Chapter 865 - Phantom Shift

The battle was about to break out at any moment, and a terrifying aura surged through the surroundings.

Ning Hai stood confidently, barehanded, making it clear he didn't consider Liu Feng a threat. He didn't even deem it necessary to draw his weapon against an opponent at the eighth-level True Profound Realm.

Liu Feng also didn't summon his weapon. The two stood five meters apart, their clothes fluttering from the aura they released.

"Liu Feng, I must commend your patience. It took you long enough to finally grow a backbone and face me," Ning Hai mocked, his tone laced with amusement.

For days, he had provoked Liu Feng and taunted him relentlessly, yet the latter had remained silent, refusing to engage.

"Ning Hai, you have insulted the Liu Clan over and over again. Today, only one of us will walk away alive," Liu Feng declared, his voice firm and unwavering. He knew he was at a disadvantage, but he had no intention of backing down.

Whether it was for himself or the Liu Clan's honor, a man couldn't abandon his dignity.

"A fallen clan like yours isn't even worthy of my contempt. You can prepare to die now!" Ning Hai said as he charged at Liu Feng with a punch. He released an aura that enveloped a radius of hundreds of meters.

The spectators quickly backed away, wary of being caught in the ensuing battle.

"Ning Hai is truly extraordinary. He left us all in dust in just half a year," one disciple murmured. Many people were still struggling at the Nascent Transformation Realm, and only a handful had successfully reached the True Profound Realm.

Yet, Ning Hai had surged ahead of them all and was now only a step away from the Spirit Profound Realm. If he successfully advanced, he would be promoted to a Holy Son, gaining a prestigious status within the academy.

"I wonder what happened to that kid who took first place in all four trials," someone reminisced about the recruitment test six months ago.

"I heard he received an impossible mission. It has been half a year now, and he's probably dead somewhere."

The news of Liu Wuxie taking on an impossible mission had long spread. Many people had completed several missions in the six-month time frame, but there was no word of Liu Wuxie. This meant it was highly likely that he had died outside.

After all, many disciples died during their missions outside throughout the years. If someone hadn't returned in over six months, there was a high chance they had met their demise.

"Don't be so sure about that. That brat's luck is absurd, and he wouldn't die that easily."

Just because Liu Wuxie hadn't returned didn't mean he was dead. He could be hiding somewhere outside, immersed in his cultivation.

Liu Xin'er naturally heard them and showed a trace of worry. She was concerned for both Liu Feng and Liu Wuxie.

Meanwhile, the battle escalated as Liu Feng chose to face Ning Hai's attack head-on. It was reckless to face someone at the ninth level with a cultivation at the eighth level.

With a loud explosion, the two fists collided, unleashing a powerful shockwave sweeping out.

The two retreated, leaving behind deep imprints on the ground.

Liu Feng staggered back over twenty steps before managing to regain his footing, while Ning Hai only took ten steps in retreat. The gap in their strength was undeniable.

Ning Hai licked his lips, his fighting intent surging. He had no intention of ending this quickly—he wanted Liu Feng to suffer before delivering the final blow.

"Come again!" Liu Feng shot out to suppress Ning Hai with another simple punch.

They had chosen the most primitive style of fighting—hand-to-hand combat. This was a spectacle, with each punch producing a resounding impact.

"Die!" Ning Hai roared and charged forward.

A terrifying surge of power erupted from Ning Hai's limbs, and his aura was twice as strong as before. This stirred up an ominous aura that swept up a cloud of dust and forced everyone around them to shut their eyes.

The shockwaves formed into a vortex, and the clash of their attacks produced a dull, thunderous rumble.

The shockwaves from their battle made the onlookers shift uncomfortably, especially at the brutal sounds of flesh meeting flesh.

Liu Feng and Ning Hai continued exchanging blows, but the disparity in their strength was undeniable. Ning Hai's attacks carried far more weight, each strike forcing Liu Feng further back. Finally, Liu Feng coughed up a mouthful of blood and plummeted from the sky.

On the other hand, Ning Hai remained unscathed.

"I forgot to mention—I'm wearing armor!" Ning Hai sneered, tearing his outer robe to reveal a shimmering golden chest piece.

"That's the Golden Silk Armor! Ning Hai spent a hundred points in exchange for it, and it can negate seventy percent of attacks from any True Profound Realm cultivator!" Someone among the crowd recognized the armor and revealed its name.

Liu Feng was at a severe disadvantage. He had taken several punches head-on, and his internal organs were in shambles, burning with pain. Blood also trickled from his lips, and his injuries were grave, with his face pale.

"How despicable! Wearing armor to fight with Big Brother Liu Feng, who is barehanded!" Liu Xin'er couldn't hold back and began cursing at Ning Hai for his shamelessness.

If both sides had drawn their weapons from the start, Liu Feng wouldn't have fallen so quickly. The gap between their cultivation levels wasn't insurmountable, and Liu Feng should have been able to put up a much longer fight.

"Despicable? So what if I am? What can you do to me?" Ning Hai scoffed before bursting into wild laughter. Yet, no one in the crowd reprimanded him. This was the cultivation world—where strength dictated justice, and the victor claimed everything.

Liu Feng coughed out a mouthful of blood with bits of his organs. He had suffered severe injuries, causing his combat strength to drop drastically.

"Ning Hai, I'll fight you!" Liu Xin'er declared, stepping forward with a whip in hand, determined to take Liu Feng's place. However, at only the second level of the True Profound Realm, she stood no chance against Ning Hai.

