The moment that tiger's roar erupted, Huang Yisong felt an icy chill shoot down his spine. An overwhelming sense of deadly danger gripped him, causing his face to blanch. He whipped his head around in terror. To his right, a burst of radiant white light coalesced into the fierce silhouette of a tiger! The phantom beast lunged, roaring savagely as it pounced straight towards him!
"Soul Attack!!" Huang Yisong's pupils contracted violently. He instantly recognized the unique nature of the White Tiger Soul. A shriek of utter horror tore from his throat. Abandoning all thought of his golden shield artifact, he abruptly slammed his right palm hard against his own forehead! From the crown of his head, a phantom figure emerged—a three-inch-tall, translucent miniature version of himself! The tiny effigy wore the same look of terror. Its tiny hands formed a peculiar seal as it shot forward like a meteor, colliding head-on with the charging White Tiger Soul!
In the blink of an eye, the miniature phantom smashed into the White Tiger Soul. The tiger had been poised to bite, but the tiny figure's speed was astonishing. It struck the tiger's head first. A strangely muffled "THUMP!" echoed in the air. Lin Feng watched in shock as the White Tiger Soul was visibly knocked backwards!!
"Nascent Soul?!" Lin Feng's pupils narrowed. He instantly realized that was the legendary Nascent Soul. Golden Core cultivators possessed virtually no resistance to soul attacks, but Nascent Soul cultivators were different. Huang Yisong had acted decisively, unhesitatingly deploying his actual Nascent Soul essence to block the White Tiger Soul's assault.
Simultaneously as the White Tiger Soul was flung back, Huang Yisong's Nascent Soul phantom also recoiled violently. It vanished back into his physical body in an instant. However, once the Nascent Soul returned, Huang Yisong let out a pained groan. He staggered backwards several steps, his face deathly pale, clearly sustaining severe spiritual wounds. His gaze, now fixed on Lin Feng, was filled with unprecedented terror. He simply couldn't believe Lin Feng possessed such a formidable weapon.
"The White Tiger Soul-Sundering Talisman?!" Huang Yisong, being from the Yue Nation, was unfamiliar with some legends of the Xia Nation's cultivation world. Lu Danxin, however, recognized it almost instantly. Shock resonated within him. He vaguely recalled hearing rumors that the White Tiger Soul-Sundering Talisman had surfaced not long ago in Biquan City—never imagining it was actually in Lin Feng's possession.
Nevertheless, shock aside, Lu Danxin didn't neglect the critical opportunity presented by Huang Yisong's vulnerability. The instant the Nascent Soul retreated, Lu Danxin's right finger pointed. His flying sword whistled through the air, deftly maneuvering around the golden shield still partially engulfed in Woodcang Fire, and shot straight for Huang Yisong's face!
"AARGH!!" Huang Yisong's face contorted with fury and desperation. He roared savagely, stomping his foot hard against the ground. He dodged Lu Danxin's flying sword by a hair's breadth, an incredibly awkward evasion. But in that very next instant, a lash of green shadow swept horizontally across the direction he had dodged towards!
"THWACK!!" Huang Yisong had no chance to dodge again. The green whip-shadow struck him squarely across the waist with tremendous force. As his body was hurled sideways by the impact, the attacking 'long whip'—revealed to be tendrils of green fire—wrapped around his torso and rapidly spread across his entire body!
Woodcang Fire!!
Taking advantage of Huang Yisong's focus on dodging the sword, Lu Danxin had recalled the Woodcang Fire and launched it again in a fluid second attack. A direct hit!
"AAHHHH!!" Huang Yisong screamed uncontrollably as the Woodcang Fire clung to him. He unleashed his Yuan Power in a frantic, wild surge, desperately trying to repel the strange fire clinging to his skin. Yet the Woodcang Fire seemed almost sentient. Forced away momentarily in one spot, it surged back instantly elsewhere. It coiled around Huang Yisong like a living serpent of flame, relentlessly consuming his defenses.
"SHIIING!!" While Huang Yisong writhed in the grip of the Woodcang Fire, the clear chime of a sword sounded. Lu Danxin's flying sword shot forth once more, aiming to exploit this perfect moment and end the enemy for good.
