"Huh? It actually wasn't destroyed either?"
As soon as Lin Feng approached the pile of ashes, he froze in surprise. He had discovered yet another Golden Core. He hadn't expected Liang Han's Golden Core to have survived as well.
Beside the Golden Core lay a lump of metal melted beyond recognition. Presumably, this remnant was Liang Han's soft armor protective treasure. Given his status, the armor he wore should have been, at the very least, a top-grade treasure artifact. Yet, even it couldn't withstand the power of the Magma Fire.
"Nothing? Pity..."
Lin Feng searched through the ashes for a while, disappointment clouding his eyes. What he sought was naturally Liang Han's storage ring and that spirit artifact-level protective light shield artifact. Sadly, it seemed they too had been destroyed by the Magma Fire, leaving him crestfallen.
If a storage ring is destroyed, everything inside is cast into dimensional voids, essentially impossible to recover.
"Huh?! Here it is!!"
Just as Lin Feng was about to give up the search, his eyes suddenly sharpened. He focused on the melted lump of metal. Through a crack in its surface, he caught a faint glimmer!
"Sssh!"
Lin Feng flicked his right hand. A flash of light appeared to his right as his flying sword sliced through the air. It scraped across the metal lump with a sharp shiiiick!, cleaving it cleanly in two. Revealed within, wedged inside the molten mass, were a golden bracelet and a black storage ring!
Somehow, these two items had been fortuitously encased within the molten armor, shielding them from the Magma Fire's destruction.
Ecstatic, Lin Feng swiftly retrieved them.
However, now was clearly not the time for a detailed inventory. After storing the items away, he turned and walked towards another spot— where a body-length crimson sword lay quietly on the ground.
After collecting Liang Han's flying sword, Lin Feng scanned the surroundings one last time, ensuring nothing else was missed. Satisfied, he finally turned and headed back towards Qingyun City.
Although the immediate threat was eliminated, and it was unlikely Liang Han had companions lurking nearby, this was still the wilderness. Lingering at the scene of a battle was unwise. It was far better to return to the safety of the city walls to properly recover from his injuries.
With Lin Feng's departure, the spot of fierce combat moments before plunged into utter silence. A cold wind swept through, scattering even the two small piles of ashes. Liang Han had vanished completely from the world, leaving not a single trace behind.
One couldn't help but feel Liang Han had been pitiful. A cultivator at the second layer of the Golden Core stage, slain here by Lin Feng, who was merely at the second layer of Foundation Establishment. His greatest failure stemmed from sheer arrogance. From the very beginning, he had utterly underestimated Lin Feng, never even considering taking him seriously. He hadn't contemplated personally attacking either. Casting his flying sword and activating the protective light shield were merely defensive measures against Lin Feng's assaults; he intended solely for the corpse puppet to finish the job.
Had he coordinated his assault with the corpse puppet from the outset, Lin Feng might never have gotten the chance to deploy the White Tiger Fierce Soul Talisman. Or, had he simply positioned himself farther away, he wouldn't have been caught so helplessly off-guard when the Tiger Soul struck.
Alas, cruel reality offered no room for 'what ifs'. His overconfidence, his belief that he could easily handle Lin Feng's dual threats—the flying sword and the alien fire—led him to dismiss the possibility of a third, lesser-known trump card. He paid the ultimate price for his arrogance: his life.
...
"Huh?"
After walking for about ten minutes, Lin Feng suddenly spotted a large, dark mass rapidly approaching from ahead. Startled, he instinctively assumed a defensive stance. However, recognition quickly washed over him. Relaxing, he dropped his guard, a smile spreading across his face as he hurried forward.
By the moonlight, he could clearly make out the faces rushing towards him—all familiar acquaintances. It was Zhang Fangzhou, Qi Minghe, Changgong Linglan, Zheng Changqing, Kou Xuyun, and the others.
Warmth bloomed in Lin Feng's heart. Looks like Zhang Fangzhou went to get reinforcements. I didn't expect everyone to come...
"Lin Feng!!"
The approaching group spotted Lin Feng almost simultaneously. Relief and joy filled their expressions as they quickly closed the distance, surrounding him.
"Chiii!"
As they neared, a small, yellow, shadowy figure darted out from the crowd. It 'flew' straight towards Lin Feng, scampered nimbly up his robes in a couple of bounds, and perched triumphantly on his right shoulder. It bounced and waved its little arms excitedly, clearly overjoyed at Lin Feng's safety—it was Xiaoqiu.
