The Jiuyou Secret Realm was vast.

Tens of thousands had entered, but it was like tossing stones into a pond—after a brief splash, everything returned to tranquility.

Lin Feng traversed the dense forest for an entire day, encountering only a few people, all of whom he avoided.

He did, however, come across a good number of large and medium-sized beasts.

After a long search, he finally spotted a small stream.

Where there was a stream, a lake was sure to follow.

Lin Feng followed the stream downward.

Before long, he saw a pool of water.

The result, however, left him deeply disappointed.

The banks of the pool were covered in the tracks of all sorts of birds and beasts.

Clearly, this was their watering hole.

The Red Spider Lily was a precious heavenly treasure. Wherever one grew, a mystical beast was sure to be guarding it. And where a mystical beast stood guard, ordinary animals would not dare to approach for a drink.

This was something Lin Feng had learned from ancient texts before entering the Jiuyou Secret Realm.

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Based on this reasoning, he concluded that the Red Spider Lily he sought was not in the pool before him.

And so, he set off once more.

He hadn't expected to find the Red Spider Lily right after entering.

The secret realm remained open for three months at a time, so he had plenty of time.

Of course, having plenty of time didn't mean he could afford to slack off.

Finding it sooner would bring him peace of mind.

Three days passed in a flash.

Lin Feng continued to follow the stream, discovering several more pools along the way, but none showed any sign of the Red Spider Lily.

After a dozen other tributaries had merged with it, the small stream had grown into a river.

The water flow had increased dramatically.

This meant there had to be a massive lake downstream; otherwise, it couldn't possibly hold this much water.

He just had to keep following it, and he would eventually reach it.

After continuing along the river for several dozen more kilometers, the sounds of a battle reached Lin Feng's ears.

He had no intention of getting involved.

But then a thought occurred to him: what if there were people from the Shenxiao Sword Sect?

He was, after all, a member of the Shenxiao Sword Sect. He couldn't simply ignore the fate of his fellow disciples.

He crept closer quietly.

When he saw the two warring parties, he confirmed that no disciples from the Shenxiao Sword Sect were present.

On one side were the Black Robed Men he had seen before; on the other, disciples of the Qingyun Sect.

Lin Feng was somewhat puzzled.

He recalled that the members of the Wu Ji Demon Sect and the Seven Kill Sect hadn't been wearing black robes.

These Black Robed Men were all quite powerful, and every one of them was ruthless, fighting as if to kill. What power had sent them in?

As Lin Feng pondered this, the battle was reaching its conclusion.

Although the Qingyun Sect had superior numbers, their strength was no match for the Black Robed Men.

A mere five Black Robed Men had cornered nearly twenty Qingyun Sect disciples, leaving only six or seven alive. The rest were already corpses.

"Who are you? Why are you so intent on killing us? Do you not fear the retribution of the Qingyun Sect?" Li Luoyi demanded furiously.

Her talent and strength were not to be underestimated, but faced with the more experienced and utterly ruthless Black Robed Men, she was completely overwhelmed.

In truth, if Li Luoyi had been determined to flee, she might have had a chance.

But as a True Disciple of the Qingyun Sect, she could not abandon her fellow disciples to save herself.

"The Qingyun Sect and the Shenxiao Sword Sect are both on our kill list. If you must blame someone, blame yourselves for joining the wrong sect," one of the Black Robed Men replied.

"You're from the Wu Ji Demon Sect?"

"No more questions! I won't tell you, unless…"

"Unless what?"

"Unless you're all dead!"

With that, the Black Robed Man was the first to charge the surviving Qingyun Sect members, preparing to end the fight once and for all, lest any complications arise.

Hunting down a True Disciple of the Qingyun Sect was no small achievement.

"Face them!" Li Luoyi roared.

She had hoped to stall for time, but since the enemy gave her no chance, a fight to the death was her only option.

Even knowing she was doomed, she would not flinch, let alone beg for mercy.

As a True Disciple of the Qingyun Sect, she could not bring shame upon her sect, even in death.

