The Oriole Behind

The surging power of breaking through to the Late Stage Martial Artist coursed through his limbs, like a river breaking its banks, swiftly washing away the fatigue and injuries from the fierce battle. Lin Feng stood at the edge of the scorched giant pit, faint purple lightning flickering around him, his aura significantly stronger than before!

His gaze, sharp as a falcon's, swept across the surroundings. The intense battle with Tu Gang just now must have attracted the attention of other examinees nearby. In this perilous Myriad Phenomena Battlefield, injured beasts were prime targets for hyenas.

Without a moment's pause, he moved. Combining Lightning Flash with Galloping Thunder Steps, his speed surged, becoming like a true bolt of lightning as he quickly left the troublesome area and ventured deeper into the crimson mountain range.

Along the way, he encountered several foolish Tier 1 and 2 Yao Beasts. Each was easily dispatched with a casual Electric Light Finger or a standard Thunderclap Break, their points automatically added to his score. After his breakthrough, dealing with these ordinary Yao Beasts didn't even require him to use Thunder Gang.

His objective was clear—to find more points, and... the other assassin sent by the Zhang family, the "Shadow Fox," Mo San!

After traveling for about an hour, a stone forest composed of countless giant, weathered crimson pillars appeared ahead. The terrain within the stone forest was complex, with jagged rocks, making it an excellent place for ambushes and counter-ambushes.

Lin Feng slowed his pace, his Spiritual Power highly concentrated, like invisible tendrils meticulously probing every inch of space within the stone forest.

[Warning: Multiple hidden energy signatures detected in the area ahead, bearing hostility.]

[Analyzing... Energy attributes lean towards dark and stealthy, with a 78% compatibility to known "Shadowy Specter Academy" techniques.]

Shadowy Specter Academy? Lin Feng's eyes grew cold. He had taken note of this academy, renowned for assassination and deceit, during the qualifying rounds. He hadn't expected to encounter them so soon, and it seemed they had set up an ambush here specifically.

He feigned ignorance, his steps deliberately appearing "weary" as he approached the entrance to the stone forest, like an ordinary examinee who had just fought a tough battle and was eager to find a place to rest.

The moment he stepped into the shadows of the stone forest—

"Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!"

Several sharp whistling sounds pierced the air from different directions! Seven ghostly black figures, like venomous snakes blending into the shadows, shot out from behind stone pillars, from cracks in the ground, and even from rock crevices above! Seven daggers, coated with a faint, dark blue sheen and clearly infused with potent poison, carried a chilling killing intent, sealing off all possible escape routes for Lin Feng!

Their coordination was flawless, their timing impeccable, aiming for a swift kill! A typical Shadowy Specter Academy style!

If Lin Feng were still a Mid Stage Martial Artist, facing this combined ambush by seven Shadowy Specter geniuses, all at least Mid Stage Martial Artists, even if he could kill a few, he would inevitably be injured, or perhaps even suffer a fatal mistake.

But now—

A cold glint erupted in Lin Feng's eyes, the pretense of "fatigue" vanishing instantly, replaced by a ferocity and precision akin to thunder!

Thunder Gang, Rumble!

He didn't dodge. Instead, he stomped his foot hard! The layer of dark purple Thunder Gang around him condensed at an unprecedented speed. It wasn't for attack, but like a solid ring of thunderous light, it expanded outwards from him with a roar, vibrating!

"Buzz—!"

As the Thunder Gang passed, the air emitted a groaning sound as if unable to bear the strain! The seven incoming black figures were like they had slammed into an invisible wall of destructive power, their speed drastically reduced, their movements stiff. The daggers in their hands vibrated with a hum under the Thunder Gang, and the dark blue poisonous glow on them even dimmed slightly!

"What?!"

"His protective True Qi is strange!"

Exclamations of shock and panic came from the shadows. Their famed stealth and coordinated attack techniques were instantly broken by this domineering thunderous vibration!

"Now, it's my turn!"

Lin Feng's icy voice was like the announcement of death. The moment the seven were slowed by the Thunder Gang's shockwave, he moved!

Galloping Thunder Steps erupted, leaving a faint afterimage in his place. His true body slipped into the midst of the seven like a phantom! His fingers moved like lightning, Electric Light Finger pushed to its limit, but the finger wind was no longer a single straight line. Instead, it was like leaping lightning snakes, tracing bizarre arcs!

"Ch! Ch! Ch!"

The speed was extreme! Dark purple finger shadows flickered and weaved between the seven black figures. Each flicker precisely struck the wrist, shoulder, or vital acupoint of a Shadowy Specter examinee!

"Ah!"

"My hand!"

"My True Qi!"

Piercing screams erupted one after another! The seven Shadowy Specter geniuses, like felled stalks of wheat, all fell from their stealth, collapsing and twitching on the ground. Their wrists were shattered, their weapons dropped, their True Qi sealed, instantly losing all combat effectiveness!

The entire process took only two or three breaths! Seven Shadowy Specter geniuses, skilled in coordinated attacks, didn't even touch Lin Feng's clothes before they were completely wiped out!

Lin Feng didn't even glance at the seven incapacitated figures on the ground; their points automatically flowed into his credentials. His gaze, sharp as lightning, shot towards the rear of the largest stone pillar deep within the stone forest.

"You've been watching for so long, aren't you coming out?"

He had sensed long ago that another aura was hidden there, more stable and more dangerous than those seven! It wasn't the style of the Shadowy Specter Academy, but carried a mountain-like solidity and oppressive pressure!

"Heh heh, as expected of Lei Lie's disciple, you are indeed sharp."

A deep, muffled chuckle sounded, and a tall, bronze-skinned, bald strongman with muscles like gnarled granite slowly emerged from behind the stone pillar. With every step he took, the ground trembled slightly. His aura was dense and solid, clearly a Late Stage Martial Artist specializing in body refinement!

