Tian Guangshu was dead. One moment he had been contemplating pursuit, the next, he was killed by a suddenly appearing enemy.
This was the brutal reality of the cultivation world. Even if your cultivation surpassed another's, and you could dominate them, there was no guarantee you wouldn't be the one extinguished at any moment.
His death wasn't entirely shrouded in mystery. In his final instant, he had recognized his attacker's identity. Though, ultimately, it held no meaning...
Nether Corpse Sect!!
Without a doubt, this youth who had suddenly appeared and slain Tian Guangshu was a member of the Nether Corpse Sect!
His name was Yu Youtian. Not only was he a disciple of the Nether Corpse Sect, he was also… Liang Han's senior brother!
The two had arrived in Xia Country together not long ago, later separating to act independently for a time. Liang Han, having accidentally discovered a unique spirit beast—Xiaoqiu—in a certain place, had chased it all the way to Qingyun City. This caused him to miss the appointed time and place to reunite with Yu Youtian. Later, Yu Youtian, following some clues Liang Han had left behind, traced his path to Qingyun City. There, he learned about the incident where the Ink Lion Beast had rampaged through the city and was subsequently killed by Lin Feng. Piecing together other traces and making deductions, he concluded that his junior brother Liang Han was most likely dead, and his death was probably connected to Lin Feng.
However, Lin Feng had already left Qingyun City by then, making him impossible to find. Yu Youtian's presence in Star City now wasn't due to tracking Lin Feng, but because he had heard the rumors about the rare treasure within the Great Serpent Mountains and had come to investigate.
He had only arrived today, and had just entered the Great Serpent Mountains. He hadn't even caught the tail end of the celestial phenomena. By sheer coincidence, however, he stumbled upon the scene where Wei Wuyi ambushed Lin Feng and the Swordsman, and where Tian Guangshu played the oriole stalking the mantis.
He possessed a technique for concealing his aura and had cautiously refrained from using spiritual sense to probe. Consequently, even Tian Guangshu, whose cultivation surpassed his own, remained unaware of his hidden presence.
He witnessed Lin Feng and the Swordsman repel Wei Wuyi and Long Tian'ao. He watched as Tian Guangshu and his companions revealed themselves. Then he saw Lin Feng and the Swordsman flee separately.
When faced with choosing whom to follow, Yu Youtian hesitated little before choosing to tail the Swordsman and Tian Guangshu. In his estimation, the 'value' on this side was undoubtedly greater.
He was utterly unaware that the actual 'murderer' of his junior brother had just run away right before his eyes...
It was truly fortunate that Lin Feng had encountered Zheng Xulin earlier, receiving his help to seal away the Soul Grudge Mark. That was why Yu Youtian hadn't detected it.
Yu Youtian had followed Tian Guangshu, intending to wait until Tian Guangshu had dealt with the Swordsman before assessing if there was an opportunity to kill and seize treasures. He hadn't expected the Swordsman to actually injure Tian Guangshu. Seeing this opening, he immediately revealed himself, seizing the chance to plunder while the iron was hot, and killed Tian Guangshu.
After dispatching Tian Guangshu, Yu Youtian collected both the flying sword and the corpse into his spatial ring. He glanced towards the large hole left by the Frost-Eye Python. Spreading his spiritual sense, he quickly locked onto the massive serpent, now over three hundred meters underground and swiftly burrowing away into the distance.
"Tian Guangshu pursued him so relentlessly, he must possess something valuable! Perhaps… it's even related to the Great Serpent Mountain treasure! Even if not, that artifact he used to wound Tian Guangshu… it must be at least a top-grade spirit artifact!"
These thoughts swirled in Yu Youtian's mind, a flicker of surprise and intense greed flashing in his eyes. He immediately prepared to give chase.
"Hmm?!"
However, just as he set off and had pursued less than a hundred meters, his pupils abruptly contracted. It was as if he sensed something. He whirled around in shock, staring into the far distance behind him.
"This is… the Soul Grudge Mark!!"
Utter shock and fury instantly flooded Yu Youtian's eyes. Instinctively, he wanted to rush towards that location. But then he paused, glancing back towards the direction the Swordsman had fled, his expression conflicted.
He felt the Frost-Eye Python and the Swordsman slipping out of his spiritual sense range. Simultaneously, the aura of the Soul Grudge Mark from the other direction flickered once before quickly fading away. A struggle flashed in his eyes, torn between two choices. After a few seconds, he gritted his teeth fiercely and turned towards the rear. With a sweep of his right hand, he recalled the corpse puppet beside him into a specially made spatial ring. Simultaneously, he controlled his flying sword to hover horizontally before him. He tapped his foot lightly and leaped onto it, then soared into the sky, streaking away at top speed.
"I must find the murderer who killed my junior brother! Otherwise, I cannot face Master... Damn it!! Whoever you are, killing a disciple of the Nether Corpse Sect... I will make you suffer a fate worse than death!!"
Losing a prime opportunity for treasure due to this sudden development filled Yu Youtian with bitter resentment and fury. A terrifying ferocity shone in his eyes as he urged his flying sword towards the spot where he had sensed the Soul Grudge Mark.
...
The Soul Grudge Mark aura Yu Youtian sensed was naturally the one sealed within Lin Feng. When Lin Feng used the White Tiger Soul-Severing Talisman to annihilate Qin Lin, his true essence had been nearly exhausted. This caused the lightning sphere seal within him to waver momentarily, allowing a trace of the Soul Grudge Mark's aura to leak out.
