Hearing the sounds from the valley, Luo Feng and Bing Ruolan exchanged a glance. A faint surprise flickered in their eyes; they hadn’t expected anyone to arrive at this moment.
WHOOSH, WHOOSH, WHOOSH... The sound of rushing wind echoed as five figures appeared in their view.
"People from Tianlan School..." Luo Feng observed, his brows furrowing slightly as he looked at the jade-colored uniforms on the five individuals.
These five people had vigorous vitality and light footwork. Their gazes were composed and sharp, reflecting cultivation levels at or above the sixth tier of the God Bravery Realm.
The one leading them was particularly imposing. He was a tall, lanky youth of about sixteen or seventeen and, surprisingly, a master at the mid-stage of the seventh-tier Essence Storage Realm!
"People from Purple Sun School," one of the newcomers remarked.
Seeing Luo Feng and Bing Ruolan standing at the cave entrance, the five also paused for a moment.
"Huh, it’s you two! You’re still alive?"
At this moment, a figure stepped forward from the group. Looking at Luo Feng and Bing Ruolan, he exclaimed in surprise, a hint of disappointment and anger in his eyes.
"So, it’s you." Luo Feng looked up and instantly recognized him.
The person who stepped forward was Yuan Jiankong. He had clashed with Luo Feng back at the Sky Wolf Camp and had been defeated by the One-eyed Wolf, Qin Tai, forcing him to flee.
"Of course, we’re fine. Not only that, but I even killed two leaders from the Sky Wolf Camp. I’ve avenged you; shouldn’t you thank me?" Luo Feng said casually, grinning at Yuan Jiankong.
"Senior Brother Yuan, what’s going on?" one of the nearby Tianlan School students asked, after observing Luo Feng carefully.
Yuan Jiankong ignored his companion’s question, his eyes fixed firmly on Luo Feng. "Impossible! How could you have killed the One-eyed Wolf and the Flower Faced Civet? Back then, your cultivation was only at the late sixth tier of the God Bravery Realm!"
Yuan Jiankong was furious. He had been beaten by the One-eyed Wolf, Qin Tai, and felt deeply ashamed. Consequently, he had specifically ordered the other two Tianlan School students who accompanied him not to reveal what had happened.
Yet, unexpectedly, Luo Feng and Bing Ruolan, who should have died at the Sky Wolf Camp, were still alive.
Luo Feng looked at the fuming Yuan Jiankong and smiled faintly. "I’ve heard that people from Tianlan School are arrogant and always look down their noses at others. Today, I’ve truly seen it for myself. You were defeated by the One-eyed Wolf, so why couldn’t I kill him? If you don’t believe me, ask your companions if the Sky Wolf Camp mission has already been completed by someone else."
"The mission to wipe out Sky Wolf Camp? I heard it was completed over half a month ago," a Tianlan School student responded without hesitation.
Yuan Jiankong’s face flushed red with anger. He was about to speak when the tall, lanky teenager beside him waved his hand. "Yuan Jiankong, we’ll discuss your personal matters later. Don’t forget why we came here."
The lanky teenager’s eyelids lifted slightly as he looked at Luo Feng and asked calmly, "Where is Ji Wuchang?"
Luo Feng disliked the commanding tone. His brows furrowed, and he said coolly, "I don’t believe I’m obligated to tell you."
"Hmm?" The lanky teenager’s eyes turned cold.
"How dare you speak to Senior Brother Xiao Yu like that!"
"Kid! Apologize to Senior Brother Xiao Yu right now!"
The nearby Tianlan School students erupted in anger.
"Xiao Yu!" Hearing their voices, Bing Ruolan, standing beside Luo Feng, glanced at the youth named Xiao Yu. Ripples of emotion stirred in her beautiful eyes.
"Ridiculous!" Luo Feng completely ignored them. He turned to Bing Ruolan and said, "Ruolan, let’s go."
Bing Ruolan nodded. After one last look at Xiao Yu, they both headed towards the valley exit.
