Lin Feng saw that the two figures had clearly spotted him from afar and were heading directly towards him. There was no point in hiding now. He stood his ground, calmly waiting for them to approach. Hidden within his sleeve, his left hand gripped the hexagonal jade talisman tightly, ready to activate it at any moment.
As they drew near, Lin Feng could finally see them clearly: two young men dressed in deep azure Daoist robes. One was at the eighth level of Foundation Building, the other the ninth. Both scrutinized him intently, but no overt hostility showed on their faces, only the expected wariness.
Mere Foundation Building cultivators posed no threat to Lin Feng. Seeing no immediate intent to attack from them, he gave a slight polite nod and turned to leave, uninterested in dealing with them.
"Stay your steps, fellow Daoist!!"
Just as Lin Feng had half-turned, the slightly taller young man on the left abruptly called out to him.
Lin Feng frowned slightly, turning fully back to face the pair who were now only about ten meters away. His tone was flat. "What is it?"
The tall, lean young man with thin lips clasped his hands together in a moderately respectful greeting. "I am Gu Liangyu of Azure Wind Valley. Might I ask which sect you hail from, junior brother? If you're interested, we could travel together. It would be beneficial for mutual support."
"Azure Wind Valley?" Lin Feng's eyebrow lifted almost imperceptibly. His expression remained impassive. "No need. I prefer to operate alone. Farewell."
He turned away without another word and resumed his climb up the slope. He harbored zero goodwill towards anyone from Azure Wind Valley. Were he a bloodthirsty person, he might have attacked them immediately. However, since they hadn't shown overt hostility, he saw no reason to kill without cause.
"..."
Lin Feng's dismissive attitude left the two Azure Wind Valley disciples momentarily stunned. The taller one, Gu Liangyu, frowned, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. The other disciple, with a sharp chin (Cheng Rong), flushed with anger. "Hmph! What an ungrateful wretch! Offered face and refuses it! Senior Brother, why don't we just—"
Gu Liangyu raised a hand, cutting Cheng Rong off. He watched Lin Feng steadily ascending the slope, his expression darkening. "Not yet. Let's see the situation first," he murmured in a low voice.
He even glanced around cautiously, as if checking for any hidden observers. Then he exchanged a meaningful look with Cheng Rong. Silently, the pair began following Lin Feng up the slope.
…
Although Lin Feng hadn't heard their conversation, he sensed them following. His brow furrowed again, but he ignored them. He continued forward, guided by Xiao Qiu on his shoulder, while meticulously scanning their surroundings.
"Qiu!" As they neared the top of the slope, Xiao Qiu suddenly chirped excitedly, its tiny paw outstretched towards the cliff face on their left front, not far away.
Lin Feng followed its direction. The light was dim, and the spot was shaded, making it hard to see clearly. Squinting, Lin Feng carefully examined the area. Finally, his gaze landed on a peculiar plant. Recognizing it, he froze momentarily, then an expression of utter astonishment and disbelief washed over his face.
"That's… that's…"
"Bluebeard Fruit!! Senior Brother! That's Bluebeard Fruit!!"
While Lin Feng was still reeling inwardly, an uncontrollably excited shout rang out from behind him. Cheng Rong was staring wide-eyed at the same spot on the cliff face, looking even more shocked than Lin Feng.
Growing obliquely out of the rock face was a dark brown plant less than a foot tall. Hanging from it were two green fruits, each about the size of a hen's egg. Their shape vaguely resembled small peaches, but protruding from the base of each fruit was a tuft of fine, pale blue-green roots (beards). These roots were even longer than the fruits themselves and swayed gently in the breeze.
Grade 3 Spirit Herb: Bluebeard Fruit!!
This was the primary ingredient essential for refining the Bluebeard Pill, a requisite elixir for cultivators attempting to form their Golden Core!
Cheng Rong's exclamation snapped Lin Feng out of his own shock. His eyes narrowed slightly, but he didn't rush to pick the fruit. Instead, he turned slowly to face the two men now about thirty meters behind him. His expression grew cold.
"Bluebeard Fruit… It really is Bluebeard Fruit!" Gu Liangyu's eyes now shone with intense greed, fixed on the fruits on the cliff. His heart surged with wild joy. To encounter Bluebeard Fruit here, and seemingly almost ripe ones at that! And two of them!
Two mature Bluebeard Fruits! If brought back to their sect, they could earn massive contribution points, exchangeable for vast cultivation resources, powerful magic treasures, or techniques. They wouldn't even need to worry about obtaining the Bluebeard Pills for their future Golden Core breakthroughs!
Gu Liangyu's excitement was palpable. He yearned to dash forward and claim the treasure immediately. But seeing Lin Feng turn to face them, a ruthless gleam flashed in his eyes.
He stared coldly at Lin Feng, his tone now devoid of any courtesy. "Fellow Daoist, my junior brother discovered these Bluebeard Fruits first. Furthermore, since you refused our offer of cooperation earlier, I must apologize and ask you to seek spirit herbs elsewhere!"
Lin Feng almost laughed out loud. The sheer audacity! Did this fool truly believe shouting first granted ownership? It was a naked attempt at robbery cloaked in a flimsy excuse.