Just as the two sides were about to clash again—a direct confrontation that would have seen the remaining Qingyun Sect disciples annihilated in an instant—

At that very moment.

*Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!*

Four whistling sounds tore through the air, reaching everyone's ears.

They were immediately followed by four corresponding screams.

"Ahhh!"

When Li Luoyi and the other Qingyun Sect disciples stopped to look, the scene before them struck their very souls, leaving them in a state of profound shock.

Four of the five Black Robed Men had been impaled through the chest by tree branches, pinning them to the surrounding trees, barely clinging to life.

The last one was held by the throat, completely powerless, in the grip of a man who had appeared out of nowhere.

"Who sent you? What is your purpose in the Jiuyou Secret Realm? Tell me, and I might let you live," Lin Feng asked in a raspy voice, looking at the man in his grasp.

Though he hadn't wanted to meddle, he couldn't help but intervene at the last second.

Lin Feng didn't care if the Qingyun Sect disciples lived or died, but when the Black Robed Men said the Shenxiao Sword Sect was also on their kill list, he had to intervene.

If he hadn't acted, more disciples from the Shenxiao Sword Sect might have died at the hands of these five.

Since that was the case, he might as well kill them and nip the possibility in the bud.

The five Black Robed Men were not yet dead. They all stared at the masked man before them with eyes full of terror and disbelief, unable to comprehend what had just happened.

The five of them had been defeated in an instant?

Without even a chance to fight back.

It would be one thing if this were the outside world, where experts were plentiful, but this was the Jiuyou Secret Realm!

Anyone who entered had to be under one hundred years of age, or they would be obliterated by the realm's natural laws.

That meant this man was less than a hundred years old.

It was simply insane.

"Who... are... you?"

The Black Robed Man in Lin Feng's grasp managed to force out the words after a long struggle.

"You have no right to ask me questions! State your purpose and who sent you. Otherwise... die!"

"In... your... dreams!"

Lin Feng knew the answer as soon as he heard it.

He had already noticed that these Black Robed Men were professionally trained; it was unlikely they would answer his questions.

"Since you're unwilling to speak, then let your life of sin end. Go and accompany those who died by your hand!"

With that, the web of his thumb and forefinger tightened, and he snapped the man's neck.

Seeing this, the other four gasped, blood pouring from their mouths.

The branches had not only pierced their hearts, but the sheer force of the impact had also pulverized their internal organs. They, too, stopped breathing.

The scene left the members of the Qingyun Sect dumbfounded.

Even Li Luoyi, the proud prodigy of her sect, was no exception.

No one knew the strength of those five Black Robed Men better than she did.

And they were defeated in an instant?

By someone less than a hundred years old?

Li Luoyi, who had always believed her talent was second to none, felt her confidence utterly shattered.

The man before her could no longer be described as a mere genius.

Lin Feng tossed the corpse aside and was about to leave when Li Luoyi's voice called out from behind him.

"Thank you for saving us, benefactor!"

He slowly turned, revealing his masked face, and looked at the members of the Qingyun Sect.

"Don't thank me. Even without you, I wouldn't have let these Black Robed Men go."

"Regardless, it is a fact that you saved us, benefactor! Please, tell us your name. Once we leave this realm, the Qingyun Sect will be sure to pay you a formal visit," Li Luoyi said, cupping her fist.

"There's no need. It was a trivial matter. Don't concern yourselves with it. Farewell."

"It may be a trivial matter to you, benefactor, but to us, it was a matter of life and—" Before Li Luoyi could finish, the man had vanished.

Lin Feng had no desire to waste time with the Qingyun Sect. He left as soon as he finished speaking.

Li Luoyi stared at the spot where Lin Feng had disappeared, lost in thought for a long time.

What power could possibly produce such a disciple?

He carried no sword, which meant he wasn't a Sword Cultivator from the Shenxiao Sword Sect.

The people from the Wu Ji Demon Sect and the Seven Kill Sect would never have saved her.

Were there other powers in Lizhou capable of nurturing such a monstrous talent?