Within the gates of the Lingyue Sect.
After Lin Feng and Loong Tengyu's group departed, Ye Lingxuan dismissed all the disciples. He and several elders, however, remained at the edge of the plaza, their expressions grim as they stared intently in the direction Lin Feng had vanished.
No one spoke. Some eyes flickered with barely suppressed humiliation and fury, while others held only helplessness and sighs. The incident had ignited a firestorm of anger within everyone present, a feeling so intense it was almost unbearable even for these elders who had lived for decades, some nearly a century.
The Lingyue Sect's face had been thoroughly trampled today. Yet, failing to endure the insult would have meant open war with the Absolute Sword Sect. Such a conflict would almost certainly result in a crushing defeat for the Lingyue Sect, potentially even its annihilation. The consequences were too severe for anyone to bear. Compounded by the absence of Sect Master Lu Danxin, even Deputy Sect Master Ye Lingxuan dared not make such an impulsive decision that could lead to the sect's destruction. Appeasement was the only viable, albeit bitter, choice. In truth, it was understandable.
Ultimately, the cultivation world respected only strength. The Absolute Sword Sect was stronger than the Lingyue Sect, hence their audacity to barge in with such arrogance. Others might privately condemn their unreasonableness and tyranny, but no one would dare step forward to publicly denounce them or speak up for the Lingyue Sect. Not even other sects would risk heavy losses to aid Lingyue and offend the Absolute Sword Sect.
"Sigh… You should all return as well," Ye Lingxuan finally said after a long silence, his voice heavy with resignation. "We will deliberate on this matter… after the Sect Master returns."
Guilt churned within him regarding Lin Feng. Were he a lone wanderer, he might have thrown caution to the wind and intervened. But as Deputy Sect Master of Lingyue, acting rashly would drag the entire sect into the abyss. He simply couldn't do it.
"Master!... N-no... It's bad!!"
A panicked voice suddenly cut through the tense air. A Lingyue Sect disciple stumbled towards them. He had clearly been looking for Elder Lu, but upon seeing Ye Lingxuan and the others all present, he froze, his face pale with terror, forgetting even to bow.
Elder Lu frowned deeply. "What has happened to cause such panic?"
The disciple stammered, "R-reporting, Master... Th-the Spirit Beasts... they're all gone!!"
"What?" Everyone was stunned. Ye Lingxuan's brow furrowed. "What do you mean? Explain clearly!"
The disciple trembled. "I... I don't know what happened... Just moments ago, I heard strange noises coming from the back mountain and went to investigate... I discovered... all the Spirit Beasts had mobilized! They were all running deep into the back mountain!!"
Elder Guo's eyebrows shot up as if struck by a sudden realization. "Just moments ago?! Could it be…"
Ye Lingxuan was equally shocked and suspicious. "Let's go! Investigate immediately!"
...
...
Dozens of miles northwest of the Lingyue Sect, at the edge of a wild, mountainous forest.
Lin Feng had fled to this place, intending to lose his pursuers within this familiar terrain. Yet, he had been overtaken right at the forest's edge, forced to halt and face battle.
Just as a fierce clash was about to erupt, the piercing shriek that tore through the sky moments earlier startled everyone present.
"This is…" Lin Feng's expression changed upon hearing the cry again. Then, surprise and delight flashed in his eyes. He glanced back and saw a streak of violet light hurtling from the distant horizon. In the blink of an eye, it was upon them!
Within the violet radiance was a giant crane-like bird, its plumage shimmering purple… It was the Violet-Crowned Thunder Crane!!
Before Lin Feng could fully process his shock, the Thunder Crane descended like a bolt of lightning, landing heavily on the ground right in front of him. Only then did he see the small figure perched upon its back…
"Brother Lin Feng!!" A crisp voice, laced with anxiety, rang out. The figure leaped down from the crane's back and ran towards him. It was… Xia Xin!
"Xin'er?!" Lin Feng was stunned once more. "How did you get here?" he blurted out instinctively.
Xia Xin's face was flushed with worry. Reaching Lin Feng and seeing he was unharmed, she finally let out a huge sigh of relief, patting her small chest. "I... I heard you were taken away by bad people! So... I went to ask Thunder Crane for help... and then, I came with them..."
Lin Feng felt a surge of warmth and gratitude. Then, he paused. "Them?"
"MOOO!!!" "ROOOARR!!!" "AOOOWWL!!!"
Deafening roars suddenly shook the heavens! The very ground beneath Lin Feng's feet trembled violently. The thunderous sound of massive creatures stampeding grew rapidly louder, accompanied by the emergence of several powerful auras within his spiritual sense. Huge forms burst from the nearby forest…
The Azure-Horned Rhinoceros, the Golden Diamond Bear, the Shadow Abyss Direwolf, the Verdant Mandrake Python, the Armored Mountain Crocodile…
Staring at the imposing Spirit Beasts appearing before him, Lin Feng was momentarily speechless. An indescribable wave of emotion welled up within him, and an involuntary, joyful smile touched his lips.
"Th-th-this… These are the Lingyue Sect's Spirit Beasts!!" a voice thick with terror came from the side, jolting Lin Feng back to the presence of his enemies. He turned to see the five cultivators who had been so menacing moments ago. Their faces were now ashen, expressions akin to ordinary mortals seeing ghosts, filled with utter dread as they gaped at the formidable beasts surrounding them.
The Spirit Beasts had emerged somewhat spread out, effectively encircling the group. The Armored Mountain Crocodile had even tunneled up directly behind them, blocking their retreat path.
The middle-aged cultivator at the seventh layer of Golden Core stared at Lin Feng, his face deathly pale. "You... you...!" he shrieked, his voice almost accusatory. "Didn't you renounce the Lingyue Sect?!" He sounded almost wronged, as if accusing Lin Feng of breaking his word by supposedly 'summoning' the sect's Spirit Beasts despite his declaration.
"KEEYAAHH!!!"
His answer came not from Lin Feng, but from the Violet-Crowned Thunder Crane. With a powerful flap of its wings, it soared back into the air. Violet light erupted from its body as it unleashed a crackling net of lightning bolts down upon the five trapped cultivators.
The Thunder Crane's attack was the signal. The Azure-Horned Rhinoceros and the others charged almost simultaneously. Heaven-shaking roars erupted as their fierce, savage auras exploded forth. Their massive forms surged forward like living battering rams, crashing towards the panicked 'prey' at their center.
"BOOM! CRASH! THUD!"
"Aaaargh!!" "Watch out!!" "NOOO!!!"
Deafening impacts shook the earth, mingling with the terrified screams and desperate shouts of the cultivators. A fierce battle commenced, but the tide turned overwhelmingly against them instantly. The situation became utterly one-sided, especially when Lin Feng joined the fray. The Scarlet Soul Flying Sword became a scythe of death. Two early-stage Golden Core cultivators fell almost without resistance. Then a third… then the fourth…
Finally, the seventh-layer cultivator, pinned down by the relentless assault of the Azure-Horned Rhinoceros, exposed a fatal opening. The Scarlet Soul Flying Sword flashed crimson once more, severing his head. The battle concluded mere minutes after it had begun.
The Violet-Crowned Thunder Crane circled overhead a few times before finally landing gracefully. Within a ten-mile radius, no other presences lingered. Observers hidden afar had witnessed the Spirit Beasts' brutal 'execution' of the five unfortunate 'volunteers'. Terrified beyond measure, they had fled immediately, not a single soul daring to remain nearby.