Chapter 458: Solo Under the Moon

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

Among peers, there had always been a disparity in strength. Martial practitioners who studied the same techniques could discern a hierarchy, let alone those who studied different techniques, placing them in an inherently unequal state.

Why was it that on the Hidden Dragon and Young Phoenix Ranking, most were disciples of major sects? Besides their remarkable innate talents, they also practiced techniques far superior to those of their peers.

With enough dedication, they could even concurrently cultivate other techniques to bolster their own power.

Whether it was Du Guman or Geng Wangsheng, both hailed from renowned forces within the Thousand Feathers Alliance. Therefore, their personal strength and backgrounds alone were enough to make them look down upon their peers.

Yet they did not anticipate that on that day, right there, they would witness Geng Wangsheng being repelled by someone with a single sword strike.

Even though Geng Wangsheng did not exert his full strength in that previous strike, showing some disdain, it still demonstrated Chen Fei’s prowess, far from ordinary.

Such a person shouldn’t have been an unknown.

“Who are you?” Geng Wangsheng had halted, his gaze fixed on Chen Fei, filled with solemnity.

Du Guman was a bystander, and it was often said that bystanders saw clearly. However, in the midst of actual combat, this wasn’t always true because bystanders might miss some of the finer details of the battle.

Du Guman had only seen Geng Wangsheng’s casual strike, but she hadn’t noticed that Geng Wangsheng had actually exerted most of his strength in the end.

Yet, he couldn’t evade Chen Fei’s blade, nor could he withstand the tremendous power contained within it.

Therefore, Geng Wangsheng understood that in their recent clash, despite his own arrogance, Chen Fei’s strength was undeniably formidable.

This level of strength unquestionably placed Chen Fei among the top figures on the Hidden Dragon and Young Phoenix Ranking. However, as Geng Wangsheng searched his memory, he couldn’t find anyone among the top five of the list who could correspond to Chen Fei.

Unless there had been recent changes on the Hidden Dragon and Young Phoenix Ranking, Geng Wangsheng had been traveling outside for over a year and hadn’t been keeping track of its updates.

To him, changes in the rankings above didn’t matter.

Just as his own ranking didn’t matter to him, Geng Wangsheng could have easily climbed a few more positions if he wished, but he simply didn’t have the inclination.

“Now is not the time for that. You want to make me stay here forever?” Chen Fei lowered the Qianyuan Sword and calmly looked at Geng Wangsheng.

Hearing Chen Fei’s words, Geng Wangsheng’s eyes widened, and a surge of anger erupted from the depths of his being.

In the past, only he could jest and scold others, but unexpectedly today, when someone asked him directly, Geng Wangsheng found himself unable to respond.

When had Geng Wangsheng ever been in such a situation? His entire essence erupted in an instant, and for a brief moment, behind Geng Wangsheng, it seemed as though a bright moon was slowly rising.

Of course, this wasn’t a real moon but the Moonlit Blade Art taken to its extreme, with the essence of the blade concentrated, casting its reflection into the minds of those around.

This strike aimed to sever the body and even the spirit!

Around Geng Wangsheng’s body, the air rippled, and from his standing position, the ground trembled slightly.

Not far away, Du Guman’s expression turned serious. This was Geng Wangsheng going all out. At this moment, Du Guman realized that facing Geng Wangsheng alone, she didn’t have much assurance.

The Hidden Dragon and Young Phoenix Ranking was a ranking forged through battles, with little room for error. One rank lower meant a slight difference in strength. Beyond a few ranks, it meant a whole different league.

“You wish to die, so I shall grant your wish!” Geng Wangsheng roared, his feet moving the ground as if moonlight was blooming beneath them. In an instant, he had arrived in front of Chen Fei.

Moonlit Solo!

The accompanying body technique from the Moonlit Blade Art, it was swift and violent, emphasizing an ultimate burst of power. Coupled with the techniques of the Moonlit Blade, it could elevate the attack power to its peak.

The saying “One blade, two severances” held true here. Under this blade, not only could it sever a person, but even lower-quality spiritual weapons would find it difficult to escape being cut in two.

Geng Wangsheng’s strike was truly an all-out effort, leaving no room for even the slightest reserve, treating Chen Fei as one of the very few opponents he had encountered in his lifetime.

Chen Fei calmly watched Geng Wangsheng. Under the reflection of his inner senses, Geng Wangsheng seemed to have truly transformed into a round moon, cold and bone-chilling. At the same time, many of Chen Fei’s perceptions were blurred by this moonlight.

Clearly, the first attack a moment ago had made Geng Wangsheng realize the extraordinary insight of Chen Fei, and a martial artist’s insight largely depended on the assistance of their inner senses.

As long as one’s inner senses became blurred, their insight would naturally weaken, or even disappear entirely.

Someone like Geng Wangsheng possessed an exceptional sense for combat. Innate talent, combined with rigorous training, allowed him to find a solution in an instant.

A faint smile crept onto Chen Fei’s lips. With the Thousand Threads Technique alone, he couldn’t observe the weak points in Geng Wangsheng’s techniques.

After all, the Thousand Threads Technique was just one of the techniques within the Alchemist Union, primarily designed to assist alchemists in refining elixirs.

Compared to Geng Wangsheng’s Moonlit Blade Art, the Thousand Threads Technique didn’t amount to much. But Chen Fei wasn’t solely focused on the Thousand Threads Technique.

