bookbashuk Chapter 339 Kunlun Secret Realm "Group"
Chapter 339 Kunlun Secret Realm "Group"
Chapter 339 Kunlun Secret Realm "Group"
Faced with so many gazes, Xiaofeng and the others couldn't help but tense up.
Those present were either on par with them or far superior in strength.
Even high-ranking lords who are high and mighty outside are only at the bottom here.
Being under the intense gaze of so many people all at once is quite stressful.
After a brief silence.
Xu Feng stepped forward, clasped his hands in greeting to the two envoys, and then glanced around.
Today, all eighteen peak masters have gathered.
Many previously unseen peak masters have finally made their appearance.
Therefore, the first person Xu Feng looked at was the rarely seen First Peak Master, the Peak Master of Lei Jue Peak.
This person had a leopard-like head and bulging eyes, and the air around him was slightly distorted.
Just standing there with his arms crossed, he filled one's heart with a sense of unease, as if a muffled thunderbolt could explode at any moment.
Then, his gaze swept over the second peak, Red Pheasant, and the third peak, Azure Mystic.
After pausing briefly on the body of the withered tree peak master "Rongku", he casually said, "I wish to challenge the tenth peak master."
Upon hearing this, many peak masters wore expressions of "I knew it."
The position of the tenth peak master has remained vacant since Jiao Lin's death.
Therefore, as the first challenger, Xu Feng can directly choose to become the master of the Angry Dragon Peak.
After that, anyone who wants to become the tenth peak master only needs to challenge him.
If he succeeds, he will replace him as the tenth peak master.
If he loses, Xu Feng's position will remain unchanged.
really.
"Lingji, give him the token."
Youquan chuckled softly and addressed the Peak Master of Qingxuan Peak.
Peak Master Lingji nodded and tossed Xu Feng a crimson token: "You will temporarily serve as the tenth peak master. If no one challenges you or defeats you, you will become the official tenth peak master."
Xu Feng smiled slightly and took the lead in stepping onto the round platform belonging to the tenth peak, where he sat cross-legged.
Jin Pengfeng and the others immediately followed him onto the circular platform, their faces filled with excitement and nervousness.
Standing here means you may face challenges from all the future peak masters!
Seeing Xu Feng walk confidently to his seat, the expressions of the remaining peak masters changed slightly.
The room immediately fell silent.
After a brief silence.
The master of the seventeenth peak, Sirius Peak, challenges the master of the eleventh peak, Black Rock Peak!
A clear and melodious voice rang out.
A powerful eagle-clan member with wings on his back and a cold face soared into the sky and landed on the largest martial arts arena in the center.
From the direction of the eleventh peak, a powerful rhinoceros-like figure, with dark skin and bulging muscles, landed with a thud, causing the platform to tremble slightly.
As the first challenge began, the atmosphere in the entire training ground was instantly ignited.
Cheers, shouts of encouragement, and murmurs rose and fell.
The members of each peak cheered for their respective peak leaders, creating a lively atmosphere.
Xu Feng stood on the high platform with his hands behind his back, quietly watching the battle.
The master of the withered tree peak remained in the posture of an old tree with gnarled roots, closing his eyes to rest, seemingly indifferent to the battle in the arena.
However, the few disciples of the Drywood Peak standing behind him kept glancing towards the direction of the Golden Roc Peak with scrutiny and hostility.
"Brother, it seems the people of Kumu Peak are paying close attention to you," Xiaofeng said in a low voice.
"It's alright," Xu Feng said calmly, "Let them see."
The battle quickly came to a conclusion.
Although the Lord of Tianlang Peak was agile and swift in his attacks.
However, the Black Rock Peak Master's defense was too abnormal; his black rock-like skin was almost impervious to blades and spears, and he withstood all attacks.
He ultimately won by slamming his opponent out of bounds with a brutal charge.
The seventeenth peak challenge failed, and the ranking remains unchanged.
Several more challenges followed.
Some people successfully turned the tables and were cheered for; others were disappointed and left the stage in disappointment.
