Two streaks of light cut through the air above the mountain forests as Lin Feng and An Yuexi flew directly towards the island's central region. Along the way, Lin Feng spotted several peaks with peculiar shapes. Their forms clearly indicated they had once been shattered by immense external force. Over the millennia, these shattered peaks had become blanketed by dense vegetation, resulting in their current bizarre configurations.
The closer they got to the center, the more numerous these scars of destruction became. The ground below was pockmarked with unnatural craters and fissures. Some areas had suffered such catastrophic damage that they remained utterly barren, devoid of all life, even after three thousand years.
Additionally, Lin Feng noticed that demon beasts roamed this island. Upon reflection, it wasn't surprising. Although the ancient battle had been brutal, it couldn't have eradicated every demon beast present. After Blue Moon Island was transported underground, the great formation maintained a viable environment similar to the outside world, allowing the demon beasts to survive, thrive, and multiply.
Although they encountered numerous demon beasts along their path, none were Level 4 or above. Any bold enough to block their way were swiftly dispatched by Lin Feng. Their speed was considerable, and roughly half a day later, a majestic thousand-zhang peak came into view, flanked by several subsidiary peaks. Traces of structures were faintly discernible on these mountains.
Gazing at the colossal peak, a spark of joy lit An Yuexi's eyes. She turned to Lin Feng beside her and announced, "We've arrived! That is the Blue Moon Sect's main mountain gate!!"
"Mhm." Lin Feng nodded, a glimmer of anticipation also surfacing in his own eyes. They increased their speed, streaking urgently towards the central peak.
"Qiu!!!"
However, just as they approached the mountainside, Xiao Qiu on Lin Feng's shoulder suddenly let out a sharp cry of alarm. Almost simultaneously, Lin Feng's expression changed. His arm shot out, pulling An Yuexi close into his embrace. At the same moment, he kicked off from his flying sword, propelling both of them sideways.
"Whoosh!!" As Lin Feng reacted, a streak of purple light erupted from a shadowy spot higher up the mountain. Fast as lightning, it sliced through the air where they had just been, grazing their robes. Its passage left a distorted trail, as if it had torn the very atmosphere.
Green light flickered beneath Lin Feng's feet as a whirlwind materialized out of thin air. He tapped lightly on the air, using the wind for leverage, and landed securely on the mountainside, still holding An Yuexi.
"Wh-What... what was that?" An Yuexi gasped, reacting only after the attack had missed them. She was still shaken, her heart pounding. As she asked the question, she suddenly realized she was practically plastered against Lin Feng's chest. A faint blush touched her cheeks as she looked up at him, only to see his intense gaze fixed on the sky above.
"Level 4 Demon Beast!" Lin Feng frowned slightly. As he spoke, he naturally released An Yuexi, his attention seemingly wholly focused on the beast circling overhead.
Pushing aside her momentary embarrassment, An Yuexi also looked up. What she saw was a giant, owl-like creature covered in deep purple feathers. Its massive wings, spanning nearly three zhang, beat powerfully as it hovered about a hundred meters away, radiating palpable hostility towards them both.
"Level 4, Class 2!" An Yuexi's gaze sharpened, registering surprise but no panic. Encountering such a powerful beast alone would have been terrifying, but with Lin Feng beside her, fear receded.
"Miss An, step back a little. I'll handle this." Lin Feng instructed calmly. He summoned his Crimson Soul Flying Sword back to his hand. With a flick of his left wrist, he also called forth the Molten Flame, readying himself for combat.
"SHRIEEEEK!!!"
Before Lin Feng could fully settle into his stance, the beast in the sky struck first. Its piercing shriek tore through the air. With a powerful flap of its wings, dozens of feathers detached, transforming into sharp purple projectiles. They screamed through the air with an ear-splitting friction sound, raining down upon Lin Feng and An Yuexi like a deadly hail.
"HUM...!" "BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!!" "KREEE!!!"
For a brief time, the mountainside echoed with deafening explosions and the furious shrieks of the demon beast. In the profound silence of the vast underground space, the clamor carried far into the distance...
