Li Sha had no idea that he was now viewed by Lin Feng as a giant pile of spirit stones. His murderous intent towards the group was already solidified. He secretly channeled his true essence and shot a meaningful glance at the yellow-clad man beside him, signaling him to get ready to attack and ensure no one escaped. To him, the group opposite were lambs ready for slaughter. He alone was more than enough to handle them. The yellow-clad man only needed to prevent anyone from fleeing in the chaos. Kill them, take their belongings, and leave – he'd done this countless times; it was second nature.
The yellow-clad man understood. He slowly distanced himself from Li Sha, circling around to the other side of the group, his predatory gaze sweeping over them. Seeing their movements, Long Chengkong and the others felt their hearts clench, their tension skyrocketing.
"Brother Long, and Zhang Fangzhou, you three – take care of that yellow-clad man. If he proves difficult, just stall him for now. I'll deal with this Li Sha first, then come help you." At that moment, Lin Feng's calm voice sounded softly in everyone's ears. Upon hearing his words, they were all stunned, turning incredulous eyes towards Lin Feng. Only then did they notice the complete absence of fear on his face. If anything, he seemed… excited?
A strange light flickered in Long Chengkong's eyes. He recalled Lin Feng effortlessly killing that Level 2 spirit beast. A sliver of hope surged within him. However, he also remembered Li Sha identifying Lin Feng as only Foundation Establishment, First Layer. Worry surfaced, and he cautioned, "Brother Lin, rumors say Li Sha has reached Foundation Establishment, Ninth Layer! Be careful!" "Hmm, thanks for the warning." Lin Feng nodded. He then flipped his hand, producing a stack of over a dozen various Level 2 Chaining Talismans, which he handed to Zhang Fangzhou. "That guy is likely mid Foundation Establishment. Be careful, all of you. Stay on the periphery and attack with talismans. Don't hold back – hit him with everything you've got! But… make sure you don't completely exhaust any single talisman. Stop using it when it has one or two charges left and switch to a new one." "..." Watching Lin Feng turn and stride directly towards Li Sha after speaking, Zhang Fangzhou, still holding the stack of talismans, was momentarily stunned, trying to process Lin Feng's unexpected actions and words.
…
"A mere Foundation Establishment, First Layer brat, yet so insolent!! Seeking death!!" Opposite them, Li Sha, with his keen hearing, had clearly overheard Lin Feng's words. Fury surged within him. With a vicious sneer, he suddenly raised his right hand. Golden light shimmered around it, and a bolt of light, thick as an arm, shot like an arrow towards Lin Feng! Not a talisman. This was a Metal-elemental attack technique! Metal possessed the strongest offensive power among the seven elements. The golden bolt shot forth, accompanied by a faint, metallic ringing like sword song. In the blink of an eye, it crossed dozens of meters, aiming straight for Lin Feng's face! Lin Feng didn't even make a move to dodge. Li Sha inwardly sneered, believing his opponent hadn't even had time to react and would surely be obliterated by this single strike. Even Long Chengkong and the others paled at the sight. But before they could cry out in alarm, a flash of golden light erupted around Lin Feng, instantly forming a golden barrier around him!
BOOM! A loud explosion echoed as the incoming golden light detonated right in front of Lin Feng. The barrier merely flickered slightly. Inside, Lin Feng remained completely unharmed! "A Spirit Light defense treasure!!" Li Sha's eyes narrowed sharply, a wave of surprise hitting him internally. Long Chengkong and the others, however, heaved a huge sigh of relief, finally remembering that Lin Feng possessed such a powerful defensive treasure. He'd apparently used it to block the attacks of that Level 2 Giant Bear spirit beast before. "Hmph!" It's only polite to return the favour. Lin Feng snorted lightly. His right hand rose, now holding a Level 2 Chaining Purple Lightning Talisman. With four soft SWISH! SWISH! SWISH! SWISH! sounds, four bolts of purple lightning, each thick as an arm, shot towards Li Sha. A mere Foundation Establishment, First Layer cultivator possessing a precious Spirit Light defense treasure was unexpected for Li Sha. Though startled, he didn't panic. Seeing the four purple lightning bolts streak towards him, he tapped his foot, dodging the two on his right. Simultaneously, golden light flashed before him as a spirit light barrier manifested, successfully blocking the other two bolts. Projecting true essence externally to condense ambient spiritual energy into a defense wasn't difficult for him at the late Foundation Establishment stage. Its effect was identical to that of a Spirit Light defense treasure. "Seems you have some background. No wonder you're so arrogant. But… you think relying on one Spirit Light treasure and a few talismans can beat me? Wishful thinking!" Watching Lin Feng actually charge towards him, Li Sha inwardly scoffed. His foot slammed down, propelling him forward in a matching rush. His right hand blurred, and in an instant, a golden chain-linked broadsword shimmering with light appeared in his grip! SWISH! SWISH! Two slashes cleaved through the air, actually dispersing two incoming purple lightning bolts! Then, raising the broadsword high, he brought it crashing down towards the top of Lin Feng's head!
