I fabricated myths to guide the revival of spiritual energy.

The triumphant return of the Chu Tian team brought the atmosphere in the square to a fever pitch.

That's a genuine "Perfect Foundation Building Pill"!

With it, one can break free from the shackles of mortals and truly step into the gate of cultivation.

Currently, there are over two thousand students in the school, and none of them have reached the Foundation Establishment stage yet. Whoever can be among the top few to break through will become a future star of Kunlun.

However, as the figure carrying a long sword in black cloth walked toward the gate, the noisy crowd subconsciously quieted down and automatically made way for him.

Zhao Feng

He wore a faded blue Taoist robe, his figure was thin, but his back was as straight as a spear.

While other students were busy forming teams and complaining about needing healers or tanks, he chose to go it alone.

"Senior Brother Zhao!" A kind-hearted girl from the talisman-related department couldn't help but call out, "You're going into the third level alone? Although Senior Brother Chu Tian and the others killed the BOSS, the Demon-Locking Tower's 'mechanics' have been refreshed. The third level is now full of rampaging Qi Refining Peak demonic beasts, and there are so many of them!"

Zhao Feng stopped and glanced at her.

His eyes were calm, without gloom, only a rock-like firmness.

"Thank you." His voice was low and tinged with a hint of weariness. "But I'm used to being alone."

He reached out and patted the long bundle on his back, his tone softening slightly:

"Besides... I'm not alone."

After saying that, he stepped into the massive bronze door that reeked of blood.

……

[Location: Demon-Sealing Tower, Third Floor, Lava Purgatory]

As soon as you step into the third floor, a wave of scorching heat washes over you.

Zhao Feng stood on a floating rock, not in a hurry to go deeper.

"Roar... Roar..." Dozens of crimson eyes lit up in the magma steam.

Those are lava fire lizards. Because of the death of the apex venomous python, these predators, which usually hide, have all come out now.

Each of them was two meters long, covered in crimson scales that seemed to flow with magma, and their auras were all those of the Great Perfection of Qi Refining.

There were twelve in total. That's equivalent to twelve Qi Refining Peak Body Cultivators attacking at the same time.

Zhao Feng remained expressionless as his slender fingers slowly untied the black cloth wrapped around the sword.

Clang—! A clear and resonant sword cry instantly drowned out the surrounding sounds of exploding lava.

A long sword, about three feet seven inches long, entirely black, with a blade that gleamed with an eerie red light, was revealed.

The sword's name is "Red Makeup." It was once called "Tiger's Might," a bloodthirsty weapon. Now, after Principal Gu personally reforged it, incorporating the essence of extraterrestrial meteorite iron, the sword's malevolent aura has been washed away, but its murderous intent remains. The red groove on the blade resembles either a woman's rouge or undried blood.

"Sister Hong," Zhao Feng called softly.

"I'm here." A gentle yet dignified voice rang in Zhao Feng's mind, clear as a mountain spring, without any sense of gloom, but rather with the composure of an older sister.

"These lizards have thick, tough skin; they're perfect for testing swords." "Are you feeling unsettled?"

"No." Zhao Feng gripped the sword hilt, the wide hilt just filling his palm, giving him an unprecedented sense of security.

"Then let's go. I'm behind you."

As soon as she finished speaking, the red-clad sword shone brightly with a crimson light.

A phantom-like yet holy figure in red slowly appeared behind Zhao Feng. Her face was exquisitely beautiful, her expression serene; she was no longer a disheveled, vengeful ghost, but rather a guardian deity. She extended her slender hand and gently placed it on the back of Zhao Feng's hand, continuously channeling pure spiritual energy into his body.

"Kill!" Zhao Feng shouted in a low voice, without any fancy moves, the black rock beneath his feet instantly shattered. He was like a cannonball, charging straight into the fire lizard swarm without dodging or maneuvering.

"Roar!" The three fire lizards pounced at the same time, opening their mouths full of fangs and spewing out high-temperature fireballs.

Zhao Feng neither dodged nor evaded. At this distance, dodging would only result in losing the initiative. He gripped the broad hilt of his sword with both hands, and using the momentum of his charge, swung his longsword in a wide arc, delivering the most straightforward and unadorned strike—a horizontal sweep!

"open!"

Boom! A crimson sword aura, ten meters long, swept out horizontally like a crescent moon. This sword aura was extremely domineering, carrying a heavy sense of "overpowering all techniques with sheer force." The power of the red-clad sword spirit amplified this sword strike, giving it unstoppable destructive power.

The three fire lizards that were pouncing in mid-air didn't even have time to scream before they were sliced ​​in half by the terrifying sword energy! It wasn't a sharp cut, but rather a crushing blow by immense force! Flesh and blood flew everywhere, instantly vaporized by the sword energy.

Sold out instantly!

"Is this...our current power?" Zhao Feng felt the feedback from the longsword in his hand. The exhilarating feeling made his usually sullen personality want to let out a long roar.

Enraged by this ferocious attack, the remaining fire lizards swarmed forward in a frenzy. Tail sweeps, claws tear, and fireballs bombarded the area.

"Ignore the left rear area," the red-clad sword spirit's calm voice rang out.

