Hu Feng's reputation within the Rosy Clouds Sect was growing steadily, yet he did not let it make him arrogant. Instead, he grew ever more diligent. Every day at dawn, while disciples of other houses were still fast asleep, he was already standing atop the mountain peak facing the biting cold wind, absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and practicing his sword forms. When the moon reached the center of the sky and everyone else had entered dreamland, he would still be in his secluded chamber, meditating and comprehending the subtle mysteries of the Nine Yang True Formula, while the Red Sun Sword hummed and vibrated as if striving forward alongside its master.
On this day, the bells and chimes in the main sect hall rang out together, their deep and lingering sound echoing through the clouds to summon all core disciples to gather. Hu Feng sheathed his sword, his robes fluttering as he hurried into the hall, only to see the sect master wearing a solemn expression, flanked by several elders who also looked extremely grave.
"Fellow disciples, recently, when our sect's seniors were exploring ancient ruins, they discovered that an ancient secret realm is about to appear. It is said to hold peerless treasures capable of changing the landscape of immortal cultivation, lost cultivation techniques, and, even more, rumors say it contains heavenly treasures that can help people break through cultivation bottlenecks and reach the Deity Transformation realm directly," the sect master said, his gaze piercing as he swept it across the crowd. "However, this secret realm is fraught with extreme danger, countless mechanisms, and rampant guardian Monster Beasts, while surrounding sects all eye it covetously. It was not easy for our Rosy Clouds Sect to obtain this news, and we must go all out to seize this opportunity. We are dispatching you there this time, and we hope you will not fail the sect's expectations!"
The hall instantly broke into a buzz of discussion, but a surge of bold spirit rose in Hu Feng's heart. He had been troubled by his stagnant cultivation and urgently needed a fortunate encounter to shatter his shackles, so he cupped his fists and said in a loud voice, "Please rest assured, Sect Master, this disciple will certainly do his utmost to win glory for the sect!" Infected by his spirit, many other disciples volunteered one after another.
Three days later, Hu Feng and several fellow disciples were fully equipped and ready to depart. Before leaving, his master, Yuji Zi, handed him a sound-transmission jade pendant: "Feng'er, danger lurks everywhere in the secret realm. If you encounter a fatal crisis, crush the jade pendant to send a message, and the sect will provide immediate assistance. Do not push yourself too hard; returning safely is what matters most."
Hu Feng's eyes warmed slightly as he nodded heavily, tucked the jade pendant close to his body, and resolutely set off with the group.
Flying on their swords, piercing through clouds and mist, the group reached the valley where the secret realm was located in less than half a day. Spiritual energy was dense here, yet gloomy and oppressive. The valley entrance was wreathed in clouds and mist, resembling the gaping maw of a giant beast waiting to devour people.
The moment they landed, they heard roars echoing from all around. The branches and leaves in the forest rustled, and several black shadows lunged forward with lightning speed. They turned out to be Monster Beasts shaped like panthers, their entire bodies wreathed in purple lightning and moving as fast as lightning.
Hu Feng reacted extremely swiftly. The Red Sun Sword instantly cleared its scabbard, the blade glowing red and scorching hot. The "Astral Illusion-Breaking Formula" moved as his heart desired, turning his spiritual energy into brilliant stars that crashed down heavily upon the Monster Beasts, blasting the leader away with a single strike. Seeing this, the rest of the junior and senior apprentice brothers displayed their unique arts, setting up sword arrays together. Amidst flashing lights, they engaged the Monster Beasts in fierce combat.
After a fierce battle, although they successfully repelled the Monster Beasts, everyone had sustained injuries, their clothes were tattered, and their spiritual energy was heavily depleted.
Stepping into the secret realm, the light suddenly dimmed, and the air was filled with a decaying scent. Not long after they advanced, a towering stone gate blocked their path. The gate was covered with strange runes like an ancient heavenly book, radiating a mysterious pressure.
While everyone was racking their brains for a way to open the gate, Hu Feng stepped closer to examine it. Relying on the accumulation of his studies of ancient books, he managed to perceive a clue within them. His hands moved swiftly to form seals, injecting spiritual energy, and the stone gate slowly opened with a muffled sound.
Behind the gate was a deep corridor. The walls were embedded with glowing gemstones that flickered on and off, while the floorboards were loose and concealed spike traps. Hu Feng employed the nimble movement technique bestowed by the Astral Spirit Formula, tapping his toes lightly to take the lead in scouting the path and reminding everyone to proceed with caution.
