C16 Shock

Ning Gao let out a cold snort and stealthily made his way through the darkness toward Lee Fei's position.

He had reached the peak of a Four-star Apprentice.

Lee Fei's abilities had remained unchanged, yet Ning Gao had advanced from a Two-star to a lower-tier Four-star Apprentice. This leap had significantly transformed him.

Moreover, he had the Blood Evil Claw as his ace in the hole.

In terms of sheer physical strength, he was confident of a decisive victory.

"Who's there?"

As Lee Fei neared the riverbank, he crouched down and suddenly detected a faint noise behind him.

In the Arlingwaki Hills, a lapse in vigilance could mean an inexplicable death the next instant.

Realizing he'd been spotted, Ning Gao no longer concealed himself and stepped out from behind a tree.

Startled by Ning Gao's appearance, Lee Fei released the rabbit he was holding.

"It's... you!"

Lee Fei's fists tightened, his eyes brimming with loathing.

All his troubles stemmed from this man before him. If only he had died, there would be no more issues!

"Yes, it's me."

Ning Gao watched the enraged Lee Fei, subtly moving one hand behind his back.

"Since you're courting death, don't blame me for killing you once more!"

Lee Fei tossed aside the rabbit, his presence surging to its zenith.

It hadn't been long since he last defeated Ning Gao, and he was skeptical that Ning Gao could have caught up to him in such a short time.

Lee Fei pushed off the ground with his right foot, spinning mid-air and delivering a sweeping kick with his left leg.

He was utterly convinced this blow would incapacitate Ning Gao.

He was on the cusp of becoming a Five-star Apprentice, while Ning Gao, a mere Two-star, would surely shatter under his full-powered strike.

Lee Fei had already envisioned Ning Gao crumpling from his devastating kick.

"Oh? Really?"

Ning Gao smiled at Lee Fei and met the kick head-on with his left hand.

"You..."

Lee Fei stared at Ning Gao, dumbfounded. The scene before him shattered his expectations.

"Sorry, I forgot to mention, I'm no longer just a Two-star Apprentice."

As Ning Gao spoke, a blood-red mist materialized around his left hand. With a swift motion, he seized Lee Fei's leg and yanked forcefully, slamming him into the ground.

Ning Gao's right hand, previously concealed, now struck with the Blood Demon Claw, targeting Lee Fei's back.

"Ah!"

A scream of agony echoed as Ning Gao relentlessly delivered another punch to Lee Fei's head.

Reeling from the onslaught, Lee Fei's body grew increasingly heavy, his consciousness fading.

"Thank you for allowing me to complete my transformation."

Ning Gao hoisted Lee Fei up, once again wielding the Blood Demon Claw with his right hand.

This final blow decisively finished Lee Fei.

Sensing the life force of an Apprentice at the pinnacle of the Fourth Star, Ning Gao felt his own cultivation level begin to shift, a breakthrough seemingly within reach.

Adhering to his principle of waste not, Ning Gao crouched down and laid a hand on Lee Fei's body.

He activated the Gluttony Blood Scripture, commencing a thorough absorption.

Within a minute, he had transferred all of Lee Fei's vital essence into the Primordial World, leaving behind nothing but a heap of desiccated bones and dull, lifeless skin.

A month later, Ning Gao's story had gradually been forgotten by the citizens of Vuiburgh. Both the Ning and Lee families had resigned themselves to accepting Ning Gao's fate as one of the deceased.