Chapter 15: Seven Changes

The sound from afar gradually faded away.

Chen Feng no longer used his movement technique. His breathing was slow and deliberate, and he moved with even greater caution. His eyes gleamed with sharpness as his perception reached its peak.

"Shadow Panther, Iron-scaled Python, Mighty Berserk Bear..."

These were the three most fearsome first-level, ninth-rank demon beasts in the Wànmù Forest. They could easily kill ordinary body-refinement cultivators at the ninth transformation, and even top-tier practitioners at the ninth transformation would find it difficult to defeat them.

As Chen Feng’s thoughts turned, his body involuntarily shivered. A chilling coldness spread from deep within, rapidly reaching every part of his body. The hairs on his body stood on end as a series of indescribable heart-pounding sensations assaulted him.

Carefully, Chen Feng shrank his body behind a large tree, holding his breath. A sharp rustling sound came from the distance, growing nearer and nearer. It sounded as if something cold and slippery was slithering across his body, sending a wave of chill through him.

Chen Feng cautiously peeked out, and in the distance, around a hundred meters away, the shrubbery shook violently. He could vaguely make out a long, black body with scales that glimmered faintly.

"Iron-scaled Python!"

Chen Feng’s heart skipped a beat.

The form, the terrifying aura—it was definitely the Iron-scaled Python.

His luck was truly terrible.

First, he had been ambushed by the Shadow Panther, and now, he had encountered the Iron-scaled Python.

Thinking about it, Chen Feng couldn’t help but feel a thrill mixed with dread.

"I wonder if I’ll run into the Mighty Berserk Bear?" Chen Feng mused to himself.

His heart was torn between unease and anticipation.

This feeling was exhilarating. The mysterious God’s Seal within his mind quivered, sending out more ripples.

In a daze, Chen Feng felt as though he were neither fully awake nor asleep, his body and mind in a state of perfect stillness, profound and elusive, as if to be understood only through feeling.

He didn’t know how much time had passed, but suddenly, he snapped out of his trance, as though he had just woken from a deep sleep. He felt refreshed, and without realizing it, he had gained a deeper understanding of the Wind Shadow Sword Technique and the Nine Shadows Phantom Body. It felt as if he could break through his limitations at any moment and elevate his skills to a higher level.

However, when he tried to think it through carefully, something was missing. Moreover, the current location was not the right place to dwell on such matters, so he decided to set it aside for the time being.

"Where did the Iron-scaled Python go?"

He looked carefully, but it had disappeared without a trace. Cautiously, Chen Feng approached and examined the area where the Iron-scaled Python had slithered through the shrubbery. He found a large trail the size of a human waist and could still feel the lingering cold, which made his body tremble involuntarily.

"That’s..."

Chen Feng’s sharp eyes locked onto something.

Three bright red fruits appeared among the shrubbery, partially hidden.

After a moment of careful scrutiny, Chen Feng couldn’t help but reveal a smile of joy.

"The place is dark and damp, the color is a deep crimson, and it smells like blood mixed with a fragrant scent—this must be the Bloodfruit!"

Chen Feng’s excitement surged.

Just like the Snake Venom Fruit he had obtained earlier, the Bloodfruit was even more valuable. More importantly, the Bloodfruit was one of the main ingredients for the Vitality-Enhancing Pill, a precious herb known to boost one’s vitality and aid in cultivation.

"The Bloodfruit is worth around twenty to thirty taels of silver. If I have three of them, could they be worth as much as a Vitality-Enhancing Pill?"

Certainly, it would be more efficient to refine the Bloodfruit into the pill, but Chen Feng was well aware of his current situation.

Without hesitation, he plucked the three Bloodfruits and swallowed them.

With the help of the God’s Seal, the three Bloodfruits were quickly refined into pure energy.

Vitality surged within him, a layer of blood-red light enveloping his body, growing more intense by the moment.

In his ears, it was as though the sound of a stream was growing louder, and the flowing vitality seemed to cleanse his organs, gradually strengthening them.

