"You lingered outside the fortress for a long time." That man spoke first, his tone flat and waveless, devoid of burning hostility or a shred of friendliness, leaving only a cold certainty.
Lin Feng's tone was casual. "Just passing by."
The opponent did not press further, yet steadfastly refused to leave. The void fell silent for a few breaths, the wind silently flowing, and the taut atmosphere continuously spread.
"You carry an item on you, originating from the Ashen Starfield." The man spoke once more, his tone maintaining its steady calm, yet carrying an unquestionable certainty. "You are not worthy to possess that thing."
At his waist hung a dark short weapon, the hilt wrapped entirely in worn old straps with mottled patterns-traces of years of combat and a life seasoned by slaughter.
Lin Feng asked nothing and answered nothing, neither denying nor defending himself. The Chaos Qi within his body was already silently circulating through his major cycles, hiding within his limbs and bones. His body surface displayed no aggressive posture whatsoever, but his surrounding aura had already locked tight, forming a stance of confrontation. He knew well that today's affair held absolutely no possibility of ending peacefully and both parties going their separate ways.
The man spoke no more, lowering his head to stand silently, his gaze hidden within the shadows as he awaited Lin Feng's flaw.
The evening wind brushed through the stones, and the void was silent. The taut atmosphere was like a fully drawn bow string, ready to snap at a touch.
In a split second, the man moved.
Rather than a direct frontal assault, his figure suddenly slid sideways, intending to skirt into Lin Feng's blind spot of vision and seize the initiative in both offense and defense. At the same time, his right