Chapter Thirty-Eight: Something Terrible Has Happened

Facing the attacks from both men, Liu Feng's expression grew calm. His true energy surged wildly into his right palm, and immediately, waves of force rippled out from his hand, spreading in all directions. As more and more energy gathered, his palm began to tremble rapidly, violent bursts of force shooting forth, causing the air to erupt with a series of explosive cracks.

With a thunderous boom, the terrifying power unleashed by Zhang Lie and his companion crashed against Liu Feng's right palm like erupting magma. The energy, capable of melting gold and iron, was shattered by layers of rippling force emanating from Liu Feng's palm. At the center of their clash, a massive crater appeared, and the surrounding trees exploded into splinters and were reduced to sawdust. Both attackers were thrown back by the shockwave.

They crashed heavily to the ground, coughing up blood five or six times, their faces paling to the color of death. Liu Feng, too, was drained of all his energy after unleashing his mighty technique, his body left weak and powerless. Fortunately, the mystical art of "Qi Qian" began to circulate automatically within him, slowly restoring his strength.

After a moment, Liu Feng felt a measure of power return and walked toward Zhao Xing and the others. Gravely wounded, they had swallowed healing pills, but recovery would take time, and they were unable to move freely. Now, seeing Liu Feng approach, their faces grew even paler.

"What are you going to do? I warn you, don’t do anything reckless, or the Blazing Flame Sect will never let you go," Zhao Xing threatened, trying to keep his voice steady, though it trembled with fear.

"Here are a thousand spirit stones and ten bottles of Gathering Qi Pills. Let us go and all of this is yours," Zhang Lie pleaded, producing a large pile of spirit stones and medicines, begging Liu Feng for mercy.

Standing before them, Liu Feng replied coldly, "Only now do you know fear? Did you foresee this moment when you tried to harm me?"

With that, he extended two fingers and struck both men harshly in the dantian and sea of qi. At once, they collapsed to the ground like deflated sacks, completely powerless.

"You’ve crippled our cultivation! The Blazing Flame Sect will never let you go. When they catch you, they’ll tear you to pieces!" they cried, voices filled with rage and venom, like a curse.

Liu Feng spared them no further glance and strode toward the edge of the forest. At that moment, a deafening howl split the air. Liu Feng felt an immense pressure descend from all sides, as if a mountain were crushing down upon him, making his steps suddenly heavy.

From the distant sky came a thunderous roar, like a raging flood battering against a dam.

Liu Feng looked up to see a colossal shadow of a Black Wind Wolf appear in the sky, towering over a hundred meters tall, as massive as a small mountain. It raised its gigantic paw and smashed down viciously toward a certain direction.

With a thunderous crash, an enormous humanoid figure materialized, standing seventy or eighty meters high, wielding a giant spear. The figure thrust the spear fiercely at the Black Wind Wolf’s shadow.

The Black Wind Wolf opened its jaws and spat out a massive sphere of true energy, slamming it toward the spear-wielding figure.

The spear and the true energy sphere collided with a resounding explosion, like two mountains crashing together. At the center of the impact, a tremendous vortex of energy erupted, blasting apart all the trees and boulders in the vicinity, annihilating everything in its wake.

The humanoid shadow swung its giant spear, moving with the might of a god, its power overwhelming. The spear whistled through the air with a piercing shriek, like lightning cleaving the sky, distorting even space itself.

But the Black Wind Wolf’s shadow was even more savage and violent, like a primordial beast. Its claws were like the scythes of death, each swipe bringing the terror of hell upon the world, echoing with wails and howls.

It relentlessly battered the humanoid figure with its massive claws, forcing it back step by step. The spear began to crack under the onslaught, showing signs of imminent collapse.

Retreating under the assault, the humanoid shadow was driven back over a hundred miles in the blink of an eye. Trees and rocks along the way exploded and were hurled in all directions by the energy surges.

The Black Wind Wolf’s shadow pursued unrelentingly, spitting out one true energy sphere after another, all targeting the humanoid figure.

The figure spun its spear like a windmill, deflecting the incoming spheres to the sides. Wherever these spheres landed, the earth shuddered with cataclysmic explosions, trees and stones blasted skyward, and even the distant mountains trembled.

At last, when the battle had raged dozens of kilometers from Liu Feng, one of the energy spheres struck the humanoid figure, shattering its body.

The Black Wind Wolf’s shadow raised its paw and slashed toward the figure’s head, ready to tear it off.

At this critical moment, a thunderous shout echoed across the sky, so loud that Liu Feng’s ears rang. Another humanoid shadow appeared, standing as tall as the Black Wind Wolf—over a hundred meters high.

This new figure brandished a massive saber, cleaving down at the wolf’s shadow. A streak of lightning seemed to flash across the sky, slashing the wolf’s paw.

The impact was like thunder from the ninth heaven, shaking all who heard it to their core.

A deep wound was slashed into the wolf’s paw, from which torrents of true energy gushed forth, shrinking the paw in size.

With a furious howl, the Black Wind Wolf’s shadow erupted with even greater ferocity. It knocked aside the saber with a shockwave and spat a giant energy sphere at its new foe.

Though the figure’s saber was knocked away, he showed no panic. With a flick of his wrist, the giant saber swung back, slashing down even faster.

The saber and claw collided with an eruption like a volcanic explosion, shattering everything in the area.

The humanoid figure was sent stumbling backwards, quickly landing on the ground. Meanwhile, the first figure, having recovered his strength, reformed and joined the fight. Together, the two humanoid shadows blocked the Black Wind Wolf’s advance.

The wolf’s eyes gleamed with cruelty as it faced its two opponents. Opening its jaws, it spat two massive energy spheres towards them.

One figure thrust his spear, sending a thunderous crack through the air as he shattered an energy sphere, unleashing a wave of destructive force. The other swung his saber in a lightning arc, splitting the second sphere in two, which then exploded violently.

Seeing its attacks repelled, the Black Wind Wolf charged at the two, swiping its gigantic claws at their heads. They responded with saber and spear, clashing fiercely with the deadly paws.

The battle between the two figures and the beast was fierce and evenly matched, their movements as swift as thunder, stirring whirlwinds around them.

Suddenly, as both men were locked against the wolf’s claws, the Black Wind Wolf spat three energy spheres in rapid succession, all aimed at them.

The two figures broke free of the wolf’s grasp and swung their weapons at two of the spheres, while the third, howling through the air, hurtled directly toward Liu Feng.

Watching the enormous energy sphere hurtling toward him, Liu Feng realized escape was impossible. In his heart, he thought, “Is this where my life ends?”