Previously, after consuming three Vitality-Enhancing Pills, Chen Feng’s cultivation had already reached the limit of the sixth transformation of body refinement. His organs were being tempered, but the process had stalled due to insufficient energy. Now, as he continued the refinement, his organs quivered lightly, his heart pounding powerfully like a drum, and his intestines rumbled with deep sounds.

A new force began to emanate from his internal organs—formless and intangible, but stretching far and deep, its lingering power immense, like a stream gradually becoming grander.

The blood-red light slowly faded.

Chen Feng exhaled, and a gust of wind howled out, striking the leaves a few meters away, scattering them in all directions.

"The strength of the internal organs is indeed long-lasting and powerful."

Chen Feng mused.

"Skin and flesh strength, bone strength, internal organ strength—all of these are essentially the force forged through vitality. In theory, they should be convertible and interrelated..."

Suddenly, an idea struck him, and he immediately tried it out, initially sensing some resistance.

Theory was theory, but the channels through which these forces were refined were different, so there were distinctions.

Chen Feng tried again and again, and with the help of the God’s Seal, a wave of inspiration struck. He understood.

The long-lasting, powerful internal organ strength gradually converted into bone strength, slowly restoring the bone power he had previously consumed.

Moreover, Chen Feng could feel that his bones had gained a bit of the internal organ strength’s unique power—long-lasting and mighty.

"I wonder if I’m now strong enough to fight a ninth-rank, first-level demon beast?"

Chen Feng thought to himself but then glanced at the broken sword in his hand, and the thought faded away.

"With my cultivation breakthrough to the seventh transformation of body refinement, I now qualify to participate in the assessment of the Miantian Sect. But there’s still time..."

At the same age, the higher one’s cultivation, the more solid their foundation, making it easier to pass the Miantian Sect’s assessment.

Moreover, he still needed to make money to buy a Hundred-Refinement Sword.

As these thoughts swirled in his mind, Chen Feng carefully scanned his surroundings, using the experience passed down by Stone Peak and the others to determine which direction to go.

Both directions—into the deeper parts of Wànmù Forest or back out—left traces behind. But to a novice, it all looked the same. Only experienced veterans could tell the difference.

Though Chen Feng was still a beginner, with the aid of the God’s Seal, he had memorized and applied all the experience taught by the Windfire Squad.

The sound of the attack cut through the air as Chen Feng's sword sliced through the space with overwhelming speed, aiming straight for the source of the disturbance. His senses, now heightened from the numerous encounters and the refining of his skills, guided his sword strike with uncanny precision.

The figure before him recoiled, clearly taken aback by the sudden assault. The glow in its eyes flickered in surprise, but it quickly regained its composure, moving with a swiftness that matched Chen Feng's own. In an instant, the figure's silhouette blurred, and it vanished from Chen Feng's line of sight, reappearing several meters away.

Chen Feng's sword continued to cut through the air with relentless speed, leaving a trail of shimmering light in its wake. His movements were fluid, almost as if he were one with the wind itself, as he adjusted his stance and prepared for the next exchange.

“Who’s there?” Chen Feng’s voice rang out, firm and authoritative, his eyes scanning the area around him with a sharpness that pierced through the darkness.

A low, chilling laugh echoed from the shadows, the sound almost serpentine in nature. "So, you’ve become quite skilled, haven't you? But I wonder... can you truly match the likes of me?" The voice was laced with both amusement and a hint of danger.

A shadow emerged from the darkness, revealing a tall, lean figure cloaked in dark robes. Its face was obscured by a mask, but its aura was unmistakable — this was no ordinary opponent. The air around them seemed to ripple with a suffocating pressure, one that sent a chill down Chen Feng’s spine.

Chen Feng’s grip tightened around the hilt of his sword as he instinctively shifted into a defensive stance, his heart racing with anticipation. This wasn’t just any enemy; this was someone whose presence alone could send shivers through the soul.

The masked figure’s eyes gleamed from behind the mask, and it spoke again, this time with a more sinister edge. "You’re brave, stepping into my territory. But I don’t believe you’re ready for what lies ahead."

