400-406

Chapter 400: The First Time in My Life

Before Chen Fei came to West Cloud City, he was somewhat worried that West Cloud City might have been directly wiped out in the last disaster of cunning and misfortune. After all, at that time, many forces were dispatched to supervise Shangwu City, and almost anyone with a bit of strength would send someone there.

The strength of the Sword Return Tower was naturally formidable. There were two advanced stage Aperture Tempering realm cultivators previously, and several Aperture Tempering realm cultivators at other realms, making them dominant in the vicinity of West Cloud City.

However, in the last encounter, Xing Xinzhao was besieged by Qu Qingsheng and Zhou Zixuan, his Aperture was shattered, and his strength must have significantly declined. It would be difficult for him to remain at the Aperture Tempering realm Middle Stage, and the best-case scenario would be the Aperture Tempering realm Initial Stage.

Probably because of this, the Sword Return Tower did not send anyone to join the excitement in Shangwu City again. After all, they had their own affairs to deal with, and they couldn't spare the time to meddle in the affairs of the world.

Moreover, Shangwu City was more than a thousand miles away from West Cloud City. With such a distance, by the time Shangwu City arrived, the Sword Return Tower would have more than enough time to leave.

In a sense, it could even be said that they were fortunate because of this misfortune.

"Crack! Crack! Crack!"

The power attached to the arrow became stronger and stronger, and both the bow and the arrow emitted a sharp sound at this moment. This was because the materials of both the bow and arrow were limited and somewhat unable to withstand such a tremendous force.

Chen Fei remained expressionless, manipulating the Thousand Thread Technique to constantly adjust the power.

With the Great Thunder Sword reaching Great Completion, it meant that Chen Fei could freely manipulate the power of thunder within the scope of the Great Thunder Sword's application. With the subtle control of the Thousand Thread Technique, the basic conditions for the electromagnetic cannon were already in place.

The only drawback was that the execution speed was relatively slow. It was only suitable for besieging cities and breaking through enemy fortifications. In a face-to-face battle, with such a long preparation time, he would probably have already lost his way.

As time passed, the momentum on Chen Fei's body became increasingly powerful, and the power contained in the arrows became more and more exaggerated, even surpassing the power limit of the combination of the Suppressing Dragon Elephant and the Primordial Sword Scripture.

And this was not the end; although the bow and arrow were already trembling at this moment, in Chen Fei's observation, more power could still be added.

Chen Fei exerted a slight force with his arms, stabilizing the bow and arrow.

Within a radius of several hundred meters around Chen Fei, all was silent. Whether it was the birds, beasts, or insect chirping, they had all disappeared without a trace. The terrifying aura pressed down on them, leaving them unable to move a muscle.

At the main peak of the Sword Return Tower,

Sui Wengong, who was meditating cross-legged, suddenly opened his eyes. Unexplainably, a sense of crisis emerged in Sui Wengong's heart, and as time passed, this sense of crisis became increasingly heavy.

But at this moment, he was in the main peak of the Sword Return Tower, which had the strongest protective power within the Sword Return Tower.

If he felt a sense of crisis here, how powerful would the incoming force have to be?

Xing Xinzhao walked out of his private chamber within the main peak. He had been healing, but he was also awakened by the impending sense of danger. Although Xing Xinzhao was injured, his injuries were mainly concentrated in his acupoints, and his mental state was not heavily affected.

Therefore, in terms of sensing danger, he was on par with Sui Wengong.

Sui Wengong and Xing Xinzhao both walked out of the main hall. Outside the hall, the wind was gentle, and in the distance, the setting sun was still radiating its last warmth, painting the sky crimson.

However, at this moment, neither Xing Xinzhao nor Sui Wengong had the heart to appreciate these sights.

The sense of crisis weighing on their hearts had intensified in just a moment, and as time passed, it continued to rise, seemingly without end.

Sword Return Eye!

Sui Wengong pointed his right hand as if drawing a sword and touched his own brow. In an instant, the surrounding space seemed to slow down significantly. Sui Wengong calmly sensed for a moment and then looked to his right.

Xing Xinzhao was slightly slower, but his gaze also turned towards the distance. There, an extremely powerful force was gathering, but it was too far away to sense until just now.

"Activate!"

Sui Wengong shouted lowly, and the formation of the Sword Return Tower suddenly rose, exuding a chilling aura.

All disciples of the Sword Return Tower involuntarily stopped what they were doing and looked up at the sky in confusion. Not only the new disciples but even the senior disciples who had been with the sect for many years had never seen such a formation before.

The Sword Return Tower had been thriving for many years. Several decades ago, there were other sects competing with them in the vicinity. However, as the Sword Return Tower produced advanced stage Aperture Tempering realm cultivators, these competing sects gradually disappeared.

As a result, for many years, the Sword Return Tower had not encountered any significant challenges, let alone a situation where the sect's formation was actively activated.

The elders of the Sword Return Tower who were at the Aperture Tempering realm cultivation level sensed the change in the formation and rushed to the main peak. They saw the solemn expressions of Sui Wengong and Xing Xinzhao.

"Master, what is this?" someone asked with confusion.

Due to the distance being too great, the other Aperture Tempering realm cultivators did not have the sensing ability of Sui Wengong and Xing Xinzhao. Many of them only felt a slight anomaly, but it was just that—a slight anomaly.

"There is someone over there with strong hostility towards our sect," Xing Xinzhao whispered.

His mental power spread out, connecting the Sword Return Eyes of everyone present. In the next moment, everyone sensed a powerful force coming towards them from afar.

Sensing the intensity of this force, everyone's expressions changed, including Xing Xinzhao and Sui Wengong.

Even though they had sensed the formidable nature of this force earlier, it was only after connecting everyone's perception together that they realized that this force had reached the pinnacle of the Aperture Tempering realm cultivation level.

At the pinnacle of the Aperture Tempering realm cultivation level, Xing Xinzhao and Sui Wengong had never offended such top-tier experts in all their years. In recent times, due to Xing Xinzhao's injury, they had even reduced the influence of the Sword Return Tower.

No grudges in the past, no recent enmity. Xing Xinzhao and Sui Wengong couldn't make sense of it.

If they had to mention someone they had recently offended, it would be the Primordial Sword Sect. However, the strongest in the Primordial Sword Sect was only at the advanced stage Aperture Tempering realm cultivation level. Even though they had retrieved their secret manual, refining it into a true skill was not something that could be accomplished quickly.

As for the disciples of their sect offending such a powerful expert, it was likely that they would have been obliterated on the spot, and there was no way they would have taken so long to track them to the sect.

"Concentrate!"

Sui Wengong shouted lowly, and the blade in his hand emitted a dazzling light. The power of the entire Sword Return Tower formation was concentrated on Sui Wengong alone.

At the same time, other Aperture Tempering realm cultivation level elders stood at the formation's core on the main peak, infusing their energy into the formation, continuously boosting Sui Wengong's power.

This was the function of a sect's formation – it could unite and focus the power of all its members. With Sui Wengong's current strength, he was at the advanced stage Aperture Tempering realm cultivation level, and there was no way he could break through alone. He might even be defeated here.

Unless a situation like the one where the Long Rainbow Sect was besieged by multiple sects occurred, where the power of the formation, while still present, was overwhelmed by the sheer number of opponents and was rendered powerless.

Several miles away,

Chen Fei saw the Sword Return Tower's formation rising, his expression unmoving. It was inevitable for the Sword Return Tower to notice something unusual, especially considering the tremendous momentum gathered by Chen Fei's arrow.

Regardless of the circumstances, there were Aperture Tempering realm cultivators at the late stage within the Sword Return Tower, and if they didn't react to such a situation, it would be a sign of their vulnerability.

Chen Fei didn't care whether the Sword Return Tower would discover the situation or not. When it came to conquering a sect's mountain gate, ultimately, it was about each side's strength.

In this world, schemes and tricks could be effective, and very effective at that, but it required roughly equal strength between the parties or a slight disadvantage for strategy to play a crucial role.

However, if one side possessed significantly greater strength than the other, the effectiveness of strategy would be greatly diminished.

Just like when the Cliff Mountain Sect attacked Qinhai City, despite Qinhai City's defenses, the Cliff Mountain Sect only needed a decapitation strategy, rendering the city's defense useless.

This was a world where power ultimately mattered. In the end, it was strength that counted.

Just like dominant forces, all they needed was an Aperture Tempering realm cultivator to suppress the energy circulation. Everything else was secondary. As long as there was an Aperture Tempering realm cultivator, all other forces would obediently attach themselves to them.

"Sizzle!"

The sound of magnetic storms was incessant, and despite being desperately suppressed, the bow and arrow were still trembling, and the amplitude of the tremors was increasing.

It seemed as if, in the next moment, the entire bow and arrow set would explode.

Star Gazing Art!

The scene at the Sword Return Tower's main peak was getting closer in Chen Fei's eyes. Vaguely, Chen Fei saw Sui Wengong and Xing Xinzhao, as well as the other Sword Return Tower elders standing to the side.

Seemingly sensing Chen Fei's gaze, Sui Wengong, who had gathered a group of experts, also turned to look in Chen Fei's direction.

Sui Wengong didn't possess the Star Gazing Art, so he couldn't see such a distant location, but with the support of the Sword Return Eyes and the enhanced formation, he had become extremely sensitive to the scrutiny of his gaze.

Seeing Sui Wengong's reaction, Chen Fei revealed a slight smile. In the next moment, he released the arrow in his right hand.

"Buzz!"

