While flying, Li Fan occasionally sensed divine consciousness scanning him from below.
However, upon realizing he was merely passing by, the probing forces quickly retracted.
After the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, Li Fan arrived outside the mountain range marked by Shuo Feng.
The mountains stretched like a winding dragon, with sixteen towering peaks standing proudly.
Even through the protective formation, one could faintly sense the dense spiritual energy lingering in the mountain range.
The moment Li Fan arrived, a female cultivator in a pale yellow dress flew out from one of the peaks, approaching him.
“You must be the young master’s guest. Please, follow me.”
The female cultivator displayed utmost respect, leading Li Fan through the protective formation and into the mountain range.
Glancing at the guide, Li Fan noticed that she, like him, was at the mid-stage Nascent Soul Realm.
Li Fan, however, did not feel awkward. Instead, he maintained a composed expression and inquired about this place.
The woman in the yellow dress, unfazed by Li Fan’s cultivation level, answered in detail as long as it was permissible to do so.
This mountain range was named Shuofeng Mountain.
Indeed, it was purchased by Immortal Sage Fei Xue and named after Shuo Feng. Back when Shuo Feng successfully established his Dao Foundation, this mountain range was a gift from Shuo Feng.
Although called a mountain range, it was actually a meticulously crafted cultivation cave estate. The sixteen peaks were arranged in a formation that gathered spiritual energy from heaven and earth. Moreover, they were forged from rare materials imbued with the laws of the universe. Residing here, even without actively cultivating, one would naturally absorb these laws, steadily refining their power.
Despite its remarkable nature, after Shuo Feng broke through to the Nascent Soul Realm, Immortal Sage Fei Xue gifted him another estate in Tianquan City.
Thus, Shuofeng Mountain gradually fell into neglect.
Now, he only visited occasionally for leisure.
Before long, at the summit of the central peak, Li Fan saw Shuo Feng in a flowing blue robe—
He stood with his hands behind his back, his expression calm and indifferent.
Surrounding him were six late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators, launching relentless attacks against him.
Yet, Shuo Feng did not activate his Cave-Heaven Power—he simply responded with pure spell techniques.
Li Fan’s eyes narrowed slightly at the sight.
Strictly speaking, these six Nascent Soul cultivators were no weaklings. Their attacks included Five Elemental Spells, spiritual weapons and flying swords, and even black arrows capable of teleporting unpredictably through space.
Yet, Shuo Feng did not dodge nor flinch.
He didn’t even blink.
A radiant white sword light danced through the air—
Heavenly Wonder Sword!
In an instant, it blocked and reflected all incoming attacks.
Boom! Boom!
Explosions echoed through the mountains.
The six Nascent Soul cultivators lasted no more than a dozen breaths before being overwhelmed by their own countered attacks and forced into defeat.
Shuo Feng showed no mercy.
Their injuries were severe—one even had his entire body obliterated, only managing to regenerate after his Cave-Heaven Power circulated for some time.
“Too weak. Bring the next batch.” Shuo Feng’s voice was cold, his expression showing a hint of impatience.
The six defeated cultivators wore bitter expressions but dared not protest. Bowing respectfully, they quickly withdrew.
“Hahaha! Brother Shuo, you are quite formidable!”
At this moment, Li Fan suddenly burst into laughter, clapping his hands without the slightest sign of fear.
“Brother Li, you mock me!” Shuo Feng’s icy demeanor softened, revealing a faint smile.
The six retreating Nascent Soul cultivators discreetly glanced at Li Fan, their eyes filled with curiosity about his identity before hurriedly leaving.
“It has been a while, Brother Shuo. Your strength has indeed advanced…
But I am no weaker than you!”
“Please, enlighten me!”
Without further words, Li Fan’s expression turned cold.
He raised his right hand and pointed at Shuo Feng from a distance.
Whoosh…
A gentle breeze passed.
Yet, Shuo Feng, who had been on high alert, waited for a long moment but felt no change in his surroundings.
His smile faded.
His eyes turned sharp.
“Brother Li, are you toying with me?”
Li Fan’s expression remained unchanged, smiling lightly.
“It’s my first time using this divine ability—small mishaps are expected.”
“But no worries. This time, it should work.”
“Be careful!”
In an instant, Li Fan’s voice turned icy.
He retracted his right hand—
Then, lightly pointed once more.
“Thread Extraction!”
The wind remained calm, and the clouds drifted lightly, as if nothing had happened. Only Li Fan’s emotionless voice echoed across the mountain peak.
Shuo Feng was just about to speak when he suddenly sensed something, and his expression changed dramatically.
Threads, one by one, began to unravel from his azure long robe.
The fine strands floated through the air, dissolving as if merging into water, vanishing in an instant.
Shuo Feng was about to take action, but before he could react, a muffled groan escaped his lips involuntarily.
In the blink of an eye, a crimson wound appeared on his body, as if a sharp blade had sliced through his flesh, exposing the muscle beneath.
And in front of him, a single red thread had appeared in mid-air.
“Sssss…”
“Sssss…”
A strange, eerie sound kept ringing out.
With each sound, another crimson thread appeared in the air. And with each thread, another bloody wound opened on Shuo Feng’s body.
In mere moments, he was covered in cuts, his body drenched in blood.
An icy chill surged through his heart.
Because he understood his own condition far too well—these were not mere surface wounds.
His very being was being extracted, disappearing into nothingness!
It was as if…
A puppet woven entirely of thread was having its strings slowly pulled away, unraveling its form.
Moreover, from beginning to end, his Foundation Establishment artifact—the sword—had not made a single move to defend or counterattack!
“So this is why it’s called ‘Thread Extraction’…” Shuo Feng couldn’t help but think.
“If this continues…”
A horrifying image flashed through his mind—his own body shrinking bit by bit as the threads were pulled away, until he became nothing more than a tattered, lifeless ragdoll, collapsing helplessly to the ground, awaiting his doom.
A deep terror gripped his heart.
Yet, even as his mind raced for a solution, he could not think of a way to counter this Thread Extraction technique.
Li Fan, meanwhile, remained motionless in midair, his finger still locked onto Shuo Feng.
He had no intention of stopping!
“This guy… He really will kill me!”
Looking into Li Fan’s unfathomable gaze, Shuo Feng felt a chilling realization strike him.
“I surrender! I surrender!”
Driven by sheer survival instinct, Shuo Feng shouted repeatedly.
Hearing his words, Li Fan finally withdrew his right hand.
“Poof!”
In that instant, it was as if countless severed threads had snapped apart.
Blood mist burst from Shuo Feng’s body in layers.
“Young Master!”
The female cultivator in the yellow dress turned pale with fright, letting out a panicked scream.
“I’m fine!”
Shuo Feng waved his hand to stop her from rushing over.
“Thank you for the match.”
Li Fan clasped his hands in a polite gesture, his expression calm.
Shuo Feng’s gaze was complicated as he looked at Li Fan.
“What an incredible technique, Daoist friend.”
He couldn’t help but admit it with sincerity.