Chen Feng narrowed his eyes. "We'll see about that," he muttered under his breath, as his body tensed, ready to strike at the slightest movement.

The masked figure tilted its head slightly, as if sizing Chen Feng up, before suddenly vanishing once more, moving faster than the eye could follow. Chen Feng reacted instantly, his body flowing into motion like a well-oiled machine. His sword slashed through the air in a wide arc, and just as his blade was about to make contact, the figure reappeared behind him.

With a swift twist of his body, Chen Feng brought the sword around in a rapid counterattack. However, the figure was already gone, fading into the shadows once more.

"Not bad," the masked figure remarked, its voice now tinged with both respect and malice. "But let’s see how you handle this."

Before Chen Feng could react, the ground beneath him seemed to crack and split open, and from the fissures, tendrils of dark energy shot up, coiling around his legs, arms, and sword. It was a technique designed to immobilize him, to prevent any further attacks.

Chen Feng gritted his teeth as he struggled against the restraints, his heart pounding in his chest. His mind raced, searching for a way out. The dark energy constricted around him, its cold, suffocating grip making it harder to breathe.

In that moment of peril, a surge of energy erupted from deep within him. It was the power he had been cultivating, the strength of his body and mind, all coming together as one. His muscles tensed, and with a mighty roar, Chen Feng shattered the dark tendrils, sending waves of force rippling through the air.

The masked figure's eyes widened for a split second, clearly taken aback by Chen Feng's sudden burst of power. But it quickly recovered, a dark smile creeping across its face.

"Impressive," the figure mused. "But that won’t be enough to defeat me."

With a sudden, fluid motion, the figure lunged forward, its hand outstretched. Dark energy surged around its fingers, forming into a blade of pure shadow. It was a weapon forged from the very essence of darkness, and its aura radiated death.

Chen Feng's heart skipped a beat as he saw the weapon coming toward him. There was no time to evade. The only option was to meet it head-on. With a swift motion, he raised his sword to block, the two weapons colliding in a flash of dark and light.

The shockwave from the impact sent a tremor through the air, and for a moment, it seemed as if time itself had frozen. But as the dust settled, both combatants remained standing, their expressions filled with resolve.

"You're strong," the masked figure admitted, its voice calm despite the intensity of the battle. "But strength alone won’t win this fight."

Chen Feng’s eyes gleamed with determination. "We’ll see about that," he said, his grip tightening on his sword once more, ready for whatever came next.

The masked figure took a step back, analyzing Chen Feng's unwavering stance. There was a flicker of something behind its eyes — perhaps recognition, or maybe amusement. It had clearly underestimated the young warrior in front of it. However, that would not stop it from attempting to break Chen Feng's will.

With a sudden, sharp motion, the figure vanished once again, this time moving not just through the shadows, but also blending into the very elements around them. The air became thick with a dense fog, and the once-clear path through the forest became obscured by an eerie mist.

Chen Feng’s senses flared, every instinct screaming at him to remain alert. The temperature dropped, and his breath became visible in the frigid air. He could feel the presence of his opponent — it was near, but the exact location remained elusive.

He didn’t hesitate. He activated his Wind Shadow Sword Technique, every part of his body becoming as light and fluid as the wind itself. His movements became a blur, twisting and turning in the fog, sword slashing in rapid succession. Each strike was designed to cleave through the mist, but each time his sword met only emptiness.

"You're faster than I thought," came the voice, now echoing from multiple directions. "But speed alone won’t win the battle. It's all about control."

The voice taunted him from all sides, and with each word, Chen Feng felt a wave of unease crash over him. He had to stay focused, had to keep his wits sharp. His grip tightened on his sword, the only anchor in this swirling confusion.

He slowed his movements, forcing himself to concentrate, waiting for the right moment. The Wind Shadow Sword Technique required finesse, not brute force. He needed to feel his opponent’s rhythm, to understand their next move before they made it.

And then, it came.

The ground beneath Chen Feng’s feet trembled slightly. The air shifted, and a faint whisper brushed against his ear. He spun, sword raised, just in time to intercept a swift, shadowy blade that came crashing down from above.

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