Greedy Snake Consort

Snake Consort's voice was not loud, yet it was like an invisible awl, piercing through the howling black wind and striking precisely into the crevice where Lin Feng was hiding—then drilling straight into his mind!

The bewitching power contained within that voice was enough to make anyone weak-willed lose their senses in an instant and become a puppet at another's mercy; meanwhile, the icy killing intent was like tangible shackles, coiling around the body and chilling one to the bone, even causing one's true qi circulation to stagnate!

The spiritual pressure of a Martial Master, combined with her unique cultivation technique, was terrifying indeed!

Within the crevice, Lin Feng felt a slight dizziness seize his head as his blood and qi churned. It was as though countless cold serpent eyes were staring at him, and the sense of danger washed over him like a tide. But his Spiritual Power had reached 41 points; he had also been tempered in Phantom Beast Alley, with the True Meaning of Thunder protecting his body. His will was far firmer than that of his peers!

"Humph!"

A low, cold snort escaped his throat. He silently recited the Thunder Foundation Establishment Chapter, and that wisp of faint True Meaning of Thunder within his Sea of Consciousness suddenly erupted, transforming into an invisible streak of purple lightning that violently shattered the bewitching voice and the shackles of killing intent invading his mind!

He stepped out from the shadows of the crevice and appeared atop a rocky ledge along the side of the canyon, standing tall as a pine as he faced Snake Consort a hundred meters below. The wild wind swept his black hair across his forehead, revealing a pair of calm yet eagle-sharp eyes. Deep within them, it seemed as if a world of thunder was being born and extinguished.

"Oh?" For the first time, genuine surprise flashed through Snake Consort's cold vertical pupils. She had not expected this youth, who possessed merely Late Stage Martial Artist cultivation, to break free from her "Bewitching Snake Sound" and "Killing Intent Imprisonment" so easily. Moreover, the pure and violent thunder aura emanating from him made even her faintly uncomfortable.

"So you do have some tricks. No wonder you've taken down several of Shadow Kill Pavilion's capable men in succession." Snake Consort's red lips curled slightly. Her smile remained seductive, but it carried the danger of a venomous snake flicking its tongue. "The thunder cultivation technique on you is quite special. Hand over the technique and tell me your origins. Perhaps... I can grant you a swift death."

Her tone was flat, as if she were simply stating an established fact, carrying the absolute confidence of a Martial Master looking down from on high. In her eyes, Lin Feng was already a turtle in a jar. The only question was how she wished to deal with him.

Lin Feng's gaze swept over Snake Consort and the two Peak Martial Artist guards standing silently behind her like shadows, before finally settling upon the three strange serpent-shaped stone pillars and the altar at their center. He could sense that the altar seemed faintly connected to the Profound Yin Fiendish Wind throughout Black Wind Valley, gathering some sort of cold, sinister energy.

"Shadow Kill Pavilion only sent you?" Lin Feng spoke, his voice still clear amid the howling wind, carrying undisguised mockery. "Looks like your Pavilion Master doesn't think much of you, 'Lady Snake Consort.'"

The moment those words fell, the smile vanished from Snake Consort's face, replaced by a trace of icy baleful qi. The auras of the two guards behind her surged forth as well, their killing intent locking onto Lin Feng.

"Sharp-tongued brat." Snake Consort's voice turned cold. "Since you refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit, I'll capture you, extract your divine soul, and naturally learn everything!"

She did not act personally. She merely gave a light wave of her hand.

"Take him down. Alive."

"Yes, my lady!"

The guard on her left answered and moved at once! He was tall and thin, like a bamboo pole, and wielded an unusual pair of weapons—the Mother-Child Mandarin Duck Blades. With a flicker of his body, he shot up along the steep rock wall as though weightless, so fast that he left behind only a faint black line. The twin blades in his hands traced strange arcs as they lunged for Lin Feng's shoulder blades, clearly intending to cripple his ability to move first!

The speed and strength of a Peak Martial Artist were fully displayed! And his movement technique was bizarre, utterly beyond the likes of Mo San!

