Why would the Yin Corpse Sect be here?! Was it a coincidence, or… were they coming for him?!
Lin Feng forced himself to appear calm, but panic churned within him like ants in a hot pot. His mind immediately flew to You Youtian, the one who had escaped him on Devil Loong Island. If he had brought Yin Corpse Sect experts here for revenge… that would be disastrous…
A pang of regret struck Lin Feng. He had underestimated the situation, naively believing he could slip away if the Yin Corpse Sect came calling. But now, the enemy had arrived at the worst possible moment—and brought a Soul Transformation realm expert!
'Heaven, please… don't let them be here for me…' Praying silently, Lin Feng raised a hand to his face. A subtle surge of true essence activated "Thousand Faces Illusion", altering his features. Simultaneously, "Hidden Origin Art" surged, completely suppressing his aura. He lowered his head, melting into the crowd.
"The Yin Corpse Sect!! It's the Yin Corpse Sect!!"
Lin Feng wasn't the only one familiar with their signature aura. Shouts erupted, causing a stir. Faces paled further, and instinctively, the crowd shifted closer to Wang Yunkun, the strongest among them.
Yu Ping's brow furrowed deeply, his expression grim. His gaze flickered back, spotting Lin Feng hiding like a mouse. Worry flashed in his eyes. Like Lin Feng, he instantly recalled the events on Devil Loong Island. He knew Lin Feng's deep enmity with the sect and understood his fear.
As the enemy closed in, Yu Ping's eyes hardened with resolve. In a flash, he appeared beside Lin Feng. He thrust a slender, luminous white jade token into Lin Feng's hand, whispering urgently, "Lin Feng! This is a teleportation token! It can move you a hundred miles! Take it! If things turn dangerous, crush it immediately and flee!"
"This…" Lin Feng had been desperately calculating his escape—whether to run now or wait. Yu Ping's words stunned him. He hadn't expected such profound care. Overwhelmed by gratitude, he stammered, "Senior Yu… I…"
Yu Ping pressed the token firmly into Lin Feng's grasp. His voice was low and intense. "No time! The enemy is too strong! Staying is suicide! Protect yourself!"
"..." Lin Feng fell silent. He had always respected Yu Ping, but it had been a distant respect. Yet Yu Ping had consistently shown him kindness. Now, he was giving away a life-saving treasure of immense value. The debt felt crushing.
Before Lin Feng could voice his thanks, Yu Ping was already moving away. His own magic treasure materialized, gleaming brightly as he faced the approaching threat, ready for battle.
"Whoosh!!"
In the brief moments Lin Feng had looked away, a streak of violet lightning had closed the distance. It halted abruptly in the air, hundreds of meters away and dozens of meters above the mountain peak. Everyone was forced to crane their necks upwards, while the figure on the Thunder Roc looked down upon them with cold disdain.
"It IS him!!" Lin Feng's eye twitched violently the moment he saw the three figures on the Roc's back. You Youtian stood out instantly. Despair washed over him. This confirmed it—they were here for him, and probably Yu Ping too… revenge for Devil Loong Island…
"Elder Sui! That man is Yu Ping of the Zhenhai Alliance!" You Youtian scanned the peak, quickly spotting Yu Ping. He did glance at Lin Feng, but the altered appearance and suppressed aura, combined with You Youtian's own cultivation level, prevented recognition.
Sui Lu, who had been obsequious before the white-robed 'Elder Yin', now radiated cold arrogance before the Nascent Soul cultivators. His Soul Transformation realm pressure rolled out unchecked. His icy gaze swept over the tense crowd, finally settling on Yu Ping as You Youtian pointed. A flicker of killing intent crossed his eyes.
"Hmph!!"
A sudden, sharp snort echoed across the peak. Immediately, an aura equally powerful to Sui Lu's erupted, forcefully pushing back his oppressive presence!
Sui Lu's pupils contracted slightly, revealing surprise. Shock rippled through the gathered cultivators as well. All eyes snapped towards the source of this counter-pressure—Wang Yunkun!
"Soul Transformation realm!! City Lord Wang has already reached Soul Transformation!" A low gasp of disbelief and sudden hope spread. Rumors had placed Wang Yunkun only at the Half-Step Soul Transformation stage. His true strength, hidden until now, was a revelation. Facing a Soul Transformation enemy moments before, dread had gripped them. Now, with Wang Yunkun revealing his equal power, relief washed over them, bolstering their spirits.
Wang Yunkun unleashed his aura fully, yet his expression remained deeply grave. He tilted his head to look at the airborne foes, his gaze lingering on the white-robed elder beside Sui Lu. Uncertainty and deep concern clouded his eyes before he finally addressed Sui Lu, his voice cold. "Members of the Yin Corpse Sect! Why do you disrupt the Five Cities Competition?! Do you truly believe you can run rampant in the Starry Sea, treating our Five Cities Alliance with contempt?!"
