Having slain the strange beast, the black-robed men finally relaxed.

The giant python had put them under immense pressure.

Without the formation to restrict its movements, the battle would have been far more difficult.

Just as they were about to collect the fruits of their victory, a voice cut in.

*Clap, clap, clap!*

"Not bad, not bad at all! A truly spectacular fight."

They were all startled.

Unseen and unheard, a masked man had appeared in the middle of the pool, standing atop the giant python's corpse and applauding.

"And you are...?" the leader of the black-robed men asked.

Though his tone was calm, a storm raged in his heart.

He hadn't sensed the man's arrival in the slightest. What did that mean? It meant this person's power was far beyond his own.

How could such a powerful expert have entered the Jiuyou Secret Realm?

"That's what I'd like to ask you," Lin Feng retorted in a hoarse voice. "Who are you? What is your purpose in causing such senseless slaughter within the Jiuyou Secret Realm? Tell me, and I might grant you the mercy of an intact corpse."

The moment he spoke, the black-robed men went on high alert. Acting in unison, they ignored their exhaustion and forced themselves to set up another formation.

Lin Feng merely watched them, making no move to interrupt.

Only when the formation was complete did he speak.

"A decent formation! A pity it's useless against me. Since you insist on this foolishness, don't blame me for not giving you a chance."

As he spoke, Lin Feng began walking toward the leader of the black-robed men.

*Thump. Thump. Thump.*

Each step seemed to land directly on the man's heart.

As the distance closed, the man's heart hammered faster and faster.

By the time Lin Feng stood before him, the leader could barely take it. He clutched his chest, his face contorted in pain as he gasped for air.

Only the formation's barrier separated them now.

Staring at the masked man, the leader felt a profound sense of powerlessness and terror.

He's too strong!

He was no match at all.

Even if he wanted to flee, his body was no longer under his control.

Halting his steps, Lin Feng raised his right hand. He slowly reached out, and before everyone's eyes, his hand passed through the barrier as if it were nothing more than a sheet of paper.

Watching that unstoppable hand draw ever closer, the leader finally broke.

Death itself wasn't frightening.

What was frightening was this suffocating dread that preceded it.

Even a professionally trained warrior could not endure it.

*Flee!*

The leader bit his tongue, the sharp pain jolting him back to his senses. Regaining control of his body, he whirled around and fled without a second thought, desperate to escape this dreadful place.

But he had barely taken a single step when a hand landed on his shoulder with the weight of a mountain.

In the next instant, a surge of Sword Qi flooded his body, tearing through his organs and muscles.

"Ahhhh!"

The excruciating pain was unbearable, and the leader screamed.

Seeing this, the other black-robed men turned to flee.

But before Lin Feng, they didn't even have a chance.

A moment later, all the black-robed men were corpses, leaving the dumbfounded members of Yaowang Valley behind.

So fast!

So strong!

Having dispatched the black-robed men with ease, Lin Feng returned to the center of the pool, preparing to take the giant python's corpse.

A strange beast like this was a treasure trove; besides its precious inner core, its hide, blood, flesh, sinews, and bones were all worth a fortune.

"I am Zhuge Qingyun of Yaowang Valley. Greetings... uh... greetings, Senior!"

A voice interrupted Lin Feng.

He glanced up at the speaker.

"What is it?"

"Senior! This Ice Python is of great use to my Yaowang Valley. I hope Senior will be willing to part with it," Zhuge Qingyun said with the utmost respect.

Despite being the Young Valley Master of Yaowang Valley, he showed not a hint of arrogance.

He had witnessed the entire battle. The power Lin Feng had displayed, combined with the rules for entering the Jiuyou Secret Realm, forced Zhuge Qingyun to adopt a humble posture.

"You want this serpent?" Lin Feng asked.

"Yes!" Zhuge Qingyun nodded.

"What are you offering in exchange?"

"That depends on what Senior needs!"

Lin Feng was taken aback; he hadn't expected such a response.

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He knew of Yaowang Valley.

