CLANG!!!
An earsplitting clangor shattered the air! Hu Tonghai's trident collided head-on with Lin Feng's Flaming Soul Sword in a dazzling shower of sparks. Both weapons were violently flung backward from the impact.
"A supreme-grade spiritual artifact!!" Hu Tonghai's pupils contracted sharply, shock washing over him anew. He had initially thought Lin Feng's flying sword was top-grade; only now did he see it was truly supreme-grade! If his own cultivation hadn't surpassed the young man's, he realized with a jolt, that single clash might have destroyed his trident.
A Golden Core fourth-layer cultivator wielding techniques powerful enough to match his own... this meant Lin Feng's cultivation method was undoubtedly far superior to his. And now, possessing a supreme-grade spiritual artifact? Could he be a core disciple of some major sect? The thought flashed through Hu Tonghai's mind, turning his expression even uglier. He realized his earlier assumption—that dispatching this youngster would be effortless—had been dangerously naive. A seed of retreat began to sprout within him.
But escape was no longer an option. After blocking the trident with the Flaming Soul Sword, Lin Feng's right hand blurred. The White Tiger Fierce Soul Talisman materialized in his grasp. Instantly, brilliant white light erupted as he channeled his true essence.
ROOOOOOAR!!
The earth-shaking roar of a tiger echoed. The phantom form of the White Tiger Soul condensed in the air before them, its spectral claws tearing at the wind as it launched itself at Hu Tonghai!
"That... that's a Soul Spirit!!"
Hu Tonghai, still teetering on the edge of retreat, paled drastically as the tiger phantom surged towards him. His broad knowledge instantly identified the spectral form as a soul entity; the opponent was using a soul-attacking treasure! Horror, deeper than before, gripped him.
A Nascent Soul cultivator could use their nascent soul to defend against such attacks. But Hu Tonghai was only Golden Core Perfection and possessed no soul defense whatsoever. Recognizing the nature of the assault changed nothing; defending was impossible, dodging nearly so. At this life-or-death precipice, a flash of madness ignited in his eyes. He gritted his teeth fiercely.
"RAAAAAAAAH!" he bellowed, his hands weaving a complex sequence of seals faster than the eye could follow. Then, with a resounding smack, he struck his lower dantian!
Whiiish!
His mouth flew open. A dazzlingly radiant Golden Core, blazing like a small sun, shot forth like a meteor! It tore through the air towards Lin Feng, trailing a thunderous roar like rumbling boulders. An aura of terrifying, apocalyptic destruction erupted from its core!
Self-Detonation of the Golden Core?!
Lin Feng's face blanched with shock and disbelief. He hadn't anticipated such utter madness! Although the man had expelled the core, differing from the usual internal detonation, this act still meant almost certain death. Was he aiming for mutual annihilation?!
The man's ruthlessness was undeniable. Lin Feng had absolutely no desire to perish alongside him. Without a heartbeat's hesitation, he halted the activation of the White Tiger Fierce Soul Talisman. Simultaneously, he poured his full power into his Spirit Light Barrier. With a push of his foot, he propelled himself backward explosively. The Flaming Soul Sword shot forth like crimson lightning, aimed directly at the incoming Golden Core!
KABOOOOOM!!!!
Faster than thought could follow, the blinding core reached Lin Feng. The instant it made contact with the Flaming Soul Sword—
A cataclysmic detonation ripped the heavens apart! It was as if a super bomb had exploded. Endless golden light and overwhelming, destructive force erupted in all directions, instantly engulfing Lin Feng's figure.
The moment the explosion occurred, a sharp sting pierced Lin Feng's mind—a backlash through his connection to the Flaming Soul Sword. His treasured sword, taking the brunt of the blast, was undoubtedly grievously damaged. Next, an irresistible wave of force slammed into him. His outermost Spirit Light Barrier buckled violently under the strain.
CRACK!
With a sound like shattering glass, the barrier dissolved. Fortunately, Lin Feng had prepared for this. As the impact hit, he'd already drawn and activated another Spirit Light Talisman. While the first barrier shattered, the second bloomed into existence. His movements didn't stop. Immediately, he drew and activated a third talisman!
CRACKLE…
The third barrier solidified just as the second one succumbed and collapsed. The successive layers had absorbed and dispersed much of the force. Combined with Lin Feng's desperate backward momentum, the pressure abruptly lessened—he'd escaped the core of the blast! Ahead, the apocalyptic energy was rapidly dissipating.