A burst of sonic clouds appeared behind Chen Fei. The trees in the vicinity were shattered by the power fluctuations, turning into splinters. With Chen Fei as the center, an area of more than ten meters in radius turned into a clearing.

Further away, rocks shattered, trees were uprooted, as if this place had become the epicenter of a storm.

This arrow's power was so astonishingly great that in a conventional battle, Chen Fei would never be able to unleash such force on the spot.

Chen Fei's iron longbow in his left hand had turned to dust at some point. It was just an ordinary iron longbow, and without the support of elemental energy, it was instantly destroyed.

Under the Star Gazing Art, Chen Fei watched as the arrow pierced through the air, creating a hole in the atmosphere. Despite the several miles of distance, it seemed to arrive in front of the Sword Return Tower's main peak in the blink of an eye.

Just as the formation outside the Sword Return Tower's mountain gate had just issued a warning, a deafening sonic boom resounded throughout the entire Sword Return Tower. All Sword Return Tower disciples stared in astonishment at the location of the main peak, where a dazzling light erupted.

"Boom!"

The Sword Return Tower's main peak shook, and the elemental energy of heaven and earth surged, causing the hearts of all Sword Return Tower disciples to skip a beat, and a hint of panic involuntarily crept into their hearts.

This kind of power was something they had never witnessed in their entire lives..

Chapter 401: Defeat

After the violent shaking of the Sword Return Tower's main peak, it finally began to calm down slowly. Sui Wengong held his long sword, taking a few steps back.

Others looked at Sui Wengong with some tension. Just now, the attack that occurred was unstoppable except by Sui Wengong. Even if they had the power of the formation, the result would have been the same.

Facing such an attack head-on required great courage, and any slight mistake could mean certain death.

"I'm fine!" Sui Wengong said in a deep voice.

Hearing Sui Wengong's words, the others couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. Xing Xinzhao glanced at Sui Wengong's trembling arm. Despite Sui Wengong's efforts to control it, the damage was still apparent.

Such an attack at the pinnacle of the Aperture Tempering realm was not something easily resisted. Sui Wengong was fortunate to have only suffered minor arm damage.

If this had happened outside the mountain gate, no one would have survived such an attack, not even Sui Wengong.

Just as Sui Wengong was about to continue speaking, he suddenly looked forward, sensing a renewed sense of danger. The opponent's attack was far from over.

It wasn't just Sui Wengong; because the formation had linked everyone's breath together, what Sui Wengong perceived, the others also felt.

The previous arrow had already damaged the Sword Return Tower's formation. If the same attack came again, it would be even more difficult for Sui Wengong to defend against.

After the next arrow, the formation of the main peak would be severely damaged, and in a vicious cycle, by the third arrow, Sui Wengong would be injured, and the main peak's formation would shatter.

The formation of the Sword Return Tower was formidable, but ultimately, it was designed to defend against advanced Aperture Tempering realm cultivators. When facing a Aperture Tempering realm pinnacle attack, it became extremely challenging.

If Xing Xinzhao hadn't been injured, there would have been some hope of withstanding the Aperture Tempering realm pinnacle attack with the combined power of two advanced Aperture Tempering realm cultivators. But unfortunately, Xing Xinzhao was injured, leaving Sui Wengong to stand alone.

"Just now, the aura felt somewhat similar to that kid who stole the techniques last time," Sui Wengong turned to look at Xing Xinzhao.

"Yes, but that kid's cultivation at the time was at most in the mid-Aperture Tempering realm," Xing Xinzhao frowned.

If Chen Fei had been in the advanced Aperture Tempering realm at the time, even with the combined efforts of Qu Qingsheng and Zhou Zixun, Xing Xinzhao wouldn't have been able to escape, even if he had shattered all of his meridians.

It had only been half a year since then, and no matter how fast one's cultivation improved, it was impossible for it to skyrocket to the level of the Aperture Tempering realm pinnacle.

"Unless such an attack requires a long time to gather power!" Sui Wengong's eyes lit up slightly.

Recalling the initial sense of danger and the actual attack, it did indeed take quite some time in between. Although it was still baffling how someone at the mid-Aperture Tempering realm could unleash such a powerful attack, as long as they didn't give the opponent time to gather power, they could at least solve most of the problem.

However, the only problem now was that Chen Fei could attack them from a distance, but they had no means of launching a long-range attack on him. To disrupt Chen Fei's power buildup, they would have to charge over.

But doing so would mean giving up the advantage of the mountain gate formation.

"The Primordial Sword Sect is unlikely to send their whole sect here. We'll go together, and when the time comes, you and I will engage Qu Qingsheng and Zhou Zixun, while the others take care of the remaining people!" Xing Xinzhao said.

In theory, techniques that require time to gather power and can deliver attacks of the Aperture Tempering realm late stage's intensity should be difficult to use consecutively. They could result in a mutual destruction.

But Sui Wengong and Xing Xinzhao didn't want to take chances. After all, if that same attack happened again, the formation would be severely damaged, Sui Wengong would be injured, and their overall combat strength would be greatly reduced.

Besides, the momentum coming from a distance was rising, and it didn't seem like a mere bluff. If they were overly cautious and kept receiving consecutive attacks, they might end up without the strength to resist.

Normally, such Aperture Tempering realm pinnacle attacks couldn't be used consecutively. However, with a powerful top-grade spiritual weapon, it might be possible.

A top-grade spiritual weapon? It did seem like a possibility!

"Go!"

Sui Wengong shouted lowly and dashed forward, taking the lead. Except for one person staying behind to maintain the formation, the other Sword Return Tower elders followed suit.

Several miles away, Chen Fei held his longbow, crackling with electricity, as his aura continued to rise.

He knew that the bow and arrow would be damaged after a single shot. Before coming here, Chen Fei had purchased dozens of fine iron longbows in the West Cloud City.

It was challenging to buy spiritual weapon-grade bows and arrows, but these fine iron longbows were easy to obtain. One shot, one broken bow, and Chen Fei felt no remorse.

Chen Fei had considered obtaining a spiritual weapon-grade bow and arrow, but for this power-charging attack with explosive force, even a low-grade spiritual bow might withstand it, but using it once would inevitably damage its spirituality.

And this kind of damage was almost irreversible, permanently harming the spiritual bow. After multiple uses, the spirituality might be depleted entirely, turning it into an ordinary bow and arrow.

A low-grade spiritual bow barely had any effect on this electromagnetic cannon-like attack. After careful consideration, Chen Fei decided to use regular fine iron longbows as disposable items.

With a thunderous roar, countless lightning bolts flickered around Chen Fei, as if confronting divine wrath.

The power attached to the arrows gradually increased. Compared to before, Chen Fei had mastered some details, and the speed of his power buildup had improved significantly.

Suddenly, Chen Fei's expression changed slightly, and he saw some black dots in the distance heading toward his location.

Chen Fei squinted his eyes, and as the black dots approached, they turned out to be the people from the Sword Return Tower.

Chen Fei scanned them and found that the elders of the Sword Return Tower had almost emptied their ranks. It seemed that the previous arrow had indeed inflicted some pain on the Sword Return Tower.

The crucial point was that they were still being passively attacked and couldn't retaliate, which was quite frustrating.

A faint smile played on Chen Fei's lips as he adjusted the direction of his bow towards the Sword Return Tower's people.

"Spread out!"

Sui Wengong was at the forefront, suddenly feeling a chill in his heart, his expression changing drastically. With a low shout, Sui Wengong's figure began to flicker and evade.

Hearing Sui Wengong's words, the others didn't hesitate and quickly spread out, keeping a significant distance from each other. They also began to use various means of teleportation to avoid being locked on.

Chen Fei, holding the bow, sensed for a moment and then raised the bow and arrow once more, aiming at the main peak of the Sword Return Tower.

In the extreme state of the electromagnetic cannon, hitting a single person was indeed quite challenging because, in the end, Chen Fei's control over this arrow had become extremely weak.

Almost all of his focus was spent on how to balance the various forces on the arrow to prevent it from exploding during flight before reaching the target.

This kind of attack that surpassed his own strength had its drawbacks.

However, these drawbacks had long been anticipated by Chen Fei.

Feeling that he wasn't being targeted himself, the people from the Sword Return Tower let out a sigh of relief as they approached. After all, just thinking about the scene they had witnessed on the main peak earlier, they couldn't help but shiver.

If you didn't dodge, you would undoubtedly be instantly obliterated, without any chance of survival.

Even if it just grazed you, it would still result in a severe injury.

Ignoring the approaching Sword Return Tower members, Chen Fei continued to charge up his attack. When he felt that the power within the arrow had reached its peak, Chen Fei released the arrow.

"Hum!"

Another sonic boom cloud appeared behind Chen Fei, and the tremendous force caused numerous cracks to appear where he stood.

Massive cracks crossed the surroundings, as if at any moment, the rocks underfoot were going to collapse completely.

On the main peak of the Sword Return Tower, Yuan Nanyun, who had stayed behind to maintain the formation, suddenly felt a chilling sensation that pierced to his very core. Subconsciously, he looked up and saw a glaring lightning pillar rushing towards him from a distance.

Yuan Nanyun's soul seemed to leave his body as he tried to escape but found it was already too late.

Yuan Nanyun had thought that staying on the main peak would be relatively safe. After all, it didn't make sense for such a powerful attack to target the formation when attacking the people was more critical.

However, Yuan Nanyun didn't expect that the opponent would completely disregard common sense and waste such an attack on the Sword Return Tower's formation.

