Confrontation

Before the door could fully close, a voice could be heard reprimanding someone, "You idiot! Utterly useless! You let even a piece of trash like him beat you up this badly, and you're still alive? You're a disgrace to the disciples of Hundred-Finger Peak!"

As the scolding voice ended, Shi Feiyu, standing by the door, overheard Chang Yu's meek defense, "This matter is complicated. Let's first settle the score with him."

Upon hearing this conversation, Shi Feiyu furrowed his brow. It seemed that Chang Yu, who had been beaten two days ago, had come to Flowing Cloud Peak with some people to make trouble.

"This might be a bit tricky," Shi Feiyu thought.

Realizing that the voices were getting closer, Shi Feiyu put on a troubled expression and stepped outside. Flowing Cloud Peak now only had Shi Feiyu and Zhou Lian. In such a situation, encountering adversaries might result in another beating.

"Loser Shi, don't hide. Come out!" came the taunting voice even before the group arrived at the mountaintop. Upon hearing his derisive nickname, Shi Feiyu's face darkened.

He pushed the door open, only to see three young men quickly approaching. To the left was Chang Yu, who had been severely beaten two days ago, and in the middle stood a handsome youth who appeared to be of the same age as Chang Yu. However, this youth exuded an air of arrogance, and Shi Feiyu noticed that he was at the mid-stage of the Qi-Infused Realm.

Shi Feiyu's pupils contracted.

On the right stood a chubby man, his fat cheeks almost squeezed together, making it hard for him to open his eyes. This chubby man, upon seeing Shi Feiyu, suddenly barked angrily, "Are you the one who beat my cousin?"

However, the moment he asked that question, Chang Yu's face turned red. He still felt embarrassed about being beaten by someone at the Bone Forging Realm and didn't want to admit it.

The chubby man, on the other hand, seemed oblivious to Chang Yu's discomfort. He continued, "You actually injured my brother. Kid, if you kneel down and apologize today, that'll be the end of it. But if you dare to utter half a disrespectful word, I, Chang Fu, will make sure you're reborn into a new life!"

Shi Feiyu glanced at him but didn't bother to respond. This man, despite having a loud voice, was the weakest among the three, only at the later stage of the Bone Forging Realm.

Chang Fu saw that Shi Feiyu ignored him and suddenly roared, ready to charge forward. However, the handsome youth in the center blocked him and focused on Shi Feiyu, saying with a wry smile, "We've come here to discuss something with Senior Uncle Gongsun. Is he...?"

By "Senior Uncle Gongsun," he was referring to Gongsun Yang, Shi Feiyu's master. However, Gongsun Yang had gone on a journey to find rare herbs a few days ago and had not returned.

Shi Feiyu realized that they had mentioned his master and understood that although they had come here, they were also wary of him. He shook his head gently and replied, "My master is currently away. You can tell me whatever you need to say."

"I am Li Ze, a disciple of Hundred-Finger Peak, here to pay my respects to Senior Uncle Gongsun," the young man across from him introduced himself. However, he seemed skeptical of Shi Feiyu’s words and suddenly spoke disrespectfully, saying, "A few days ago, our junior from Hundred-Finger Peak had a minor conflict with Senior Uncle Gongsun's disciple. Our Master specifically sent us to seek an explanation."

Li Ze appeared cautious but spoke rudely. In truth, the blame for this could be attributed to Shi Feiyu's cowardly master.

Nine Palace Mountain has nine branches where each mountain peak had its unique focus. However, over time, they developed differently. Flowing Cloud Peak primarily specialized in talisman crafting but was quite lax in self-cultivation. It was because of this that the current Peak Leader, Gongsun Yang, felt humiliated when compared to the other eight peak leaders.

This was something that Shi Feiyu particularly disliked. So, when he saw a junior disciple like Li Ze coming up the mountain to demand an explanation from his master, he couldn't contain his anger. However, his current injuries prevented him from getting into a physical altercation.

After Li Ze spoke loudly and waited for a response, a considerable amount of time passed without any sign of Gongsun Yang's voice. Observing this, Li Ze's expression darkened. Just as he was about to speak again, Chang Yu, who was standing beside him, had a resentful expression. He spoke harshly, "Shi Feiyu, since your master is not here, don't blame us for not showing him any mercy. Let's do it!"

However, Zhou Lian suddenly walked up to Shi Feiyu and shouted, "I dare you to try anything."

