Night Crow Ridge

Profound Heaven Continent, Night Crow Ridge.

Profound Heaven Continent was a world of Soul Cultivation. Everyone here spent their entire lives seeking enlightenment into the true essence of Soul Cultivation. Night Crow Ridge was a notorious perilous land in the northern part of the continent.

Its danger lay neither in its height nor in the steepness of its terrain, but in the flock of crows living beneath the valley ridge—a flock of man-eating crows.

Legend had it that someone had once accidentally fallen from the cliff. Before his companions could even react, countless crows had swarmed over and devoured him. By the time he hit the ground, he had become nothing but gleaming white bones.

Though the crows lived at the bottom of the valley, no one could guarantee that they would not suddenly fly up. Thus, Night Crow Ridge was a barren ridge, deserted all year round.

But at this moment, Night Crow Ridge was remarkably lively.

Upon the boundless ridge, bleak and frigid mountain winds came howling in waves. The afterglow of dusk spilled down with all its might, yet there was not the slightest warmth to be felt. Instead, the miserable screeches of the crows beneath the valley sent chills down one's spine.

Atop the ridge, shaped like the beak of a crow-hawk, thirteen black-clad men stood at the summit. Each wore an iron mask over his face, his figure concealed beneath a black robe. Other than the dazzling golden ice-flower patterns on their robes, nothing else could be discerned about them.

The thirteen stood in a single arcing line, forming an encirclement as they faced the steep cliffside of Night Crow Ridge.

Within their arc stood a handsome young man in white. He looked to be seventeen or eighteen, his brocade white robe gently fluttering in the valley's chilling wind.

The young man remained calm and unruffled. Not a trace of fear showed on his face despite the bottomless abyss behind him. He stood atop the towering mountain peak with the tranquil ease of drifting clouds and a gentle breeze, his entire body exuding the powerful aura of one accustomed to command, inspiring instinctive awe.

The youth stared fixedly at the black-clad men, his gaze blazing like torches. His sharp gaze carried an unrivaled arrogance, as though he could see through every illusion in this world.

The youth was named Lu Feng, an ordinary Soul Cultivation practitioner who had always worked diligently and conscientiously. He had come to this desolate place today for an appointment, but the situation before him clearly showed that he had been set up.

"Brat Lu, hand over the Divine Map, now!" the leading black-clad man shouted at Lu Feng. His voice sounded strange, clearly altered deliberately by forcing spiritual energy through his vocal cords.

Not the slightest ripple appeared in Lu Feng's deep eyes. After examining the patterns on the black-clad men's robes, a hint of disdain gradually rose at the corner of his mouth. He gave a cold laugh. "Dressed like this... could it be that you are imitating the Snow Region Ice Spring Sect's Hidden Edge Thirteen Killers?"

The Ice Spring Sect was one of the foremost powers on the continent. Its thirteen Hidden Edge Guests each possessed extraordinary gifts and formidable strength.

The Clear River Sect, where Lu Feng belonged, had long dealt with them, and the two sides had fought without end for a hundred years. In Lu Feng's mind, those Hidden Edge Guests were all proud and arrogant, always acting alone. They had never appeared together like this, much less joined forces to besiege a single person. Besides, with their pride, they would absolutely disdain such conduct.

Whoosh—

The black-clad man raised his hand and jabbed a finger fiercely toward Lu Feng. An exceedingly frigid and razor-sharp sword qi burst forth.

Lu Feng stood unmoving as a mountain, still as a pine. At a glance, he saw through the trajectory of the opponent's sword qi. Only when it was about to touch him did he slightly turn aside, easily dodging it with an utterly casual motion.

Feeling the icy aura contained within the sword qi, Lu Feng found that it was indeed the Ice Spring Cold Qi unique to the Ice Spring Sect. His brows could not help but knit as a trace of doubt arose in his heart.

Could it be that people from within the Ice Spring Sect were impersonating the Hidden Edge Guests?

As Lu Feng was pondering, the thirteen black-clad men drew their swords one after another. The leader shouted again, "I'll say it one last time—hand over the Divine Map!"

Lu Feng's gaze turned cold. From his storage artifact, he took out a dark orange brocade handkerchief. He gave it an indifferent glance, then kept waving it in his hand as though it were a rag. "I've studied this scrap of cloth for quite some time. Though I haven't gained the slightest insight from it, it wasn't easy to obtain. What a pity—you came at the wrong time. I'm in a bad mood today. I'd rather toss it down from here than give it to you."

Seeing the Divine Map, yellowed with age and looking as though it could be ruined at any moment in Lu Feng's hand, the leading black-clad man's eyes narrowed at once. His body suddenly surged forward, and in the blink of an eye, he was before Lu Feng.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The two exchanged several moves at blinding speed. Faced with the black-clad man's attempt to seize it, Lu Feng remained calm and composed. He did not even shift his position. Not only did he effortlessly evade the man's sword, but he also sent him reeling back with a backhanded palm strike.

The black-clad man was forced back by the Palm Strength and returned to where he had stood. His steps were somewhat unsteady, and he nearly failed to keep his footing. A few traces of wariness entered his eyes as he looked at Lu Feng, and he muttered inwardly, Just as Young Master predicted. How long has it even been? This brat's cultivation has improved by so much again. While admiring the Young Master's foresight, he also formed the intent to kill. If this man was not eliminated today, he would surely become a source of endless future trouble.