"Boom!"

The Sword Return Tower formation trembled violently, the shield flickering unpredictably. Inside the formation, Yuan Nanyun was already bleeding from all seven orifices due to the intense shock.

Previously, when Sui Wengong intercepted the arrow, the formation took half of the force, and Sui Wengong blocked the other half. Otherwise, if all the power had been absorbed by the formation, it would have shattered.

But Yuan Nanyun was just in the early Aperture Tempering realm, and at this moment, there were no other elders to lend their power. He couldn't possibly block the arrow himself, so he had to let the formation bear everything.

*Crack! Crack! Crack! *

The shield suddenly emitted a cracking sound, and in the next moment, the protective formation directly shattered. Yuan Nanyun sprayed a mouthful of blood mist into the air before collapsing to the ground.

The remaining force on the arrow forcibly pierced through the entire main peak, leaving behind a massive hole that penetrated from front to back, causing the earth to shake.

The disciples of the Sword Return Tower stared blankly at everything unfolding before their eyes. In the next moment, chaos ensued, and they scattered in all directions. Faced with such power, those in the Body Tempering Realm had no hope of resisting, be it the Bone Tempering Realm or the Visceral Tempering realm.

Sui Wengong and the others who were charging forward felt the changes at the main peak and their expressions turned grim. Their eyes locked onto Chen Fei in the distance with a fierce glare.

The two sides were now separated by less than a few hundred meters.

Moreover, when they arrived here, Sui Wengong and Xing Xinzhao hadn't sensed the presence of any other Primordial Sword Sect members. Qu Qingsheng and Zhou Zixun were nowhere to be found.

In the distance, there was only Chen Fei alone.

"Insolent scum, you shall die!" Xing Xinzhao exclaimed sternly.

"Kill!" the other Sword Return Tower elders shouted loudly.

Chen Fei's longbow turned into ashes in his hand, and a new fine iron longbow fell into his grasp from the ground. He quickly nocked an arrow, drew the bowstring, and thunder roared. In the next moment, the arrow transformed into a black lightning bolt, heading towards one of the Sword Return Tower elders.

In the case of the Limit Electromagnetic Cannon, Chen Fei needed to charge up to unleash an attack approaching the level of the Aperture Tempering realm pinnacle.

However, for a regular Electromagnetic Cannon, Chen Fei didn't need to charge up at all. With the Great Thunder Sword at Great Completion, he could easily achieve this. Chen Fei's cultivation was already in the advanced Aperture Tempering realm, so any of his attacks possessed the power of the advanced Aperture Tempering realm. Using a bow and arrow merely allowed him to have ranged capabilities.

*Bang!*

A muffled explosion resounded as the Sword Return Tower elder, who had been constantly teleporting to evade, was blown into the air and shattered by the arrow.. A mist of blood filled the air!

Chapter 402: Qian Jun

In the face of his own Aperture Tempering realm being shattered by Chen Fei s arrow, Xing Xinzhao's eyes widened almost to the point of disbelief.

Sword Return Tower had a total of eight Aperture Tempering realm cultivators, one of whom had only recently broken through in the past two years. The result was that Chen Fei had just pierced the main peak of Sword Return Tower with a single arrow, leaving Yuan Nanyun, who had stayed behind, in an uncertain life-or-death situation.

And now, another elder lay dead before him, directly killed by Chen Fei.

For any sect, Aperture Tempering realm cultivators were an extremely precious source of power. Even within dominant forces, the status of Aperture Tempering realm cultivators remained high.

After all, breakthroughs to the Combined Aperture Tempering realm usually came from the Aperture Tempering realm. Only when there were more Aperture Tempering realm cultivators could someone possibly advance to the Combined Aperture Tempering realm.

For ordinary sects, the importance of Aperture Tempering realm cultivators would be even greater. Losing two Aperture Tempering realm cultivators in just a moment's time was something Xing Xinzhao could hardly accept.

Sui Wengong stared at Chen Fei with a cold, murderous intent in his heart. Chen Fei had already displayed the aura of the advance Aperture Tempering realm at this moment, although Sui Wengong didn't know why Chen Fei could cultivate so quickly.

But now was not the time to dwell on that matter. Sui Wengong only wanted to

kill Chen Fei at this moment.

Today, between the two sides, there was no room for compromise.

"Youngster, if you have the guts, come at me!" Xing Xinzhao roared angrily.

Chen Fei glanced at Xing Xinzhao, bent his body, and with a roar, the electromagnetic field began to howl. On the right side of Chen Fei, Fan Zeguang's heart suddenly trembled, and a chill shot straight to his forehead.

"I'm going to die!"

In Fan Zeguang's mind, such thoughts emerged subconsciously. He could clearly see the power of Chen Fei's arrow.

Just moments ago, when the senior elder was shot dead, Fan Zeguang was too consumed by anger to realize the danger he was in. It was only now that he felt a chill and realized that he was facing a advance Aperture Tempering realm powerhouse.

Hide!

Fan Zeguang didn't have time to think about anything else. He could only push his body's agility to the extreme. However, in an instant, he felt despair. The sensation of being locked onto did not diminish in the slightest, and there was nowhere to hide.

He wanted to run over to Sui Wengong's side, but the distance was too great,

and he couldn't make it in time.

"Boom!"

In a daze, Fan Zeguang heard the trembling sound of a bowstring, and the next moment, a lightning pillar had already arrived in front of him. Fan Zeguang roared in madness, and in that moment, it was as if everything he had ever learned suddenly came together.

Countless insights appeared in Fan Zeguang's mind, and in a flash, he seemed

to understand everything. His aura began to soar.

The spirit sword in Fan Zeguang's hand radiated a dazzling light and collided with the lightning pillar before him. In the midst of the lightning, Fan Zeguang's face contorted in a sinister manner.

"Bang!"

A burst of blood mist bloomed in mid-air, and Fan Zeguang was shattered in the air, his lower-grade spirit sword losing its spiritual essence and falling to the ground with a dull thud.

The difference between the advance Aperture Tempering realm and the early Aperture Tempering realm spanned two small realms, and Chen Fei had also cultivated his techniques to the state of perfection. Such a gap was something Fan Zeguang couldn't withstand.

Even if his insights were profound, and his aura was raised, Fan Zeguang's fate had already been sealed.

"You, damn it!" Xing Xinzhao roared loudly.

Sui Wengong's sword energy shot through the air but was easily evaded by Chen Fei. At this point, both sides were extremely close, and in a moment, Chen Fei would be surrounded by the members of Sword Return Tower.

However, Chen Fei's expression remained calm, without a hint of panic or surprise.

He flipped his body and the electromagnetic field quivered, but at this moment, the remaining members of Sword Return Tower had all taken cover behind Sui Wengong and Xing Xinzhao, with Sui Wengong leading the charge in a straight line.

They weren't afraid of Chen Fei unleashing another peak Aperture Tempering realm attack because the distance between the two sides no longer allowed

Chen Fei to build up such power.

Chen Fei remained unfazed and aimed his bow and arrow at Sui Wengong. In the next moment, the bowstring trembled, and a lightning pillar appeared in front of Sui Wengong.

"Bang!"

With a muffled sound, Sui Wengong shattered Chen Fei's arrow with a single sword strike. Sui Wengong's figure paused momentarily, but he quickly regained his composure and continued to charge towards Chen Fei.

"Bang, bang, bang!"

Several more arrows were shot, but Sui Wengong blocked them all, and they

had no impact on him.

The other members of Sword Return Tower were encouraged by this. Chen Fei had displayed terrifying combat power just moments ago, killing both early Aperture Tempering realm elders with a single arrow. In front of Chen Fei, it seemed like everyone had become sacrificial lambs.

However, the arrows that had casually claimed their lives had lost their effectiveness in front of Sui Wengong. As both were in the advance Aperture Tempering realm, it appeared that Sui Wengong was even stronger than Chen Fei.

Apart from those highly charged, almost peak Aperture Tempering realm attacks, which were indeed very powerful, the close proximity between the two sides made it impossible for Chen Fei to gather such power. Moreover, such attacks would likely be extremely challenging for Chen Fei to aim accurately. Otherwise, he wouldn't have shot the arrows towards the main peak of Sword Return Tower earlier.

In just a moment, Sui Wengong would catch up to Chen Fei, and when that happened, the others would form a formation to trap Chen Fei here completely. Sui Wengong's gaze turned increasingly cold as he looked at Chen Fei. Blocking Chen Fei's attacks with several swords had indeed boosted Sui Wengong's confidence.

It was only right that he felt this way. The last time he had seen Chen Fei, he had only been in the middle of the Aperture Tempering realm. Yet, in less than a year, Chen Fei had become so young and had broken through to the advance Aperture Tempering realm. That was already considered exceptional talent.

Moreover, Chen Fei had displayed combat power beyond imagination with those attacks that had the potential to reach peak Aperture Tempering realm after being charged.

To reach such a level of talent was something Sui Wengong had never witnessed before. However, the time given for cultivation after the breakthrough was still too short. Chen Fei undoubtedly had his shortcomings as well. The arrows he had shot just now should be considered his normal attack level.

Although he had reached the advance Aperture Tempering realm and was even stronger than most who had recently entered it, this was likely the limit. Chen Fei's expression changed slightly. The Great Thunder Sword was indeed powerful, but when Chen Fei converted it into arrows, there was still a loss of power. The time for electromagnetic acceleration was only a moment, and the displayed attack power was indeed only considered average in the advance Aperture Tempering realm.

