Lin Feng, staring at the collapsed cave wall behind the Fire-Tailed Scorpion King opposite him, froze for an instant.
"Collapsed?!"
After a moment's stunned silence, a hint of a smile actually touched his lips — Good that it collapsed. At least the scorpion king can't pursue them for now — and of course, he wouldn't let it pursue them at all.
His retreat path was sealed… but so were his worries.
"Since that's the case… then it's a fight to the death!!"
A cold light flashed in Lin Feng's eyes. Resolve hardened within him, extinguishing any lingering hesitation. He stood like an unsheathed sword, a fierce, unyielding aura bursting forth.
His earlier desire to flee stemmed from lacking confidence against the scorpion king, not from having no chance at all!
Because, beyond his flying sword, he still possessed his strongest hidden trump card, unused until now!!
Seeming to reach a decision, Lin Feng surged his true essence. His right hand swept out. The flying sword, previously smashed aside by the scorpion king and embedded in the cave wall nearby, rang with a sharp chime as it tore free. It circled once in the air, then darted towards the Fire-Tailed Scorpion King's head with serpentine agility.
"Screech!!"
The scorpion king shrieked, repeating its tactic — both massive pincers swung up to crush the incoming blade.
"Swish!!"
This time, however, Lin Feng didn't guide the sword around the defences towards the head. Instead, he abruptly raised his hand. The sword's trajectory instantly diverted, shooting upwards almost to the cavern ceiling before plunging downward like a falling star!!
Having lost its right eye to the sword before, the scorpion king's simple mind instinctively prioritized protecting its remaining left eye. Lin Feng had targeted that eye last time, allowing it to block successfully. Expecting the same again, the beast was caught off guard as the sword abandoned its head. The swift ascent and descent meant its broad back was now the target!!
"Swish… KRA-KLANG!!"
Almost too fast to follow, the silver light struck the immense expanse of the scorpion king's back before its bulky frame could evade!
True, the back was a large, easy target to hit. But conversely, the hardness of its dorsal carapace was second only to its pincers. The collision produced a piercing metallic shriek and a shower of sparks!
"Shhhk!!"
Then came a faint puncturing sound — the flying sword, after all, was a magical artifact, its sharpness incalculable. Even the scorpion king's heavy armor couldn't fully withstand it!
As the sword's momentum faded, it finally pierced through the carapace… but only half the blade sank in.
To the scorpion king's colossal body, this injury was like a human getting a minor splinter — negligible.
"SCREEECH!!!"
Strangely, the moment it was struck, the Fire-Tailed Scorpion King convulsed violently, unleashing a shriek of pure, unadulterated agony!!
—Indeed, if it were just a regular flying sword stabbing its back, the effect would have been minimal. But Lin Feng's sword was different. Though lacking potent elemental attributes, it possessed a formidable auxiliary power!
Soul Damage!!
However, the Fire-Tailed Scorpion King was a third-level demon beast. The strength of its soul far surpassed any Foundation Establishment cultivator Lin Feng had previously faced. It was also fundamentally different from the pure soul-body of the tiger spirit he'd fought before — a soul contained within a physical body was vastly distinct from one manifesting externally. In short, while this strike inflicted definite harm, it primarily caused excruciating pain to its soul. The intensity paled even compared to the agony of losing its right eye.
Lin Feng, however, needed only this split-second opportunity!!
While the scorpion king shrieked under the sword's spiritual assault, Lin Feng ignored the blade embedded in its back. He didn't even move. Instead, his right hand flipped, retrieving a pitch-black iron plaque from his spatial ring.
The White Tiger Soul Annihilation Talisman!!
"Just work for me, damn it!!"
Lin Feng's eyes widened almost to bursting. Every shred of his true essence surged to its absolute limit. He felt the vortex in his dantian threaten to rupture. Every drop of power flooded into the talisman gripped in his hand!
Currently, Lin Feng had restored the White Tiger Soul Annihilation Talisman to roughly thirty percent functionality. He also knew the correct method to unleash it. Until now, he hadn't dared try. His current cultivation realm…
Was far too low. Merely Foundation Establishment, second layer. Activating the power of this magical artifact was immensely difficult.
