Everlasting

Boom!

Their palms collided against one another and a booming sound erupted. It was as though a thunderclap had erupted out from the ground. Powerful forces clashed and energy streams flowed in every direction. Some of the surrounding trees were uprooted by the collision between the two powerful astral energies. A 6-metre radius crater was formed on the ground, the result of the shockwave created by the clash of palms between the two.

After facing each other head on, both Chen Feng and Tie Yun shot backwards as they retreated. Chen Feng’s eyes flashed and he was about to attack again when his ears suddenly perked up. Next, he stopped the movement of his hands. Likewise, Tie Yun retracted his foot.

“Ha ha! It turns out Brother Chen is here. I had been searching around for you.” Sun Ming laughed as he made his way towards them from afar. Behind him were four fully armoured soldiers. All of them were at the hundred opened meridians (5th) layer. 

“Oh, Commander Sun Ming,” said Chen Feng with a smile.

“He he! Brother Chen, there is no need to be so courteous. Just call me Sun Ming. Ha ha, greetings to the Eldest Brother of Iron Sword Sect. It turns out you two fellow disciples are sparring here. I hope I am not disturbing,” said Sun Ming, a smile on his face.

“Commander Sun Ming. It seems you are here to look for Chen Feng. If so, I will take my leave.” After saying that, Tie Yun gave Chen Feng a glance before quickly moving far away.

“Kid! Consider yourself lucky today. Be careful next time.” Tie Yun’s voice softly rang beside Chen Feng’s ear.

“Humph!”

Chen Feng harrumphed coldly and said nothing. His injuries had all healed up. Even if they had to fight it out to the end, he may not necessarily lose. It may even be possible for Chen Feng to leverage the exuberant quality of his primary energy to improve his situation. Even when they were exchanging blows earlier, Chen Feng had not ended up in a disadvantageous position.

It seems Tie Yun believes I was seriously injured in the battlefield and wanted to get a cheap shot. Humph! Iron Sword Sect’s Eldest Brother? I had originally planned on fighting him in the sect’s Grand Competition. But now, it would appear that he can no longer hold himself back. Chen Feng secretly thought to himself and sneered inwardly.

“Brother Chen, if you join our City Lord Residence, you can definitely become a Commander,” Sun Ming suddenly spoke up. Clearly, he had noticed that Chen Feng and Tie Yun were not merely sparring earlier, but were fighting to the death.

“He he! I am a disciple of Iron Sword Sect. For your City Lord Residence to recruit me in such fashion… we are both living in Black Origin City, this is probably not a good thing,” replied Chen Feng with a smile.

“At present, Black Origin City is still under the City Lord Residence’s control. I believe Brother Chen will likely have an unpleasant time staying in Iron Sword Sect. Our City Lord Residence craves talents. By joining our City Lord Residence, you will definitely receive the best treatment,” Sun Ming persuaded Chen Feng.

“Ha ha, it seems Commander Sun is here to specifically tell me this,” replied Chen Feng with a smile. Although Sun Ming had good intentions, Chen Feng will not join the City Lord Residence. Not even Iron Sword Sect was enough for him. Black Origin City was too small. All aside, he wanted to cultivate up to the Concealed stage. How could a small place like this hold him back?

“Not really. Originally, I came to invite Brother Chen to the feast. Unexpectedly, you weren’t at your tent. Thus, I went around looking for you,” said Sun Ming heartily.

“A feast?” Chen Feng became somewhat puzzled.

“It is organized by our Grand Commander, just a minor gathering,” Sun Ming cordially explained.

“If that is the case, I will definitely have to go.” Chen Feng smiled. No matter what, the Iron Guard Army’s Grand Commander had helped save him. If it were not for him, Chen Feng would be incapable of taking on the next attack by Chi Shaoyang back then.

“How are Brother Chen’s injuries?” asked Sun Ming.

“Although they are not completely healed, it is no longer an issue,” replied Chen Feng with a smile.