If he wanted to fully infuse the power of the Primordial Sword Scripture into the arrows, he needed a bit of time to charge it. The longer the charge, the stronger the attack.

But in direct combat, the enemy wouldn't give you much time to charge, if any

at all.

This electromagnetic cannon was ultimately a technique Chen Fei had devised himself, and there were still many imperfections to be addressed.

Chen Fei watched as Sui Wengong approached closer and closer, a hint of electric light appearing beneath his feet. In the next moment, amid a burst of magnetic explosions, Chen Fei disappeared from his original position.

When he reappeared, Chen Fei was already at the side of the Sword Return

Tower group.

Chen Fei's decision to advance instead of retreat took everyone by surprise, and his current display of speed in his movements unsettled those watching.

Chen Fei flipped his longbow in hand, aiming an arrow at He Yunrui, who was behind Sui Wengong.

He Yunrui felt himself locked on to, and his soul felt like it was about to be shocked out of his body. The gruesome scene of Fan Zeguang just moments ago was still fresh in his mind.

At that moment, Fan Zeguang's aura surged, and his sword technique was perfected. It was clear that he had broken through some obstacles in his cultivation right on the spot. But even so, facing Chen Fei's arrow, he had no resistance whatsoever.

He Yunrui's cultivation was even lower than Fan Zeguang's. If it weren't for being struck by Chen Fei's sword, he would undoubtedly have met the same fate.

"Boom!"

The trembling of the bowstring also caused He Yunrui's heart to skip a beat.

Sword Return!

Sui Wengong shouted lowly, and his figure turned into a blur, disappearing from his original position. With almost invisible speed to the naked eye, he appeared in front of He Yunrui.

"Bang!"

Sui Wengong shattered the arrow with a single sword strike. He Yunrui, who was behind, was already covered in cold sweat.

Chen Fei looked at Sui Wengong with some surprise. The agility and speed displayed by Sui Wengong just now were truly astonishing to him.

Indeed, every type of technique that could be cultivated to the advance Aperture Tempering realm had its unique qualities.

Xing Xinzhao flashed to Sui Wengong's side, and suddenly, a sword intent shot into Chen Fei's sea of consciousness. At this moment, the distance between the two sides was not too far, finally allowing Xing Xinzhao to find this opportunity.

Xing Xinzhao's acupoints were damaged, but his mental power was still at the advance Aperture Tempering realm level. This mental attack was naturally extremely sharp.

Among peers, mental attacks were rarely used because they often resulted in mutual injury and did not yield significant advantages. However, given Xing Xinzhao's lack of combat strength, direct confrontation was not effective, so he chose to engage in a mental battle, even if it meant trading injuries to drag Chen Fei down with him.

"Seal!"

Suddenly, a mirror-like light appeared on Sui Wengong's chest, enveloping Chen Fei within it, exerting a tremendous force that forcefully held Chen Fei in place.

The Primordial Sealing Mirror, a high-grade spiritual weapon, exerted a force of a thousand catties under its light, enough to crush those with weaker cultivations, and even those with higher cultivations would find it difficult to move.

Sui Wengong had been waiting for an opportunity all along. Chen Fei was a person who could not be allowed to escape, and his presence posed even greater pressure on Sui Wengong than what the Primordial Sword Sect had given him. If they couldn't keep Chen Fei here this time, the next time they met, Sword Return Tower might become history.

Sui Wengong was even somewhat grateful this time that Chen Fei had rushed here immediately after breaking through to the advance Aperture Tempering realm.

Otherwise, based on the information about Chen Fei that they had received, he had barely been in the Primordial Sword Sect for a few years. In just a short time, Chen Fei's cultivation had skyrocketed, and now he had rapidly advanced to the advance Aperture Tempering realm.

If Chen Fei had a few more years of cultivation, it would be even more troublesome!

Although the losses were still heavy this time, with several Aperture Tempering realm cultivators dead, leaving Sword Return Tower severely weakened, it would likely take a long time to recover. But as long as they could kill Chen Fei here, it would all be worth it.

"Phew!"

Beside them, Xing Xinzhao suddenly sprayed a mist of blood into the air, as if his sea of consciousness was about to crack open. But when looking at Chen Fei, that sword intent had no effect on him at all. It was as if it had no impact whatsoever on Chen Fei..

Chapter 403: Crushing

Xing Xinzhao looked incredulously at Chen Fei. The sword intent from moments ago seemed to have collided with an impenetrable barrier, shattering instantly. Xing Xinzhao immediately felt the backlash.

But Chen Fei remained unfazed, as if this were not a clash of minds between peers, but rather like a spiritual battle between an advance Aperture Tempering realm practitioner and a peak-stage Aperture Tempering realm practitioner—utterly lopsided.

Xing Xinzhao's pitiful state caused Sui Wengong, who stood by, to furrow his brow. Both were at the advance stage of Aperture Tempering realm cultivation. Xing Xinzhao had even broken through to this stage several years ahead of Chen Fei. There was no reason for him to be inferior in terms of spiritual power.

Chen Fei, the genius of the Primordial Sword Sect, continued to surprise Sui Wengong with his unexpected strength. This only fueled Sui Wengong's growing intent to kill Chen Fei.

Such an aberration, now an enemy, would not be allowed to escape alive. Even if it meant they both perished, Chen Fei would fall right here.

Thankfully, the Primordial Sealing Mirror had already enveloped Chen Fei, and as long as the mirror remained intact, Chen Fei had no hope of escaping.

"Get information, attack!" Sui Wengong roared, taking the lead and charging toward Chen Fei. Meanwhile, He Yunrui and the others connected their elemental energy, exuding a chilling aura that covered the surroundings.

Several tens of meters away, Chen Fei looked somewhat surprised at the radiance surrounding him. At this moment, an immense force was relentlessly crushing him, attempting to reduce him to a pile of flesh.

However, whether it was the Aperture Tempering realm power of the advance or the enhanced physical strength granted by the Suppressing Dragon Elephant, both resisted the colossal force.

For an ordinary advance Aperture Tempering realm practitioner, being hit by the Primordial Sealing Mirror would not result in instant death, but their overall strength would undoubtedly be greatly affected. Even their agility, like their ability to employ martial arts, would be severely restricted, essentially rendering them useless.

Unless they possessed a top-grade spiritual weapon to repel the force of the Primordial Sealing Mirror, they would remain at the mercy of their opponent.

This was the power of a top-grade spiritual weapon. The Primordial Sword Sect's Soul-Locking Tower had a similar function, and it was even more potent. After all, in its prime, the Soul-Locking Tower had been a peak-grade spiritual weapon.

However, due to multiple damages and spiritual degradation over the years, it had been reduced to a top-grade spiritual weapon. Nevertheless, the Soul-Locking Tower still possessed immense power, making it a prized tool for guarding the sect's mountain gate.

Chen Fei raised his head to look at the charging Sui Wengong. The fine iron longbow he held in his left hand shattered into pieces and scattered on the ground. Without the support of Chen Fei's elemental energy, the electromagnetic cannon he had used several times earlier had already taken a toll on the fine iron longbow.

"Clang!"

A sharp sword resonance echoed as the Qianyuan Sword leaped into Chen Fei's hand from behind. Sword intent radiated from Chen Fei as the center, sweeping in all directions. The radiance binding the Primordial Sealing Mirror trembled continuously, as if it was trying to break free.

Sui Wengong's eyelids twitched. When the Qianyuan Sword landed in Chen Fei's hand, his aura underwent a significant change, sending a shiver down Sui Wengong's spine.

He had only felt this way when Chen Fei had been charging up the electromagnetic cannon moments ago.

The Primordial Sword Sect didn't have any remarkable archery techniques in its inheritance. Sui Wengong subconsciously believed that Chen Fei had acquired that archery technique from some fortuitous encounter outside. He thought that Chen Fei's greatest strength lay in archery.

Now he realized that the situation seemed to have taken a new turn.

Even though Chen Fei had only been cultivating for a few years and had recently broken through to the advance stage of the Aperture Tempering realm, what gave him the right to possess such a variety of techniques?

Sui Wengong couldn't believe it. With the Primordial Sealing Mirror suppressing Chen Fei and his disciples supporting him in formation, there was no way he could lose in this situation!

"Sword!"

Sui Wengong shouted sharply, and a surge of sword energy burst forth from his body. However, this sword energy didn't target Chen Fei but instead followed the flow of the formation, heading towards the other elders of the Sword Return Tower.

The Sword Return Technique, the foundational martial art of the Sword Return Tower, might not be as impressive as the Primordial Sword Sect's Primordial Sword Scripture, but it had its unique aspects.

The most prominent feature was its ability to gather the strength of multiple individuals, much like the formation on the Sword Return Tower's main peak. In essence, the formation on the main peak was constructed based on the principles of the Sword Return Technique.

At this moment, the sword energy within Xing Xinzhao and the others linked together to form a ring. Almost instantly, the sword energy Sui Wengong had released a moment ago returned to him, but it was now several times more powerful than when he had initially unleashed it.

Sui Wengong's sword blade danced in his hand. Although his sword energy had surged dramatically, he still wielded it as if it were his own power, effortlessly slashing towards Chen Fei.

With this tremendous increase in power and the ability to wield it with such mastery, this was genuinely his own strength. Only with such control could he unleash the full potential of this newfound power.

Despite only Sui Wengong standing before Chen Fei at this moment, Chen Fei inexplicably felt like he was being surrounded and attacked from all sides.

