"Scree!!"
A shrill shriek pierced the air as a fire-tailed scorpion had one massive claw severed by Lin Feng's sword. The blade then split its skull. The creature crashed to the ground, utterly still, devoid of life.
Lin Feng deftly patted the fire-tailed scorpion's carcass, storing it away in his storage ring.
He scanned the surroundings. Seeing no other demon beasts, his expression relaxed slightly. Instead of pressing forward immediately, he moved to a large boulder nearby and sat down for a brief rest.
Around him, in the dim cave, multiple battle scars and splashes of blood stained the ground. Moments before, he had consecutively slain four Tier 1 fire-tailed scorpions, collecting their corpses.
He had been traversing the Seven Peaks Forest for most of the day. Along the way, he had encountered over ten Tier 1 demon beasts, mostly mid or late stage. Seeing a lone cultivator, nearly all had chosen to attack. The result? They all became casualties beneath Lin Feng's flying sword.
Vastly different from his initial, clumsy encounters with demon beasts, Lin Feng now dispatched these Tier 1 creatures with almost no effort—they couldn't breach the defensive shield of his top-grade magic tool, nor could they withstand the sharpness of his spirit tool flying sword.
Therefore, his method of dealing with the beasts had been almost identical throughout his journey: when a beast lunged to attack, it would be blocked by the spirit light defensive shield. Then, his flying sword would sweep out, cutting down the opponent like chopping melons and vegetables.
——Before a spirit tool, Tier 1 and 2 demon beasts were truly insignificant.
Lin Feng hadn't entered the Seven Peaks Forest aimlessly. The cave he currently occupied was the very one he had explored back then with Zheng Kai and the others. He stood precisely where He Yuan had been killed.
His reason for returning was He Yuan's mention of a Foundation Establishment cultivator dying deeper inside. He hadn't found that cultivator's belongings in He Yuan's storage ring. That meant the corpse should still be here. He wanted to see if anything valuable remained.
In the cultivation world, there was no such taboo as "it's bad to profit from the dead." In reality, searching for the possessions of fallen cultivators in various perilous locations was a pursuit many specialized in. Sometimes, the gains far exceeded those from hunting demon beasts or gathering heavenly materials and earthly treasures in the same area.
Although Lin Feng and his group had cleared the fire-tailed scorpions from this section of the cave back then, over time, others had moved in. Their numbers were sparse, however. From the entrance he originally used to this spot where he'd fought He Yuan, Lin Feng had encountered only four Tier 1 fire-tailed scorpions.
...
After resting for a moment, Lin Feng repaired his slightly damaged Spirit Light Gold Talisman before proceeding deeper.
After advancing only about thirty meters, Lin Feng saw the first corpse—or rather, "skeleton" was more apt. The flesh had been completely devoured by demon beasts, leaving only fragmented bones scattered.
Truly a pitiful end—dead without a burial place and without a whole body. Such was the harsh reality of the cultivation world. Lin Feng sighed inwardly. He casually took out a Fireball Talisman, ignited a flame, and burned the skeleton to ashes. From the ashes, he retrieved three mid-grade magic tools, then continued onward.
Advancing another forty or fifty meters, Lin Feng arrived at a fork in the cave path. He Yuan had mentioned this too. Lin Feng examined it carefully. He spotted a faint glimmer of light and sensed airflow from the left passage; likely the route to another entrance. The other passage, dark and yawning like a giant maw ready to swallow prey, led deeper inside.
Lin Feng fastened the Spirit Light Gold Talisman to his wrist, activating its power. Shrouded in golden light, he advanced cautiously down the right-hand path. His right hand gripped his flying sword tightly, prepared for any beast that might emerge.
The light emitted by the spirit light shield illuminated a few meters around him. Like a beacon, Lin Feng moved carefully through the tunnel. Strangely, he encountered no signs of fire-tailed scorpions along the way. After advancing roughly another hundred meters, he finally discovered two more shattered human skeletons and, surprisingly, three fire-tailed scorpion carcasses.
One of the scorpion carcasses was even larger than the one they had collectively slain before—likely a Tier 2 mid-stage fire-tailed scorpion. A large broadsword was embedded in its head. Beside it lay a human skeleton, seemingly crushed to death by the beast's massive claws—probably the Foundation Establishment Stage 3 cultivator He Yuan had mentioned.
The fact these corpses remained indicated no one had ventured here since his last departure. Holding his breath against the stench, Lin Feng tossed several fireballs. Moments later, most of the scorpion carcasses turned to ash, leaving only their toughest, unburnt parts—materials useful for artifact forging—which he collected. Additionally, he harvested three demon cores.
After burning the two cultivator skeletons, Lin Feng retrieved several magic tools. To his disappointment, even the Foundation Establishment Stage 3 cultivator only possessed items up to the level of a low-grade treasure tool broadsword. He didn't even have a storage ring, only a spirit stone pouch containing a little over two hundred low-grade spirit stones—far less than He Yuan had carried.
"Crack!!"
Just as Lin Feng was examining the spirit stone pouch, an abrupt, shattering sound echoed through the silent cave. Lin Feng's expression sharpened. Alert, he looked up—
A fire-tailed scorpion burst through the ceiling directly above! Its two massive claws snapped towards him from left and right! Its gaping maw, lined with sharp teeth, reeked of decay as it lunged for his head!
"Thump!!"
However, though the scorpion's 'ambush' was undeniably unexpected, the spirit light shield surrounding Lin Feng was no mere decoration. Even though he couldn't dodge in time, the attack struck only the shield. Amidst a dull thud, Lin Feng remained unharmed, while the scorpion was thrown backward by the recoil.
"Swoosh… Scree!!!"
Though unscathed, Lin Feng was startled. His reaction, however, wasn't slow. His flying sword flashed out, piercing clean through the scorpion before him.
"Crack… Crack…"
Simultaneously, the sounds of earth cracking came from both his left and right sides. Two more fire-tailed scorpions launched surprise attacks! The one on his left, the moment it emerged, fired a basketball-sized fireball from its massive tail!
——Lin Feng had just been wondering why there were no scorpions here. Turns out these creatures knew how to hide and ambush!
"Tier 2 early stage!!"
Seeing the fireball launched by the scorpion on his left, Lin Feng's pupils constricted sharply. This scorpion was roughly the same size as the one they had fought before—likely Tier 2 early stage, equivalent to an early Foundation Establishment cultivator.
This was the first Tier 2 demon beast Lin Feng had encountered on this journey. Instinctive fear flashed through him. But then, his expression solidified. A fierce, resolute glint shone in his eyes. Instead of retreating, he pushed off the ground with his foot—charging straight towards the Tier 2 fire-tailed scorpion!
"Boom!"
The incoming fireball slammed into the spirit light shield, exploding into sparks. The pounce from the scorpion on his right missed due to his sudden movement. However, the Tier 2 scorpion was already upon him! Its massive claws descended like giant hammers, whistling through the air!
"Clang! Clang!!"
The two claws hammered onto the light shield, producing metallic clangs! Astonishingly, the shield visibly deformed under the impact—two distinct 'indentations' appeared, and the entire shield rippled violently, as if on the verge of shattering!