Even Li Ziqing, at late Foundation Establishment back then, had nearly depleted all his true essence to activate just the talisman's main fragment. Now, the artifact was stronger than before. Consequently, the true essence required to activate it was exponentially greater. Lin Feng estimated that even if he succeeded, his reserves would be utterly drained.
This was why he hadn't used this ultimate weapon earlier. It was his absolute last resort, a desperate gamble. Failure meant certain death!
But now… he had no choice. Retreat was blocked. His defensive artifacts were nearly spent. Another direct hit from the enemy would likely be fatal. He had to unleash this final blow — gamble everything — before that could happen!!
He did possess one last, powerful trump card: an exquisite Grade 3 Fire Rain Talisman. But it was fire-attribute. After witnessing the Fire-Tailed Scorpion King effortlessly 'swim' through lava, he abandoned any thought of using it. Attribute affinity dictated it would be largely ineffective, even a top-grade Grade 3 talisman, against such a creature.
"Hmmmmmm..."
Lin Feng madly channeled true essence into the iron plaque, guiding it along specific pathways — activating a sequence of invisible 'switches'. Instantly, the pitch-black plaque lit up like an electrified bulb, its radiance intensifying rapidly!!
"Not enough… NOT ENOUGH!!"
Feeling the talisman on the cusp of full activation, Lin Feng's eyes filled with desperation. In these fleeting moments, his internal true essence reserves were already utterly depleted!
"BOOM!!"
Just as despair threatened to engulf him, Lin Feng felt a violent detonation within himself. The true essence vortex in his dantian convulsed violently. Fine cracks seemed to spider-web across its surface. Simultaneously, an endless torrent of power surged from the depths of his soul, instantly filling every corner of his being!!
"It's here!! Again!!"
Lin Feng's pupils contracted sharply, pure elation flooding his face. This sensation… it was identical to when he was cornered by the He family experts outside Seven Peaks Forest, facing certain death, and his energy had inexplicably erupted!
He didn't understand why. Simply calling it 'potential unleashed under crisis' felt inadequate. But now wasn't the time for questions. What mattered was… the eruption provided the vital true essence he needed!
The next instant, Lin Feng vanished within an overwhelming blaze of white light. The light shot upwards, swirling with a life of its own. In the blink of an eye, it coalesced into the massive, spectral form of a fierce tiger, over ten meters long, hovering in the air before him!
"ROOOAAARRR!!!!!!!!"
Tiger-like, solid and terrifyingly real, the phantom threw its head back. An ear-splitting tiger's roar, impossibly loud, reverberated through the cavern!
"WHOOSH!"
The roar still echoing, the White Tiger phantom lunged forward like lightning, its aura unstoppable, pouncing directly onto the Fire-Tailed Scorpion King!
Though described in detail, these events unfolded in a heartbeat. The Fire-Tailed Scorpion King had barely regained coherence from the soul trauma when it looked up — the tiger soul was upon it!
"SCREEECH!!!!"
The scorpion king shuddered violently, unleashing a shriek of unprecedented terror. Its single remaining eye widened, reflecting pure, almost human-like horror and panic.
It tried to dodge. Too late. The next moment, a scene of breathtaking intensity unfolded…
The White Tiger Soul slammed into the scorpion king's massive form — yet produced no impact sound. The scorpion king's body showed no reaction to physical collision. The tiger soul simply… passed through its physical shell!
But as the tiger emerged from the other side of the scorpion king's body, clutched firmly within its ethereal claws… was a shimmering, indistinct phantom!
The phantom's shape was unmistakable — another Fire-Tailed Scorpion King!
Its Soul!!
The White Tiger Soul had directly ripped the scorpion king's very soul from its physical body!
"GRRROOOWWWLLL!!!!"
Instantly, the tiger soul whipped its head down, sinking ghostly fangs into the head of the scorpion soul trapped beneath its claws. Then, with terrifying force, it yanked its head sideways!!
"RIIIPPP..."
Though utterly silent in the physical world, Lin Feng's mind echoed with the chilling sound of rending spirit. His eyes widened in utter disbelief as the Fire-Tailed Scorpion King's soul… was torn into shimmering, dissipating fragments!!