"Great swordsmanship!" Chen Fei murmured in admiration, his voice initially low, but within the blink of an eye, it roared like thunder.

The roar wasn't just in his voice. Chen Fei's body seemed to awaken like an ancient behemoth. Amidst the resonating dragon and elephant, a vast power shook the space around him. The immense force added by the Primordial Sealing Mirror was forcibly pushed back for the moment.

"Hum!"

On the Qianyuan Sword, a black radiance enveloped it, and the fourfold power of the Primordial Sword Scripture was entirely confined within the small sword body.

If the Primordial Sealing Mirror's power had only been pushed aside a moment ago, now, as the power of the Qianyuan Sword erupted, the mirror's radiance was torn open, leaving a massive gap.

Although the radiance still clung to Chen Fei, it could no longer restrain him because the power Chen Fei was displaying at this moment far exceeded what the Primordial Sealing Mirror could suppress.

Sui Wengong stared at Chen Fei, feeling the energy emanating from the Qianyuan Sword, his eyes involuntarily widening.

Although this strike wasn't as extravagant as the arrow that had been shot at the Sword Return Tower's main peak, reaching nearly the pinnacle of the Aperture Tempering realm stage, it came very close.

How could he unleash such an attack with ease, especially considering he had only recently broken through to the advance stage of Aperture Tempering realm?

It made sense to deliver a strike that surpassed one's own power after accumulating energy for an extended period, as the Sword Return Technique could boost one's attack power significantly through prolonged charging.

But this casual strike defied explanation.

"Ahh!"

Sui Wengong roared loudly, and his apertures began to rupture. However, it was too late. The two blades clashed as they were too close together.

"Boom!"

A ripple spread from the point of impact between the two swords, radiating outward. The ripple started small but, in the blink of an eye, turned into a surge of elemental energy that swept in all directions.

Sui Wengong's muscles and bones groaned, and the longsword in his hand lasted only a moment before its sword energy was forcibly shattered and then rebounded by an overwhelming force.

Sui Wengong stared helplessly as the Qianyuan Sword drove straight in, and with all his might, he placed his spirit sword in front of his chest. In the next moment, the Qianyuan Sword pierced through.

"Clang!"

The spirit sword emitted a mournful sound as Sui Wengong heard the gruesome sounds of his flesh being crushed and his ribs breaking. He had no resistance left, and he was sent flying backward.

Amidst a haze of blood, Sui Wengong was forcibly embedded into the ground, completely powerless to move. He couldn't even muster the strength to cough up blood.

Sui Wengong couldn't see anything; all he saw was darkness. His heart beat a few more times, gradually slowing down. A strange smile appeared on his face, a mixture of self-derision and lament.

In an instant, Sui Wengong's life force completely dissipated. A formidable practitioner at the advance stage of the Aperture Tempering realm had been utterly slain by Chen Fei with a single sword strike.

Although Sui Wengong was not considered exceptionally strong among those at the advance stage of the Aperture Tempering realm, the visual spectacle of his death left everyone who witnessed it in shock.

Xing Xinzhao and his companions, who had been following Sui Wengong, had intended to surround and attack Chen Fei. However, upon witnessing the scene before them, they involuntarily stopped in their tracks.

They stared in disbelief at what had just transpired. Sui Wengong, the strongest figure within the sect, had died just like that after the reinforcement of the formation.

"Run, run for your lives!" Xing Xinzhao shouted loudly, as his apertures ruptured and he burned all his vitality. In a brief moment, he restored his strength to the advance stage of the Aperture Tempering realm.

Last time, when his apertures ruptured, Xing Xinzhao had a chance to seek treatment. However, his current course of action left no room for survival, regardless of the final outcome.

"Destroying our Sword Return Tower's legacy, you'll get retribution!" Xing Xinzhao roared and charged toward Chen Fei.

He Yunrui and the others, now awakened from their daze, didn't dare to hesitate any longer. They turned and fled into the dense forest. They knew they couldn't contend with this level of power.

Their only hope was to run and perhaps find a slim chance of survival.

"Your greed for our Primordial legacy should not have led to such delusions!" Chen Fei looked at Xing Xinzhao calmly.

With a single reverse stroke of the Qianyuan Sword, a powerful force swept over Xing Xinzhao. Despite his desperate efforts, he couldn't resist the vast difference in strength.

"Boom!"

Xing Xinzhao's body was sent flying upwards, blood mist spreading in mid-air. In his eyes, there was a sense of unwillingness and a hint of regret. If he hadn't thought about leaving the Primordial legacy behind, the Sword Return Tower wouldn't have faced this calamity.

Fate is a cruel mistress.

Chen Fei turned his gaze towards the several individuals from the Sword Return Tower who were attempting to escape in different directions. With a simple gesture of his right hand, a fine iron longbow from a distance flew into his grasp.

Nocking an arrow and drawing the bowstring, amidst the electromagnetic roar, several lightning-fast arrows shot out, each heading in a different direction.

"Bang!"

Explosions resounded from a distance. Under the guidance of the Star Gazing Art, Chen Fei's use of the electromagnetic cannon could be considered flawless. Even as the others constantly shifted and moved, Chen Fei had predicted their movements.

The inevitable outcome was self-evident.

Phantom images emerged from Chen Fei's body, and one of the duplicates rushed into the dense forest to retrieve the belongings of those who had tried to escape. The most important items were the spiritual weapons, which would serve as valuable resources for Chen Fei's cultivation.

Chen Fei approached Sui Wengong's lifeless body and, with a simple gesture of his right hand, retrieved the Primordial Sealing Mirror. A profound sense of weightiness pierced through Chen Fei's consciousness, containing an astonishing spiritual essence.

While not as formidable as the Locking Spirit Tower, compared to other high-grade spiritual weapons, the Primordial Sealing Mirror was more than impressive.

Fifteen minutes later, Chen Fei appeared inside the Sword Return Tower.

The Sword Return Tower was in utter chaos at this point. Many disciples had abandoned the sect and fled, while others were hiding.

Chen Fei paid no heed to them and made his way to the main peak of the Sword Return Tower. Yuan Nanyun, who had perished due to his attempt to withstand Chen Fei's extreme electromagnetic cannon, lay lifeless.

Chen Fei retrieved Yuan Nanyun's spiritual weapon, then with a wave of his right hand, he turned Yuan Nanyun into ashes.

Chen Fei's figure flickered, and he walked into the main hall of the Sword

Return Tower..

Chapter 404: High Grade Spiritual Sword

Chen Fei's steps suddenly paused as he remembered something. Although the practitioners of the Sword Return Tower's cultivation techniques had all been slain, there were more individuals who had practiced the Primordial technique than just those.

A clone emerged from Chen Fei's body, its form flickering as it sprinted toward the mountain peak where the true disciples of the Sword Return Tower were located. Learning other sects' techniques, once discovered, came with the lightest punishment being the forfeiture of one's cultivation and the complete revocation of the technique.

Perhaps this seemed cruel, but it was the rule by which this world operated. Those true disciples enjoyed the various resources bestowed upon them by the Sword Return Tower, but they also had to bear the karmic consequences sown by the Tower itself.

Much like Chen Fei now, who was inexorably bound to the Primordial Sword Sect in terms of identity. If, for some reason, others sought to annihilate the Primordial Sword Sect, regardless of whether Chen Fei was aware or involved, the ultimate result would be the same.

In the world of ordinary people, it was a dog-eat-dog existence, where even the smallest gain could lead to bloodshed. Among martial practitioners, it was even more cutthroat, and sometimes, it went beyond that.

Inside the Sword Return Tower at this moment, chaos reigned, but it had not yet reached the point of total collapse. Because these disciples in the Body Tempering realm had only witnessed the attack on the Sword Return Tower, but they didn't know the final outcome.

There were still quite a few people standing in place, awaiting the ultimate result. Because once the elders of the Sword Return Tower returned and found disciples fleeing, they would be treated as traitors.

Ordinary disciples knew the consequences, and the true disciples, of course, wouldn't be the first to flee. At this moment, they were all watching, waiting for the final outcome.

Chen Fei's clone arrived at the Sword Return Tower's true disciple peak. Using the Star Gazing Art, Chen Fei's clone had already detected the auras of several individuals who possessed the Primordial technique.

As the clone handled the cleanup, Chen Fei himself had entered the main hall of the Sword Return Tower. In just a few glances, Chen Fei spotted the location of the secret chamber.

Normally, this secret chamber should have been extremely well-hidden. However, given the disruption in the Sword Return Tower's formation caused by Chen Fei's arrow, the secrecy of this chamber was no longer concealed, and its aura naturally emanated.

Chen Fei arrived at the entrance to the secret chamber, where a piece of green steel stone blocked his path.

Green steel stone was exceptionally heavy and hard to move forcibly, causing a great commotion when pushed aside. Evidently, the Sword Return Tower had placed this green steel stone here as a precaution against anyone sneaking into the secret chamber.

However, it was likely that the Sword Return Tower had not anticipated the day when all their top-tier experts would be wiped out, rendering this green steel stone's warning function essentially useless.

Chen Fei placed both hands on the green steel stone, and the surrounding Qi trembled. The stone emitted a dull sound before Chen Fei managed to forcefully push it aside.

This revealed a passage big enough for one person to enter and exit. Chen Fei removed his hands from the green steel stone and swiftly entered the secret chamber.

After passing through a narrow corridor, Chen Fei arrived in a cavern. Whether in the corridor or the secret chamber, no traps had been set anymore.