Sui Lu's lips curled in disdain. "Five Cities Alliance? A mere rabble! Enough talk! We are here today for Yu Ping of the Zhenhai Alliance and a cultivator named Lin Feng! Hand them over, and we might spare your lives!!"
"Such arrogance!! Do you think the Five Cities Alliance is easy prey?!" Sui Lu's words ignited fury. A hot-tempered cultivator roared, "Your Yin Corpse Sect has long hunted cultivators and stolen bodies in our Starry Sea! Don't think we're blind to it!! Now you dare show your faces here, acting so brazenly?! This is beyond insulting!! Everyone! Attack! Annihilate these Yin Corpse Sect fiends!"
"..." A vicious light flashed in Sui Lu's eyes. He opened his mouth to retort, then abruptly stopped. His pupils contracted again as he sensed the faintest ripple of true essence from the white-robed elder beside him. That subtle shift silenced him instantly. He even took a small, respectful step backward.
Simultaneously, the white-robed elder's eyes flickered with unmistakable impatience. His gaze, cold and detached, swept dismissively over the assembled cultivators on the peak. Four words, uttered softly yet carrying the weight of thunder, fell from his lips:
"A swarm of ants!!"
Four short words. Barely above a whisper. Yet they struck the souls of everyone on the peak like a physical blow. An overwhelming, inescapable pressure crashed down. All defenses—spiritual shields, reinforced bodies, protective artifacts—shattered like paper. It felt as if an invisible hand tore through every layer of protection and delivered a brutal punch directly to their consciousness!
"Ugh!" "Argh!" "Cough!" "Pfft!!"
Instantly, the peak echoed with muffled grunts and the sickening sound of blood spraying. Every single cultivator staggered backward as if struck by a physical blow. Faces turned ashen. Blood stained lips and robes.
Even Wang Yunkun was no exception!
Wang Yunkun stumbled back four, five steps. Only after forcefully suppressing the violent chaos of true essence raging within him could he look up. His eyes, filled with abject terror and utter disbelief, locked onto the white-robed elder. The words escaped him in a near-daze: "Soul Formation… no… Body Unity?! Could it be… Who are you?!"
Horror, absolute and paralyzing, seized everyone else as they stared at the white-robed elder. They realized now: the Soul Transformation Sui Lu was merely a lackey. The true threat was this unassuming elder whose power had radiated no prior warning. His strength dwarfed their understanding. Hearing Wang Yunkun's gasp, faces drained of all color. Some even showed the stark pallor of despair.
If this was the effect on Nascent Soul experts and the Soul Transformation Wang Yunkun, the impact on Lin Feng—a mere Golden Core cultivator—was catastrophic. The moment that monstrous pressure descended, a metallic tang filled his throat. Blood erupted from his mouth. His internal true essence revolted violently, tearing through his meridians like a rampaging beast. Despite his exceptional resilience, darkness threatened to swallow his vision. Only by desperately forcing "Starry Veil Art" to its limits could he cling to the barest shred of consciousness.
With that fragile, fleeting sliver of awareness, Lin Feng could manage only one action: crush the teleportation token in his hand!
It was pure, primal instinct. His hand moved before his mind fully processed the command. Survival screamed that failure to act meant instant annihilation under that overwhelming pressure.
The moment his fingers clenched, space warped violently around him. In the blink of an eye, his figure vanished without a trace.
"Hmm?!"
The instant Lin Feng crushed the token—even before he vanished—both Sui Lu and the white-robed elder sensed the spatial distortion. Their gazes snapped to the spot just in time to see him disappear.
From their elevated vantage point, You Youtian behind them also saw the disturbance. He caught only a glimpse of someone flickering out of existence. But in that split second, he distinctly felt the burst of true essence Lin Feng emitted while activating the token—an essence stripped of its disguise.
You Youtian's face contorted in shock and recognition. "It's him!! It's Lin Feng!! Elder Sui! That was Lin Feng! He escaped!!"
Sui Lu's expression darkened instantly. He turned, his demeanor shifting to one of extreme caution, and looked questioningly at the white-robed elder beside him.
A flicker of displeasure crossed the elder's face. Cold light flashed in his eyes as he abruptly looked towards the distant horizon where Lin Feng had vanished. He uttered a single command: "Finish this quickly."
Simultaneously, he took a single step forward. The air before him rippled like disturbed water. It was as if he stepped through an invisible doorway—and vanished!
Witnessing this, Wang Yunkun's pupils dilated to pinpricks. Utter terror finally revealed the elder's true level…
"Shattering Space Teleportation… Great Ascension realm!!"