Mu Feng’s current cultivation was not solely due to his diligent practice or high talent. A significant factor was that the old man had poured all his lifelong strength into him in the early stages.
The old man’s injuries were far more serious than they appeared.
“It so happened that the old man wasn’t attending school. By chance, during one of my missions, I stumbled upon a book that contained a wealth of knowledge regarding the refinement of medicinal substances.”
“Perhaps it was truly due to my exceptional aptitude, but my understanding of these medicines far surpassed that of others.”
“I managed to save the old man’s life. However, that old fellow is now solely focused on enjoying his retirement and has no desire to shoulder any burdens, insisting that I take over.”
Upon hearing this, Li Daoren felt as though Mu Feng was deliberately showing off.
A flicker of jealousy flashed in his eyes.
“You don’t need to put on a show for me. No wonder you possess such profound cultivation at this age; it turns out that old geezer poured all his essence into you.”
“That old geezer was truly generous. If not for the medicinal formulas you acquired, he would have turned to dust long ago.”
“However, while you may have injured me, it won’t be that easy for you to kill me.”
As his voice faded, his hand suddenly moved.
A layer of pale yellow powder was directly flung out.
The powder rapidly dissolved into the air, and a peculiar, indescribable scent began to permeate the surroundings.
At that moment, the young Taoist boy quietly bled and collapsed onto the ground. Until his last breath, he never understood why he died at the hands of his own master.
Without any hesitation, Li Daoren turned and leaped up, heading towards the back of the mountain at extreme speed.
He knew that the medicinal powder would not inflict significant harm on Mu Feng; it could only temporarily restrain him. Having suffered defeat at Mu Feng’s hands this time, he was absolutely unwilling to reveal himself easily again.
It was he who had injured the old man back then, and now Mu Feng had arrived, clearly seeking revenge.
However, the moment he landed, a hand suddenly rested on his shoulder.
“The conversation isn’t over yet. Are you in such a hurry to leave?”
“As I said before, after the fight, we’ll have a long talk. If you’re not cooperative, I don’t mind turning you into a cripple.”
Mu Feng was still holding Zhang Chengdao in his hand.
Zhang Chengdao’s nose and mouth were also bleeding, but several silver needles had been inserted into his body, preventing him from dying on the spot. However, his mental state was already on the verge of collapse.
Li Daoren’s pupils contracted violently, his gaze filled with disbelief and shock.
His heart churned like a stormy sea. Even with his arm injured, his speed had not diminished.
He had never expected that in just a moment, Mu Feng would have caught up to him.
Furthermore, when the hand landed on his shoulder, he hadn’t detected it beforehand. A thought involuntarily surfaced in his mind:
“Have you… already…”
“Impossible!”
He couldn’t finish his sentence, but he blurted out three words directly.
A cold arc curved on Mu Feng’s lips. He casually tossed Zhang Chengdao aside, then formed a fist and struck out forcefully.
Li Daoren sensed the fatal threat. By the time he tried to evade, it was already too late.
He had to remember that the speed and power displayed now far surpassed the few exchanges they had earlier.
“Were you hiding your strength?”
He only managed to utter this sentence before feeling a heavy blow to his Dantian. Instinctively, he looked down and saw a fist print imprinted on his Dantian.
Following that, he directly spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.
The internal energy he had cultivated for nearly a hundred years, at this moment, was like a breached floodgate, surging through his meridians.
Mu Feng’s face still bore a faint smile, and he said calmly, “Nothing is absolutely impossible.”
“The old man said that the younger one is, the stronger their potential is for breakthroughs.”
“And I haven’t disappointed the old man. In your eyes, your current realm might be the pinnacle of a martial artist, but I feel it’s merely the starting point of entering the hall.”
Li Daoren’s pupils suddenly constricted, his eyes filled with horror: “You actually broke through?”
“Why? Why is heaven so unfair?”
“I’ve diligently cultivated for many years, resorting to any means necessary for a breakthrough, yet why are you stronger than me at this age?”
At this moment, his mind had been severely stimulated, and his gaze was filled with madness.
“I don’t believe it!”
“You absolutely cannot possess such profound cultivation; you’re just deliberately deceiving me!”
Mu Feng’s aura suddenly erupted.
In that instant, the surrounding air seemed to drop by more than ten degrees.
The chilling sensation caused Zhang Chengdao, lying on the ground, to shiver involuntarily. He hugged himself tightly and trembled on the ground.
Li Daoren was also stunned. His voice murmured in disbelief, “Existing within the natural world, my will is the will of heaven…”
The color in his eyes was slowly fading, on the verge of collapse.
Mu Feng said coldly, “Now that you’ve become a cripple, even if I don’t kill you, you probably won’t live much longer. However, before you die, you still have some value.”
“That is to tell me everything you know. Otherwise, I don’t mind making you regret ever being born.”
He felt no pity for this old scoundrel.
Li Daoren’s frantic demeanor suggested he had committed countless heinous acts.
Otherwise, the old man wouldn’t have sought trouble with Li Daoren back then.
Now that he had captured this fellow, it was time to inquire about certain matters.
“Regarding the massacre of my Mu family back then, which members of the Alliance were involved?”
“Besides those I’ve already eliminated, who else are my enemies?”
He didn’t believe that those events were merely the work of local individuals; there was definitely an invisible hand manipulating everything behind the scenes.
Furthermore, Li Daoren’s strength was only considered one of the top experts within the Alliance.
He was certainly not the strongest; otherwise, the young Taoist boy would have been even more arrogant just now.
Li Daoren turned his gaze to Mu Feng, his eyes filled with a grayish pallor: “Since I’m a dying man, why should I tell you these secrets? Wouldn’t it be better to take these secrets to the grave?”
“Having done so many evil deeds, you’re right, you are my retribution.”
“However, even in death, I will leave you with a puzzle. My demise will surely alert other experts in the Alliance, and they will definitely not dare to provoke you again so easily.”