Chapter 9: One Sword to the Throat
"Throat!" Lin Feng's eyes locked onto the Nether Wolf, and then he took a small step forward.
But that single step made Jingyun and the others' hearts leap into their throats. What did Lin Feng intend to do? This was a ninth-level demon beast, a Nether Wolf—the most ferocious beast below the Spirit Demon level. Even many martial artists at the ninth layer of the Qi Martial Realm could only flee when encountering a Nether Wolf.
Before they could think further, Lin Feng showed them with his actions what he was doing. He began to jog, bare-handed, toward the Nether Wolf, his speed increasing.
Seeing this, Jingyun and the other two froze, their hearts trembling violently.
"Grrr!" The Nether Wolf, seeing this human running toward it, its eyes beneath the ferocious mask-like face grew even colder, bone-chillingly icy, as if from the Nine Nether.
A sharp cry rang out as the Nether Wolf's claws viciously stomped on Jingfeng's body, and it transformed into a streak of black light, while the claws blocking its throat gleamed with black-and-white radiance.
"Lin Feng, come back!" Jingyun screamed, but it seemed too late. Lin Feng's speed surged, like a fleeting shadow, reaching its peak.
Qingyi and Han Man opened their mouths, their hearts seeming to stop beating. At that moment, they had only one thought: it's over!
A flash of lightning streaked before their eyes, dazzling and brilliant, vanishing in an instant. After the lightning, space seemed to freeze. Lin Feng's steps halted, and the ninth-level Nether Wolf landed on the ground.
Silence—a terrifying silence!
Jingyun pressed her fists to her mouth, fear in her eyes. Was Lin Feng dead?
"Drip." A faint sound broke the stillness, jarringly loud in the quiet space. Then the Nether Wolf's body toppled sideways. At its neck was a thin line, barely visible, oozing blood. That line gradually turned into a streak of blood.
"The Nether Wolf... is dead!" Han Man and Qingyi's mouths remained open, staring in shock at the scene before them. That fleeting flash of lightning just now was...
"Lin Feng, are you alright?" Jingyun called softly, looking at Lin Feng, who still stood motionless.
As Jingyun's voice fell, Qingyi and Han Man also watched Lin Feng nervously. Today was definitely the most tense and thrilling moment of their lives.
Finally, Lin Feng's body moved. He slowly turned around, his clear eyes showing a bright smile.
"I'm fine." Lin Feng spread his hands. He was just recalling that sword strike. The Sword-Drawing Art—sword like thunder, its explosive power was indeed strong. Of course, the prerequisite was that his speed had to be fast, extremely fast.
"Phew!" Jingyun and the others all let out a long breath, their tense hearts relaxing, as if pulled back from the edge of a cliff.
But they didn't speak, just stared at Lin Feng like he was a monster.
"What are you looking at me like that for?" Lin Feng scratched his head awkwardly. These three's gazes were a bit too direct.
"Freak!" Han Man squeezed out the word through his teeth, and to Lin Feng's dismay, Jingyun and Qingyi nodded seriously in agreement.
"Lin Feng, are you a sword cultivator?" Qingyi naturally knew that the flash of lightning was a sword light. Only a sword could be that fast.
"Not really. I just practiced a sword technique martial art." Lin Feng shook his head. A sword cultivator—only those with a sword martial soul and formidable strength as a swordsman could be called sword cultivators.
"Not really? Then your martial soul isn't a sword?" Qingyi asked, puzzled.
"Yeah, I don't have a sword martial soul." Lin Feng nodded. This made Qingyi gasp. Not having a sword martial soul yet being able to wield a sword as fast as lightning—it could only mean Lin Feng's comprehension of martial techniques was terrifying. For example, the Ninefold Wave—he had already mastered it to its peak.
"I really wonder if there's any martial technique you can't master to an extreme." Qingyi shook his head with a bitter smile. He didn't ask what Lin Feng's martial soul was, since some people might have powerful, rare martial souls and didn't want others to know. And Lin Feng hadn't even used his martial soul yet, so Qingyi guessed it was definitely not ordinary.
