In this subterranean space, there was no distinction between day and night. As cultivators, Lin Feng and An Yuexi weren't easily fatigued. They had been searching within the Blue Moon Sect's mountain gate for over ten hours, and their enthusiasm remained undimmed.
Only now was Lin Feng personally experiencing what it meant for a place to be 'strewn with treasures'. After more than ten hours of searching, their gains were countless: spirit stones alone numbered in the tens of millions, and they were almost all Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, with hardly any Low-Grade ones. Furthermore, there were innumerable magical treasures, mostly Spirit Artifacts. Although most were Mid-Grade or High-Grade, their collective value was immense. While Top-Grade Spirit Artifacts were rarer, they had still found several. The problem was that most of these treasures were significantly damaged, with few usable as-is. This, however, was no issue for Lin Feng; he could find materials to repair them after leaving. They had also collected piles of cultivation techniques and spells; even if unusable, they could be sold for substantial profit. Add to that the countless spirit materials for artifact forging and alchemy. Pills, though, were scarce – understandable given the intensity of the ancient battle; usable pills would have been consumed. However, they had found pills unsuitable for combat, like over a dozen Green Beard Pills essential for forming a Golden Core, and even two Nascent Soul Condensing Pills.
In Lin Feng's eyes, the mountain beneath their feet had truly become a 'Treasure Mountain'. Treasures could be buried anywhere, and surprises lurked around every corner.
The closer they got to the summit, the more numerous the ruins of buildings became. Judging by the outlines, these structures had been increasingly grand. Yet, within these ruins, the pair found no particularly special treasures. They did come across ruins that seemed to have been an alchemy hall, but aside from a few scattered, nearly rotten waste pills, there were no usable elixirs. Obvious signs of demon beast plundering were present; clearly, countless scent-drawn beasts had long since ransacked the place. This discovery disappointed Lin Feng greatly.
It wasn't until they found the ruins of a building that appeared to be a storehouse for artifact-forging materials that Lin Feng experienced a surge of excitement. Various forging materials were scattered everywhere like trash, with even more buried underground. Demon beasts had no interest in these things, much to Lin Feng's delight. He dug down three feet, gathering everything. The materials ranged from Grade 3 to Grade 6, with Grades 3 and 4 being most common, and Grades 5 and 6 rarer. This seemed somewhat inadequate for a sect once ranked Grade 7 like the Blue Moon Sect, suggesting it was merely a minor branch's storage depot. Still, Lin Feng was quite satisfied, and his anticipation for the unexplored ruins higher up grew even stronger.
...
"Qiu!!"
Just as Lin Feng and An Yuexi finished searching another patch of ruins and were continuing their ascent, Xiao Qiu, who had been lazily sprawled on Lin Feng's shoulder yawning, suddenly perked up. He sat upright, sniffed the air vigorously, and let out an excited cry.
"Hmm?" Lin Feng stopped walking and turned to look at Xiao Qiu. "What is it? Found something good?"
"Qiu! Qiu!!" Xiao Qiu nodded vigorously, practically vibrating with excitement. He stood on tiptoes, gazing intently towards the upper right, then pointed emphatically in that direction with his paw, as if urging Lin Feng to hurry.
Standing beside Lin Feng, An Yuexi's eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly when she saw the direction Xiao Qiu indicated, a flicker of surprise crossing her features.
Lin Feng shot a subtle glance at An Yuexi before looking towards the indicated direction for a moment. He then turned to her and said, "Xiao Qiu has detected something. Probably a valuable spirit treasure. Let's go check it out."
"Oh... alright..." An Yuexi seemed momentarily taken aback, then nodded in agreement.
They followed the mountain path around to the right. Before long, they arrived before the remnants of a wall, so thoroughly destroyed its original shape was unrecognizable. Near where the entrance must have been, Lin Feng spotted a shattered stone stele. On one fragment, the character for 'Medicine' was faintly discernible.
Lin Feng's face lit up with delight. "It seems this place was likely the Blue Moon Sect's medicinal herb garden!" He spoke eagerly, already stepping inside. The spiritual energy here was noticeably denser than elsewhere. A faint aroma of medicinal herbs hung in the air, and the soil beneath their feet was peculiarly rich – unmistakably Spirit Soil specifically cultivated for growing spirit herbs.
The herb garden was vast, far more complex than a simple meadow. It featured ponds, small hills, groves of trees – diverse environments suggesting it must have once teemed with flourishing spirit herbs. Sadly, the scene before them was one of desolation. As far as the eye could see, weeds dominated, obscuring any trace of the precious herbs that once grew here.
"Qiu... Qiu!!"
Xiao Qiu, perched on Lin Feng's shoulder, emitted two distinct cries in quick succession. The first, calm and focused, indicated the location of the 'good thing' he sensed was within the small grove of trees ahead and to the right. The second cry, however, was sharp and urgent – a warning shriek.
