Unrivaled Martial Emperor

Chapter 439 - Fifth-level Core Formation realm

Swish.

When Xie Feng arrived at the Black Wind Cliff, Duan Jingtian kept his eyes closed and said, “What are the results?”

Xie Feng answered, “Feng Tianxia... lost!”

Snap.

Duan Jingtian’s eyes shot open. His sharp gaze became tangible, cutting through the air, parting the clouds ahead.

“He failed...” Duan Jingtian mumbled, fully aware of the implications.

Xie Feng continued, “Feng Tianxia was already at the peak of the fifth level when he asked you for a treasure. He advanced to the sixth level using that, but... Chen Fan still succeeded in killing him.”

“Sixth level!” A chilling light flashed across Duan Jingtian’s eyes. “What happened?”

Xie Feng replied, “Feng Tianxia likely practiced some martial art that seals his cultivation. Had Chen Fan not revealed that he was actually at the fourth level, I’m afraid Feng Tianxia would have never shown his true cultivation.”

He narrated to Duan Jingtian the fight between Chen Fan and Feng Tianxia.

“This truly surprised me. “ Duan Jingtian never expected to be deceived by Feng Tianxia. He also failed to see through Feng Tianxia's true cultivation.

“Alliance Leader, that little bastard Chen Fan is too monstrous. In less than six months, he had advanced to the fourth level of the Core Formation realm. Moreover, he can fight and kill those at the sixth level. His physique is astonishingly tough. If it weren’t for that, he would have died at Feng Tianxia’s hands,” Xie Feng said.

Duan Jingtian looked at the vast sea of clouds in front of him; his eyes flickered. “Had I known this little beast would grow so strong, I would have slaughtered him back then. Allowing him to live was a grave mistake."

He sensed a looming threat from Chen Fan. He wanted to kill Chen Fan with a borrowed knife, but that plan failed as Chen Fan killed Feng Tianxia, the metaphorical knife.

Chen Fan's rapid progression alarmed Duan Jingtian. He grew strong enough to defeat those at the sixth level in less than six months. If he were given another year, he could, very likely, stand up to Duan Jingtian, or even surpass him.

The animosity between them was irreparable; they were bound to fight to the death.

Chen Fan had morphed from a mere joke into a formidable adversary in just two years.

“If Feng Tianxia had succeeded in killing Chen Fan, those holy disciples would have submitted to you. Now, they are wavering again, choosing to observe the situation in the dark,” Xie Feng said.

Duan Jingtian could understand the situation in the Spring Autumn Sect easily.

“Hoho, there’s no way those people would willingly submit to me.” Duan Jingtian smiled coldly and said, “Between Chen Fan and me, they're more inclined to support him."

“Then what should we do now, Alliance Leader? If we allow Chen Fan to keep growing..." Xie Feng trailed off, knowing Duan Jingtian grasped the implication.

Duan Jingtian's eyes flickered momentarily before he said, “I’m afraid it will be impossible to get rid of this little beast in the dark within the sect. Keep a close watch on him. Once he sets foot out of the sect, have the merit elder...”

A chilling light flashed in Duan Jingtian’s eyes as killing intent surged from him as he ran his thumb across his neck.

Finally, he had accepted that Chen Fan was a looming threat, so he couldn’t let that grow further. He definitely couldn’t allow Chen Fan to continue growing. Failure to do so might result in his own downfall.

Xie Feng’s eyes flickered, and he said, “What if that little beast stays in the sect?”

Duan Jingtian answered, “That’s easy. Just look into his clan. You get what I am saying?”

Understanding dawned on Xie Feng, his expression resolute. “Understood.”

......

Unbeknownst to Chen Fan, Duan Jingtian and Xie Feng were plotting at the Black Wind Cliff.

He had returned directly to his mountain peak, immersing himself in solitary cultivation. He knew that Duan Jingtian would soon learn about the fight’s outcome, which was bound to put pressure on him.

His life-and-death battle with Duan Jingtian could very well be just six months later, as he would exit the Black Wind Cliff then. He probably wouldn’t give Chen Fan any more time to grow and would make a move on him half a year in advance.

So, Chen Fan needed to seize every minute and second to raise his cultivation as soon as possible.

Fortunately, Chen Fan still had some of Daoist Corpse Spirit’s divine nascent essence and the Divine Stone of Life on him. He was pretty confident that he could resist Duan Jingtian in half a year.

As he sat cross-legged in the secret room, thousands of primeval stones hovered around him. They burst open one after another, transforming into a storm of primeval qi and entering him through his skull. Chen Fan revolved his cultivation technique to refine it, and his aura began boiling like water.

Simultaneously, within the Heaven Seizing Furnace, the divine nascent essence—the size of an egg—was also being constantly refined. It shrank further, transforming into a vast amount of vitality energy, which was absorbed and refined by Chen Fan.

With both sides working in tandem, Chen Fan’s aura rose like the tide, becoming increasingly powerful.

Time passed silently.

Half a month went by in a flash.

Although the battle between Chen Fan and Feng Tianxia ended long ago, the entire Spring Autumn Sect was still discussing it. Many disciples were still happily and tirelessly talking about that battle from half a month ago.

And not just inner sect disciples, even some elders of the sect were talking about this matter.

In the sect’s history, such battles between two holy disciples were extremely few and far between.

After all, every holy disciple was a part of the sect’s core strength. If they killed one another over trivial matters, it would be a huge loss to the sect.

The ripples of this battle reverberated far beyond the confines of the Spring Autumn Sect, reaching the three other great sects in Qingyang County and stirring profound shock.

After all, it was already incredibly fortunate for the Spring Autumn Sect to produce Duan Jingtian.

Now, another outstanding disciple had emerged, with talents on par, if not greater, than Duan Jingtian. The three great sects were all jealous, lamenting that no such monstrous talent appeared in their respective sects.

However, Chen Fan remained indifferent to the external chatter, wholly engrossed in his cultivation.

The Heaven Seizing Furnace had already refined Daoist Corpse Spirit’s divine nascent essence completely, providing Chen Fan with an abundant life-origin essence.

His aura boiled; in his dantian, his golden core blossomed with golden light, spinning and trembling violently, emitting a powerful pressure.

Rumble!

Chen Fan’s aura suddenly surged out like the floodgates were open, reaching a peak. He had finally advanced to the fifth level.