The naked man sneered, his face flushed as red as blood, glaring at Feng Zikang like a malevolent deity.

"Strong."

Feng Zikang retracted the four fragments of the Demonic God, his expression unchanged, though his heart churned with tumultuous waves.

This was the first time he had failed to subdue an opponent since obtaining the Four Symbols Demonic God Formation. Previously, even if he couldn't fully subdue a foe, he wouldn't have been so easily repelled.

The strength of this naked man far exceeded his expectations!

"Who exactly are you? Who sent you to seek revenge against me?"

Feng Zikang signaled Long Que to retreat beside him. Although the creature possessed the ability to transform and regenerate, its annihilation would still be troublesome.

"I told you, I am merely repaying a debt of gratitude," the naked man sighed faintly. "Kid, you have skill, and I truly didn't wish to kill you, but alas! What a pity!"

"Take this punch!"

Before the naked man could finish speaking, he unleashed his third blow without hesitation!

"Hah."

Feng Zikang met the attack with his full strength, utilizing the Star Extinction Sword Art Divine Ability, yet he still felt the overwhelming force of the punch surging toward him, like an unstoppable giant wave. He felt a crushing pressure on his chest; his sword light shattered, and he was sent flying backward.

"Pffft."

A mouthful of blood sprayed from his lips. Countless bones in his body must have been fractured!

The third punch!

Severely wounded, Feng Zikang rode the momentum of the blow, transforming into a streak of bloody light as he fled desperately.

"Oh?"

A flicker of surprise crossed the naked man's brow as he gave chase instantly. His speed was almost comparable to Feng Zikang's, who was simultaneously using both the Thousand Mile Sojourn and the Demonic Blood Escape arts!

Feng Zikang's heart sank abruptly.

This mysteriously powerful naked man was simply too terrifying.

With his continually doubling punch force, Feng Zikang knew he absolutely could not withstand a direct confrontation. Furthermore, this man was as cunning as a fox, seeking only raw power in his strikes, rendering verbal dissuasion useless. Combined with this incredible speed, resistance was nearly impossible!

Since his debut, Feng Zikang had never encountered an expert capable of suppressing him so completely in every facet of combat!

Though his outward demeanor remained calm, a profound sense of dread began to surface.

What was to be done?

If he were close to Dragon Tiger Mountain, escaping into the dense forest would render this naked man harmless. However, the mountain range was still thousands of miles away, unreachable in a short time.

Despite his desperate speed, the distance between Feng Zikang and the naked man was closing. In another three breaths, he would surely be caught!

He absolutely could not survive a fourth punch.

There seemed to be only one recourse...

Feng Zikang silently recited an incantation in his mind, attempting to connect with the Soul of the Profound Realm, seeking to hide within it!

With his current capabilities, forcibly tearing open the Profound Realm in the void was extremely perilous. A slight misstep could result in him being lost forever in the chasm between the Profound Realm and the material world. But in this dire situation, he could only give it his best shot!

He could sense the gate to the Profound Realm tightly sealed, and forcing it open even a sliver required immense effort. The powerful suction nearly tore his body apart, inflicting unimaginable agony.

"Open!"

Just before blacking out, Feng Zikang gritted his teeth and roared the command softly.

"Whoosh!"

The speeding streak of bloody light vanished instantly.

The naked man stopped abruptly, crying out in shock, "The Profound Realm? Such a vast Profound Realm?"

He looked around, his expression drastically altered.

Ordinary Profound Realms could indeed offer refuge. For instance, Yuan Buhuan's Sumeru Mountain Realm—during a battle, he could naturally retreat into it at any time. However, when these realms manifested, their barriers were weak, allowing a pursuer to slip in the moment the entrance opened. Moreover, his control within such a realm would be minimal, offering no tactical advantage in combat.

But Feng Zikang's colossal Profound Realm was entirely different. Firstly, its spatial barrier was incredibly thick. For an intruder to enter after Feng Zikang withdrew, they would first have to breach the chasm separating the two worlds—a near-impossible feat. Secondly, if Feng Zikang could truly command this realm, any pursuer entering would immediately be subject to its power, potentially neutralizing even those superior in raw ability.

Given the naked man's current power, even breaching that barrier would be difficult, and compounded by his hesitation, he dared not rush in lightly.

It was unclear how long it took before Feng Zikang gradually awoke from his stupor.

He found himself lying on a couch. The Primordial Wood Automaton was diligently attending to him nearby. It had apparently discovered Feng Zikang collapsed at the entrance to his Profound Realm cave dwelling, recognized its master, and dragged him inside to make him comfortable.

This Primordial Wood Automaton actually proved useful. Feng Zikang managed a faint smile, weakly struggling to sit up, only to be met with agonizing pain in every bone, forcing him to suck in a sharp breath.

"Haaah..."

This was undeniably the most severe injury Feng Zikang had sustained since entering the wider world.

The naked man's third punch had already damaged his meridians throughout his body. Furthermore, while fleeing, forcing open the Profound Realm had inflicted deep internal trauma. He was utterly weak, susceptible to being killed by even a disciple at the Qi Condensation stage with a single strike.

Fortunately, he was now within his own Profound Realm, a place others could not easily breach—a great comfort. He managed to retrieve a Life-Rejuvenating Elixir from his storage pouch, consuming it. Though recovery would take time, his body gradually stabilized. Long Que had not entered the Profound Realm with him. He didn't know if the creature had been killed by the naked man, but this mechanical beast, despite its appearance of simple honesty, was quite shrewd in battle. It likely found a hiding spot the moment Feng Zikang fled.

