A Top-grade Tier 3 Purple Thunder Talisman!!
"DIE!!" A vicious smirk twisted Yu Zhun's lips, his eyes filled with malice, excitement, and greed. In his mind, a top-grade Tier 3 Purple Thunder Talisman was more than enough to instantly obliterate Lin Feng. Had he not feared that formidable flying sword, he wouldn't have wasted such a precious life-saving talisman. But the thought of immediately gaining a top-grade spirit artifact flying sword made it seem entirely worth it.
However, in the next instant, Yu Zhun's expression suddenly froze, transforming into one of shock and disbelief. His spiritual sense detected that Lin Feng's aura... was still present within the blinding glare of the thunderous blast!
Not only still present, but it hadn't weakened in the slightest!!
"Th-this… Impossible!!" Yu Zhun couldn't help but shriek in terror. Then, as if realizing something, his eyes widened impossibly large, and he gasped in horror, "A superior-grade spirit artifact level Light-Shield Defense Magical Artifact!!"
By now, the blinding thunderous light was fading, revealing Lin Feng's figure once more. Surrounding him, however, was a layer of solidified golden light shield. It was evident this light shield had completely blocked the top-grade Tier 3 Purple Thunder Talisman. Yu Zhun instantly recognized it as a superior-grade spirit artifact level Light-Shield Defense Magical Artifact.
Inside the protective glow, Lin Feng looked calmly at the stunned and panicked Yu Zhun. His gaze held a trace of surprise, but also understanding. He sighed inwardly about the treacherous nature of human hearts—one moment someone is speaking politely to you, the next they are trying to kill you. The reason for Yu Zhun's attack was obvious without needing to ask: coveting Lin Feng's Crimson Soul Flying Sword.
Simply because he coveted your magical artifact and wanted to possess it, he would kill you even without any prior enmity. This was the brutal reality of the cultivation world.
Thus, when traveling, one should never lightly reveal treasures that surpassed their strength or status. Such 'showing off' might not earn admiration, but rather bring about disaster and death.
However, Yu Zhun was gravely mistaken if he thought Lin Feng was just an ordinary rogue cultivator fortunate enough to possess a powerful flying sword. Lin Feng dared to take out the Crimson Soul Flying Sword precisely because he had no fear of Yu Zhun's malicious intentions. In truth, Lin Feng had never let his guard down against Yu Zhun, even for a moment. Yu Zhun merely thought his own disguise was perfect, assuming Lin Feng harbored no suspicion at all.
Yu Zhun had actually schemed quite carefully. He hadn't attacked immediately. Instead, he chatted with Lin Feng briefly, then brought up the matter of his companion. That part wasn't fabricated; it was designed precisely to lower Lin Feng's guard. He waited to strike only as Lin Feng was leaving, using a top-grade Tier 3 Purple Thunder Talisman right from the start. Such cunning planning would have ensured the death of any ordinary first-layer Golden Core cultivator. Even if they were wary, they likely couldn't have blocked the sudden, overwhelming power of that thunderous strike.
Unfortunately for Yu Zhun, Lin Feng possessed a superior-grade spirit artifact level Light-Shield Defense Magical Artifact, obtained from Loong Tengyu. This rendered what Yu Zhun believed to be a guaranteed lethal strike utterly ineffective.
"Hmph! So it turns out neither of them were any good!" Though Lin Feng's expression remained calm, inwardly he was furious. He snorted coldly, waved his right hand, and sent a fireball shooting out. As he splayed his fingers, the fireball transformed into a net of flames, lunging towards the Yu Zhun ahead.
"Damn it!! DIE!!" Utterly shocked, Yu Zhun nonetheless quickly snapped back to attention. Seeing that Lin Feng's counterattack was only a low-level Fire Net spell and not that top-grade spirit artifact flying sword, he felt a flicker of surprise mixed with a sliver of hope. Perhaps the other party lacked the strength or skill to effectively wield such a powerful sword in combat? A savage light reignited in his eyes. With a fierce roar, he swung his hand, summoning his own flying sword.
"Shhhhwip!!" A flying sword gleaming with a pale purple light shot forth. A three-foot sword aura pulsed from its edge as it sliced through the air, cleanly cutting the oncoming fire net in two.
However, before Yu Zhun could even feel a moment of relief, he froze in terror. The severed fire net hadn't dissipated! Instead, it split into two separate nets, continuing their descent towards him from left and right!
Caught completely off guard, Yu Zhun had no time to dodge. In the instant before the flames enveloped him, he desperately activated his own Light-Shield Defense Magical Artifact. Although he successfully shielded his body from the flames, he was now completely encased within a cocoon of fire.
"Abnormal Flame!! It's Abnormal Flame!!" Yu Zhun was not without knowledge. Sensing the overwhelming power radiating from the surrounding fire, he immediately recognized it as Abnormal Flame. His heart filled with even greater terror, edging towards despair.
He knew he had made the worst decision of his life. If he had known Lin Feng possessed so many other formidable means besides the top-grade spirit artifact flying sword, he wouldn't have dared attack him even with ten extra lives! But regret now was futile. Though his inferior-grade spirit artifact light shield was temporarily holding back the Abnormal Flame, breaking free was impossible. Even if Lin Feng took no further action, his own true essence would be depleted within moments, leading inevitably to his death.
