On the mountaintop, Wu Luosen frowned as he observed the cultivators within the grand formation uniting to resist the Nether Souls. This scenario was somewhat unexpected. He recognized that it was solely due to the presence of Yu Ping, their 'central pillar'. Without him, those cultivators would never have regained their composure amidst the initial chaos and would have been swiftly slaughtered by the horde of Nether Souls.
However, this didn't induce panic in him. His eyes flashed with vicious coldness as he snorted contemptuously, "Hmph!! Death throes!"
Simultaneously, his hands began weaving intricate seals once more. An aura of bone-chilling Yin energy, so intense it forced the young black-robed disciple beside him to involuntarily retreat a few steps, erupted from Wu Luosen's body. He thrust his palms towards the void below. Dark, billowing clouds of black Qi shot from his hands, instantly transforming into ghastly, snarling demonic faces. These spectral visages shrieked with malevolent glee as they streaked down the mountainside, striking various points on the formation's barrier. In a flash, they vanished into the dark dome.
The very next instant, inside the formation, every cultivator felt the air around them solidify. The temperature plummeted drastically. Despite their Golden Core cultivation strengthening their bodies far beyond susceptibility to ordinary heat or cold, an involuntary shiver ran through them all. Then, to their horror, they witnessed the surrounding Nether Souls seem to draw immense power from nowhere. Their collective aura surged violently, and as if under a single, unified command, they all let out piercing shrieks and launched themselves forward en masse!!
This was no longer like the previous probing attacks involving only small groups. This time, all thousand Nether Souls swarmed forward simultaneously! The terrifying pressure generated by this overwhelming assault eclipsed the previous waves completely. It felt like a mountain composed of countless shrieking ghosts was crashing down upon them, crushing their spirits and making it hard to breathe!
"Ahhh!!! Attack! Attack now!! Hold them back!!"
A momentary paralysis gripped the defenders, shattered by a cultivator's terrified scream. Instantly jolted awake, every survivor poured their frantic energy into unleashing attacks. But the sheer number of charging Nether Souls was overwhelming. Though a fraction were beaten back, several hundred phantoms slipped through the gaps in the barrage of spells and treasures, descending upon the huddled group like a dark tide!
The moment the entire Nether Soul horde surged as one, Lin Feng's eyes sharpened. He understood instantly that the controllers outside were now personally directing the swarm. Seeing that the collective defenses were hopelessly inadequate against this unified charge, he acted without hesitation. Pouring his full true energy into the White Tiger Fierce Soul Talisman in his grasp, he activated it at full power!
"ROOOOAR!!!"
A blinding sphere of pure white radiance erupted within the crowd, followed instantly by a world-shaking tiger's roar that echoed like thunder. A colossal, translucent white tiger spirit, easily dozens of meters tall, materialized above the heads of the cultivators. A shimmering, luminous white halo pulsed outward from the tiger spirit's core. Every Nether Soul that had reached the brink of the defensive circle shrieked as if scalded and recoiled violently. In the next heartbeat, the White Tiger Spirit lashed out with its massive claws. Like tearing through tissue paper, it shredded a dozen Nether Souls into dissipating wisps of dark mist!
The appearance of the White Tiger Spirit instantly dominated the battlefield. Not only were all the Nether Souls violently repelled, but the defenders themselves were utterly stunned. Heads snapped upwards towards the majestic spectral beast, and countless eyes swiveled towards Lin Feng. Shock rapidly gave way to elation. Many had been on the brink of despair mere moments before; the sudden arrival of such formidable aid was an immense, unexpected relief.
Even Yu Ping, seated cross-legged in meditation healing, was jolted alert. His spiritual sense had swept over the White Tiger Spirit. Raising his head, he cast a glance filled with dawning hope towards Lin Feng, giving him a slight nod of acknowledgement before immediately closing his eyes to resume his critical healing.
Simultaneously, on the mountaintop outside the formation.
"Tiger Soul!!"
"White Tiger Soul!!"
The moment Lin Feng summoned the Tiger Spirit, the expressions of all three figures on the peak shifted dramatically. Two sharp exclamations rang out simultaneously – one from Wu Luosen, the other from the black-robed youth.
Wu Luosen's eyes instantly flooded with bloodshot fury. His face contorted into a mask of pure hatred as he roared savagely, "It's him!! The one who killed my disciple!!"
Wu Pang raised an eyebrow slightly, also surprised. He shot a questioning glance at the young man beside him. Wu Luosen's loss of composure upon finding his disciple's killer was understandable... but why had his own disciple also cried out?
The black-robed youth wore an expression of utter shock, disbelief warring with dawning suspicion on his face. It seemed a thought had struck him, but he couldn't quite believe it. His gaze burned with intensity as he desperately scanned the crowd within the formation below, trying to pinpoint the figure controlling the Tiger Spirit.
