Lin Feng had never imagined he would suffer such a grievous blow at the hands of a mere Golden Core cultivator. The destructive power of that thunder orb treasure was simply indescribable. The moment his protective spiritual light barrier shattered, he had genuinely felt the icy touch of death. The overwhelming force of thunder energy had violently slammed into him, invading his body like countless blades running wild. Had he not immediately activated the 'Thunder Spirit Chapter' within the "Colorful Firmament Art" to suppress and convert part of the damage, he truly might have fallen then and there.
Even now, having escaped the range of the thunder pool, his body remained stiff and paralyzed by the lingering thunder energy. For several breaths, he was utterly incapable of any defensive maneuver. The window was brief, but his cunning enemy seized it perfectly. Lifting his head, Lin Feng saw Gu Yu Lu had already closed the distance, a blood-red greatsword descending in a vicious cleave aimed at his skull!!
Faced with this mortal peril, Lin Feng's eyes held not a trace of fear or panic, only icy, focused killing intent. He stared coldly at Gu Yu Lu, almost as if the descending blade didn't exist.
Gu Yu Lu's eyes gleamed with the excitement of imminent victory; he too saw that his opponent couldn't possibly evade this strike.
"SQUEAK!!!"
Just as Gu Yu Lu's blade was about to split Lin Feng's skull, an enraged shriek erupted from Lin Feng's person. A small yellow figure burst forth from his collar—it was Xiao Qiu! The little creature's fur was frazzled and curled, as if electrocuted (which, indeed, it had been). Its tiny eyes were wide open, blazing with fury. Clutching a sparkling spirit stone in its little paws, it mimicked a baseball pitcher's throw the instant it emerged, hurling the stone with all its might directly at Gu Yu Lu's face!!
"What in the…" Gu Yu Lu was utterly unprepared for a hidden 'ally' emerging from Lin Feng. Terror shot through him. But his attack was already committed; changing course at such close range was impossible. He didn't even have time to identify the object hurtling towards him before an immense force detonated right before his eyes!
"BOOM!!!"
Under Xiao Qiu's full power, the explosion of a high-grade spirit stone was nearly as deafening as Gu Yu Lu's earlier thunder orb. Though the destructive power couldn't compare, at point-blank range, Gu Yu Lu suffered the full brunt. The powerful shockwave slammed into him like a speeding train hitting head-on, instantly blasting him backwards. The greatsword, which had been mere centimeters from Lin Feng's head, was violently wrenched from his grasp and sent flying.
Lin Feng was also sent tumbling back by the blast wave, but he was only grazed by the periphery. This force actually helped propel him further away. Within moments of flying back over a dozen meters, the paralysis faded enough for him to move. With a forceful shake, he circulated his true essence. His right hand flashed, producing another spirit jade talisman which he immediately activated. A layer of cyan spiritual light enveloped him in a protective barrier.
Only after securing this defense did Lin Feng raise a hand to wipe a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth. His face was dark as he lifted his gaze towards Gu Yu Lu across the expanse. Pure, unadulterated killing intent radiated from his eyes.
Opposite him, Gu Yu Lu had managed to deploy his own spiritual light barrier during the explosion. He wasn't seriously injured by the blast itself. After a brief moment of stunned disbelief, the crushing realization hit him: not only had his perfect opportunity to kill Lin Feng vanished, but he was now the one in mortal peril…
Though he struggled to accept that his sure-kill move had failed so spectacularly, Gu Yu Lu clearly understood the grim reality. Facing Lin Feng, who was now mobile, his chances of winning were vanishingly slim. Even though Lin Feng's cultivation level was lower, even though he was injured, just the prospect of Lin Feng unleashing that high-grade Molten Rock Fire was more than Gu Yu Lu could handle.
Escape!!
That single thought dominated Gu Yu Lu's mind in that instant. Bitter resentment warred with survival instinct, but flight was the only viable choice.
He shot Lin Feng a look of pure venomous hatred, but dared not linger. Pouring true essence into his flying sword, causing it to glow with green light, he spun it around and tried to flee.
But Lin Feng had no intention of letting him escape. The moment Gu Yu Lu turned, a cold glint flashed in Lin Feng's eyes. His right hand lifted almost casually, index finger extending towards the fleeing figure. A flash of purple light shot forth with indescribable speed, aimed straight at Gu Yu Lu's back!
