Lin Feng groaned as he staggered to his feet, blood dripping from his lips.
"I was... completely careless," he muttered, clutching his side.
Gasps spread across the battlefield.
"What? A Seventh Grade Heaven Realm expert?"
"He's from the Ouyang Family!"
The towering man in black armor sneered, his eyes cold. "How could a mere Xiantian realm cultivator have such a bounty on his head? What a joke."
Lin Feng raised his gaze, his eyes sharp as a blade. "Why would a Seventh Grade Heaven Realm expert sneak attack a Xiantian realm cultivator? Aren't you ashamed?"
"Hehe..." The man chuckled darkly. "Shame? What does that matter—as long as I kill you."
"The Ouyang Family truly knows no honor," Lin Feng said, his tone cutting.
From the onlookers came murmurs of disgust.
"So shameless."
"Even the Ouyang Family stoops this low."
"They'll do anything to kill him."
Someone whispered, "We can't get near the Stone Fruit while they're fighting... We'll be killed instantly if we try."
"Wait until the battle ends," another agreed nervously.
Lin Feng took a deep breath and raised his sword. His battle and sword intents erupted like a storm.
"Let's fight," he said calmly.
He feared no one—not even the heavens themselves.
The ground trembled as his aura surged. The pressure alone blasted nearby disciples away, forming a massive crater beneath his feet.
Even the Seventh Grade expert's expression hardened. For a moment, he felt intimidated.
"Hmph!" the man snorted. "Die!"
He raised his saber high.
Sky Piercing Saber Art – Second Stance!
The air split with a thunderous roar.
Lin Feng responded instantly, his sword flashing.
Azure Sword Art – Fifth Stance!
BOOM!
The explosion sent shockwaves through the valley. Lin Feng was slammed into the ground, carving a crater dozens of meters wide. The Seventh Grade expert stumbled back three steps, a thin line of blood trickling from his lip.
Lin Feng stood again, his chest heaving. "Not bad." He vanished in a blur.
"Azure Sword Art – Kill Any Under Heaven!"
Their blades collided, the force distorting the air.
BANG!
Lin Feng was thrown back two kilometers, crashing through rocks. He looked down and saw cracks spreading across his left arm—his bones were fracturing under the pressure.
Still, he gritted his teeth and charged again.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
The two exchanged over a hundred blows in a storm of flashing steel and roaring qi.
At last, a body was hurled through the air—blood spraying, one arm missing.
Lin Feng crashed into the earth. His breath was ragged, his body trembling. Even with his battle and sword intents unleashed, he was completely suppressed.
"You're really something," the Seventh Grade expert sneered, blood still at the corner of his mouth.
"Boss! Don't die!" Fatty's desperate voice echoed from afar.
Lin Feng's expression darkened. If this continues, I'll be killed.
Then, his eyes flickered toward the glowing Stone Fruit. A risky idea sparked in his mind.
"Sorry, Yang Busi... I have to do this." His voice reached her mind through divine transmission.
"Wait! Don't do something stupid!" she shouted, panic in her tone.
Lin Feng clenched his fist. "Dragon Fist!"
A colossal golden dragon erupted from his strike, its roar shaking the mountains.
"Cheap trick," the expert snarled. "Sky Piercing Saber Art – Sever the Heavens!"
HISS!
The saber slash cut the dragon in half, dispersing its energy.
"Senior Brother, look!" someone screamed.
The expert turned—and froze. Lin Feng was already sprinting toward the Stone Fruit.
"Damn it! That dragon was just a distraction!"
"Stop him! Kill him!"
Lin Feng was only a few meters away when a sudden force flared behind him.
Another Seventh Grade Heaven Realm expert?!
He saw the incoming fist, blazing with killing intent.
If I dodge, I'll lose the Stone Fruit. But if I take it head-on...
He clenched his teeth. I'll take the risk. My recovery ability will keep me alive.
"Boss, no!"
"Lin Feng, don't!" Yang Busi's voice broke with terror.
Everyone held their breath.
BOOM!
The attack landed squarely on his chest. Lin Feng was flung like a broken arrow, blood spraying in midair. He crashed to the ground, the impact shaking the mountain.
"Boss!!" Fatty sprinted toward him, eyes wide with horror.
"Is he dead?"
"The God of Death... is dead?"
Yang Long and Duan Qing exchanged excited looks—until their expressions twisted.
"My inner demon... it's still here," Yang Long muttered, pale.
"Mine too," Duan Qing said, trembling.
Their excitement faded. If Lin Feng were truly dead, the heart demon he'd planted in them would have vanished.
"Wait—what!? He's not dead?!" someone shouted.
The Seventh Grade expert's eyes widened in disbelief. "Impossible! That strike could kill a Ninth Grade expert!"
Lin Feng groaned, forcing himself upright. His body was a bloody mess—both arms gone, a hole through his chest. His qi fluctuated weakly.
Yang Busi's eyes filled with tears. "Why, Lin Feng? Why risk your life just to get the Stone Fruit for me?"
Lin Feng coughed, blood staining his chin. "No... I didn't do it for you."
If not for his reinforced dantian and monstrous body, he would have died instantly.
"Boss, I knew you wouldn't die so easily," Fatty said, half-crying, half-laughing.
"You didn't do it for me... then why?" Yang Busi asked softly.
Lin Feng closed his eyes. "Forget it. Let me recover."
He swallowed a handful of recovery pills and sat cross-legged.
Two hours passed.
"Where's Lin Feng?" someone whispered.
"The Stone Fruit... it must be with him!"
A voice echoed through the valley. "You people are really shameless—attacking me from behind."
"Lin Feng!"
"He's alive!"
"He doesn't look injured at all!"
"What kind of recovery pill did he use?"
"Hmph," the Seventh Grade Ouyang expert sneered. "You're still alive? Hand over the Stone Fruit, or I'll make you wish you weren't."
Lin Feng smirked. "You mean this Stone Fruit?"
He raised it between his fingers. The fruit pulsed with golden light, exuding endless spiritual energy.
"Hand it over, or die!"
Lin Feng smiled faintly. "Come and take it."
Before anyone could react, he tilted his head back and swallowed the Stone Fruit whole.
The entire battlefield fell silent.
Every cultivator stood frozen, eyes wide, as if time itself had stopped.
Even Yang Busi's jaw dropped open. "You... you actually ate it?"