Lin Feng regarded the two men calmly. "And what if I said I won't leave? What if I say I want these Bluebeard Fruits as well?"
"Insolent fool! Offered a chance to live, yet you spurn it! Do you truly think I dare not kill you?!" Gu Liangyu's eyes flared with murderous intent. A cold sneer twisted his lips. "Since you seek death, I shall oblige! Attack now!!"
Before the last word fully left his mouth, his left hand snapped forward, sending a Grade 3 Inferior Windblade Talisman whizzing towards Lin Feng. Simultaneously, his right hand flashed, summoning a shimmering azure longsword. He stomped the ground with his right foot, propelling himself forward like an arrow shot from a bow!
The attack was sudden and vicious. The fluidity of his movements made it clear he had been primed to strike all along. Even if Lin Feng had obediently tried to leave, Gu Liangyu would likely have silenced him permanently.
Facing such a treacherous assault, Lin Feng remained utterly unperturbed. He sighed softly. "That's exactly what I wanted to say to you… I had no intention of killing you. But since you seek death yourself, you leave me no choice."
"Zheng—!"
As he spoke, his right hand merely lifted. A crisp, resonant sword cry pierced the air. A flash of crimson-silver light shot out like lightning, effortlessly splitting the oncoming windblade talisman apart. Its momentum unchecked, it streaked straight towards Gu Liangyu, who was charging right behind the shattered talisman!
"What?!" Gu Liangyu, who had been preparing a fierce follow-up attack anticipating Lin Feng dodging the windblade, was stunned. Before he could fully process it, the crimson-silver streak, moving faster than his eyes could track, was suddenly upon him!
Gu Liangyu's face underwent a drastic transformation in that split second. There was no time for thought. He instinctively swung his azure longsword up in a desperate attempt to block the incoming light. Only a sharp, ear-piercing clash rang out — "Clang!" — followed by a sickeningly light feeling in his hand. His superior-grade magical artifact sword snapped cleanly in two as if it were made of rotten wood. There wasn't even time for horror before he felt a chilling coldness at his neck… and then nothingness.
A mere ninth-level Foundation Building cultivator wasn't even worthy of a single exchange against the current Lin Feng.
At this very moment, Cheng Rong, who had been half a step slower than Gu Liangyu, had just pulled out his own talisman, ready to attack Lin Feng. He hadn't even had time to throw it when he witnessed Gu Liangyu's head being severed by the flying sword. His whole body stiffened; his soul almost fled in terror.
The Crimson Soul Flying Sword, having slain Gu Liangyu, did not pause. Its lethal arc continued, slicing towards Cheng Rong right behind!
"Ahhh!!!"
Cheng Rong, after all, was also an eighth-level Foundation Building cultivator. His reflexes kicked in. Thanks to the greater distance, he flung himself to the ground in an utterly undignified donkey roll. The flying sword whistled past his back, missing him by a hair's breadth.
"Hmph!" Lin Feng's expression was icy. Without mercy, he gestured with his right hand, preparing to command the flying sword to pursue and finish Cheng Rong. Having acted, he absolutely could not leave any witnesses alive.
"Qiu!!!" However, at that critical moment, Xiao Qiu on his shoulder suddenly shrieked in alarm, tugging frantically at Lin Feng's hair. Its gaze was fixed towards the direction where the Bluebeard Fruit grew.
Alarm jolted through Lin Feng's mind. Without hesitation, without time for thought, he instantly channeled his true essence into the defensive magic treasure in his hand!
"Swoosh! Thump!!"
Almost simultaneously with the appearance of a shimmering golden energy shield around him, Lin Feng heard a sharp, piercing whistling sound streak towards him from behind. It was followed by a heavy thud against the shield. The newly formed barrier vibrated slightly but held firm without significant impact.
Lin Feng whirled around. Near the base of the cliff wall where the Bluebeard Fruit grew, he could now vaguely make out the silhouette of a demon beast. It blended unnaturally well with the rock face, almost indistinguishable – resembling a chameleon. Had it not attacked just then, its presence would likely have remained undetected.
It was unclear when this beast had appeared; perhaps it had been lying in wait the entire time. It was cunning, remaining utterly silent until the moment Lin Feng was engaged in combat with the others. It had seized that distraction to launch a sneak attack on him, though it had failed.
Judging by its aura, the beast was only at the peak of Grade 2, not yet Grade 3. That explained why its attack hadn't been overwhelmingly powerful; even without the golden shield, his spirit artifact robe could likely have absorbed the blow.
Seeing its sneak attack fail, the beast didn't launch a second strike. Instead, it decisively scurried up the rock face towards the Bluebeard Fruits! It clearly intended to snatch the spirit fruits and make its escape!
Lin Feng would never allow that. A flicker of intent within his mind, and the streak of sword light above his head flashed again. The Crimson Soul Flying Sword shot forth like lightning once more. The beast, clearly unprepared for such swift retaliation, had no time to evade. It was impaled directly onto the cliff wall less than a meter below the precious Bluebeard Fruits.
With the beast slain and the Bluebeard Fruits secured, Lin Feng's expression eased marginally. However, when he turned his gaze back towards the other side, his eyes hardened.
—The commotion caused by the beast had provided enough distraction. Cheng Rong had vanished without a trace.