The object Xiaoqiu clutched in its paws was already more than half-eaten. It was a creamy white color. At first glance, it resembled a spirit stone, but upon closer inspection, Lin Feng realized it was anything but—it was unmistakably... a lotus seed pod!!
To be precise, it was the seed pod of the Seven-Color Immortal Lotus!!
And the 'platform' Xiaoqiu was sitting on? Wasn't that the very Immortal Lotus itself?!
After swallowing the seven lotus seeds earlier, Lin Feng hadn't paid attention to anything else. He assumed the entire lotus had been absorbed during his cultivation. He never expected it to still be here! Though now, the Immortal Lotus was utterly devoid of its former radiance. Xiaoqiu sat perched on it as if on a dull lamp stand. The whole flower looked... well, frankly, like a lump of cold metal.
Initial shock gave way to a flicker of pleasant surprise for Lin Feng, quickly followed by sharp regret. He practically jumped in dismay. "You little spendthrift! That's the Seven-Color Immortal Lotus!! How can you eat that?!"
"Qiu?" Startled by Lin Feng's outburst, Xiaoqiu nearly dropped the small piece of pod it held. It looked up at Lin Feng with wide, innocent eyes. Its little eyes seemed to roll thoughtfully, as if it finally 'understood' something. It hesitantly offered the remaining fragment of pod towards Lin Feng. Its meaning was clear: Here, want the last bite?
"I…" Lin Feng was momentarily torn between laughter and frustration. "I'm not going to eat it! Look, Xiaoqiu, I thought you only ate spirit stones? Why are you munching on a lotus pod?"
"Qiu?" Xiaoqiu tilted its head, clearly not fully comprehending. It gave Lin Feng another innocent blink before deliberately taking another bite out of the pod in its paws. The implied meaning was clear: You didn't say I couldn't.
"..." Speechless, Lin Feng saw the pod was down to a tiny sliver. Retrieving it seemed pointless. He walked over, picked Xiaoqiu up, and set it aside. Then, he carefully lifted the lotus flower itself.
The stem beneath the lotus was gone. Its interior was hollow. Only the seven petals remained, forming a strangely shaped, oversized bowl. The petals still bore vestiges of their seven colors, but they no longer glowed. Their surface felt cool and hard as metal to the touch. Anyone seeing it now would never guess it was once a divine medicinal herb; they'd assume it was some exotic artifact forged from rare ore.
"How strange… transforming into this," Lin Feng muttered, examining the object carefully. "But what use could it possibly serve now?"
He scrutinized it for a long while but couldn't discern any special properties. Regardless, considering it was a remnant of the legendary Immortal Lotus, he certainly wasn't going to discard it. He casually stored it away in his storage ring.
Next, Lin Feng gave the cave chamber another thorough sweep with his spiritual sense, confirming nothing of value remained. He then beckoned to Xiaoqiu, who had just finished the last crumb of the pod. "Alright, Xiaoqiu, time to go."
"Qiu!!" Xiaoqiu chirped happily, instantly leaping onto Lin Feng's shoulder. It patted its slightly rounded little belly with satisfaction, signaling it was full.
This was the first time Xiaoqiu had eaten anything besides spirit stones. Lin Feng found himself increasingly baffled by the little creature's true nature. What kind of spirit beast is it exactly? Shaking his head, he pulled out an Earth Evasion Talisman, activated it, tapped his foot lightly, and surged upwards through the layers of rock towards the surface.
...
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!!
No sooner had Lin Feng broken the surface than a series of thunderous explosions startled him. His expression tightened. He immediately spun towards the sound.
High in the air to the south, two cultivators were locked in fierce combat. The distance was just beyond the outer range of his spiritual sense, which was why he hadn't detected them earlier.
"What's going on?" Lin Feng frowned. He considered for barely two seconds. Summoning his Flame Soul flying sword, he leapt onto it and shot northwards. He had no desire to get involved in the fight; he just wanted to leave.
Lin Feng assumed neutrality would grant him passage. But the moment he ascended into the sky, he caught the attention of the battling cultivators. Both simultaneously faltered, expressions shifting from battle-focus to shock as they turned to stare at him.
"There was someone on the island?!"
The middle-aged cultivator in purple robes frowned sharply, then his eyes lit with avarice. He completely ignored his opponent in yellow robes. Surging his true essence, he controlled his flying sword and shot like an arrow towards Lin Feng.
The yellow-robed cultivator seemed to have the same epiphany. He abandoned his attack on the purple-robed man and immediately gave chase towards Lin Feng.
"HALT!!"
Lin Feng hadn't traveled far when a booming shout echoed behind him. His eyes narrowed. He halted his sword-light. Instantly, a streak of purple brilliance intercepted him from the side, blocking his path forward. Simultaneously, a golden flash caught up from behind, hovering menacingly at his rear.
