As he flew, Li Fan occasionally felt sweeps of divine sense rising from below to pass over him. Once they realized he was merely passing through, however, they quickly withdrew.
After about the time it took to drink a cup of tea, Li Fan arrived outside the mountain range Shuo Feng had marked.
Winding like a colossal dragon, sixteen peaks towered within the range. Even through the protective ward, the dense spiritual energy permeating the mountains was palpable.
Almost the instant Li Fan arrived, a female cultivator in a pale yellow dress flew out from one of the peaks and landed before him.
"You must be the young master's guest. This way, please."
Her bearing was exceedingly deferential as she led Li Fan through the protective ward and into the mountains.
Li Fan glanced at the woman leading the way; to his surprise, she was at the mid-Nascent Soul stage, just like him. Yet here, she seemed to be nothing more than a servant.
Li Fan felt no unease, however. Composed and at ease, he began inquiring about the surroundings.
The woman in yellow did not slight him in the least on account of his cultivation level. Whatever she was permitted to disclose, she explained in detail.
This mountain range was named Mount Shuo Feng.
Indeed, Immortal Venerable Feixue had purchased it and named it after Shuo Feng, presenting it to him as a gift after he successfully established his foundation all those years ago.
Though called a mountain, it was actually an exquisitely crafted immortal abode. Not only did the sixteen peaks form an array that concentrated the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, but the peaks themselves were forged from wonders imbued with the laws of heaven and earth. Residing within them allowed one's cultivation to progress day by day under the subtle influence of the dense power of the laws, even without conscious effort.
Extraordinary as the abode was, once Shuo Feng broke through to the Nascent Soul realm, Immortal Venerable Feixue had gifted him another detached residence within Tianquan City. Consequently, Mount Shuo Feng had gradually fallen into disuse, visited only on rare occasions for leisure.
Before long, on the central peak's summit, Li Fan saw Shuo Feng clad in his green robes.
With his hands behind his back and a serene expression, he stood at the center of the peak.
Around him, six late-Nascent Soul cultivators were launching attacks against him. None deployed grotto-heaven power; they relied purely on spells and techniques.
At the sight, Li Fan's eyes narrowed slightly.
Strictly speaking, none of these Nascent Soul cultivators were weak. There were five-element arts, divine flying swords, and even a black arrow divine ability capable of tearing through space to strike abruptly from bizarre angles.
Yet facing these assaults, Shuo Feng neither dodged nor parried. He did not even blink.
White light danced, and the wonder of Heaven [Sword] blocked every attack in an instant, rebounding them all.
Boom! Boom!
Explosions echoed continuously. The six Nascent Soul cultivators lasted barely a dozen breaths before they were all wounded by their own attacks and fell in defeat.
Shuo Feng showed no mercy whatsoever. The injuries they suffered were severe; one cultivator's physical body was completely obliterated, only reconstituting after he circulated his grotto-heaven power for a while.
"Too weak. Bring in another batch," Shuo Feng said coldly, a faint trace of impatience showing on his face.
The six Nascent Soul cultivators wore bitter expressions, but none dared speak up. They clasped their hands in salute and retreated together.
"Hahaha, Brother Shuo, what imposing might!" Li Fan laughed heartily, clapping his hands repeatedly without showing the slightest timidity before the other man's aura.
"Forgive my poor display before you, Brother Li!" A slight smile touched Shuo Feng's cold face.
The six retreating Nascent Soul cultivators stole glances at Li Fan. Not daring to linger, they merely wondered about his identity in their hearts.
"We haven't met in quite some time, and your strength has indeed progressed further, Brother Shuo. However, I am no slouch either!"
"Please, grant me instruction!"
Without wasting words, Li Fan's expression turned frigid as he raised his right hand and pointed a finger toward Shuo Feng from afar.
Whoosh...
A breeze swept past. Shuo Feng, who had braced himself in readiness, waited for a good while, yet saw nothing unusual occur in his surroundings.
His smile gradually vanished, and Shuo Feng's gaze chilled slightly. "Brother Li, are you making sport of me?"
Li Fan's expression did not waver in the least. He smiled faintly. "I only recently comprehended this divine ability. For a first attempt, a minor mishap is only natural.
"No matter, though. This time should do it.
"Watch out!"
Li Fan's tone turned biting cold in an instant. He withdrew his right finger, then tapped the air once more.
"Silk Pulling!"
The breeze remained gentle and the clouds light, as if nothing had occurred. Only Li Fan's emotionless voice echoed across the mountain peak.
Just as Shuo Feng was about to speak, he sensed something, and his expression changed drastically.
Strands of thread peeled away from the green robe he wore.
The green threads drifted in the air, dissolving like mist in water, vanishing in the blink of an eye.
Before Shuo Feng could react, an involuntary groan escaped his lips.
A bloody gash instantly opened across his body, as though a razor-sharp blade had sliced through his skin to expose the raw flesh beneath.
And before Shuo Feng, a red thread had materialized in midair.
Sss...
Sss...
Bizarre sounds rang out unceasingly.
With every sound, another thread of blood appeared in the air, and another bloody gash opened on Shuo Feng's body.
In a mere instant, Shuo Feng was covered in wounds, dripping with blood.
A wave of dread welled up in his heart.
Acutely aware of his own condition, he realized that he had not merely suffered superficial wounds.
Rather, the very composition of his body was being extracted out of thin air and erased!
It was as though... a miniature figure woven entirely from needle and thread was having its internal strands slowly pulled out by someone!
What was more, from beginning to end, his Foundation Establishment wonder [Sword] had mounted no defense or counterattack whatsoever!
*No wonder it's called 'Silk Pulling'!* Shuo Feng could not help thinking.
*If this continues...*
A horrific image flashed through Shuo Feng's mind: as more and more threads were pulled away, his body would shrink smaller and smaller until, like a tattered rag doll, he would collapse powerlessly to the ground, wailing in despair as he awaited his annihilation.
A shudder ran through him.
Yet as his thoughts raced, he could not find a way to counter this Silk Pulling divine ability in the heat of the moment.
Meanwhile, Li Fan kept his finger pointed from afar, locking onto Shuo Feng.
He showed no intention of stopping!
*This fellow will really kill me!* Looking into Li Fan's unfathomably deep eyes, Shuo Feng felt a sudden shock of terror.
"I yield! I surrender!" Driven by sheer survival instinct, Shuo Feng shouted in rapid succession.
Hearing Shuo Feng's cry, Li Fan finally lowered his right finger.
*Pfft!*
In that split second, it seemed as though countless connecting threads snapped.
Layers of blood mist burst from Shuo Feng's body.
"Young Master!" The yellow-dressed woman screamed in terror, her face drained of color.
"I'm fine!" Shuo Feng waved a hand, stopping the woman from rushing forward to check on him.
"Thank you for humoring me!" Li Fan clasped his hands, his face impassive.
Shuo Feng looked at Li Fan with a conflicted expression.
"What a formidable divine ability, Fellow Daoist!"
He had no choice but to admit defeat, thoroughly and genuinely convinced.
Chapter 676