As Wu Pang's figure was about to vanish behind a distant mountain, Lin Feng, his face dark and grim, suddenly showed resolve, as if he had made a decision. With a wave of his right hand, the Scarlet Soul Flying Sword instantly landed before him. He leapt lightly onto it, and then, with a flash of sword light, it shot forward like an arrow loosed from its bowstring, streaking in the direction Wu Pang had fled!
Lin Feng pushed it with all his might. The Scarlet Soul Flying Sword's speed was unbelievably fast. Within the span of a few blinks, it too became only a blurry point of light. Another flash, and it vanished alongside Wu Pang's figure behind a mountain peak over ten miles away.
With Wu Pang and Lin Feng gone, the scene plunged into silence. On the mountaintop, Wu Luosen's Nascent Soul Master Wraith had reverted to its original state. However, black Qi suddenly surged violently from within it! Wraiths burst out like scattered blossoms – the duration of the Soul Gathering Art was inherently brief. Compounded by the heavy damage inflicted by Lin Feng, the hundreds of Golden Core wraiths stored within were now forcibly expelled! The Master Wraith itself regained its original fifth-layer Nascent Soul strength, but its form grew significantly fainter and more translucent, clearly weakened. The expelled Golden Core wraiths also appeared similarly diminished.
With Wu Luosen dead, all the wraiths, including the Master Wraith, were now uncontrolled. They hovered inertly in the void for a moment before automatically flying back, one by one, to their 'lair' – the massive Soul Banner still embedded in the mountainside.
The disappearance of the hundreds of wraiths left the area starkly empty. Only the Soul Banner remained, flapping noisily in the wind. Combined with the desiccated corpse lying not far away, the scene was profoundly eerie.
"..."
Down below, within the quicksand pit, Yu Ping flew out from a large sand crater. His appearance was disheveled, a streak of blood still smeared at the corner of his mouth. He stared wordlessly for a long time in the direction where Wu Pang and Lin Feng had vanished, his expression filled with utter astonishment.
Earlier, completely focused on battling Wu Pang, he simply had no capacity to pay attention to Lin Feng's separate fight. Despite exerting his absolute maximum strength, his opponent's power had exceeded his expectations. Within just a dozen exchanges, a single misstep saw him struck hard by the Corpse Puppet. He crashed down, grievously wounded. The moment he was smashed into the quicksand pit, a flicker of despair had even crossed Yu Ping's mind. He braced himself for a relentless, fatal follow-up assault. Yet, contrary to his expectations, the subsequent attack never came. When he looked up, he saw Wu Pang in the sky, seemingly captivated by something happening elsewhere. Immediately after, he heard Wu Luosen's agonized scream and faintly caught the words 'Dao Artifact'. Then, he witnessed Wu Pang reacting as if confronted by something utterly unacceptable. The man uttered two shocked exclamations… and then simply turned and fled!! Before Yu Ping could even begin to process this bewildering turn of events, he saw another streak of light shoot past him. It took him a moment to realize it was Lin Feng. The situation had shifted with blinding speed. Within mere dozens of breaths, he found himself utterly alone. Yu Ping stood frozen for a considerable time before gradually regaining his composure. He looked towards Wu Luosen's corpse on the distant mountain, then back towards the direction Wu Pang and Lin Feng had disappeared. Several conclusions formed:
Firstly, Wu Luosen had been slain by Lin Feng, apparently using an incredibly powerful artifact.Secondly, Wu Pang seemed to recognize the artifact Lin Feng used. Judging by his words, it was called the 'Blood Demon Blade', and it belonged to an 'Elder Luo'.Thirdly, Wu Pang was clearly terrified of this blade—so terrified he fled outright.Finally, after Wu Pang fled… Lin Feng had actually pursued him!! With each point clarified, Yu Ping's cheek involuntarily twitched. Every piece of information was staggering. The last point, however, was utterly inconceivable. He simply couldn't believe that Lin Feng, a mere mid-stage Golden Core cultivator, dared to chase down a late-stage Nascent Soul powerhouse! "Just… who is Lin Feng?" Yu Ping murmured to himself, a mix of awe and concern flashing in his eyes. But then his face paled further, and a soft groan escaped him. He quickly retrieved a healing pill and swallowed it. Flying up to the nearby mountaintop, he found a clear spot, sat down cross-legged, and began the arduous process of healing his wounds...
......
......
Elsewhere, streaking through the sky atop his flying sword, Lin Feng spared no expense. He directly pulled out the porcelain bottle containing the Spirit Spring and tipped a small mouthful into his mouth. Within his body, his true yuan surged at maximum speed, fueling the flying sword as he chased the figure almost vanishing into the horizon at his fastest possible velocity.
His pursuit of Wu Pang wasn't born of reckless audacity or drunken triumph. If not for Wu Pang's instinctive, shocked exclamations moments ago, Lin Feng would never have risked giving chase. But those words… he simply could not let the man escape without answers.
