Chapter Sixty-Five: A Palm Strike from Behind

"Outrageous! You are a descendant of the Jiang family, yet you have no sense of propriety and dare to speak so rudely to Master Yichen. You deserve death!" Jiang Lei was seething with fury, his mind a blank. Never in his life within the Jiang family had he been so humiliated—especially now, having replaced Jiang Xian, Jiang Feng’s father, in business and standing at the pinnacle of his power. That one shout of "Jiang Lei" was enough to make his internal organs explode with rage.

Seeing him shield Fang Yichen, Jiang Feng's anger flared further, and he snapped, "Don’t be so ungrateful! Our family and the Fang family have always been at odds. Fang Yichen is clearly trying to sow discord. If you keep being so stubborn, I’ll go to Grandpa and see what explanation you give me!"

"Your grandfather? The old man has no time for you!" Jiang Lei drew from his sleeve a coldly gleaming short dagger and summoned his nether power, driving the blade straight at Jiang Feng’s chest, aiming for the vital point.

Eight Fiends Fire Dragon Dagger!

Jiang Feng recognized the weapon. Among the Jiang family’s nether artifacts, the Eight Fiends Fire Dragon Dagger held a high place, a white nether divine weapon whose might could shake the heavens and earth.

He had not expected Jiang Lei to use the strongest artifact right from the start. Bitterly, he realized: What kind of uncle is this, hell-bent on killing me? What a foul and corrupted place the Jiang family has become. As Jiang Lei struck, all the air was sucked away, the void collapsing inward. Even his nether power, physical strength, explosive force, and even his soul seemed dragged toward the dagger.

In short, Jiang Lei’s stab was meant to draw Jiang Feng’s entire being into the blade.

Such a sinister nether art had never before been seen or heard of, even within the Jiang family!

In Jiang Feng’s sea of consciousness, Jue’s expression was grave. Without hesitation, he urged, "Boy, run! You can’t take on this nether art!"

Jue, now residing in Jiang Feng’s spiritual sea, saw even more than Jiang Feng himself and could process thoughts countless times faster. In a flash, he grasped the solution: the only effective counter was to use a nether art like Fang Yichen’s Boundless Myriad Realms, creating illusions of shifting void and changing worlds. That way, with countless illusory chessboards appearing and vanishing, the user could escape such nether arts perfectly.

But Jiang Feng’s current level of nether power was far too low to command the Rivers and Mountains Bottle to unleash such illusions. All he could do was run—an act of desperation, but the only way to survive.

Jiang Feng had no desire to show off. Having experienced so many battles, he understood life and death all too well: "When the green hills remain, one need not fear for firewood." The moment Jue spoke, he activated his Shadow Dance Soul-Shattering Steps—all twenty-five forms—vanishing without a trace.

A blink later, he was already a hundred paces away.

But Jiang Lei, now truly enraged, had no intention of letting Jiang Feng go. He shouted back, "Master Yichen, wait here a moment. I’ll chase down that brat and return at once!"

With that, Jiang Lei’s figure melted into the cold light, disappearing even faster than Jiang Feng. In the vast courtyard of the Jiang estate, it was as if nothing had happened; not even the dust had stirred, so swift and ruthless was the exchange.

"Hmph, Jiang Lei, so you’re nothing but a brainless brute after all." Fang Yichen picked up a teacup from the table, sipped gently, and the smile at his lips was sly and venomous.

Jiang Feng had barely completed his twenty-five Shadow Dance steps when he heard the murderous aura howling from behind. Glancing back, he saw a barrage of illusory, dreamlike fire daggers—some real, some false—manifesting arrays, forests, and even seas of daggers. The void was filled with blades!

This was Jiang Lei’s infamous nether art, "World of Daggers." Unlike Fang Yichen’s Boundless Myriad Realms, this art was even more mysterious, conjuring substance from nothing.

Jiang Feng seemed trapped in a world of stabbing blades, attacked from all sides, but soon realized Jiang Lei’s mastery of conjuring reality from illusion was not yet complete—most of the daggers were false. Yet, it was impossible to distinguish with the naked eye; only by testing with his body could one tell, but to touch a real one would be fatal.

Still, Jiang Lei was a master tactician, adept at turning his weaknesses into traps. He named this move "Nightmare Hell," luring victims into a dreamlike state where truth and falsehood were inseparable, until the real Eight Fiends Fire Dragon Dagger struck, claiming their lives.

Jiang Feng forced himself to calm down. The colder he remained, the safer he’d be. The Ice Soul Liquid in his body helped greatly, shrouding him in a chilling flow, keeping his heart as still as water. He gathered his nether power, and his five viscera spun wildly with energy. For the first time, he pushed his limits, unleashing radiant force from his body. With a fierce surge of power in his mind, he shattered the illusion. At that moment, he saw the Eight Fiends Fire Dragon Dagger just three inches from his throat, radiating a cold that froze him to the core—he could not move, and danger was at its peak.

