At that very moment, the hill where the group had first arrived was unexpectedly crowded with people— all the cultivators who had fled earlier seemed to have returned.
"Look!! It's Lin Feng!! He's back!"
"It really is Fellow Daoist Lin! He's back!!"
"It seems he didn't catch up to that Corpse Sect member… thankfully…"
As Lin Feng spotted the crowd on the hill, the cultivators also noticed his escaping light. Exclamations immediately arose from all sides. Many faces lit up with relief and joy. They subtly parted, creating a space for him as if welcoming him back.
Lin Feng landed amidst the crowd. A swift sweep of his gaze confirmed over two hundred people present. On a patch of open ground ahead, one person sat cross-legged – Yu Ping, still recovering from his injuries. However, he had already roused from his meditative state and was also looking at Lin Feng with some surprise.
"Senior Yu." Lin Feng nodded slightly to the cultivators around him who greeted him, then walked up to Yu Ping and bowed courteously.
Yu Ping smiled and nodded. "Young Friend Lin, it's good you returned safely… Why did you chase after that Corpse Sect member earlier? It was far too risky… You didn't catch him, I assume?"
In Yu Ping's view, Lin Feng's swift and unharmed return meant he likely hadn't caught up to the enemy. After all, the opponent was a Late Nascent Soul stage cultivator; catching someone intent solely on escape would be extremely difficult. Not only Yu Ping, but everyone else present thought the same. They could never imagine that Lin Feng had not only caught up but had also defeated the enemy, destroyed his physical body, and captured his Nascent Soul.
Lin Feng had no intention of revealing this. He simply gave a slight nod and said, "Mn. They were too fast. I lost sight of them before long."
Yu Ping appeared largely recovered. He stood up, looking at Lin Feng sincerely. "Young Friend Lin, regardless, we truly owe you our thanks this time. If not for you, this old man and everyone here would likely have faced a grim fate."
Lin Feng waved his hand dismissively. "Senior Yu, you exaggerate. We shared hardship; I merely did what was within my power."
Yu Ping smiled and nodded again, his eyes reflecting appreciation. He didn't press with further formalities. Instead, he retrieved a storage ring and handed it to Lin Feng. "These are Wu Luosen's belongings. His body has been dealt with. Since you eliminated him, his possessions rightfully belong to you."
Although Wu Luosen had been part of the Town Sea Alliance before his betrayal, Yu Ping could have reasonably claimed his possessions for the alliance. That he chose not to spoke volumes about his fairness and integrity.
A flicker of satisfaction crossed Lin Feng's expression. He didn't decline. Accepting the storage ring, he stowed it away and clasped his fist. "Thank you, Senior Yu."
Yu Ping strongly desired to inquire further about the 'Blood Demon Blade' he'd overheard earlier. But judging by how it alone had terrified away a Late Nascent Soul expert from the Corpse Sect, its importance was undeniable – clearly a personal secret. Naturally, he couldn't pry casually.
Lin Feng scanned the surrounding crowd again. A thought struck him, and he addressed everyone: "By the way, everyone. There were initially three individuals who ambushed us. Besides Wu Luosen and that Nascent Soul Corpse Sect cultivator, there was also a Golden Core cultivator from the Corpse Sect. Did anyone see him?"
A middle-aged cultivator standing near Yu Ping, at the Golden Core Perfection stage, answered, "We were just discussing that. That person vanished shortly after the array was broken. None of us saw him."
Lin Feng frowned slightly, a pang of regret surfacing within him. Yu Youtian knew quite a few of his 'secrets'. Now that he'd escaped, it was undoubtedly a lingering threat.
"That man was gravely wounded by me and escaped. However, I estimate he won't live much longer."
Just then, a voice suddenly rang out from the back of the crowd. Everyone was startled, turning their heads towards the source. A figure walked slowly forward. He wore silver Daoist robes, his long hair flowing over his shoulders, his features stern and resolute. It was Lei Yan.
"Fellow Daoist Lei! You're back too! We were just wondering where you'd gone! You actually pursued that Corpse Sect Golden Core cultivator?!"
The sight of Lei Yan caused another stir among the cultivators. During the battle within the grand array, aside from Lin Feng, Lei Yan had been the most conspicuous figure. Many felt deep gratitude and admiration towards him. People immediately stepped forward to greet him.
Lei Yan walked into the center of the group. He first bowed respectfully to Yu Ping, then gave Lin Feng a slight nod. Lin Feng nodded back, then asked with barely contained eagerness, "Fellow Daoist Lei, you just said the escaped Corpse Sect Golden Core cultivator was grievously wounded by you? What exactly happened?"
Lei Yan nodded. "After the array broke, I kept watch on the enemy on the hill. I circled around the battlefield where you and Senior Yu were fighting. I then spotted his trail and pursued him. We fought. I used my strange fire to destroy his Soul Puppet. Unfortunately, in the end, I failed to kill him; he managed to escape through carelessness on my part. However, his injuries were severe. He likely won't survive long."
Hearing Lei Yan's words, Lin Feng felt a jolt of surprise internally. While the other described it lightly, Lin Feng knew the actual process couldn't have been simple. That Yu Youtian had been at the Golden Core Perfection stage and almost certainly possessed a Soul Puppet of equivalent strength. He was absolutely not an opponent an ordinary Golden Core cultivator could handle. Lei Yan, at the eighth level of Golden Core, had not only defeated him but also seemed largely unscathed. This implied Lei Yan's true combat power was likely far greater than Lin Feng had previously imagined. Besides his Silver Thread Fire, he probably possessed other formidable abilities.
Yu Youtian, gravely wounded by Lei Yan and deprived of his Soul Puppet… On the perilous Devil Loong Island, death could indeed find him at any moment. Even if he managed to hide somewhere and recover his wounds, attempting to leave the island's surrounding seas without the aid of the ocean vessel would mean near-certain death. Still, without seeing the body, Lin Feng remained uneasy. He resolved internally to intensify his search efforts while still on the island. Finding and eliminating Yu Youtian would be the best outcome.
…
The group conversed on the hill for a while longer. Lin Feng learned that shortly after he pursued Wu Pang, the cultivators had begun returning. The battle on the hill had unfolded swiftly, and by its conclusion, many hadn't gotten very far. In fact, while fleeing, they had kept an eye on the situation. Once they saw Lin Feng kill Wu Luosen and the other enemy flee, they all hastened back.
Earlier, Yu Ping's injuries had been severe. When the cultivators returned, they gathered around him, guarding him as he recovered. Yu Ping had intended to search for Lin Feng once he regained some strength, but before he could set out, Lin Feng had already returned.
Having survived this ordeal, everyone felt a profound sense of having cheated death. They exchanged heartfelt words of relief and shared their experiences. Almost every person present came forward to express their gratitude to Lin Feng personally, allowing him to become acquainted with many fellow cultivators.
Since the crisis had passed, after discussion, the group unanimously agreed to stick to the original plan: continue searching the quicksand pit for Yuan-Yi Essence Crystals. They arranged to reunite in ten days, then dispersed into the vast depression to begin their treasure hunt.
Lin Feng politely declined the invitations of other cultivators to join their search parties. He left the group alone. Yet, instead of venturing into the quicksand pit to search for Yuan-Yi Essence Crystals, he quietly slipped away from the area altogether…