As long as it survived, it would surely find Fairy Tianfu and secretly bring her back through the Profound Realm entrance to the small bamboo grove on Dragon Tiger Mountain to meet him. For now, he didn't need to worry about them.

The most critical task now was to recover quickly and, more importantly, advance his cultivation.

The world was full of powerful figures, and stronger ones could appear at any moment. Even with the backing of the Military Scholars of Dragon Tiger Mountain, confronting an unforgiving expert like himself or the naked man who struck without reservation would ultimately lead to loss.

Only by increasing his strength could he walk these pathways with true confidence.

Feng Zikang settled his mind and entered deep seclusion within the Profound Realm, determined to raise his cultivation rapidly.

Little did he know that his disappearance had caused an uproar. Now famous, he was treated with great importance by the Military Scholars of Dragon Tiger Mountain. Yuan Buhuan became frantic upon hearing he hadn't returned for so long, even nearly causing conflict between the Military Scholars and the Imperial Attendants while investigating. This incident stirred up several new waves of trouble.

Fortunately, the Heavenly Mechanism Daoist later observed the stars and confirmed that Feng Zikang was not in mortal danger, having turned misfortune into fortune, and was merely in secluded cultivation somewhere. Yuan Buhuan finally calmed down but still uttered several harsh threats.

This incident also sowed seeds of discord among the myriad sects.

Feng Zikang, of course, knew nothing of this. He focused solely on diligent training. Within his body, the Five Towers and Twelve Cities grew ever grander and more imposing, gradually forming an Inner World, and his Foundation Establishment cultivation climbed steadily.

This injury was not without benefit; the insights gained, including his military strategy and battle array changes from the Demon Execution War, became the foundation for his rapid advancement.

Unsure how much time passed, his cultivation reached the fourth layer of Foundation Establishment, officially entering the mid-stage. It was then that Long Que finally returned, bringing Fairy Tianfu with it.

Long Que proved intelligent and resourceful. The moment Feng Zikang fled, it immediately burrowed deep underground to hide. Only after the naked man's aura completely dissipated did it cautiously emerge, heading out to find Fairy Tianfu.

Fairy Tianfu was still worried about Feng Zikang, but Long Que knew things were fine; since it hadn't died or been captured, Feng Zikang must also be alright.

It took a circuitous route to bring Fairy Tianfu near Dragon Tiger Mountain. However, due to Feng Zikang's disappearance, the atmosphere was tense, and the mountain was under strict guard. Long Que dared not enter recklessly. It instructed Fairy Tianfu to stay nearby temporarily, waiting until the pressure eased before sneaking into Dragon Tiger Mountain. It stayed in the small bamboo grove for a time, but Feng Zikang did not return.

It was only when Feng Zikang emerged from seclusion and activated the Profound Realm passage that they could enter.

Upon entering, they naturally brought some news. Hearing that the cultivation world was in chaos due to his absence, Feng Zikang couldn't help but laugh wryly. He, a Nameless Demonic Heavenly Being, had somehow become one of the pivotal figures in the Righteous Path.

Now that his body had healed, he needed to report to the Sect Master. After settling Fairy Tianfu, he exited the Profound Realm and headed toward Sunset Peak.

Yuan Buhuan was overjoyed to see him, grasping his hand and inquiring anxiously. Feng Zikang merely explained that upon returning from Chang'an, he was ambushed, sustained injuries, and had to find a secluded spot to recuperate, only returning now.

Yuan Buhuan roared in anger, slamming the table and cursing.

"That brat, the Emperor of the Li Tang, dares to scheme against my Military Scholar disciples! His son was arrogant and deserved his fate at your hands. Even if there were grievances, it should be through open combat. What kind of principle is this ambush? Their dynasty is surely doomed!"

Feng Zikang was stunned that Yuan Buhuan would voice such sentiments in front of him, causing him some surprise.

"Nephew, do not be alarmed. Most of the older generation in the cultivation world already knows about this. It's ridiculous that the Confucian, Buddhist, and Daoist sects cling to this so-called 'Great Tang Orthodoxy' and refuse to let it collapse with their endless prattling. Had this incident not occurred, we Military Scholars might have supported the Tang for a while longer. Now, we have the perfect justification to sever ties!"

Yuan Buhuan seemed to have already made up his mind, disclosing these secrets even to Feng Zikang.

"Nephew, you are the leading figure of our Military Scholars' new generation, so I will not hide things from you. A great change is coming to the world; within two or three years, a woman is bound to rise and contend against the Great Tang. Furthermore, according to Junior Brother Heavenly Mechanism's divination, destiny favors her. Normally, this is none of our concern as cultivators, but it is baffling that the three major sects insist on defying Heaven to protect the Great Tang—they must be utterly blinded!"

Yuan Buhuan shook his head repeatedly, his tone filled with anguish.

Feng Zikang paused. He had heard that the demons of the Boundless Sea supported the anti-Tang cause, but he hadn't expected destiny truly favored them. Moreover, judging by Yuan Buhuan's words, the Military Scholars of Dragon Tiger Mountain seemed poised to—

Yuan Buhuan smiled proudly. "We Military Scholars are not as foolish as they are!"

"Naturally, we will side with whoever is destined to win!"