Lin Feng just smiled. For now, it seemed he could indeed practice any martial technique, and his comprehension was very strong.
"A ninth-level Nether Wolf's demon core—this haul is big." Han Man grinned, pulling out a dagger to extract the core, saying, "Lin Feng, you killed the Nether Wolf alone. Without you, we might not have made it out. This core is yours alone."
"Jingyun, Qingyi, any objections?"
Qingyi and Jingyun shook their heads with smiles. If not for Lin Feng, they would have been done for at Black Wind Ridge.
"I disagree. We split all the spoils four ways." Lin Feng shook his head. When they thought he was weak, they let him take the rear but still offered him a share. Even though killing the Nether Wolf was entirely his achievement, he, Lin Feng, was definitely not the kind of person to forget loyalty for profit.
Seeing Lin Feng's firm gaze, Han Man nodded heavily. "Alright."
"You seem to have forgotten about me." At that moment, a voice came over. Who else could it be but Jingfeng?
Jingfeng had been hit in the back by the Nether Wolf, then stomped on by its power, breaking several ribs. He couldn't even stand now, only lying on his back staring at Lin Feng and the others.
"Get lost, you bastard." Han Man, the most hot-tempered, cursed roughly. This scumbag not only ignored their safety at the critical moment, leaving them to deal with the violent ape, but even led the Nether Wolf toward them, nearly getting them killed.
"Let's go. Let fate decide whether he lives or dies." Jingyun said angrily.
As they prepared to leave, Jingfeng's sinister voice came: "Don't forget, my big brother knows I entered Black Wind Ridge with you. If I die and you walk out alive, what do you think he'll think?"
Han Man and the others stopped, then turned back, glaring at Jingfeng furiously.
"You'd better take me with you and give me half the demon cores. Otherwise, I'll make sure you die." Jingfeng said menacingly.
"What's going on?" Lin Feng asked, puzzled. This guy was half-dead and still this arrogant?
"His big brother is Jinghao, ranked sixth among the outer disciples, at the peak of the ninth layer of the Qi Martial Realm. He also has a sword martial soul and is very powerful." Qingyi explained, and Lin Feng immediately understood.
Stepping forward, Lin Feng came before Jingfeng, a cold smile on his face.
"Hurry up and help me up." Jingfeng ordered.
Lin Feng paused, looking at Jingfeng with a mocking smile. "I really admire your courage."
As he spoke, the soft sword left its sheath, emitting a chilling, eerie gleam.
"What are you doing?" Jingfeng tensed up, a chill running through him.
"Lin Feng." Qingyi called out. Jinghao was the sixth-ranked outer disciple, extremely formidable. Although Lin Feng was also strong, his cultivation was lower, and Qingyi didn't think Lin Feng could handle Jinghao.
Lin Feng looked at Qingyi and the others and asked, "Do you think, given his character, he would let us go if we saved him?"
Qingyi and the others froze, cold sweat breaking out on their backs. Indeed, given Jingfeng's behavior, even if they saved him, he probably wouldn't let them off.
"We never offended him. He was arrogant, tried to set us up, and ended up like this. But instead of repenting, he orders us to save him and demands half the cores. With someone like that, do you still dare to take him back?"
Lin Feng explained patiently. Although people in this world matured early, Jingyun and the others were only fifteen or sixteen. How could they see through things as clearly as he, who had lived two lives?
The three shook their heads. Indeed, the moment they brought Jingfeng back would likely be when Jinghao retaliated.
Lin Feng turned back to look at Jingfeng, who finally showed fear in his eyes.
"I swear, if you take me back, I won't retaliate, and I don't want the cores either." Jingfeng crawled backward.
"Too late." The cold light flashed, one sword to the throat. How could a promise made when life was threatened be trusted?
Lin Feng looked at Jingfeng, who died with his eyes open, and let out a long breath. His heart stirred slightly, but only for a moment. On the bloody journey to becoming a strong one, blood and corpses were unavoidable.
"If Jinghao comes to you, tell him the truth. Say I killed him." Lin Feng smiled casually, unconcerned. If he feared even a ninth-layer Qi Martial Realm martial artist, how could he ever wield his sword and walk the world?