Chapter 1786: Ambush
As the formation evolved, Lin Feng and the others found themselves once again inside a vast and majestic hall. This hall was resplendent and magnificent, with golden pillars standing within, radiating a golden radiance. Carved upon them were Vermilion Bird divine birds, exuding an aura of immense authority. At the far front of the hall stood a massive ancient cauldron, from which strands of profound yellow energy hung, emanating an ancient and powerful aura. One glance was enough to tell that it was a precious treasure.
"Whoosh!" A sound whistled through the air as a figure suddenly lunged toward the ancient cauldron. His hand shot out and clamped down on it, and in an instant, the cauldron vanished, as if he had stored it away.
This sight caused the pupils of the others to constrict slightly. Sharp glints flashed through their eyes as they pressed forward, surrounding the man who had seized the cauldron. However, the one who had obtained it furrowed his brows, a strange expression appearing on his face.
Lin Feng and the others from the Heavenly Terrace were standing close together, so they had all been transported into this hall together. Tantai stepped forward, intending to join the fray, but Lin Feng reached out and stopped him, saying, "Wait."
"That ancient cauldron seems to be a valuable treasure," Tantai said. But Lin Feng was silent for a moment before replying in a low voice, "This is an illusion. Everything here could be conjured."
Knowing Yan Di's personality, even if he had left behind a genuine treasure in this magnificent hall, it would certainly be with ill intentions.
In truth, everyone here knew this was an illusion and that the cauldron might be fake. Yet, seeing the man store it away, they couldn't help but want to take a look for themselves.
"Bring out the cauldron and let us see what kind of treasure it is," someone finally spoke, addressing the man who had taken it. But the man's expression turned rather ugly. "That cauldron was fake. There was nothing inside. When I touched it, it disappeared on its own. I didn't store it away."
"Then show us your storage ring," another person said coldly. Though they understood that what he said might be true, they couldn't rest easy without seeing for themselves.
"Yan Di is deliberately trying to divide us and break our unity," the man who had taken the cauldron said, his face darkening. He seemed to understand Yan Di's intention behind this move.
"Even if Yan Di intends to divide us, it was your greed that started this. You were the first to snatch the treasure. If anyone is breaking our unity, it's you. If you don't let us inspect your storage ring, we will all join forces to eliminate you," another icy voice rang out. Several people surrounded the man, making his expression extremely grim. For a martial artist, a storage ring held the accumulated wealth of a lifetime and contained important secrets. No one would willingly let others inspect their storage ring; it was an insult in itself.
"Don't push me too far," the man who had taken the cauldron said, his voice turning completely cold. If he handed over his storage ring for them to see, could he trust that they wouldn't be overcome by greed and seize it?
A chilling murderous intent suddenly spread out, enveloping his body, leaving no room for negotiation.
Lin Feng watched coldly from the sidelines. Knowing Yan Di as he did, he was almost certain that the cauldron was fake. What happened next would likely be quite interesting.
In this vast hall, aside from Lin Feng and his group, there were several others who had remained still, not participating. One of them had even walked to the edge of the hall, where powerful spiritual forces were attempting to break out.
"Boom!" Suddenly, the person at the edge of the hall slashed out with a fierce blade light. A terrifying golden greatsword hung in the void, striking the hall. But to their surprise, the attack made no sound of impact. The blade light simply hung there, extending beyond the hall, as if the hall itself was illusory, not a physical object.
At the same time, the battle on the other side had already erupted. The man who had taken the cauldron eventually handed over his storage ring, but only after being coerced into removing all the rings on his person. In the end, he still couldn't escape death. The others used his greed for treasure as an excuse to kill him together. However, after killing him, a new battle broke out among the remaining few—this time, for the storage rings.
"That Yan Di really understands human nature. I doubt this is the only illusion like this," Lin Feng murmured to himself. Then he heard the strong cultivator who had walked to the edge of the hall speak up: "You should stop and think about how to break out of this illusion instead of fighting over petty gains and losing your lives here."
The others' eyes flickered. Of course, they knew that escaping the illusion was the priority. But who was willing to give up the benefits they had already obtained? So the fighting continued until two more had died.
"This illusion is like attacking empty air. There's no point of impact. How do we break it?" one person said, looking at the blade light still hanging in the void of the hall. The entire hall seemed as real as any physical structure, not like an illusion at all.
"As long as it's a formation, it can be broken. Either break it with formations, or if you're not skilled in formations, break it with raw force. However, since our cultivation has been suppressed, it's difficult for any one person to break it alone. If we all join forces, there might be hope of shattering this illusion," the strong cultivator said slowly. The others nodded and moved to his side.