Halfway through, the light overhead darkened suddenly, and several huge boulders came crashing down. At the same time, the floorboards beneath their feet flipped over, and spikes burst out of the ground. Everyone cried out in alarm. Hu Feng's eyes turned sharp, and he shouted, "Sword array, protect us!" Taking the lead, he slashed the boulders to pieces with his sword, while the others hurriedly raised spiritual energy shields to fend off the spikes, narrowly escaping disaster.
At the end of the corridor, the view suddenly opened up to reveal a magnificent hall. The hall was filled with swirling spiritual aura, and numerous magical treasures and secret manuals floated in the air. Everyone's eyes lit up, and just as they were about to step forward to collect them, rolling black mists gushed out from the hall. The mists condensed into humanoid puppets holding sharp blades, demonic markings flashing across their bodies as they launched a fierce attack.
Knowing that these puppets were impervious to ordinary attacks, Hu Feng immediately circulated the Nine Yang True Formula. The Red Sun Sword wrapped in scorching high heat slashed fiercely at the puppets; every sword strike seemed capable of melting gold and cleaving iron. Though the puppets caught fire upon contact, they still lunged forward without regard for their own destruction.
After a grueling battle, everyone's stamina gradually gave out. Although the magical treasures were tempting, their lives were at stake. Hu Feng made a prompt decision: "Fall back to the corridor first, find a flaw, and then attack!"
Everyone fought while retreating, with the puppets in hot pursuit.
At a critical moment, a junior brother panicked and stepped on a mechanism. The ground split open, and a powerful suction force swept out, causing several people to lose their footing and get sucked in.
"Hold steady!" Hu Feng was burning with anxiety. He reached out to grab someone beside him, but could only watch helplessly as his other junior brothers and apprentice sisters plunged into the darkness, their fates unknown.
Filled with self-blame, he gritted his teeth and said, "We must rescue them!" After resting briefly with the remaining fellows, he returned to the hall.
At this moment, the puppets in the hall had been reduced by more than half due to triggering the mechanism. With a piercing gaze, Hu Feng exerted his full strength, using the "Chaos Devouring" technique to create a spiritual energy vortex that disrupted the puppets' movements. The others seized the opportunity to destroy the remaining puppets and gathered the treasures in the hall one by one.
Yet just as they let out a sigh of relief, the hall violently shook and the ground collapsed, plunging everyone into a deeper layer of space.
This place resembled purgatory. Magma surged and bubbles burst, bringing an unbearable heat, while fiery birds circled in the sky above, equipped with sharp beaks and claws and acting with extreme ferocity. On the banks were huge lava beasts wearing armor made of rock; with every step they took, the ground trembled.
Sweat beaded on Hu Feng's forehead, the high heat cracking his skin, but he had no time to care. He raised his arms and shouted, "Find high ground to land on, do not sink into the magma!" Everyone flew on their swords at low altitudes, dodging the attacks of the birds and beasts.
During the flight, Hu Feng suddenly caught sight of a flash of light within the magma. Looking closer, it turned out to be a strange spiritual plant that was entirely fiery red and shaped like a lotus, around which the magma seemed tamed, flowing in a ring.
His heart stirred, and he recognized that this might be the "Flame Spirit Holy Lotus" recorded in ancient books. Ingesting it could purify spiritual energy and temper the physical body, greatly benefiting one's cultivation. Without regard for danger, he immediately swooped down, using the Red Sun Sword to clear the way and disperse the high heat.
The beasts and birds sensed the movement and swarmed in a frenzied attack. Hu Feng's spiritual energy surged all over his body, his sword striking out in all directions, yet it was difficult to withstand the multitude of beasts. His clothes were ignited by flames, leaving him with numerous injuries.
At the critical moment, his fellow disciples rushed over at the risk of their lives, joining forces to hold back the Monster Beasts. Hu Feng finally harvested the Flame Spirit Holy Lotus, and having no time to rejoice, he divided it into several portions and handed them to everyone: "Hurry up and take it to boost your spiritual energy!"
After ingesting the spiritual plant, everyone's spiritual energy surged greatly, and their cooperation grew even more tacit, gradually beating back the Monster Beasts. Continuing forward, they discovered a cave that was cool inside, as if isolated from the scorching heat.
Everyone entered the cave to recuperate. Hu Feng seized the time to heal his injuries, but as soon as he stabilized his condition, he heard eerie roars coming from outside the cave. Stepping out to look, they turned out to be the junior brothers and apprentice sisters who had gone missing earlier, except that their eyes were dull and their bodies exuded a bizarre aura, as if they were being manipulated.
