The battle between Lin Feng and Li Sha had lasted several minutes. During this time, the other fight hadn't stopped either.
To Yang Ge and the group of ordinary people watching, the chaotic melee involving Long Chengkong, Zhang Fangzhou, and others seemed even more intense and 'spectacular' than the duel elsewhere…
The yellow-robed man was two cultivation layers higher than Long Chengkong, including a significant gap between the third and fourth layers—essentially the divide between early and mid-stage Foundation Building. In a true one-on-one fight, Long Chengkong would have been utterly outmatched.
Fortunately, Long Chengkong wasn't alone. The 'fire support' from Zhang Fangzhou and his brothers proved crucial, forcing the battle into a stalemate.
At the critical moment of Lin Feng's battle—precisely when Li Sha consumed the Exploding Yuan Pill—the terrifying aura that erupted caused everyone on this side to pale with shock. Their movements slowed slightly.
When the yellow-robed man managed a frantic glance over his shoulder, he witnessed Li Sha charging fiercely towards Lin Feng... only to be obliterated in the next instant by a sudden, cataclysmic bolt of violet lightning striking down from the heavens.
In that split second, the yellow-robed man's mind reeled. Consumed by sheer terror, his immediate instinct was to flee! He didn't fully grasp what had happened over there, but if even Li Sha had fallen, his own fate would be sealed if he stayed!
At that exact moment, Xu Rong—his strength only at Qi Refining sixth layer—faltered. His true qi, depleted from continuously activating talismans, caused his attacks to stutter.
Seizing the opportunity, a ruthless glint flashed in the yellow-robed man's eyes. He deliberately took a glancing blow from Long Chengkong's sweeping spear, using the momentum to forcefully shove his opponent back. Instead of pressing the attack, he pivoted, his foot driving him forward like a coiled spring released, lunging straight towards Xu Rong!
"Perish!!"
His cold snarl cut through the air as his short blade slashed horizontally.
Xu Rong, far too weak, couldn't even track the movement clearly. By the time he realized the danger and tried to dodge, it was far too late!
"Whoosh!"
Suddenly, a figure streaked in like the wind from the side. It only had time to shove Xu Rong clear… leaving itself fully exposed to the descending blade.
It was Zhang Fangzhou!
"Swish!!"
Blade light flashed. Blood sprayed. Zhang Fangzhou had saved Xu Rong, but couldn't evade himself. A deep, bone-revealing gash split his right shoulder!
"Aaaah!!"
"Boss!"
"Boss!!"
Zhang Fangzhou's agonized scream tore out, echoed by Xu Rong and Yao Wangtian's horrified cries.
They saw the yellow-robed man's momentum never falter. As he rushed past Zhang Fangzhou, his second slash was already arcing downwards towards Zhang's neck!
Yao Wangtian, who had been right behind Zhang Fangzhou, saw red. With a bellow of fury, he threw himself forward, trying to intercept.
The yellow-robed man didn't even turn his head. His left hand snapped backwards like a whip, palm striking Yao Wangtian squarely in the chest. The difference in power was overwhelming. Yao Wangtian was flung backwards like a ragdoll, a spray of blood painting the air crimson before he crashed down.
Having swept Yao Wangtian aside, the yellow-robed man's right hand continued its lethal descent unimpeded. The short blade descended, poised to sever Zhang Fangzhou's head…
"Zheng…!"
At the critical moment, a piercing metallic hum sliced through the air, arriving impossibly fast.
Clang!
The blade, mere inches from Zhang Fangzhou's neck, was violently struck by a streak of silver light shooting in diagonally. It wrenched free from the yellow-robed man's grip, spinning away to clatter on the ground!
"What?!"
The yellow-robed man's eyes bulged. A colossal force had slammed into his blade, tearing it from his hand.
Before the shock could fully register, terror seized him completely. The streak of silver light that had knocked his blade away didn't continue its trajectory. Instead, it performed an impossible mid-air twist right before his eyes.
Then he felt a chilling sensation at his throat…
Then... there was nothing.