However, as Lin Feng's true essence rapidly recovered slightly under the influence of the Spirit Spring Water, the seal stabilized once more. Lin Feng himself hadn't even noticed the momentary leak.
Fortunately, Lin Feng wasn't foolish enough to linger. Nor did he let impulsiveness drive him back to help the Swordsman against Tian Guangshu. He didn't even pause to regulate his breathing. He decisively continued his escape, altering his direction slightly and taking care not to leave any discernible traces along the way.
...
"Whoosh!!"
Mid-air, Yu Youtian flew with a grim expression, his flying sword cutting a straight path forward.
Suddenly, his gaze sharpened. He spotted a disheveled figure running frantically towards him from ahead. Judging by his cultivation, he was at the Eighth Layer of Foundation Building. Yet now, he looked like a terrified mortal fleeing a ghost, running with desperate abandon, head down.
This person was fleeing precisely from the direction where Yu Youtian had sensed the Soul Grudge Mark. Yu Youtian immediately controlled his flying sword to descend rapidly, landing directly in the man's path.
"AHH!!"
Li Hao was running for his life when he suddenly saw a figure descend from the sky and block his way. He was terrified, instinctively skidding to a halt. But in his panic, he lost his balance, tripped, and fell face-first onto the ground right at Yu Youtian's feet.
"You?" Yu Youtian recognized him as one of the people he'd seen with Tian Guangshu earlier. His brow furrowed slightly as he demanded coldly, "What happened over there?"
"Y-you…" Feeling the powerful pressure emanating from the other man, Li Hao's face instantly paled. He trembled uncontrollably, momentarily unable to process the situation.
A cold light flashed in Yu Youtian's eyes. His right hand lifted. Li Hao instantly felt an invisible force grip him, lifting him bodily off the ground. Then, a cold hand clamped around his throat.
"Speak. What exactly happened over there?" Yu Youtian's voice was icy, his grip tightening. "If you don't... you die!"
"I'll talk! I'll talk!!" Li Hao shuddered violently, the words tumbling out like beans from a sack. "I am Li Hao, disciple of the Verdant Wind Valley! My master is Tian Guangshu! I was chasing a cultivator with my senior brother Qin Lin, but then..." He rapidly recounted the events that had transpired.
"...And... and that's what happened! Senior... Senior, spare me! Please, let me g—"
"CRUNCH!!"
Just as Li Hao finished his plea for mercy, his head snapped sideways with a sickening crack. Yu Youtian had crushed his neck without hesitation. In the instant of death, confusion and disbelief filled Li Hao's eyes, as if questioning why he was killed after revealing everything.
"THUD!!"
Yu Youtian casually tossed Li Hao's corpse aside like garbage. He didn't even bother to retrieve the spatial ring or other items from the body. He leaped back onto his flying sword and shot forward at breakneck speed.
He had now deduced that the person Li Hao described was the murderer of his junior brother, Liang Han!
"The Soul Grudge Mark within him was sealed! That's why I couldn't sense it before... Damn it!!" The thought that he had watched the murderer escape right under his nose filled Yu Youtian with seething hatred. He could only hope his quarry hadn't gotten far and that he could still track him down.
Alas, Yu Youtian was destined for disappointment. When he arrived at the spot where Qin Lin had died, there was no trace of Lin Feng. Even when he pushed his spiritual sense to its limit, scanning the surroundings, he found nothing.
Facing the vast expanse of the Great Serpent Mountains without a single clue, Yu Youtian knew tracking the target again was impossible.
"Damn it... Damn it!! DAMN IT ALL!!"
Yu Youtian stood amidst the quiet clearing, his body trembling slightly. Uncontainable rage threatened to burst from him. He could only throw his head back and unleash a furious roar to the heavens, venting the fury burning within.
"Wherever you flee, I will find you! And when I do, I will refine you into a corpse puppet, condemning your soul to eternal torment!!"
...
Meanwhile, Lin Feng, who had already escaped over twenty miles away, remained blissfully unaware that he had just narrowly avoided a fatal danger. After confirming he was safe, he found a hidden tree hollow. He spent some time there regulating his breathing and restoring his condition. Once fully recovered, he quickly resumed his journey out of the Great Serpent Mountains.
When the sky brightened and the morning sun first crested the horizon, he finally emerged from the mountain range. Pulling out a map, he studied it and determined his location: approximately three hundred miles west of Star City.
"I wonder how the Swordsman is doing..." Concern flickered in Lin Feng's eyes as he thought of his companion. "But with his skills, he should still have a chance to escape, right? Hmm, he should be fine... I hope we meet again someday."
Though they had only known each other for a few days, the shared trials and triumphs of that single night had forged a bond. Lin Feng now considered the Swordsman a friend and sincerely wished for his safe escape.
Setting these thoughts aside for the moment, Lin Feng began to consider his next steps. Star City was definitely off-limits. The best option, then, was to head further west for about six hundred miles—that was where the Lingyue Sect was located.
To solve the stagnation in his cultivation, he needed to find a way to obtain a Xueyang Dan. According to the Swordsman, the Lingyue Sect was the only place nearby that possessed this pill. Lin Feng had already considered going there before; now, he was merely advancing that plan.
Confirming his direction, Lin Feng steadied his mind. He strode forward purposefully, his figure soon disappearing down the road at the horizon...