Ruo loved sitting on the stone bench before her door, watching the green mountains in the distance, sometimes for an entire day.

She, her grandfather, her mother, and A'Can had planted some crops and raised some pigs and sheep; life was quite leisurely. However, the valley felt sparse, with only Elder Yan and their two families present.

Elder Yan was a lonely old bachelor. When her grandfather brought her here, he was the only person around.

"Sigh!" Little Ruo let out a breath. "I wonder what Father and Brother Chen Feng are up to. I don't know if I'll ever see them again!"

Thinking of Brother Chen Feng, her cheeks couldn't help but flush. "I heard he drove off mountain bandits? He looks about my age, but who knew he was a Golden Armored Warrior! If only..."

"Oh, what am I thinking? How could someone like Brother Chen Feng ever remember a girl like me?" She shook her head, a look of helplessness crossing her face. "Grandpa is right; he must be some young master from a prominent family out for experience. How could someone like me, a commoner, even think about him?"

"But... oh, how wonderful it would be to just be near him, to watch him every day!" Ruo smoothed her raven-black hair, her long, curved eyelashes fluttering as a spark of longing appeared on her face.

"I wonder how he is now, if he ever thinks of me?" Ruo managed a self-deprecating smile and rose from the bluestone. After breakfast, Elder Yan had taken A'Can out. As the only one her age around, she was left sitting there, idling away.

Suddenly, two piercing sonic booms in the air abruptly ceased, and two flying figures stood facing each other aloft.

"Brother Chen Feng?" Ruo rubbed her eyes in disbelief. She had just been thinking of him, and now, in the blink of an eye, he appeared! Besides, wasn't he a Golden Armored Warrior? How could he be flying in the sky?

She stood up, her delicate eyes filled with confusion, and ran forward, waving wildly at Chen Feng hovering above.

Even with just one wave, she could tell something was wrong between the two in the air. Brother Chen Feng had conjured a ball of purple flame in his hand and hurled it toward the man in black above!

A powerful shockwave tumbled through the air. Ruo felt a crushing pressure wash over her, breaking out in a cold sweat. She instantly tumbled to the ground.

Immediately following, a massive explosion rang out. Looking up, she saw that Brother Chen Feng had somehow been struck from the air by his opponent and knocked to the ground, landing heavily in a deep crater. She looked up at the man in black still suspended above and saw him raise his finger again, shooting a beam of black light directly at Brother Chen Feng!

"Ah... Brother Chen Feng..." A deafening sound echoed in her mind, leaving her momentarily stunned. With a cry, she charged toward Chen Feng!

………………………………………………………………

Chen Feng fled in panic, without regard for direction. His own troops were engaged in battle with the enemy; they could offer no assistance at all. Furthermore, his speed was too great; his subordinates couldn't keep up.

The recent 'Pseudo Sun Illumination' had inflicted some damage upon him, and fleeing at such a pace left no time for recovery.

Chen Feng didn't believe his pursuer wanted to stop for tea. If he were caught, it would mean certain death, so he could only flee desperately.

"His speed is greater than mine. If I keep running like this, I'll definitely be caught!" A thought struck him, and he pulled out his Rear Crossbow, turning to fire a Purple Flame Arrow.

The Second Divine Emissary saw the Purple Flame Arrow flying toward him and casually pointed a finger forward. The arrow instantly shattered, exploding into countless flames.

Although it hadn't harmed him in the slightest, his speed was noticeably reduced for a moment.

"It works," Chen Feng let out a breath of relief, pouring the last dozen or so energy potions remaining in his canteen down his throat all at once.

These energy potions had been specially formulated for him by Elder Yi when he was in the Loki Empire. He hadn't used them since arriving in this world and had nearly forgotten about them; now, in desperation, he rummaged them out of his canteen.

With the boost from these energy potions, the damage sustained from the Pseudo Sun Illumination slowly began to heal under the nourishment of the Dark Qi Cyclone, and the consumption from the flight was mostly restored by now.

Swish, swish!

Two more Purple Flame Arrows shot out.

Chen Feng only used about 50% of his strength with these Purple Flame Arrows; they were purely meant to disrupt the pursuer's pace. However, the effect was quite good. As soon as he noticed the opponent closing the distance, he fired a couple of arrows to maintain separation.

They continued this chase and evasion for no less than four to five hours.

The Second Divine Emissary watched the fleeing Chen Feng, his teeth grinding together. "Let's see how long you can run! I don't believe your stamina can remain this high forever!"

Chen Feng knew he spoke the truth. If he hadn't been absorbing Purple Fire Crystal Stones while fleeing, just firing the Purple Flame Arrows would have drained all the power within him.

