Before this moment, Huang Yisong had never imagined he would die at the hands of a Golden Core cultivator, without even the chance for his Infant Soul to escape.
The teleportation talisman he used back in the cave dwelling of Lanling Zhenren hadn't taken him far, only a few dozen miles. At that time, he had considered simply leaving to ensure his own safety. Yet, the bitterness of defeat and his profound unwillingness to accept it gnawed at him. Ultimately, relying on the unique properties of his concealment treasure, he reasoned that even if he found no opportunity, he shouldn't be in danger. Thus, he stealthily made his way back to Cold Mist Valley and hid himself.
When Lu Danxin and the others emerged, he was concealed far off, just beyond the range of Lu Danxin's spiritual sense, witnessing the scene of Lin Feng parting ways with Lu Danxin and the others.
This discovery filled Huang Yisong with elation. He hadn't truly expected to get a chance to recoup some of his losses. Provoking Lu Danxin again was out of the question, but Lin Feng, leaving alone? He didn't regard him highly. In his view, Lin Feng's top-grade spirit artifact flying sword and that formidable soul attack treasure were soon to be his.
It must be said, Huang Yisong's decision to 'double back' was indeed unexpected. Even Lu Danxin hadn't anticipated that the man, freshly defeated and grievously wounded, would dare to return.
Huang Yisong trailed Lin Feng all the way out of Cold Mist Valley. Only after completely confirming that Lu Danxin couldn't possibly intervene did he prepare to strike. To his surprise, he was detected by Xiaoqiu just as he got closer. He realized Lin Feng's earlier words were likely just a probe, but continuing to hide seemed pointless now, so he revealed himself.
He had believed he could effortlessly dispatch Lin Feng and seize all the treasures the young man possessed. Who could have foreseen that Lin Feng, besides the top-grade spirit artifact flying sword and the White Tiger Fierce Soul Talisman, possessed so many other hidden cards he knew nothing about? Each one was something a mere Golden Core cultivator should never possess. Especially that Blood Devouring Blade! Even among the numerous Nascent Soul cultivators he had encountered, none possessed such a bizarrely powerful artifact. Merely being pricked by it – not even in a vital spot – resulted in the instantaneous draining of all blood and life force!!
And finally, when he fled using his Infant Soul, seeing Lin Feng pursue him with a flying sword instead of summoning the White Tiger soul again, Huang Yisong had felt a flicker of secret relief. He assumed Lin Feng was incapable of using the White Tiger Talisman a second time. Against ordinary treasures, his Infant Soul form was difficult to harm. He truly believed his escape was assured.
What he never could have fathomed was that the Crimson Soul Flying Sword also possessed soul attack properties!! By the time he realized it, it was far too late. There was no longer any room for regret or thoughts of revenge. The instant the Crimson Soul Flying Sword cleaved his Infant Soul in two, his soul was utterly and completely annihilated.
...
"Whew..."
Watching Huang Yisong's Infant Soul dissipate into the void, Lin Feng finally let out a long sigh of relief. His whole body felt drained, and he swayed unsteadily, nearly collapsing. He swallowed a Recovery Pill, regained just enough strength to function, then swiftly cleaned up the battlefield and fled the area.
He traveled dozens of miles away, only stopping once he was certain no danger remained. Finding a secluded spot at the foot of a mountain, he expertly excavated a cave and hid within.
He used two Earth Wall Talismans to seal the entrance shut, scattered several Glow Crystals to illuminate the interior, and finally sat cross-legged on his meditation cushion. Only then did he truly relax.
"Nascent Soul... I actually killed a Nascent Soul cultivator..." Lin Feng murmured to himself, disbelief still tinging his voice, his eyes gleaming with suppressed excitement. Successfully eliminating Huang Yisong like this exceeded his wildest expectations. Before the fight, he hadn't held much confidence; his plan was merely to find an opportunity to escape. The outcome, however, far surpassed his hopes – he had outright annihilated his opponent.
The decisive factor in this victory was undoubtedly the Blood Devouring Blade. Lin Feng gained an even deeper appreciation for the terrifying power of this sinister artifact. Huang Yisong's massive warhammer treasure was likely at least a mid-grade spirit artifact, yet it was shattered like paper. Subsequently, the blade pierced through Huang Yisong's spiritual light defense and his defensive robe. Such destructive force was absolutely on par with a top-grade spirit artifact, perhaps even exceeding it.
During his previous battle with Loong Tengyu, Lin Feng had accidentally triggered the Blood Devouring Blade's special ability – the 'Explosive Strike'. Afterwards, disturbed by how the weapon subtly influenced his mind, he had resolved to use it sparingly. Yet, he couldn't deny it was an ultimate killing tool. Preparing for unforeseen circumstances, during his journey through Lanling Ruins, he had allowed the blade to devour and store the blood of all the demon beasts he slew along the way. He was now profoundly grateful for that foresight. Without it, the blade couldn't have unleashed such overwhelming power in this fight.
