Black Wind City, Buffet

The Mission Hall was deathly silent.

Wei Tiancheng stared blankly at the protective jade pendant on the ground, shattered into eight pieces. He subconsciously touched his cold neck, a surge of urine uncontrollably flooding his bladder.

He, a genius at the ninth level of the True Qi Realm, a rising star among the younger generation of the Demon Suppression Division, Wei Tiancheng, the Windy Sword.

He had almost been silently decapitated.

And his opponent hadn't even fully drawn his sword from the beginning.

What a humiliating, dimension-shattering blow!

The followers around him had already turned ashen, their legs trembling as if they were dancing the "senior disco."

Their gazes towards Lin Feng were no longer human, but rather like looking at an ancient, ferocious god clad in human skin.

Lin Feng didn't spare them another glance, as if he had merely swatted away a buzzing fly.

He accepted the purple scroll representing a four-star mission and, under the awe, terror, and a hint of pity from the crowd, turned and left.

Long after he was gone, the Mission Hall erupted into hushed whispers of relief.

"Oh my god... did my eyes deceive me? Wei Tiancheng... was defeated in one move?"

"His sword wasn't even unsheathed, and his protective artifact shattered! Is this something a human can do?!"

"King Yama Lin... who came up with that nickname? It's too fitting! It's tailor-made!"

Wei Tiancheng was supported and led away by his followers, his spirit utterly broken.

From this day forward, his title of "genius" in the Demon Suppression Division had become a complete joke.

Meanwhile, Lin Feng had already mounted his swift horse, taking his little follower Huang Fugui, and galloped towards Black Wind City.

"Master, that move you just pulled off was incredibly cool! I felt at that moment that the Windy Sword was just a small puddle in front of you! One stomp from you and it would evaporate!"

Huang Fugui, nestled in Lin Feng's arms, showered him with praise via mental transmission.

"Stop your chatter."

Lin Feng said lightly, "Black Wind City is just ahead. Keep your spirits up and scout out the situation inside. This time, our opponent isn't some brainless zombies from the mine."

"You got it! Master, just watch! I'm a Peak Second Order Great Demon now. Within ten miles, not even a female mosquito can escape my dharma eye!"

Huang Fugui declared confidently.

One person and one horse, kicking up dust, soon disappeared into the horizon.

At the same time, twenty miles outside Black Wind City, in a hidden valley, several tents were pitched, the atmosphere solemn.

This was the temporary command post for three other Bronze Token Demon Slayer squads of the Nan Yan Commandery's Demon Suppression Division.

Unlike Lin Feng's solo mission, this was the standard procedure for the Demon Suppression Division to execute high-difficulty tasks.

In the center of the command tent, a massive sand table accurately recreated the terrain of Black Wind City.

Three powerful Bronze Token Slayers, their auras immense, surrounded the sand table, their brows furrowed in intense discussion.

Leading them was a burly man, eight feet tall, broad-shouldered and muscular, his physique like a solid iron mass. He was Meng Kuo, nicknamed "Thunder Fist."

His cultivation at the peak of the ninth level of the True Qi Realm was fierce and domineering, making him a renowned powerhouse in the Demon Suppression Division.

"No! A frontal assault is absolutely out of the question!"

Meng Kuo slammed his fist onto the table, making the sand table jump.

"Since Old Demon of Black Wind dared to set an ambush to trap Captain Chu, he must have made thorough preparations! Black Wind City is now a giant trap. If we rush in with our small force, we'll just be delivering ourselves to them!"

To his left stood a middle-aged man in scholar's attire, holding a feather fan. He was Wu Yong, known as the "strategist" of the Demon Suppression Division. Although his cultivation was only at the eighth level of the True Qi Realm, he was proficient in formations and strategy.

Wu Yong fanned himself slowly and said:

"Brother Meng, please calm down. Black Wind City is difficult to attack and easy to defend, with strategic terrain. Moreover, the Wind Fiend Sect has been operating there for years, so the city must be filled with spies and traps. In my opinion, we should prioritize 'stability.' First, dispatch scouts to ascertain the situation within the city, create a detailed defense map, identify the enemy's formation nodes, find their weaknesses, and only then can we achieve victory with a single blow."

"Brother Wu's words are reasonable."

The last to speak was a quiet woman in green, Liu Qing. She specialized in tracking and assassination and was a master at the ninth level of the True Qi Realm.

"However, the choice of scouts must be extremely cautious. Old Demon of Black Wind's ability to trap Chu Mengxi means his strength is far from ordinary. Ordinary scouts likely won't return."

The three spoke in turn, analyzing the situation thoroughly, considering all possibilities. They deduced everything from the enemy's troop deployment and potential traps to the impact of weather on combat, even speculating on how many fallback plans Old Demon of Black Wind might have.

This was the self-discipline of a professional team.

"Report--!"

Just then, a scout responsible for vigilance rushed into the command tent.

"Your Excellencies, a single rider on a swift horse just passed by our perimeter. The direction... seemed to be towards Black Wind City."

"One rider?"

Meng Kuo frowned. "Who was it? Did you see clearly?"

"It was too far to tell. Should we send someone to make contact? Could it be reinforcements from another commandery?"

Wu Yong fanned his fan and mused, "It shouldn't be. The Division hasn't issued the order for a general offensive yet, so reinforcements from other commanderies wouldn't arrive this quickly. Let him go. Perhaps he's a lone wolf looking to make a fortune in Black Wind City. He can test the waters for us and gauge the city's defenses."

Meng Kuo and Liu Qing nodded in agreement.

In their eyes, no matter how strong a lone warrior was, they couldn't make much of a splash against the long-established Wind Fiend Sect. At most, they'd just force the sect to reveal some of its strength.

They continued to bury their heads in the sand table, formulating what they believed to be an foolproof detailed plan for the assault on Black Wind City.

Meanwhile, the lone warrior Lin Feng, whom they considered a "guinea pig," had already arrived at the foot of Black Wind City.

He looked up at the city, shrouded in a dark gray "wind fiend" energy. The air was filled with a bloody and sinister aura.

Without any hesitation, he gave his instructions to Huang Fugui, who was in his arms.

"It's time for the buffet."

"You're in charge of reconnaissance. Mark every breathing creature in the city, whether human or demon."

"I'll be in charge of... clearing the stage."

With that, his figure flickered, like a phantom, and he silently melted into the shadows of the city walls, disappearing from sight.

Huang Fugui, in turn, transformed into a barely perceptible yellow smoke, hugging the ground as he slipped through the gap beneath the city gate.