"Get lost!"

Seeing him trying to defend Shi Feiyu, Chang Yu's face darkened, and he suddenly shouted angrily.

Although Zhou Lian could create some talismans, his cultivation was only at the late stage of the Bone Forging Realm. Without relying on talisman techniques, he wouldn't be able to frequently tease Shi Feiyu.

However, Shi Feiyu, observing his actions, couldn't help feeling a bit moved: "After all, we are fellow disciples. At a critical moment, he still stands with me."

Chang Yu's outburst frightened Zhou Lian, who shivered in response. Although Zhou Lian was skilled in making talismans, his cultivation was only at the later stage of the Bone Forging Realm. If it came to a fight, he wouldn't be able to withstand Chang Yu's attack. However, Zhou Lian didn't want to lose face in front of his junior brother, and he turned his gaze toward Li Ze, saying angrily, "Li Ze, this is Flowing Cloud Peak. You shouldn't act so arrogantly!"

It seemed that Zhou Lian was trying to make Li Ze reconsider his actions. After all, this was Flowing Cloud Peak, not Hundred-Finger Peak. If they injured someone here, Gongsun Yang wouldn't easily let it slide.

Unexpectedly, Li Ze's face darkened, but he remained silent. The Chang brothers saw this and understood that Li Ze didn't want to back down.

Chang Fu, with his face filled with fat, sneered, "What's the matter? Does that mean we cannot beat disciples from Flowing Cloud Peak?"

Zhou Lian's expression darkened upon hearing this, and he was about to retaliate against the chubby man. Suddenly, a gray shadow appeared beside Zhou Lian, wielding a dry branch and screeching at Chang Yu and the others.

"A first-grade mythical beast!"

Chang Yu initially looked disdainful, but when Li Ze quietly stated the monkey's strength, his expression grew gloomy. First-grade mythical beasts were on par with those in the Qi-Infused Realm's later stage. Although Chang Yu's cultivation was high, he wasn't sure he could win against this mythical beast.

At this moment, the two senior brothers stood side by side, and a mythical beast lent its presence, making their aura just as imposing as Chang Yu and the others.

Amidst the tense atmosphere, a cough drew everyone's attention. At the top of Flowing Cloud Peak, a thin and old man suddenly appeared, and peculiarly, he made no sound with his footsteps, as if he had been standing there the whole time.

When Li Ze turned around and saw him, his expression subtly changed. He hurriedly bowed and saluted, saying, "Disciple pays respects to Senior Uncle Gongsun!"

The newcomer was Gongsun Yang, the Peak Leader and the master whom Shi Feiyu often insulted as "Old Rascal." However, Gongsun Yang was in no mood for jokes, and his gaze was fixed sternly on Li Ze. "What? Don't you consider me your Senior Uncle?" he asked with a hint of reprimand.

While Gongsun Yang usually had a good temper, he couldn't suppress his anger when Hundred-Finger Peak's disciples came to Flowing Cloud Peak in his absence. Li Ze sensed his displeasure but hastily greeted him, saying, "I dare not disrespect, but my Master has specifically instructed us to..."

Before he could finish his sentence, Gongsun Yang coldly interrupted, "Today, I have pressing matters to attend to. Tell your Master, Mo Baili, that my disciples do not require his guidance."

"However..."

Chang Yu hesitated slightly, as if he wanted to say something more. But before he could speak, Gongsun Yang pulled out a talisman from his chest.

This talisman floated in the air and then, before everyone's eyes, transformed into a blurred figure. Just as Chang Yu was bewildered by this, the fuzzy figure suddenly grabbed him and tossed him aside.

The talisman-transformed figure moved with incredible speed, so fast that not even Li Ze could see its actions. By the time everyone regained their senses, Chang Yu had been thrown over ten meters away, crashing heavily to the ground.

"Senior Uncle Gongsun, you..."

Seeing this old man take action without any explanation, Li Ze was annoyed but dared not speak out. Gongsun Yang cast a cold glance at him and sneered, "What? Do you want me to invite you to stay for a cup of tea?"

Knowing that he couldn't achieve anything today, Li Ze hastily bowed, saluted, and turned to leave. But as he left, he suddenly turned back to look at Shi Feiyu and asked, "I have a question, Senior Uncle Gongsun, can you answer it?"

Before Gongsun Yang could respond, Li Ze continued, "In two months, there's the Nine Palace Mountain Disciples' Grand Competition. According to the rules, Junior Brother Feiyu will also participate, right?"

