Facing both Wu Pang, an eighth-layer Nascent Soul cultivator, and his equally powerful eighth-layer corpse puppet, Lin Feng found himself confronting two late-stage Nascent Soul opponents. This was the most perilous situation he had ever encountered. Considering that even the formidable seventh-layer Nascent Soul cultivator Yu Ping had been defeated in an instant, Lin Feng knew with absolute clarity that the slightest misstep would lead him to utter ruin.
Victory or defeat might hang on a razor's edge. If he failed to seize the moment, any chance might be lost forever. Lin Feng understood that his sole advantage lay in the few extraordinary treasures he possessed, artifacts whose power far exceeded his own cultivation level. To triumph, he had to utilize each one perfectly, and crucially, ensure each strike landed decisively. Any subsequent use would lose the element of surprise, drastically diminishing its effectiveness.
During the pursuit, Lin Feng had already mentally simulated countless battle strategies countless times. Now, as the corpse puppet charged towards him, though his expression was grave, not a trace of panic showed. Without hesitation, he tapped his foot and shot diagonally to the side. Simultaneously, he waved his right hand, unleashing the Net of Strange Flame. He had witnessed this corpse puppet block Yu Ping's top-grade spiritual artifact strike with its bare arm before, knowing its physical toughness was on par with spiritual artifact treasures. Thus, he opted for the Strange Flame.
As anticipated, seeing Lin Feng deploy the strange flame, Wu Pang dared not risk his puppet taking it head-on. With a thought, he controlled the puppet to dodge sideways, evading the net's coverage.
However, the puppet's evasion inadvertently opened the central space. A sharp glint flashed in Lin Feng's eyes. The Scarlet Soul Flying Sword hovering beside him emitted a clear sword hum and shot like lightning towards Wu Pang on the opposite side!
"Hmph!" Wu Pang snorted derisively. He raised his right hand, summoning his bronze hammer artifact. It whistled through the air, smashing towards the incoming flying sword.
"Clang!!" An ear-piercing clash echoed as both artifacts were violently knocked aside in opposite directions. At the exact same moment, a muffled thud came from Lin Feng's right flank – the sound of shattering rock – as the corpse puppet, having evaded the fire net, lunged at him again from the side!
What Lin Feng did next left Wu Pang utterly baffled: Lin Feng seemed to completely ignore the puppet charging from his right. With a fiercely determined expression, he pointed his finger, commanding the Scarlet Soul Flying Sword to abruptly change trajectory and shoot straight towards Wu Pang's face!!
A mutual destruction gambit?
The thought instinctively surfaced in Wu Pang's mind. Then, a scornful sneer curled his lips. True yuan surged within him, and a solid, tangible spiritual light barrier instantly materialized before him.
"Clang!!" Another crisp impact rang out. The Scarlet Soul Flying Sword struck Wu Pang's spiritual light barrier and was instantly halted. Although the barrier visibly rippled, it held firm.
Meanwhile, Wu Pang's corpse puppet had already closed within ten meters of Lin Feng's right side! At this distance, even if Lin Feng wanted to dodge or activate his own spiritual light barrier, it would likely be too late!
"Chiu!!" Just as Wu Pang thought he had Lin Feng cornered, an angry shriek suddenly pierced the air. Simultaneously, a yellow blur shot out from within Lin Feng's robes! Then, a blinding sphere of white light erupted from the yellow blur!
"BOOM!!!" A thunderous explosion shook the heavens! A top-grade spirit stone, detonated by Xiao Qiu, unleashed its devastating force. The corpse puppet, caught dead center, was violently blasted backwards. Even Lin Feng, standing too close, was sent flying. However, he had braced himself and sustained minimal injury. Instead, he used the blast wave to propel himself further away, widening the gap between him and the puppet.
Crucially, even while moving, Lin Feng's gaze remained locked onto Wu Pang across the way. Murderous intent flickered fiercely in his eyes. Within him, true yuan erupted with unprecedented force. His right hand blurred, a flash of bloody light appearing in his grasp before streaking out with lightning speed!
"What?!" On the opposite side, Wu Pang's face tightened. He hadn't anticipated Lin Feng having an 'assistant'. There was no time to ponder the details. Watching the Blood Demon Blade streak towards him like a crimson serpent, a strange light suddenly flashed in his eyes. He tapped his foot, stepping back, while simultaneously sweeping his right hand horizontally before him...
It happened faster than words could describe. The Blood Demon Blade unleashed an aura of power even more terrifying than when it had slain Wu Luosen! The entire mountaintop seemed bathed in a ghastly crimson radiance. Its speed was indescribable. Barely had Wu Pang shifted half a step back when the blade, covering the hundred meters in a flash, was upon him. It struck his spiritual light barrier first. With a sound like 'Pfft', it pierced through the barrier as easily as puncturing a paper wall!
"Shlick!!"
The sickening sound of sharp metal piercing flesh brought a flicker of joy to Lin Feng's eyes. Yet, in the next instant, his pupils contracted violently. His face underwent a drastic transformation, flooding with shock and utter disbelief!
