Upon hearing Qin Yulong's command, a flicker of cold light passed through Lin Feng's eyes—yet his expression remained unchanged. He watched the trio on the slope calmly, waiting to see how they intended to 'deal with' him. Their next actions would determine how he repaid them.
Unaware that their fates now hung on their choices, Qin Yulong's subordinates exchanged a glance. Murderous intent gleamed in their eyes. The yellow-robed cultivator nodded slightly, flipped his right hand, and produced a small golden banner. Channeling his essence energy, he swung it downward toward Lin Feng.
Hummm—!
The orange barrier trapping Lin Feng shimmered violently as intricate golden patterns surged across its surface. Countless specks of golden light coalesced, crystallizing into over a dozen razor-sharp golden sword energies. They shot toward Lin Feng from all directions!
"Hmph!"
Lin Feng's gaze hardened—they hadn't even tried to negotiate. Fury ignited within him. He instantly unleashed the spirit light treasure already concealed in his palm, flooding it with surging essence energy. Almost simultaneously—
Clang! Clang! Clang!
—a rapid succession of impacts echoed as the spirit light barrier effortlessly deflected every golden sword ray.
"A high-grade spirit artifact?!"
The yellow-robed cultivator's eyes widened at the barrier shielding Lin Feng. Spirit light defensive treasures were far rarer than ordinary artifacts. Among Golden Core cultivators, few possessed one at the high-grade spirit artifact tier—even Qin Yulong only owned one due to his status. His own was merely mid-grade.
Elites from major cities generally knew of each other. Yet Lin Feng was a stranger. Qin Yulong's group had dismissed him as a lowly, nameless cultivator. Now, seeing Lin Feng wield a high-grade spirit light defense treasure, their contempt warped into shock.
Recovering, the yellow-robed cultivator's shock twisted into excitement. He sneered, "Think a fancy shield will save you? Let's see how long it lasts!"
He raised his formation banner again, preparing to unleash the Gold Geng Killing Array below.
Had the assault persisted, Lin Feng's barrier would have eventually failed. But Lin Feng had no intention of allowing it. His composure wasn't arrogance—it was strategy. Before entering the valley, he'd detected both traps. The Grade 3 trapping array holding him and the Grade 3 killing array attacking him had been transparent to his senses. He'd walked in deliberately, feigning ignorance—because neither array posed a threat.
To Lin Feng's eyes, both formations were riddled with flaws. While the yellow-robed cultivator was technically a Grade 3 array master, Lin Feng assessed his skill as merely early-stage Grade 3. His own mastery stood at the late-stage—a chasm of difference.
Seeing the yellow-robed cultivator reactivate the killing array, Lin Feng's eyes flashed. He erupted his essence energy. With a flick of his right wrist, a streak of crimson-silver light erupted—the Chihun Flying Sword shot forth with a clear whistle.
Zheng—!
A resonant sword hum echoed through the valley. The flying sword streaked like lightning toward a point to Lin Feng's right front. A cluster of golden light had barely begun coalescing there. Struck by the sword's aura, it instantly disintegrated. Strangely, as it vanished, all other forming golden specks trembled and dissolved moments later. Unstoppable, the Chihun Flying Sword slammed into the orange barrier.
KRA-KOOM!!
Like shattering glass, the trapping array imploded!
The Chihun Flying Sword possessed innate array-breaking properties. Coupled with Lin Feng's pinpoint strike on the formation's weakest nexus, it obliterated both the trapping and killing arrays in one blow.
Whoosh!!
Its momentum unbroken, the sword curved mid-flight—streaking toward the yellow-robed cultivator on the slope!
"What?!"
"LOOK OUT!!"
The yellow-robed cultivator's eyes bulged, frozen in disbelief. Beside him, the gold-robed cultivator's warning shout tore through the air.
As the sword neared the helpless yellow-robed figure—
—he was suddenly yanked backward. His rescuer wasn't the one who'd shouted, but Qin Yulong.
"Guh… No… Impossible!!"
Dragged back over ten meters, the yellow-robed cultivator finally regained his senses. His face paled. Blood sprayed from his mouth as he choked out denial—unable to accept his arrays' destruction.
The gold-robed cultivator staggered back, face ashen. Regrouped, the trio stared downward. The arrays were gone. Lin Feng stood calmly below, watching them. The Chihun Flying Sword, having missed its target, circled back to hover beside him.
