Borrowing Power to Counter-Kill, Fleeing the Land of Troubles

When the two returned to the spot and saw Fourth Brother lying there in agony, arrows protruding from his chest and legs, they were consumed by a burning rage.

But just as they prepared to step forward, pair after pair of eerie green eyes suddenly ignited in the surrounding bushes.

There were at least a dozen of them!

"No! It's a Nether Wolf Pack! Run!"

Jiang Yi felt his scalp go numb and made a split-second decision.

They didn't even have time to carry the incapacitated Fourth Brother; they turned and fled!

"Boss! Save me! Save me!"

Fourth Brother's desperate screams were quickly drowned out by the cruel sounds of the pack tearing and chewing.

The noise echoed for a hundred meters, making even Ye Feng, who had already retreated into the distance, shudder.

Jiang Yi and Second Brother, who were fleeing, did not escape unscathed either.

A portion of the pack split off, pursuing them relentlessly.

A bloody battle erupted, and Second Brother, whose strength was slightly inferior, was soon torn to pieces by seven or eight century-level Nether Wolves.

Only the leader, Jiang Yi, was a Soul Elder of over level thirty, and his third soul ring was of the millennium level. At the cost of suffering heavy injuries and nearly exhausting his soul power, he managed to carve out a bloody path and escape, covered in wounds.

Leaning against a large tree, he gasped for air, but before the relief of surviving could even take hold, a faint voice sounded from ahead.

"Heh, truly heroic," the voice said, followed by the sound of clapping.

Jiang Yi looked up abruptly to see the boy he wished he could devour alive standing before him, arms crossed and looking completely at ease.

"You... you little brat, you dare show your face!"

Jiang Yi's voice was hoarse, but the malice within it ran deep into his marrow.

"Today, I will surely take your dog life!"

"Tsk, tsk, such empty boasting."

Ye Feng curled his lip and walked toward him step by step.

"How much soul power do you have left? With those wounds, how much strength can you even muster? How do you expect to fight me?"

A golden light flashed over Ye Feng as his Radiant Body activated once more. Carrying a formidable momentum, he charged straight at him!

A primal, explosive battle erupted instantly!

The two traded blows, fist to flesh!

Jiang Yi was horrified; how was this boy's strength and physical durability so much higher than an average soul master's?

If not for his own higher Soul Power Level, he would have been beaten to the ground by this kid long ago!

But at this moment, his soul power was depleted and he was severely wounded; every punch agitated his injuries, and his strength was rapidly fading.

"Get lost!"

Jiang Yi unleashed his final potential, throwing a punch with all his remaining strength to force Ye Feng back several meters, then turned and ran without hesitation!

Ye Feng steadied himself, watching the man's pathetic, fleeing back, and picked up the heavy bow from the ground without haste.

"Tsk, tsk, as expected of a Soul Elder; even when severely wounded, you still have such explosive potential."

If you were at your peak, I truly wouldn't dare trade blows with you.

He pulled the bowstring, nocked the final Wolf-Tooth Arrow, and aimed at the figure stumbling through the forest.

"Unfortunately, with your soul power exhausted, you're no different from an ordinary person."

The bowstring twanged softly.

The sharp arrow left the string.

Jiang Yi's body jerked mid-stride as the arrow pierced through the back of his head. He stumbled forward twice before finally collapsing to the ground, lifeless.

Ye Feng walked over slowly, confirmed he was dead, and skillfully looted the money bags from the corpse.

He weighed the heavy bags in his hand, and without a moment's delay, turned and vanished into the dark forest.

Returning to the familiar giant tree, Ye Feng felt as if all his strength had been drained; he leaned against the rough trunk and slid to the ground.

Only after confirming there were no dangerous auras nearby did he let out a long, weary breath.

Once his taut nerves relaxed, exhaustion and sharp pain surged in like a tide.

He picked up the water canteen hanging on the wall and took two large gulps; the cold liquid slid down his throat, slightly easing the burning sensation in his body.

After resting for a moment, he emptied all the money bags he had scavenged from the bandits.

Three heavy bags spilled onto the ground, the golden Soul Coins mixed with scattered silver coins, casting an alluring luster within the dim tree hollow.

Ye Feng didn't turn his nose up at them; he carefully counted them one by one.

Seven hundred and twelve Gold Soul Coins.

Tsk, tsk, how truly poor!

A level thirty-plus Soul Elder leading four soul masters—the entire net worth of this soul-hunting squad didn't even add up to a thousand Gold Soul Coins.

This is a miserable way to live.

Curling his lip, he swept up all the coins, stuffing them into his tunic along with the six hundred Gold Soul Coins he had earned from selling the lion earlier.

One thousand three hundred and twelve Gold Soul Coins.

He weighed the heavy pouch against his chest; the unprecedented sense of substance made him feel like a minor tycoon.

Yet, this money had been earned far too dangerously.

The original plan to hunt more spirit beasts on the forest periphery to fund his cultivation now seemed completely unfeasible.

His successful counter-kill this time had been pure luck.

The chaos of the beast tide had masked his movements, and the appearance of the Nether Wolf Pack had been a massive help.

If he were to be targeted by such cutthroats again once the tide subsided and the forest returned to normal, he would truly have no way to escape.

Through this bloody lesson, Ye Feng had truly come to understand the danger and cruelty of this world.

He felt not a shred of guilt for the five men who had died by his hand.

The law of the jungle was the most fundamental rule of the world.

The only things they had done wrong were lacking the strength and the luck to survive.

If he had been in their position, he would have undoubtedly struck without hesitation for those six hundred Gold Soul Coins.

Greed was an original sin, but excessive greed was a path to one's own demise.

Having already gained enough, staying any longer would only place him in greater danger.

Too many people in the small town had seen him; there was no guarantee he wouldn't be targeted by someone else with ill intentions.

By then, he wouldn't be able to leave even if he wanted to.

Having made up his mind, Ye Feng did not delay.

He packed the few pounds of dried spirit beast meat stored in the tree hollow and carefully checked the heavy bow on his back and the Short Sword at his waist.

Everything was ready.

Using the sparse moonlight filtering through the trees to identify his direction, he set off at a sprint toward Nuoding City.

Over half a month later.

A somewhat disheveled figure appeared at the gates of Nuoding City.

Ye Feng was travel-worn, his entire body radiating the exhaustion of a long journey, looking rather dusty and bedraggled.

He went straight to a reasonably clean inn in the city and rented a room.

After a refreshing wash, he threw away his tattered clothes, which were stained with blood and grime, and changed into a newly purchased black tight-fitting outfit.

He looked like a new man, appearing much more spirited.

Since he was a spirit master, he naturally had official business to attend to.

That monthly subsidy of one Gold Soul Coin was not a small sum; it would be a waste not to claim it.

He pushed open the door and, without a moment's hesitation, headed straight for the Spirit Hall Branch.

Familiar with the route, he soon arrived at the well-known building.

"Yo, little Feng is here!"