Within Chen Fei’s mental sea, the Spirit Suppression of the Suppressing Dragon Elephant technique was in operation, immediately enhancing the Thousand Threads Technique.

Chen Fei’s gaze shifted slightly, and the somewhat blurred techniques of Geng Wangsheng suddenly became clear again.

The the Spirit Suppression of the Suppressing Dragon Elephant technique, in conjunction with the Thousand Threads Technique, were something Chen Fei had never encountered among his peers—a mental strength surpassing his own.

“Swish!”

Chen Fei’s Qianyuan Sword moved ever so slightly, the blade cutting through the air and emitting a sharp howl. The next moment, the tip of the Qianyuan Sword collided with Geng Wangsheng’s blade.

“Boom!”

Countless massive cracks spread from beneath their feet, and seawater gushed out from the cracks instantly, only to be dispelled into mist by the sword qi.

In the blink of an eye, a layer of mist enveloped the area around the two.

“Creak, creak, creak!”

At the point of impact between the sword and the blade, a piercing friction sound filled the air. Chen Fei remained calm, utilizing his strength efficiently. He expended far less energy than Geng Wangsheng.

In terms of sheer power, Chen Fei surpassed Geng Wangsheng, making it seem like he was effortlessly facing off against someone at the pinnacle of the Aperture Tempering realm, a contender for the top five on the Hidden Dragon and Young Phoenix Ranking.

On the other hand, Geng Wangsheng, facing Chen Fei, had visible veins bulging on his forehead. He had already unleashed all the power in his body, except for the forbidden desperate techniques. Despite using all his strength, Geng Wangsheng still couldn’t break through even a fraction of the Qianyuan Sword’s defenses.

The contrasting display of power between the two combatants was crystal clear to Du Guman and Dai Yuqiu, who were not far away.

Especially for Dai Yuqiu, if she had faced Geng Wangsheng’s previous strike, she might have perished on the spot. However, this terrifying strength had been effortlessly blocked by Chen Fei.

Where had this person emerged from, and how had he become so overwhelmingly strong?

Geng Wangsheng watched Chen Fei’s relaxed expression, feeling a burst of humiliation welling up from deep within. All the words he had just spoken had amounted to nothing.

In the past, Geng Wangsheng’s arrogance was well-known, and he had earned the nickname ” Mad Blade ” precisely because he could back up his claims with action.

When someone could deliver on their promises, their arrogance became the ultimate manifestation of their strength.

You might not like him, or even detest him, but facing such a person, you were truly helpless because their strength was undeniably formidable.

However, now, facing Chen Fei, all of Geng Wangsheng’s earlier words seemed like a joke.

For someone as proud and self-assured as Geng Wangsheng, how could he endure such feelings?

Geng Wangsheng’s eyes began to shine brighter, and the energy within his body grew increasingly restless, as if something were awakening.

Suddenly, Chen Fei’s head tilted slightly, and a vine shot out like an arrow, grazing his cheek and piercing into the air.

“Swish!”

At this moment, the air carried an almost imperceptible sound.

Chen Fei’s left hand moved, and he grabbed the vine. The vine struggled violently, its small branches and leaves densely covering it as they curled toward Chen Fei’s palm. However, before they could get close, they were completely shattered by the sword qi.

At the same time, the vine also possessed a mental power that continuously attacked Chen Fei’s inner senses. But in the face of such an attack, Chen Fei showed no reaction.

Seeing the vine, everyone present, except for Chen Fei, was momentarily stunned.

This vine belonged to a demon creature, and they hadn’t expected that it wouldn’t attack anyone else but would suddenly assault Chen Fei.

Only Chen Fei wasn’t surprised. He had wounded this demon creature before, and now, within Chen Fei’s inner senses, he still suppressed a fragment of its power.

“Boom!”

Taking advantage of the demon creature’s attack, Chen Fei divided his attention, and Geng Wangsheng used this opportunity to retreat dozens of steps, coming to a stop. The raging power within his body gradually subsided.

In the heat of the moment earlier, Geng Wangsheng had almost resorted to a forbidden desperate technique.

However, once such a technique was used, it could damage one’s foundations, and in the worst case, it might prevent one from ever breaking through to a higher realm for the rest of their life.

Given Geng Wangsheng’s current display of talent, reaching the Combined Aperture Tempering realm was almost inevitable. It would be a great injustice if he used a forbidden technique and ended up dying while striving for the Combined Aperture Tempering realm.

Chen Fei paid no attention to Geng Wangsheng’s retreat. He firmly gripped the vine of the demon creature and began exerting force.

“Bang, bang, bang!”

There were sounds like steel cables being stretched to their limit. The toughness of this demon creature’s vine was almost on par with that of a low-grade spiritual weapon. As Chen Fei applied more force, the demon creatures in the distant pool of water began to tremble violently.

Midway through, the demon creature tried to sever the vine, much like its previous mental attack on Chen Fei, but just as Chen Fei had suppressed its mental attack, the demon creature found it almost impossible to self-sever like it had done before.

However, at that time, they were separated by hundreds of miles, and mental attacks were intangible. Chen Fei had no choice but to allow the demon creature to sever his mental connection.

But now, with Chen Fei firmly grasping the vine and using his elemental energy to directly disperse the power within it, even if the demon creature wanted to self-sever, it found it difficult to do so.

The water pool trembled violently, and the main body of the demon creature was pulled a considerable distance, creating a deep pit in front of the water pool.

“Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle!”

Hundreds of vines shot up from the ground, piercing towards various parts of Chen Fei’s body..