Zhao Feng chose to trust unconditionally. He didn't even glance at the fire lizard that was attacking from his left rear, but instead raised his sword and slashed forward angrily. Just as the attacking fire lizard's claws were about to touch Zhao Feng's back, the red-clad sword spirit casually waved his hand, and a red spiritual energy barrier appeared out of thin air.

Clang! The fire lizard's claws seemed to have struck a steel plate, sparks flew everywhere, and the claws snapped off.

At the same time, Zhao Feng's sword had already fallen. "Sword Skill - Mountain Crash!"

He thrust the greatsword into the ground with his backhand, frantically pouring in spiritual power.

Boom! A visible red shockwave emanated from the sword's blade, radiating outwards. The ground trembled violently, and lava spewed forth. The five fire lizards that had been attacking were instantly stunned by the shockwave, their eyes rolling back in their heads and their movements momentarily halted.

"Strike while the iron is hot!" Zhao Feng drew his sword, his body spinning, the Red Makeup Sword in his hand dancing into a red storm. This was the grand and sweeping style of the "Tiger Warrior" sword technique from back then, combined with the agility and speed of the current "Red Makeup" style.

There were no elaborate thrusts, only slashes, hacks, smashes, and sweeps! Every strike was accompanied by the crisp sound of bones shattering. Every strike sent a colossal creature flying backward.

This isn't a battle between cultivators. It's more like an ancient general charging into battle, taking the enemy's head from the midst of a vast army!

Ten minutes. Just ten minutes.

Bang! The last fire lizard that tried to escape was caught up from behind by Zhao Feng, who smashed its skull with a single sword strike.

The entire cave fell silent. Only the sound of flowing lava and Zhao Feng's slightly heavy breathing remained. He stood amidst the corpses, pulling back his longsword. The blade was spotless, still crimson like the sunset.

The red-clad sword spirit behind him slowly dissipated, transforming into a streak of red light and returning to the sword, leaving only a gentle praise: "Your swordplay today was very steady. There were no unnecessary movements."

Zhao Feng's lips curled into a rare, faint smile. He walked to the fire lizard's corpse and skillfully dug out the demon cores. There were twelve demon cores in total, all at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining stage.

"This should be enough to exchange for a Foundation Establishment Pill." Zhao Feng held the demon core, a burning glint in his eyes. He had already reached the peak of Qi Refining, and with that pill, he could attempt to break through to that legendary realm tonight.

……

When Zhao Feng stepped out the door, the sun was shining brightly. He carried a long sword that had been re-wrapped in black cloth on his back and a heavy cloth bag in his hand.

The students around him stared at him as if he were a monster. "He...he's out already?" "How come he doesn't have a single injury? Not even a tear in his clothes?" "Just now, Senior Brother Li and his team went in and were chased by those crazed fire lizards, barely escaping with their tails between their legs. Senior Brother Zhao, all by himself...cleared out that group of elite monsters?!"

Ignoring the surrounding chatter, Zhao Feng walked straight to the exchange counter and dumped the cloth bag onto the table.

With a clatter, twelve fiery red demon cores rolled onto the table, radiating a scorching heat.

"Exchange everything," Zhao Feng said succinctly. "Just the Foundation Establishment Pills."

The elder in charge of registration widened his eyes in agreement, his hand holding the pen freezing in mid-air.

"All of them are... Qi Refining Great Perfection Fire Lizard Pills? And you're all alone?"

Zhao Feng nodded: "Mm."

The elder took a deep breath, looked at the silent young man, and a hint of shock flashed in his eyes.

"According to the rules, the points reward is doubled for clearing high-risk areas by a single person." The elder took out an exquisite wooden box and handed it to Zhao Feng with both hands: "One [Perfect Foundation Establishment Pill]."

No one in the entire school has broken through yet. Zhao Feng, you have a very good chance of becoming one of the first, or even the first, to successfully break through to the Foundation Establishment stage.

Zhao Feng took the wooden box, his fingers tightening slightly. He didn't show much emotion, simply bowing respectfully towards the direction of the Dao Wen Pavilion.

"Thank you, Dean, for the medicine."

Then, he shouldered his sword and, amidst the awe and envy of thousands of people, walked alone towards his secluded retreat in the back mountain.

That was the silhouette of someone fighting with their back to the wall.

……

Gu Qing watched the smooth replay of Zhao Feng's massacre on the screen and took a satisfied sip of tea.

"The Zhao Feng of the past was controlled by the sword, his violent nature was too strong, and he was easily broken." "The Zhao Feng of today controls the sword, with the sword spirit assisting him, his movements are both powerful and delicate."

"This is exactly what I'm looking for: 'A heavy sword has no edge, great skill is without artifice.'"

Gu Qing glanced at the system panel. At this moment, Chu Tian's team was in seclusion, and Zhao Feng had also returned with the pills.

The spiritual energy of Kunlun University is fluctuating wildly; tonight is destined to be a sleepless night.

[Current number of players in the Foundation Establishment stage: 0]

[Expected number of players to surpass the target tonight: 6]

"The breakthrough will happen tonight."

Gu Qing stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the dark clouds that were gradually pressing down on the horizon.

That was no ordinary rain cloud, but a "spiritual tide" formed by the intense convergence of spiritual energy.

"System, activate the Spirit Gathering Array, full power."

"Let's liven things up for these little brats."