When Li Ze said this, Gongsun Yang's eyes narrowed slightly. Ever since he took charge of Flowing Cloud Peak, none of its disciples had made it past the first round in previous competitions. This was the reason why there were only the three of them on Flowing Cloud Peak. Li Ze's question was undoubtedly a provocation, and he was essentially challenging Shi Feiyu.

A Hundred-Finger Peak disciple was acting so confrontationally; even if Gongsun Yang could tolerate it, Shi Feiyu wouldn't. Before Gongsun Yang could respond, Shi Feiyu chuckled and said, "In the competition, I'll make you understand who the real loser is."

"Very well, I'll eagerly await Junior Brother Feiyu's participation," Li Ze said, his gaze cold, before saluting and turning away. The Chang brothers didn't dare linger and quickly helped each other to leave the area.

"You're too impulsive," Gongsun Yang sighed after they departed, looking at Shi Feiyu with a slight shake of his head.

Shi Feiyu, however, didn't seem to mind but smirked. He turned to Zhou Lian and said, "Pizza face, why did you suddenly take my side today?"

"Of course! Regardless of how we tease each other, you are still and always will be my junior brother. How can I watch others bully you?" Zhou Lian puffed out his chest proudly, saying, "On Flowing Cloud Peak, I'm the only one who can tease you!"

Shi Feiyu gazed at the smile on Zhou Lian's face, his corner of his lips twitching slightly. Nevertheless, his opinion of this senior brother of his had changed somewhat. While Zhou Lian enjoyed playing pranks, he would stand by Shi Feiyu's side when it was necessary. Unfortunately, this senior brother cared deeply about his reputation and often butted heads with Shi Feiyu over trivial matters in front of their master.

"What a pity, with such great talent, he’s not a Flowing Cloud Peak disciple!" Gongsun Yang lamented as he watched Li Ze and the others walk away, which earned him a disdainful glance from Shi Feiyu.

"In the competition two months from now, I will have your Senior Brother Zhou Lian, participate. As for you..." Gongsun Yang looked back at Shi Feiyu, his voice nonchalant, "just focus on healing."

As Gongsun Yang was about to close the door behind him, Shi Feiyu suddenly spoke up. "Old Rascal, do you really look down on me that much?"

The door slammed shut with a clang, but Gongsun Yang's voice came from inside. "Though I'm not a pharmacist, I do know there are three powerful seals within you. When you have the power to break them, then we can discuss it further."

This revelation left Shi Feiyu stiff, his gaze growing dark. He had always kept the existence of the seals within him a closely guarded secret, and he never expected that "Old Rascal" had been aware of it all along.

"Then why did you tell me that using elixirs could remove them?" Shi Feiyu suddenly asked, his anger rising.

In the past, he had believed that elixirs could remove the seals within him. But now it seemed that things were far more complicated. Inside the room, there was a moment of silence before Gongsun Yang's voice sounded once more. "If I didn’t tell you that way, can you stay alive until now?"

Shi Feiyu's lips twitched uncontrollably as he contemplated this. Three years ago, when he had been rescued. He was nearly dead. If it weren't for his master's efforts, he would have perished long ago.

However, despite surviving that ordeal, Shi Feiyu discovered that his cultivation was completely crippled. His meridians were forcibly sealed, making it impossible for him to absorb Natural Source Qi into his body. When he learned of this, he was on the brink of despair. Gongsun Yang told him that he could recover if he collected enough spirit medicines.

As he thought about all he had been through, his steps unconsciously brought him back to his room. Shi Feiyu sat on the edge of the bed in silence, and after a moment, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a fist-sized jade bead covered in fine pores. The bead was etched with gray and white patterns, and several pores were carved on its surface.

This jade bead was a family heirloom, traditionally held by the clan leader. However, Shi Feiyu's father had entrusted it to him before he left.

"If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be in this state. Three years have passed, and there's been no news from you. Why do I even keep this?" Shi Feiyu muttered to himself, his anger building. With that, he hurled the jade bead to the ground.

Upon impact, the jade bead cracked, and at that very moment, a blood-red radiance emerged from the cracks. Shi Feiyu initially intended to lie down and rest, but when he noticed this blood-red light from the corner of his eye, he hastily picked up the jade bead again.

