The trio quietly followed Lin Feng. They were clearly experienced at this, tailing him with caution and in no rush to strike. They trailed him through streets and alleys, keeping their distance and waiting for an opportunity.
"Huh?! That guy noticed us again! Go!!"
Suddenly, all three realized Lin Feng ahead had distinctly quickened his pace. Fearing the 'fat sheep' might slip away like last time, the brawny youth hurriedly sped up as well. The three rushed into a narrow alley ahead.
"Uh..."
But when they turned into the alley, they froze simultaneously. They found Lin Feng waiting for them calmly, arms crossed...
The alley was slightly secluded, seemingly rarely frequented, and at that moment, only the four of them were present.
The brawny youth instinctively sensed something amiss, but the thought of giving up on the 'fat sheep' or fleeing was impossible. A fierce glint flashed in his eyes as he barked low, "Take him down!"
He didn't even bother with preliminaries, launching straight into action. As he shouted, he shot towards Lin Feng like an arrow released from the bow. The other two followed half a step behind, all three drawing small, cold-gleaming daggers that shimmered with a chilling light.
"So direct?!"
Their aggression slightly surprised Lin Feng, but he didn't panic. Seeing them charge, his eyes narrowed, and his lowered right hand suddenly swept out. Swish, swish, swish, swish! Four fireballs flew forth.
However, this move didn't frighten them; it was likely expected. The brawny youth leading the charge fiercely stomped the ground, instantly leaping over three meters high. He dodged the two fireballs aimed at him while simultaneously kicking off the right wall, accelerating sharply as he pounced towards Lin Feng!
His two companions weren't slow either, successfully dodging their respective fireballs, though their movements slowed slightly, falling behind.
Whoosh!!
Lin Feng raised his right hand, but no fireball emerged. Instead, a thin streak of cyan light shot out faster than a fireball, aimed at the brawny youth who was mid-air with nowhere to leverage.
Swish… Clang!!
Yet, to Lin Feng's astonishment, the youth didn't dodge at all. Just as the Cyan Swallow Dart was about to strike his face, a layer of golden light suddenly appeared like a shield before him. The dart struck the light and was deflected away!
"A spirit-light defense treasure?! No… it's a Golden Shield Talisman!"
Lin Feng was inwardly startled. He hadn't expected his opponent to possess such a precious talisman. A Golden Shield Talisman was essentially a disposable spirit-light defense treasure, and far more valuable than an offensive talisman of the same grade.
It all happened incredibly fast. The ineffective Cyan Swallow Dart flew back into Lin Feng's sleeve. The golden shield before the brawny youth flickered and vanished, his momentum unbroken as he closed the distance. The dagger in his hand, gleaming faintly gold, stabbed towards Lin Feng's right shoulder!!
The brawny youth didn't intend to kill Lin Feng, only to subdue him quickly, grab his belongings, and flee – something he'd done countless times before, with practiced ease.
Humm…
But just as he thought he was about to succeed, a flash of golden light suddenly filled his vision, and a barrier of light materialized right in front of him!
"Golden Shield Talisman?!" The brawny youth's pupils contracted, but a cold sneer curled his lips. His dagger continued its vicious thrust downwards!
Clang!! Thud!!
However, the expected shattering of the golden light didn't happen. The brawny youth felt a massive force of recoil slam into him. His whole body crashed into the light barrier and was uncontrollably flung backwards!
Whap!!
The brawny youth flew several meters, crashing directly into the two behind him. Caught off guard, the three tumbled into a heap. Scrambling up awkwardly, he gasped in disbelief, "Not a Golden Shield Talisman... a real spirit-light defense treasure!!"
If it had only been a Grade One or Two Golden Shield Talisman, his superior-grade magic dagger should have pierced it. But not only had it failed, he'd been repelled, and the opponent's light barrier hadn't dissipated immediately. This meant it wasn't a disposable talisman like he thought, but a genuine, reusable spirit-light treasure!
A spirit-light defense treasure!! That was a rare treasure even Foundation Establishment cultivators seldom possessed. How could this guy, clearly only at the late Qi Refining stage like himself, have one?! Was he the young master of some great family? Impossible! What young master would go out without a single servant and, not long ago, be 'collecting scraps' at the free market?!
The brawny youth felt his mind fogging, unsure if it was from the fall or the shock. But one thing was crystal clear: this time, they hadn't found a 'fat sheep', they'd kicked an iron plate...
In a fight between Qi Refining cultivators, possessing a spirit-light defense treasure meant near invincibility.
