Deep within the earth tunnels, Loong Qing and his son Loong Xiao fled for their lives. Twenty meters behind them, the Ice-Eye Serpent pursued relentlessly.
"WHOOSH!!"
The sharp sound of tearing air signaled another attack. The serpent's maw gaped, unleashing a beam of freezing white energy aimed squarely at Loong Xiao's back.
"WATCH OUT!!"
Loong Qing's pupils contracted. Still running, he spun, hurling a peak Tier-3 Golden Shield Talisman. A burst of golden light exploded behind them, solidifying into a shimmering, tangible wall.
"BOOM!!!"
The serpent's icy blast slammed into the golden shield. A deafening crash echoed. The shield flickered violently, then shattered into motes of light.
A peak Tier-3 Golden Shield Talisman, equivalent to a spell from a Golden Core late-stage cultivator, was barely a match for the Tier-4 beast's fury.
"Ugh!!"
As the shield disintegrated, Loong Xiao grunted in pain. A thin tendril of white energy had pierced the failing defense, striking his back. He stumbled wildly, nearly falling face-first. His complexion turned deathly pale. An overwhelming, invasive cold surged through his veins, threatening to freeze his blood solid.
Terror seized Loong Xiao. He frantically channeled his true essence to resist. While he managed to expel the invading chill, the clash of forces within his body felt like shattering glass. Agony ripped through him; it was as if his internal organs were being shredded. His face flushed crimson. "Pfft!" A mouthful of bright red blood sprayed from his lips.
Injured and disoriented, his true essence faltered. He pitched forward. Loong Qing's hand shot out, grabbing his son's left shoulder firmly, dragging him onward at breakneck speed.
Seeing its prey escape yet again, the Ice-Eye Serpent's eyes blazed with intensified ferocity. Its aura swelled, gathering power for another devastating strike.
Suddenly, it froze mid-motion. Its massive head snapped to the side, sensing something. Shock and fury replaced its predatory focus. A guttural, enraged hiss tore from its throat.
"HISSSSS!!!"
To Loong Qing's utter disbelief, the colossal serpent abandoned its pursuit. With a thunderous "CRASH!!" it plowed headfirst into the tunnel wall to its left. Stone exploded outward as it carved a new passage, vanishing into the darkness like a runaway train taking a violent turn.
Ahead, Loong Qing, moments before consumed by despair, skidded to a halt, stunned. Why? Why stop now? The question screamed in his mind, but survival instinct overrode confusion.
"GO!!" Relief, sharp and sudden, flooded him. He wasted no time pondering the beast's retreat. Grabbing the barely conscious Loong Xiao tighter, he surged forward towards the only hope of escape – the exit tunnel.
Up ahead, the slanted passage they had descended earlier came into view. Beyond that lay the vertical shaft Lin Feng had dug. Freedom lay just above.
Simultaneously, roughly three hundred meters above, within the Vine-Tailed Ape's cavern.
The Swordsman, who had been meditating with closed eyes, snapped them open. A sharp gleam lit his gaze as he focused on the vertical shaft entrance nearby. "They're coming up!!"
Lin Feng had also sensed the faint vibrations rising from below. His expression hardened. "How many? What's their condition?"
"Seems like only two left," the Swordsman replied, his brow furrowed. "But the serpent's aura is right behind them! It's closing in! What do we do?"
"They didn't shake it?" Lin Feng frowned, considering immediate retreat.
The Swordsman suddenly gasped, surprised. "Huh?! The serpent's aura… it's fading! Moving away rapidly! It abandoned the chase! Why?!"
There was no time to analyze the serpent's motives. The Swordsman's voice dropped, low and urgent. "The two are emerging! One is severely wounded. The other is weakened. Lin Feng… get ready!"
"Tap… Tap… Tap…"
The Swordsman's warning had just faded when Lin Feng heard distinct sounds echoing from the shaft. The rhythmic tapping was unmistakable – someone was using the walls to propel themselves upwards.
Their eyes met. No words were needed. Both retreated several steps, melting into the shadows near the cavern walls, facing the dark opening in the center.
"Swoosh!!"
A figure burst out of the shaft, landing heavily, awkwardly. It was Loong Xiao, the Golden Core early-stage cultivator.