The fighting styles are diverse, ranging from pure brute force to unpredictable maneuvers and exquisite clashes of secret techniques.
This gave Xu Feng a more intuitive understanding of the average strength of the eighteen peak masters.
But strangely, no one has ever challenged Hsu Feng.
"As expected of a peak master who can rule over a region, even the weakest one has the strength of a limit lord, and each has their own unique skills."
Xu Feng's internal assessment.
"With my current strength, I should be able to easily defeat opponents below the top ten, but among the top ten—it depends on the specific opponent."
Just as he was pondering this.
Whoosh—
A low murmur arose in the arena.
From the direction of Poisonous Mist Peak, a thin man with a slender face, wearing a colorful robe, and eyes with a cold, venomous gleam, slowly stood up.
He is none other than the newly arrived fifteenth peak master of Purgatory Peak, the "Poison King" Kui Sha!
Xiaofeng immediately whispered to Xu Feng about the origin of this fiend.
The true form of the Kui Sha is a rare "seven-colored venomous python," which is not only physically strong but also adept at using poison.
His poison skills are unpredictable and difficult to defend against.
"Peak Master Jinpeng, I dare to challenge you and see if you are as powerful as the rumors say."
Kratos's voice was high-pitched and mocking.
Before he finished speaking, his figure had already transformed into a streak of multicolored light and landed opposite Xu Feng.
The two stood facing each other, about ten feet apart.
"The competition begins."
The old man in gray announced.
Almost the instant the sound fell.
Kratos raised both hands!
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh!"
Dozens of fine, hair-like poison needles of various colors rained down on Xu Feng!
The poisoned needle pierced the air silently, yet emitted a chillingly sweet and metallic scent, clearly indicating that it was coated with a potent poison!
At the same time, Quisha opened his mouth and spat out.
A thick, multicolored poisonous fog erupted and quickly spread, enveloping the entire training ground!
This toxic fog not only obscures vision, but also has a strong corrosive effect and a nerve-paralyzing effect.
Even a high-level war god would experience stagnation of qi and blood and slowed movement if he inhaled even a trace of it!
His first move was a double-kill attack of poison needles and poison mist!
Clearly, Kratos intended to end the battle quickly and decisively, using his most effective methods!
"A trivial skill."
From within the poisonous fog came Xu Feng's calm voice.
His pale golden aura trembled slightly, and without even dodging, he simply raised his hand and waved it.
In an instant, a gust of wind swirled, and amidst the burst of golden light, dozens of poison needles veered off course, grazing his clothes and embedding themselves in the ground with a hissing, corrosive sound.
The multicolored poisonous mist, suppressed by the "force" field and blown by the "wind," could hardly get within three feet of Xu Feng, let alone invade his mouth and nose.
"What?!"
Kui Sha's expression changed.
His poison needles and poison mist have caused headaches for many experts of the same level, and some have even suffered losses in secret.
But how could metal and wood be resolved so easily?
Or even just a slight gesture?
"If this is all you're capable of," Xu Feng's voice came from the thinning poisonous fog, "then this can end here."
Before he could finish speaking...
Xu Feng made a move.
He did not use a throwing knife, nor did he draw his sword.
It's just a simple step!
"boom!"
The ground of the training ground trembled slightly.
Xu Feng's figure seemed to blend into the wind, instantly traversing a distance of ten zhang and appearing in front of Kui Sha!
So fast!
Kui Sha's pupils contracted sharply, and he hurriedly retreated, simultaneously waving his hands, sending several condensed poisonous energies like venomous snakes towards Xu Feng.
however.
Xu Feng simply threw a punch.
Pale golden blood energy condensed on the edge of the fist.
"Bang!"
The poisonous energy collided with the fist's force, producing a muffled thud.
The condensed poisonous energy was shattered by a single punch!
The dissipated poison gas swirled back, causing Kui Sha to catch his breath and turn pale.
Xu Feng's punches continued forward, not yet finished.
Kui Sha was terrified. In a haste, he crossed his arms to block, and his body was filled with a burst of multicolored poisonous light, forming a protective poisonous aura.
"Thump!"