…
Time seemed frozen. Yang Ge and the other bystanders stood utterly dumbfounded. Long Chengkong and the others were momentarily stunned into paralysis.
They could only watch, transfixed, as the yellow-robed man's headless corpse crumpled to the ground, his head rolling away separately.
Their gazes lifted slowly, locking onto the slender, gleaming silver longsword hovering silently in the air...
"Zheng…"
The flying sword trembled faintly, its point gleaming. It hung suspended for two heartbeats… then seemed to lose all power. It plummeted downwards, embedding itself point-first into the earth with a soft thunk.
"F-f-flying… Flying Sword!! Aaah!!"
Zhang Fangzhou stared dumbly at the sword hilt protruding from the dirt beside him, his voice a stuttering rasp. Then, his face contorted in fresh agony, and he clutched his mangled shoulder, a fresh wave of pain-induced screams tearing from his throat.
"Boss!!"
His cry snapped the others out of their daze. Xu Rong yelled, scrambling forward to support him. "Are you alright?!"
Long Chengkong, finally regaining his senses, saw Lin Feng walking towards them, one hand pressed against his own chest. His voice was thick with disbelief. "Lin… Lin Feng… Was that you just now…"
Lin Feng's face was noticeably pale. He waved his free hand weakly. "Save the questions for later. Tend to the wounded first… Go check on Zhang Fangzhou and Yao Wangtian…"
Without waiting for a response, he sank down cross-legged onto the ground. He pulled out a spirit stone, gripping it tightly, and immediately began circulating his energy to meditate and recover.
"…"
Long Chengkong hesitated briefly, then snapped into action. A complex, unreadable expression flickered across his eyes.
His right hand blurred, retrieving a small white jade vial from his storage ring. He deftly tapped out a single pill—a soft, pale blue orb—and offered it to Lin Feng. "Green Grass Pill. Aids recovery. Take it before you meditate."
"A pill?"
Lin Feng blinked, surprise evident as he looked up at Long Chengkong. He accepted the pill. "My thanks."
"Think nothing of it. Focus on healing." Long Chengkong gave a curt nod and turned, striding purposefully towards Zhang Fangzhou.
Lin Feng held the pill, not immediately consuming it. He focused inwardly.
Information streamed into his mind: "Equipment Degradation: 15%" "Repair Materials Required: Tier 1 Green Blue Grass (1 gram), Tier 1 Orchid Spirit Leaf (1 gram)."
While Lin Feng wasn't deeply versed in pills, his recent studies on rare herbs meant he recognized common ones. Both Green Blue Grass and Orchid Spirit Leaf were known for their restorative properties.
It genuinely is a healing pill.
Assured, Lin Feng swallowed the pill. A cooling sensation spread instantly through his chest, coalescing around his bruised organs and beginning a rapid repair. He settled deeper into his meditative state.
Nearby, Long Chengkong administered Green Grass Pills to Zhang Fangzhou and Yao Wangtian as well.
Yao Wangtian had taken a blow to the chest, suffering internal injuries, though luckily not critical. Zhang Fangzhou's shoulder wound looked ghastly, but was purely external trauma. A cultivator's regenerative abilities far exceeded a normal human's, and aided by the pill, both would recover swiftly.
Lin Feng's injury mirrored theirs. The earlier blow to his chest, though partially absorbed by his top-grade treasure armor, had still transmitted enough force to bruise his internal organs. Now, cooled by the pill's effect, the damage was steadily knitting itself back together.
Triggering that top-grade Grade Three Purple Lightning Talisman earlier had drained nearly all of Lin Feng's true essence, explaining his fatigue. However, his total reserves weren't vast to begin with, so replenishing them wouldn't take overly long.
A tense quiet descended over the campsite. Yang Ge and his companions dared not approach the recuperating cultivators, hovering anxiously nearby. Glances kept flickering nervously towards the two corpses on the ground.
Some whispered excitedly, still buzzing from witnessing the extraordinary combat. Others remained visibly shaken, faces etched with lingering fear.
Roughly twenty minutes later, Lin Feng absorbed the last wisps of energy from his third spirit stone. Sensing his recovery was sufficient, he ceased his cultivation cycle and opened his eyes.