Ugh! Lin Feng couldn't suppress a choked grunt. His blood churned violently within him. Despite clenching his jaw shut, a trickle of blood escaped the corner of his mouth. His face was deathly pale; his injuries were clearly severe.
"Not dead?! Impossible!!"
A cry, thick with disbelief and terror, pierced the fading roar from across the dissipating blast zone. Lin Feng jolted, his divine sense instantly locking onto Hu Tonghai's location. His own shock mirrored the old demon's—Not dead?! After self-detonating his Golden Core... he survived?!
"Damn you!!" On the opposite side, Hu Tonghai's face twisted with fury and bitter frustration. He let out an enraged roar, pushed off with his foot, and spun around, shooting away into the distance like a comet.
Whoosh!!
He hadn't fled even a hundred meters when a whisper-thin sound brushed his ears. An acute sense of mortal danger stabbed at him from behind. His face mutated with terror. Not good! He instinctively tried to dodge—
Shlick.
A sliver of purple light inexplicably pierced through his chest from behind... and only then did he feel an icy chill spread outward from his heart…
Confusion and utter despair flooded Hu Tonghai's eyes. He would never have the chance to understand what weapon Lin Feng had used. His gaze rapidly dimmed and unfocused. Within a few breaths, life fled his body, and he plummeted lifelessly towards the churning sea below.
...
After disposing of Hu Tonghai's corpse and collecting the spoils, Lin Feng swallowed several healing pills. A trace of self-mockery flickered in his eyes.
"Told you not to show off… Serves you right, huh?" He shook his head with a bitter chuckle. "Truly, no cultivator is a lamp that burns cheap oil. I learned this lesson before, yet still let carelessness creep in. Seems my state of mind still lacks refinement..."
This costly near-disaster was essentially self-inflicted. Facing a 'mere' Golden Core Perfection cultivator, Lin Feng had subconsciously underestimated the threat. From the outset, he hadn't envisioned defeat, viewing the opponent's elimination as straightforward. This led to a "test my new skills" mindset. He'd first used the recently learned "Water Dragon Strangulation Art," then the Flaming Soul Sword, and finally the White Tiger Fierce Soul Talisman—eager to trial all his enhanced capabilities and gauge the differences wrought by the Prismatic Star Technique.
In his estimation, the talisman alone should have sufficed to end Hu Tonghai. He never anticipated the old demon's suicidal gambit, a move that nearly spelled his own doom. If I had used the Demon Light Ring decisively from the start, perhaps this danger could have been avoided.
Engrossed in self-reproach, Lin Feng resumed his flight towards Zhenhai City, simultaneously focusing his efforts on rapidly regenerating his internal injuries.
Soon, he experienced the benefits of the Prismatic Star Technique once more. Compared to before, the restoration speed of his true essence and the healing of his wounds had increased several times over. Barely a quarter of an hour later, his significantly heavy injuries were already half-healed.
Lin Feng glanced back over his shoulder. The small island was no longer visible. However, he could faintly discern several streaks of escaping light in the distance, all converging towards that location. It no longer concerned him. He just hoped no further trouble would find him.
Yet, it seemed the heavens delighted in opposing Lin Feng. Fear manifested into reality. Just as he thought he would complete the journey back to the city unmolested, two streaks of escaping light appeared ahead, racing directly towards him…
Lin Feng's heart clenched. More pursuers? But upon closer inspection, he discerned anomalies. The two streaks didn't seem allied; it looked more like... one chasing the other. Another common spectacle of flight and pursuit unfolded before him.
Whether by chance or design, the fleeing figure adjusted its course precisely towards Lin Feng's position. He frowned inwardly, wanting no part of this drama. He subtly altered his own trajectory, aiming to bypass the oncoming conflict.
To his growing irritation, the fleeing figure also changed direction as soon as he did, confirming the deliberate intent to intercept him. Trying to drag me into this mess, are they?
As the distance closed rapidly, Lin Feng simply halted mid-air, expressionless, waiting for the pair to arrive. He'd already ascertained both were only at the Golden Core level – nothing he feared.
Within a few breaths, the lead figure was upon him. To Lin Feng's slight surprise, the fugitive was a woman. Her appearance was strikingly beautiful, framed by cascading dark hair. She wore a figure-hugging robe of violet silk. Though panic marred her features, it couldn't obscure her exceptional loveliness.
"I am pursued by villains! Please lend your aid, noble sir!!"
Her plea rang out as she reached Lin Feng. Then, her expression shifted abruptly. Recognition dawned in her wide eyes as she looked at him.
"You?!"