The fist slammed solidly into the crossed arms.
Kui Sha felt an indescribable, immense force coming from him.
That power was not a pure impact, but rather carried a mountain-like heavy suppression and a star-like sharp penetration!
"Snap!"
A clear cracking sound rang out.
Kui Sha let out a muffled groan, his arms throbbing with pain. His protective poisonous aura shattered instantly, and he was sent flying backward as if struck by a battering ram!
"Pfft!" He was in mid-air when he spat out a mouthful of blood, which was mixed with colorful poisonous blood.
"I give up!"
Seeing Xu Feng chasing after him like a shadow, Kui Sha hurriedly screamed.
Swish!
Xu Feng's knee came to a steady stop just three inches from his face.
A fierce wind whipped up the air, making Kui Sha's long hair dance wildly and his face turn deathly pale.
"Thank you for your concession."
Xu Feng slowly retracted his leg, stood with his hands behind his back, his face calm and expressionless.
The entire room fell silent.
It only takes a few breaths from start to finish.
The newly appointed Lord of Purgatory Peak, "Poison King" Kui Sha, was actually defeated with a single punch?!
They couldn't even force the opponent to draw their weapon or move.
Just how strong is this Golden Roc Peak Master?!
After a brief silence, a deafening roar erupted!
"One punch! Just one punch!"
"The poison techniques of Peak Master Kui Sha are completely useless! He can't even get close!"
"What kind of ability is that? It can so easily suppress poison mist and poison needles?"
"It's probably due to his understanding of wind power, after all, Jinmu is a member of the Golden Wing Clan."
"Incredible! Kaneki's strength is definitely in the top ten!"
Countless shocked, horrified, and awe-inspiring gazes were focused on the golden figure on the martial arts stage.
On the high platform, a satisfied smile flashed in Envoy Ling Feng's eyes.
The envoy from Youquan remained expressionless, only tapping his fingers lightly on the armrest.
The Peak Master of Qingxuan Peak remained calm, as if he had expected this.
Peak Master Hongzhi narrowed his phoenix eyes, his gaze filled with strange light.
The master of the withered tree peak—still with his eyes closed, but the vines wrapped around his body seemed to have tightened slightly.
"Kaneki wins this battle, and his ranking as the 15th peak remains unchanged."
The old man in gray announced the results, his voice seemingly carrying a hint of approval.
Xu Feng nodded slightly to the gray-robed old man, then gracefully returned to the high platform of Golden Roc Peak.
The first round of the challenge ended when the sun reached its zenith.
The ranking of the eighteen peaks has changed slightly.
However, among the top ten, apart from Xu Feng occupying the tenth place, the other nine spots remained unchanged.
"The first round is over. We'll have a half-hour break before the second round, the top ten ranking battle."
The voice of the Peak Master of Qingxuan Peak resounded throughout the entire venue.
The disciples from each peak returned to their places, some adjusting their breathing, others discussing in hushed tones, but most of them couldn't help but keep their eyes fixed on the direction of Golden Roc Peak.
Xu Feng sat cross-legged on the high platform of the tenth peak, closing his eyes to rest.
Xiaofeng and the others stood on either side, trying their best to keep their faces calm, but their excitement and pride were almost overflowing.
They felt honored that their peak master was so powerful.
"Brother, which peak do you plan to challenge in the second round?" Xiaofeng couldn't help but ask in a low voice.
Xu Feng opened his eyes, his gaze sweeping calmly over the nine high platforms in front of him.
He lingered briefly on the Ice Peak Master "Han Xuan" of the Fourth Peak and the Dry Wood Peak Master of the Fifth Peak, but ultimately shook his head.
"I'm giving up the challenge."
His voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached the ears of the people around him.
"What?" Xiaofeng was stunned, thinking he had misheard.
Li Wen also looked at Xu Feng in surprise.
Given Xu Feng's demonstrated strength, he might not be without a chance of winning even if he challenged the top five.
Xu Feng stopped explaining and closed his eyes again.
Half an hour passed quickly.
The ancient bronze bell rang once more, its deep sound silencing all the noise.
