"Sigh..."
A soft sigh escaped Lin Feng's lips, yet a killing intent, cold as winter steel, flashed in his eyes. He had endured repeatedly, genuinely wishing to avoid conflict over such a baffling encounter. But since they refused to relent, he certainly wouldn't lie down and be slaughtered.
His reluctance to reveal the Crimson Soul Flying Sword stemmed from a desire to conceal his identity. He didn't know the final outcome of the events on Black Crow Island that day, but he was likely already documented by the Yin Corpse Sect. Therefore, anything recognizable – the Crimson Soul Flying Sword, Molten Rock Fire, the White Tiger Fierce Soul Talisman, and other such artifacts – couldn't be shown lightly. Now, however, they had pushed him too far. Engaging in combat would inevitably expose these things. That left only one choice: silence the witnesses permanently!
His recent near-death experience had profoundly driven home his own vulnerability and instilled an inexpressible dread of the enemies he faced. Until he possessed absolute self-preservation strength, he absolutely could not afford to expose his whereabouts lightly. If he had to fight, these two before him posed a significant threat. They had to be eliminated.
Once resolved, Lin Feng discarded all hesitation and mercy. His true essence surged forth within him, unleashed without reservation. A flicker of multicolored light seemed to pass through the cold, sharp depths of his eyes. He raised his right hand and swept it forward.
"Fwoosh!"
A flash of fire erupted in his palm, coalescing into a fist-sized fireball that shot forth. The instant it left his hand, it violently expanded, swelling to several meters in diameter. Like a scorching sun, it tore through the air on a distorted trajectory, hurtling directly towards the colossal tornado bearing down on him.
"BOOM!!!"
Tornado and fireball collided mid-air. The fireball seemed minuscule by comparison. Yet, upon impact, it tore through the swirling winds with devastating momentum, scattering the tornado as if it were mere chaff. Its force undiminished, the fireball exploded outwards, transforming into a vast, blazing net that surged towards the elder and the youth!
"What?!" The elder's pupils contracted violently. This time, genuine shock registered on his face. His expression shifted dramatically as he cried out in disbelief, "Heavenly Fire?!"
Despite his shock, the elder reacted with lightning speed. His left hand grabbed the youth beside him, pulling him back like a gust of wind as they retreated dozens of meters in an instant. Simultaneously, his right hand flickered rapidly, unleashing a barrage of meter-long wind blades that sliced through the oncoming fire net, reducing it to scattered fragments. However, the severed flames didn't extinguish; instead, they hung suspended in the air like countless, floating lanterns.
On the opposite side, after launching the Molten Rock Fire, Lin Feng's motion only paused for a fraction of a second, as if catching his breath. Then, he raised his right hand once more. His index finger extended, pointing directly at the retreating enemies.
"Swish!!"
As the elder pulled the youth back and unleashed the wind blades, an almost imperceptible sound cut through the air. A slender thread of violet light darted through the gaps between the scattered flames and the wind blades. Its speed was unimaginable, crossing the distance in the blink of an eye!
"A Spiritual Light Attack Artifact?!" Horror washed over the elder again. Without conscious thought, his hand flashed, producing a broad, golden greatsword. He wielded it horizontally like a shield before his chest.
"Clang!!"
A sharp, metallic clang rang out. The violet streak struck the wide blade, failing to shatter it but ricocheting wildly away. The tremendous force, however, slammed the flat of the blade hard against the elder's chest.
"Ugh!" A pained grunt escaped the elder's throat. Agony flickered across his face, his eyes widening further with shock.
"Swish!!" Not a moment's respite was granted. The sound of rending air returned. The elder looked up, dread flooding him, to see the crimson-silver gleaming flying sword streaking towards him. A mix of humiliation and furious indignation boiled within him. Suppressing the churning energy in his body, he raised his right arm and brought the greatsword down in a mighty slash.
"Screeeech—CRACK!"
An ear-piercing shriek of metal on metal echoed. Sparks exploded in a shower. The Crimson Soul Flying Sword was sent spinning violently away by the powerful blow.
Opposite him, Lin Feng couldn't help but frown. He had hoped the flying sword's strike would inflict at least some injury, triggering its soul-damaging effect. That momentary weakness could have been exploited to finish the elder. Unfortunately, the plan failed. The elder had blocked both the Demon Light Ring's attack and the flying sword's assault. Allowing him to recover his breath would make the fight far more difficult.
