Chapter 16: Yun Qingying!
Boom!
With just a casual punch, Chu Feng instantly shattered the green tiger's skull!
"Ah!"
The pretty young woman and the white-robed youth froze in stunned disbelief!
Chu Feng's cultivation was only at the first level of the Spirit Entry Stage — lower than both of theirs — yet he had killed a demonic tiger at the second level of the True Spirit Stage with a single punch!
It was simply unbelievable!
Only after Chu Feng had slowly walked into the Dusk Forest did the two of them snap back to their senses.
"Young master, you haven't taken the demonic tiger's demon core yet!"
The pretty young woman called out loudly after Chu Feng!
The demon core of a demonic tiger at the second level of the True Spirit Stage was worth a great many Spirit Stones — and the tiger's carcass could fetch quite a sum as well!
"It's yours!"
Chu Feng's voice drifted back from the distance.
Right now, Chu Feng only wanted to quickly uncover what had changed within the Dusk Forest. He had no time to bother with the green tiger's remains.
"Ah!"
"Shui'er, we've turned misfortune into fortune!"
The white-robed youth was overjoyed the moment he heard Chu Feng's words!
The green tiger's demon core and carcass represented a tremendous windfall for the two of them!
"Mm!" The pretty young woman's face lit up with excitement as well!
* * *
Chu Feng stepped slowly into the Dusk Forest!
From his memories, Chu Feng had come to the Dusk Forest to train a few years ago — but back then, there had been absolutely no demonic energy here.
Something must have happened in the Dusk Forest to cause it to become like this.
After a short while, Chu Feng began to encounter various demonic beasts — gale wolves, crimson flame serpents, porcupines...
These demonic beasts had originally been at the Body Tempering Stage and Spirit Entry Stage, but after undergoing Demonization, their cultivation levels had risen dramatically!
The Dusk Forest had once been an ideal training ground for low-level cultivators!
Now that the demonic beasts had been Demonized, any low-level cultivator who entered without knowing the situation would have a very high chance of dying here.
Chu Feng pressed deeper, and along the way he saw nothing unusual — only the skeletal remains of cultivators and the rotting carcasses of some demonic beasts.
Before long, Chu Feng found a secluded spot and sat down to cultivate.
The demonic energy here had a suppressive effect on ordinary cultivators, but for Chu Feng, it was actually quite a Fortuitous Encounter!
His Chaos Art could absorb this demonic energy and convert it into pure power, rapidly advancing his cultivation.
After a short while, Chu Feng began circulating the Chaos Art.
In an instant, the demonic energy from several li around him slowly converged toward Chu Feng and was drawn into his body!
The energy contained in this demonic energy was dozens of times more potent than the sparse Spiritual Energy outside.
After absorbing the demonic energy, Chu Feng's cultivation rose swiftly.
Second level of the Spirit Entry Stage!
In just two hours, Chu Feng's cultivation had advanced by an entire minor stage!
Chu Feng rose to his feet in excitement. The demonic energy in the surrounding area had been almost entirely absorbed by him; he needed to press deeper and find a place where the demonic energy was more concentrated.
However, the moment Chu Feng stood up, he noticed that not far away, a woman holding a longsword was staring at him.
The woman had a slender figure, and her form-fitting emerald-green dress accentuated every perfect curve of her body to the fullest!
The skin peeking out was fair as snow — crystalline and translucent, radiating a faint luminous glow that was especially striking in the dim forest!
The woman's face was covered by a veil, making it impossible to make out her features!
Yet simply standing there in silence, she exuded an aura that was Transcendent and utterly unapproachable!
"You actually cultivate a demonic art?"
"Did you recover your cultivation by practicing a demonic art as well?"
Seeing Chu Feng rise to his feet, the woman spoke coldly!
Chu Feng furrowed his brow slightly as he looked at her. She gave him a sense of familiarity, yet he couldn't quite place who she was.
"What is a demonic art?" Chu Feng asked calmly in return.