"Round Two, the Top Ten Ranking Battle, begins."
The cold voice of the Peak Master of Qingxuan Peak rang out again.
"According to the rules, starting from the tenth peak, challenges will be launched in sequence forward."
"Jinmu, the Golden Roc Peak Master of the Tenth Peak, do you wish to challenge the previous Peak Master?"
All eyes were once again focused.
Xu Feng slowly stood up and, under the watchful eyes of everyone, calmly said, "Kaneki withdraws from the challenge."
Whoosh—
A murmur of barely suppressed astonishment immediately rose in the room.
Have you given up?
Are you just going to give up like this?
With the strength he just displayed, he wouldn't be without a chance of winning even if he challenged the Ninth or Eighth Peak!
But he actually gave up?
"Kaneki, are you sure you want to give up your challenge opportunity? Each person is limited to two challenge opportunities."
Peak Master Qingxuan was also slightly surprised and confirmed it.
"Confirmed." Xu Feng nodded and then sat down again.
"this----"
Xiaofeng and the others looked at each other, completely baffled by Xu Feng's plan.
But since Xu Feng had already made his decision, they didn't dare to ask any more questions, though they couldn't help feeling some regret and doubt.
On the high platform, a thoughtful look flashed in Envoy Ling Feng's eyes, while Envoy You Quan frowned slightly, seemingly concerned about Xu Feng's "conservatism".
Slightly unexpected.
A hint of surprise flashed across the Phoenix Peak Master's phoenix eyes, as if he were somewhat puzzled.
The master of the withered tree peak remained with his eyes closed.
His lips twitched down almost imperceptibly, whether from disappointment or disdain, it was hard to tell.
Xu Feng's withdrawal made the start of the second round seem somewhat lackluster.
The subsequent leaders of the Ninth and Eighth Peaks also seemed to be affected, or perhaps they felt that their strength was significantly inferior to those of the previous leaders.
Perhaps due to other considerations, they also chose to give up one after another.
It wasn't until the Seventh Peak Master issued a challenge, with the goal of reaching the Sixth Peak.
After a fierce battle, the challenge failed, and the ranking remained unchanged.
The atmosphere in the room became somewhat subtle because of Hsu Feng's initial "give up".
Many disciples who were looking forward to seeing fierce competition among the top ten were inevitably somewhat disappointed.
Just then.
On the high platform of the fourth peak, the Ice Peak Master "Han Xuan," who was always shrouded in a thin layer of cold mist, with a tall and slender figure and a cold and beautiful face, slowly stood up.
The chill emanating from her suddenly intensified, and patches of white frost even formed on the ground near the martial arts arena.
"Han Xuan, challenge the second peak, the Crimson Pheasant Peak Master."
A sound as clear and cold as ice beads falling onto a jade plate rang out, carrying an undeniable resolve.
Finally, the main event is here!
The atmosphere in the arena was instantly ignited.
The fourth challenge is against the second, which is a challenge that spans two places!
Moreover, Hanxuan represents the pinnacle of the ice element, while Hongzhi represents the peak of the fire element.
The battle between ice and fire has always been the most captivating.
Red Pheasant leaned lazily against a throne that appeared out of nowhere, her phoenix eyes slightly open. She glanced at the cold aura below and a smile of interest curved her lips.
Han Xuan gracefully descended and landed in the center of the martial arts stage.
As she landed, a thick layer of solid ice quickly covered the ground within a ten-zhang radius around her.
Moisture in the air condenses into tiny ice crystals that drift away, causing the temperature to drop sharply.
The red pheasant then slowly rose to its feet, its crimson plumage shimmering with iridescent light.
With a single step, he appeared opposite Han Xuan as if by teleportation.
The intense heat emanating from her body suddenly spread out, clashing fiercely with Han Xuan's icy aura!
"Hiss hiss hiss—!"
Ice and fire intertwined, steaming up large amounts of white mist and emitting a piercing melting sound.
The sheer force of their confrontation was enough to send shivers down one's spine.
"Han Xuan, your Xuanbing Qi has improved quite a bit."
