Liu Erlong swallowed hard, a trace of shock rising in her heart.
Lin Feng's strength was far beyond what she had imagined!
Although she was a Soul Sage, technically stronger than this Soul Emperor—
Yet that strike just now from Lin Feng? There was no way she could have blocked it.
Could a teenager really possess such terrifying power?
Yu Kuang was equally stunned, a bitter smile on his face.
"Who's protecting who here?"
Looking at Lin Feng's back, admiration and awe welled up within him.
"Great hero, spare us!"
"It was our fault for not recognizing someone of your caliber. Please forgive us!"
A few of the surviving thugs had collapsed to their knees, trembling in terror and repeatedly kowtowing.
In mere seconds, blood was already seeping from their foreheads.
But Lin Feng showed no pity. His eyes were cold as he said, "Bye-bye."
In the blink of an eye, blazing flames erupted in the minds of those men. A surge of spiritual shock instantly crushed their life force.
The mental assault from the Flame Beast Skull was truly effective.
Boom—!
With a deafening explosion, their bodies burst apart into clouds of blood mist.
Lin Feng calmly turned back toward the carriage, not sparing the scene behind him even a glance.
As if everything was already under his control.
His elegant stride in the glow of firelight made his figure seem all the more imposing.
"Lin Feng, you sly fox—you've been hiding your strength this whole time!"
"Finally showing your true colors, huh?" Dugu Yan and the others hurried over, showering him with admiration and praise.
Only Liu Erlong remained stunned, frozen in place, still reeling from the shock of what she had just witnessed.
Lin Feng exchanged a few words with his companions, then walked straight toward Liu Erlong.
He suddenly turned and asked playfully, "Senior Liu?"
"Ah? Lin Feng!" Liu Erlong snapped out of it, scrambling to reply.
"That was quite the fight back there."
"You've got such strength at your age—truly a promising future."
Her voice was flustered, clearly still shaken.
"Senior, you didn't see anything just now, right?" Lin Feng tilted his head, smiling faintly. His gaze seemed to pierce her thoughts.
"Ha! I didn't see anything. Not a thing!" Liu Erlong quickly waved her hands, looking awkward.
Is he going to silence me? I can't beat him, what do I do?!
As she fretted, Liu Erlong gritted her teeth and suddenly said:
"If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been able to handle those guys alone."
"To be honest, Lin Feng, the moment you released your martial soul, mine felt heavily suppressed."
"I've made up my mind—can I follow you from now on?"
She looked at him with sincere eyes, her voice earnest.
She wasn't just worried about being silenced—deep down, she truly felt a sense of closeness to this young man.
When Lin Feng unleashed his martial soul earlier, she had already begun considering this.
Now, with such a powerful protector by her side, why wouldn't she agree?
Her eyes locked onto his, filled with sincerity and hope.
Lin Feng was briefly stunned—then inwardly delighted.
Perfect. Saved me the trouble of convincing her.
"Alright!"
"Senior, you're a wise woman," he replied with a grin.
He then took out a poison pill from his soul tool—meant to bind one's life and death.
Without hesitation, Liu Erlong accepted and swallowed it.
She understood it was a necessary step to join Lin Feng's faction—and a sign of her trust in him.
Dugu Yan watched warily, eyes narrowing as she observed Liu Erlong.
What's with this woman? Is she eyeing Lin Feng?
She's got a figure just like Tang Yuehua's… Don't tell me Lin Feng's into these mature types?
A flicker of jealousy passed through her gaze as she pouted slightly, clearly displeased.
----
Not long after, Lin Feng's group arrived at Flame City.
The city stood amidst a mountain range, surrounded by rivers of molten lava.
From a distance, it looked like a fortress wrapped in fire.
Fire elements filled the entire city—no less intense than Blazing City.
But because the environment was unsuitable for non-fire-attributed soul masters, it never became as famous.
At the city gate—
As the group was admiring the city curiously, Lin Feng's second uncle came rushing toward them, his face filled with panic and sweat pouring from his forehead.