They had only taken a few steps when Yuan Jiankong sniffed loudly and abruptly stopped them. "Wait!"
"What now?" Luo Feng’s gaze turned icy.
Struck by Luo Feng’s piercing gaze, Yuan Jiankong stumbled back half a step. For a moment, he felt as if he were being targeted by a Demon Beast, and fear swelled within him.
Absurd! How could I be afraid of this brat!
Shaking his head to dispel the ridiculous notion, Yuan Jiankong pointed at Luo Feng and said to Xiao Yu beside him, "Senior Brother Xiao, they stink of blood! They must have killed Ji Wuchang!"
"Hmm?" Hearing this, Xiao Yu raised an eyebrow. He looked down at Luo Feng and asked in a louder voice, "Did you kill Ji Wuchang?"
Luo Feng didn’t answer directly, responding indifferently, "How does that concern you?"
At this, Yuan Jiankong whispered something to another Tianlan School student. That student immediately used Light Martial Arts and rushed swiftly into the cave.
Soon, the student reappeared at the cave entrance, a look of shock on his face. "There’s a corpse in the cave! Its head and belongings have been taken. It must be Ji Wuchang!"
"Hahaha... Just as I expected! Stop them!" Yuan Jiankong laughed loudly, his gaze on Luo Feng turning dark and cold. With a wave of his hand, he and the other three Tianlan School students surrounded Luo Feng and Bing Ruolan.
"What is the meaning of this?" Luo Feng stood proudly in their midst, his cold gaze sweeping over each of them before finally settling on Yuan Jiankong.
A smug smile touched Yuan Jiankong’s lips. He patted a companion’s shoulder and said to Luo Feng, "Ji Wuchang killed several students from our Tianlan School. My Junior Brother Nan discovered Ji Wuchang’s whereabouts ten days ago. We accepted this mission specifically to kill him. Luo Feng, hand over Ji Wuchang’s head and the Black Dark Claw Secret Manual for us to deal with!"
"Hahaha, hand them over for *you* to deal with?" Hearing Yuan Jiankong, Luo Feng gave an angry laugh.
Yuan Jiankong’s eyebrows knitted together. "Luo Feng, what are you laughing at?" he said sternly.
Luo Feng abruptly stopped laughing. His gaze turned chilling as he stared at Yuan Jiankong. He spoke coldly, "What am I laughing at? I’m laughing at your shamelessness! Ruolan and I risked our lives to kill Ji Wuchang, yet you demand that I hand over his head and the Secret Manual to you. Is there such a convenient thing in this world? Who do you think you are?"
Bing Ruolan looked at Yuan Jiankong, her pretty face also turning icy. She hadn’t expected him to make such an outrageous demand.
"You!" Yuan Jiankong, thoroughly berated by Luo Feng, was boiling with rage. He wished he could swallow Luo Feng whole. However, he wasn’t the one in charge, so he couldn’t help but glance at Xiao Yu, who stood silently beside him.
Xiao Yu’s gaze swept over Luo Feng. An almost imperceptible cold gleam flashed in the depths of his pupils, and he nodded slightly.
Seeing Xiao Yu nod, a look of delight appeared on Yuan Jiankong’s face. He turned to Luo Feng and said, "Luo Feng, don’t make this harder than it needs to be! Hand over the head and the Secret Manual now, or don’t blame me for getting rough!"
"No valid reason, so you resort to robbery?" Luo Feng sneered, gesturing to Yuan Jiankong. "Come on, then. I’d like to see just how rough you can be!"
Luo Feng was truly angry now. He hadn’t wanted to stoop to Yuan Jiankong’s level and had dismissed his earlier words. But he hadn’t expected such shamelessness! To so brazenly demand Ji Wuchang’s head and the Black Dark Claw Secret Manual! This was shamelessness to the extreme.
"Good kid! You’ve got a big mouth. Let’s see how much strength you really have!" With no more reservations, Yuan Jiankong attacked.
