The cultivator who had committed the murder was named Gu Yu Lu. Back when the sea vessel was still docked at Zhenhai City's port, Lin Feng had witnessed him having a conflict with another cultivator and had heard others mention his name. Since then, he had rarely seen Gu Yu Lu and had never interacted with him. Even during these past few days of the return voyage, he had hardly caught a glimpse of him, likely because the man was too proud and aloof to bother associating with other rogue cultivators.
As for the cultivator killed by Gu Yu Lu, though Lin Feng had only caught a brief glimpse, he recognized him as the very rogue cultivator who had clashed with Gu Yu Lu back in Zhenhai City. Lin Feng didn't know his name. That cultivator had seemed timid and reclusive, rarely seen in the common areas of the ship, and Lin Feng had never spoken to him.
Lin Feng vaguely recalled that their initial conflict at the port had been over a female cultivator—a rather clichéd love triangle situation. It had fizzled out back then due to the intervention of Wu Luosen. He never imagined he'd see the two of them here again today, and clearly, their conflict had escalated to a lethality far beyond their previous spat, with one eliminating the other.
"..."
Understanding the situation, Lin Feng couldn't help but frown slightly. While he felt that resorting to murder over what seemed like a minor grudge was excessive, it was ultimately their personal vendetta. Besides, matters might be more complicated than they appeared. Since it didn't concern him, it was best not to get involved.
Thinking this, Lin Feng prepared to turn and leave. However, before he could move, he saw Gu Yu Lu in the distance flying straight towards him.
"Fellow Daoist Lin, please wait!!" Gu Yu Lu called out loudly at the same time. Lin Feng had no choice but to stop where he was, intending to see what the other man wanted.
Gu Yu Lu quickly flew up on his sword, stopping before Lin Feng. He cupped his fists with a smile. "Fellow Daoist Lin, what a surprise to meet you here. What a coincidence."
Although he acted politely, anyone could see the affectation behind it. Lin Feng mentally scoffed, casually returning the gesture. "Indeed, it is quite a coincidence. Since Fellow Daoist Gu is fishing in this area, I'll find another spot."
Seeing Lin Feng's dismissive attitude, a flicker of cold anger flashed deep within Gu Yu Lu's eyes, though his smile remained fixed. He waved a hand dismissively. "No need for such formality, Fellow Daoist Lin! Since we've met, why not join forces to hunt the Flying Shadow Fish? Wouldn't that increase our chances of success? To be honest, I possess a special magic treasure particularly effective for capturing them."
Lin Feng raised an eyebrow slightly, giving Gu Yu Lu a look that was half-amused, half-skeptical. He shook his head. "I'll pass. I prefer to work alone. If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."
"Haha, very well, I won't insist, Fellow Daoist Lin…" To Lin Feng's slight surprise, Gu Yu Lu nodded agreeably. But then his tone shifted. "Ah, but speaking of which, Fellow Daoist Lin, I heard you are also an artifact refiner, capable of repairing even top-grade spirit artifacts. I happen to have a damaged top-grade spirit artifact I acquired by chance. I've actually been meaning to ask for your expertise, but you've seemed quite busy these past few days, so I didn't want to disturb you. Now that we've met by chance today, could you possibly take a quick look at this treasure for me? Would that be acceptable?"
Lin Feng frowned faintly, his voice cool. "Now isn't convenient. We can discuss it after we return to the sea vessel. At that time, I will certainly do my best to repair it for you, Fellow Daoist Gu."
Repeatedly rebuffed, Gu Yu Lu could no longer completely mask the sharp edge in his eyes, though it vanished as quickly as it appeared. His false smile persisted. "Alright then. I won't keep you any longer, Fellow Daoist Lin. Please."
Lin Feng nodded without further comment, manipulating his flying sword to turn around, preparing to depart.
However, the instant Lin Feng turned his back, the amiable expression vanished from Gu Yu Lu's face, replaced by a murderous ferocity. His true essence erupted violently within him. His right hand snapped forward like lightning, flinging a purple orb the size of a ping-pong ball. It shot towards Lin Feng's back like a bullet fired from a gun!
Yet, the moment Gu Yu Lu moved, Lin Feng, who had just begun to turn, whirled back around. Cold light flashed in his eyes as a layer of golden radiance shimmered into existence—his protective spiritual light barrier forming instantly.