"Fellow Daoist Mu!! I was wrong! Please spare my life! I'm willing to tell you a great secret!!" Facing death, Yu Zhun grasped at his final lifeline, shouting desperately towards Lin Feng, his voice trembling.
Lin Feng, who had been about to summon his flying sword to finish Yu Zhun instantly, paused at these words. He snorted coldly, "Oh? What secret? Speak. Let's see if it's worth your life."
"It is!! Absolutely worth it!!" Yu Zhun cried urgently, "Ten-Breath Golden Epiphyllum! I know where some grows within this Lanling Ruins! Spare me, and I'll tell you exactly where!"
"Ten-Breath Golden Epiphyllum?!" Lin Feng was genuinely startled. Such a thing existed within the Lanling Ruins? His gaze flickered subtly as he responded calmly, "How am I to know if you speak the truth?"
"It's true!! Absolutely true!!" Yu Zhun, desperate to survive, threw caution to the wind. He invoked the dread Lightning Tribulation Oath, the most feared vow among cultivators: "I swear upon the Lightning Tribulation! If my words are false, may I be struck dead by the Tribulation Lightning!" Fearing Lin Feng still might not believe him, he added hastily, "The Ten-Breath Golden Epiphyllum is on Gold Ant Mountain not far from here! But its specific location is extremely well hidden! Spare me, and I'll draw you a detailed map! I've been watching it for years, and it's nearly mature! If you obtain this spirit herb, Fellow Daoist, your cultivation is certain to soar!"
"Gold Ant Mountain?" Lin Feng's expression turned thoughtful. Gold Ant Mountain was located deeper within the Lanling Ruins, the nesting ground of the Gold-Devouring Ants. Individually, these ants were merely Tier 2 demon beasts. But they lived in colonies numbering in the tens of thousands, far more dangerous than the poisonous creatures Lin Feng had encountered underground in the Black Mist Herb Valley. As the saying went, enough ants could devour an elephant. Once surrounded by Gold-Devouring Ants, even a Golden Core cultivator would struggle to escape.
Seeing Lin Feng seemed tempted, Yu Zhun's heart stirred with hope. He opened his mouth to speak further, but then saw Lin Feng suddenly raise his right hand and make a grasping motion towards him through the air. Instantly, Yu Zhun felt the ferocity of the flames surrounding him multiply tenfold!
"What are you do— AAAHHH!!"
Yu Zhun could never have imagined that Lin Feng wouldn't covet the Ten-Breath Golden Epiphyllum, that he wouldn't even bother asking for more details before delivering the killing blow. He had no chance to resist. His inferior-grade spirit artifact light shield couldn't withstand the Intermediate-grade Magma Flame for even a moment before shattering. His piercing, agonized scream lasted only a few breaths. Then, the flames surged, carrying a storage ring back into Lin Feng's hand. Yu Zhun himself had completely vanished from the world.
Lin Feng also collected Yu Zhun's flying sword, which had fallen nearby, then immediately left the area. The hillside returned to tranquility, showing no sign that two Golden Core cultivators had just perished there moments before.
"Ten-Breath Golden Epiphyllum? Pity I don't know how to refine Golden Epiphyllum Pills... but it's still worth investigating..."
Lin Feng took out the formation disk again. As he hurried forward, he pondered internally. He hadn't killed Yu Zhun outright without asking for specifics because he didn't covet the herb. It was simply unnecessary. Yu Zhun, trying to bolster his credibility, had mentioned Gold Ant Mountain, thinking that naming a large area was harmless since the exact location was supposedly too obscure to find without his guidance. What he didn't know was that Lin Feng had Little Hill, his treasure-sniffing spirit beast. Once at Gold Ant Mountain, finding the Ten-Breath Golden Epiphyllum shouldn't be difficult. That's why Lin Feng had acted decisively—he had never intended to spare Yu Zhun in the first place.
However, Lin Feng didn't plan to head to Gold Ant Mountain immediately. He decided to finish his current task first.
...
Following the fluctuating guidance of the formation disk, Lin Feng delved deeper into the Lanling Ruins. After another long stretch of travel, he stopped at the edge of a sheer cliff.
"Cold Mist Valley? Here?!"
Staring into the immense, fathomless valley before him, Lin Feng couldn't help but feel surprised. This was Cold Mist Valley, the very place Yu Zhun had mentioned earlier. He hadn't expected the formation disk to be leading him right here.
"No mistake, it's down there!!" Lin Feng glanced at the formation disk in his hand. He clearly felt the fluctuations within it were now several times stronger than before. It even seemed as if it would fly down into the valley on its own if he let go.
Cold Mist Valley itself was an extremely perilous location. Rumors spoke of Tier 4 demon beasts dwelling within. Its depth had to be at least several hundred meters; Lin Feng's spiritual sense couldn't reach the bottom. He hesitated at the cliff edge for a brief moment, then gritted his teeth. With a wave of his hand, he summoned the Crimson Soul Flying Sword. Planting his foot firmly on it, he leaped off the cliff and plunged into the thick, chilling fog shrouding the valley below.