Lin Feng blurred forward like a streak of lightning.
BOOM!
Ouyang Yu's body hit the ground with a sickening thud—his head nowhere to be seen. Blood splattered across the shattered rocks.
Gasps erupted from the crowd.
"Ouyang Yu… he's dead?!"
"He killed him in just three moves!"
"This Lin Feng is a monster in human form!"
Lin Feng landed lightly, his robes fluttering in the wind. His cold gaze swept across the trembling cultivators.
"So," he said calmly, "this herb garden belongs to me. Any objections?"
No one answered. The silence was suffocating. Even those who had been shouting earlier now lowered their heads, afraid to meet his eyes.
Lin Feng turned toward five remaining Ouyang Family disciples. "Are you ready to die?"
Their faces went pale.
"Don't kill us, Lin Feng! You'll regret it!" one of them shouted desperately, pulling out a talisman and infusing it with Qi.
BOOM!
An enormous illusionary figure appeared in the air, radiating the pressure of a high-level cultivator.
"Hmph," the illusionary projection snorted. "How dare you kill members of my Ouyang Family!"
Lin Feng's eyes narrowed. "And who do you think you are?"
He didn't bother with more words. His sword flashed.
Azure Sword Art — Kill Any Under Heaven!
A brilliant sword light erupted, slicing through the sky with unstoppable momentum.
"Hmph!" The illusionary figure roared and threw a punch.
Great Fist of Devastation!
The collision shook the entire valley. Wind howled, and spiritual energy erupted like a storm. The sword light cleaved through the fist shadow and continued on, shredding everything in its path.
The illusionary figure flickered, grew faint, and finally dissipated into nothing.
---
Somewhere else in the secret realm, far away—
A young man meditating suddenly coughed up blood. His aura became unstable.
"Damn it!" he roared. "That talisman was linked to me! How dare he destroy it—he's strong… too strong! That sword strike carried power equal to my full strength. I need to recover before I face him."
With a flash of light, his figure vanished into the distance.
---
Back in the herb garden, the remaining Ouyang disciples were trembling uncontrollably. Their last hope had just been obliterated.
"Senior Brother Lin Feng! We're willing to serve you! Please, don't kill us!" they pleaded, dropping to their knees.
Lin Feng's expression remained cold. "I don't need trash like you."
He raised his palm.
Cloud Palm — Splitting the Sky!
A massive palm of condensed energy appeared in the air, blotting out the sun as it descended. The disciples screamed, their bodies frozen in terror.
BOOM!
The ground exploded. When the dust settled, only a deep crater remained — and bits of flesh scattered across the shattered earth.
Lin Feng descended calmly, brushing imaginary dust from his sleeve. "Weaklings."
He walked into the herb garden, his divine sense scanning through every inch. Spirit herbs glowed in every color imaginable — azure leaves, golden roots, and purple petals thrumming with life. He quickly gathered the most valuable ones and stored them in his spatial ring.
Moments later, he stepped out.
"You're all free to collect what's left," he said casually before turning into a golden streak of light and vanishing.
The onlookers were stunned.
"He's… actually generous?"
"Let's hurry! Before someone else gets them!"
Within breaths, they rushed inside — only to stop dead moments later.
"F*ck you, Lin Feng!"
"He looted everything!"
"There's not a single herb left!"
"Damn it, he played us!"
Their curses echoed through the valley as Lin Feng disappeared into the distance, smirking faintly.
---
Within hours, another rumor spread through the secret realm:
"Lin Feng looted an entire herb garden filled with Grade Three and Grade Four herbs—and he still has ten Nine Solar Pills!"
Cultivators everywhere were stirred into a frenzy.
Soon after—
SPLAT!
Blood stained the rocks as Lin Feng wiped his blade clean. "You people really don't know when to stop."
He vanished again, leaving behind a pile of corpses. Dozens had already tried to ambush him for his treasures — all had perished.
"Hmph. Let me find a quiet place to cultivate for now. I still haven't located the ginseng herb I'm looking for," Lin Feng muttered before disappearing into the mist.
---
Four days later…
Inside a secluded cave, Lin Feng slowly opened his eyes. His aura surged violently before calming into a steady, deep rhythm.
"I've finally reached the sixth-grade Xiantian Realm," he murmured. "Even after consuming so many Grade Four pills, it's becoming harder to advance."
He stood and looked toward the light filtering into the cave. "Today's the last day in the secret realm. I need to find the ginseng herb before I leave."
As he stepped out, voices from afar reached his ears.
"I heard a Grade Five herb is about to emerge!"
"All the top powerhouses have gathered there already!"
"A Grade Five herb can be used to concoct a Grade Five pill!"
"No wonder everyone's fighting for it — it's been over ten years since anyone's made a Grade Five pill!"
Lin Feng's eyes lit up. "Could it be… the ginseng herb I'm searching for? If it's truly a Grade Five herb, things are about to get interesting."
---
At the center of the secret realm, countless cultivators filled the sky. The air shimmered with Qi, and killing intent hung thick like fog.
"The Ouyang Family will claim this herb!" a disciple shouted.
"With your weak strength? Keep dreaming!" another mocked.
Lin Feng arrived silently, sword in hand, his presence calm but suffocating.
"This place is lively," he said lightly.
The crowd stirred.
"It's him—the God of Death!"
"Lin Feng actually showed up!"
The leading disciple of the Ouyang Family glared coldly. "You have the guts to come here? You must be tired of living."
Lin Feng smiled faintly. "It seems killing half of your disciples wasn't enough. Do you want me to finish the rest?"
"You—!" The man trembled with fury but restrained himself. The Grade Five herb was too important to risk. "I'll kill you next time we meet."
"There might not be a next time," Lin Feng replied with a smirk.
Before more could be said, another voice shouted, "He's the one who killed our Martial Sect disciples!"
The ground suddenly rumbled.
BOOM! BOOM!
A blinding golden light erupted as five Grade Five herbs burst from the earth, floating in midair surrounded by radiant halos of energy.
"My heavens—it's a ten-thousand-year-old ginseng herb!"
"And there are five of them!"
Everyone's eyes turned blood-red with greed.
"The Ouyang Family will take them all!"
"The ginseng herbs are mine!"
"Attack!"
The battle exploded in chaos. Energy waves clashed, swords sang, and the air was filled with explosions.
Lin Feng's eyes narrowed. "It's the ginseng herb I've been searching for."
He vanished from his spot.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
In a blur of motion, he appeared directly in front of the herbs, snatched all five, and sealed them inside his spatial ring.
When the dust settled, everyone froze.
Hundreds of cultivators turned their heads toward one man — Lin Feng, standing calmly amidst the chaos, holding his sword.