"Wake up! It's me, Hu Feng!" Hu Feng shouted anxiously, but the junior brothers and apprentice sisters ignored him and attacked with their swords.
Having no other choice, he could only draw his sword to parry. During the exchange, he discovered that their moves were stiff, as if they were being driven by force.
An idea struck Hu Feng. He circulated the Astral Spirit Formula, using threads of spiritual energy to entangle them in an attempt to sever the controlling force. After exerting a tremendous amount of effort, he finally managed to wake everyone up.
After sobering up, the junior brothers and apprentice sisters tearfully recounted their ordeal, explaining that after falling to the lower level, they had been imprisoned and had their minds controlled by a mysterious man in black robes.
After Hu Feng offered some words of comfort, everyone decided to join forces to find the man in black robes for revenge and continued deeper into the secret realm.
Reaching the depths of the secret realm, an ancient altar came into view. The man in black robes stood with his hands behind his back atop the altar, surrounded by flashing lights as if performing a bizarre ritual.
Seeing them arrive, the man in black robes let out a harsh, wild laugh: "You've come just in time, be the sacrifices for my ritual!"
With that, he waved his hands, and countless evil spirits surged from the ground, lunging forward with bared fangs and brandished claws.
With wide, angry eyes, Hu Feng shouted, "In your dreams!" He was the first to charge toward the man in black robes, slashing out with all his might using the Red Sun Sword, which carried the power of stars and flames.
Unflustered, the man in black robes flashed out of the way to dodge the attack, flicking his fingertips to send out a beam of black demonic power that pierced the ground and caused magma to spurt up like a pillar, blocking the path of the group.
Gritting their teeth, the group launched a forced attack, only to be trapped in place by the evil spirits and magma as casualties steadily mounted.
Burning with anxiety, Hu Feng saw that the ritual on the man in black robes's altar was nearing its end; once completed, a great calamity might descend upon the world. He abruptly conjured the "Chaos Shield" to protect everyone, poured all his remaining spiritual energy into the effort, and attacked the altar with "Falling Stars" in an attempt to disrupt the ritual.
Seeing this, the man in black robes poured all his demonic power into defending against it. The collision of demonic power and spiritual energy produced a heaven-shaking roar and a blinding light that blasted everyone backward.
Hu Feng vomited a mouthful of blood, his internal organs damaged, yet he forced himself to stand up and lunged forward again, merging with his attack. At the critical moment, his fellow disciples burned their vital blood one after another, pouring their spiritual energy into Hu Feng to lend him a hand.
Feeling a vast and mighty power, Hu Feng let out a great roar. The light of the Red Sun Sword flared immensely, transforming into a giant sword a hundred zhang long that slashed fiercely onto the man in black robes. The man in black robes's demonic energy shield shattered with a miserable scream, and his form dissipated into nothingness.
The light of the altar dimmed, stopping the ritual, and the surrounding evil spirits vanished like smoke.
Exhausted to the limit, everyone collapsed onto the ground. Before they could catch their breath, the secret realm began to collapse as rocks rained down.
Struggling to his feet, Hu Feng shouted, "Let's go!" Leading everyone along the path they had come, he escaped with all his might. The journey was fraught with terrifying hazards, and on several occasions they were almost crushed by falling boulders. Fortunately, at the very last moment, they successfully broke out of the secret realm.
Just as they stepped out of the valley entrance, they saw various sects blockading the area. It turned out they had been lying in wait around the perimeter, hoping to reap the benefits without doing the work.
Although the members of the Rosy Clouds Sect were covered in scars and wounds, they showed no fear. Hu Feng stood forward, holding the Red Sun Sword: "Fellow practitioners, we fought to the death to win this fortunate encounter. Let each rely on their own ability; do not try to seize it by force!" Awed by their remaining might and wary of one another, the various sects remained in a stalemate.
At that moment, myriad rays of auspicious light suddenly filled the sky, enveloping the area in auspiciousness as several Deity Transformation stage mighty figures descended to halt the dispute, ordering the various sects to fairly distribute what was gained within the secret realm.
Hu Feng let out a sigh of relief. After turning over a portion of the treasures, he returned to the Rosy Clouds Sect with his fellows.
This trip to the secret realm had been a narrow brush with death, yet the harvest was abundant. Hu Feng not only made great strides in his cultivation, but he also brought back many rare magical treasures and cultivation techniques that improved what he had learned himself.
