The portly cultivator, at Golden Core Layer 6, was actually using a low-grade spirit tool flying sword. Seems like a poor rogue cultivator, Lin Feng thought coldly. Seeing the direct attack, Lin Feng showed no panic. A flash of icy light gleamed in his eyes as he fearlessly summoned his own Scarlet Soul Flying Sword in response. Crimson-silver light erupted, meeting the green blade head-on with matching speed.
"Huh?" Seeing Lin Feng also deploy a flying sword, the two opposing cultivators were momentarily startled, likely surprised that a mere Golden Core Layer 1 cultivator possessed one. However, the portly cultivator's expression abruptly twisted into one of sheer horror!
"CLANG!! CRACK…"
In the blink of an eye, before either could clearly discern the grade of the Scarlet Soul Sword, the two blades collided mid-air. A metallic clang was followed by a crisp shattering sound. The green flying sword exploded into glittering fragments scattering in all directions. The Scarlet Soul Sword shot straight through the debris, aiming directly at the portly cultivator!
"What?!" This sudden turn of events was completely unexpected. The portly cultivator's eyes bulged, his face contorted momentarily. The destruction of his sword caused significant spiritual backlash. Combined with his shock, it left him momentarily dazed.
"Look out!!" Thankfully, the square-jawed cultivator reacted swiftly. With a loud shout, he shoved his companion aside, simultaneously leaping away himself. The Scarlet Soul Sword slashed down, slicing only empty air.
"Shwoosh!!" Yet, guided by Lin Feng's will, the crimson blade instantly changed course without pause, pursuing the square-jawed cultivator relentlessly.
"A top-grade spirit tool!!" The square-jawed cultivator shrieked in terror, dodging the flying sword again with desperate clumsiness. His right hand shot up, summoning both a low-grade spirit tool flying sword and a low-grade spirit tool shield. He crouched behind the shield, directing his own blade to intercept the pursuing Scarlet Soul Sword.
Meanwhile, the portly cultivator quickly snapped out of his daze. His face was pale, filled with shock, but also a flicker of relief and confusion. Between the two of us, I'm the weaker one... Why did his follow-up attack target my companion instead? That seems strange…
"Qiu!!"
Just as this fleeting thought surfaced, a peculiar chirping sound faintly reached the portly cultivator's ears. He instinctively sensed something luminous hurtling towards him. Looking up in alarm, he saw a fist-sized crystal tracing an arc through the air, already descending upon his head.
"A spirit stone?" Barely had this thought crossed his mind when the stone suddenly erupted with blinding light, several times its original intensity. An immense force detonated without warning!
"BOOM!!!" A deafening explosion ripped through the cavern, shaking the very walls. The mid-grade spirit stone exploded like a grenade. At the epicenter, a visible swirl of energy seemed to form. The portly cultivator took the full force of the blast point-blank. He was hurled backwards, a fountain of blood spraying from his mouth while still airborne. He slammed hard against the cave wall, coughing up another mouthful of blood before staggering to his feet, his eyes wide with terror and disbelief.
Before he could even process what had happened, another glowing spirit stone was already arcing towards him. Terror seized him, momentarily overriding the agony of his injuries. He frantically activated his defensive light barrier talisman and scrambled to dodge.
"What…?" At the same moment Xiaoqiu attacked the portly man with the spirit stone bombs, the square-jawed cultivator's spiritual sense detected the chaos. His face paled drastically, his mind reeling with confusion and panic. Suddenly, a blinding flash of white light erupted directly before him, accompanied almost simultaneously by the roar of a tiger filling his ears…
"ROAR!!!" The White Tiger Soul burst forth. Before the square-jawed cultivator could react, the spectral beast passed through the shield spirit tool held before him. As he instinctively raised his arms in futile defense, the tiger pounced over him. A faint, human-shaped silhouette was violently ripped from his back as the phantom tiger tore through him, its claws shredding his very soul with savage fury.
"BOOM!!!" Simultaneously, the second explosion from the portly cultivator's side echoed through the cavern. Amidst the flash, the portly figure stumbled out from the dissipating energy, frantically trying to shield himself while casting a terrified glance towards his companion.
He barely had time to draw a ragged breath when another spirit stone screamed towards him. His face drained of all color. Concern for his partner vanished instantly. Gritting his teeth, he poured every ounce of energy into reinforcing his light barrier. Planting his feet, he prepared to dodge the imminent blast while desperately trying to angle himself towards the exit.
"BOOM!" The third explosion detonated. The overwhelming concussive force slammed into him. The light barrier before him shimmered violently, threatening to collapse entirely. The portly cultivator felt his internal energy churn wildly; another mouthful of blood bubbled up his throat, barely suppressed.
"WHAT IN HEAVEN'S NAME IS HAPPENING?!!" He screamed internally. In the next instant, a sharp, piercing sword cry, CLANG!, rang out from directly ahead.
"NO!!" Realization dawned with horrifying clarity. Utter terror filled the portly cultivator's eyes. He screamed and tried to evade, but it was far too late. A streak of crimson-silver light flashed before him. It sliced through his reinforced light barrier like paper, sheared clean through the arm he instinctively raised in defense, and plunged straight through his heart, pinning him like an insect to the cavern wall behind.