"Qiu!"
The moment he did, a fluffy ball of yellow fur perched on his right knee came into focus. Xiao Qiu peered up at him, large eyes filled with exaggerated concern, practically radiating: Are you okay?
Lin Feng flicked the little creature gently on the forehead, a tired chuckle escaping him. "You faithless little furball. Where was your help back there? Even a static shock to distract the enemy would've been something! Instead, you scampered off at the first sign of trouble… Pathetic…"
The little squirrel had indeed jumped down from Lin Feng's shoulder as the fight began, vanishing into the crowd like a genuinely timid rodent. Its lack of backbone had been frustrating.
"Qiu…"
Xiao Qiu lowered its head meekly, seemingly chastened. Then it waved its tiny paws indignantly, as if protesting: How was I supposed to help? Hiding was the smart move! And… seriously, stop with the 'static shock' nonsense! Who told you I could even do that?!
"Heh…" Lin Feng smiled faintly, ruffling Xiao Qiu's furry head. He didn't truly resent its cowardice. With its combat power likely struggling to hit '5', any attempt to 'help' would have been suicidal.
"B-Big… Big Brother…"
A hesitant, slightly awed voice called from nearby.
Lin Feng looked up to see Zhang Fangzhou, Long Chengkong, and the others had also finished their recovery. They now stood a short distance away, watching him intently.
Lin Feng's gaze grew thoughtful for a moment before he stood, offering a calm smile. "Is everyone alright?"
"Fine, all fine…" Zhang Fangzhou seemed oddly nervous. He stepped forward, presenting the silver longsword with both hands. "Big Brother… your flying sword…"
Lin Feng's eyebrow arched almost imperceptibly as he took the sword. "Mn. My thanks."
Zhang Fangzhou stared at Lin Feng with a mixture of fear and reverence. After a second's hesitation, he finally blurted out the question burning within them all: "Big Brother… are… are you a Golden Core cultivator? Was it… was it really you… who annihilated the He family head and his men outside Qingyun City?"
"Yes, it was me," Lin Feng acknowledged directly, seeing no point in denial now. "But I am no 'Golden Core cultivator'. If I were, that fight earlier wouldn't have been so troublesome."
He swept his gaze over the group, his tone turning serious. "What you saw today… I ask that you keep it to yourselves. I do not wish this known publicly."
Zhang Fangzhou flinched, then thumped his chest emphatically. "Big Brother, rest assured! We swear on our lives not to breathe a word of what happened here today! May heavenly tributions strike us down, obliterate our souls, and deny us reincarnation if we break this oath!"
A strange light seemed to glint in Long Chengkong's eyes. He stepped forward, his voice solemn. "Brother Lin, you have my word. Long Chengkong swears never to reveal your secret. Should I break this oath, may tribulation lightning scour my flesh and scatter my spirit to the void."
Lin Feng hadn't seriously considered silencing them permanently, already leaning towards trusting them. Hearing them invoke such dire heavenly tribulation oaths reinforced his decision significantly.
Honestly, his opinion of Zhang Fangzhou and his brothers had shifted dramatically, particularly after witnessing their actions earlier. Zhang Fangzhou's selfless act pushing Xu Rong out of harm's way, and Yao Wangtian's desperate, futile charge... both had earned his genuine respect.
That was why he had risked exposing the flying sword, mustering the final dregs of his true essence to save Zhang Fangzhou and instantly slay the enemy. To stand by capable of saving a life and yet do nothing… that would have haunted him.
Long Chengkong, too, had earned Lin Feng's trust. Moments ago, when everyone was vulnerable, the allure of a flying sword could have tempted a lesser man. Killing them all and looting their bodies would have been the ultimate opportunity.
Yet, Long Chengkong had done nothing of the sort. Instead, he'd offered precious healing pills. That spoke volumes about his character.
They say the cultivation world is treacherous and cold-hearted… Yet here… I see genuine courage and loyalty.
If Lin Feng had once viewed these companions as mere fleeting acquaintances, he now saw them as true comrades.