Could it be that I am the cruel villain?

The fierce wind suddenly rose.

The Fire Dragon Roll spun in the center of the Martial Arts Arena, tipping the Demon Burning Furnace in hand, as the Demon Heart Technique frantically operated. With the amount of Spiritual Energy and explosive power he now displayed, it couldn't even be said to be on par with other Core Formation Stage cultivators.

You could only say it wasn't even close.

Switching with any Core Formation Stage cultivator would likely find them already sweating and panting. Even Yun Xiyin, struggling in the center of the area, felt a sense of astonishment but still gritted her teeth, hoping Jiang Feng's Spiritual Energy would be exhausted.

But now Mr. Jiang seemed almost like he was exploiting some sort of bug, his hands not stopping as his foot stomped down hard. Under the power of the Mountain River Fan, rocky peaks rose directly under his feet, looking down from above as he fully tilted the Demon Burning Furnace.

The wind fueled the fire, with seven or eight Fire Dragon Rolls intertwining. Even separated by several dozen meters, the scorching heat could be felt head-on. Originally, the Demon Heart Technique and the Thunder Element entering the body were considered blood fuel BUFF skills. Relying on a body barely above average, every time he would unleash his full power when near depletion, achieving an unexpected result.

Ever since Xuan Xiaozi's flesh merged into his body, everything changed.

Honestly, he felt that the buff only activated when depleted could now be a constant buff.

Maybe it sounds a bit exaggerated, but now he was overloading near half an hour without any issues and still had energy remaining, far from reaching his physical limit.

But this is the high reward that comes with high risk.

With any sect, whenever a disciple goes out on missions or training, the death and injury rates are extremely high. Yet the sect still tries to temper them as much as possible, and Jiang Feng's return perfectly exemplifies why cultivators must undergo the tempering of blood and fire.

He could say without hesitation that if he had the current strength before heading to Country Liang, Xuan Yinzi wouldn't last an hour in his hands; if facing himself from three months ago, he wouldn't stand any chance.

The Mountain River Fan was still in full display of its might, his internal Spiritual Energy long depleted. But relying on the tyranny of the Demon Heart Technique and his robust physique, he was still driving it madly. The power was perhaps not as great as it was initially, but for the current ending, it was entirely sufficient.

Even those on stage found it astonishing, including the aged Great Elder, who at some point had already stood up. It was evident that as soon as Yun Xiyin lost strength, he would not hesitate to intervene.

"How does this young fellow still have Spiritual Energy left? Though the Nine Peaks Martial Assembly doesn't prohibit the use of Elixirs and external assistance, I haven't seen him use any Elixir."

"Even with Elixirs, it shouldn't last this long. Do you see that whirlpool behind the guy? The Spiritual Energy releasing directly like this without refinement — if it were an ordinary cultivator, their meridians would have snapped. But this guy is fine."

"Yes, now it's about who can endure longer between the two, however."

The many elders and Peak Masters discussed among themselves, but they could naturally see the outcome, as Jiang Feng was now entirely in control, while the Yuzhu Peak's Chief Disciple was completely trapped in a very small space.

Liu Muqin was entirely ineffective in such circumstances. Her Wind Blade could not penetrate the Fire Dragon Roll's defense — not due to weak power, but if Jiang Feng had used this move from the start, and if her strength was still sufficient, she would surely have broken through his Magic Treasure.

But the problem now is that everyone is nearly depleted.

The two had unknowingly battled for an hour. From the beginning, she held the offensive power, deploying various Divine Soul Attacks and manipulating the Illusion Realm, deploying her Domain, turning ink into soldiers, and summoning countless Spiritual Beasts. The Gorgeous Brush was wielded in her hands with reckless power, clearly aiming for victory.

Although their realms were different, the battle was quite fair. Yun Xiyin possessed a more abundant Spiritual Energy reserve and higher Cultivation Realm, with superior quality Magic Treasures that perfectly matched her Cultivation Method.

Jiang Feng, however, had a stronger physique and Daoist Skill. After all, the Demon Heart Technique was a treasure personally given by the Demon Night True Monarch to his daughter, customized perfectly for him, with both sides evenly matched, focusing on different aspects.

Don't be fooled by Jiang Feng occupying an advantage now with his Mountain River Fan; before pulling it out, he was being chased like a rat, and only when his opponent was exhausted did he pull it out to determine the winner. This was his usual style.

Relying on his longsword and physically robust body to hold out and using his lower realm to actively lure the enemy into a fast-victory mindset.

When the opponent had exhausted significant Spiritual Energy and confirmed he lacked other trump cards, he would reveal his trump card to decide life and death. This familiar scene, as in previous death duels, he had successfully crushed opponents in this manner.

The true fire of the Demon Burning Furnace was still on, wind boosting the fire, merging the different properties of the two Magic Treasures into one. This was the conclusion he reached from his research after returning to the sect. With other treasures, this effect might not have been possible. The powerful Fire Dragon Roll completely enclosed the woman, seemingly determined to blast her to pieces.

The woman trapped in the center of the Martial Arts Arena used the Gorgeous Brush to draw a circle at her feet, trapping herself inside it with a method akin to painting prison bars. Water droplets completely covered the area two meters around her — at first glance, it was nothing more than a stationary water bubble.