Seeing Chen Feng remain silent only fueled the Emissary's rage. He clenched his jaw and roared, "You think you can escape? If I didn't want to capture you alive, you'd be dead already! Since you refuse to be sensible, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

Saying that, he pulled a small, inky-black sphere, the size of a peanut, from his robes. He squeezed it hard between his thumb and forefinger, and the sphere instantly shattered. A heart-stopping power radiated from it, instantly merging into his body. His speed increased by more than tenfold in an instant!

"Forcing me to expend a Divine Power Crystal Bean to chase you—even dying would be worth it!" the Second Divine Emissary snarled, dodging the two Purple Flame Arrows and appearing directly in front of Chen Feng.

Chen Feng knew he couldn't evade, so he stabilized his form. He glanced around; this prolonged mad dash had brought him above a quiet, secluded valley teeming with vibrant flora, giving it the feel of a hidden paradise.

"I can't escape; I guess I have to fight now! It would have been better if I could have flown another seven or eight hours," Chen Feng thought to himself.

While fleeing, he had already calculated that even though the opponent’s cultivation was high, such desperate flight consumed an immense amount of Mingsi (Spiritual Thought/Concentration). After flying rapidly for four or five hours, even the strongest opponent's Mingsi would be nearly exhausted.

Because he had been absorbing the Purple Fire Crystal Stones, the energy loss within him wasn't that severe.

This was a process of attrition. As long as the Emissary couldn't replenish his energy, another seven or eight hours of flight would surely deplete his Mingsi, giving Chen Feng an opportunity.

Thoughts aside, since the opponent had caught up, he had no choice but to risk it all.

Chen Feng's aura surged, his eyes snapping open wide, his muscles instantly bulging by a full circumference as he entered a state of explosive power. A massive, swirling mass of purple flame suddenly materialized in the palm of his right hand.

This flame was completely different from the flames Chen Feng usually summoned; it spun wildly like crystallized water, emitting a strange, eerie luminescence.

"What is that thing?" The Second Divine Emissary was startled by the flame Chen Feng conjured in his hand.

Hundred and Eighty Styles: Wine Cup—Chen Feng was unleashing this technique completely for the first time.

"Absolute Domain: 95%!" he roared, and the swirling 'Eight Wine Cups' immediately shot toward the Second Divine Emissary!

Seeing the flames approach, the Second Divine Emissary's expression changed drastically. He pulled out another Divine Power Crystal Bean from his robes, crushed it, and formed a pitch-black halo around his body.

This halo was identical to the one used to counter Chen Feng's Sun Illumination—it was purely an energy shield.

After unleashing the Eight Wine Cups, Chen Feng felt as if all the strength in his body had been hollowed out. Gritting his teeth, he crossed his hands above his head and executed a sliding maneuver in the air, launching an Eight Child Maiden right after.

Boom!

The Eight Wine Cups collided with the energy shield, locking it in place mid-air as if frozen. Although the shield wasn't destroyed, its defensive capability was neutralized.

The effect of the Eight Wine Cups was to alter the temporal order surrounding the target. Once struck, a special space would form around the body where time would effectively freeze—similar to freezing.

The immensely powerful attack of the Pseudo Sun Illumination couldn't break this energy shield, yet the Eight Wine Cups froze it, demonstrating their formidable power.

It made sense; if time itself was frozen, what use was an energy shield? However, the duration of the time freeze was inversely proportional to the strength of the opponent's power.

For example, if the Eight Wine Cups struck a Warrior, it might render them unconscious for an hour, unaware of anything. But striking a Saint Domain expert wouldn't freeze them for even three seconds.

Chen Feng's objective was to first neutralize the shield's defense before finding a way to attack, so the Eight Child Maiden followed immediately after.

Hiss, hiss...

The unleashed Eight Child Maiden made Chen Feng appear almost maddened. Before the Second Divine Emissary could fully react, he felt a sharp pain in his chest as the opponent's claws relentlessly attacked him!

"Aargh..." the Second Divine Emissary roared, a sinister light flashing in his eyes. A strange, inexplicable aura surged through his body. As the black light intensified, he actually managed to break free from the freezing effect of the Eight Wine Cups, slamming his dark fists toward Chen Feng's chest!

Crack, crack—a few sharp sounds echoed.

Chen Feng's defense was at its weakest during this full-power assault. He was actually struck, breaking several ribs with a single punch.

"Die!" the Second Divine Emissary shrieked, putting more force into his fist. Struck heavily, Chen Feng spat out a mouthful of blood and immediately dropped from the sky like a punctured sandbag, smashing onto the ground.