Evidently, the Sword Return Tower understood that even if someone could safely enter this place, setting up numerous traps would be futile.

However, while there were no traps in the secret chamber, there were traces of a formation. Chen Fei glanced at it and realized that this formation had both protective and self-destructive functions.

If things went awry, activating the secret chamber's formation could destroy everything inside and outside, leaving nothing behind for outsiders.

Unfortunately, the vast majority of the Sword Return Tower's members had been slain by Chen Fei outside. Yuan Nanyun, who was responsible for maintaining the formation, had been struck down by Chen Fei's arrow, leaving no time for him to do anything else.

Chen Fei's keen nose picked up a faint fragrance.

Chen Fei approached a cushion, and next to it, there was a small bottle. The bottle was sealed with a cork, and the scent wasn't escaping from the bottle itself but rather from the person who had used it before. Every time they opened the bottle, the fragrance would diffuse throughout the room.

Over time, this scent had permeated the entire secret chamber.

With a subtle motion of his right hand, Chen Fei picked up the bottle from the ground, removed the cork, and the fragrance he had just detected intensified several times over.

Inhaling this medicinal fragrance, Chen Fei felt a sense of relaxation throughout his body. It wasn't just in his flesh and bones; more importantly, he sensed a warmth between his apertures.

This bottle of liquid was specifically designed for a martial artist's apertures. Just smelling the fragrance had an effect, and if consumed, the results would undoubtedly be potent.

Compared to the Origin Awakening Pills Chen Fei had obtained from the Alchemist Union in the past, the effectiveness of this liquid was unquestionably much stronger.

In the entire Sword Return Tower, the one who needed and qualified to use such a premium healing item was none other than Xing Xinzhao.

Back when Xing Xinzhao was forced to rupture his own apertures in order to escape the encirclement of Qu Qingsheng and Zhou Zixuan, his strength had suffered a great setback. Unless there were exceptional circumstances, a drop in cultivation was inevitable.

Xing Xinzhao would certainly be unwilling to accept this, and neither would the Sword Return Tower. After all, losing a high-level expert in the advance Aperture Tempering realm would be a significant blow to the Sword Return Tower, both in terms of its current strength and its foundations.

Therefore, if there was a chance, the Sword Return Tower would undoubtedly go all out to heal Xing Xinzhao's injuries, and they might even sell various resources to achieve this goal.

After all, when compared to the value of a advanced stage Aperture Tempering realm expert, other cultivation resources could be replenished over time, but such a martial artist was not easy to cultivate.

Chen Fei had encountered Xing Xinzhao this time and felt that Xing Xinzhao's injuries were remarkably stable. Even the flow of his elemental energy showed no signs of hesitation.

During the final moment when he shattered all his apertures, he was even able to temporarily display the strength of an advanced stage Aperture Tempering realm martial artist. With all these factors in mind, there was no doubt about the effectiveness of the liquid before him.

Chen Fei sealed the medicine bottle and then approached a wooden crate. Upon a quick examination, he found that there were fewer than 300 elemental stones inside. There were no spiritual weapons on the shelves in the secret chamber.

However, there were some spiritual herbs, but they were quite ordinary and didn't hold much value. There were also a few pills for cultivation, but not in large quantities, only a dozen or so bottles.

It was hard to imagine that these resources were all that remained in a sect with an advanced stage Aperture Tempering realm martial artist presiding over it, and which dominated a region spanning several hundred miles.

The combined quantity of elemental stones, pills, and some spiritual herbs in the secret chamber didn't even compare to what the Cliff Mountain Sect possessed. The most powerful individual in the Cliff Mountain Sect was only in the mid-stage of the Aperture Tempering realm.

However, Chen Fei didn't show much surprise on his face. When he saw the bottle of healing liquid, he understood that there wouldn't be much left in this secret chamber in terms of resources.

After all, everything that could be sold had likely been exchanged for the healing elixir. If it weren't for the need to keep some elemental stones on hand for emergencies, even these 200 or so elemental stones might not have been left.

Using the Star Gazing Art, Chen Fei carefully examined the entire secret chamber once again, confirming that there were no hidden compartments or concealed items. What he saw before him was all there was.

Chen Fei shook his head slightly, acknowledging that the harvest was indeed much less than he had imagined. The remaining value of these resources, even if he tried to sell them, wouldn't be significant. After all, those who truly needed this kind of medicine for healing were likely in extremely dire situations.

The quantity of medicine Chen Fei had in his hand might not even be sufficient to alleviate serious injuries, let alone fully recover from them. If he tried to sell them, he'd likely face strong price pressure, considering the limited demand for such a potent healing elixir.

Chen Fei decided to bring the remaining medicine back to the Primordial Sword Sect. He could sell it to the sect, and at least it was a medicine that had even more potent effects than the Origin Awakening Pills.

As long as the injuries of the sect's advanced stage Aperture Tempering realm practitioners were not too severe, this elixir should be sufficient for recovery. Chen Fei believed that Qu Qingsheng wouldn't mistreat him when it came to compensation.

The harvest in this secret chamber wasn't substantial, but when Chen Fei had slain Sui Wengong and the others, the rewards were quite considerable.

Just the Primordial Sealing Mirror alone was of exceptionally high value, being a top-grade spiritual weapon. Many high-level experts in the advance Aperture Tempering realm couldn't even possess a top-grade spiritual weapon.

For instance, in the Primordial Sword Sect, neither Qu Qingsheng nor Zhou Zixuan had a top-grade spiritual weapon. The entire sect had only one top-grade Locking Spirit Tower. This situation wasn't unique to the Primordial Sword Sect; several sects around Immortal Cloud City faced similar circumstances.

The difficulty in crafting top-grade spiritual weapons was extremely high, and those capable of doing so were few and far between. Moreover, many top-grade spiritual weapons required extremely rare materials.

Considering all these factors, the number of top-grade spiritual weapons in circulation was quite limited. Therefore, if Chen Fei were willing to sell the Primordial Sealing Mirror, he would receive a substantial amount of elemental stones in return.

In addition to the Primordial Sealing Mirror, there were also the mid-grade spiritual swords used by Sui Wengong and Xing Xinzhao, as well as the spiritual swords wielded by other Sword Return Tower elders. All of these could be sold.

Furthermore, the Qianyuan Sword Chen Fei currently possessed was undergoing a significant transformation.

Under the Slaughter Spirit Technique, after killing so many Aperture Tempering realm practitioners from the Sword Return Tower, including some in the advanced stages, all the extracted spiritual essences had been absorbed into the Qianyuan Sword.

The Qianyuan Sword's original spirituality was already at a high level among mid-grade spiritual weapons. Now, after absorbing so much spiritual essence, it had a great chance of evolving into a top-grade spiritual sword.

Of course, when the Qianyuan Sword was forged years ago, Chen Fei had already used the best materials he could obtain at the time. However, it was evident that the quality of those materials was still somewhat lacking compared to what was needed for a top-grade spiritual weapon.

This foundational issue meant that even if the Qianyuan Sword did eventually ascend to the level of a top-grade spiritual weapon, it would likely be considered one of the lower-ranking top-grade spiritual swords.

However, Chen Fei didn't have any objections to this. After all, even if it ended up at the lower end of top-grade spiritual weapons, it was still a top-grade spiritual weapon, and it would provide a significant boost to Chen Fei's combat capabilities.

Moreover, despite the Qianyuan Sword's initial quality, as long as it could absorb enough spiritual essence, it could still forcibly elevate its grade. Chen Fei had developed a bond with this sword, which he personally nurtured, and it served him exceptionally well.

Just like Chen Fei's own aptitude among martial practitioners, it was a complex matter, but compared to the Qianyuan Sword, it was already at a relatively high level.

Chen Fei placed the elemental stones, pills, and the various spiritual herbs into his spatial grid.

The already sparsely filled secret chamber now appeared even emptier.

Chen Fei didn't immediately leave but instead walked over to the cushion. Under the scrutiny of the Star Gazing Art, the cushion appeared entirely ordinary, just like any common cushion made from woven grass.

However, its sheer ordinariness was what made it seem peculiar..

Chapter 405: Not Making a Choice

Chen Fei sat in the courtyard of the Primordial Sword Sect, where there was a straw mat. During his usual practice sessions, he would often sit on it.

Chen Fei's mat was woven from spiritual herbs and had the modest ability to absorb and gather spiritual energy passively. Its effects were not particularly strong, but one could say it was better than nothing.

Moreover, the mat had a calming effect on the mind, though not particularly potent, it was still better than having none at all.

Mats like this were possessed by every cultivator in the Primordial Sword Sect who had reached a certain level of cultivation. Since they were made from common spiritual herbs, they weren't considered very valuable.

However, their effects were still noticeable over time.

Since they weren't expensive, it made sense to have one on hand; after all, it wouldn't hurt.

But at this moment, the mat in front of Chen Fei seemed to lack any trace of spiritual energy. Placing such a mat in the secluded chamber of the Sword Return Tower, it looked odd no matter how you examined it.

Chen Fei stood to the side, continuously observing the mat with his eyes and sensing it with his spiritual awareness, but he couldn't detect anything unusual.

Both his eyes and his spiritual awareness clearly told Chen Fei that this was just an ordinary piece of straw.

After a moment of contemplation, Chen Fei sat cross-legged on the mat.

A faint chill spread from beneath the mat, and Chen Fei's restless thoughts, which had arisen due to his recent battles, slowly calmed down in response to this chill.

A look of surprise appeared in Chen Fei's eyes. Just the calming effect alone exceeded the mat he had in the Primordial Sword Sect.