There was a saying in the cultivation world of Lizhou: no matter the injury or illness, you just had to visit Yaowang Valley. If even they couldn't help, then no one in all of Lizhou could.

"No matter what I need, you're willing to trade for it?" Lin Feng asked.

"Of course!" Zhuge Qingyun replied with certainty.

The Ice Python was indeed useful to Yaowang Valley, but it wasn't an absolute necessity. He was doing this because he saw potential in Lin Feng and wanted to befriend him. This had always been Yaowang Valley's way.

If this were the outside world, Zhuge Qingyun naturally wouldn't place such importance on Lin Feng.

But this was the Jiuyou Secret Realm.

Only those with a bone age under one hundred could enter.

Taken together, these facts meant Lin Feng's talent was absolutely terrifying, enough to rank him among the very best in all of Lizhou.

Yaowang Valley loved to befriend and invest in such monstrously talented prodigies.

This was their path to survival.

"In that case... I want a Red Spider Lily. Does your Yaowang Valley have one?" Lin Feng hesitated for a moment but stated his need.

He didn't have much hope, but the Red Spider Lily was the only thing he currently needed. Other treasures held no appeal for him.

A Red Spider Lily?

Zhuge Qingyun was troubled.

That item was far, far more precious than the Ice Python.

He didn't know if Yaowang Valley even had one in its collection, but even if it did, it wasn't something he, the Young Valley Master, could simply give away. It would require the approval of the valley's upper echelons.

"Senior! The Red Spider Lily is an exceedingly rare natural treasure. Even my Yaowang Valley does not possess one. However, the Jiuyou Secret Realm is the most suitable place for it to grow, and it has appeared here several times in the past. If I find one, I will certainly exchange it with you, Senior."

"Then we'll talk when you find it."

With that, Lin Feng ignored him, placed the Ice Python's massive body into his Qiankun Bag, and walked straight toward the waterfall.

There should be something the beast was guarding there.

The space behind the waterfall was large, over a dozen meters high and forty to fifty meters deep.

In the deepest part of the cave, Lin Feng discovered several unhatched snake eggs. He sensed a vibrant life force within them, meaning it wouldn't be long before they hatched.

Besides those, there was more.

A palm-sized plant, its leaves and stem a deep, dark green, grew upside down from the cave ceiling, its roots embedded in a crack in the rock.

A careful inspection revealed nothing about what kind of treasure it was, but since the strange beast had been guarding it, it couldn't be anything ordinary.

To avoid damaging the treasure, Lin Feng drew his sword and carved out a large chunk of the rock surrounding the plant, storing it in his Qiankun Bag.

Thankfully, his Qiankun Bag was a gift from Su Mubai and had more than enough space; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to fit so many things.

After finishing, Lin Feng checked the cave one last time to ensure he hadn't missed anything, then walked out.

The people from Yaowang Valley were still by the pool and hadn't left. Seeing Lin Feng emerge, Zhuge Qingyun spoke again.

"Senior! Did you happen to find any treasures inside?"

"There are treasures, of course. But if your Yaowang Valley wants them, bring me a Red Spider Lily in trade."

With that, Lin Feng leaped away, his figure vanishing into the dense forest.

He didn't particularly like a faction like Yaowang Valley, which didn't seem to distinguish between right and wrong, and he had no desire to speak further with them.

Unless, of course, they had a Red Spider Lily. Then, they could talk.

"Uncle Qiu, can you identify this person?" Zhuge Qingyun asked.

A middle-aged man beside him shook his head.

"Young Valley Master, when he killed the black-robed men, he used pure, overwhelming power. He didn't use the techniques or style of any particular sect, so I can't tell for now."

"Could he be a secret prodigy cultivated by the Shenxiao Sword Sect?" Zhuge Qingyun asked again.

"Su Mubai, one of the Shenxiao Seven Swords, was poisoned with Devouring Soul Powder and needs a Red Spider Lily as a catalyst for his cure. This man also specifically asked for a Red Spider Lily. One can't help but see a connection."

"It's possible! But we can't rule out other factions either."