Red Pheasant chuckled softly, her voice possessing a fiery magnetism.
"Please enlighten me, Peak Master Hongyun." Han Xuan remained expressionless, his voice still icy.
Before he finished speaking, Han Xuan made the first move!
She pointed her fingers like a sword and pointed in mid-air.
"Click-click-click—!"
Dozens of ice spears, as thick as an arm and crystal clear, materialized out of thin air, carrying a bone-chilling cold and a sharpness that could pierce through everything, and shot towards the red pheasant like a blizzard!
At the same time, countless sharp ice spikes spread from the ice beneath her feet, piercing the red pheasant's lower body from all directions.
With a single move, it unleashes a deadly ice-based attack that leaves no blind spots!
A red glint flashed in the red pheasant's eyes. It neither flinched nor dodged, but simply opened its mouth and spat out a soft breath.
"Hello I
'
A torrent of crimson flames, as red as blood, erupted forth.
It was not scattered, but extremely condensed, like a giant flaming sword, slashing upwards against the torrent of ice spears!
Wherever the flames passed, the ice spears vaporized.
Not a single drop of moisture remained; it was completely evaporated by the extreme heat!
The ice spikes that pierced the ground were melted by the scorching aura surrounding the red pheasant when they came within three feet of its body.
It turns into a trickle of water, and then evaporates.
"Is that all?" Red Pheasant shook his head, seemingly somewhat disappointed.
She flicked her finger, and a spark flew out.
It swelled with the wind and instantly transformed into a crimson fire phoenix with a wingspan of several feet, letting out a clear cry as it pounced towards Han Xuan!
Before the fire phoenix even arrived, the scorching heat wave had already caused the ice domain surrounding Han Xuan to violently tremble, with its edges beginning to melt rapidly.
Han Xuan's expression changed slightly, and he clapped his hands forward.
The chilling energy around him gathered wildly, condensing in front of him into a giant ice shield several feet thick, engraved with mysterious ice patterns.
"Mystic Ice Shield!"
The fiery phoenix crashed into the ice shield!
Boom! ...
A deafening explosion resounded throughout the venue, with flames and ice shards flying everywhere.
A thick white mist shot into the sky, enveloping the entire training ground.
Two figures crossed paths in the mist, their crimson and icy blue clashing and annihilating each other.
The red pheasant's moves are gorgeous and domineering, with its crimson flames transforming into phoenixes, vermilion birds, and other strange phenomena as it pounces and bites.
Han Xuan's swordsmanship is exquisite and fierce. Each sword strike carries the chill of freezing time and space. Wherever his sword energy passes, even flames are frozen.
The two exchanged nearly a hundred blows, a spectacular yet perilous battle.
moment.
A muffled groan came from within the mist.
As the fog dissipated slightly, Han Xuan was seen to be pale and had taken several steps back.
Red Pheasant remained standing in the same spot, not even the hem of her clothes was disheveled.
Sit down!
"I surrender."
Han Xuan took a deep breath of the cold air, suppressed his surging blood and qi, and said crisply and decisively.
She knew that the red pheasant had already held back.
"Thank you for your concession."
The red pheasant smiled slightly, and the fire phoenix turned into sparks and dissipated.
Without even glancing at Han Xuan's grim expression, she flashed back to her throne and resumed her languid demeanor.
Han Xuan silently returned to the high platform of the fourth peak, his cold aura receding, and he closed his eyes to regulate his breathing, no longer speaking.
After this battle, the remaining peak masters seemed to have lost interest in challenging them.
No one dared to challenge the master of the third peak, Qingxuan Peak, and the master of the first peak, Leijue Peak, was like a forbidden zone, insurmountable by anyone.
In the end, in the second round of the top ten ranking battle, only Han Xuan launched a challenge, which ended in failure.
"Ranked match ended!"
With the announcement by the Qingxuan Peak Master, this year's Eighteen Peaks Ranking Battle has officially come to an end.
The rankings have changed very little compared to before the war.
The biggest change is that Xu Feng has officially become the tenth peak master.
