"No, I'm not from the Peerless Sword Sect."
Lin Feng swiftly denied. His impression of the sect was poor—he hardly wanted to be mistaken for that arrogant young master's sect-brother.
"Not a Peerless Sword disciple?" Loong Fei stared blankly, then asked cautiously, "Then may I ask which sect you hail from, Senior Brother?"
Though knowing Lin Feng wasn't a Core Formation senior, Loong Fei remained respectful. Despite the man's youthful appearance, the title "Senior Brother" felt natural.
Lin Feng smiled. "No sect. Just a wandering cultivator. I'm from Azure Cloud City… Incidentally, Azure Spring Sect was recruiting there half a month ago. I left shortly after. A few friends of mine actually joined. I recognized your robes—that's why I stepped in."
"Azure Cloud City?!"
Loong Fei's astonishment deepened. He processed the information, then composed himself and clasped his fists solemnly. "I see. Regardless, Brother Lin, this debt is etched in my heart. Should opportunity arise, I will repay it fully!"
He burned with curiosity—how could a wandering cultivator from a backwater like Azure Cloud wield a Flying Sword at Foundation Building?—but knew better than to pry.
Lin Feng waved dismissively. "Think nothing of it." His gaze shifted to the unconscious woman behind Loong Xin. "This… must be your elder? How is she? What caused such grave injuries?"
"Our Master. One of Azure Spring Sect's elders." Loong Xin's voice tightened. "We ventured deep into this valley searching for the rumored 'treasure.' Found no treasure… but did discover a ripe Tier-3 Blue Veined Spirit Fruit."
She took a shaky breath. "As we harvested it… a late Tier-3 Vine-Tailed Giant Ape ambushed us. Master shielded us… took the brunt of its attack. She managed to wound it grievously before collapsing. We fed her healing pills—stabilized her temporarily. But these four fiends intercepted us during our retreat…"
Loong Xin's knuckles whitened. "They'd been hiding, watching our fight with the ape. Saw Master's weakness. We gave them the Spirit Fruit… yet they still tried to exterminate us… Had you not intervened…"
"I understand," Lin Feng murmured after hearing the tale. He paused thoughtfully. "Your plans now? Need aid?"
Loong Fei shook his head. "We must rush Master back to Star City for urgent care. But we'll manage. We dare not trouble you further."
Lin Feng nodded. "Then travel safely."
After exchanging Star City addresses, the Azure Spring trio departed swiftly with their Master. Lin Feng watched until they vanished, then turned to scour the battlefield.
"A peak Tier-3 Golden Blade Talisman…" Lin Feng picked up the glittering slip of paper beside the bandit leader's corpse. Cold sweat prickled his neck. "Had he activated this… victory wouldn't have been so clean."
The talisman could have allowed escape, if not dealt death. Thankfully, his Flying Sword's speed had prevailed.
He looted the four bodies meticulously—storage pouches, weapons, usable talismans. A controlled "FWOOSH!" of flame consumed the remains. By now, covering tracks felt routine.
Cleansing the site took minutes. Lin Feng then strode deeper into the valley—opposite the Azure Spring group's path.
His original quest for the "mysterious treasure" now held an added lure: the ape's lair.
Loong Xin mentioned the Core Formation beast was crippled. An opportunity glittered—slaying it would be a worthy prize, treasure or not.
Ten minutes later, wreckage marked the battleground—shattered boulders, scorched earth, deep claw-gashes. The valley narrowed here, pinched between two towering ridges. A dead end.
"Churrr! Churrr!"
The fluffy, squirrel-like Qiuqiu on Lin Feng's shoulder suddenly tugged his hair. Its tiny paw jabbed urgently toward the right cliff face.
"Hmm? Found something?" Lin Feng's eyes narrowed. He followed the gesture—a hundred meters up, veiled by thick curtains of vines, a patch seemed different.
"A cave!"
His brows shot up. Now he saw it—a shadowed opening, fronted by a narrow ledge, all but swallowed by foliage.
"SHICK! SHICK! SHICK!"
Lin Feng scaled the cliff like a spider, finding footholds in the rock. Three breaths later, he landed soundlessly on the hidden ledge.
"SCREEEEE—!!!"
Qiuqiu's fur bristled. A warning shriek tore from its throat a heartbeat before—
"ROOOOOAAAAAR!!!"
The bellow hit like a physical blow. A colossal shadow erupted from the vine-choked cave mouth. But the true trap sprang first:
The "vines" under Lin Feng's feet twisted alive. Two snaked around his ankles like pythons. A dozen others shot upward—a net poised to ensnare him!
"HUAH!"
Lin Feng's response was ice-cold precision. Pre-gathered true essence surged. Golden light flared from his left wrist—a shimmering "Golden Bell Shield" enveloped him instantly.
"WHAP! WHAP! WHAP! WHAP!"
The thrashing vines hammered the barrier, coiling around the light-shell but failing to touch flesh.
"SHIIING!!!"
Simultaneously, Lin Feng's right hand flashed. Crimson Soul Sword materialized. A downward slice!
"SCHLICK! SCHLICK!"
The vines binding his ankles severed clean. The severed ends writhed, spraying viscous green fluid.
"SKREEEEEEE!!"
An agonized, inhuman screech echoed from the cave's depths.
Lin Feng's gaze hardened. Without pause, he swung the sword horizontally—a crimson arc aimed at the cage of vines!
"CRACK! TSSSSSS!"
The blade met the writhing mass. Vibrant green vines blackened and crisped where the sword passed, yet thicker cords resisted, recoiling like wounded serpents. The shield around him flickered under the strain.
From the cave mouth, two blood-red eyes the size of fists ignited in the gloom. A guttural growl rumbled, shaking the ledge. Broken bones scraped within the darkness. Loong Xin hadn't lied—the beast was shattered… but far from dead.
Lin Feng braced, sword raised. "Come on then. Let's see what's left of you."
The vines tightened. The eyes flared. The air thickened with the stench of burnt vegetation and primal fury.
Deep in the valley's throat, the real hunt had just begun.