One of the two individuals was none other than Yu Feng, the Inner Court disciple he had encountered just two days ago.
"Ah, so you do know me. Good. Saves me the introduction, fellow disciple."
Lin Chen's stomach tightened. Of all the people it had to be… Yu Feng. An inner court disciple, already at the fifth stage of Essence Forging.
Compared to that, his own cultivation was like a candle before a storm. Worse—the second man standing beside Yu Feng radiated the same suffocating aura as someone at the Essence Forging realm.
Damn it… two of them? Lin Chen's eyes flickered around the room, searching for an opening—a window, a crack, anything to bolt through if it came to that.
Yu Feng noticed, of course. He chuckled, smug and leisurely, as if reading Lin Chen's thoughts like an open scroll.
"Don't bother. The moment you move, I'll crush your legs. I'd rather not dirty my hands chasing after a rat."
"Why, Yu Feng? You're an Inner Court disciple. You already enjoy endless resources, manuals, and spirit stones. Why stoop to such filth?" Lin Chen asked, though his chest tightened — he knew taking on both of them would be suicide, and slipping away now seemed just as impossible.
Yu Feng's grin widened, arrogance oozing from every word.
"Stoop? No, you misunderstand. This is the Dao. The strong ascend by devouring the weak. Spirit stones, manuals, elders' lectures—those are crutches for mediocrities. True strength comes from grasping power with your own hands. Those girls? They are nothing but cultivation materials, stepping stones for me to climb higher. If they die, so what? Isn't that the fate of the weak?"
"You dare cloak slaughter with such lofty words? Don't twist the Dao into an excuse for butchery!"
Yu Feng's eyes flashed coldly, his voice dropping into a dangerous chill.
"Dao? Hah. Tell me can the Dao feed your hunger? Can the Dao shield you from death when someone stronger cuts you down? No. Only strength can help. Everything else is empty talk. You think the sect's rules protect you? The moment they stop being useful, even the sect itself will be ground into dust beneath the Divine One's feet."
Lin Chen froze at the name. It was the second time he had heard it, and he could tell this person was clearly above Yu Feng—and extremely dangerous. Yu Feng pressed on, his tone almost fanatical now.
"You cling to morality like a child clings to a wooden sword. But I… I will ascend. I will shatter the heavens, break sects, and let rivers of blood pave my road to immortality. If I must feed on ants to do so—then let the ants despair!"
The second man finally spoke, his voice low and mocking, directed at Lin Chen.
"Do you hear, little mouse? This is what true conviction sounds like. You Starfall disciples preach Dao and virtue, but when faced with reality, you tremble. Your 'Dao' is nothing but a fragile shell. True cultivators like Sir Yu Feng… they grasp what they want."
Yu Feng's words were a brutal reminder of the cultivation world's truth—where compassion was weakness, and only ruthless pragmatism survived.
Yu Feng's lips curled into a manic grin, eyes glittering. "The only reason you're alive… is because I want to see despair in your eyes. That expression—I savor it." He leaned forward slightly, voice a whisper now, dripping with obsession. "The heavens favor only the strong. When the weak cry out… no one answers."
Lin Chen's jaw tightened. "You're no cultivator. You're just a beast in human skin."
Yu Feng chuckled darkly. "Call me what you want. Beast, demon, monster… still, I will stand above you. And when you crawl at my feet, begging for mercy, I'll carve that expression into memory."
He waved his hand lazily. "Deal with him. I don't want to waste my breath."
The second man grinned cruelly, stepping forward, eyes glimmering like a cat toying with a cornered mouse. "Hah. This will be quick. You should feel honored. Normally I wouldn't lift a finger for someone weak as you. But sir wishes to see you squirm…" His grin widened. "…your suffering will last."
Lin Chen didn't hesitate. "Aiva, full control. I need to live through this," he thought frantically. He knew that only his AI partner could save him now.
[Command received]
The man lunged forward, his dagger aimed straight at Lin Chen's throat. Essence Qi coiled around the blade like a hungry serpent, its edge gleaming with lethal light—the unmistakable mark of an Essence Forging cultivator, able to manifest Qi outside his body.
But at that very instant, Lin Chen muscles tensed and released in a flawless rhythm, his body moving as if guided by an unseen hand.
His neck bent back in a smooth arc, the dagger missing his skin by a hair's breadth. In the same motion, his hand dropped to the knife at his waist, drawing it free in a single flash.
Chi!
The blade pierced forward, faster than instinct, faster than thought. It slipped past the man's guard and sank deep into his temple with chilling precision.
Puchi! A violent splurt of blood burst from the wound, spraying across Lin Chen's sleeve and the cold floor beneath them.
The attacker's eyes widened, shock freezing his features. "I—impossible…" he choked, his words drowned as more blood gushed from his temple. The dagger clattered from his fingers.
His body shuddered once, then collapsed to the ground with a dull thud, lifeless.
It all happened in a heartbeat—too fast for the eye to follow.
Yu Feng's mocking smile stiffened for the first time, his gaze narrowing at the corpse of his companion. For an instant, his eyes flashed with something sharp and cold—but just as quickly, it vanished.
"Well, well… I underestimated you. A mere Sixth Stage Root Vein cultivator killed an Essence Forging expert?" He began to clap slowly "Impressive. Very impressive."
"But don't delude yourself. Not all Essence Forging cultivators are like him. What you've killed is only an ant compared to me."
He tilted his head slightly, his tone turning oily and mocking. "Still, I have to commend you. Strength, cunning, and a bit of luck… you might actually be useful."
"So I'll make you an offer. Crawl to me now. Become my slave. Pledge your life and soul, and I might spare you."
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A/N: Enjoying the story? Hit 'Add to Library' to follow Lin Chen's journey — your support means a lot!
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