I Can Transfer the Side Effects of Evil Skills

”Brother Zhang has made his breakthrough, forging a Celestial Tier Dao Foundation!”

”Which Brother Zhang? Zhang Zihuo, the one who’s first on the Ascension Rankings?”

As Zou Feng walked out of the great hall of the Battle Sanctum, he heard the buzz of excited chatter all around him.

But he didn’t intend to pay it much mind.

After all, any Inner Sect Disciple who made it onto the Ascension Rankings was practically guaranteed to successfully establish a Dao Foundation.

The reason most didn’t rush their breakthrough was simply to further improve the quality of their Foundation Establishment Dao Foundation.

In other words, they were just trying to lay a better ”stairway” for their breakthrough.

So, there was no need to make a fuss over Zhang Zihuo, the top-ranked disciple on the Ascension Rankings, succeeding in his Foundation Establishment.

Come to think of it, when Zou Feng had previously sent challenges to the top ten on the Ascension Rankings, Zhang Zihuo was one of those who had simply blocked his messages.

’Thinking about it now, Zhang Zihuo probably wasn’t a coward. He must have been in seclusion, making a final push for his Foundation Establishment.’

’Now that he’s successfully established his foundation, seeing my challenge message again would probably be a bit awkward for him...’

Just as Zou Feng was thinking this, his token vibrated.

”Junior Brother Zou, my apologies. I’ve been in seclusion and only just saw your message...”

’Speak of the devil,’ Zou Feng thought. It was indeed a reply from Zhang Zihuo.

’But what’s the point of him replying now? He might as well have left me on read.’

”Does Junior Brother Zou still intend to challenge me?”

Zou Feng hadn’t even planned on bothering with him, but this guy just had to keep posturing?

’He’s just a rookie who barely managed his Foundation Establishment. Does he really think I’d be afraid of him?’

”I’m at the entrance of the Battle Sanctum right now. If you want to fight, come over immediately.”

”...Junior Brother Zou, are you aware... that I have already established my Dao Foundation?”

”I know. Are you coming or not?”

Unsure what kind of stunt Zou Feng was trying to pull, Zhang Zihuo took a long moment before replying, ”There’s a limit to overestimating your own strength. If you want to cause trouble, I don’t have time to indulge you!”

”If you’re too scared to come, just say it!”

”Such shameless boasting! Go throw your tantrum after you manage to get past Song Yuanze!”

After that message, Zhang Zihuo went silent.

Of course, it wasn’t that he was actually scared. He had just successfully completed his Foundation Establishment and needed to stabilize and adapt to his new Realm. It was truly not the right time to immediately get into a fight.

His earlier question about whether Zou Feng still wanted to challenge him was really just an attempt to show off. How could he have possibly known that this wasn’t Zou Feng’s first time fighting someone in the Dao Foundation Realm?

As for Zou Feng, he had long been disillusioned with the current top ten on the Ascension Rankings.

The top ten of the Ascension Rankings definitely varied in strength from one generation to the next.

For instance, the Ascension Rankings from the era when Liu Chenyu and Jiang Wanzhao were still in the Spiritual Energy Realm would absolutely crush these current wimps in terms of overall strength.

Besides, after all his recent challenges against the Mind Bodies, Zou Feng felt his own strength had grown considerably. He had no reason to fear some Dao Foundation Realm rookie.

’But what was that about Song Yuanze, the second-ranked disciple on the Ascension Rankings, that Zhang Zihuo just mentioned?’

Zou Feng’s question was soon answered.

As if on cue, a message from Song Yuanze arrived.

”Noon tomorrow, Battle Sanctum. I’ll see you there.”

Song Yuanze had sent a message before, stating that the two of them would fight eventually, just not yet.

He had assumed it was just an excuse, but it turned out this guy’s so-called ”eventual fight” was meant for after Zhang Zihuo vacated the number one spot on the Ascension Rankings.

After all, with Zhang Zihuo’s promotion, he had naturally vacated his rank. Song Yuanze, the old number two, had simply coasted into the top spot.

But regardless of how he got it, number one was still number one, and the ”momentum” that came with the title was immense.

For a battle maniac like Song Yuanze, accepting a challenge as number one on the Ascension Rankings wouldn’t add pressure. Instead, it would grant him a boost, invisibly elevating his combat prowess to a whole new level.

Besides, Zou Feng’s recent track record was genuinely impressive, making him the perfect opponent for Song Yuanze to establish his authority as the new number one.

It was worth noting, however, that Zou Feng’s public record of achievements only extended to his Mind Body beating the twelfth-ranked Xiao Weiyang until he coughed up blood.

As for the fact that Zou Feng could now dominate Liu Chenyu’s Mind Body and defeat Jiang Wanzhao’s, he had never mentioned it, and the Artifact Spirit of the Battle Sanctum wouldn’t publicize it on its own initiative.

After all, a direct battle between their physical bodies would affect the Ascension Rankings, making it easy to deduce the winner and loser.

But when it came to Mind Body challenges, the Battle Sanctum’s Artifact Spirit granted everyone a measure of privacy; the results were not announced and had no impact on the Ascension Rankings.

In Xiao Weiyang’s case, people had only seen him cough up blood. Whether the challenge was actually a success or not was a matter of much debate.

After all, coughing up blood could be the result of a pyrrhic victory; it didn’t necessarily mean he had lost.

But since Song Yuanze was willing to fight, Zou Feng couldn’t be more pleased.

He would use this fight to verify whether this generation’s top ten on the Ascension Rankings was truly as lackluster as he suspected.

Once his battle with Song Yuanze was over, his Cultivation in the Battle Sanctum would officially conclude.

Then, he could engage in dual cultivation with his five Dao Companions according to the way of the five elements. This would create a balancing effect, allowing him to forge a Dao Foundation of even higher quality...

Lost in these thoughts, Zou Feng found himself back on Qingxi Mountain before he knew it, the Hongxing Inn already visible in the distance.

But he suddenly stopped in his tracks, his brow furrowed slightly.

’This feeling... Something isn’t right...’

It was a sensation that was both familiar and repulsive.

’Could it be...’

Slowly turning, Zou Feng saw, just as he’d suspected, a familiar figure standing under a tree not far from the Hongxing Inn.

It was none other than Liu Chenyu.

And Zou Feng was certain this was no Outer Body Incarnation, but her true self, here in the flesh.

Although Liu Chenyu wasn’t deliberately releasing her aura, the sheer pressure emanating from her physical body was on a completely different level from her Outer Body Incarnation or her Mind Body.