"Pfft!" He coughed up a stream of blood. "This person's power is so bizarre; even the Eight Child Maiden could be broken?"

The Eight Child Maiden was a technique based on extreme speed; anyone caught usually couldn't resist because the beginning of the technique creates a spatial shackle, locking the person tightly inside. This was usually the case; once the first grab of the Eight Child Maiden landed, the second, third, and subsequent grabs would follow until the technique completed!

But today, he had been interrupted. It seemed this Second Divine Emissary was truly extraordinary!

The Second Divine Emissary looked at the bloody pulp of his body, murderous intent blazing in his eyes. He spoke fiercely, "I will kill you!" A beam of light shot from his hand toward the fallen Chen Feng.

Chen Feng was completely drained of strength and couldn't take the hit head-on. He took out his Rear Crossbow, drew it back in a circle, and shot toward the light in the air!

"Ah... Brother Chen Feng..." At that same moment, a scream echoed from a short distance away as a young girl rushed toward him.

"Don't come closer!" Chen Feng recognized the newcomer, his face shifting drastically, and he roared the warning. He shot the Purple Flame Arrow at the black light in the air while simultaneously deploying the Sky Dance Technique and lunging toward Little Ruo!

Boom!

The Purple Flame Arrow intercepted the black light, violently deflecting its trajectory so it slammed into the ground nearby!

Chen Feng felt a jolt like lightning strike his back. Holding the Rear Crossbow in his right hand, he swept up Little Ruo with his left arm, using the resulting blast wave to propel them both away!

He flew several hundred meters before the pain hit him—his entire body ached as if it had been scattered. If he hadn't deflected the black light with the Purple Flame Arrow, he would surely be dead by now.

Chen Feng secretly gasped in relief, but looking at Little Ruo in his arms, his eyes instantly turned bloodshot with fury.

Her face was pale as paper, and a thin trickle of crimson blood was leaking from the corner of her mouth, dripping onto the Rear Crossbow in Chen Feng's right hand!

Although Chen Feng had blocked the brunt of the attack for her, she was merely a young girl with zero cultivation. The aftershock from such an attack had pulverized her internal organs.

"Brother Chen Feng..." Little Ruo struggled to lift her blood-stained right hand toward Chen Feng.

"Ruo! Why are you so foolish?" Chen Feng cried out, frantically channeling the remaining Domain Power from his Dantian into her body.

Little Ruo gently shook her head. "It's useless... Brother Chen Feng, I'm so happy... I finally... see you... again..." With that, the hand she was raising toward Chen Feng fell weakly to the ground. She was dead.

"Ruo..." Chen Feng let out a mournful cry like a wounded beast.

Although he hadn't harbored deep romantic feelings for Little Ruo, the girl was pure and sweet, and she had saved him once; he already regarded her as family.

Every moment they had spent together flooded his mind simultaneously.

"Father, he... seems to have lost his memory!"

"Brother Chen Feng, eat more fish. Grandpa caught this Warm Fish in the cold pond; it's very nourishing. You were unconscious, so you should eat more!"

"Is Brother Chen Feng hurt? If you're hurt, you naturally need to eat more!"

"Brother Chen Feng, I'm so happy... I finally... see you... again..."

"Ah..." Chen Feng roared, an indescribable sorrow welling up in his chest. His eyes instantly turned scarlet.

"Ruo... Brother Chen Feng will avenge you!" he murmured to the lifeless girl in his arms. He gently placed her on the ground. He had been kneeling on one knee, but now he suddenly stood up, floating in the air. His entire aura intensified, and his crimson hair instantly turned bone-white.

Bang! The surging power within him grew stronger and stronger, instantly tearing his upper garment to shreds, revealing the robust musculature beneath. The Domain Power surged through his body, instantly forming a sun-like pattern on his skin.

In an instant, he transformed into a different being.

"What is happening?" The Second Divine Emissary’s face changed. He stared wide-eyed, unable to believe the ever-increasing aura radiating from Chen Feng.

Swish! Swish!

He pointed his fingers, and two sharp sonic cries split the air as two beams of black light shot toward Chen Feng's chest.

Chen Feng didn't even glance at them. He extended his right index and middle fingers diagonally upward, and a circular air shield instantly materialized in the air.

Bang!

The two black beams and the air shield vanished simultaneously in the air!

Divine Finger!

In his rage, Chen Feng had transformed into the Great Serpent!

ps:: First day of the month, I should be asking for more monthly tickets, but I am ashamed that I only have one chapter... I will write over 10,000 words tomorrow... Please give me the monthly tickets and recommendation votes you have on hand... (To be continued. For future events, please log on to www**m for more chapters, support the author, and support genuine reading!) First published