At that moment, Wu Luosen, consumed by rage, bellowed hysterically towards the formation below, "Who?! WHO is controlling the Tiger Soul?! SHOW YOURSELF!"
His furious shout echoed within the formation, drawing the immediate attention of everyone inside. Heads turned towards the mountaintop. A wave of confused murmuring broke out as many cultivators finally recognized Wu Luosen, and the quicker-witted among them instantly grasped that their current plight was directly tied to him.
Perhaps obeying an unspoken command from Wu Luosen, the surrounding Nether Souls ceased their attacks, hovering menacingly. The trapped cultivators began buzzing with frantic discussion and accusations directed at the figure on the peak. Yu Ping also chose this moment to open his eyes again, his gaze filled with fury and hatred as it locked onto Wu Luosen.
"Wu Luosen!" Yu Ping's voice, though strained, cut through the din like ice. "Why are you doing this?! Explain yourself!"
As Yu Ping spoke, the cultivators shielding him instinctively parted, clearing a direct line of sight between him and the mountaintop. Wu Luosen, however, completely ignored Yu Ping's demand. His venomous gaze instantly fixed on Lin Feng standing beside Yu Ping. The White Tiger Fierce Soul Talisman, still pulsing with white light in Lin Feng's hand, made his identity as the summoner unmistakable.
Wu Luosen stared at Lin Feng with murderous intensity, his teeth grinding audibly as he spat out the question, "That artifact that summons a Tiger Soul... Was it YOU who killed my disciple within the Labyrinth Isle?!"
His question caused a ripple of confusion among the listeners. Lin Feng, however, grasped its meaning immediately. His gaze turned icy as he met Wu Luosen's glare head-on and stated coldly, "So that vile cultivator wreaking havoc in the Labyrinth Isle was your disciple? Correct. I killed him."
He hadn't expected his earlier suspicion about a connection to the Labyrinth Isle to be confirmed. Wu Luosen's focus on the Tiger Soul artifact suggested he'd gained this information from the cultivator Lin Feng had rescued back then. Rumors said that man had later vanished; some speculated he'd gone into hiding out of fear. It seemed Wu Luosen had found him long ago, and he was likely already dead.
This brief exchange quickly enlightened the surrounding cultivators. The realization that the cultivator-hunting fiend from the Labyrinth Isle had been Wu Luosen's disciple ignited furious indignation. Voices rose in loud condemnation and curses directed at Wu Luosen on the peak.
"So it WAS you!!" Hearing Lin Feng's confirmation, Wu Luosen's rage erupted anew. He glared down at Lin Feng with undisguised malice, snarling, "Good! GOOD!! To think my long, fruitless search ends here... You killed my beloved disciple! I swear I will extract your soul and refine it! You WILL suffer the agony of being devoured by ten thousand vengeful ghosts!"
Lin Feng merely curled his lip in disdain. "Truly master and disciple cut from the same cloth. Your threats sound exactly the same."
"It's YOU!! YOU!!! YOU ARE LIN FENG!!"
A disbelieving shriek, sharp and sudden, cut through the confrontation between Lin Feng and Wu Luosen. Everyone instinctively whipped their heads towards the source. To their surprise, the voice belonged to the black-robed youth standing beside Wu Luosen on the peak.
Even Wu Luosen and Wu Pang turned towards the young man with expressions mingling shock and confusion. Wu Pang frowned deeply. "Youtian? What are you saying?"
The black-robed youth pointed a trembling finger directly at Lin Feng below, his voice thick with shock and fury. "Master!" he cried through gritted teeth. "He is the murderer! The one who killed Disciple Liang Han!! Lin Feng of Qingyun City, Xia Country! I investigated his appearance! And that artifact he wields is called the White Tiger Fierce Soul Talisman, a well-known magical treasure in the Xia Country cultivation world! There's no mistake! I searched for this man for months throughout Xia Country but never found him... To think he had come to the Starry Sea!"
"What?! It's him?!" Wu Pang froze momentarily, then comprehension dawned. An identical torrent of pure, boundless hatred ignited in his eyes, mirroring Wu Luosen's expression when he had identified Lin Feng moments before.
The moment the black-robed youth shouted his name, Lin Feng was momentarily stunned. Hearing his origin in Qingyun City mentioned deepened his shock. His gaze sharpened as he rapidly processed the youth's words – particularly the mention of 'Disciple Liang'. His brows shot up as realization struck him with the force of a physical blow.
Back in Qingyun City, he had killed a cultivator from the Shadowghoul Sect named Liang Han!! That had been his first encounter with the Shadowghoul Sect, and it was then that he began to suspect his parents' disappearance was linked to them.
Understanding crashed over him. Lin Feng's eyes ignited with limitless killing intent. He met Wu Pang's furious gaze from across the distance without a trace of fear, his voice dropping to an arctic chill as he declared:
"You... are from the Shadowghoul Sect!!"