Lin Feng stopped behind a giant stone pillar and peered out toward the cavern ahead.
An open grotto stretched before him.
At its center, a youth dressed in a white training uniform was locked in combat with an E-Rank Exotic Beast, a "Phantom Demon Fox." He gripped a silver longsword in both hands.
The youth looked no older than seventeen or eighteen. He had handsome features and an otherworldly air about him, but his cultivation really was at Martial Disciple Perfection.
Yet his way of fighting opened Lin Feng's eyes.
He didn't rely on brute force to trade blows with the Exotic Beast like an ordinary Martial Disciple would.
Every step he took, every thrust of his sword, was executed to perfection.
The Phantom Demon Fox was known for its speed and illusions. It darted around the grotto, leaving streaks of afterimages that made it impossible to tell what was real.
But the youth always seemed to predict the fox's attack routes in advance.
His swordsmanship was light and graceful, with an indescribable charm to it.
"A genius?"
The word came to Lin Feng's mind.
To hold his own against an E-Rank peak Exotic Beast for so long using nothing but skill, while still at the Martial Disciple realm, was beyond anything ordinary.
The youth's combat talent was undoubtedly among the best Lin Feng had ever seen.
However.
Lin Feng's gaze settled on the Phantom Demon Fox.
The fox had already sustained several sword wounds. None was deep, but the blood kept flowing, and its breathing was growing ragged.
It looked like it was about to reach its limit.
The White-Clad Youth had sweat on his forehead, too, but his breathing remained steady. He clearly still had energy to spare.
If they kept fighting, the fox would be worn down and killed within three minutes at most.
How could you let a fat piece of meat right before your eyes go uneaten?
Lin Feng licked his lips.
I don't care if you're a genius. Once you're on my turf, you follow my rules.
I'm taking it!
The instant the White-Clad Youth forced the fox back with a sword strike and prepared to deliver the killing blow, Lin Feng moved.
He unleashed Lost Trace Step with all his might. A faint afterimage lingered where he had stood, while his true form appeared beside the Phantom Demon Fox like a ghost.
Mountain Splitter came free of its sheath!
Without any unnecessary motion, he delivered a simple horizontal slash.
Pfft!
The Phantom Demon Fox, still baring its teeth, suddenly stiffened.
A line of blood appeared across its neck.
The next second, its head flew into the air.
Its headless body swayed, then toppled to the ground. It twitched twice and lay still.
[Killed E-Rank Exotic Beast: Phantom Demon Fox ×1, gained Martial Path Points ×50]
[Steel of the Blade: 133/500]
The White-Clad Youth froze, still holding his sword in the pose of his last strike.
His handsome face was full of shock and disbelief.
He had fought so hard for over ten minutes, and his prey had been just within his grasp. Now it had been stolen from right under his nose?
He hadn't even seen how the other man had appeared.
Lin Feng didn't care what expression he was making.
He walked over to the fox's corpse, expertly cut it open and removed the core, then slipped the Magic Core into his pocket and turned to leave.
The whole sequence was smooth and fluid, clearly the work of a seasoned hand.
"Stop!"
The White-Clad Youth finally came to his senses and shouted, his voice ringing with shock and anger.
His voice was clear, but it carried an unmistakable trace of fury.
Lin Feng stopped and glanced back at him. His face was hidden beneath his cloak, impossible to read.
"What?"
"You..." The White-Clad Youth was so infuriated by Lin Feng's utterly matter-of-fact attitude that he could barely speak. "Why did you steal my Exotic Beast?"
"Yours?" Lin Feng tilted his head. "Did it have your name carved on it?"
"I fought it for ages. I was the one who found it first!" The youth's cheeks flushed with anger.
"You found it, but you didn't kill it." Lin Feng spread his hands. "I killed it, so it's mine. In the Rift, whoever has the bigger fist gets the goods. Kid, your family never taught you something that simple?"
"You're twisting the truth!"
The White-Clad Youth was left speechless, his handsome face turning red.
Ever since he was young, he had been the family's darling. The elders of his Lineage had doted on him, while his peers had looked up to him with awe. When had he ever been treated like this?
He tightened his grip on his longsword and released the full force of his Martial Disciple Perfection aura.
"Give me back the Magic Core! Or I won't go easy on you!"
Lin Feng found the youth's puffed-up, indignant look rather amusing.
A Martial Disciple dared to threaten him?
Still, a sliver of doubt lingered in Lin Feng's mind.
There was something strange about this youth in every way.
A Martial Disciple taking on an E-Rank peak Exotic Beast alone was already abnormal.
And when he had just stolen the kill, Lin Feng hadn't sensed any threat lurking in the shadows.
Normally, a genius from a prominent family who went out to train would have a protector accompanying him.
But Lin Feng had just swept his awareness over the area, and within a hundred meters, he had detected no one but the youth.
Had he sensed wrong?
Or was the protector hiding so well that even Lin Feng couldn't detect him?
Lin Feng decided to test things out again.
He ignored the White-Clad Youth's threat and turned his gaze toward another corner of the grotto.
There, another lone E-Rank Exotic Beast, a "Rock Armor Lizard," was crouched on the ground, chewing on a glowing crystal.
Lin Feng flashed forward.
Mountain Splitter came free of its sheath once more.
The Rock Armor Lizard didn't even have time to react before its head was severed by a single slash.
[Killed E-Rank Exotic Beast: Rock Armor Lizard ×1, gained Martial Path Points ×50]
[Steel of the Blade: 134/500]
Lin Feng dug out the Magic Core, then deliberately slipped it into his pocket nice and slow, right in front of the White-Clad Youth.
Then he turned around and shot the youth a provocative look.
The message was clear: I just stole another one. What are you going to do about it?
The White-Clad Youth was thoroughly enraged.
"You... You've gone too far!"
He roared and charged at Lin Feng with his sword.
The tip of the sword quivered, blossoming into three sword flowers that struck toward Lin Feng's upper, middle, and lower body.
The technique was exquisite, clearly the work of a master.
But in the face of overwhelming strength and speed, even the most refined techniques seemed pale and powerless.
Lin Feng didn't even draw his blade.
He simply raised two fingers.
Under the youth's horrified gaze, he caught the tip of the incoming sword between them with perfect precision.
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