The blood-red radiance gradually emanated from the cracks, giving the jade bead a strange appearance. As he watched, a sense of astonishment filled him. After a moment of hesitation, he decided to completely shatter the jade bead. To his amazement, he discovered something hidden inside.

Inside the shattered jade bead was a blood-red jade cicada, exquisitely carved as if it were indistinguishable from a real cicada. The detail was astounding, even down to the intricate blood-red patterns on its wings.

As Shi Feiyu examined the cicada carefully in his hand, the cicada's wings suddenly twitched slightly. Before he could react, a sharp pain coursed through his palm.

His whole palm began to wither visibly, and within a mere breath's time, Shi Feiyu saw stars in front of his eyes. He immediately tried to shake his arm, but the Blood Cicada revived at that moment and clung stubbornly to his palm.

"Damn it! It's sucking my blood, and I'm done for!" Weakness flooded through his body, and his arm went numb. But just as he was about to despair, the Blood Cicada abruptly spread its wings and flew off.

A melodious cicada chirp sounded in the room, but this time it was much lower, followed by two low buzzing noises as the cicada's wings paused. Shi Feiyu's vision became blurry, and he struggled to move away.

As he staggered blindly toward the door, the Blood Cicada hovering in mid-air emitted a faint blood-red light, enveloping him. The overwhelming weakness he felt quickly dissipated, and in the blink of an eye, the Blood Cicada's mysterious radiance receded.

Shi Feiyu was left in awe. When he noticed the Blood Cicada falling to the ground, he instinctively took a few steps back.

As the Blood Cicada hit the ground, it emitted a low buzzing sound instead of its earlier lively chirping, and its trembling wings came to a stop.

After waiting for a while with no sign of further movement, Shi Feiyu cautiously approached and picked it up. However, this time, the Blood Cicada had transformed back into a carved jade figure.

As he pondered this, he suddenly noticed another item within the shattered jade bead. He quickly examined it, discovering a thin, blood-red veil with tiny inscriptions covering it.

After a brief identification, Shi Feiyu was shocked and exclaimed, "Divine Fiend Incarnation Skill?"

Upon closer inspection, he was astonished to read the first row of the words: "The beginning of divine punishment, the transformation of a demon, neither born nor destroyed, neither alive nor injured, the Divine Fiend Incarnation Skill, refining of the Blood Cicada."

But only that was not enough to shock him. What truly surprised Shi Feiyu was the striking similarity between this technique and the secret divine incarnation skill of the Shi family.

The more he read, the more astonished he became. As he delved into the cultivation methods described in the technique, a blood-red light suddenly transformed into a flowing radiance, merging into the palms of his hands.

Startled, Shi Feiyu quickly looked down at his hands, but there was no sign of any abnormalities. The blood-red radiance that had merged into his palms had disappeared without a trace.

"So, the forbidden secret of the Shi family actually comes from here!"

Although he couldn't remember most of the cultivation methods mentioned inside, a cold smile appeared on the corners of Shi Feiyu's mouth. Three years ago, his cultivation was crippled, and his meridians were sealed. Unexpectedly, three years later, he obtained the Shi family's even more mysterious Divine Fiend Incarnation Skill.

Various martial arts techniques circulating in the God's Wrath Land would be classified according to their levels. However, this technique was quite different from ordinary cultivation methods. It not only lacked any record of level divisions but also had significant differences in the cultivation methods.

Ordinary cultivation methods stored the absorbed spiritual energy in the dantian, while the Divine Fiend Incarnation Skill stored the spiritual energy first in the limbs and bones.

Only when the limbs and bones were full would the spiritual energy gradually gather in the dantian. Once cultivated, this technique would far surpass any previous cultivation methods Shi Feiyu had practiced before his cultivation was crippled.

Even though he couldn't break the three seals within his body, with the Divine Fiend Incarnation Skill, Shi Feiyu could first store the spiritual energy in his limbs and bones. When the seals were eventually removed, he could swiftly channel the accumulated energy back into his dantian.

Realizing the terrifying nature of the Divine Fiend Incarnation Skill, Shi Feiyu made a quick deduction, and his pupils suddenly contracted. If he could successfully cultivate this technique, he believed he could quickly overcome his current predicament.

Quickly, he stored the two items he had found and didn't even consider his injured state. He rushed out of his room and headed down the mountain. Just as he left the mountain, Gongsun Yang emerged from his room and gazed at Shi Feiyu's departing figure, shaking his head in regret. "You left eventually..."