While running, he shouted, "Lin Feng! What are you doing here?!"
"What's going on, Second Uncle? Why the rush?" Lin Feng asked in confusion.
His uncle's expression was grim as he signaled for them to follow.
---
Inside the Lin residence of Flame City.
His second uncle looked deeply worried. "Flame Valley's been discovered."
"By who?" Lin Feng asked, visibly shocked.
"The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan," came the answer.
"Our men had a clash with theirs. During the investigation, they caught on to our movements here in Flame City."
"Now, Ning Fengzhi and Sword Douluo are already in Flame Valley."
"What?! Sword Douluo?"
Lin Feng was utterly shocked.
I haven't even been there yet, and they've already invaded?
He quickly began analyzing the situation. If he appeared as Xiao Yan, he might be able to pressure them to leave.
But the Xiao Yan identity was meant to stir trouble—and he had beef with Spirit Hall.
If they discovered his connection to the Lin Clan, things could get ugly fast.
As for calling in Poison Douluo now… he might not even be a match for Sword Douluo.
Lin Feng's brow furrowed tightly. Worry crept into his expression.
"Damn it…"
He gritted his teeth and asked, "Second Uncle, what's the situation at Flame Valley now?"
His uncle sighed. "Ning Fengzhi has offered a ten-thousand-year soul bone and proposed a gamble with three merchant caravans."
"Each side will send one fighter per level from Soul Elder to Soul Sage. Five matches total. Winner takes all."
"Wait, Sword Douluo's there… and instead of attacking outright, they propose a competition?"
"No Titled Douluo or Soul Douluo involvement?"
Lin Feng looked utterly baffled.
This feels… oddly familiar.
It's like watching a classic story arc: the villain could easily crush the hero, but instead insists on a competition…
Then the protagonist defeats the sect's disciples in the trials, becomes famous overnight, ascends the heavens, dances through the stars, and destroys the dark forbidden zone—
Okay, maybe not that far.
His second uncle nodded gravely. "Exactly. I think they're reluctant to risk the sect's reputation, so they're using this method."
"But isn't this bullying?"
"Our clan's strength has declined. We don't have anyone left to compete."
"Your first uncle already lost today's Soul Sage match and is recovering from injuries."
"Feng'er, you're at the Soul King level. Now that you're back, you can participate."
"But what about the remaining two matches?"
"Sigh… We probably can't save Flame Valley. We've failed you, Feng'er."
He let out a helpless sigh, guilt and frustration clear in his eyes.
"There's no need to worry, Second Uncle."
Lin Feng chuckled lightly.
If that's all it is, then Flame Valley can definitely be saved.
A confident smirk appeared at the corner of his lips as he took a sip of tea and said, "Second Uncle!"
"Since I took the Immortal Herb, I've never met an opponent I couldn't beat at the Soul King level."
"Just on the way here, I defeated a Soul Emperor—he was nothing special."
His uncle's eyes lit up with joy and excitement.
"Feng'er, I didn't expect you to become this powerful!"
"That's wonderful! If you can win two more matches, Flame Valley might still be saved!"
"But… I thought you were keeping your strength hidden?"
He frowned, worried. In this world ruled by power, standing out could be dangerous.
"Don't worry, Second Uncle."
Lin Feng's expression remained calm, a sly glint in his eyes. "Watch this."
With that, he activated a visual disguise technique.
In an instant, his face and aura completely changed—his features, demeanor, and temperament all different.
"Whoa! Hahaha!"
Second Uncle was briefly stunned, then burst out laughing.
"Feng'er, what kind of soul skill is that? I wouldn't recognize you at all!"
His face beamed with joy and curiosity.
"Impressive, right? In that case, Second Uncle, take me and my companions to Flame Valley."
"I've brought some rare immortal herbs—maybe they'll be useful for our clan."
"As for the remaining matches… leave them to me."
Lin Feng's eyes were resolute as he looked at his uncle, his voice full of confidence.
---
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