The new tenth peak was naturally renamed "Golden Roc Peak".
The original tenth peak, Angry Dragon Peak, has become a thing of the past.
Next came the rewarding of those who had contributed.
Envoy Lingfeng personally announced the rewards for the peak masters, mainly Star God Dew and some rare cultivation resources.
Xu Feng received generous rewards for guarding the secret realm, killing the prince of the Heavenly Wind Imperial Court, and performing outstandingly in the ranking battle, which attracted the attention of many peak masters.
After the rewards were distributed, each peak received its first month's quota of regular cultivation resources after being ranked.
The quotas for the top ten peaks are much higher than those for the bottom eight peaks, which is one of the tangible benefits of the ranking system.
After the ceremony, Peak Master Qingxuan came to Xu Feng with a solemn expression: "Peak Master Jinmu, now that you are among the top ten, there are some responsibilities that I need to explain to you. Please come with me."
Xu Feng's heart stirred, and he nodded in agreement.
He instructed Xiaofeng and the others to return to Jinpeng Peak first, while he followed Peak Master Qingxuan towards a side hall behind the main hall.
The side hall was quite quiet, with only Qingxuan and Xu Feng inside.
"Kaneki, do you know why the top ten and the bottom eight of the eighteen peaks of my Little Azure Sky Mountain receive drastically different treatment and responsibilities?"
The Qingxuan Peak Master got straight to the point.
"Please enlighten me, Peak Master," Xu Feng said.
The reason lies in the "Kunlun Secret Realm."
"I am the master of Qingxuan Peak," he said slowly.
"The entrance to the Stone Gorge Pass you previously guarded is actually one of the entrances to the Kunlun Secret Realm."
Xu Feng's eyes showed a timely look of surprise: "One of them?"
"That's right," Peak Master Qingxuan nodded, "Kunlun Secret Realm is not a single secret realm."
Rather, it is a vast, complex group of interconnected secret realms.
To date, my Little Azure Sky Mountain only controls a portion of the entrances, with ten main entrances and eight secondary entrances.
She looked at Xu Feng and continued, "These ten main entrances are each guarded by one of the ten peak masters year-round."
This is both a duty and a privilege.
During their tenure, the peak lord has the right to explore the secret realm under their jurisdiction.
Of the resources obtained, only a portion needs to be handed over to the mountain gate; the rest are at the peak master's disposal.
This is one of the biggest sources of resources for the top ten peak masters, and also an important reason why their strength has been able to maintain a leading position for a long time.
Xu Feng suddenly realized.
No wonder the top ten peak masters have such a stable position; it turns out they control such important resource channels.
The wealth and opportunities accumulated through long-term exploration of a secret realm are far beyond what the later eight peaks can offer.
"Jiaolin previously guarded one main entrance and one secondary entrance, which was the entrance at the mouth of the Stone Gorge."
The master of Qingxuan Peak said.
"Now that you have succeeded as the tenth peak, according to custom, the secret realm of Shixia Valley will also be taken over and guarded by you, Jinpeng Peak."
In addition, you will also take over the main entrance that was originally guarded by the Angry Dragon Peak.
This is a token; with this token, a certain number of gate guards can be mobilized to assist in defense.
At the same time, they can freely enter and exit the secret realm, and avoid some traps and dangers, thus possessing certain privileges within that secret realm.
She handed Xu Feng a metal token that was different from the previous temporary token. It was completely black and engraved with intricate cloud patterns and the character "十".
Xu Feng took the token; it felt cold and heavy to the touch, with faint spatial fluctuations emanating from it.
"The secret realm holds both opportunities and unpredictable dangers."
Peak Master Qingxuan reminded him.
"Now that you have just assumed this position, you must proceed according to your abilities and take things one step at a time when you are exploring."
In particular, the secret realm at the entrance of Shixia Valley seems to connect to an important city-state remnant of the "Ling Shu Era" civilization.
Even the deepest part of the Dragon Forest hasn't been fully explored; we must be careful.
"Thank you for your guidance, Peak Master. I will keep it in mind."
Xu Feng said solemnly.