"Vajra Gate, Shi Meng." The strongman clenched his fists, his knuckles cracking like popping beans, "Someone has offered a price for one of your arms. Will you do it yourself, or shall I help you?"

His gaze was disdainful, filled with absolute confidence. Clearly, he attributed Lin Feng's swift defeat of the seven Shadowy Specter examinees to the counteraction of Thunder True Qi against dark techniques, and didn't truly take it seriously. For a successor of the Vajra Gate, specializing in body refinement with astonishing defensive power, thunderous energy, though strong, might not be able to break through his defenses!

Lin Feng looked at the man's metal-cast physique, feeling the terrifying power contained within. This was a formidable opponent; his pure physical strength likely far surpassed others of the same level.

"You want my arm?" Lin Feng's lips curled into an icy arc, "That depends on whether your fist is hard enough!"

"Seeking death!" Shi Meng's eyes sharpened, and he stopped wasting words. He stomped his foot hard! The ground cracked, forming a shallow pit. He moved like a cannonball, with an unstoppable momentum, throwing a punch straight at Lin Feng's face! The punch was powerfully fierce, as if it could shatter mountains!

Facing this pure power strike, battle intent ignited in Lin Feng's eyes. He didn't dodge either. He circulated the Nine Heavens Thunder Blade mental technique, condensing lightning in his right fist, and met the attack head-on! He wanted to test just how far his strength had reached after his breakthrough!

"Boom!!"

The two fists collided without any pretense! It was like two giant hammers smashing together, emitting a deafening roar! Visible waves of air exploded outwards in concentric circles, causing the surrounding stone pillars to shed dust!

Lin Feng's body swayed, taking half a step back, a dull ache spreading through his fist. Shi Meng, however, stumbled back three steps, a flush rising on his bronze face, his eyes filled with horror!

"Your strength... how is that possible?!" Shi Meng couldn't believe it. He had trained his body and taken secret medicines since childhood, his strength far exceeding that of Martial Artists of the same level. He had expected to crush Lin Feng with a single punch, but in a pure test of strength, he had actually been at a disadvantage!

"Your fists, it seems, aren't hard enough." Lin Feng flicked his wrist, his tone casual, yet laced with extreme insult.

"Bastard! Indestructible Vajra Body!" Shi Meng roared in fury. A metallic sheen instantly covered his skin, and his aura surged once more! His fists became like heavy hammers as he unleashed the Vajra Gate's ultimate technique. Fist shadows rained down like mountains, carrying the power to shatter mountains and split rocks, launching a frenzied assault on Lin Feng!

Lin Feng's eyes narrowed. He pushed his Lightning Flash movement technique to its limit, abandoning any thought of a direct power confrontation. After activating his body-refining secret art, Shi Meng's defense and strength had both increased significantly; a head-on clash was no longer wise.

He weaved through the immensely powerful fist shadows like a butterfly flitting through flowers. Streaks of Electric Light Finger, like a viper's flicking tongue, precisely targeted Shi Meng's major acupoints and joint connections. However, the metallic sheen offered extreme defense. The finger strikes merely left white marks upon impact, emitting a metallic clang, unable to penetrate.

"Hahaha! Useless! How could your finger strength possibly break my Indestructible Vajra Body?" Shi Meng roared with laughter, his offensive intensifying.

Lin Feng's expression remained unchanged, but his gaze grew even calmer. While evading, he meticulously observed Shi Meng's energy flow. No body-refining technique was without flaws, especially when exerting force during movement.

"It's here!"

Just as Shi Meng launched a heavy punch, his old strength gone and new strength not yet arrived, a minuscule fluctuation appeared in the metallic sheen at the Tanzhong acupoint on his chest—

Purple lightning erupted from Lin Feng's eyes. His right fist, which had been poised, suddenly shot out! This time, it wasn't an ordinary Thunderclap Break, but the second level of Thunder Gang pushed to its absolute limit. His entire fist seemed to transform into an energy body composed purely of destructive lightning!

"Nine Heavens Thunder Blade—Lightning Strike!"

The punch was silent! Yet it was too fast for the eye to follow! Like a true heavenly lightning bolt, it instantly traversed the distance between them, striking with unparalleled precision at the fluctuation on Shi Meng's chest at the Tanzhong acupoint!

"Pfft!"

It was like a hot knife slicing through butter! The seemingly indestructible metallic sheen was torn apart like paper against the supremely condensed, terrifyingly penetrating power of Thunder Gang! The rampant lightning energy instantly surged into his body, striking his Blood Essence core!

"Uh... No... Impossible..."

The triumphant laughter on Shi Meng's face froze, replaced by extreme pain and bewilderment. He looked down at the scorched fist print on his chest, feeling the lightning power raging within him like a volcanic eruption. His massive body swayed, then crashed to the ground like a falling mountain, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Lin Feng slowly retracted his fist, breathing slightly heavily. Continuously using Thunder Gang had been a massive drain. He glanced at the unconscious Shi Meng lying on the ground, his aura weak. Without taking his points, he turned to leave.

However, the moment he turned, the situation took a sudden turn!

A faint sound, almost imperceptible, broke through the air from behind him, in his blind spot! Its speed was incredible, its target aimed directly at the Yuzhen acupoint on the back of his head! Simultaneously, a sweet, cloying fragrance subtly spread, and upon inhalation, it caused dizziness and a slight stagnation in True Qi circulation!

Poison! It was the Shadow Fox, Mo San!

The true killing blow had finally bared its fangs! He had been lurking nearby all along, waiting for Lin Feng and Shi Meng to be mutually injured, or for this moment of extreme relaxation!