The two of them chatted and laughed as they returned to the camp. They then arrived before a tent guarded by elite soldiers, the tent of the Iron Guard Army’s Grand Commander. It was several times larger compared to the military tent that Chen Feng and the others were staying in.

Tsk tsk. Although the Grand Commander possesses shocking strength, he had yet to cultivate up to the external discharge of primary energy (8th) layer. Looking at it, he is only at the same layer as me. However, the treatment he gets is so much better than mine. Chen Feng was unable to stop himself from thinking.

Power without authority is not enough. Or perhaps, it is more accurate to say, I am still not strong enough. If I could reach the Concealed stage, perhaps the City Lord of Black Origin City himself would step forward to receive me.

“Oh, the guys from Tiger Form Sect.”

Before Chen Feng could make his way into the military tent, two young cultivators blocked his path. Clearly, the two of them had been invited by Iron Guard Army’s Grand Commander as well. However, they did not enter the military tent. Instead, walking with a swagger, they blocked Chen Feng’s path.

Back then, Chen Feng had killed off Tiger Form Sect’s disciples within the streets of Black Origin City. If it were not for the intervention of the City Lord Residence, their two sects would have started a fight. At present, they were no longer within the city and were out on a military expedition. Seeing Chen Feng, the two disciples from Tiger Form Sect were unwilling to simply let him go.

Chen Feng’s eyes glinted and he quickly revealed a smile. “What? Are you two trying to stop me?”

“You two, this is a guest that our Grand Commander invited over,” Sun Ming hastily spoke up.

“Heh, you trash from Iron Sword Sect! I hear that you have been behaving arrogantly of late. Back then, you killed off our Tiger Form Sect’s disciples in the streets, a disrespect to our Tiger Form Sect. Had you not been hiding behind your sect and not come out, you would have been captured and killed by us.”

“That is right. However, today, the Grand Commander invited us here, so it is not right for us to attack you. How about this? As long as you kneel and admit that you are wrong, we will let you off for today.”

The two Tiger Form Sect disciples shouted at Chen Feng, revealing scornful looks. It would appear that they did not view Chen Feng as much.

Have the two of them gone crazy? Do they not know my strength? Chen Feng felt amused. The two fellows before him were only at the astral energy (6th) layer, one layer beneath him. They were simply no match for him. For them to be provoking him in such a manner, they either do not understand how to live properly or they were simply ignorant regarding his strength.

“Ha ha, what a farce! You fellows have already cultivated up to the astral energy (6th) layer. How could you say something like that? That those people would die by my hands only proves that they were bad at practicing cultivation. Your Tiger Form Sect is bad at teaching disciples. Why are you blaming me?” Chen Feng suddenly laughed out. 

“Insolence!”

“You’re courting death!”

Hearing Chen Feng’s words, the faces on the two disciples from Tiger Form Sect twisted and they simultaneously attacked Chen Feng.

Shua! Shua!

The two of them made their move and each of them seemingly transformed into a wild tiger all of a sudden. The astral energy on their bodies whirled and released a soft, tiger-like growl. The two of them displayed the same move, forming sharp claws on both hands with solidified astral energy. They looked just like the claws on a tiger. One swing from those hands was enough to knock their opponent down and tear them to pieces.

It was Tiger Form Sect’s ‘Tiger Descends the Mountain’.

“A good display of Tiger Descends the Mountain. However, it is useless against me,” said Chen Feng with a sneer. With a wave of his hand, sword light gleamed. A short sword, condensed out using primary energy, swung towards the two disciples’ wrists, intending on cutting them.

“Condensation of weapons, not good!” Seeing that, the two cultivators from Tiger Form Sect quickly exclaimed, their faces extremely ugly to behold.

In their shock, the atmosphere of the bestial tiger that they were radiating faltered and their movements flinched.

Puchi! Puchi!