Seeing the black-clad man's bedraggled state, Lu Feng threw back his head and laughed wildly. Putting on an utterly arrogant air, he shouted haughtily, "You alone are nowhere near enough. If you want this rag, then all thirteen of you can come at me together."

Unable to see through the black-clad men's true identities, Lu Feng deliberately provoked them, hoping to further probe their origins.

"Such shameless boasting! If we strike together, you will undoubtedly die!" the leading black-clad man declared with complete confidence.

"So you really take yourselves for Hidden Edge Guests?" Lu Feng mocked disdainfully, though he secretly grew more vigilant.

Although the black-clad man's words were not entirely true, neither were they completely false. In a one-on-one fight, none of them could threaten Lu Feng. But if all thirteen attacked together, even Lu Feng could not guarantee that he would emerge unscathed.

But that did not mean Lu Feng was afraid.

Their ambush today, their scheming and furtive conduct, had already crossed Lu Feng's bottom line and stirred his killing intent.

"Then come and try!" Lu Feng put away the Divine Map, his gaze becoming even sharper. A black longsword appeared in his hand, pointing straight at the black-clad men.

The sword blade was entirely ink-black. It looked thin, soft, and light; even a passing breeze could make its body sway. Yet it was precisely this "frail" sword that instantly made the atmosphere atop Night Crow Ridge turn extraordinarily grim.

The moment they saw Lu Feng grip the sword, the black-clad men could not help taking several steps back, keeping what they believed to be a safe distance from him. Every pair of eyes was filled with vigilance, and they appeared exceedingly wary.

At this moment, fear shrouded every one of their hearts. All of them stared fixedly at the sword in Lu Feng's hand in utter disbelief. What they truly feared was not Lu Feng, but the flexible sword that had suddenly appeared in his hand!

"How could the Night Feather Sword be in your hands?" the leading black-clad man asked fearfully. He knew all too well how terrifying that flexible sword was.

A cool smile curled at Lu Feng's lips. He took out a dark silver eye-mask and slowly put it on. Yet this calm and elegant motion made every black-clad man tremble violently.

"This is impossible!"

"How could he be the Night Feather Sword Master?"

"If he truly is that Asura who kills without batting an eye, then today we..."

At this moment, a deathly stillness descended upon the hearts of all the black-clad men.

The leading black-clad man swallowed hard, forcibly suppressing the fear in his heart as he reassured them, "Don't panic. Are we the only ones allowed to impersonate others? Can't he imitate someone too?"

"An impostor?" The other black-clad men relaxed somewhat upon hearing this, yet terror still lingered deep in their hearts. What kind of figure was the Night Feather Sword Master? How could he be impersonated so easily? Besides... clothing and appearances could be copied, but the Night Feather Sword was peerless beneath heaven. How could it be fake?

Sensing the group's waning fighting spirit and growing desire to retreat, the leading black-clad man shouted again, "Young Master is unfathomably farsighted—he must have anticipated this long ago. Don't forget the backup plan Young Master arranged for us. So what if he truly is the Night Feather Sword Master?"

"That's right, we should trust Young Master's arrangements." The other black-clad men gradually regained their composure. Clearly, the "Young Master" they spoke of held a position and prestige in their hearts so terrifyingly high that it was enough to make them fight to the death without fear.

Lu Feng had harbored doubts about today's events all along, but upon hearing their conversation, he finally understood. He had surely fallen into the scheme of that so-called Young Master, who had lured him to this desolate place in order to eliminate him without anyone knowing.

But who exactly was this Young Master...?

A figure of ethereal purity emerged in Lu Feng's mind. She was a woman of beauty refined to the utmost, radiating a holy aura from head to toe. Lu Feng had come here for the appointment today precisely because he had received her letter.

Though he did not know why she had failed to arrive as promised, Lu Feng believed that today's affair had nothing to do with her.

Perhaps she, too, was facing the same danger at this very moment.

The leading black-clad man raised a hand to his waist and stepped forward several paces. Before Lu Feng's eyes, he opened the Living Creature Pouch hanging at his waist.

The Living Creature Pouch was a type of storage vessel on Profound Heaven Continent. Unlike ordinary storage artifacts, it could hold living beings for a short time. Compared to the most common Storage Ring, it was considerably more advanced.

Once the Living Creature Pouch was opened, the black-clad man smiled coldly at Lu Feng. "We expected that you would refuse to obediently hand over the Divine Map, so we specially prepared a little gift for you."

A bad premonition arose in Lu Feng's heart. As he watched, the palm-sized Living Creature Pouch in the black-clad man's hand gradually expanded. Then a woman in blue robes fell out of the pouch and crashed onto the ground. Her delicate oval face was exceptionally beautiful. Though her hair was disheveled and her expression haggard, none of it could conceal her gentle and elegant bearing.

Even with both hands tightly bound, her eyes remained full of stubborn defiance and unyielding resolve.

Seeing the woman's robes covered in bloodstains, Lu Feng felt a sharp ache at the tip of his nose. His gaze moved downward, and his heart clenched. He abruptly discovered that beneath the hem of her light gauze skirt was nothing but emptiness—her once slender, shapely legs had both been severed cleanly!

Those were the legs she had always cherished most!

The legs she had treasured dearly even when they suffered the slightest bump or scrape!

"Senior Sister Yi Han~"