"..."
At Chen Tianxin's sharp question, Lin Feng did not respond. Instead, he flicked his right hand and summoned the Crimson Soul Flying Sword, preparing for battle. Seeing Cheng Rong, he knew this Golden Core cultivator was undoubtedly from Qingfeng Valley as well, and their purpose was clear—vengeance. There was no point in further discussion.
Upon spotting the Crimson Soul Flying Sword hovering before Lin Feng, Chen Tianxin's pupils contracted slightly, his expression hardening with a look of confirmation. The lack of response seemed like tacit admission to him.
"Hmph!! Dare to kill people of Qingfeng Valley? Even if you're from the Absolute Sword Sect, you'll die!!"
A flash of murderous intent lit Chen Tianxin's eyes. Without wasting words, he unleashed the immense pressure of his second-level Golden Core cultivation. With a swift motion, a streak of cyan light shot forth!
"Clang!!" Almost simultaneously, Lin Feng waved his right hand, sending the Crimson Soul Flying Sword whistling through the air to meet the oncoming cyan assault.
"Clang!!" The two flying swords collided mid-air between them, producing a piercing metallic ring and a burst of sparks before both recoiled violently.
"A mere Foundation Building cultivator! Do you think wielding a flying sword makes you my match? Arrogant fool!!" Chen Tianxin sneered coldly. Channeling his true essence, he drove his flying sword relentlessly toward Lin Feng once more.
"Clang!!" Another crisp impact echoed. Chen Tianxin's sword was blocked again by the Crimson Soul Flying Sword, but this time, Lin Feng's blade visibly lagged. The clash point shifted closer to Lin Feng's position.
"Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!!"
Chen Tianxin gave Lin Feng no respite. His cyan sword writhed like a serpent in the air, each collision inching nearer Lin Feng. Within ten exchanges, it loomed just meters above Lin Feng's head.
Lin Feng controlled his Crimson Soul Flying Sword to parry, his brow furrowing involuntarily. He knew his cultivation level was inferior, putting him at a disadvantage in speed and force. This stalemate couldn't last. Ideas raced through his mind—he resolved that to end this swiftly, he'd need the White Tiger Soul Rending Talisman.
After yet another clash, Chen Tianxin's sword finally breached close to Lin Feng, and before the Crimson Soul Flying Sword could intercept, it slashed down onto the shimmering barrier above Lin Feng's head!
"Clang!!" A metallic clang rang out as ripples spread across the barrier. It trembled faintly but held firm.
At that moment, a gleam sparked in Lin Feng's eyes. His right hand jabbed forward abruptly, and instead of defending against Chen Tianxin's attack, the Crimson Soul Flying Sword shot straight toward Cheng Rong across the way!
"Spirit artifact-grade defense barrier!" On the other side, Chen Tianxin felt a jolt of surprise when his strike was blocked. He recognized it as a spirit artifact-tier shield. Just as he prepared to press the assault and drain the barrier, he saw Lin Feng redirecting the sword toward Cheng Rong. With a disdainful snort, he willed his cyan blade to swerve mid-air. It intercepted the Crimson Soul Flying Sword with a sharp "clang," knocking it aside.
The Crimson Soul Flying Sword tumbled wildly and plunged into the earth with a "thunk," seemingly losing all control.
"Hmm?" Chen Tianxin froze momentarily but recovered quickly, assuming Lin Feng had fumbled his sword control due to inexperience. He seized the chance to drive his blade back toward Lin Feng.
But as he commanded his sword to strike, a blinding white light flared from Lin Feng's palm!
"ROAR!!"
In the blink of an eye, an indescribable, violent spiritual pressure erupted. The air vibrated with a tiger's roar as an immense white tiger apparition coalesced overhead. It stomped the void and lunged forward with a thunderous snarl!
"What?!" Chen Tianxin paled instantly, instinctively activating his defensive barrier at full power. He swept his hand to redirect his flying sword toward the charging beast.
"Buzz... Swish!!"
A solid golden barrier enveloped Chen Tianxin. Simultaneously, his cyan sword flashed through the air, piercing straight through the phantom tiger.
The sword passed harmlessly through the tiger apparition, but in the next instant, the tiger surged forward, phasing through Chen Tianxin's barrier as if it weren't there, and pounced directly onto him!
"No!!" Chen Tianxin hadn't anticipated his attack and defense would both fail. He had no time to react further—his cry of terror cut off abruptly as the tiger apparition passed through his body. A spectral "double image" of his soul was wrenched out.
