The moment the Soul Protection Talisman's effect vanished, the White Tiger Soul surged forward, unimpeded. Loong Tengyu could only stare with utter despair filling his eyes. He didn't even have time to scream before the spectral tiger collided with him!!
Without reaching the Nascent Soul stage, resisting a soul attack was fundamentally impossible. Loong Tengyu's mastery of his flying sword counted for nothing here. A vaguely human-shaped shadow – his soul – was violently ripped from his physical body. Trapped in the tiger soul's claws, it writhed and struggled with desperate futility, being relentlessly torn apart.
"ZWING!!"
A clear, resonant sword cry pierced the air. A streak of crimson-silver light shot down like lightning! It flashed across Loong Tengyu's neck in an instant. His trembling body stiffened abruptly, then slowly toppled backwards. Before it hit the ground, his head separated from his shoulders, rolling away…
The severing of his body's life force caused Loong Tengyu's struggling soul to freeze rigid. Instantly, the White Tiger Soul tore it into shimmering fragments, scattering them into nothingness.
With Loong Tengyu slain, the White Tiger Soul flashed once and transformed into a streak of white light, returning to Lin Feng's palm. The Scarlet Soul Flying Sword, having accomplished its final grim task, fell powerless and spent beside the headless corpse. With a dull "THUMP!" Loong Tengyu's body hit the earth. An oppressive, deathly silence descended upon the scene.
From the first clash to the final silence, less than five minutes had passed. Four Golden Core cultivators of the Absolute Sword Sect lay dead. And Lin Feng… remained 'unscathed'.
…
"Hah… hah… hah…"
Lin Feng stood drenched in sweat, his face frighteningly pale. He gasped for breath, ragged and deep. Utter exhaustion weighed on him, yet his eyes burned with an intense, barely containable excitement.
While he hadn't been utterly hopeless before the battle, securing victory hadn't been a certainty. His initial goal had simply been escape. The fact that he had annihilated all four powerful foes was staggering. While the initial explosion triggered by Xiaoqiu had exceeded expectations, the crucial factor was the terrifying power of the Bloodthirsty Blade. Its explosive surge in that critical instant had instantly killed the late-stage Golden Core opponent – an outcome Lin Feng had never anticipated.
There was no time to ponder the Bloodthirsty Blade's unexpectedly devastating surge. Lin Feng raised his hand, popping two Recovery Pills into his mouth. He scanned his surroundings swiftly, his expression not relaxing in the slightest.
Though he had dealt with the immediate Absolute Sword Sect threat, the danger was far from over…
Lin Feng dared not linger. He swept across the battlefield like a whirlwind, gathering the fallen flying swords, artifacts, and even the corpses of Loong Tengyu and his companions into his Spatial Ring. Choosing a direction, he gathered his meager, scarcely recovered True Essence and raced away, pushing his speed to the limit.
…
At that very moment, hidden vantage points dotted the periphery of the Red Maple Forest, countless pairs of eyes tracked Lin Feng's fleeing figure.
The conflict between the Absolute Sword Sect and the Lingyue Sect had become a sensational spectacle. Naturally, many cultivators had come to 'watch the show'. Among them were lone wanderers and representatives from various sects; most possessed considerable strength, and several were Golden Core cultivators themselves.
When Lin Feng and Loong Tengyu's group departed the Lingyue Sect, many spectators assumed the matter concluded. Unable to match the speed of flying sword travel, a large portion had dispersed. However, a smaller, more persistent group had followed. Unable to track openly, even the fastest trailed by a minute or two. Those arriving first witnessed the battle already raging; the slower ones arrived only to see Lin Feng swiftly clearing the battlefield.
Regardless of arrival time, each spectator felt a profound sense of disbelief. The notion that Lin Feng alone could eradicate four Golden Core cultivators, including Loong Tengyu, seemed utterly unreal.
Beyond the overwhelming shock, however, a different thought sparked in the minds of the quickest observers as they watched Lin Feng depart…
Lin Feng's feat of slaying four Golden Core experts was undeniably terrifying. Yet, the treasures he had displayed were equally impossible to ignore. The flying swords, the Strange Fire, the White Tiger Soulrage Talisman, the horrifyingly potent crimson dagger… and now, the accumulated 'inheritance' from the four Golden Core victims… All these resided upon Lin Feng's person. And Lin Feng? He was merely an early-stage Golden Core cultivator, visibly drained from a brutal fight. He had to be vulnerable!!
Treasure stirs men's hearts. The trove Lin Feng now carried could tempt even a Nascent Soul cultivator. Inevitably, the seed of murderous greed sprouted within some…
Seeing Lin Feng's figure threaten to vanish into the distance, several figures could resist no longer. They surged forward, giving frantic chase…
…
"Damn it!!"
Racing away, Lin Feng glanced back over his shoulder. His expression instantly darkened further. He'd sensed the crowd of spectators near Lingyue Sect during his return. After eliminating Loong Tengyu's group, the existence of these unpredictable elements was his immediate concern, prompting his swift departure. Yet, pursuers had still appeared.
Individually, they likely paled in comparison to Loong Tengyu's group. But Lin Feng's own state was critically poor. Though aided by the potent Heaven-Rank Grade Three Recovery Pills and the lingering effects of the Spirit Spring, full recovery required time – time he didn't have now. Engaging these pursuers in combat was deeply unwise. Worse, becoming entangled could draw more, potentially stronger, opportunists. That would spell disaster.
Lifting his gaze, he saw a familiar stretch of forest drawing near. Gritting his teeth, Lin Feng forced himself to run even faster.
However, those chasing him seemed to sense his intent. Abandoning stealth, nearly all accelerated simultaneously to their top speeds. More alarmingly, they began converging subtly, moving closer together, hinting at a potential alliance against their common target.
Lin Feng didn't need to turn; his spiritual sense clearly detected several figures closing within a hundred meters. Fear and anger warred within him. He cast another glance at the forest, now tantalizingly close. A fierce determination flashed in his eyes. Abruptly, he skidded to a halt, whirling around to face the direction he'd come.
His pursuers knew his goal. They would likely strike before he reached the forest's shelter. Facing passive defense, he chose to seize the initiative by stopping on his terms.
Lin Feng's sudden stop startled the chasing group. They halted too, instinctively bunching together about fifty or sixty meters away, eyes fixed warily upon him.
Five Golden Core cultivators. One at the seventh layer, one at the sixth, one at the fifth, and two at the third. Lin Feng's face was grim as he assessed these five opportunistic figures. A bitter taste filled his mouth as his mind raced for a solution.
His current strength was, at best, fifty to sixty percent of its peak. Fighting five Golden Core opponents simultaneously promised a battle even more perilous than the last. These men had witnessed his fight against Loong Tengyu. His tricks held no element of surprise. And Xiaoqiu… Xiaoqiu was spent, incapable of hurling another 'grenade'.
As Lin Feng steeled himself for another desperate struggle, the five adversaries opposite seemed to reach an unspoken pact. The two strongest summoned their flying swords. The others drew their own weapons. Greed and ruthlessness shone in their eyes as they fixed their gazes on Lin Feng. Deliberately, they began to fan out, slowly attempting to encircle him.
A vicious fight seemed unavoidable. Lin Feng sighed inwardly, a cold, lethal intent radiating from his own gaze. He flicked his right wrist, summoning the Scarlet Soul Flying Sword, preparing to strike first and disrupt their formation.
"KEEEYAAAHH!!!"
Yet, at that precise moment, a piercing shriek tore through the heavens, echoing from the distant horizon!!