Wu Pang had called the Blood Devouring Blade the 'Blood Demon Blade', and stated it was 'Elder Luo's Blood Demon Blade'. This undeniably revealed two crucial pieces of information: he recognized the Blood Devouring Blade (or perhaps it should be called the Blood Demon Blade), and he knew its original owner!
Lin Feng had obtained the Blood Demon Blade from the 'Zombie Cultivator' within the mysterious hall of the Black Mist Medicine Valley. This led to the most critical point: from the fact that the Zombie Cultivator had been 'frightened away' upon seeing Lin Feng's face back then, Lin Feng had inferred that the individual likely recognized his father!
Though it was merely an inference, and he couldn't be certain if that 'Zombie Cultivator' was the 'Elder Luo' mentioned by Wu Pang, it was nevertheless a clue—a clue pointing towards his father's whereabouts. How could Lin Feng possibly let it go?
Lin Feng had resolved that even if it demanded a heavy price, he must capture Wu Pang today and get answers!!
During his brief clash with Wu Luosen, Lin Feng hadn't sustained any injuries, only expending a significant amount of true yuan. Now, using the Spirit Spring directly as a substitute for True Yuan Restoration Pills, the speed at which his internal true yuan recovered was naturally extremely rapid. Even while maintaining full-speed flight on his sword, he regained his peak state within moments. The efficacy of the Spirit Spring he had consumed was barely tapped; it remained richly stored within his body, ready to instantly replenish his true yuan whenever it waned.
Within moments, Lin Feng had chased Wu Pang for dozens of miles. The quicksand pit was no longer visible behind him. There was no one else around. The surrounding sky was dim; only the two streaks of light – Wu Pang's and Lin Feng's – pierced through the air, one chasing the other.
…
Wu Pang stood upon a flying sword radiating a greenish glow, fleeing at full speed. His face was grim, but the panic in his eyes had subsided. He had calmed down, feeling now that his reaction might have been excessive.
His mind was consumed by confusion, utterly unable to comprehend how Elder Luo's Blood Demon Blade had ended up in Lin Feng's hands. He recalled a piece of news he'd heard within the sect over a decade ago and couldn't help but feel a chill: "Could it be true then, as the rumors claimed, that Elder Luo perished in the Starry Sea?! That doesn't make sense… wasn't it said that Elder Yin personally investigated later and traced the trail inland? So where did Lin Feng get the Blood Demon Blade?"
Frowning in thought, Wu Pang unconsciously glanced back. A flicker of hesitation crossed his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a fierce glint. He muttered darkly to himself, "He dares to pursue me!! A mere Golden Core cultivator! Even possessing the Blood Demon Blade, how much of its true power can he possibly unleash?! Moreover, that blade should only contain Wu Luosen's soul blood right now; it can unleash at most a single strike. If I can dodge that… he poses no threat…"
His gaze shifted rapidly as he pondered for several seconds. Gradually, intense killing intent solidified in Wu Pang's eyes. He resolved inwardly, "Since you have come seeking death, I shall oblige!! Seizing Elder Luo's Blood Demon Blade and returning it to the sect would be a significant achievement!"
The moment this thought formed, Wu Pang's figure abruptly halted. He scanned his surroundings swiftly, then descended, landing on the peak of a nearby mountain. He stood there, coldly watching the pursuing streak of light approach.
"Hmm?" Seeing the figure ahead suddenly stop, Lin Feng was momentarily taken aback. He pondered briefly but didn't slow his speed in the slightest, continuing his direct pursuit. However, as he closed in, he became cautiously vigilant, wary that the reason for stopping might be an ambush lying in wait.
He landed on the same mountaintop as Wu Pang without any surprises occurring. Lin Feng confirmed no ambush was likely present. He focused intently on Wu Pang, standing dozens of meters away, his body tense, not daring to relax for an instant. He refrained from launching a rash attack.
Seeing Lin Feng adopt such a posture as if facing a formidable enemy, Wu Pang inwardly relaxed. He even felt his earlier flight somewhat ridiculous. Just a Golden Core cultivator! What is there to fear? He stared at Lin Feng with a sinister gaze and demanded coldly, "Brat! Where did you obtain the Blood Demon Blade in your hand?!"
Lin Feng remained silent for a couple of seconds, then suddenly spoke in a tone that suggested negotiation, "I can tell you how I got it. But first, you tell me, who exactly is the original owner of this 'Blood Demon Blade'? Where is he now?"
He didn't know what unforeseen events might arise if a fight broke out, so he wanted to first try and coax out some useful information.
However, Lin Feng's attempt failed. Hearing his words, Wu Pang sneered coldly, "What qualifications do you have to negotiate terms with me?! Enough! Once I capture you, I naturally have countless ways to extract the truth slowly and thoroughly!!"
Before his voice faded, Wu Pang waved his right hand. A figure flashed beside him—the Nascent Soul Corpse Puppet materialized out of thin air! Without the slightest pause, the puppet let out a piercing shriek and lunged viciously towards Lin Feng!