Chapter 27: Twin Pupils, Heavenly Might, Heaven-Defying Divine Ability

Before the mansion gate.

Five people stood here; the leader, most extraordinary, had a burly build like a primordial beast, tiger-backed and bear-waisted, standing over two meters tall.

On this deep autumn night, his two arms were bare, revealing muscles twisted like steel cables, containing terrifying power.

On his back he bore a long spear as thick as a goose egg.

Even standing still, he gave off an aura of invincibility and awe, impossible to withstand or meet his gaze.

This is Xiang Ding.

Even without having met him, Qin Feng was quite certain.

Beside him stood four suave and handsome young men, dressed in splendor, bearing extraordinary demeanor—clearly scions of noble clans. Their true qi faintly stirred; their casual stance hid method, and their cultivation was not weak.

"I am Xiang Ding of the Xiang family; just returning from the state city, I heard that the Qin family has produced a prodigy of astonishing talent. At only fifteen, he not only inherited the family headship but also slew seventh-rank, killed eighth-rank, annihilated ninth-rank—his battle feats are heaven-shaking. Hearing it makes one's blood boil and battle spirit rush to the mind; thus I have come hurriedly." Xiang Ding glanced at Qin Feng, his words resonant like a bell, his voice ringing; as he spoke, his aura burst forth, seeking to sweep away the night.

He added: "I was born with divine strength; since childhood I've been called a genius. After going to the state city, the younger generation had hardly any rival. I never expected to find such an opponent in our Ten Thousand Peace City—delighted, I came specially to challenge you!"

Xiang Ding drew the long spear from his back, shook it in midair, and more than a dozen spear blossoms erupted, shaking the air with a blast.

"Please, let us fight!" he said, clasping his spear in salute, his battle spirit shaking the heavens.

"What is your status, daring to—" Ma Chao could not hold back his fury, pointing at him to shout a rebuke, but Qin Feng raised a hand to stop him and stepped forward.

His clothes fluttered, his eyes bright.

He sensed that many were lurking in the darkness afar, and their numbers were growing.

He paid no heed, nor did he care.

Qin Feng stared at Xiang Ding and said: "My father—was he slain by your Xiang family?"

Xiang Ding startled, his eyes flickering, then said: "All I know is that you wiped out the Lu family."

"Hah..." Qin Feng smiled, but his smile held no warmth: "I am the head of the Qin family, equal in status to your father, while you are merely a young master of the Xiang family—you have no right to challenge me!"

"You're afraid!" Xiang Ding frowned.

"Don't rush!" Qin Feng said calmly: "I accept your challenge, but I must add a precondition."

"Speak!" Xiang Ding said bluntly.

"If we decide victory and defeat, we also decide life and death!" Qin Feng said coldly: "The victor lives, the vanquished dies—do you accept?"

"Head of the family!" Zhang Fu was the first to panic.

Qin Yuan, Qin Kai and the others stepped forward one after another.

Although we trusted the family head, this is Xiang Ding—what if we lose? Even if the Qin clan could swarm over him, this agreement would complicate things, though we could still ignore it.

Xiang Ding showed hesitation for the first time.

He had only heard of Qin Feng's heaven-shaking battle record, and even possibly that he had slain a ninth-rank last night, which made his blood boil and eager to measure himself.

Furthermore, word had spread outside of the Xiang and Fan families' relationship, making him feel no need to stay hidden; better to come challenge, trampling the Qin family while also announcing his formal debut as Xiang Ding.

But he had never imagined a life-and-death battle.

But now…

"Then…" Xiang Ding's gaze hardened, his battle intent solidifying: "If we decide victory and defeat, we also decide life and death."

"Good!" Qin Feng's voice rose seventy-two degrees, almost echoing through half the city; he again shouted: "All of the Qin family, hear my orders: during my duel with Xiang Ding, no one may interfere. If outsiders intervene, kill them, exterminate the clan; the Qin family up and down shall not die out, the clan shall not cease extermination."

"Yes!"

The Qin family up and down responded in loud unison.

Especially Qin Kai and the others, who knew Qin Feng's battle record—he had slain two ninth-rank martial artists in succession; the first still involved some trickery, but he was also literally beaten to death.

Afterward, he alone annihilated the Lu family.

He personally slew a ninth-rank.

His glorious feats gave them blind confidence in the family head.

Zhang Fu, however, trembled, yet also understood Qin Feng's meaning: he wanted to take this battle to slay Xiang Ding, cutting off the wings for the Qin family's future revenge.

At the same time, it also told outsiders of his recklessness, madness, disregard for the bigger picture, disregard for life and death, even putting the Qin family's interests aside, showing a ruthless willingness to stake everything on great vengeance.

Moreover, if one becomes an enemy of the Qin family, aside from wiping us out in one fell swoop, otherwise they would face mad retaliation, relentless and endless.

Enough ruthlessness, enough poison, enough decisiveness.

"Family head…"

Zhang Fu's eyes welled with tears.

He also seemed to guess the fundamental reason for Qin Feng's doing this: outside, tigers eyed hungrily, and the Qin family could at any moment be surrounded and destroyed.

Only by displaying boundless madness can one make others wary.