—Across the way, the Blood Demon Blade had indeed plunged deep into the chest of a figure. But that figure wasn't Wu Pang; it was... another corpse puppet!!
At the last possible millisecond, Wu Pang had directly sacrificed one of his spare corpse puppets as a shield, letting it take the blow meant for him!!
Just as every cultivator might have a primary weapon and a backup, cultivators of the Yin Corpse Sect, especially those above the Golden Core stage, almost invariably possessed more than one corpse puppet. The one Wu Pang had summoned now was precisely one of his reserve puppets!
Wu Pang likely knew more about the nature of the Blood Demon Blade than Lin Feng himself. He understood that merely dodging would invite pursuit; attempting to block it with an artifact might fail; but using a corpse puppet as a 'substitute' could completely absorb the blade's lethal strike!!
The Blood Demon Blade was embedded in the puppet's chest, its eerie bloody light pulsing erratically. In the blink of an eye, the puppet rapidly desiccated, transforming into a withered mummy. Even though it had long ceased to be alive, as long as any trace of blood remained within it, the blade would voraciously consume it all.
With the terrifying Blood Demon Blade attack successfully neutralized, Wu Pang's composure solidified instantly. He decisively waved his hand, unleashing a wave of orange radiance. The ground before him churned violently! Soil surged upward as if alive, twisting and coiling around the desiccated corpse puppet. In the blink of an eye, it was wrapped tightly, burying both the dried husk and the Blood Demon Blade still embedded within it beneath a mound of earth half a man high. This was clearly a sealing technique. Since Lin Feng had already refined the Blood Demon Blade, Wu Pang couldn't easily claim it outright, but he could temporarily seal it away this way.
Wu Pang looked at Lin Feng's horrified expression with open mockery. He sneered coldly, "Heh heh heh... Milk-scented brat! What other tricks do you have left?! Prepare to die!!"
His words hadn't even fully faded when a sharp shriek erupted from Lin Feng's right flank! The corpse puppet, blasted away moments ago by Xiao Qiu's spirit stone grenade, was charging back in!
"Damn it!!" Lin Feng's mind reeled with shock and dismay. His most potent blow, placed with immense hope in the Blood Demon Blade, had failed completely! Seeing the puppet bearing down on him again, a savage glint suddenly flashed in his eyes. His left hand flipped over, activating the Spirit Light Jade Talisman. Simultaneously, his right hand lashed out once more towards Wu Pang across the field!
"Zheng!!"
A sharp sword hum suddenly resonated in the air! The Scarlet Soul Flying Sword, previously knocked away, had somehow silently maneuvered itself directly above Wu Pang. Like a bolt of lightning, it plunged straight down!
Distracted by the Blood Demon Blade threat, Wu Pang had missed the flying sword's movement. His face couldn't help but pale. His spiritual light barrier had shattered moments before under the Blood Demon Blade's assault; there was no time to summon another. Instinctively, he stomped his foot, twisting his body desperately to evade.
"Thud!! Thud!!"
Two heavy thuds echoed almost simultaneously. The first was the sound of the corpse puppet's fist slamming into the spiritual light barrier Lin Feng had hastily conjured around his body. The second was the sound of that barrier shattering instantly under the impact, followed by the solid impact of the fist directly striking Lin Feng's back!!
In that split second, Lin Feng felt as if he'd been hit by a speeding truck. His body was catapulted violently through the air!
"Swoosh!!"
At practically the same instant, the Scarlet Soul Flying Sword descended from the heavens, burying itself almost entirely into the ground. A spray of blood decorated the earth around it...
Though Wu Pang had dodged with astonishing speed, he hadn't escaped entirely unscathed. As the sword fell, its tip grazed his right leg, slicing open a wound so deep the bone was visible. Ordinarily, such an injury would be negligible to Wu Pang. Yet, the moment he instinctively tried to channel true yuan to staunch the bleeding, an excruciating pain, sharp and unexpected, stabbed directly into the core of his consciousness!!
—The Scarlet Soul Flying Sword's special effect: Soul Damage!!
"Argh!!!" The sudden, searing agony tore an involuntary scream from Wu Pang's throat. His true yuan flow spasmed out of control. His legs buckled beneath him, and he crashed awkwardly to the ground, landing hard on his backside!
Simultaneously, across the field, Lin Feng, grievously wounded and sent flying by the puppet's blow, sailed dozens of meters through the air. Upon crashing to earth, he executed a desperate, twisting roll mid-air, managing to land in a semi-crouched position. The sheer momentum still dragged him backward, plowing a furrow over ten meters long before he finally skidded to a stop. An unnatural flush colored his cheeks. Blood gushed freely from his mouth in thick, choking spurts. Yet, he seemed oblivious to his own dire state. His eyes, now tinged with a frightening crimson hue, were locked with ferocious intensity onto the figure writhing and screaming on the ground opposite him. Abruptly, he raised his hand and stabbed out a finger!!
"Whoosh!!"
A dazzling purple light erupted from the tip of Lin Feng's right index finger! A slender beam of concentrated violet energy shot forth like a lethal bolt!