"You've been calm all along. Do you have any good ideas?" the man turned back to look at Lin Feng's group and asked.
"We can only try your method," Lin Feng replied calmly. Then they all stepped forward. But at that moment, a voice drifted softly into Lin Feng's ears.
"Lin Feng."
"Yan Di!" Lin Feng's pupils constricted. It was Yan Di, transmitting his thoughts to him. As the master of the formation, Yan Di could easily infiltrate everything within it, allowing him to make mental contact.
"Lin Feng, I need your help now," Yan Di's voice seeped into Lin Feng's mind, causing his eyes to flicker uncertainly. "How do you want me to help you?"
"Kill everyone in this illusion. Leave no one alive." Yan Di's transmission carried a chilling intent, making Lin Feng's expression stiffen. This bastard had ruthless methods—kill them all.
"The great illusion formation I set up won't last much longer. They'll break it eventually. Once it's broken, the Tian Yan Holy Clan will be completely wiped out from the Nine Heavens Continent. You little bastard, you have to help me this time." Yan Di's voice was heavy and serious. This old immortal rarely spoke to him so earnestly.
"Even if I kill everyone here, there are still people in other illusion spaces who will break the formations. What will you do then?" Lin Feng asked.
"That's why I need you and your people to take action. Kill as many as you can," Yan Di continued. Lin Feng's heart stirred. The people who had come here were no ordinary individuals. Killing them all was not only ruthless but would also bring endless trouble if word got out.
"Don't worry. You have plenty of people. Just have them follow your orders and attack simultaneously, aiming for a one-hit kill. They won't be on guard. They would never expect you all to attack them at once, so this matter won't spread," Yan Di said again. "Lin Feng, I'm the only one controlling this formation. I can't hold out much longer. My life is in your hands now. Are you going to take their lives, or do you want me to die?"
"You bastard," Lin Feng cursed. This old immortal wanted him to ambush these people and kill them all.
"You little bastard, I've killed plenty of people for you, and I've never complained. Now, the fate of me and the Tian Yan Holy Clan is in your hands. You decide," Yan Di's voice came through, leaving Lin Feng speechless. Indeed, Yan Di had killed many for him in the past, and there had never been any conflict of interest between them—it was all for Lin Feng's sake.
With things having come this far, if Lin Feng didn't help Yan Di and ended up causing his death, he would be haunted by guilt forever.
With that thought, sharp glints flashed through Lin Feng's eyes. He had made his decision. Since these people had come to seize treasures, they should be prepared to pay the price. He would have to betray them to protect Yan Di.
"What I'm about to say may shock you, but stay calm," Lin Feng transmitted to those beside him. Their pupils constricted slightly but quickly returned to normal, maintaining their composure.
"The Crown Prince of the Tian Yan Holy Clan—the one who set up this formation, the master of this holy hall—is my brother. So when we strike, we won't attack the hall's illusion formation. Instead, we'll attack those people ahead. We must ensure a one-hit kill. They would never expect us to attack them simultaneously, so they won't be on guard. As long as we strike fast and hard, we can succeed in one blow."
Lin Feng spoke slowly. Though his companions had mentally prepared themselves, their hearts still trembled violently upon hearing his words. However, they quickly regained their composure, showing no outward reaction.
"Remember, whoever kills someone gets that person's treasures. Make sure it's an instant kill," Lin Feng instructed again. Now that everyone's cultivation was suppressed to the Low-rank Emperor realm, as long as they struck fast and hard, a one-hit kill should be possible against an unsuspecting target.
At this moment, Lin Feng and his group had already joined the others. The leader of the group looked ahead and said, "Everyone, gather your strongest attacks and strike the edge of the hall together. Use force to break the formation. Anyone who doesn't attack will be killed by all of us."
As he spoke, a cold glint flashed in his eyes, and he himself began to release a powerful aura.
"When I give the command, attack simultaneously."
With his words, everyone began to gather their strength. Lin Feng stood not far from this man, his rolling, terrifying Heavenly Demon Judgment power surging endlessly, mixed with the light of Tribulation Sword, exuding a destructive force. Even his surroundings and attacks were entwined with the power of Wind Law.
When everyone's attacks were ready, the man finally let out a booming voice: "Attack!"
The moment the word fell, the world seemed to shatter. The others' attacks all blasted toward the hall, but Lin Feng and his group's attacks, carrying devastating destructive power, directly smashed and crushed toward their targets' heads, like a thunderbolt striking from a bowstring. And they, upon realizing that the terrifying attacks were aimed at them, seemed to finally understand what was happening!