In his previous life, Chu Feng had always despised those who preached righteousness and morality while acting more cruelly than demons behind closed doors — people who called themselves righteous cultivators.
He had also always hated those who called him the Demon Sovereign, accused him of practicing demonic arts, and claimed he was a scourge upon the human race.
"You absorb demonic energy to cultivate — if that isn't a demonic art, what is?" The woman's voice was cold and laced with killing intent!
"If you say it's a demonic art, then so be it," Chu Feng replied with an air of indifference.
"So it really is a demonic art. Had I known, I should never have shown mercy last time — I should have killed you then and there!"
"But it's not too late now. Today, I shall act on Heaven's behalf and slay you, you demon!"
With that, the woman drew the longsword in her hand and lunged at Chu Feng.
"Last time?"
Chu Feng activated the Phantom Shadow Step, dodging the woman's attacks while trying to recall her identity.
From her words, the two of them must have had a conflict before — and Chu Feng also felt a strong sense of familiarity toward her.
They must have known each other previously; Chu Feng simply couldn't remember who she was at the moment.
"Let me see who you are!"
Chu Feng kept evading, and soon seized an opportunity — he reached out and tore the veil from the woman's face!
"Yun... Qingying?"
The moment Chu Feng saw the breathtaking face beneath the veil, her name came rushing back to him.
Yun Qingying was the Holy Maiden of the Qinglan Sect. It was because Chu Feng had previously peeped on her while she was bathing that he had ultimately been stripped of his cultivation and expelled from the Qinglan Sect.
However, Chu Feng's memories of that incident — of peeping on Yun Qingying while she bathed — were extremely hazy, and he wasn't even certain whether he had actually done it!
"Chu Feng, what kind of demonic art are you cultivating?" Yun Qingying was somewhat shocked by Chu Feng's strength!
Her own cultivation was at the ninth level of the True Spirit Stage — just one step away from breaking through to the Mystic Spirit Realm.
Yet Chu Feng was only at the second level of the Spirit Entry Stage, and she couldn't land a single scratch on him!
Moreover, as Chu Feng circulated his Spiritual Energy, not a trace of demonic energy leaked from him — he didn't look like someone cultivating a demonic art at all.
When she had first spotted Chu Feng, she had seen him absorbing demonic energy, yet no demonic energy seeped from his body — that was precisely why she hadn't struck immediately.
"Oh? You want to learn?" Chu Feng replied with a half-smile.
"Hmph! Who would want to learn your demonic art!"
"I only wanted to determine whether what you practice is truly a demonic art — I don't wish to kill the innocent." Yun Qingying snorted coldly.
"Think what you like," Chu Feng said lightly, not inclined to explain further.
"You...!"
Yun Qingying was irritated by Chu Feng's indifferent attitude!
After all, she was the Holy Maiden of the Qinglan Sect — and the most beautiful woman in the Cangfeng Empire!
The male disciples of the Qinglan Sect, as well as every man she encountered outside, always treated her with deference and enthusiastic admiration.
Yun Qingying hadn't had much contact with Chu Feng before, but he must have liked her — otherwise he wouldn't have done something as outrageous as peeping on her while she bathed.
And yet now, Chu Feng was completely ignoring her!
Yun Qingying immediately had the urge to beat Chu Feng senseless — but his footwork was far too strange, and she simply couldn't lay a hand on him!
Watching Yun Qingying fume with the desire to hit him yet unable to touch him at all, Chu Feng couldn't help but find it amusing!
He suddenly felt an irresistible urge to tease her!
"Yun Qingying, did I really peep on you while you were bathing last time?" Chu Feng asked with a light smile.
"Hmph! You dare bring up what happened last time — had I known, I would have killed you then, you lecherous scoundrel!" Yun Qingying snapped furiously.
"Did I really peep?"
"I don't have the slightest memory of it. How about you help me recall?" Chu Feng teased with a grin!