"Big Bro, are you alright?!" Zhang Fangzhou noticed Lin Feng's pale complexion and disheveled state. He rushed forward, grabbing Lin Feng's arm for support, his voice thick with concern.
"Just a few injuries, that's all. Rest easy, nothing serious," Lin Feng reassured him with a tired smile. He then looked towards Qi Minghe and the others. "Shopkeeper Qi, Senior Changgong, Senior Zheng, Senior Kou, thank you all for rushing here to help."
Qi Minghe studied Lin Feng intently, his expression grave. "Lin Feng, what exactly happened?"
"I was ambushed," Lin Feng explained. "The attacker was the master of that demon beast that rampaged in the city the other day. I chased him out beyond the city walls... we fought... and I managed to kill him by a stroke of luck."
"What?!" Gasps of shock rippled through the group. Changgong Linglan frowned deeply. "So that beast was being controlled?! Who was he? Why would he do such a thing?"
"I don't know his motives," Lin Feng shook his head. He decided against revealing the man's affiliation with the Corpse Sect. That connection was far too dangerous; the fewer people who knew, the better.
Kou Xuyun, noting Lin Feng's evident weakness, produced a red pill from his sleeve and offered it. "Lin Feng, it seems your internal organs are injured? Take this Blood Velvet Pill. It will aid your recovery."
The Blood Velvet Pill was a second-grade healing elixir, renowned for its efficacy in treating physical trauma. Lin Feng didn't refuse. He accepted it gratefully and swallowed it immediately. "Thank you, Senior Kou."
"Think nothing of it," Kou Xuyun waved dismissively. "Now that the threat is dealt with, let's return to the city. Lin Feng's injuries are significant; we shouldn't linger here talking. Getting him back to heal is the priority."
...
The large group that had marched out of the city ended up only meeting Lin Feng along the way. They escorted him back into the safety of Qingyun City's walls. Lin Feng thanked everyone profusely once more before they dispersed to their own homes.
He sent Zhang Fangzhou and the other two back to rest as well. Alone, he returned to his own house. His bedroom was a wreck, crowned with a new 'skylight', rendering it uninhabitable. So, he went to the bedroom that had once belonged to his parents. Retrieving his meditation cushion, he placed it in a corner of the room, sat down, and began the slow process of healing.
The night passed swiftly. It wasn't until the following afternoon that Lin Feng finally managed to heal the internal damage sustained in the fight.
After concluding his meditation and stabilizing his Qi, he didn't immediately rise or turn his attention to the spoils of the battle. Instead, he remained seated, brow furrowed in deep contemplation.
"So it seems... that 'burst' state truly does activate whenever I'm pushed to my absolute limit in a life-or-death crisis," he murmured to himself. "It's like carrying a reserve of double my true essence... But why does it happen? And this unnatural 'burst'... is there truly no 'side effect' at all...?"
A mixture of relief and profound unease churned within him. In the heat of last night's battle, when activating the White Tiger Fierce Soul Talisman, his true essence reserves had been insufficient. Yet, that mysterious 'burst' state had surged forth once more. It was only because of that surge that he had succeeded in activating the talisman, unleashing a power greater than ever before, decisive enough to annihilate his foe. This confirmed that the 'burst' wasn't random; it triggered automatically whenever he reached his limits and faced mortal peril.
Objectively, this was a boon, a hidden lifeline. Yet, it filled Lin Feng with deep disquiet. He couldn't shake the feeling that this phenomenon likely carried severe, unforeseen consequences...
"Furthermore... it seems my plans to leave... must be moved up."
Another pressing matter surfaced in his thoughts, prompting a resigned sigh.
He had just killed a Golden Core disciple of the Corpse Sect. While he had meticulously destroyed the evidence and told no one of the man's affiliation, if the Corpse Sect investigated, tracing the incident back to him would be trivial. After all, the entire city of Qingyun knew that Lin Feng had killed Liang Han's Ink Lion beast.
Even if there was no concrete proof linking him to Liang Han's death, who said 'proof' was a prerequisite for action? If the Corpse Sect truly came looking, mere suspicion would be more than enough justification for them to act against him...
The Corpse Sect—that was a Ninth-grade super sect! Dealing with someone like him would be as effortless as crushing an ant.
While it was far from certain that the Corpse Sect would investigate Liang Han's disappearance, Lin Feng couldn't afford to gamble. The Corpse Sect existed on an entirely different plane than the He Clan or Li Clan he'd offended in the past. Waiting until they arrived before thinking of escape would almost certainly be too late.
Therefore, his plan to leave home could no longer wait. It had to be moved up... immediately.