Four-Star Mission, Half-Step Dan Yuan?

"Three-star mission? Captured?"

Lin Feng's brow furrowed instantly.

With Chu Mengxi's cultivation, even if she couldn't defeat a typical three-star mission, she could still protect herself with more than enough effort.

For her to be captured by mistake meant the other party's background was definitely not simple.

"What exactly happened?" Lin Feng asked in a deep voice.

"It's a mission from Black Wind City!"

A trace of fear appeared on Zhao Tie's face.

"Black Wind City is a border town under Nan Yan Commandery, a no-man's-land constantly occupied by an evil sect called the Wind Fiend Sect. Their sect leader, the 'Old Demon of Black Wind,' is said to be an extremely powerful evil cultivator with bizarre methods and a cruel heart."

"Recently, there have been frequent disappearances of martial artists in Black Wind City, and even some of our Demon Suppression Division's peripheral personnel have lost contact there. The Division takes this matter very seriously and has classified it as a three-star mission. Captain Chu volunteered to lead a few brothers to investigate, and the result..."

Zhao Tie's fists clenched with a creak, his eyes filled with regret and self-blame.

"They fell into an ambush! Except for one brother who escaped back heavily wounded, everyone else was trapped in Black Wind City! The escaped brother said that the Old Demon of Black Wind's strength is far beyond the peak True Qi Realm shown in the intelligence reports; he... he might have already stepped halfway into the Dan Yuan Realm!"

Half-step Dan Yuan Realm!

These four words made Lin Feng's eyes turn solemn.

The Dan Yuan Realm was a completely new level of existence.

Condensing a core in the dantian, it could store spiritual energy like a Demon Core, inexhaustible and inexhaustible, possessing immense power with every move.

Although a Half-step Dan Yuan Realm practitioner was not yet a true Dan Yuan Realm cultivator, they were far beyond the ability of True Qi Realm martial artists to contend with.

No wonder Chu Mengxi had failed.

"When the news reached the Division, what was their reaction?" Lin Feng asked.

"The high-ranking officials in the Division are currently in urgent discussions, preparing to mobilize more experts from the neighboring commandery to form a punitive expedition."

Zhao Tie gave a bitter smile, "But distant water can't quench near thirst; this trip alone will take at least several days. Captain Chu... probably won't be able to wait!"

"I understand."

Lin Feng nodded and turned to walk out.

"Brother Lin, you..."

"I'm going to the Mission Hall."

Lin Feng's reply was simple and direct.

Zhao Tie was stunned at first, then understood something, and his eyes instantly filled with endless gratitude and excitement.

Brother Lin was going to take action!

When Lin Feng stepped into the Mission Hall again, the entire hall fell silent.

All eyes subconsciously focused on him, filled with reverence.

The reputation of "King Yama Lin" had long been deeply ingrained in people's hearts.

Lin Feng ignored the crowd and walked straight to the Xuanjing stone wall.

His gaze locked directly onto the four-star mission at the very top of the stone wall, emitting an eerie purple light.

[Four-star Mission: Eradicate Black Wind City]

[Mission Description: The evil sect Wind Fiend Sect occupies Black Wind City, and its leader, the Old Demon of Black Wind, has unfathomable strength, suspected to be in the Half-step Dan Yuan Realm. Several Bronze Token Demon Slayers have already gone missing. Extremely high danger level.]

[Mission Reward: 10,000 Merit Points, one martial art of your choice.]

Three-star had become four-star.

What Zhao Tie said was true.

"I accept this mission."

Lin Feng extended his finger and tapped the purple mission.

The entire Mission Hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Everyone was so shocked by Lin Feng's earth-shattering move that their scalps tingled.

A four-star mission!

An opponent in the Half-step Dan Yuan Realm!

The chief supervisor wasn't making a move.

Who in the entire Demon Suppression Division dared to act rashly?

This was no longer a matter of nine deaths out of ten; this was a sure death!

"He's crazy! King Yama Lin is truly crazy this time!"

"No matter how strong he is, he's still only in the True Qi Realm, right? Challenging a Half-step Dan Yuan Realm cultivator alone, isn't that suicide?"

"Alas, he's ultimately too young and impetuous; too much rigidity leads to breaking."

Just as everyone was discussing, thinking they were witnessing the downfall of a genius.

A cold and arrogant voice rang out from the entrance of the Mission Hall.

"I was wondering who was so reckless, turns out it's just you, a country bumpkin."