"Tch! No choice then… One more time!" Hesitation flickered and vanished in Lin Feng's eyes, replaced by ruthless resolve. With a flip of his hand, a blood-red dagger materialized in his grasp.
Lin Feng had constantly reminded himself to use the Blood Demon Blade sparingly. Yet, fate seemed determined to force his hand, presenting situations where he had no alternative. Now, for a swift and decisive victory, he had to rely on this artifact once more.
"Hmmmm…"
As the Blood Demon Blade shot forth, the very air vibrated with a sound akin to a mournful wail. A blinding crimson radiance erupted, staining the sky blood-red. Even Lin Feng himself shuddered uncontrollably, a sensation of cold dread piercing straight through to his spine. Whether it was the reflection of the bloody light before him or something else, a faint crimson haze seemed to cloud his eyes…
"What is this?!"
On the other side, the elder had just managed to steady himself after Lin Feng's relentless onslaught. Believing his opponent's tricks exhausted, he was poised to seize an opening for a counterattack. Suddenly, an overwhelming aura of bloodlust enveloped him. The sky before him transformed in an instant, becoming a churning sea of blood, surging towards him like a monstrous tidal wave!
"HAAAH!!" An unprecedented sensation of mortal peril instantly consumed him. The elder's face twisted with terror. He roared with all his might, his true essence erupting to unprecedented levels. Gripping the greatsword with both hands, he raised it high above his head. Golden light exploded from the blade, extending into a three-zhang-long (approx. 10 meters) blade projection that he brought crashing down onto the surging crimson tide!!
For a split second, the scene seemed to freeze. Golden blade energy radiated outwards, violently shredding the vast expanse of bloody light before the elder, revealing the small, blood-red dagger within. The dagger's tip met the edge of the greatsword.
"Diiiiing—!"
A long, clear chime resonated. But immediately after, a faint 'Crack!' sounded. A web of fissures exploded from the point of contact, instantly spider-webbing across the entire greatsword. Under the elder's horrified, despairing gaze, the Blood Demon Blade shattered the greatsword as if it were glass.
It pierced through the elder's protective true essence barrier, tore through the spiritual robe and inner armor shielding his chest, and plunged deep into his heart!!
A flicker of sheer bewilderment crossed the elder's eyes. As he tried to muster his true essence to stabilize the catastrophic wound in his chest, he was seized by terror. His internal energy refused to obey, every iota of his power being inexorably drained towards the puncture wound over his heart. Realizing this, he desperately tried to flee via his Nascent Soul, only to be met with utter despair – his Nascent Soul was completely immobilized!
"NO!!" The elder's face contorted into a mask of agony as he let out a guttural, distorted shriek. His hands jerked upwards, clawing towards the dagger embedded in his chest. But they only rose halfway before his exposed flesh withered and shriveled at an alarming rate. The light of life vanished from his eyes in that same instant. All presence, all aura within him extinguished completely. In the span of a breath, he transformed into a desiccated corpse, looking as though it had weathered millennia.
"Mas… Master!!"
The youth beside the elder was nearly frightened out of his wits. He hadn't even fully processed what had happened. From the moment Lin Feng truly unleashed his assault, the youth realized how utterly naive his earlier belief that subduing Lin Feng would only take "some effort" had been. Before he could even recover from that shock, a relentless barrage of unimaginably powerful killing techniques had followed. In what felt like the blink of an eye, he witnessed his revered master transform into a withered husk.
Instinctively, the youth reached out a hand towards the desiccated corpse plummeting downwards. But his hand had only just extended when he abruptly felt a wave of scorching heat wash over him.
He looked up in terror. The flames his master had earlier dispersed had somehow silently re-coalesced into a blazing net, descending upon him like a fiery shroud!
"AH!!" The youth shrieked, pure terror driving him. He activated his spiritual light barrier by sheer instinct. The next instant, the fire net descended, engulfing him completely.
Before he could even gasp in momentary relief, he saw the barrier surrounding him tremble violently. He had no time for any further action.
"CRACK—SHATTER!"
The barrier imploded with a thunderous crash.
"NO!!" The youth echoed his master's final, despairing cry. But his was abruptly silenced...