His Tribulation-Indestructible Body, fused with the Dragon Scale Iron Armor and advanced to the Refined Realm, spawned a second form. He activated State Two.
This was the source of Zou Feng’s confidence to give chase.
Normally, defeating Wu Xing would have been a real struggle.
But State Two worked by overtaxing his body, raising Zou Feng’s power to another level for a short period.
Inner Qi was indeed far inferior to Gang Qi in terms of "quality."
But when the "quantity" reached an absurd level, that was another story entirely.
It was worth mentioning that Zou Feng’s ability to comprehend State Two was not only thanks to his Body Refining Skill; the massive reserves of Inner Qi from the Black Tortoise Sea-Suppressing Force were also indispensable.
Seeing Zou Feng suddenly seem like a completely different person, the smile on Wu Xing’s face instantly froze.
Once again, he felt that he had been too careless.
The fact that Zou Feng had managed to poison Yuwen Shuo without a trace, and had pursued him for so long without being shaken off, should have been proof enough. This man simply couldn’t be measured by the standards of a normal, unorthodox Seventh Grade practitioner...
Unfortunately, by the time he realized this, it was already too late.
The overwhelming advantage a Gang Qi Realm master held over an Inner Qi Realm practitioner had inevitably made him complacent and arrogant.
BOOM-RUMBLE-RUMBLE—
Maintaining a Horse Stance, Zou Feng thrust a palm straight forward.
A roar like a collapsing mountain echoed as the ground trembled violently. Wu Xing felt as if the sound would deafen him.
His Great Universal Hand was a fusion of the Mountain-breaking Palm and the Enchanting Heart and Soul Stealing Technique.
These two skills augmented its might and provided the sound effect.
It was a classic case of intimidation by sound. Imagine the mental shock from the illusion of a mountain suddenly collapsing right before your eyes.
Furthermore, when using the Great Universal Hand in his "One-Minute True Man" state, Zou Feng was basically fighting with a boombox on his shoulder; the power of his move didn’t just double, it multiplied.
So, Wu Xing was, without a doubt, completely stunned. At the very last second, he could only hastily raise his blade to defend.
The result left him horrified. His Gang Qi saber resisted for only a single breath before shattering with a crack. The Palm Force then slammed into his body, making him feel as if he’d been hit by several elephants at once.
"Aaargh—"
Letting out a pained scream, Wu Xing was sent flying backward.
He hadn’t flown far before his back slammed into what felt like an incredibly hard and peculiar rock.
Excruciating pain, as if his body were being torn apart, shot through him. But a second later, Wu Xing realized something was off.
He twisted his head slightly, his expression instantly turning to one of utter disbelief, as if he were seeing a ghost.
He hadn’t crashed into some unusually hard rock. It was... Zou Feng’s chest!
"Aaaah..."
Terrified, Wu Xing fought through the pain to flee, but he was already trapped in Zou Feng’s Strong Man Locking Man, held in a tight chokehold.
As Zou Feng’s arms tightened, Wu Xing’s desperate struggles became increasingly feeble.
Just then, Xie Ding and Tian Yun, who had been giving chase, finally caught up.
They had struggled to catch up, intending to immediately join the fray. But when they got a clear look at the scene ahead, they were utterly bewildered.
The Gang Qi Realm expert, Wu Xing, was being choked by a savagely grinning Zou Feng, his eyes filled with utter despair.
Wu Xing let out broken sobs, a sound that would make any listener weep.
Frankly, the scene was beyond belief. It would have only made sense if Zou Feng and Wu Xing’s positions were reversed.
A moment later, Tian Yun and Xie Ding stared at each other, each seemingly trying to confirm from the other’s expression that their eyes weren’t deceiving them.
CRACK!
Wu Xing’s neck was twisted at an impossible angle by Zou Feng, and he collapsed to the ground, quivering.
Zou Feng, on the other hand, looked as though he wasn’t done yet, his bloodthirsty eyes seeming to scan for another target to brutalize.
This wasn’t an act. While State Two granted him a powerful boost, it also inevitably pushed Zou Feng into a state of heightened excitement, bordering on a Frenzy.
He hadn’t lost all reason, however. Seeing that it was Tian Yun and Xie Ding, he forcibly suppressed his bloodlust.
After composing himself a bit, Zou Feng strode toward them.
Though he sensed no hostility, Zou Feng’s current state—coupled with Wu Xing’s gruesome end—made Xie Ding subconsciously retreat a few steps. He wanted to keep his distance.
Tian Yun, however, stepped forward to meet him, her eyes sparkling and her breathing quickening.
She hadn’t even gotten close when the intense heat and aura radiating from Zou Feng’s State Two, along with his perfectly sculpted muscles, made her legs feel weak.
You couldn’t blame Tian Yun for being smitten; she had never seen such a hunk before.
Attraction to strength is human nature. If she didn’t feel anything after watching Zou Feng slaughter Wu Xing so effortlessly and resolve the crisis, she wouldn’t be a normal woman.
In truth, Tian Yun was still single not just because she was dedicated to the Martial Dao. Another reason was that back in Yuan Guang County, she had never found anyone whose martial prowess could earn her genuine admiration.
To put it bluntly, they just weren’t impressive enough to stir her heart.
"General Zou, what incredible skill!" Tian Yun said, her voice trembling.
Zou Feng, however, didn’t notice the tremor in her voice. Instead, he asked urgently, "Master Tian, Chief Xie, do you... have any rations on you?"
"What?"
"Quick, give me whatever you have. I’m not going to last..."
Though utterly confused, Tian Yun and Xie Ding immediately took out their rations and some elixirs.
His One-Minute True Man was about to run out. Zou Feng hastily stuffed the food and elixirs into his mouth.
He’d barely taken a few bites before he seemed to deflate like a punctured balloon, slumping to the ground.
Even his seemingly perfect muscles quickly lost their sheen.
The aura that had made Tian Yun’s heart pound also vanished.
Even though he was still the same Zou Feng, for some reason, Tian Yun suddenly felt as if she were looking at a different man.
"General Zou, what happened to you...?" Tian Yun finally asked, after a long moment of stunned silence.
Zou Feng replied honestly while continuing to eat, "A Gang Qi Realm master is no joke. I was just putting on a brave face."
Xie Ding breathed an inward sigh of relief. ’Thank goodness. It seems Zou Feng hasn’t Fallen into Demon and become a real monster...’
For some reason, Tian Yun felt a pang of disappointment. She couldn’t help but mutter, "Uh... General Leader, your... form from just now... only lasts for that short a time?"