"ROAR!!!"
Simultaneously, a bestial roar erupted from the grove. A flock of startled birds scattered into the sky. A powerful, savage aura surged towards them, causing both Lin Feng and An Yuexi's expressions to shift.
"ROAR...! ROAR...! ROAR!!"
It didn't stop there. Following the first roar from the grove, answering roars bellowed from all directions. Powerful auras bloomed one after another, like crashing waves rolling towards the two figures.
"Th-This... Young Master Mu..." An Yuexi's face paled, her eyes wide with unconcealed fear. She instinctively retreated half a step behind Lin Feng, looking at him with uncertainty.
"As expected, they've gathered here..." Lin Feng's expression also grew serious, but there was little panic. This situation wasn't unexpected. This was the herb garden; naturally, it would attract many demon beasts. Furthermore, the beasts 'residing' here were significantly stronger than those found elsewhere.
What slightly reassured Lin Feng was that although numerous, the strongest beast present was only the Level 4, Class 5 one in the grove. There was also one Level 4, Class 4 beast, one Level 4, Class 2, and several others emitting auras only at the Level 3 range.
"A bit troublesome, but not unmanageable..." A flicker of light passed through Lin Feng's eyes as he spoke words that shocked An Yuexi. Strangely, he seemed to be radiating a hint of excitement.
"Miss An, stay vigilant. I'll handle this," Lin Feng said, seemingly having already formed a plan. He gave An Yuexi a quick smile, then addressed Xiao Qiu on his shoulder. "Xiao Qiu, protect Miss An. Be ready to adapt."
"Qiu!!" Xiao Qiu thumped his little chest in acknowledgment, then leaped onto An Yuexi's shoulder. He waved his paw at Lin Feng, as if cheering him on.
"ROAR!!" At that precise moment, the beast from the grove made the first move. A massive, grey shadow exploded forth like a battering ram. Before its form was even clear, an orange beam of light, swift as a cannonball, blasted towards Lin Feng!
"Heh!" A fierce grin spread across Lin Feng's face, his eyes blazing with battle intent. He kicked off the ground, surging forward. His true essence erupted, forming a shimmering golden shield before him. Simultaneously, he summoned the Crimson Soul Flying Sword with a flick of his wrist.
'Clang!' A clear, resonant sword cry pierced the air as the Crimson Soul Flying Sword, swift as lightning, collided with the orange beam. 'BOOM!' The orange light shattered, scattering like deadly shrapnel that blasted small craters all around. Lin Feng charged through the dissipating energy. A massive black shadow filled his vision. Prepared, he unleashed the punch he'd been gathering power for. His left fist shot forward, erupting in a burst of flame. A colossal fist of fire smashed into the oncoming shadow! Another deafening explosion echoed, and the shadow shrieked in agony as it was sent hurtling backwards. It crashed heavily to the ground, thrashing wildly and flattening a swathe of trees.
"Heh, thick hide or not, the taste of Strange Fire isn't pleasant, is it?" Lin Feng landed lightly on a large rock, watching the beast roll on the ground ahead with a touch of smugness. He finally got a clear look: covered in coarse, brownish-grey fur like a giant bear, but sporting a boar's head. Most horrifying was its mouth, filled with four rows of razor-sharp teeth – a truly terrifying sight.
While assessing the beast, Lin Feng also glanced towards the other directions. He noticed, with a silent chuckle, that the other two Level 4 beasts hadn't emerged. "Heh, looks like when the strongest 'boss' makes a move, the others hold back. Perfect."
"ROAR!!" In the space of those few breaths, the beast, its fur singed in several places, regained its composure. It unleashed a roar of pure, unadulterated fury and charged Lin Feng again.
"Like a big dumb bear... I wonder if it can fly?" A glint flashed in Lin Feng's eye, a mischievous smile playing on his lips. He leaped high into the air, drawing a spare flying sword. He soared upwards just as the beast slammed into the rock he'd been standing on, shattering it to pieces but finding only empty air. Before the beast could locate him again, Lin Feng hovering above it ruthlessly unleashed a net woven of Strange Fire.
The beast wasn't stupid. Having tasted the fire's power, fear flashed unmistakably in its large, bulbous eyes. It twisted its massive body with surprising speed, dodging the net that spanned over ten meters in diameter. But before it could fully regain its balance, a sharp whistling sound came from above! The Crimson Soul Flying Sword slashed down, opening a bloody gash across its back.