As the portly cultivator was slain by the Scarlet Soul Sword, the White Tiger Soul on the other side of the cavern dissolved into a stream of light, flowing back into the soul talisman in Lin Feng's hand. The square-jawed cultivator's soul had already been utterly annihilated. Only his intact physical body remained on the ground where he fell.
These two had appeared, exchanged barely a few sentences, and immediately attacked Lin Feng. From the start of the fight to its conclusion, less than half a minute had passed. Almost completely bewildered by the situation, both had met their ends.
After all, even a Nascent Soul cultivator (though injured) had tragically fallen victim to Lin Feng's relentless barrage of techniques. What chance did two mere mid-stage Golden Core cultivators have? Their minds had been utterly clouded by greed upon seeing the Ten-Breath Golden Ephemera. They never stopped to consider: Could a Golden Core Layer 1 cultivator surviving in such a dangerous place like Gold-Devouring Ant Mountain be 'ordinary'? Sadly, regret was a luxury the world rarely offered. Even if it did exist, these two were now beyond its reach.
…
Having exterminated two mid-stage Golden Core cultivators in moments, Lin Feng showed no sign of elation. The outcome was entirely within his expectations. He didn't even pause to loot the bodies. Instead, he whipped his head around, his gaze snapping urgently towards the Ten-Breath Golden Ephemera beside him.
One glance, and Lin Feng's expression tightened, urgency flashing in his eyes. He vanished from his spot in a blur, reappearing instantly before the glowing plant. With a swift wave of his hand, his pill furnace materialized beside it.
—The Ten-Breath Golden Ephemera now shone with an intensity several times greater than before. Each petal was unfurled to its fullest extent. Blooming was imminent!!
"Whoosh!!" Lin Feng flicked his wrist, sending the Lava Flame shooting into the pill furnace's core. Fiery crimson flames roared to life instantly. Simultaneously, several stalks of supplementary spirit herbs flew from his hand into the furnace.
Lin Feng's brow furrowed slightly, a flicker of hesitation crossing his face. He then retrieved a vial of Spirit Spring water. Spiritual energy coiled around a single drop, guiding it into his mouth. Dealing with the Gold-Devouring Ants and the two cultivators back-to-back had forced him to use the White Tiger Fierce Soul Talisman twice in quick succession. While effective for swift elimination, the drain on his reserves had been immense. His spiritual energy was critically low now; Restoration Pills would act too slowly. Once again, I have to waste a precious drop of Spirit Spring to recover. As the drop dissolved on his tongue, Lin Feng felt the ambient spiritual energy around him shift dramatically. An intense, unique energy saturated the air – the potent medicinal force radiating from the blooming Ten-Breath Golden Ephemera! He knew this sensation intimately.
Focusing intensely, he saw the Golden Ephemera before him reach its peak radiance. An intoxicating medicinal fragrance washed over him. Lin Feng dared not delay. His right hand swept out, an invisible force wrapping around the plant, gently but firmly wrenching it whole from the soil and guiding it directly into the waiting pill furnace.
The Golden Ephemera vanished inside. The heavy lid of the furnace slammed shut. Lin Feng dropped to his knees before it, instantly forming a rapid series of pill-refining hand seals. The alchemical process to forge the Golden Ephemera Pill had formally begun.
The Ten-Breath Golden Ephemera survived only ten breaths after maturity. Naturally, refining the pill couldn't be completed in ten breaths. The critical first step was therefore to complete the initial extraction of the plant's essence within that fleeting window. Lin Feng proceeded with extreme caution. Fortunately, no mishaps occurred. Ten breaths later, he had just barely managed the initial purification. Though a small portion of the unrefined medicinal power inevitably escaped from the furnace, the result was still remarkably successful.
Relief and joy flickered in Lin Feng's eyes. He carefully manipulated the flames, separating a small portion of the concentrated Golden Ephemera essence along with a portion of the other prepared herbs. This reserve was set aside for the crucial later repair step. Then, he focused entirely on the main task: continuing the meticulous concoction of the Golden Ephemera Pill.
Silence descended upon the cavern once more, broken only by the rhythmic roar of the flames within the pill furnace. Lin Feng sat with unwavering focus, pouring his entire being into the alchemy. Nearby, Xiaoqiu nibbled on spirit stones to replenish its 'strength', diligently keeping watch.
…
Several long hours later.
An intoxicatingly rich medicinal aroma, refreshing to the very soul, permeated the entire cavern. Lin Feng, seated before the furnace, looked visibly exhausted. Yet, his eyes shone with fierce excitement. With a final wave of his hand, the lid of the pill furnace lifted. Several dazzling points of golden light soared out, landing gently upon his outstretched palm.
Gazing at the three uniquely brilliant pills resting in his hand – each gleaming like purest gold – Lin Feng felt an overwhelming pride swell within him. Three pills... While only three, it's absolutely sufficient. The difficulty of refining the Golden Ephemera Pill was notoriously high. Material sufficient for ten pills had yielded Lin Feng only three defective ones initially. For any other alchemist, this would have meant the complete, irredeemable waste of a Ten-Breath Golden Ephemera. The radiant pills Lin Feng held now, however, were naturally the flawless, Heaven-grade Golden Ephemera Pills, their quality perfected through his unique repair ability.
The pills were forged, but now was not the time to use them. After a brief period of recovery, Lin Feng tidied the cavern. He disposed of the two Golden Core cultivators' bodies swiftly and efficiently. Then, with Xiaoqiu perched securely on his shoulder, he departed swiftly from the place.