"SHIIIING!!!"
The instant he appeared, Lin Feng struck. Murderous intent exploded in his eyes. His right hand flashed outwards. A streak of crimson-silver light erupted, accompanied by a piercingly clear sword cry. The Crimson Soul Flying Sword shot forth like lightning!
"Wha— Gahh!!" Loong Xiao, grievously wounded and unable to spare focus for spiritual sense, was utterly unprepared for an ambush from above. He had no chance to react. His choked cry was cut short as the flying sword sliced cleanly across his throat.
Loong Qing, leaping out right behind his son, witnessed the horrific scene unfold before his eyes. Utter horror contorted his face. Though he still held some reserves, his attention had been entirely fixed behind him, braced for the serpent's possible return. The threat above had gone unnoticed.
"XIAO'ER!! NOOO!!!" The raw, agonized scream tore from Loong Qing's throat as he saw his son fall. His face twisted grotesquely, veins bulging at his temples as he whipped his head towards the attacker. Recognition slammed into him, widening his eyes in utter disbelief. "YOU?!!"
For a split second, reality seemed to warp. How could Lin Feng be here? Alive? Ambushing him? He had been certain the Foundation Establishment ant had perished below! And… a flying sword?! How could a mere Foundation Establishment initial stage cultivator possess such a weapon?!
A torrent of impossibilities flooded Loong Qing's mind. But it lasted only a heartbeat. Then, an inferno of pure, unadulterated rage consumed him. Only one thought remained: KILL!
Yet, no matter how fast Loong Qing's reaction, Lin Feng held the absolute initiative. Even as the murderous impulse ignited within Loong Qing, the Crimson Soul Flying Sword, having just dispatched his son, curved through the air without the slightest pause. Its deadly point now aimed straight for Loong Qing's heart!
"Swish!! CLANG!!"
Pure instinct took over. Loong Qing swung his right arm upward. He hadn't time to fully deploy his Mixed Gold Umbrella, so he wielded it like a crude staff or sword. The umbrella shaft met the flying blade with a jarring clang.
He succeeded in deflecting the lethal thrust aimed at his heart. But the redirected sword still flashed past. It sliced deep into his left shoulder, biting down to the bone.
Loong Qing landed heavily. The shoulder wound meant nothing. Nothing except the burning need to annihilate Lin Feng, to avenge his son. Even detonating his Golden Core seemed a worthy price.
"AAARRRGGHHH!!!"
But before he could act, an unimaginable agony, utterly unexpected, exploded within his mind. It wasn't physical pain. It was deeper, sharper – a rending, tearing sensation within his very soul. His eyes bulged grotesquely. A scream, raw and utterly inhuman, ripped from his throat.
— The Crimson Soul Flying Sword's unique ability: Soul Damage!
Even as a Golden Core mid-stage powerhouse, caught completely off-guard by a direct assault on his soul, Loong Qing lost all control. His defenses crumbled. That single, vulnerable instant… was fatal.
"Shiiing…"
"Thwick!"
The sword cry sounded again, followed by a soft, wet whisper. The Crimson Soul Flying Sword, completing its arc after slashing Loong Qing's shoulder, swept back around behind him. Its edge met his neck with surgical precision.
Loong Qing's agonized scream ceased abruptly. His expression froze mid-snarl. His body, propelled by momentum, pitched forward. His head tumbled sideways, landing with a dull thud.
Headless.
"Thud." The decapitated body collapsed onto the cavern floor. Hot blood, no longer contained, gushed from the cauterized stump of his neck, spreading like a dark, viscous pool, staining the rock crimson.
The sequence was brutally swift: the Loong father and son emerging, Lin Feng unleashing his flying sword, the two deaths. Less than five seconds had passed.
On the other side of the cavern, the Swordsman stood frozen. His right hand clutched the Linglong Pagoda, his left gripped his longsword, poised to assist… but utterly useless. His jaw hung slack. His mind reeled, struggling to process the impossible scene he had just witnessed.
Even anticipating that Lin Feng possessed some hidden card, the Swordsman was profoundly, utterly stunned. For a moment, he questioned if it was all a hallucination.