Lin Feng's gaze locked onto Li Renyao, who stood at the entrance of the main hall, his expression vicious as he relentlessly activated low-grade Grade 3 Talismans against them. A flicker of resolve crossed Lin Feng's eyes. Suddenly, he stopped activating his own counter-talismans. His right hand flashed, producing an orange command token which he thrust at Zhang Fangzhou.
"This is Li Sha's low-grade artifact defense talisman! Use it!"
"What?!"
Zhang Fangzhou stared blankly, reflexively grabbing the token. Before he could question further, Lin Feng shot forward—a human arrow propelled from the protective golden dome!
As Lin Feng exited, the barrier moved with him. Zhang Fangzhou and Yao Wangtian were suddenly exposed. Panic seized them; enemy attacks surged towards their unprotected forms. Desperately, Zhang Fangzhou fumbled to activate the orange token. A shimmering orange shield flared to life just in time, deflecting incoming blasts.
"Whoosh!!"
Protected by his own golden barrier, Lin Feng ignored all incoming attacks. His focus was absolute—a predator locked onto prey. He charged straight at Li Renyao!
"Hmph!! Seeking death!"
Lin Feng's movement was instantly noticed. Standing beside Li Renyao, Li Ziyao curled his lip in a cold sneer. He blurred forward, placing himself between his son and the charging threat. In his right hand materialized a sword radiating chilling, glacial light. He thrust it directly at Lin Feng's approaching form.
Seeing the formidable sword aimed at him, Lin Feng's eyes narrowed. Yet he didn't slow. He continued his reckless charge. Simultaneously, his own flying sword swept out to meet Li Ziyao's blade!
"Overestimating yourself!"
Li Ziyao's eyes flashed with contempt. A mere early Foundation Establishment cultivator daring to clash weapons head-on? Suicidal. He expected his vastly superior strength to shatter Lin Feng's grip instantly—weapon grade mattered little against raw power disparity.
"CLANG!!"
A sharp metallic ring echoed. Li Ziyao's sword was a top-grade artifact, slightly inferior to Lin Feng's flying sword, but his strength eclipsed Lin Feng's twofold. The impact was overwhelming. Lin Feng's hand went numb; his flying sword was violently ripped from his grasp, sent spinning away!
"Hmph!" Triumph deepened Li Ziyao's scorn. He twisted his wrist, readying his sword to strike Lin Feng's golden barrier point-blank—a few focused blows would shatter it, ending this farce.
Yet, in that instant, Li Ziyao glimpsed Lin Feng's face. No panic. No fear. Only icy determination. A bolt of primal dread lanced through him.
"Family Head! Behind you!!"
The warning scream pierced the air just as the dread solidified. Instinct screamed louder. Li Ziyao threw himself violently to the left.
"Schlikt!"
A searing cold sliced through his right shoulder. From the corner of his eye, he saw the merest glint of sword light pass where his neck had been moments before. Then came the pain—a soul-rending agony that tore through muscle, bone, and very spirit!
"AAARGH!!!"
Li Ziyao's eyes bulged, filled with raw terror and agony. The sudden, soul-deep pain was unbearable. An uncontrolled, guttural scream ripped from his throat!!
Witnesses saw it clearly: Lin Feng's flying sword, after being knocked away, tumbled through the air… then abruptly stopped. Defying all momentum, it reversed course in a vicious arc aimed at Li Ziyao's neck. Only his desperate lunge saved him from decapitation, leaving a deep, spirit-scarring gash on his shoulder instead.
"Zheng…"
The flying sword completed its deadly arc, snapping back into Lin Feng's waiting hand as he surged forward. He glanced at Li Ziyao—injured, spirit-weakened, staggering—but instinctively retreating. Pursuit was pointless. Lin Feng pivoted. His foot stamped down, propelling him diagonally. His reclaimed sword, dripping with Li Ziyao's blood, thrust forward—aimed directly at Li Renyao's throat!
...
From Lin Feng leaving Zhang Fangzhou and Yao Wangtian to this moment, mere seconds had passed. No one anticipated Li Ziyao being "defeated" in a single exchange. Li Renyao had been smirking, anticipating his father crushing the insolent intruder. In the blink of an eye, he saw his father screaming, shoulder gashed open. Stunned disbelief froze him for a critical instant. When his mind snapped back, Lin Feng was already upon him!
"AHH!!"
Li Renyao shrieked in pure terror, scrambling backward. His right hand jerked up, clutching a small golden command token. True essence surged; a radiant golden barrier snapped into existence before him—as the Li family heir, possessing a low-grade artifact defense talisman was a given.
"Schlikt..."
What happened next nearly stopped Li Renyao's heart. The silver flying sword striking his barrier… didn't stop. It merely paused fractionally before punching through the golden light as if it were rice paper!
"Crackle-SHATTER!"
The sound of the barrier disintegrating reached his ears only after the blade breached it. Shock was irrelevant now. Thought ceased. Movement became impossible—or perhaps he simply didn't dare move. The cold edge of the sword rested against his throat.
Lin Feng closed the final step in a flash, positioning himself behind Li Renyao. He wrenched the young master's arms behind his back in a brutal lock, pressing the sword flat against the exposed neck—a textbook hostage hold. His roar echoed across the suddenly silent courtyard:
"EVERYONE—HOLD!!"
His command drowned out all other noise. Every eye snapped towards him—though most hadn't looked away from the unfolding chaos.
"Stop!... Everyone STOP!"
Seeing their young master captured, the Li family cultivators panicked. A middle-aged man, mid-Foundation Establishment stage, frantically shouted, halting any rescue attempts. He rushed to Li Ziyao's side, voice trembling.
"Family Head… are you alright?!"
"Hah… Hah… Hah…"
Li Ziyao gasped like a drowned man hauled from water. His left hand clamped down on his bleeding right shoulder. His face was deathly pale. Terror and disbelief still warred in his eyes. Seeing his son pinned with a sword at his throat, volcanic rage surged through him, making his whole body tremble uncontrollably.
The sheer scale of Li Ziyao's shock was indescribable. How could an early Foundation Establishment cultivator be this formidable? Crippled in one clash? He hadn't even comprehended how he was wounded. But worse than the physical pain was that soul-searing agony at the moment of impact. It sparked a horrifying, impossible suspicion…
"Soul attack… Was that a soul attack?! A mere Foundation Establishment cultivator… how could he unleash a soul attack? Unless… that artifact in his hand…"