Eyes snapping open, the day was already bright, and Chen Feng exhaled a long breath before rising to his feet.

“Awake?” A soft voice sounded nearby. Chen Feng looked up to see that Ling Feng had risen long ago.

Chen Feng offered her a smile and stepped out of the small wooden cabin.

Morning light flooded his face outside, and the unique, crisp scent of the mountain forest mingled with the air, refreshing his spirits.

Finding an open space in front of the cabin, he ran through all the moves of Iori Yagami and Kyo Kusanagi, stretching his limbs, when he heard the soft sound of footsteps approaching from behind.

“Miss Ling Feng,” Chen Feng turned around, seeing the tranquil young girl standing not far away, and called out.

Ling Feng nodded, a look of confusion spreading across her face. “Everything you were practicing just now—was that all combat techniques?”

Chen Feng knew she had recognized the KOF skills he was practicing and nodded.

For some reason, Chen Feng felt a deep sense of trust toward her, never once worrying that she might leak his secrets.

Ling Feng spoke, “Such peculiar combat arts.” After that, she fell silent.

Chen Feng watched Ling Feng, who remained still. In the rising sun, her beautiful face reflected the light, appearing exceptionally serene.

“Could you spar with me?” Chen Feng finally voiced the request.

“Just attack!” Ling Feng showed no hesitation, simply stating it calmly.

Hearing her agreement, a wave of joy washed over Chen Feng’s face. He had genuinely worried about what he would do if she refused, never expecting her to agree so readily.

Chen Feng planted his feet firmly. The muscles across his body vibrated audibly. In an instant, he pushed his state to its absolute peak. During his two years on Mount Longtu, monster beasts frequently launched surprise attacks, so maintaining peak readiness had become second nature to him.

Seeing how quickly he adjusted his state the moment she agreed to fight, a strange light flickered in Ling Feng’s eyes.

“Watch out!” Chen Feng gave a low shout, kicking off the ground. With a Bang!, the earth beneath him exploded outward into a circular depression due to the sheer power he discharged, and he shot toward Ling Feng like a hunting eagle.

This charge utilized no KOF techniques; it relied solely on the immensely powerful brute force channeled through his entire body, a direct assault.

To forge the absolute power of a Domain, one must first maximize the energy of the Qi Cyclone; therefore, Chen Feng opted for a frontal assault rather than relying on finesse.

Chen Feng’s muscles pulsed with the energy of the Qi Cyclone, cast like hardened steel, each fiber intertwined like rebar.

Witnessing his move, Ling Feng couldn't help but admire his strategic thinking. With a light stomp of her tall frame, she was already soaring backward like a butterfly.

Seeing her retreat, Chen Feng suddenly intensified his power mid-air, coiling his body like a spring compressed to its limit, and then explosively uncoiling it, rapidly closing the distance to her. His arms, leveraging the momentum and his own intrinsic power, hammered toward Ling Feng.

Crack, crack... With the forceful onslaught of his fists, distinct reports of compressed air echoed through the atmosphere.

“Good!” Ling Feng exclaimed her approval at the blow, but instead of dodging backward, she darted forward.

Chen Feng was startled, knowing such a move must conceal a follow-up. Seeing her charge, the entirety of his strength immediately poured out like a breaking dam!

Just as his double fists were about to impact her delicate frame, Ling Feng delicately swept her right hand through the air. A faint, rosy mist of energy materialized before her. When his fists struck this cloud of mist, Chen Feng felt as if his maximum-effort blows had landed in a quagmire—there was absolutely no purchase.

The full force of his power had been unleashed, expecting a solid hit, only for the target to suddenly vanish. He couldn't retract the momentum, and with a Pfft, Chen Feng spat out a mouthful of blood, instantly wounded.

He had been injured by the backlash of his own power! It was much like wrenching one's back from exerting too much force; applying too much power without control can certainly harm oneself.

Landing on the ground, Chen Feng soothed his injury, momentarily stunned.

Ling Feng stated, “You unleashed maximum power without securing a target. Once the target is lost, you are naturally counteracted by your own strength.”

Chen Feng understood, expelling the suffocating frustration from his chest. “Was that Domain power you just used?”

Ling Feng nodded. “I controlled my power to the level of a First-Tier Dou Zun.”

“Good, thank you.” Chen Feng expressed his gratitude, his Qi Cyclone energy coalescing again. This time, he was attentive. His movement was lightning-fast, and with a single bound, he was in front of Ling Feng, launching a punch.

This strike was so swift that four or five afterimages trailed behind him in the air.

These afterimages seemed alive, emitting soft humming sounds in the atmosphere.

Ling Feng was visibly startled by the speed Chen Feng displayed. Having no time to react fully, she crossed her left arm over her chest and let out a soft cry, meeting Chen Feng’s fist with her own right.

As the two fists clashed, Ling Feng realized something was amiss. Chen Feng’s seemingly all-out punch was actually a feint.

Thwack!

With a sharp sound, Ling Feng was sent flying by Chen Feng’s left fist, which he had concealed behind the initial strike.

