After emerging from the treasure vault, Chu Feng didn't rush to leave. Instead, he crept cautiously through the Lingyun Sect, having caught something in those four old men's mention of "a diversionary tactic."
He wanted to confirm whether that old fossil Yan Yangtian had returned to the Lingyun Sect yet. If he hadn't, then Chu Feng could raise absolute hell inside, because apart from Yan Yangtian, no one at the Lingyun Sect could pose a threat to him now — no one could even stop him.
"I wonder if the Sect Master and the others have reached the Azure Dragon Sect yet. How's the battle going?"
"Almost every powerhouse in our Lingyun Sect was deployed. They all went on top-grade White-headed Eagles. By now they should've arrived at the Azure Dragon Sect. The Azure Dragon Sect is probably already razed to the ground by our Lingyun Sect, right?"
"Hmph, they deserve it. Daring to oppose our Lingyun Sect — they're just asking to die."
The moment Chu Feng stepped out, he overheard two core disciples boasting with self-satisfied grins, venting about their sect.
"Yan Yangtian went to my Azure Dragon Sect?" Chu Feng's expression changed, his brow furrowing tight. A possibility crossed his mind — one he had anticipated but desperately hoped would not come true.
He abandoned all pretense of stealth and burst from the shadows, pointing at the two core disciples ahead. "Halt right there!"
"Who the hell is shouting like that?" Every disciple of the Lingyun Sect was arrogant by nature. They walked with their heads high, practically looking down from the heavens. The core disciples, in particular, were insufferably proud — how could they tolerate someone barking orders at them?
So, seething with rage, the two spun around, their vicious faces scary enough to give a child nightmares. But the instant they saw Chu Feng approaching with that sinister smirk plastered across his face, they froze in terror.
Their eyes were still wide, but every trace of killing intent had vanished, replaced by bottomless fear. They trembled as they stumbled backward, pointing at Chu Feng. "You… you… you…" — too terrified to form a complete sentence.
The Qilin Prince's Manor and the Lingyun Sect had jointly placed a bounty on Chu Feng. His portrait was posted all over the Lingyun Sect by now, so whether they had met him before or not, every disciple knew what he looked like. Combined with his past exploits, Chu Feng had already carved a horrifying shadow into the hearts of Qingzhou's younger generation. Now, actually running into him in the flesh — how could they not be scared out of their wits?
Seeing the two about to scream for help, Chu Feng lunged forward, arriving before them in a flash. He clamped a hand over each of their mouths and grinned wickedly. "That's right, I'm Chu Feng. But I have a question for you — where did you say Yan Yangtian went?"
The Lingyun Sect, as the foremost sect in Qingzhou, outmatched every other sect in both the number and strength of its elders and disciples. It was the undisputed overlord among the myriad sects, and even if every other sect banded together, they still couldn't shake its position. That was the Lingyun Sect's true power.
At that moment, in the Core Area of the Lingyun Sect, a lavish and cavernous hall had gathered the strongest elders of both the Core Area and the Inner Sect, along with the most outstanding core disciples currently at the sect — tens of thousands by rough estimate.
At the forefront stood one of the Twelve Protectors, positioned on a raised platform at the center of the hall. Looking down at the assembled crowd, he declared in a booming voice: "A disciple of the Azure Dragon Sect, Chu Feng, murdered our Lingyun Sect members and assassinated the Qilin Prince's Manor Lord! His audacity is beyond measure, and his crimes are unforgivable!"
"Right now, our Sect Master leads our elite forces, in alliance with the Qilin Prince's Manor, toward the Azure Dragon Sect to slay Chu Feng and wipe out his remaining allies — ridding Qingzhou of this menace!"
"As the core strength of the Lingyun Sect in its current hour, it is our duty to safeguard our sect's peace. Therefore, I urge all of you here to remain on heightened vigilance until the Sect Master's return, lest someone seize this opportunity to infiltrate and harm our disciples."
"Rest assured, Protector! Even without the Sect Master present, our Lingyun Sect remains the overlord of Qingzhou. No one would dare cause trouble here."
"Exactly! If anyone dares to come and stir up trouble, we'll beat them into the dirt and teach them what our Lingyun Sect's dignity is — something that brooks no insult!" At this, both elders and disciples of the Lingyun Sect raised their voices in confident roars.
*BANG* But just at that moment, the tightly shut main doors of the hall shattered inward. Simultaneously, a figure swept into the hall like a specter, landing on the high platform and delivering a devastating kick that sent the Protector crashing to the ground, where he was immediately pinned beneath a foot.
It was Chu Feng. With a broad sweep of his arm, he deployed a massive barrier that sealed every exit of the hall. Then his piercing gaze swept across the assembled Lingyun Sect elders and disciples as he grinned evilly, "Well, well — greetings, lords of Qingzhou! It's been a while!"
"Chu Feng?!!"
The sudden turn of events stunned everyone. But the moment they registered who had arrived and saw the Protector pinned beneath his foot, panic erupted. Jaws dropped, eyes went blank — the confidence and arrogance they had worn moments ago had completely evaporated.
"Run!!!"
Finally, someone screamed. The elite disciples of the Lingyun Sect scattered like startled birds, scrambling frantically toward the exits.
But the exits had already been sealed. The barrier Chu Feng had set up was an impenetrable wall of iron — every person inside was trapped.
"Chu Feng, what do you want?!" The Protector beneath Chu Feng's foot was beside himself with terror, shouting desperately.
These people weren't the strongest the Lingyun Sect had to offer, but they were its future hope. The core disciples in particular were the sect's most carefully guarded assets — the Lingyun Sect's rise in the years to come depended entirely on them. Now all of them were locked in here. The Protector could barely contain his dread. After all, the enmity between Chu Feng and the Lingyun Sect had long since reached the point of no return. His appearance here — even a fool could guess what he intended to do.
"What do I want?" Chu Feng flashed a thin smile at the Protector's question, then stomped down with savage force, crushing the Protector's skull to pieces. Blood splattered across the entire platform.
Chu Feng then lifted his head, sweeping his murderous gaze across the dense sea of figures filling the hall, and spoke in a frigid tone: "Yan Yangtian is currently leading the Lingyun Sect's army to destroy the thousand-year foundation of my Azure Dragon Sect. I simply wanted to send him a gift in return!"