"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!…"
An unending chain of explosions rocked the air. Lin Feng vanished completely, swallowed by the chaotic bursts of light. The dim landscape momentarily blazed with unnatural brightness. From afar, it looked like a brilliantly colored firework erupting on the ground.
These elite He family members were well-supplied. The Foundation Establishment cultivators possessed potent third-tier talismans, albeit low-grade ones. Their power surpassed their own spells and conserved vital energy. The three late-stage Qi Refinement cultivators each wielded powerful second-tier chain talismans.
Now, unleashing their payload simultaneously, their concentrated assault submerged Lin Feng entirely. Against such a barrage, even a spirit light defense artifact might not guarantee safety…
He Wenyan, after his earlier Falling Thunder Technique, had judged Lin Feng's shield to be merely peak-grade artifact level. He believed this single volley might be enough to shatter it.
"Huh?! Unbroken?! How?!"
Yet, as the dazzling light subsided, He Wenyan stared in disbelief. At the center of the scorched and cratered ground, a man-sized golden barrier stood firm and unyielding. Inside, Lin Feng was unharmed!
Lin Feng's posture struck He Wenyan as odd. Left hand raised, right hand pressed firmly against it, a blazing ball of fire danced fiercely between his palms.
He Wenyan couldn't possibly know Lin Feng was actively repairing the Spirit Light Gold Talisman! The shield's survival was due to this continuous mending!
This was Lin Feng's first attempt. He hadn't even been sure if simultaneous repair was possible. But faced with imminent death, instinct took over. Thankfully, it worked. Continuous repair had prevented collapse, shielding him completely. However, the intense focus required meant he couldn't counterattack, even under the cover of the blinding explosions.
"Attack! Again!"
Shock warred with urgency in He Wenyan. He roared the command, leading himself. His finger snapped skyward. Another Falling Thunder Technique ripped through the air.
"CRACKLE-BOOM!" A thick violet bolt slammed onto Lin Feng's shield.
"SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!…"
"KRAKOOM! BOOM! BOOM!…"
The terrifying scene repeated. Talismans flared anew. Lin Feng vanished once more in the maelstrom of destructive energy…
…
The golden shield shuddered violently under the relentless assault. Lin Feng gritted his teeth, pouring energy into Repair Art. He held the barrier intact, but despair clawed at him. He knew the truth… he was trapped in a dead end!!
True, he blocked the onslaught now. But he could do nothing else. Stopping repair to charge out would see the shield fail before he escaped, leaving him instantly obliterated.
Even maintaining this defense offered no hope. His true energy was draining… fast!
This was merely delaying the inevitable. When his strength failed, death would follow.
—What to do… What to DO?!
Panic surged like bile. His mind raced, searching for an escape that wouldn't come. Suddenly, his hands felt empty. The repair materials were spent! The shield lurched violently.
His heart lurched with it. Frantically, he pulled another set of materials from his storage ring. Repair Art flared anew, barely stabilizing the faltering barrier. His desperation deepened…
Death? Am I dying here today?
Despite fierce resolve, cold tendrils of despair coiled around his heart, refusing to let go.
No! Impossible! So much unfinished… I CAN'T die!! CAN'T DIE!!
Yet despair battled a towering wave of defiance. He would not yield. His eyes flickered, ignited by savage fury. A primal heat erupted within him, a roar building in his throat.
Unbeknownst to him, his features contorted, fierce and predatory, like a caged beast unleashed by fury.
His gaze snapped down to the flying sword thrust into the ground beside his foot. His eyes burned with a terrifying, unfamiliar intensity—a mix of raw ferocity and desperate madness. Something broke inside him. A torrent of wild, overwhelming power flooded his veins!
"AAAAARRRGGGHHHH!!!"
A roar of pure fury ripped through the cacophony of explosions!
To He Wenyan and his men, it sounded like a scream of agony. Relief washed over them. Lin Feng was breaking! The three Qi Refinement cultivators even paused their assault, panting heavily. Continuous talisman use had drained their energy reserves almost dry.
"SHWOOSH!!!"
But in that moment, the Foundation Establishment mid-stage cultivator positioned north saw it. A streak of silver light shot from the erupting chaos… aimed straight at his heart!
"What?!"
His pupils shrank to pinpricks. Pure terror. Instinct took over. Orange energy surged, forming a hasty shield before him. His left hand jerked up, the broadsword held like a desperate buckler.
His reactions were swift. Yet, in the next heartbeat, the silver light arrived. He watched, utterly horrified, as it pierced his energy shield like paper. It struck the blade of his mid-grade artifact broadsword…
CLANG! … THUD-SPLATCH!
A sharp crack echoed. A chilling sensation pierced his chest. The silver light tore through him, bursting out his back… snuffing his life instantly.
A mid-stage Foundation Establishment shield. A mid-grade artifact broadsword. Low-grade artifact armor beneath his robes. Nothing stopped it. For within that silver light… was a spirit artifact flying sword!!
"SHWOOSH!!!"
The sword, having annihilated its target, curved sharply in mid-air without losing momentum. Like a hunting hawk, it arrowed towards the second Foundation Establishment mid-stage cultivator!
"Flying sword!!"
The sallow-faced man had witnessed his companion's death. Only now, as death sped towards him, did understanding dawn. Boundless terror filled his eyes. He shrieked, dropping his talisman, scrambling backwards in panic.
He twisted sideways, leaping several meters. Useless. The sword tracked him like a bloodhound, impossibly fast.
"NO!!!"
Trapped, he unleashed a final, despairing scream. He summoned every scrap of energy into a desperate shield. His blade lashed out in a frantic parry.
CLANG! … THUNK!
Identical fate. His sword shattered. His shield offered no resistance. The flying sword punched clean through his heart!
The first kill happened amidst the blinding barrage. He Wenyan, facing the opposite direction, heard only the cry. Now, as the light faded, he saw the second man fall… the silver streak piercing him like a needle through cloth.
He Wenyan's mind went blank. A deafening hum filled his skull.
"F-Flying… sword?! No… IMPOSSIBLE!!"
His voice rose to a shriek. His eyes snapped towards the figure revealed as the explosions cleared. Staggering disbelief hit him anew. The golden shield… it still stood! And within it… Lin Feng stood unharmed!
Lin Feng's eyes locked onto He Wenyan. They burned with a terrifying crimson light, radiating pure, undiluted murder.
Lin Feng's right hand snapped out in a vicious slash. The flying sword, fresh from its kill, curved sharply in mid-air. With a piercing shriek, it hurtled like a vengeful comet… straight towards He Wenyan's throat!!