"ROAR!!!" Though the wound wasn't deep, the beast howled in disproportionate agony – the sword's Soul Damage effect taking hold. Seizing the moment, Lin Feng sent the net of Strange Fire plunging down again. The beast dodged frantically, barely avoiding it this time, clearly thrown into disarray. As the flying sword and the Strange Fire relentlessly pursued it, the mighty Level 4, Class 5 beast could only scramble wildly in panic.
...
Nearby, An Yuexi watched Lin Feng hovering in the air, seemingly 'toying' with the beast on the ground. She was dumbfounded. She simply couldn't believe that a Level 4, Class 5 demon beast could appear so 'weak', reduced to being helplessly beaten by Lin Feng. It almost overturned her understanding of cultivation.
Of course, Lin Feng's ease stemmed from the overwhelming power of his Crimson Soul Flying Sword and the Strange Fire, coupled with the tactical advantage of aerial combat against a grounded foe. This highlighted the fundamental difference between cultivators and demon beasts. In a direct, brute-force clash, a beast's natural toughness would dominate. But few cultivators, except specialized body refiners, fought that way. Against potent, versatile magical treasures and spells, ordinary demon beasts were naturally outmatched.
The battle continued. The boar-headed beast, likely never having faced a cultivator before, was completely trapped in Lin Feng's rhythm of attack. It couldn't mount any effective counter-offensive. However, its sheer resilience surprised Lin Feng. Despite appearing thoroughly battered and humiliated, it hadn't sustained truly critical injuries.
"ROAR! ROAR!!" After enduring Lin Feng's assault for a while longer, the beast seemed to finally snap. It unleashed a series of furious, guttural roars distinct from its previous cries. Hearing this, Lin Feng's expression in the air tightened.
"ROAR! ROAR! ROAR!!" Sure enough, the next instant, answering roars erupted from all sides. Savage auras surged and began converging rapidly towards their location.
Clearly, the boar-headed beast, seeing the tide turning against it, was calling for reinforcements!
"SCREEEECH!!" As Lin Feng's face darkened, a piercing cry like that of a crane sliced through the air from the distance. A streak of cyan light shot towards him from beyond the trees – a Level 4, Class 2 avian demon beast diving in for an attack!
"Ah!!" A cry escaped An Yuexi in the distance. Her alarm wasn't just due to Lin Feng being assaulted by another Level 4 beast. Simultaneously, she saw three Level 3, Peak Stage beasts burst from the undergrowth on her left, charging directly at her!
"Qiu!!!"
Just as An Yuexi floundered, preparing to defend herself, an excited cry sounded right beside her ear. She saw Xiao Qiu leap from her shoulder. Somehow, the little creature was clutching a glowing spirit stone. Still in mid-air, Xiao Qiu hurled the stone with all his might.
"KA-BOOM!!" An Yuexi's confusion had barely registered when the spirit stone violently exploded. The force unleashed was stronger than her most powerful spell attack! The leading beast was blasted off its feet, crashing to the ground a bloody, mangled ruin, twitching helplessly.
"Qiu! Qiu! Qiu!!" Xiao Qiu landed on a nearby section of broken wall. Another spirit stone materialized in his grasp. Gleefully, he threw it. Then a second. A third...
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!!" Amidst the relentless concussive blasts, the Level 3 beasts attempting to charge met a grim fate. The lighter injuries were torn flesh, the worst resulted in severed limbs or instant death. Not a single beast managed to get close.
"..." An Yuexi stared, utterly speechless. Only now did she truly understand what Lin Feng had meant when he asked Xiao Qiu to protect her...
...
While Lin Feng and An Yuexi were besieged by swarms of demon beasts, within a cloud-shrouded palace complex nestled in a valley over ten miles away...
Two figures hidden within the darkness on opposite sides of the grand hall opened their eyes almost simultaneously. Both held surprise, though one seemed thrilled, while the other radiated a sense of furious shock.
"They've already reached the herb garden?! Hahaha!! Good! Excellent!!" The figure on the left laughed heartily, looking triumphantly across the space. "It seems they truly are descendants of my Blue Moon Sect! Huanfeng, you old traitor, your end is nigh!!"
He finished speaking but received no immediate reply. The figure opposite remained silent, head bowed, seemingly deep in thought.
After a brief, tense silence, the figure on the right suddenly released a low, chilling chuckle: "Kekeke... Do you truly believe... that I am as utterly powerless as you?"
"What?!" The figure on the left stiffened, a wave of dread washing over him.
"Whether my end is near... I cannot say..." The voice from the right grew colder, dripping with malice. "But I do know... that yours... is NOW!! DIE!!"
Giving his opponent no time to react further, the figure on the right suddenly roared! Unprecedented ferocity blazed in his eyes. A terrifying, long-suppressed aura erupted from his body, causing the entire hall to shudder violently! In one swift motion, he raised his hand, unleashing a streak of deep cyan light that shot like a bolt towards the figure across the hall!