Facing this swift and vicious assault, Lin Feng's eyes narrowed, not daring to let down his guard in the slightest. He unleashed Thunder Flash to its fullest; faint lightning flickered beneath his feet as he drifted backward. At the same time, his two fingers jabbed out repeatedly, Electric Light Finger merging with the True Meaning of Thunder. Several condensed purple finger-arrows shot toward vital points such as his opponent's wrists and joints like maggots clinging to bone, seeking to halt his offensive.

"Clang, clang, clang!"

The tall, thin guard spun his twin blades, turning them into two rotating wheels of steel that blocked and split apart every finger-arrow, scattering sparks everywhere! His true qi was cold and condensed, and he could barely withstand the corrosive force of the thunder finger-arrows, though his speed was slightly hindered.

"You've got some skill, but it's still not enough!" The tall, thin guard sneered. His body suddenly accelerated, sticking close like a festering sore clinging to the bone. His twin blades whirled, transforming into a dense net of death that enveloped Lin Feng from every direction! The blade winds were razor-sharp, slicing the air with hissing sounds, while carrying a frigid force that sought to freeze Lin Feng's bloodline.

Lin Feng drove Thunder Flash to its limit, darting and evading across the narrow rocky ledge as if dancing upon the edge of a blade, danger lurking at every turn. Several times, he attempted to meet the attack head-on with Thunderclap Break, only for his opponent to deftly neutralize or redirect it with more refined techniques and more abundant true qi.

Late Stage Martial Artist and Peak Martial Artist seemed separated by only a thin line, but there were obvious gaps in the quantity and quality of their true qi, as well as their control over power. What was more, his opponent was an assassin carefully trained by Shadow Kill Pavilion, rich in combat experience, with ruthless and tricky moves.

A defense maintained too long was bound to fail! A blade flashed past, cutting open Lin Feng's clothing at the shoulder and leaving behind a shallow bloody gash. Frigid true qi invaded the wound, bringing piercing cold and numbness.

"This can't go on!" Thoughts raced through Lin Feng's mind, and his eyes turned sharp. He suddenly twisted sideways, seemingly intending to use his left arm to take a blade strike head-on and create an opening for his right fist.

A flash of disdain passed through the tall, thin guard's eyes. His twin blades crossed, ready to grind Lin Feng's left arm apart!

At that very instant, a deep dark-purple glow of lightning suddenly flared from Lin Feng's seemingly defensive left arm! It did not cover his entire arm, but was compressed to the extreme, concentrated at the tip of his elbow!

"Thunder Gang, Elbow Strike!"

He had actually applied Thunder Gang to a close-range elbow strike! The distance was shorter, the burst faster—catching his opponent off guard!

"What?!" The tall, thin guard's pupils contracted sharply. It was already too late to change moves!

Bang!

The Thunder Gang elbow strike, containing terrifying penetrating power, slammed viciously into the joint where the crossed twin blades connected! That was the structural weakness of the Mother-Child Mandarin Duck Blades!

Crack!

A crisp sound rang out! That pair of extraordinary unusual weapons was forcibly shattered in the middle by this elbow strike condensed to the utmost limit! Violent thunder power surged through the break and into the tall, thin guard's arms!

"Urgh!" The tall, thin guard let out a muffled cry of pain. Both arms went numb in an instant, his meridians seeming to burn beneath raging flames. The immense force sent his whole body flying backward!

An opportunity!

A cold gleam burst from Lin Feng's eyes as he prepared to press his advantage—

"Useless trash!"

An icy rebuke rang out. Snake Consort, who had been standing by and watching, had somehow raised one delicate jade hand. From afar, she lightly pressed it toward the tall, thin guard flying backward!

Pfft!

It was as if an invisible force had appeared from nowhere. The tall, thin guard's body abruptly stiffened in midair, his chest caving in grotesquely as he spewed out a mouthful of blood mixed with fragments of internal organs. Like a kite with its string cut, he crashed into the black baleful qi in the distance. He twitched twice, then fell silent forever.

With a casual strike, she had slain a Peak Martial Artist!

Lin Feng's heart instantly sank to the bottom.

Snake Consort slowly withdrew her hand. Her cold vertical pupils settled upon Lin Feng once more, carrying the amused playfulness of a cat toying with a mouse.

"Now, it's my turn to play with you personally."