With a desperate shout, he poured all his nether power into his right arm, dissipating the cold instantly. With a reverse palm, he struck out, unleashing the Xuantian Divine Palm from the Profound Heaven Secret Arts—striking through the air!

"Xuantian Divine Palm!"

A palm imprint suddenly appeared three inches before his throat, blocking the Eight Fiends Fire Dragon Dagger.

At the same time, he sprang aside, landing on another patch of cloud, momentarily escaping Jiang Lei’s aura. But this reprieve could not last; Jiang Lei’s pursuit was relentless, and Jiang Feng felt like a rabbit being hunted: safe only as long as he had strength to flee.

Sure enough, even as he moved to the next cloud, one ahead suddenly shifted. From within emerged the true Eight Fiends Fire Dragon Dagger, stabbing forth like a comet or a hawk seizing its prey.

His previous break from the illusion was a feint by Jiang Lei, just waiting for Jiang Feng to step into the trap.

What a cunning display of feigned weakness!

In truth, Jiang Lei’s nether arts were not dazzling, and his aura, though formidable, was far less impressive than the Plum Fire Array wielded by the Plum Blossom Sword. But the Eight Fiends Fire Dragon Dagger was truly troublesome—every attack ghostly and unpredictable, like maggots on the bone. Jiang Lei’s cunning was deeply concealed beneath his brutish exterior; everywhere lay hidden schemes and traps. Jiang Feng could not attack, could barely defend, and could only evade, suffering repeated assaults.

If not for the Ice Soul Liquid forging his body as hard as steel, able to withstand the strain of constant dodging, he would have died countless times by now.

"Little Ghost, wake up! This boy can’t hold out much longer," Jue cried anxiously from the sea of consciousness, but could do nothing. The gap between Jiang Feng and Jiang Lei was simply too great; even if Jiang Feng risked everything and unleashed his soul power, there was no guarantee he could defeat Jiang Lei.

Jiang Feng frowned. He had considered using his soul power more than once, but dared not. Normally, if killing the foe were possible and there were no witnesses, Jue would immediately suggest using it. But since Jue kept silent, Jiang Feng understood intuitively—soul power might not be enough to kill Jiang Lei, at best just to avoid death. Until he thought of a perfect plan, he dared not use even a trace of it.

"Boy, surrender your life!" Jiang Lei sped through the air, not tearing it, but merging with it completely. Jiang Feng realized this was the difference in cultivation: tearing through air was fast but exhausted nether power, while blending with the environment was terrifyingly efficient and swift.

"I’ll have to use my soul power," Jiang Feng sighed inside. He knew that once he did, the mysterious force in his body would be exposed, and soon the world would know. Trouble would follow, one after another. But in the face of death, his first instinct was still to survive.

His soul power began to stir in his mind’s sea, but at that critical instant, Jue finally spoke: "Not yet. Look!"

Jiang Feng paused and looked closely. Jiang Lei’s figure was frozen in midair as if immobilized by a strange force. In that moment, the oppressive pressure vanished, the sense of mortal danger evaporated, leaving Jiang Feng bewildered—had Jiang Lei died just now?

But Jiang Lei was even more confused.

Now, Jiang Lei felt all his nether power draining away, his blood surging out, his feet sinking into cotton, utterly powerless. Disbelieving, he looked back and saw Fang Yichen’s serene, almost detached face, his compassionate, all-embracing smile now appearing loathsome and repugnant.

"You…" Jiang Lei managed a single word, and to Jiang Feng, the effort it took was palpable.

Fang Yichen dusted his sleeve as if disgusted by the blood sprayed from Jiang Lei. Leisurely, he said, "Someone like Jiang Feng is hardly worth grieving over, but you—your death is truly a blessing."

Jiang Feng clenched his fists, wanting to rush forward and pummel Fang Yichen, but he restrained himself. He wanted to hear what Fang Yichen had to say.

"Even a child like Jiang Feng can see the truth, yet you do not. The Fang and Jiang families have always been at odds. My coming to you with such apparent sincerity must surely have an ulterior motive. Ah, brute, brute." Ignoring Jiang Feng’s furious glare, Fang Yichen continued his monologue, "In a few days, the Nine Rocks Competition will be held. Your death will deal a heavy blow to the Jiang family’s morale. What’s more, a powerful figure like you is too great a threat to our family. The Wang family is already spent; you are now my target. Oh, and in the Jiang family, that was but an avatar of myself. This is the true me, so no one will suspect I killed you."

Jiang Feng couldn’t help but sneer, "You’re going to use your nether art to kill Jiang Lei—does anyone really believe it was me?"

