply.

“What else can we do? We must continue the pursuit. First, we should try using a restraint spell to trap him, then kill him!” Douglas declared.

Being led on a wild chase by an Eighth-level Battle Master made the two Ninth-level Magisters feel somewhat humiliated.

However, the thought that this youth was the disciple of “Him” immediately brought them solace.

“He” was known throughout the continent as the Fist Emperor! In the Ten Selections Tournament, spanning nearly a millennium, no one had ever lasted three rounds against him!

It must be remembered that only those at the Dou Zun level and above were permitted to participate in the Ten Selections Tournament!

“Whoosh!” Douglas and Alshius deployed their Domains. A swirl of white mist flashed, and in an instant, they vanished from the air, reappearing within the canopy of the forest.

The spiritual perception of a Ninth-level Magister far surpassed Chen Feng’s, so even if he attempted to hide, escape was impossible.

But to kill these two, he needed to engage in close combat. Relying on his status as a martial artist, killing them from a distance was incredibly difficult. Yet, closing the distance on two Ninth-level Magisters meant certain obliteration into bloody paste by their magical onslaught before he could even land a blow. What was he to do?

Chen Feng’s brow furrowed in distress as his form darted rapidly through the dense woods.

……………………………………………………………………………………

Douglas’s face was grim and cold. He had been a Magister for nearly three centuries, and in all those years, he had never been so thoroughly embarrassed.

Having reached the peak of Ninth-level Magister three hundred years ago, his cultivation had stalled due to inherent limitations, preventing any breakthrough. Seeking a path to advancement, he scoured Dragon Peak Mountain. A century prior, he stumbled upon an exquisite piece of calligraphy—a painting rendered with breathtaking detail and unparalleled artistry. It faintly resembled a map, and the material it was painted on was utterly unfamiliar, despite Douglas’s extensive knowledge; the material alone suggested it was a Mid-grade Saint Artifact!

Anything inscribed upon a Mid-grade Saint Artifact must surely be an unparalleled treasure.

Judging solely by these two items might seem rash, but when combined with the legends of Dragon Peak Mountain, doubt vanished.

The legend told of an ancient cataclysm ten thousand years ago, a devastating war among the gods. A Divine Dragon had fought a Phoenix on this very mountain, their battle shaking the heavens and obscuring the sun and moon, until both vanished for unknown reasons.

Subsequently, it was whispered that the battle between the Dragon and the Phoenix erupted over a peculiar map—a key to unlocking the Profound Heaven Demon Palace.

Legend claimed the Profound Heaven Demon Palace led directly to the Divine Realm. Any individual reaching the Dou Zun level who obtained this map could ascend instantly and gain a Godhead, achieving divinity!

Initially, everyone dismissed this circulating tale as baseless rumor. However, the map eventually materialized, and all the continent’s powerhouses began a bloody struggle for its possession, resulting in the demise of hundreds of Dou Zun-level experts before the map vanished once more.

The moment Douglas acquired the map, a single glance confirmed it was the very object that had driven the strong to bloodshed centuries ago.

Yet, after obtaining it, he spent a full hundred years unable to decipher a single clue. This failure forced him to contact Alshius, hoping they could examine it together.

Shaking his head, Douglas sighed heavily, dispersing his spiritual sensing power indiscriminately.

“He’s over there!” he announced, turning instantly and vanishing from his spot.

Alshius offered a wry smile and followed closely behind.

“Hm? I sensed him right here, how did he suddenly disappear?” Douglas frowned, confused.

“Boom…”

The moment their feet touched the ground, a fierce explosion erupted beneath them, engulfing the area in a sudden conflagration. Caught completely off guard, the two men were engulfed in the searing flames.

“Pat, pat…”

They slapped the flames off their magic robes, both filled with uncontrollable fury.

“That brat actually set a trap!” Douglas roared.

He had sensed Chen Feng’s presence, then deployed his Domain to teleport directly here. Who knew that the moment they landed, the ground itself detonated. It was clear the red-haired youth had laid a pre-planned trap.

But to accurately predict the moment they would arrive, timing the fire to explode at that specific instant—the youth’s adaptability was truly astonishing.

“To the air!” Douglas suddenly commanded. “He’s in the woods, but we can pursue him from above! Let’s see how he escapes then!”

Alshius nodded in agreement. Seeing Chen Feng dive into the thicket earlier, they had become flustered and momentarily forgotten this crucial advantage—they could operate in the air, where visibility was unimpeded, allowing for rapid target acquisition.

Of course, caution was necessary. The massive bow the youth wielded was certainly not trivial. Without reinforcing shields, being an easy target in the open sky would likely be an unpleasant experience.

With that thought, Alshius immediately cast a Tier Seven magic shield upon himself and began slowly ascending into the air behind Douglas.

ps: I see there are more ‘white water’ than ‘flowers’—frustrating…

Also, there will be another update around 12 o’clock. Completing the four-chapter burst quota today… If anyone has Monthly Tickets, please cast them. The Monthly Ticket count only increased by one today... sigh…

(To be continued. To find out what happens next, please log on to wwwqidiaanm for more chapters, support the author, and support genuine reading!)