The sect held a grand celebration banquet to commend everyone. During the banquet, the sect master said with gratification, "Feng'er, your performance this time was outstanding. You will surely be a mainstay of the sect in the future, and greater responsibilities will be entrusted to you hereafter."
Hu Feng stood up and bowed respectfully: "The sect master flatters me too much. This disciple will certainly shatter his bones and spill his liver to live up to these expectations!"
Yet, deep down, he knew that after this battle, his reputation would spread far and wide, and undercurrents would surge in the pugilistic world. The days ahead would likely be hard to keep peaceful; only by cultivating bitterly day and night to raise his strength could he cope with the unknown storms and winds to come.
After the banquet, Hu Feng returned to his room to enter seclusion and consolidate his cultivation.
A few days later, just as he emerged from seclusion, he received an anonymous letter containing only a few brief words, yet they hit like a heavy bomb: "Daoxiang Village is in trouble, return quickly!"
Hu Feng's face changed drastically, burning with anxiety. Without stopping to think, he summoned the Red Sun Sword and turned into a stream of light as he galloped at top speed toward Daoxiang Village.
Along the way, his mind was filled with the safety of his parents and the tragic state of his hometown. Overwhelmed with anxiety, he wished he could arrive instantly...
When he finally rushed to Daoxiang Village, the scene before him made him feel as though he had fallen into an icy abyss.
The village was ablaze with towering flames and rolling black smoke. Villagers were crying out as they fled, and corpses lay haphazardly across the ground as the scent of blood filled the air.
With his eyes splitting open with grief, Hu Feng rushed into the village, shouting at the top of his lungs: "Father! Mother!" Only the roaring fires and shrill screams answered him.
Searching until he reached his home, he found that the dwelling had been reduced to ruins, with neither trace of his father nor his mother.
Hu Feng collapsed onto the ground, holding his head in his hands, grieving to the point of heartbreak: "Who was it? Who on earth did this?!"
At that moment, a severely wounded villager crawled over with great difficulty: "It's... it's people from the Blood Demon Palace. They said they were looking for you, and if they couldn't find you, they would wash the village in blood..."
Hearing this, killing intent surged fiercely throughout Hu Feng's body, and he gnashed his teeth as he said, "Blood Demon Palace, you and I are irreconcilable enemies!"
After settling the villager safely, he forcefully suppressed his anger and hurried back to the Rosy Clouds Sect to seek help.
Upon learning of the matter, the sect master flew into a rage: "To bully us right to the doorstep of the Rosy Clouds Sect! Feng'er, I will assign a batch of elite disciples to assist you; we must make the Blood Demon Palace pay blood for blood!"
Thanking the sect master, Hu Feng led his team, advancing without rest toward the direction where the Blood Demon Palace was located.
The Blood Demon Palace was situated in a desolate valley, gloomy and terrifying, with a pervasive aura of blood surrounding it.
The moment Hu Feng and the others reached the valley entrance, they were intercepted by Blood Demon Palace disciples. These people exuded a bloody aura, and their cultivation techniques were bizarre.
Without a second word, Hu Feng swung his sword to strike. The Red Sun Sword cut through the air like a flood dragon emerging from the sea, instantly harvesting several lives.
As they penetrated deeper into the valley, the Blood Demon Palace had set up defenses at every level, with mechanisms and Monster Beasts emerging endlessly, and even demonic cultivation experts holding down the fort.
A fierce battle was inevitable. Hu Feng unleashed all his abilities, successively executing the Astral Illusion-Breaking Formula and the Nine Yang True Formula, each strike possessing boundless might; while his fellow junior and senior apprentice brothers wielded sharp sword arrays and flashing magical treasures.
After fighting fiercely for half a day, although they had broken through layer after layer of defense, everyone was also exhausted and had suffered heavy casualties.
At the critical moment, the master of the Blood Demon Palace appeared. Demonic energy billowed around this person, making him look like a descending demon god, and his gaze was gloomy: "Hu Feng, how dare you storm my Blood Demon Palace? Today, leave your life behind!" With that, he danced with both hands, causing demonic clouds to churn and transform into countless demonic hands that lunged toward the group.
Meeting the challenge head-on, Hu Feng pointed his sword at the palace master: "The time to pay blood for blood has come!" He engaged the palace master in combat. For a time, spiritual energy collided with demonic power, light shot in all directions, and the valley trembled...
This showdown concerned the wronged souls of Daoxiang Village; it concerned the dignity of the Rosy Clouds Sect. Hu Feng had no way out; he could only fight to the death, and even if he fought to his very last breath, he would never back down!