Qin Yulong's eyes locked onto the crimson sword, his voice tight with disbelief.
"A top-grade spirit artifact!"
The gold-robed youth stared at Lin Feng with newfound terror. "Who… who is he?!"
"Hmph! No matter who he is," Qin Yulong snapped coldly, regaining composure, "he dies here today! He's relying on one top-grade artifact—nothing more! Kill him! TOGETHER!"
"Yes! Kill him!"
The other two rallied, rage and greed replacing their shock. Fear receded. They refused to believe a Golden Core 8th Layer could defeat three cultivators—even with a top-grade artifact.
True, if Lin Feng possessed only the Chihun Flying Sword, facing three opponents would be impossible. But they didn't know—the sword wasn't his only top-grade treasure.
As Qin Yulong and his remaining follower summoned their artifacts—
—Lin Feng raised his right hand. Deliberately, tauntingly, he pointed at the yellow-robed cultivator.
Swoosh!!
Violet light flashed. Traversing a hundred meters faster than eyes could follow, it pierced the yellow-robed cultivator's chest before he could twitch—and burst out his back.
Qin Yulong sensed danger the instant purple light flared. Instinctively, he threw himself sideways. Before his warning cry could form, the light had already penetrated his ally. By the time Qin Yulong focused, the violet streak was gone—only a gaping hole remained in the cultivator's chest.
Everything happened in a breath. Qin Yulong's pitch-black spear had just materialized. The gold-robed youth's flying sword was barely summoned. The slain yellow-robed cultivator hadn't even drawn his artifact…
"A spirit light attack treasure?!" Qin Yulong's pupils shrank to pinpoints. Horror flooded him. Without hesitation, he rasped to the gold-robed youth, "RUN!!"
He kicked off the ground, hurtling toward the trees beyond the slope.
"Agh!!" Half a beat behind, the gold-robed youth watched the corpse collapse. Terror jolted him awake. Face ghost-white, he shot one petrified glance at Lin Feng—then scrambled frantically after Qin Yulong.
Lin Feng's brow creased. A ferocious glint sparked in his eyes. He pushed off the ground like a loosed arrow—in pursuit.
Two bounds carried Lin Feng up the slope. He saw his enemies splitting—the gold-robed youth already mounting his flying sword, lifting off. Qin Yulong plunged toward a forest thicket to the right.
Lin Feng's focus sharpened. Instantly, he drew the White Tiger Soul Subduing Talisman. White light blazed. The phantom form of a White Tiger materialized, treading air. It surged forward—lunging for the sword-riding youth.
ROOOAAAGGHH!!!
The sky-shaking roar made the gold-robed youth whirl mid-air. A colossal white tiger phantom was upon him! Panicking, he frantically activated his spirit light barrier. The tiger's claw passed through it—and his body—as if slicing smoke. Yet when it swept through him... it dragged out a faint, translucent silhouette...
His soul ripped free, the youth could offer no resistance. The tiger phantom shredded the soul into nothingness. His body plummeted like a stone.
Lin Feng remained impassive. With a thought, he recalled the tiger soul. Without pause, he spun—chasing Qin Yulong.
Qin Yulong was steps from the forest. The tiger's roar made him glance back. He saw the body fall. His soul nearly fled his flesh. Seeing Lin Feng closing in, despair choked him. Flight was impossible. Madness flared in his eyes. Gritting his teeth, he spun to face Lin Feng. Unleashing all his power, he hurled the obsidian spear—a black lightning bolt aimed at Lin Feng's heart.
Zheng—!
The Chihun Flying Sword sang, moving faster than Lin Feng himself. It intercepted the spear mid-flight. A jarring clang echoed—both weapons recoiled violently.
Simultaneously, flame ignited on Lin Feng's right hand. He flicked his wrist—a blazing crimson fireball roared out. Mid-air, it exploded, unfurling into a massive net of flames, dozens of meters wide, crashing down toward Qin Yulong!
"NOO!!" Qin Yulong screamed, scrambling sideways. Realizing escape was futile, he clenched his teeth and unleashed his spirit light barrier—hoping to block the flames long enough to break free.
Yet the instant the inferno touched his barrier—he knew he'd miscalculated…