CLANG!!! A resounding clash of metal rang out. The blade was blocked by the spirit light barrier before Lin Feng. However, the barrier itself trembled violently, visibly dimming a fraction. "A top-grade magic treasure!!" Lin Feng's understanding of artifacts and magic treasures was now quite proficient. He instantly recognized that the weapon his opponent wielded was a top-grade magic treasure, in no way inferior to the purple longsword He Wenyang had once used. SWISH! CLANG!! Moreover, after his strike was blocked, Li Sha showed no pause in his movements whatsoever. He effortlessly dissipated the recoil force. Right in front of Lin Feng, he spun and delivered another diagonal slash against the spirit light barrier! Li Sha's intention was clear: forcefully shatter this spirit light barrier! — So what if it's a Spirit Light defense treasure?! It's just a harder turtle shell! Once its energy is exhausted, it's your death!
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! In the span of a breath, Li Sha launched several more attacks. His movements were so fast they produced afterimages; it was as if several people were attacking Lin Feng simultaneously. Lin Feng, however, seemed 'frozen in fear,' just standing there stupidly, taking the hits. …
"We go now!!" On the other side, as Lin Feng and Li Sha engaged, a fierce light also flashed in Long Chengkong's eyes. With a low shout, he charged towards the yellow-clad man first. Zhang Fangzhou had initially wanted to share some of his talismans with Long Chengkong. He hesitated for only a split second before gritting his teeth. "Damn it! All or nothing! We'll blast him to death!!" Heeding Lin Feng's words, he distributed a few talismans to Yao Wangtian and Xu Rong. The three of them then rushed out close behind Long Chengkong, immediately activating their talismans. Instantly, a barrage of various spiritual energy attacks rained down towards their enemy. "Hmph!! Seeking death!!" The yellow-clad man snorted coldly. His right hand blurred, an orange shortsword appearing in his grasp. At the same time, his true essence surged within him. A layer of orange radiance immediately manifested around his body. Without retreating an inch, he charged straight towards Long Chengkong! Most of the incoming spiritual energy attacks were dodged; the few that landed on him were blocked by the orange radiance. Earth-elemental cultivators were renowned for their defense. The spirit light barrier he formed by projecting his true essence easily withstood the attacks of Level 2 talismans. And now, with his true essence fully unleashed, the power he displayed was Foundation Establishment, Fourth Layer!
…
Li Sha had unleashed over a dozen attacks in rapid succession without pause. He could already perceive that the spirit light barrier before him had dimmed by a small third. At this rate, it wouldn't be long before he shattered it. What puzzled him slightly, however, was that despite attacking so many times, his opponent hadn't launched a single counterattack—was he truly terrified stiff? "Had enough hacking? My turn…" Just as Li Sha was pondering this, Lin Feng's calm voice suddenly sounded right in front of him. Then, he saw a flash of silver light pierce out from within the barrier, stabbing straight for his throat! Li Sha's gaze sharpened, but he was already prepared. His foot slid back, easily evading Lin Feng's thrust. Simultaneously, his broadsword swept out, delivering another blow against the barrier. Truthfully, if Lin Feng attacked using his flying sword via sword flight rather than holding it, killing Li Sha would likely be easy. However, the flying sword was his ultimate trump card, not something he wished to reveal lightly, especially with others present. Additionally, since he had a free practice target, he wanted to properly accumulate combat experience and hone his fighting skills. SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!… Within the barrier, Lin Feng's flying sword lashed out repeatedly, yet each strike was deftly dodged by his opponent. Meanwhile, the barrier continued to take hit after hit, its glow growing increasingly faint. Lin Feng couldn't help but frown slightly. He had observed for so long before attacking precisely to adapt to his opponent's assault pattern. Yet, upon striking, he realized the opponent's speed still exceeded his expectations; he couldn't even touch him. "The gap in cultivation level is simply too vast. Whether it's speed, strength, or the depth and endurance of true essence, I'm no match for him…" Consecutive failed attacks inevitably brought a wave of discouragement. Lin Feng understood that he was only holding his ground thanks to the advantage of his equipment. Otherwise, he would have been killed long ago. If I can't hit his body, then… Lin Feng pondered silently, a glint flashing in his eyes. His flying sword lashed out once more, but this time, not towards Li Sha himself, but aimed at the broadsword descending towards him!
CLANG! A crisp clash of metal rang out. This time, the broadsword didn't land on the barrier;