"Quick, let's go... Huh?!"
The brawny youth was decisive, immediately wanting to retreat. But before he could finish speaking, he saw Lin Feng across from him suddenly raise his hand again, firing several streaks of orange light. However, they weren't aimed at him, but at the ground beneath their feet. Instantly, he and his companions felt the ground soften beneath them, turning like quicksand! Their feet sank in and were slowly being pulled down!
"Grade Two Quicksand Talisman!!"
The brawny youth's face paled. He tried desperately to leap out, but several soft whooshing sounds reached his ears. He looked up in horror to see several green streaks of light flying towards them, striking the ground and walls around them!
Sssss… Sssss…
A series of strange, earth-rending sounds followed. Thick green vines erupted wildly from all sides, tightly entangling their arms and legs!
"Grade Two Tangled Vine Talisman!!"
The brawny youth was close to tears, his face etched with despair, his mind nearly frantic. He truly hadn't expected his opponent to possess so many precious Grade Two talismans – was his family running a talisman shop?!
His legs trapped in quicksand, his arms bound by vines, the brawny youth was still reeling from shock when his vision blurred. A figure flashed before him. The dagger in his right hand was wrenched away, and the cold edge pressed against his throat...
"..." Cold sweat trickled down his temple. His pupils contracted violently, and he dared not move a muscle.
"Don't any of you struggle," Lin Feng's icy voice cut through the air, his right hand holding the dagger steady against the leader's neck as he glanced at the other two. "Or I'll turn you into roasted pigs."
The other two, only at Qi Refining fifth and sixth layers, were thoroughly terrified. Seeing their leader subdued, and noticing the fireball talisman Lin Feng seemed ready to activate in his left hand at any moment, they instantly fell silent, staring at Lin Feng with sheer terror.
"B-Big brother... We had eyes but failed to see the truth. We offended you. Please, show mercy, spare our worthless lives..."
The brawny youth, forcing himself to calm down, proved pragmatic. He immediately began groveling and begging for mercy. Regret gnawed at his guts; he never imagined provoking such a formidable person. Now, he could only pray the other party didn't want excessive trouble, otherwise their lives might end right here.
Lin Feng indeed feared trouble. This wasn't outside the city or his own courtyard. Killing here, even if undiscovered, wasn't without risk. Qingyun City had law enforcement patrols. If a killing was discovered and traced back, it meant significant trouble. Plus, it was broad daylight, and Lin Feng had even seen someone peek into the alley moments before, only to flee in fright at the scene. So, killing them wasn't an option. Besides, he had no murderous intent. These men were different from Han Tie or He Yuan he'd killed before; their crimes didn't warrant death.
However, while the death penalty might be avoided, punishment was inevitable. Even if they hadn't intended to kill him, they had intended him harm. A price needed to be paid...
Lin Feng gave the brawny youth a thorough once-over, then reached into his robes, pulling out a spirit stone pouch and a few Grade One/Two disposable talismans. He similarly searched the other two, taking their spirit stones and valuables, pocketing everything.
Being 'robbed' by Lin Feng, the trio dared not resist (nor could they), terrified that saying too much might provoke him into silencing them permanently. They all stared at Lin Feng with pleading eyes.
Lin Feng glanced inside the spirit stone pouch – only about a hundred low-grade spirit stones. He gave a noncommittal smirk. Then, he pulled out a Chain Lightning Talisman and addressed the three before him: "One bolt of lightning each. Consider it a small punishment. If any of you make a sound... I'll char you to ash."
Under their petrified gazes, Lin Feng flicked his right hand. Three thin streaks of purple lightning shot out.
"Mmph!" "Urk!" "Hnngh!"
Three muffled groans, bitten back desperately, sounded almost simultaneously. Their bodies convulsed violently as if electrocuted. Their hair stood on end, and a faint smell of burning began to permeate the air...
A single bolt of Chain Lightning, with them consciously circulating Qi to resist, wasn't fatal. But the sensation was undoubtedly agonizing. Lin Feng surveyed the pitiful, miserable trio with satisfaction, gave a curt nod, turned, and vanished into the depths of the alley...
"B-Boss... he seems to be gone..."
"Oww... Boss, I can't move... help..."
"Damn it! Shut up! Once I recover some strength, I can break free! We're the unluckiest bastards alive, damn it! Ssss..."
Faint echoes of weak, pained, or furious voices drifted in the alley. How these three unlucky fools managed to extricate themselves... was no longer Lin Feng's concern.