Or perhaps, there was no comparison between the two at all.

This chill was not a forced suppression but more like a gentle spring breeze, soothing the scattered thoughts in your mind and allowing you to relax effortlessly. There was no coercion, just a natural flow, like eating or drinking.

Chen Fei reached out and touched the mat. It still felt like ordinary straw, quite rough. However, he didn't intentionally break or investigate the material of the mat, even though he knew it was extraordinary. Without absolute certainty, Chen Fei wouldn't destroy it.

Whether it was an illusion or not, as the chill from the mat continued to spread, Chen Fei's mind not only became calmer but also filled with more and more thoughts.

This seems somewhat contradictory because tranquility represents purity of mind, free from other distractions.

The increasing flow of thoughts is a sign of the resurgence of distractions, and the two concepts almost seem at odds with each other.

Yet, this very contradiction was happening in Chen Fei's mental realm at this moment, as if a person were thinking about various things in a remarkably calm state of mind.

Chen Fei's expression twitched slightly as he considered a possibility. He closed his eyes and began to operate the Blade-Slaying Sword technique.

A sharp aura began to emanate from Chen Fei's body. Most of the cultivation techniques Chen Fei had practiced were already at a high level of mastery. What he was mainly focusing on now were the Blade-Slaying Sword technique and the Water-Jade Sword technique, both of which were still in the realm of expertise, with a small gap remaining to reach perfection.

The Primordial Sword Scripture had been mastered quickly by Chen Fei, as it was just an outline. The key lay in the degree of proficiency in other cultivation techniques, which would eventually connect them together.

As Chen Fei operated the Blade-Slaying Sword technique at this moment, various thoughts related to this technique began to emerge in his mental realm. These thoughts collided with each other, including both correct and incorrect ones.

The correct thoughts directly advanced the level of comprehension of the Blade-Slaying Sword technique. Incorrect thoughts were not necessarily bad; they could serve as the dialectical opposite of the correct ones, also promoting the understanding of the technique.

In just a short while, Chen Fei gained a new perception of the Blade-Slaying Sword technique.

This was quite different from practicing the Blade-Slaying Sword technique after simplifying the method, and it provided a unique experience.

After simplifying the Blade-Slaying Sword technique, all you needed to do was practice, and the insights would directly appear in your mind. If you were to make a comparison, it was like having access to the correct answers at the back of several textbooks.

This mat, on the other hand, allowed you to solve the problems step by step, providing many joys in the process.

One approach was to have immediate possession, while the other involved gradually moving forward to gain possession.

These two methods had their differences, and if Chen Fei had to choose…

Why did Chen Fei need to choose? Both were now in his hands, and he would choose whichever was more convenient. In simpler terms, he wanted it all.

Only children make choices; adults always want everything!

Chen Fei's eyes opened, and the sharp aura around him receded.

He stood up and looked at the mat in front of him. At this moment, Chen Fei began to understand why Sui Wengong and Xing Xinzhou had both made breakthroughs to the advanced stage of the Aperture Tempering realm in recent years.

Having such an accelerator for cultivation would significantly increase the speed of comprehending techniques.

Compared to the spontaneous breakthroughs that occurred when advancing to the advanced stage of the Aperture Tempering realm, there was simply no comparison. Those breakthroughs were akin to sudden enlightenment.

Moreover, it was a question whether this mat would maintain such a strong effect in the latter half of comprehending techniques.

After all, the Blade-Slaying Sword technique was still in the proficiency stage, and it was understandable that it could have a more noticeable effect. Besides, Chen Fei's own insight had reached a new level, not much weaker than some geniuses.

From Chen Fei's observation, this mat was more of an enhancement. It added another layer of effect on top of your own foundation.

This mat was somewhat similar to the effect of having a great teacher. However, sometimes when faced with a particular problem, if you couldn't solve it, you really couldn't, even if someone taught you once, you might still be baffled the next time.

But no matter how you looked at it, having this mat would undoubtedly save a lot of time in cultivating techniques. For the strong, it would yield astonishing results when given to those talented individuals.

Chen Fei stored the mat in his spatial grid, not knowing where the Sword Return Tower had obtained this item. Unfortunately, the person who could provide answers was no longer around, and Chen Fei had no way to inquire further.

Even if the people were still around, Chen Fei knew they probably wouldn't reveal anything.

Knowing that death was inevitable and leaving things for others was a rare occurrence in the world.

Chen Fei glanced around the chamber, confirming that nothing was left behind. With a quick movement, he left the spot.

When Chen Fei reappeared, he was already at the inheritance ground beneath the lake.

Compared to when Chen Fei first arrived here, nothing had changed. The only difference was that the array formation here had been strengthened by the Sword Return Tower.

Clearly, Chen Fei's previous visit had left the Sword Return Tower feeling uneasy, prompting them to enhance the formation here.

A surge of sword energy rose from Chen Fei's body, shattering the stone tablets of several Primordial Sword Sect techniques. Then, with a flicker of his sword energy, he excavated the inheritance stones of three Sword Return Tower techniques and placed them in his bag.

At this moment, Chen Fei's clone was dealing with several disciples of the Sword Return Tower. Afterward, it rushed into the Sword Return Tower's scripture repository, searching for valuable mental cultivation techniques.

Chen Fei no longer had any interest in the other techniques stored in the scripture repository. Only the mental cultivation techniques might not necessarily be of high rank or exceptional in terms of techniques, but if they could provide good insights, they held immense value for Chen Fei.

As for the Sword Return Tower's treasure vault, Chen Fei didn't have much interest either. However, following the principle of not wasting opportunities, Chen Fei's clone still paid a visit.

But the outcome was as Chen Fei had expected. Even in the main peak chamber and the Sword Return Tower, there was nothing substantial. These places were meant to provide resources for Body Tempering realm disciples; one couldn't expect to find exceptional treasures here.

Half an hour later, Chen Fei left the Sword Return Tower. The real chaos would erupt in the Sword Return Tower only now.

Because the elders of the Sword Return Tower had been absent for too long, this silent fact indicated something unsettling, something that sent shivers down their spines.

Chen Fei had no reason to kill the ordinary disciples. It served no purpose for him. He did not derive pleasure from killing, and his pursuit of martial arts was not for the sake of slaughter.

Longevity and control over one's destiny; these were the true reasons Chen Fei practiced martial arts.

Carrying a large bundle on his back, Chen Fei had distanced himself from the Sword Return Tower by over a hundred miles in a matter of moments. He found a cave on the mountain, cleaned it up a bit, and then took out the mat, sitting cross-legged on it.

Chen Fei spread out the mental cultivation techniques he had obtained from the Sword Return Tower's scripture repository on the ground, and he went through each book one by one. After finishing each one, he would pause for a moment to contemplate before moving on to the next.

It took him more than an hour to go through about a dozen mental cultivation techniques.

The results were not negligible, but they were indeed quite limited.

Some of the ideas in a few of the techniques were intriguing, but they currently couldn't provide substantial assistance to Chen Fei. They could only be regarded as a form of reserve knowledge.

Chen Fei wasn't too surprised because the Sword Return Tower was not a dominant force, and having limited preserved techniques was normal.

If Chen Fei could visit the scripture repository of the Immortal Cloud Sword Sect, the gains would undoubtedly be significant. However, Chen Fei wasn't at that level yet.

Chen Fei took out three inheritance stones from the Sword Return Tower, chose one of them, and then immersed his consciousness into it.

An hour later, Chen Fei opened his eyes. This was the Sword Return Tower's martial art inheritance known as "Flying Swallows Sword," which opened seventy-five acupoints.

With Chen Fei's current perspective, Flying Swallows Sword's movement capabilities were impressive, especially in terms of straight-line speed.

If Chen Fei had come across Flying Swallows Sword before acquiring the Great Thunder Sword, he might have considered practicing some of its essence. However, now there was no need for it.

Chen Fei turned his gaze to the remaining inheritance stone and immersed his consciousness into it.

Another hour passed, and Chen Fei opened his eyes again. This was the primary cultivation technique of the Sword Return Tower, the "Sword Return Technique." It was overall decent, but the part that would be useful to Chen Fei was likely the "Quick Sword Return" technique.

When used with the electromagnetic cannon, it would probably allow Chen Fei to shorten the charging time.

As for the rest, it was far inferior to the Primordial Sword Scripture and had no value for cultivation.

Chen Fei then immersed his consciousness into the last inheritance stone. It took only half an hour, but this last inheritance stone brought Chen Fei a different kind of surprise.

The "Sword Return Eye"!

Leaving traces as you pass, as long as someone has been here, even if they have left, they will be captured by the Sword Return Eye.

According to the technique, if practiced to its peak, it might even forcibly extract traces from the past.

The law of cause and effect?

Chapter 406: Sword Return Eyes

The sight of this sword technique truly amazed Chen Fei. He had no idea who had created this technique, nor did he understand the concepts and training methods involved, all of which were quite different from many other mental techniques.

Yes, the Sword Return Eye was indeed a mental technique. Whether it was in driving or cultivation, it involved the transformation of mental power, much like the Godslayer Sword and the Slaughter Spirit Technique.

However, while the Godslayer Sword and the Slaughter Spirit Technique were focused on killing enemies, the Sword Return Eye leaned more towards being a form of assistance.

Of course, what the Sword Return Eye ultimately mentioned, being able to extract traces from the past, was not something that could be done at any time; there were limitations to it.

