Qiu Xiaocui and the fox spirit stared in utter horror at Gu Qingfeng, who was slowly retracting his fist, exclaiming in disbelief, "How is this possible! Aren't you just a Grandmaster? Why are you so strong?!"
"Damn it, and you two bitches, did I allow you to speak?"
Gu Qingfeng let out a sinister laugh, and in the next moment, his figure vanished from where he stood.
Two sharp cracks echoed through the air!
*Slap! Slap!*
Two heavy slaps landed on the delicate faces of the two women.
Qiu Xiaocui and the fox spirit had no time to react before they were sent flying by an overwhelming force, crashing into the ruins that Li Qianren had just collapsed into.
*Whoosh!*
Gu Qingfeng, unsatisfied with merely slapping them, appeared in the ruins like a flash. He grabbed each of them by the hair, dragging them out like lifeless dogs and placing them before him.
Looking at the two, who were once stunningly beautiful but now covered in blood and disfigured, Gu Qingfeng felt an inexplicable sense of pleasure.
He sneered, "You two bitches, I really want to know who gave you the courage to discuss your plans right in front of me. Clearly, you didn’t take me seriously."
"Ugh... you..." The fox spirit, who was slightly stronger, stammered in terror, her words barely coherent.
At that moment, a sharp whistling sound came from behind Gu Qingfeng.
As if he had eyes on the back of his head, he tilted his head slightly and effortlessly dodged the attack.
Li Qianren appeared before him, his expression a mix of shock and grim determination.
He looked utterly disheveled, his clothes torn, his body covered in wounds and blood.
"Who the hell are you?!"
Instead of answering, Gu Qingfeng sneered and asked, "Didn’t you say not to force you to act? Well, I’m forcing you now. What can you do about it?"
Li Qianren’s face darkened with rage. "Let them go!"
"Hehehe... You want me to let them go? Fine, let’s play a game. You have to choose one of them—either the mature woman or the young girl. The choice is yours. I’ll count to three. If you don’t decide in time, they both die."
Gu Qingfeng began counting with a sinister grin. "One..."
Li Qianren’s face flushed with uncontrollable anger. He wanted to charge forward, but seeing the hostages in Gu Qingfeng’s hands, he forced himself to hold back.
"Two..."
"I choose Qiu Xiaocui!"
"Oh?" Gu Qingfeng’s eyes flashed with surprise. "The young girl? I would’ve chosen the fox spirit. But hey, to each their own. Here you go."
With that, Gu Qingfeng tossed Qiu Xiaocui toward Li Qianren, who quickly caught her.
"Hey, little fox, you’ve been abandoned. Any thoughts?"
As soon as Gu Qingfeng finished speaking, another shocking turn of events unfolded.
A blinding light erupted from both Li Qianren and Qiu Xiaocui, turning them into two radiant figures.
Then, to Gu Qingfeng’s astonishment, the two glowing figures began to merge together.
"Holy crap! Are they fusing like Saiyans?"
Soon, the light faded, and Qiu Xiaocui disappeared, leaving only Li Qianren standing there.
His previously weak aura began to surge uncontrollably, rapidly climbing in power!
Grandmaster level seven, eight, nine... Half-step Dragon Transformation Grandmaster!
"It feels great not to hold back anymore," Li Qianren said coldly.
"Gu Qingfeng, I admit I underestimated you. I thought your strength was only that of an ordinary Grandmaster, but I never expected you to reach the level of a Dragon Transformation Grandmaster.
However, this is where it ends. You may have the physical strength of a Dragon Transformation Grandmaster, but I am the real deal!
Release her now, and there’s still a chance to resolve this peacefully."
"Little Li, you’re getting ahead of yourself. Did you really think I used my full strength when I hit you earlier?" Gu Qingfeng scoffed.
"I only used ten percent of my power because I was afraid I’d kill you with one punch."
"Hmph, bluffing," Li Qianren clearly didn’t believe Gu Qingfeng’s words. In his worldview, reaching the Grandmaster level through physical cultivation was possible, but Dragon Transformation? Impossible!
"Ah, my mistake. I let you mistake my mercy for weakness. But you’re right about one thing—it does feel great not to hold back!"
As soon as he finished speaking...
*Boom!*
An overwhelming soul pressure erupted from Gu Qingfeng, shooting straight into the sky!
The heavens seemed to tremble, the clouds scattering as if struck by a hurricane, instantly disintegrating!
The pressure was almost tangible, centered around Gu Qingfeng. The ground beneath him sank, cracks spreading like a spider’s web across several miles!
A shockwave rippled outward like water, uprooting trees and sending them flying as if struck by an air cannon!
Gu Qingfeng casually tossed the fox spirit aside, then cracked his neck and walked calmly toward Li Qianren.
"No... no way! This level of soul pressure... even those beyond the Grandmaster level can’t compare! Who are you?!"
Li Qianren’s eyes bulged, his body trembling uncontrollably. His hair stood on end, and cold sweat poured down his forehead.
His face was frozen in extreme terror, unable to form any expression. His pupils shook violently, as if caught in an earthquake.
Fear, like a virus, consumed his entire body. He wanted to run, but he couldn’t.
His muscles seemed to have lost all sensation, leaving him unable to do anything but tremble.
He could only watch helplessly as Gu Qingfeng approached, his figure growing larger and larger in his vision.
As Gu Qingfeng drew closer, the terrifying pressure intensified, pressing down on Li Qianren like a mountain. His neck bent under the weight, forcing his head down, and his knees buckled, nearly bringing him to the ground.
Unable to lift his head, Li Qianren stared at the ground. Slowly, a pair of feet came into view.
The small stones on the ground began to tremble, rising a meter into the air before disintegrating into dust.
Gu Qingfeng stopped in front of Li Qianren and said calmly, "Little Li, I don’t know who you are or what your plans are, but there’s one thing I do know."
Suddenly, Gu Qingfeng leaned down slightly, whispering into Li Qianren’s ear, "You’ve messed with the wrong person."
"So, goodbye. I hope you remember this in your next life."
These soft words struck Li Qianren like a thunderclap, shattering his mind.
The terror of impending death consumed him. He struggled and trembled violently, but it was all in vain. His schemes, his grudges, his ambitions—everything was about to come to an end.
Gu Qingfeng raised his hand gently, aiming it at Li Qianren’s head.