Two soft sounds could be heard and blood sprayed out. Chen Feng had cut the two disciples’ hands at the same time. He then followed it up with two forward punches. With two muffled banging sounds, the two of them were sent flying. As they flew through the air, they coughed out blood.

“You!” The two of them fell to the ground, their faces pale and they looked at Chen Feng, incapable of saying anything.

“Consider yourselves lucky. I don’t want to kill today. So, I will spare your lives,” Chen Feng said coolly. Then, ignoring the two, he followed Sun Ming into the tent.

“What do we do? This kid’s cultivation base is improving so quickly. He has actually reached the primary energy takes form (7th) layer.”

“Hurry up and return. Report this matter to the elders and request our sect to send men to finish him off. Otherwise, who knows how many more of our Tiger Form Sect members will die under him.”

The two of them struggled to get up. After exchanging glances, they quickly left in a miserable manner. Both their hands had been cut off. Additionally, the attack by Chen Feng had inflicted internal injuries upon them. Naturally, they could no longer attend the feast. They could only return to recuperate.

“Brother Chen’s cultivation base is truly strong. Your moves are also clean.” The moment Chen Feng entered, he saw the Grand Commander of the Iron Guard Army, who smiled at him.

“He he, I am naturally not as good as Grand Commander. I have to thank you for stepping forward to help me back in the battlefield,” replied Chen Feng, who stepped forward with a smile.

“On the battlefield, the enemies we face are the same. There is no need to mention things like helping others in the battlefield. Besides, didn’t you lead your men to save Sun Ming back then? If there is a need to say thanks, it is our City Lord Residence that needs to thank you for your rescue effort.” The Grand Commander laughed heartily.

“Ha ha, Grand Commander, you are overpraising me,” replied Chen Feng with a smile. This Grand Commander of the Iron Guard Army gave him the impression of a heroic and frank person. It was quite the good impression.

“Enough! Let us not talk about this. Now that you are here, there is no need to be reserved. Sit down! Today, we will drink a few cups. Sun Ming, introduce our fellow friends to Brother Chen,” said the Grand Commander cheerfully. 

Only after sitting down did Chen Feng have the time to regard the others within the tent.

Other than the Grand Commander, there were eight other people. Chen Feng gave them a glance and was shocked. All of them were young, some appearing to be nearly the same age as Chen Feng. They all sat cross-legged, every one of them revealing looks of confidence while exuding a restrained atmosphere. They were as stable as mountains and all of them had cultivation bases that were not inferior to his. In fact, Chen Feng found that he could not determine the cultivation bases of some.

Sun Ming introduced them. Some of them would nod with a smile at Chen Feng, some would dismiss him, some would reveal a desire to fight, seemingly wanting to have a spar with him. Most noticeably were two, whose eyes glinted with ferocity. Chen Feng noticed that glint in their eyes.

Strange, why would those two fellows be hostile towards me? I should have nothing to do with them. Chen Feng thought to himself. However, Chen Feng was not fearful of them either. If they really do end up in a fight, there was no telling who would end up losing.

After the introductions, Chen Feng found out that the two young cultivators hostile towards him were from Black Origin City’s Li and Wu Family. The others were also the young cultivators from the various sects and families within Black Origin City. That was especially true for the young cultivator from the Giant Spirit Faction. By Chen Feng’s estimate, he should be the strongest amongst them. Chen Feng felt that he was even stronger than the Grand Commander.

Could this fellow be an external discharge of primary energy (8th) layer cultivator? Chen Feng thought to himself.

“Today, everyone’s arrival is a show of respect for me. Come! Let me give everyone a toast!” The Grand Commander said heartily, pouring a big bowl of wine and drinking it all down in an unrestrained manner.

Although everyone came from Black Origin City, they were all from different factions. In the beginning, they were unable to open up. However, after a few bowls of wine, the atmosphere between them grew lively. Soon, the sounds of them toasting one another and laughter could be heard.