Normally, if one truly reached the pinnacle of Sword Return Eye cultivation, the traces of one's presence within an hour could be captured at will, without any pressure.

But if, like Chen Fei, one had special techniques, such as the Slaughter Spirit Technique, which eliminated one's own presence, then capturing those traces would become more challenging and require stronger mental power to support it.

And if it went beyond an hour, the difficulty of capturing the traces continued to rise. However, if one's mental power was strong enough, it could be extended by continually expending mental power.

In theory, as long as one's mental power could sustain it, the timeline could even be extended indefinitely. As long as one can sustain it, there won't be any problems.

"Discovered new technique, spend forty pieces of elemental stones to simplify the Sword Return Eye?"

"Simplify the Sword Return Eye… Simplification successful… Sword Return Eye —> Picture Visualization Technique!"

The cost of simplification was not small, but Chen Fei didn't hesitate and chose to confirm. Nowadays, the techniques that caught Chen Fei's eye were few and far between, especially those related to mental power, which were exceedingly rare.

Moreover, forty elemental stones might have been a significant expense for Chen Fei in the past. However, at this moment, he already had six low-grade spirit swords and two medium-grade spirit swords in his possession.

Although these spirit swords had suffered some damage due to battles with Chen Fei, each low-grade spirit sword could still be sold for around thirty to forty elemental stones, or even more.

Medium-grade spirit swords could fetch two to three hundred elemental stones each. Roughly adding them up, it amounted to over eight hundred elemental stones. Not to mention the invaluable Primordial Sealing Mirror, which was hard to estimate in terms of value.

So, even though Chen Fei hadn't found many elemental stones in the Sword Returning Tower's secret treasury, the acquisition of these spirit swords had already paid off.

Therefore, the cost of simplifying the Sword Return Eye technique was something that didn't make Chen Fei feel regretful. After all, the expenses for this kind of simplification were all aimed at making Chen Fei's own foundation stronger.

The result of simplifying the Sword Return Eye was also the type that Chen Fei was most delighted to see. With his current level of mental division, drawing over a hundred visualization diagrams at once was a breeze.

Chen Fei lowered his head and looked at the inheritance stone in his hand.

After a moment of contemplation, he exerted a slight force with his right hand, instantly shattering the inheritance stone. Not only this one, but the other two inheritance stones were also crushed into powder by Chen Fei.

These three inheritance stones had a considerable volume, taking up too much space in his storage grid. Since they were already recorded on the panel, whether these inheritance stones were present or not made no difference to Chen Fei.

Afterward, when Chen Fei returned to the Primordial Sword Sect, he planned to offer the three techniques, and it would only require a few jade scrolls to record them.

However, Chen Fei hadn't decided to return to the sect just yet. He still had some spiritual weapons in his possession that he hadn't sold, and he needed to find a place to dispose of these items.

Black City District was an option. Although he had encountered the Rain Pavilion there last time, that incident hadn't caused Chen Fei any trouble. In fact, he had even gained some cultivation resources from it.

If it weren't for the gains from Black City District, Chen Fei's current level of acupoint cultivation wouldn't have reached eighty-two acupoints.

However, Chen Fei didn't plan to go to Black City District, not because he was worried about retaliation from the Rain Pavilion or the potential suppression by the Black City District's owner.

With Chen Fei's current level of cultivation, if they had such intentions, it would be a matter of who would suppress whom in the end.

Even if the owner of Black City District used the power of the market formation, Chen Fei would need to truly fight before knowing the final outcome.

In any case, there was no real danger to Chen Fei, and if he wanted to leave, ordinary late-stage acupoint cultivators wouldn't be able to stop him.

The reason Chen Fei didn't plan to go to Black City District was simply because it couldn't offer him a satisfactory price.

The low-grade and medium-grade spirit swords were manageable; Chen Fei had already sold some last time. While selling them again in a short period might lead to a slight price decrease, it wasn't a significant issue.

The main reason was the Primordial Sealing Mirror that Chen Fei currently had in his possession, which was a top-grade spiritual weapon.

In all the years of Black City District's existence, there had never been any official records of transactions involving top-grade spiritual weapons. Whether there were any private transactions was completely unknown.

The owner of Black City District was only in the late-stage acupoint cultivation realm himself, and even if others had top-grade spiritual weapons, they wouldn't conduct such transactions in Black City District due to its limited scope.

Chen Fei planned to go to the Imperial City, the heart of the dynasty and the most prosperous place. There, he could find suitable buyers for the Primordial Sealing Mirror and receive an appropriate price for it.

Most people who obtained top-grade spiritual weapons rarely sold them because they were incredibly rare. However, Chen Fei needed substantial cultivation resources to elevate his own cultivation.

The Primordial Sealing Mirror was indeed a formidable tool, capable of immobilizing individuals, making it an excellent choice for both combat and capturing enemies. However, in terms of enhancing Chen Fei's combat capabilities, it didn't offer as much as he needed.

In terms of combat, Chen Fei could now unleash power that would leave most late-stage acupoint cultivators trembling in fear.

As for capturing enemies, the Zhongyuan Sword Formation could serve that purpose, though Chen Fei seldom used it anymore because, when facing opponents, he didn't need to immobilize them; he could simply go in for the kill.

For Chen Fei, capturing opponents seemed to have become somewhat redundant.

When a person's strength reached a certain level, many techniques began to evolve towards simplicity. It didn't mean these techniques became useless; instead, they started to merge and become more practical.

Of course, if Chen Fei had enough elemental stones, he would keep the Primordial Sealing Mirror. But the problem now was that he didn't have enough elemental stones!

Furthermore, the Qianyuan Sword was currently in a state of transformation, and Chen Fei was about to possess his own top-grade spiritual sword. For Chen Fei, the Primordial Sealing Mirror could only be sold as it no longer had a more significant role to play.

Heading to the Imperial City not only provided the easiest access to potential buyers, but Chen Fei also had some curiosity about the city itself.

Back when he was weaker, Chen Fei had lacked the strength to cross thousands of miles to another place. But now, aside from a few powerful individuals, Chen Fei's own strength was sufficient for self-preservation.

"To read ten thousand books is to travel ten thousand miles."

While Chen Fei hadn't read ten thousand books, he had learned nearly a hundred different techniques. With his current level of cultivation, he wanted to use his own feet to explore this dynasty heading towards the sunset.

On the meditation cushion, Chen Fei swallowed a pill and focused his efforts on refining its medicinal power.

As his cultivation reached the advance Aperture Tempering realm, the seventy-two acupoints in his body had merged into one whole, and the speed at which Chen Fei refined pills became increasingly rapid.

Unlike when he was about to break through to the advance Aperture Tempering realm, back then, Chen Fei would slowly comprehend and sense the changes as he opened each acupoint.

At that time, he was confident about breaking through to the advance Aperture Tempering realm but maintained caution since he hadn't truly broken through yet. He adopted a strategic perspective, but when it came to tactics, he remained cautious.

However, now that Chen Fei was still quite far from reaching the peak of the acupoint realm, he had plenty of time to slowly comprehend the changes in himself.

Therefore, when taking pills nowadays, Chen Fei hardly took any breaks. He would refine one pill and immediately swallow the next.

Most of the dozen or so pills Chen Fei obtained from the Sword Returning Tower were meant to enhance elemental power. For others, it would likely take quite a long time to refine these pills.

One had to consider whether their body could withstand the medicinal power. The refinement of medicinal power was a significant burden on both the meridians and acupoints.

Another consideration was whether their comprehension of techniques and mental power could keep up with the process.

However, for Chen Fei, none of these were issues, so he consumed the pills somewhat recklessly.

A day passed in the blink of an eye. During that time, Chen Fei stopped taking the pills and spent several hours practicing techniques, especially the Sword Return Eye.

His mental power created nearly two hundred strands while simultaneously drawing visualization diagrams.

The comprehension of nearly two hundred versions of the Sword Return Eye instantly filled Chen Fei's sea of consciousness.

This feeling was overwhelming even for Chen Fei, who was accustomed to the insights provided by the panel. The amount of comprehension given in an instant was simply too much, second only to the feeling he had experienced during the last spiritual epiphany.

However, during a spiritual epiphany, Chen Fei's mental sea of consciousness was in an extremely active state, making it very easy to absorb those insights. Now, Chen Fei's mental state was calm, and the sudden influx of nearly two hundred insights left him feeling a bit overwhelmed. Fortunately, Chen Fei's mental power was exceptional, and he quickly adapted to this state.

Once he adapted, and with the continuous influx of these two hundred insights into his sea of consciousness, Chen Fei found himself completely absorbed in them.

Learning can indeed bring happiness, especially the sense of achievement that comes with mastering something new, which can be addictive.

For ordinary people, the root cause of their struggle with learning lies in the fact that they often cannot grasp complex content or, if they manage to learn it, they quickly forget it.

Chen Fei didn't have this concern. Once he learned something, he truly learned it, and the feeling of being surrounded by insights was irresistible.

Throughout an entire night, Chen Fei was immersed in the practice of the Sword Return Eye, even forgetting to take the pills.

The results of a whole night's practice were remarkable. Chen Fei had already pushed his mastery of the technique to a high level, and he had even made significant progress towards mastery. According to his estimate, in less than ten days, he would be able to reach the pinnacle of the Sword Return Eye, achieving a state of perfection.

It's worth noting that within the entire Sword Returning Tower, only Xing Xinzhao, a person who had reached the peak of the Sword Return Eye, had achieved such mastery. Most others in the tower were still hovering at the beginner level..