With a long cry, his aura suddenly erupted. The Three Feet Green Edge transformed into a streak of light, like a solitary wild goose, carrying fierce killing intent as it thrust towards Luo Feng’s face, its momentum formidable.
"Azure Cloud Supports Heaven!"
This was from the Azure Cloud Swordsmanship, a technique Yuan Jiankong had recently acquired using his merit points. It was a high-grade Yellow-rank swordsmanship of immense power, which was precisely why he was confident he could defeat Luo Feng.
Luo Feng glanced at the charging Yuan Jiankong, a hint of disdain in his obsidian-like pupils.
Indeed, the Azure Cloud Swordsmanship was renowned within Tianlan School as a powerful technique.
But in Luo Feng’s eyes, Yuan Jiankong’s execution of it was riddled with flaws!
"The Azure Cloud Swordsmanship is wasted in your hands!" Luo Feng snorted coldly. Without even drawing his Tiger Soul Saber, he moved like lightning, reaching out directly for the sword blade.
"He’s actually trying to catch Yuan Jiankong’s Azure Cloud Swordsmanship barehanded!"
"Is he insane? With the power of Azure Cloud Swordsmanship, his right hand will be crippled!"
"He has no one to blame but himself for his arrogance."
The three Tianlan School students watching from the side gasped in shock, then watched with cold detachment as Luo Feng attempted to catch the blade.
The cold light in Yuan Jiankong’s eyes intensified. He roared, "Luo Feng, you dare underestimate me! Watch me sever your right hand!"
CLANG, CLANG, CLANG, CLANG, CLANG!
Five metallic ringing sounds echoed in rapid succession.
Luo Feng’s right hand moved like a coiling dragon, weaving flexibly through the sword light, miraculously unharmed as his fingers flicked against the blade several times.
The immense force transmitted through the blade made Yuan Jiankong lose his grip, and the sword flew from his hand.
"Impossible!" Yuan Jiankong exclaimed as his sword was sent flying. He stared blankly at Luo Feng, his eyes filled with disbelief.
He couldn’t believe Luo Feng had caught his vaunted Azure Cloud Swordsmanship barehanded!
Luo Feng didn’t pause. The hand he had extended abruptly clenched into a fist, a cold light flashing in his eyes.
A faint tiger’s roar seemed to echo through the valley as Luo Feng unleashed a punch.
"Damn it!" The chilling killing intent jolted Yuan Jiankong awake. He bellowed and threw a punch of his own to meet Luo Feng’s.
The fists collided, and a wild Qi Force whirled around them. The ferocious blast made it difficult for the onlookers to keep their eyes open. A cry sounded. To their shock, Yuan Jiankong was sent flying by the punch, vomiting blood, while Luo Feng hadn’t retreated even half a step.
Yuan Jiankong crashed heavily to the ground, blood spewing from his mouth. He pointed at Luo Feng, his eyes wide, then his mouth fell open, and he fainted.
An eerie silence fell over the valley. The nearby Tianlan School students all stared at Luo Feng in shock, a flicker of fear in their eyes.
Yuan Jiankong was a peak expert of the sixth tier of the God Bravery Realm. His strength placed him in the upper-middle ranks of the entire Tianlan School, yet Luo Feng had knocked him unconscious with a single punch.
Such incredible strength! The students stared at Luo Feng, swallowing hard.
Luo Feng clapped his hands as if he had done something trivial. Without even glancing at the unconscious Yuan Jiankong on the ground, he turned to Bing Ruolan and said, "Ruolan, let’s go."
Just as he took a step, a figure suddenly appeared, blocking his path.
Xiao Yu stood about ten meters in front of Luo Feng, hands clasped behind his back, his gaze icy.
"Injure someone and then just walk away? Do you think things are that easy in this world?"
Luo Feng’s eyes darkened slightly. "You intend to stand up for him?" he asked coldly.
"Since he calls me Senior Brother, I naturally can’t ignore this." Xiao Yu stood proudly, his hands still behind his back. His calm tone carried a bone-chilling coldness.