Lin Feng landed lightly on the blood-soaked ground.
"Captain!"
"Leader!"
His men's eyes widened in disbelief. If Lin Feng was here, that meant—the First Commander was dead.
A roar of excitement erupted. Their fighting spirit reignited like wildfire.
"Kill!"
"Die!"
The invaders trembled. Their commander—an Eighth Grade Xiantian expert—had been slain by a mere Third Grade cultivator. Fear rippled through their ranks.
Lin Feng's eyes sharpened. He dashed forward, targeting the Sixth and Seventh Grade Xiantian experts still holding the line.
Swoosh!
Hiss!
Blood sprayed through the air wherever he passed. Heads fell, bodies collapsed. His movements were so fast that his afterimages bled into one another.
The invaders froze in horror as they watched him carve through their comrades like wheat before a scythe.
"We surrender!" they cried, dropping their weapons and raising their hands.
Lin Feng's expression remained cold. "Kill every single one of them."
The captured men's faces twisted in terror. They had surrendered willingly—and yet…
Screams echoed as the last of the invaders were wiped out. The battlefield fell silent.
---
"Huang Yin," Lin Feng said evenly, "what are our casualties?"
"Captain," Huang Yin replied solemnly, "we've suffered heavy losses. All of the Mortal Realm cultivators are dead. Only fifty Xiantian experts remain—some crippled, others lightly injured."
"Tell everyone to rest and recover as quickly as possible. We attack the Second Commander in five hours."
Huang Yin froze. "Captain… we just finished a battle, and our forces are thin. Attacking now would be suicide!"
Lin Feng's gaze didn't waver. "Do as I say. We move in five hours."
"Y–Yes, Captain."
---
Word spread quickly through the camp.
"The Captain wants to attack the Second Commander in five hours?!"
"Has he lost his mind? We can barely stand!"
"Enough," Huang Yin snapped. "The Captain's orders stand. Prepare to move!"
---
Meanwhile, in another part of Fire Cloud City…
"Commander, the First Commander has been killed—his entire army wiped out!" an informant reported, trembling.
"What?!" the Second Commander barked. "Who killed him?"
The man hesitated.
"I said, who killed him?" the Commander's tone turned icy.
"A… a Third Grade Xiantian expert."
The Commander's face darkened. "Is this a joke? How can a Third Grade kill an Eighth Grade?!"
"It's true, sir," the informant stammered, handing him a water-screen crystal.
The Commander watched the recording in silence, his jaw tightening. "…I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it myself. Prepare the army. We're leaving this city within the hour."
"But Commander, our mission was to eradicate everyone in the city—"
"Silence," the Commander growled. "The First Commander was stronger than me, and he's dead. If I stay, I'll end up the same. I'll report this to the upper echelons. With a monster like that around, they'll understand."
---
Three hours later…
"Huang Yin," Lin Feng asked, "where is the Second Commander's camp located?"
"Captain, it's on the northern outskirts of Fire Cloud City. At our pace, we'll reach it in about three hours."
"Good. Move out."
---
After some time, they arrived near a large encampment—but the place was eerily silent.
"Are you sure this is their camp?" Lin Feng asked.
"Yes, Captain."
"Search the area. If you find anyone, bring them to me."
"You heard the Captain! Move!" Huang Yin ordered.
Moments later—
"Captain! We found someone!"
They dragged over a thin young man, his clothes torn and face pale.
"Please, don't kill me!" he begged.
"What's your name?" Lin Feng asked calmly.
"M–My name is Ye Yang. I was kidnapped by those evil cultivators."
Lin Feng frowned. "We can't find anyone else. Where are they?"
"They left about an hour ago," Ye Yang said quickly. "I don't know what happened, but their commander suddenly ordered everyone to retreat."
"I see…"
Lin Feng wasn't surprised. The Second Commander had likely learned about the First Commander's death. The man was no fool—if the First Commander, who was slightly stronger than him, had fallen, he knew he stood no chance.
"You may go," Lin Feng said, waving his hand.
"Thank you, senior brother!" Ye Yang bowed and fled.
"Captain, what happened?" Huang Yin asked.
"The enemy's retreated. We'll celebrate our victory back at the Lin family mansion."
Cheers broke out immediately.
"Haha! We won!"
"We forced them to retreat!"
"All thanks to our Captain!"
Their exhausted faces were finally lit with joy.
---
Back at the Lin Family Mansion, a grand banquet was held in celebration of their victory over the invaders.
"We'll depart tomorrow morning," Lin Feng told his team.
---
At the Warzone Headquarters…
"We've completed the mission," Lin Feng reported.
The official behind the desk blinked in surprise. "Wait—what? How could you possibly complete it with your team's strength and no casualties?"
"You can send someone to verify it," Lin Feng said calmly.
"Hmph, if you're lying to me—"
But a few moments later, an aide ran back, eyes wide with disbelief.
"Sir, it's true. The First Commander and his entire army are gone!"
The official's jaw tightened. A Third Grade Xiantian killed an Eighth Grade? No wonder the higher-ups want him dead.
"I've confirmed it," he said stiffly. "You may claim your rewards."
"Thank you, Captain!" his men said gratefully. "Without you, we'd all be dead."
Lin Feng smiled faintly. "It's nothing. Huang Yin, where can I check the Xiantian rankings?"
"You can check them over there," Huang Yin pointed.
"Got it. See you later."
---
"I'm here to check the Xiantian rankings," Lin Feng said, stepping up to the counter.
"Five hundred purple crystals," the clerk replied.
Lin Feng tossed a pouch forward. "Here."
"Take this token—you can view the rankings through it."
"Thanks."
He pressed the token and watched as numbers appeared in the air.
"Rank 1,250… that's too low," he murmured. "Time to return to the sect."
---
Sword Sovereign Sect…
"I'm finally back."
Lin Feng soared through the clouds, heading straight for his master's peak.
Disciples whispered below as he passed.
"Is that Lin Feng?"
"He survived the warzone?"
"He's truly a six-star talent!"
---
Disciplinary Hall Peak…
"Master, Lin Feng has returned. He's not dead as planned," a subordinate reported.
The Hall Leader's expression turned cold. "Impossible. We placed him in a red danger zone!"
"According to the warzone records," the man continued nervously, "he killed an Eighth Grade Xiantian expert while still at the Third Grade."
"What?!" the Hall Leader slammed his table. "He can leap five grades in battle? As the First Elder's disciple, he'll become a major obstacle to our plans."
"Should we… assassinate him, Master?"
"Contact the Black Assassination Pavilion," the Hall Leader said darkly.
"Yes, Master."
---
First Elder's Peak…
Lin Feng landed quietly at the base of the mountain.
"Master," he said, bowing slightly. "I'm back."