Gu Yu Lu, of course, had been keeping frantic watch on Lin Feng. The instant the Devil's Light Ring activated, he sensed danger and whipped his head around, simultaneously twisting his body in a desperate attempt to dodge the purple streak.
Alas, even his fastest reaction was utterly inadequate against the purple light's velocity. His body had barely shifted an inch when he heard a soft "SHHHHK!" sound. He watched in horror as his protective spiritual barrier before him was pierced as if it were paper-thin. Almost simultaneously, he felt a sudden, chilling numbness in his right chest…
"...AAGGHHH!!!" Gu Yu Lu's eyes bulged grotesquely. His body froze for a split second before an agonized, soul-rending scream tore uncontrollably from his throat.
The wound wasn't immediately fatal, but it had crippled him. Excruciating pain robbed him of coherent thought. As he managed to regain a sliver of awareness, a wave of scorching heat suddenly washed over him. Looking up in terror, he saw a massive net of fire, easily ten meters wide, descending upon him!
Dodging was impossible; he lacked the strength. In the final instant before the fiery net engulfed him, Gu Yu Lu somehow managed to reactivate his spiritual light barrier, holding the flames at bay half a meter away. But the barrier immediately began to shudder violently, as if on the verge of melting.
Gu Yu Lu's face turned ashen, despair filling his eyes. Straining with every ounce of his remaining strength to maintain the barrier, he screamed hysterically, "Don't kill me!! My master is the Deputy Leader of the Zhenhai Alliance!! You can't kill me!!"
Hearing this, Lin Feng, not far off, merely tightened his brow. Far from diminishing, the killing intent in his eyes flared even brighter. He opened his right hand, fingers splayed wide, then clenched it fiercely into a fist, directing the motion towards Gu Yu Lu trapped within the flames!
"NOOOOO—!!"
A final, despairing scream echoed across the vast sea, carrying for who knew how far, only to be abruptly cut short. Where Gu Yu Lu had been standing, the raging flames twisted violently inward like rope. There was no sign of Gu Yu Lu left within them. With a beckoning gesture of Lin Feng's right hand, the flames, now carrying several items, flew back to hover before him.
Lin Feng hadn't known Gu Yu Lu was the disciple of the Zhenhai Alliance's Deputy Leader. But precisely because of this revelation, letting him escape was unthinkable. The consequences would have been endless trouble.
Stowing the Exotic Fire and the spoils of battle, Lin Feng then swallowed several recovery pills. He swept his gaze across the surrounding sea, confirming no other threats were present, before finally mounting his flying sword and departing the scene.
...
After flying for about ten minutes without encountering any disturbances, Lin Feng finally slowed his pace slightly. He continued flying while focusing on healing his injuries. Simultaneously, he retrieved Gu Yu Lu's storage ring and began casually inspecting its contents.
Lin Feng recalled Gu Yu Lu boasting about possessing a treasure highly effective for catching Flying Shadow Fish. He wanted to see if it was true.
Gu Yu Lu, true to his status as the disciple of the Zhenhai Alliance's Deputy Leader, possessed considerable wealth. His collection of cultivation manuals and magic treasures was undeniably high-grade, yet none of it particularly impressed Lin Feng. He was nearly finished with his inspection, having found nothing especially noteworthy, and was on the verge of giving up when he unexpectedly discovered another storage ring.
Holding this second ring in his hand, Lin Feng swept it with his spiritual sense. Comprehension dawned immediately: this must belong to the cultivator Gu Yu Lu had murdered earlier. The contents were far shabbier compared to Gu Yu Lu's own hoard. However, as his spiritual sense brushed over one particular item, Lin Feng's eyes suddenly lit up with surprise. With a flip of his wrist, an object appeared in his right hand.
It was a dead Flying Shadow Fish!!
"That guy actually managed to catch Flying Shadow Fish?" Lin Feng was genuinely astonished. Then, as if struck by a sudden thought, a flash of excitement crossed his eyes. He immediately resumed searching the storage ring intently.
Within moments, he discovered a second dead Flying Shadow Fish, confirming his burgeoning suspicion. After a careful search, his brow arched slightly in realization. With a focused thought, his left hand opened to reveal… another object.