The two cultivators, just moments ago locked in combat, had both pursued him. Now, they positioned themselves before and behind him, almost acting in concert.
Lin Feng's brow furrowed. He swept his gaze critically over both cultivators, then addressed the purple-robed man in front of him. "What's the meaning of this?"
"Meaning?" sneered the purple-robed cultivator. "When did you get here? How long have you been hiding? Trying to slip away in the chaos... Did you find something on the island? Hand it over willingly, and things will be easier for you. Otherwise… don't blame me for being impolite!"
Lin Feng was genuinely bewildered. "I have no idea what you're talking about. I was merely resting on the island by chance. Your business has nothing to do with me. I wish no part in it. Step aside."
"Resting?!" The purple-robed man's sneer deepened. "What a lame lie! Just moments ago, a pillar of colored light shot skyward from here! Clearly, an extraordinary treasure manifested! And you claim you were just resting? Quit playing dumb! Speak! Did you already get that treasure?!"
As he spoke, the purple-robed cultivator seemed utterly convinced by his own logic. A fervent, greedy gleam sparked in his eyes as his gaze fixed on Lin Feng, turning openly hostile.
"Colored light pillar?" Lin Feng's eyebrows shot up. Comprehension dawned. My cultivation transformation caused that huge spectacle? He felt a jolt of surprise but now understood the duo's motives. They must have been drawn by the earlier phenomenon. They likely arrived, spotted each other, started fighting before searching the island, and then saw him emerge. They instantly pegged him as the one who arrived first and snatched the 'treasure'.
"You dare defy me?! If you refuse to cooperate... DIE!!"
While Lin Feng was processing this, the purple-robed cultivator's eyes flashed with sudden, vicious intent. His right arm snapped out. A deep-purple spear, shimmering with violent energy, materialized before him. It tore through the air like a bolt of purple lightning, aimed straight at Lin Feng's heart. Convinced Lin Feng possessed the island's treasure, he aimed to kill and loot immediately. Aware of the other 'competitor' nearby and likely more cultivators converging, he saw no time to waste.
"Hmph!!" The yellow-robed cultivator behind Lin Feng reacted just as quickly, clearly unwilling to let the treasure slip away. He snorted coldly. A claw-shaped artifact, glowing with a sinister yellow light, erupted from his body. It expanded like a giant, grasping hand, aiming to seize Lin Feng and drag him back.
One was at the eighth layer of Golden Core, the other at the seventh layer. Both regarded Lin Feng, at merely the fourth layer, with utter contempt. To them, he was already a dead man. Their focus was solely on who would secure his storage ring first.
"Tch!! What a nuisance!"
Sandwiched between attacks front and back, Lin Feng's face showed no panic, only irritation. These people are ruthless, attacking without hesitation. Since they were so eager for death, he wouldn't hold back. With a flick of his left hand, his Spirit Light Barrier instantly activated.
Clang! Thud!
The purple spear and claw artifact struck the shimmering barrier almost simultaneously. Both impacts sent sharp vibrations through the air, and the artifacts ricocheted away violently. Merely mid-grade spirit artifacts, they stood no chance against Lin Feng's formidable barrier.
"Top-grade Spirit Artifact?!" The purple-robed cultivator's face paled as his spear was effortlessly deflected. He instantly recognized the extraordinary quality of Lin Feng's defensive shield. His shocked exclamation hung in the air. Before he could formulate his next move, he saw Lin Feng, still shielded, suddenly raise his right hand and point a finger directly at him.
An instinctive warning screamed through the man's mind – Lin Feng was about to unleash an attack. But the thought barely registered. He had no time to react, not even raise a defensive hand.
He saw Lin Feng's extended index finger flicker with a deadly purple light. He couldn't track the projectile's path. A sudden, icy chill pierced his chest.
He looked down.
The purple light was gone. In its place, precisely over his heart, was a perfectly round, blood-drenched hole.
A flicker of utter confusion passed through the purple-robed man's eyes, rapidly dissolving into emptiness. Life fled his body. He plummeted from the sky.
FWOOSH!
A fireball streaked from Lin Feng's hand, intercepting the falling corpse mid-air. It burst into brilliant, consuming flames. Within seconds, the body was reduced to drifting ash. The man's artifacts – his flying sword, spear, and storage pouch – flew out of the dissipating flames and landed neatly in Lin Feng's palm.
"IMPOSSIBLE!!!" The yell came from behind. The yellow-robed cultivator's eyes bulged, threatening to pop out of his skull. He hadn't even clearly seen how his rival died. By the time his mind caught up, Lin Feng had already disposed of the evidence. A chilling dread washed over him. I gravely misjudged this man! Survival instincts kicked in. He spun on his flying sword, desperately intending to flee.
"BOOM!!"
He barely completed his turn when a deafening explosion erupted directly above him. Terror seized him as he snapped his head upward.
Descending upon him was a vast, searing net of crimson flames!