"I'll grant your wish since you're courting death!" Ning Hai beckoned Liu Xin'er forward, intending to end them both.

"Stay out of it! This is my fight with him!" Liu Feng ordered Liu Xin'er to step back. They both did not need to throw their lives away, and someone had to live on for the Liu Clan.

Liu Xin'er stomped her foot in frustration as she looked around. Yet, all she received in return was cold and indifferent gazes. No one cared about Liu Feng's life and death.

Though some disciples had a good relationship with Liu Feng, there was no point in defending him, as they were inferior in strength to him.

Liu Feng gritted his teeth, suppressing the searing pain as he raised his longsword and staggered toward Ning Hai. His only thought was to take Ning Hai down with him, even if it cost him his life.

Yet, Ning Hai remained motionless, watching him with an amused smile. He didn't even bother drawing his weapon, merely observing the weakened sword aura hurtling toward him.

Liu Feng couldn't condense his sword aura properly due to his injury, and the power of this strike couldn't even kill anyone at the fifth or sixth-level True Profound Realm.

Just when the sword aura was about to descend, Ning Hai moved and vanished with a simple punch striking Liu Feng's abdomen.

If the blow landed, Liu Feng's cultivation would be crippled.

The situation was dangerous for Liu Feng, who had given up resisting and only wanted to drag Ning Hai down with him. He didn't bother defending himself, and his sword was aimed straight at Ning Hai's neck.

However, Ning Hai was prepared as he nimbly evaded the attack like a raccoon.

"Phantom Shift!" someone recognized Ning Hai's move and exclaimed from the crowd.

Over the past six months, Ning Hai had undertaken numerous missions, earning enough points to exchange for multiple martial techniques, one of which was this movement technique.

Phantom Shift was a spirit-grade martial technique unmatched in power and speed. It could allow users to relocate instantly, evading danger and repositioning themselves effortlessly.

Liu Feng's strike missed the target, and he lost the opportunity to drag Ning Hai down with him. He could only watch as Ning Hai's fist slowly hurtled toward his abdomen.

"Die!" Ning Hai roared, generating a torrent of force with his punch. The air around him crackled with a series of explosive sounds.

Just when the punch was about to reach Liu Feng, a figure appeared from a distance, stepping into view.

An ice arrow streaked through the air at blinding speed.

Ning Hai's eyes twitched as he sensed the imminent threat—the ice arrow was aimed directly at his fist.

He knew he had to react immediately as he could sense that this ice arrow could cause actual harm to him. He withdrew his punch at the last moment, and the ice arrow missed its mark, striking a nearby tree instead.

In less than half a second, the entire tree turned into an ice sculpture, with its trunk, roots, and leaves frozen solid.

A collective gasp echoed from the surroundings. They refused to believe what they had just witnessed. Only a Dao technique could achieve such a feat—condensing ice that could instantly freeze an entire tree.

Hundreds of eyes followed the ice arrow's trajectory and saw a person descending from the sky, landing at the battlefield's heart.

"Liu Wuxie!" Ning Hai narrowed his eyes when he saw the newcomer.

Liu Wuxie ignored Ning Hai completely and strode toward Liu Feng, kneeling beside him to assess his injuries. Though they were severe, he had arrived just in time. Had he been even half a minute later, Liu Feng would have lost his life.

He took out a pill without hesitation and handed it to Liu Feng. He still had plenty of healing pills, which he had gathered through various sources.

"Wuxie, you're finally back!" Liu Feng rasped, relief washing over his pained expression.

For months, he had been tormented by rumors of Liu Wuxie's demise. Now, seeing him standing before him, alive and well, the weight on his heart lifted. His own injuries suddenly felt insignificant.

"I'll handle the rest," Liu Wuxie said.

He didn't care about the specifics of the conflict between Liu Feng and Ning Hai. The only thing that mattered was that someone had dared to harm his cousin. And for that, there would be no forgiveness.

As the healing pill began to take effect, Liu Feng's condition stabilized. He would recover fully in a few days.

"Wuxie, be careful!" Liu Xin'er urged anxiously. From her perspective, Liu Wuxie was only at the seventh level of the Nascent Transformation Realm, which was far weaker than Ning Hai.

Unbeknownst to everyone, Liu Wuxie had deliberately concealed his actual cultivation.

"Liu Wuxie, you've returned just in time. Today will be the day you die!" Ning Hai sneered, his eyes flashing with murderous intent. He had long sought an opportunity to kill Liu Wuxie, but fate had always denied him the chance—until now.

The moment had arrived, and there was no need to wait any longer. Their grudge would be settled today, once and for all. If not for Zhao Chao's intervention at the Mission Hall months ago, their battle would have already taken place.

"I failed to kill you previously, but you won't leave here alive today!" Ning Hai declared arrogantly, oblivious to the fact that had Zhao Chao not interfered, he would have died that day.

Murderous intent surged through the Astral Moon Valley, thick as a storm cloud. More disciples gathered, drawn by the tension crackling between the two men.

"That brat made it back alive?!" Everyone was shocked by Liu Wuxie's return, and they wondered if he had completed his impossible mission.

"He probably took a stroll there and returned. There's no way he could've completed that mission successfully."

Mocking laughter erupted from the crowd, as a cultivator at the seventh-level Nascent Transformation Realm was regarded as being at the bottom of the hierarchy within the academy.