Lu Su and the others nearby couldn't contain their excitement. The situation seemed hopeless for Huang Yisong; dodging this strike appeared utterly impossible. But then, something completely unexpected happened...
Lu Danxin's flying sword was swift as lightning, arriving before Huang Yisong in a flash. Yet, just as it was about to pierce him, Huang Yisong's figure flickered—and vanished without a trace from where he stood!!
"SWOOSH... SHUNK!!"
The flying sword passed through the writhing tendrils of Woodcang Fire embedded in the air where Huang Yisong had been moments before, striking uselessly into the rock wall behind. The green fire tumbled and spat emptily. Huang Yisong was gone.
"What... what just happened?!" Lin Feng's eyes widened slightly as he muttered in confusion. He, too, had thought the enemy was doomed. Yet, the man had simply vanished into thin air. His gaze swept the cavern frantically, but there was no sign of the enemy. A living Nascent Soul cultivator had disappeared as if he had never been there.
Lu Su, standing behind Lin Feng, also wore an expression of stunned disbelief. Then, as if recalling something, he gasped aloud, "Teleportation Talisman… it must be a Teleportation Talisman!! Damn him! He actually possessed such a precious talisman!"
"Teleportation Talisman?" Lin Feng was momentarily stunned, then inwardly astonished. Truly befitting a Nascent Soul cultivator; he even had a Teleportation Talisman for escape! Even the lowest grade Teleportation Talisman was a fifth-grade magic talisman—priceless treasures practically unavailable on the open market.
Lin Feng was slightly mistaken, however. Huang Yisong had acquired this specific talisman from his sect precisely because of the importance of this mission. Under normal circumstances, even Nascent Soul cultivators rarely possessed such life-saving treasures as Teleportation Talismans.
Lu Danxin recalled his flying sword and the Woodcang Fire, walking towards Lin Feng and the others. There was a touch of regret in his eyes; he, too, hadn't anticipated the enemy possessing a Teleportation Talisman. Still, achieving such a decisive victory so easily was already far beyond his initial expectations.
The key to this surprisingly swift triumph lay undeniably in Lin Feng's performance, which had surpassed everyone's expectations. As the group relaxed, their eyes inevitably turned towards Lin Feng, filled with admiration and respect. Previously, when Lin Feng claimed to have killed Long Tengyu, the Sect Leader of Absolute Sword Sect, they had harbored doubts. But now, it seemed entirely plausible—even without the previously mentioned fourth-grade defensive talisman. After all, a treasure like the White Tiger Soul-Sundering Talisman was nothing short of a lethal killing blow for any cultivator below the Nascent Soul stage.
Lu Danxin gave a slight nod to the group, then smiled warmly at Lin Feng. "Lin Feng, you have performed exceptionally well. We owe this victory largely to you."
Lin Feng responded humbly, "You honor me too much, Sect Leader. Without Senior Zhao's killing formation and your stalwart efforts pinning him down, I would never have had the opportunity to assist."
Lu Danxin scanned the surroundings, extending his spiritual sense for a final sweep to confirm safety. He then addressed the group, "Deal with the remains. Sort through their belongings yourselves; distribute whatever you find. Then, we proceed into the cave dwelling."
The possessions of the five deceased Golden Core cultivators held little interest for Lu Danxin. Lu Su and the others didn't show much excitement either. Exchanging glances and a slight nod, they quickly set about clearing the battlefield. The three of them each casually selected one Spatial Ring from the fallen cultivators. Lin Feng, however, ended up with the larger share—he received two Spatial Rings.
Knowing Lu Su and the others were cultivators of considerable means, unlikely to be overly concerned with the belongings of mere Golden Core cultivators, Lin Feng didn't stand on ceremony. As a minor wandering cultivator, acquiring more resources was naturally beneficial.
Shortly after, seeing the cleanup complete, Lu Danxin addressed everyone once more, "Good. Let us enter now. Let us see what treasures Master Lanling's cave dwelling truly holds..."
He turned and strode confidently through the now-open grand entrance. The others followed close behind. Anticipation stirred within Lin Feng as well—What treasures might lie within the legendary cave dwelling of Master Lanling?