"But, at fifteen, you shouldn't have to bear this!" Zhang Fu suddenly hated his own inadequacy.

Even he was like this; the lurkers in the dark also realized this, all feeling terrified.

Furthermore, thinking of the Lu family's situation, their gazes toward Qin Feng were all wary.

Xiang Ding also showed an extremely solemn expression.

He suddenly made up his mind to slay this child.

He must not be spared, or he will become a great calamity for the Xiang family.

Qin Feng leapt forward and arrived at the open space ahead.

Outside the mansion gate lay a small square, spacious.

Further ahead lay a small grove, then a river. This place is sufficient for battle.

Clang…

The long sword left its sheath, the Flowing Cloud Sword flashing with cold light.

Qin Feng's aura also burst forth, as if it could sway the stars.

"So strong!" The approaching Xiang Ding narrowed his eyes, suddenly leapt up, and thrust his long spear at Qin Feng; in an instant, countless spear tips, specks of cold light, all harboring the terrifying sharpness that could pierce anything, while he simultaneously shouted: "Overlord Spear, One Absolute Kill, Shatter Space Strike!"

The sharp aura made Qin Feng feel a prickling on his back.

He shook his long sword, and sword qi rained down like rain, thread after thread, filling the front, blocking all attacks, yet he was also forced back by the relentless bombardment.

"Martial Arts Ninth Rank!"

Qin Feng immediately judged the opponent's cultivation level.

But it was not as profound as Bai Yunrui's.

"Second Absolute Kill, Heaven-Piercing Strike!"

After Xiang Ding landed, his feet moved slightly, stomping a deep pit; he swung his spear, bending it into a great bow, and with the surging power, he swept upward at an angle toward the throat.

The spear tip aimed at the lower jaw.

Qin Feng did not retreat but advanced, and the two engaged in a full-fledged fight.

Ding ding ding…

In the collision, the sword qi scattered, tearing one fissure after another in the ground.

The spear qi was stronger, piercing the void, causing the onlookers to continually retreat.

The sharpness was boundless, the killing intent filled the sky.

In the blink of an eye, they collided ninety-eighty-one times, seemingly evenly matched.

"Not bad, a peerless genius capable of killing a ninth-rank!" Xiang Ding gasped, his body suddenly moved, actually splitting into three, attacking from three directions, "Phantom, Three Absolute Kill!"

Same person, same grab.

Faster than lightning, basically impossible to distinguish.

"Wild Rain Nine Swords!" Qin Feng instantly recognized which was the real body, focusing his attack on one path; while defending, his sword qi intertwined, also forming a posture of defensive counterattack, forcing Xiang Ding to retreat.

Xiang Ding's spear technique changed again.

Each spear strike was more ferocious than the last.

Qin Feng kept switching between the Spring Wind Transforming Rain Sword, the Swift Wind Fine Rain Sword, and the Wild Rain Nine Swords.

He is now most proficient in these three sword styles.

Although the Three-Phase Sword Finger has achieved minor success, it still reveals weaknesses.

He has hardly studied the Carefree Sword Canon.

"My sword techniques are ultimately too few!"

No, it's that the training time is too short.

Soon the two reached the forest; this time the destruction was more impactful, trees as thick as a bowl were pierced by spear qi in a snap, then shattered by sword qi.

Having grown for over ten years, they were mostly destroyed in an instant.

The sharpness was boundless, yet they were evenly matched.

It seemed neither could do anything to the other.

Xiang Ding's spear qi fell into the river, exploding in sky-high water spray; Qin Feng's sword broke the void, tearing a long gap in the river dike.

"Die!"

Xiang Ding leapt into midair, his eyes narrowed, murderous light flashing, killing intent surging, right hand gripping the spear, he descended from the air, as if wanting to pierce the earth.

Watching Qin Feng about to block, his pupil suddenly split into two, actually having two pupils in one eye; as they rotated, a terrifying power seemed to awaken.

"Heaven's Might!"

Xiang Ding uttered two words; an invisible power suddenly erupted and descended.

Qin Feng's vision violently shook, dazed, as if a deity descended, making his heart and spirit tremble, involuntarily giving rise to a sense of dread; he couldn't help but want to prostrate.

But the next moment his spirit shook, as if stimulating latent power, he expelled all negative emotions; his mind burst with light, his soul covered with a radiance, giving a sense of invulnerability to all laws.

At this moment, his inner self underwent a heaven-shaking great change.

But the spear tip had also reached before his eyes.

Qin Feng instinctively flicked his neck, dodging a strike, but a lock of his hair was torn.

"Overlord Fist, Die!"

Xiang Ding was slightly surprised, but his prepared left hand launched a punch toward Qin Feng's head.

The punch's wind exploded the void, harboring the power to destroy everything.

This is also a killing move.

Qin Feng's pupils contracted, he stepped back, raised his left arm and threw a punch.

"Exploding Fist!"

In an instant the two fists collided, exploding a ring of tangible qi that rapidly spread in all directions.

The college entrance exam is over; I wish my fellow readers to top the list, pluck the osmanthus in the Moon Palace, make a stunning debut, and achieve an ideal score.

(End of chapter)