Lin Feng flipped his right hand, summoning the Blood Devouring Blade. A complex mix of satisfaction and apprehension flickered in his eyes. This treasure truly inspired both desire and dread. To swear off using it entirely was probably impossible. Besides, in a true life-or-death crisis, how could he not use it? In the end, all he could do was vow to handle it with extreme caution, using it only when absolutely necessary...
Although it had expended all its stored 'blood energy' in the explosive strike, it had subsequently consumed Huang Yisong's blood. Now, the glow shimmering on the blade's surface seemed even more intense than before. Lin Feng couldn't help but wonder what kind of power its next Explosive Strike might unleash. The thought sparked a faint, involuntary thrill of anticipation within him, a desire to test it again soon...
The moment this thought surfaced, Lin Feng jolted violently back to awareness. A flicker of horror crossed his eyes. The emergence of that impulse had felt almost... uncontrolled. He stared warily at the blade in his hand, then hurriedly stashed it away.
...
Naturally, the next step was to inspect the spoils of war. The accumulated wealth of a Nascent Soul cultivator was something Lin Feng anticipated greatly.
Huang Yisong's flying sword and spiritual light defense treasure, which Lin Feng had already collected earlier, were both high-grade spirit artifacts, similar to those of Loong Tengyu, the leader of the Absolute Sword Sect. Lin Feng wasn't particularly interested in the sword, and he already possessed a spiritual light defense treasure himself, so he didn't pay them much mind.
He retrieved Huang Yisong's Storage Ring and sent his spiritual sense within. His eyes immediately lit up with pleasant surprise. The ring was packed with good things, even more than he had dared to hope!!
Countless rare heavenly materials and earthly treasures filled the space. The materials for artifact forging were mostly Grade Five or Six; the spirit herbs were predominantly Grade Three, with over a dozen Grade Four specimens; there were numerous Grade Three and Four pills; a pile of top-grade treasure artifacts and several spirit artifacts; additionally, there were nearly one million mid-grade spirit stones!!
After quickly scanning the ring's contents, Lin Feng began a more meticulous examination. His primary interest lay with the spirit artifacts. Besides the flying sword and the golden-leaf-shaped spiritual light defense treasure, there were four others: a large saber, a hexagonal shield, and a jade pendant-shaped spiritual light defense treasure. These three were all low-grade spirit artifacts, likely Huang Yisong's backup equipment. The final item was a mid-grade spirit artifact: a cloak that was almost transparent.
Seeing this cloak, Lin Feng immediately recalled Huang Yisong's uncanny ability to appear and vanish mysteriously. If that wasn't a technique but the effect of a treasure, this had to be it.
Storing the other artifacts away, Lin Feng focused intently on the cloak. Simply channeling a trickle of true essence into it caused the cloak to become even more transparent, confirming his suspicion. He decided to directly begin refining it. Since its original owner, Huang Yisong, was dead, the process wasn't particularly difficult.
After refinement, Lin Feng finally understood the cloak's effect. It was exactly as he suspected: specialized concealment!! Once the cloak's power was activated, everything within its area of effect would become 'invisible' – not just physical form, but spiritual aura as well!
The cloak was only a mid-grade spirit artifact, offering no other functions and minimal defensive capability besides this concealment. Yet, its value surpassed that of many ordinary high-grade spirit artifacts. Treasures possessing such potent concealment effects were exceedingly rare.
Lin Feng tested it out. He discovered that utilizing this treasure at his current cultivation level was surprisingly taxing. Activating its effect consumed true essence at a staggering rate. Moving while concealed multiplied the drain exponentially. Furthermore, the cloak could expand to cover an area roughly ten meters square, but the true essence cost for that scale was far beyond what Lin Feng could currently sustain.
With this treasure, Lin Feng gained another significant trump card. Whether for ambushes, sneak attacks, or making a swift escape, it would prove immensely useful.
...
Afterwards, Lin Feng meticulously organized the rest of the loot before finally settling down with deep satisfaction to cultivate and recuperate.
After resting overnight, Lin Feng set off again at dawn the next day. Half a day's journey later, he finally reached his destination: Golden Ant Mountain.
It was an exceptionally tall peak, sparsely vegetated, with mostly bare rock exposed. Lin Feng observed the mountain from below for a while before cautiously beginning his ascent.
As he walked, he instructed the little creature perched on his shoulder, "Xiaoqiu, do you remember the Ten-Breath Golden Ephemera we saw back in the Black Mist Herb Valley? Keep a sharp lookout. If you find anything, tell me immediately."
"Qiu!!" Xiaoqiu chirped like a soldier receiving orders, adopting a serious expression. Its tiny nose twitched as it began to concentrate, carefully sensing their surroundings.