From the very beginning, Lin Feng had harbored no trust for Gu Yu Lu. During the man's 'invitation', his guard had been especially high. Though he had pretended to leave, his vigilance hadn't wavered for a second. He reacted simultaneously with Gu Yu Lu's attack.
Lin Feng had anticipated that Gu Yu Lu might strike. The motive was glaringly obvious: silencing the witness. What he hadn't anticipated was the sheer power of the attack that came his way…
He had assumed that activating his protective barrier in time would be sufficient to block whatever came his way. Dealing with a mere Ninth Layer Golden Core cultivator like Gu Yu Lu would then be simple. But the terrifying energy radiating from the purple orb hurtling towards him told him he was gravely mistaken. It sent a chill of primal fear through his very core!
"BOOM!!!"
There was no time for thought. The purple thunder orb detonated right before his eyes. An earth-shattering thunderclap roared as infinite purple lightning exploded outwards, instantly engulfing Lin Feng completely!
"CRACK…" The moment the overwhelming power of thunder swallowed him, Lin Feng heard a sharp, clear sound of shattering. The spirit jade talisman in his hand fractured into fragments. Simultaneously, the protective barrier surrounding him disintegrated violently. Countless bolts of purple lightning, sharp as swords, slammed into his body…
...
"Hahaha!! What an idiot!! Die for this young master!"
Gu Yu Lu had already retreated several dozen meters. Staring at the roiling pool of purple lightning before him, his eyes were filled with vicious satisfaction and triumph. He couldn't help but let out a burst of maniacal laughter.
His attack on Lin Feng was, of course, to prevent his murder from becoming known. Such a scandal would tarnish his carefully cultivated 'reputation'. As the disciple of the Deputy Alliance Leader of the Zhenhai Alliance, hailed as a 'Rising Star Genius', he absolutely could not allow that to happen. The moment he saw Lin Feng, the thought of eliminating this witness had taken root.
Had it been any other Golden Core cultivator, he might have attacked without a word. But knowing Lin Feng possessed formidable magic treasures, even Exotic Fire, he had resorted to feigning friendliness, hoping to lure him into cooperation and strike later. Lin Feng's rejection had infuriated him. Seeing Lin Feng about to leave, he had no choice but to act directly.
To deny Lin Feng any chance of counterattack, he had even used his strongest trump card, aiming for a single, decisive kill.
"Humph!! A nobody who crawled out from who-knows-where has no right to possess Exotic Fire! No right to possess so many powerful treasures!! I alone deserve such things!"
The thought of the treasures Lin Feng carried—each one enough to inspire intense envy—flooded Gu Yu Lu's mind with fervent greed, his eyes blazing with avarice.
But at that precise moment, Gu Yu Lu saw a figure erupt upwards from the heart of the purple lightning pool! It shot into the sky, reaching a height of a hundred meters in the blink of an eye, completely escaping the sphere of destructive energy.
Gu Yu Lu's expression froze instantly. "Not dead?! Impossible!!"
The shock was immense, nearly causing his soul to flee his body in terror. The thunder orb he had used was no ordinary treasure; in terms of grade, it could be considered a top-grade spirit artifact, albeit a single-use consumable. Its destructive power was absolutely comparable to a full-force strike from a late-stage Nascent Soul powerhouse! He had been utterly confident that eliminating a mere Sixth Layer Golden Core target (unaware Lin Feng had advanced to the Seventh Layer) would be effortless. That his target had survived was utterly unbelievable, filling him with panic.
However, Gu Yu Lu quickly assessed Lin Feng's condition. Though alive, Lin Feng was clearly heavily injured, appearing almost completely defenseless.
Gu Yu Lu was no fool and was no stranger to combat. He recognized this as the perfect moment to press the attack. Forcing down his shock, viciousness surged back into his eyes. With a flick of his right hand, a three-foot-long, blood-red greatsword materialized in his grip. Pouring true essence into it, the flying sword beneath his feet flared brightly, propelling him like a missile straight at Lin Feng.
"DIE!!"
The distance between them was less than two hundred meters. Gu Yu Lu closed the gap almost instantly, arriving before the still-struggling Lin Feng. His face contorted with malice as he raised the greatsword high with both hands, bringing it down in a vicious cleave aimed at Lin Feng's head!