Everyone looked towards the sound and saw a young man in a luxurious black robe with silver trim, surrounded by a group of followers, slowly walking in.

The young man had handsome features, but his eyes were filled with condescending arrogance. Hanging from his waist was a genuine, crimson copper token!

"It's Wei Jin's cousin, Windy Sword Wei Tiancheng!"

"Didn't he go on a long-term mission? Why is he back today?"

"Now this will be interesting! Wei Tiancheng's temper is much more explosive than his good-for-nothing cousin! And he's a true genius, nine layers of True Qi Realm at twenty-two, with swordsmanship that few in his generation at the Demon Suppression Division can match!"

Wei Tiancheng ignored the surrounding chatter. His gaze, like a sharp sword, locked onto Lin Feng, his eyes filled with undisguised killing intent and contempt.

As soon as he returned, he heard that his cousin's hand had been crippled and that he had been so terrified he hadn't left his room, becoming a laughingstock of the entire Demon Suppression Division.

And the culprit was this newcomer named Lin Feng standing before him.

How could he tolerate this?

"Kid."

Wei Tiancheng walked slowly up to Lin Feng, looking down at him, a cruel curve forming on his lips.

"I heard you were the one who crippled my cousin's hand?"

Lin Feng glanced at him, his eyes as indifferent as if he were looking at a stone by the roadside.

"You're seeking death!"

Wei Tiancheng was furious. He had been active in the Demon Suppression Division for years, when had he ever been so disregarded?

"A bumpkin who got ahead by relying on Chu Mengxi dares to be arrogant in front of me? Let me tell you, if you kneel down now, kowtow a hundred times to my cousin, and cripple your own arm, I might consider sparing your dog's life. Otherwise..."

Before he could finish speaking.

"I said, don't bother me."

Lin Feng's voice sounded faintly.

The next moment.

"Buzz—"

A faint, almost imperceptible sword hum flashed through the air and disappeared.

The angry expression on Wei Tiancheng's face instantly froze.

Everyone around watching the commotion was stunned.

They hadn't seen anything.

They only saw Lin Feng's hand lightly touch the hilt of his sword at his waist, and then put it back down.

There wasn't even a trace of the sword being drawn.

What was... that?

Did he back down?

Or was he too scared by Wei Tiancheng's aura to move?

"Hahaha, I thought you were so tough, turns out you're all show! What, don't dare to make a move now?"

Seeing this, Wei Tiancheng's followers immediately became arrogant again, mocking him.

However, Wei Tiancheng, the person involved, remained frozen in place, the color draining from his face at a visible rate, turning pale.

Large beads of cold sweat appeared on his forehead, and his body trembled uncontrollably.

"Boss, you... what's wrong?"

His followers also sensed something was amiss and asked cautiously.

Wei Tiancheng didn't answer them. Slowly, with an incredibly stiff and slow movement, he raised his trembling hand and reached for his neck.

Around his neck hung a protective jade pendant made of Thousand-Year Cold Jade.

This jade pendant was a magical artifact that his family elders had spent a great deal of money to obtain. It was incredibly hard and impervious to water and fire, said to be able to withstand a full-power attack from a Half-step Dan Yuan expert.

This was also one of the reasons he dared to act so arrogantly within the Demon Suppression Division.

Yet, at this moment.

His fingers lightly touched the jade pendant.

"Crack."

A faint, almost inaudible sound.

The flawless Thousand-Year Cold Jade pendant cracked right down the middle, a hairline fracture as thin as a strand of hair, smooth as a mirror.

Immediately after, under everyone's horrified gazes, the entire jade pendant silently split into two halves, slid from his neck, and fell to the ground, shattering into pieces.

The entire Mission Hall fell into a deathly silence.

Everyone was like a duck with its throat squeezed, mouths agape, but unable to make a sound.

They finally understood what had just happened.

It wasn't that Lin Feng hadn't drawn his blade.

It was that his blade was so fast it had surpassed the limits of their comprehension!

So fast they couldn't even see it!

Had that strike been a killing blow.

At this moment, what would have fallen to the ground wouldn't be a jade pendant, but Wei Tiancheng's head!

"Gulp."

Wei Tiancheng swallowed with difficulty, an icy chill that pierced to the bone surged from the soles of his feet straight to the crown of his head, almost freezing his blood solid.

He stared blankly at the shattered jade on the ground, then at the retreating figure.

The pride and dignity unique to a genius.

At this moment, they were utterly shattered.