At merely second-level Golden Core, Chen Tianxin's soul was far weaker than the velociraptor demon beast Lin Feng had faced three days ago. When the tiger apparition struck, the soul shadow struggled faintly. But with one savage bite, half was torn away; a few more rends shredded it completely.
The entire ordeal lasted less than five seconds.
As his soul fragmented, Chen Tianxin's body convulsed violently. It stiffened and toppled backward. Instantly, his protective barrier vanished, and his sword in mid-air dimmed, plummeting lifelessly to the ground.
"Thud!!" A muffled thump sounded as Chen Tianxin's rigid corpse hit the earth, devoid of any trace of life.
In the next heartbeat, the tiger apparion beside the corpse vanished in a flash, transforming into a streak of light that streaked back into the talisman in Lin Feng's hand.
"..."
Not far behind Chen Tianxin, Cheng Rong stood frozen, mouth agape, as if his soul had fled. His eyes bulged wide with sheer horror, his face a mask of terror.
"Aah!!" Two seconds later, he jolted back to awareness. His face drained of color as he screamed, pivoting to flee.
But this time, luck deserted him. As he turned, the Crimson Soul Flying Sword embedded in the ground nearby trembled faintly. It tore free and soared like lightning, piercing through his back and out his chest. He collapsed face-first without a sound, dead before he hit the dirt.
The Crimson Soul Flying Sword circled once above Cheng Rong's corpse before returning to hover before Lin Feng.
...
Stowing the flying sword and the White Tiger Soul Rending Talisman, Lin Feng flipped his hand and swallowed a Yuan Restoration Pill. He glanced at the two bodies ahead, a flicker of satisfaction in his eyes.
Reaching the peak of Foundation Building had significantly increased his true essence reserves. Now, after activating the talisman once, he still had energy to spare—a pleasant surprise.
As he swiftly replenished his depleted true essence, Lin Feng approached Chen Tianxin and then Cheng Rong's bodies in turn. Methodically, he disposed of the evidence, collecting their artifacts and spatial rings.
"Hmm?"
Just as Lin Feng finished the cleanup, he instinctively scanned his surroundings. To his surprise, he spotted two figures cresting a hillside hundreds of meters to his right. They were descending rapidly toward him.
Probably drawn by the commotion when I unleashed the White Tiger Soul Rending Talisman, Lin Feng thought with relief. Good thing I handled the bodies quickly. If someone witnessed me killing Qingfeng Valley members, it would cause trouble—I couldn't bring myself to silence witnesses needlessly.
At first glance, the figures appeared to be a man and a woman. As they drew closer, their features became clear. Lin Feng paused, startled. "Huh? Them?"
Opposite him, the pair had slowed to observe from a distance, but upon recognizing Lin Feng, they seemed startled. After exchanging words, they hurried over.
Reaching Lin Feng, the gray-robed young man on the left spoke first, his voice brimming with joyful surprise. "Lin Feng! So it really is you!!"
Lin Feng offered a faint smile in return. "Brother Loong, Miss Loong, it's good to see you both well."
These two were Loong Tian and Loong Xin, the siblings he had met once in the Great Python Mountains. Back then, Lin Feng had intervened when their group of four was ambushed by rogue cultivators. He'd promised to seek them in Star City afterward, but events spiraled—an ambush by the Absolute Sword Sect, pursuit from Qingfeng Valley—and he never returned.
Loong Tian looked visibly excited. "Lin Feng, I never imagined we'd meet here! After parting in the Great Python Mountains, why didn't you come to Star City as planned?"
Lin Feng replied apologetically, "That night after we separated, I encountered unforeseen troubles. I couldn't return to Star City—my sincere apologies."
"No need, no need," Loong Tian waved a hand quickly. "We waited several days and worried you might be in danger. Seeing you safe now is what matters... By the way, what brings you to the Black Mist Medicine Valley? Have you... joined a sect?"
Lin Feng nodded. "Yes, I'm now a disciple of the Lingyue Sect."
"Lingyue Sect?" Loong Tian blinked in momentary confusion. From what he recalled, Lin Feng was supposed to have a powerful master already. Why join another sect? But this was Lin Feng's private matter, and he knew better than to probe deeper.
Lin Feng didn't elaborate on his own affairs either. Instead, he asked with hopeful anticipation, "By the way, Brother Loong, I've been meaning to ask: among your Biquan Sect's participants in this trial, are Chang Gong Xiaojing and Zhang Fangzhou present?"