...
The chaos didn't last long. A final, agonized shriek pierced the air, and then stillness returned. Lin Feng stood amidst the scorched and debris-strewn ground. Casually, he popped a Rejuvenation Pill into his mouth. With a wave of his hand, he stored the demon beast's corpse – now charred black by the Molten Flame – into his Spatial Ring.
With the combined might of his Crimson Soul Flying Sword, the Molten Flame, and the Demon Light Ring, dealing with a Level 4, Class 2 demon beast hadn't presented excessive difficulty.
From a distance, An Yuexi watched as Lin Feng walked towards her with a faint smile. Though she had witnessed his prowess multiple times now, an undeniable sense of awe still flickered in her eyes. Had she not seen it herself, she would have found it impossible to believe a Golden Core cultivator could dispatch a Level 4 demon beast with such apparent ease.
"It seems there might be quite a few Level 4 beasts here," Lin Feng remarked as he reached her. "We'll need to be more cautious. Miss An, which way now? Any suggestions?"
An Yuexi shook her head. "I have no specific suggestions. As you can see, everything here is utterly ruined. Every area looks much the same. I suppose we'll just have to search slowly and methodically."
Lin Feng gave her a meaningful smile and nodded. "That works. We have plenty of time, after all. Let's start our treasure hunt right here. If powerful cultivators truly fell in great numbers during the battle, their possessions should be scattered all over this place."
As he spoke, he was already extending his divine sense several feet into the ground, probing the area. Before An Yuexi could respond, his eyes suddenly lit up with pleasant surprise. "Huh? Luck's on our side already? Speak of treasures and they appear?"
He tapped his foot lightly, leaping onto the bough of a large tree nearby. With a flick of his hand, he launched a fireball. 'Boom!' A small crater exploded open several hundred meters away. Lin Feng then made a grasping motion in the air. A small whirlwind obediently swept up a few objects and deposited them into his waiting hand. He leaped back down to An Yuexi in one fluid motion and held out his findings. "Half of a flying sword and a Spirit Light Jade Talisman, both damaged beyond use. But this Spatial Ring is intact, and it contains quite a few things. Miss An, take half."
Lin Feng handed one of the Spatial Rings to An Yuexi while casually discarding the broken sword and the talisman riddled with cracks – these were genuinely irreparable, even his Repair Technique couldn't salvage them.
An Yuexi was also surprised they had found something so quickly. She took the ring and scanned its contents. Inside was a miscellaneous assortment of items, nothing particularly remarkable, likely belonging to a Golden Core cultivator. She initially thought to decline, but after a brief hesitation, she followed Lin Feng's suggestion, removing roughly half of the items before handing the ring back to him.
Lin Feng took the ring and stored it away immediately, his enthusiasm palpable. "Come on, let's keep searching for treasures!"
...
From that point on, the two began a meticulous search of the mountainside. Contrary to expectations, their gains were substantial. In just half a day, they genuinely discovered numerous items.
They investigated three clusters of ruined buildings during this time. However, none seemed to have been crucial locations within the Blue Moon Sect, as no significant treasures were found inside. Surprisingly, most of their finds were made out in the open wilderness. This made sense, according to legend; the fierce battles had raged across the open terrain, and the fallen cultivators' possessions had been scattered far and wide.
Faithfully adhering to their agreement, they split every discovery on the spot. This consistent fairness slowly eroded the last vestiges of An Yuexi's lingering doubt about Lin Feng...
"Hey!! Another skeleton! Ha! This Spatial Ring has some good stuff inside! Looks like it belonged to a Nascent Soul cultivator."
"Haha! Finally found a top-grade spirit artifact! Such an elegant, flexible sword, probably used by a female cultivator? Miss An, this treasure is for you. I'll take the next top-grade spirit artifact we find."
"Mhm, thank you, Young Master Mu..."
Quiet murmurs drifted through the still mountain forest. Their figures flickered among the trees and ruins as they gradually made their way higher, steadily ascending towards the mountain's peak.