"Screeech!!!"
A shrill, piercing cry tore through the sky as the Rank 4, Tier 2 avian demon beast, its right wing pierced by the Demon Light Ring, plummeted from the air. Before it could steady itself, a fiery net surged from below, enveloping it completely.
"ROOOAAR!!!"
Several bestial roars erupted from the ground as multicolored beams of light shot toward Lin Feng in mid-air. With preternatural agility, he weaved left and right, deflecting unavoidable strikes with his Crimson Soul Flying Sword or blocking them with a shimmering spiritual shield. Though he appeared flustered, he remained unscathed.
The avian demon beast writhed in the air, emitting a series of ear-splitting shrieks. Yet no matter how fiercely it radiated green light to repel the flames, the Molten Rock Fire clung like maggots in the bone. Wisps of black smoke curled from the blaze, carrying the stench of charred flesh. Gradually, its cries grew weaker...
By the time the flaming mass crashed into the forest, the azure bird demon beast had fallen silent. When Lin Feng recalled the Molten Rock Fire, only a charred, unrecognizable corpse remained on the ground.
The moment the beast died, the horde of demons below fell eerily quiet. Attacks ceased as terror-filled eyes locked onto Lin Feng, now hovering amid his strange flames. Many beasts crouched low, whining softly as they began retreating step by step.
Though savage, demon beasts were neither mad nor foolish. When facing an unbeatable foe, they knew to flee and preserve their lives.
"SQUEAK!!!"
Surprisingly, the first to flee was the Rank 4, Tier 4 Wood-attribute beast—a spirit monkey-like creature utterly suppressed by the Molten Rock Fire. Throughout the battle, it had only dared to ambush Lin Feng a few times, each attempt thwarted by the flames. Clearly the cleverest of the pack, its eyes darted shrewdly after the azure bird's death. With a final screech, it vanished into the forest depths.
Its escape triggered a stampede. The remaining beasts scrambled away in panic, faster than they had arrived, disappearing within moments.
Even the mightiest—a Rank 4, Tier 5 boar-headed beast—fled with the horde. It bore the worst injuries, driven nearly to collapse by Lin Feng's assaults. Though Lin Feng could have slain it with effort—albeit at some risk—he chose to let it go.
"Haaah…"
Only when the last beast vanished did Lin Feng's tense expression ease. He exhaled deeply, swallowed two Recovery Pills, then retracted his flames and flying sword before descending.
The battle had been grueling, draining him beyond measure. He'd even consumed two drops of precious Spirit Spring Water to endure. An ordinary perfected Golden Core cultivator—or even an early-stage Nascent Soul expert—might not have survived this, he reflected grimly.
"Chirp!"
The moment Lin Feng landed, Xiaoqiu zipped onto his shoulder, bouncing excitedly with a spirit stone clutched in its paws as if boasting of its valor.
"Well done," Lin Feng chuckled, ruffling its head. During the aerial fight, he'd glimpsed Xiaoqiu single-handedly—well, single-pawedly—holding off a pack of Rank 3 demons. Not only had it performed admirably, but tossing so many spirit stone grenades without tiring hinted at newfound strength.
Turning to An Xiyue, he said, "The beasts won't return soon. Let's scour this area for spirit herbs."
"Ah? Oh... yes."
An Xiyue seemed dazed, still reeling from the battle's intensity. She nodded absently, struggling to process how thoroughly she'd underestimated Lin Feng—and even his "pet."
"Earth Spirit Polygonum? Hah! Excellent!"
Guided by Xiaoqiu, Lin Feng unearthed a near-mature Rank 4 spirit herb from the boar-headed beast's grove, claiming it without hesitation.
"Just one Rank 4 herb guarded by a Rank 4, Tier 5 beast?"
Disappointment soon followed. The grove yielded little else—no trace of the Rank 5 herbs he'd hoped for. This garden lay abandoned for three millennia. Any valuable herbs were likely plundered long ago by invaders or beasts. What remains are regrown sprouts—Rank 4 is probably the highest tier left.
"Xiaoqiu, let's search elsewhere."
Just as Lin Feng prepared to raid the spirit monkey's territory—
"BOOM!!!"
An earth-shattering explosion erupted without warning. The entire mountain trembled violently as the air hummed like a plucked bowstring. It felt as if the sky itself quaked—
No. Not the sky.
The grand array sustaining this pocket dimension was shaking!
"What's happening?!"
Lin Feng's face paled as he whirled toward the blast's origin. Beyond the mountain, clouds churned violently above a valley, pulsing with unnatural energy...
He glanced at An Xiyue. Her face drained of color, yet her gaze held more than shock—recognition.
"Lady An," Lin Feng's voice sharpened, "do you know something?"
"I... I…"
An Xiyue stiffened, biting her lip lightly as hesitation flickered across her face.
Lin Feng's eyes hardened. "Do you still distrust me? What else have you hidden?"
After a weighted silence, she sighed. "Forgive me, Wood Young Master. I didn't mean—"
"Enough excuses," he cut in. "Tell me what lies in that valley. Something feels... wrong."
"...Very well." She met his gaze squarely. "I possess some knowledge of Blue Moon Sect's layout. I knew of this herb garden's location... and that valley is a forbidden zone. It's also our primary target—because there lies the core of this grand array!"
"Oh?" Lin Feng's brow arched as understanding dawned. "You mean..."
"Yes," she confirmed. "Control the core, and you control the array. More crucially, legends say the sect leader activated the array here when the sect fell. His remains—and treasures—likely rest within."
Lin Feng's eyes blazed with excitement. A seventh-rank sect leader's hoard would be priceless! And if An Xiyue's tale of a divine artifact held truth...
"Then why wait? Let's move!"
Bypassing her secrecy, Lin Feng shot toward the valley on his flying sword. Relief washed over An Xiyue as she followed—her fate now bound to his.
"Lady An," Lin Feng called over the wind, "if that's the array's heart, what caused that tremor?"
"I don't know," she admitted. "Could the array be failing from age?"
"Possibly..." Unease prickled Lin Feng's spine as the valley loomed. "But that quake felt too abrupt. Almost... deliberate."
"KABOOOM!!!"
Before he finished, an even louder explosion rocked the world. Below them, azure and sapphire light erupted through the mist, shredding clouds to reveal a crumbling palace. Simultaneously, two overwhelming auras engulfed the mountain!
"PEOPLE?!"
Lin Feng's face turned deathly white, his soul near-fleeing his body. He never imagined encountering other cultivators here—let alone two of such terrifying power!
"Aah!"
Beside him, An Xiyue shrieked as the pressure struck. Staggering, she nearly fell from her sword.
"RUN!!"
Terror seizing him, Lin Feng grabbed her wrist and poured spiritual energy into his sword—
"Hahaha! Fleeing? COME DOWN!!"
A sinister voice rang out. Before Lin Feng could react, an irresistible force paralyzed him. Helpless, he and An Xiyue plunged toward the ruins below.