“You cheated...” Ling Feng hadn't anticipated Chen Feng could pivot his attack so quickly after the first move failed. She had let her guard down for a moment and fallen for his trick.

On this continent, nearly all attacks were direct confrontations; even high-tier martial skills relied on momentarily boosting power to strike an opponent. Chen Feng had simply employed a tactical feint, causing Ling Feng, whose cultivation was controlled at First-Tier Dou Zun, to suffer an unseen loss.

“A First-Tier Dou Zun’s Domain isn't necessarily arrayed around the entire body, but rather around the specific area of attack or defense?” Chen Feng had gleaned this weakness in her Domain from his feigned move.

Ling Feng stared at the red-haired youth before her, truly baffled by his line of thought, and sighed. “You mean to tell me you only just realized such a simple principle?”

“Is this principle simple?” Chen Feng paused, surprised.

“Every individual who reaches the level of Dou Shi knows this!” Ling Feng shot him a look. “The Dou Zun level is also divided into low, mid, and high tiers: Levels 1-33 are low-tier; 34-66 and 67-99 are mid and high tiers, respectively. A low-tier Dou Zun’s Domain is merely a nascent form; it cannot defend large areas and can only achieve simple control, such as dispersing an opponent’s attack power or using mastery over the Domain to strike them. A mid-tier Dou Zun can project their Domain up to a thirty-meter radius, and a high-tier Dou Zun can extend it to a hundred-meter range from their body.”

“Within a Dou Zun’s Domain, the opponent’s power will be weakened, while their own strength and speed will be increased. This is why there is such a vast difference between a Dou Shi and a Dou Zun.”

“Then how did you neutralize the force of my full-power punch just now?” Chen Feng inquired.

“Your full-force punch landed exactly within the defensive area of my Domain. Since a Dou Zun can control the power within the Domain, I simply dispersed the force of your attack across the entire field, which is why you felt you had no purchase,” Ling Feng explained.

“Dispersing the attack power across the entire Domain?” Chen Feng murmured the words twice, his eyes suddenly lighting up. “If my attacking power is immense enough, could the opponent’s Domain explode from being unable to withstand it?”

Ling Feng rolled her eyes, fighting an urge to vomit blood, and couldn't help but ask, “Does that even need asking? Did the teacher who instructed you in cultivation never tell you that?”

Chen Feng shook his head. “I don’t have a teacher!”

Hearing this, an expression of utter disbelief crossed Ling Feng’s beautiful face. “You have no teacher? Then how did you achieve your cultivation level...”

“I figured it out and cultivated it myself!”

What Chen Feng said was true. Since starting his cultivation, no one had ever given him explicit guidance. Although he possessed the memories of KOF, those were restricted to combat techniques; everything concerning cultivation advancement and leveling was something he had to discover on his own.

“Self... figured out cultivation...” Ling Feng’s bright eyes could no longer conceal their shock. Her heart remained turbulent for a long time. “I thought his talent was only comparable to my elder sister and the others, reaching Ninth-Tier Dou Shi by the age of seventeen or eighteen purely on his own. This level of talent... I probably can’t match it!”

A slight paleness crept over Ling Feng’s exquisite features. She had always been called a genius among geniuses and believed herself to be one; none of the descendants she had encountered could compare to her. To see Chen Feng reach this realm without even a mentor was a shock beyond measure.

In fact, if Ling Feng knew Chen Feng had truly only been cultivating for less than three years, her astonishment would have been even greater.

“Alas, it’s been over half a year since I reached Ninth-Tier Dou Shi, and I still have no feeling of the Domain. Is my cultivation method wrong, or is my talent simply too poor...” Chen Feng said, somewhat dejectedly.

“...” Ling Feng nearly spat blood. This person called himself having poor talent? Then there was no one with good talent in the world.

After a while, Ling Feng managed to recover. Looking at the crestfallen Chen Feng, she didn't know what to say. If this young man could find a competent master, the speed of his cultivation advancement could be described as astronomical. To reach her current realm, it would certainly take him no more than three years!

She had consumed countless spiritual elixirs and strived relentlessly to reach her current level. If he had the same opportunities as her, he would likely already be at that stage!

Calming her slightly agitated emotions, Ling Feng composed her expression.

“Let’s continue!”

Chen Feng nodded.

And so, the two resumed their battle.

Ten days later.

Chen Feng: “The Domain of a First-Tier Dou Zun doesn't seem able to withstand the power of my single punch anymore. I think you should switch your cultivation level to Second-Tier Dou Zun!”

One month later.

Ling Feng: “Have you truly not grasped the power of the Domain yet? Why can’t I withstand the full force of your strike even when I control the power of a Second-Tier Dou Zun?”

Two months later.

Chen Feng: “Why haven’t I reached the Dou Zun level yet? The strength of a Ninth-Tier Dou Shi is simply too weak; I can barely breach the Domain of a Third-Tier Dou Zun. Anything higher seems hopeless...” His tone was filled with lament.

Ling Feng: “...”

ps: There will be another chapter tonight... Haha, I must get those 20 requested update tickets today... (To be continued. To find out what happens next, please log on to www**m for more chapters, to support the author, and to support genuine reading!) First published