Fang Yichen feigned annoyance, patting his forehead, then grinned slyly, pointing a thumb at Jiang Feng. "Good thinking, but you still can’t outplay me. Everyone in the Jiang family knows you stole my Rivers and Mountains Bottle, which contains my nether arts. You could have used the bottle to kill your uncle. Heh, Jiang Feng, your move is ruthless indeed!"

Staring at Fang Yichen’s fox-like smile, Jiang Feng was filled with hatred. He’d thought possessing the Rivers and Mountains Bottle would enrage Fang Yichen, but instead it became a trap. Even if he discarded the bottle, suspicion would remain—he was doomed to bear the blame for Jiang Lei’s death!

"So, I won’t kill you yet."

Fang Yichen laughed twice, glanced at the barely conscious Jiang Lei, and sighed with a hint of pity, "A pity, for a hero of your generation to become the Fang family’s stepping stone."

"You…" Jiang Lei coughed up blood, and with all his strength hurled the Eight Fiends Fire Dragon Dagger toward Jiang Feng, gasping, "Jiang Feng, take this. One day, use it to kill that villainous monk."

"Amitabha. I called you a brute, and still you refuse to use your head. Giving him the Eight Fiends Fire Dragon Dagger will only frame him further. Well, even in death you serve me. Let me grant you a painless end." With a flick of his sleeve, Fang Yichen ended Jiang Lei’s life in an instant.

Fang Yichen vanished like a shooting star, even faster than Jiang Lei.

Jiang Feng turned pale with shock; it seemed Fang Yichen had fully absorbed the Blood Fiend Fruit, which granted supreme speed through nether soul power.

He looked at the Eight Fiends Fire Dragon Dagger in his hand, so frustrated he nearly wept.

"Forget it, kid," Jue said helplessly. "At this point, you couldn’t clear your name even if you leapt into the Yellow River. You might as well fulfill the old monk’s wish and play the villain."

Jiang Feng straightened, refusing sternly, "How could I? No matter how much I resent Jiang Lei, I cannot become someone who betrays his elders. He was my father’s brother, my uncle!"

"And what can you do now? You’re already the target of all. Even the Wang family may not dare to shelter you. Your only option is to quickly grow stronger. When the Nine Rocks Competition arrives, you can clear your name there. I doubt anyone would dare harm you during such a grand event."

Jue’s words reminded Jiang Feng that the Nine Rocks Competition was hosted by the Langya Chamber of Commerce, the most formidable force in Nine Rocks Town. The Fang and Jiang families would never dare to harm him during the contest.

"Alas, that’s all I can do," Jiang Feng sighed. "I’ll find a secluded place to hide and refine the Rivers and Mountains Bottle. Since everyone thinks I used it to kill Jiang Lei, I might as well study its nether arts and see if I can merge them with my Profound Heaven Secret Arts. Then Fang Yichen will have nothing on me."

"Good." Jue replied. "I've surveyed the area. To the southeast lies a range of mountains, perfect for cultivation."

"Then let’s go." Jiang Feng nodded and flew southeast as Jue advised. Soon he saw a range of mountains, but was immediately dismayed: it was clearly a stronghold, studded with crystals forming an array. Starlight flickered, and in his vision, the immense power of the stars poured down from the sky, all absorbed by the formation—truly formidable.

Any ordinary nether cultivator who approached would die instantly!

"Jue, why didn’t you say this place was so dangerous? This must be Langya Chamber of Commerce’s territory," Jiang Feng complained, feeling betrayed by his usually reliable companion.

Jue stammered, embarrassed, "I’m old, my eyes aren’t what they used to be. I didn’t notice the formations. Shameful, shameful."

Jiang Feng sweated.

At that moment, the formation sensed Jiang Feng’s presence and unleashed a surge of star power. Jiang Feng felt the overwhelming energy fill his body. If used to refine the Rivers and Mountains Bottle, it would be ideal—but this was a murderous force, clearly targeting him.

"These star energies aren’t too intense. You can handle them, but let’s run after that and find a better place," Jue said irresponsibly, earning a glare from Jiang Feng. Sighing, Jiang Feng summoned the Sound-Killing Dragon and shattered the star power in an instant.

Just as he was about to leave, a stern shout rang from the formation, "Who goes there?"

A figure floated from the formation. Jiang Feng saw a young man clad in star robes, crowned with stars, treading on clouds of stardust. His nether power far surpassed Jiang Feng’s, though still less than Jiang Lei or Fang Yichen, yet he was the strongest youth Jiang Feng had ever met.

The newcomer’s movements seemed slow, but in a flash he stood before Jiang Feng. Seeing only a youth, his vigilance subsided. Withdrawing the star power, he said, "You’re Jiang Feng, the Jiang family’s prodigy?"

The words stunned Jiang Feng.

Prodigy?

In this world, was there really anyone who still thought him a prodigy?