25: Uncle-Master Zhao Ming

Lin Feng froze on the spot, his gaze fixed on the collapsed figure.

A white robe with cloud patterns—the mark of an Inner Sect Disciple—was now tattered and blood-stained.

He hurried over to help the middle-aged man up, but seeing the face as pale as paper and the intermittent breathing, it was clear he wouldn't last much longer.

However, even on the verge of death, that residual trace of Spiritual Pressure made Lin Feng's Qi circulation feel a bit sluggish.

'Foundation Establishment Stage... at least a Martial Uncle of the Foundation Establishment Mid-stage.'

His throat bobbed. "Martial..."

At that moment, the middle-aged man struggled to open his eyelids. Though his gaze was unfocused, he recognized Lin Feng as a Disciple of the Tianxuan Sect.

He sighed softly and remained silent for a moment.

"Come... closer..." He wanted to raise his hand, but failed.

Lin Feng crouched down and leaned his ear in.

The man suddenly coughed violently, dark red blood spilling from the corner of his mouth. His eyes, however, locked onto Lin Feng's with dead intensity as he used his last ounce of strength to speak intermittently:

"I am... Zhao... Ming..."

"Plotted against... Formation... Plate destroyed..."

"Foundation... shattered... beyond... recovery..."

He trembled, as if exhausting his final bit of strength, and thrust a white Jade Slip and a compass-like Magical Artifact with a cracked edge into Lin Feng's arms.

"Take... to my sister... Yunshu Peak... Zhao Li..."

"Tell her... brother... regrets..."

"The Jade Slip... my life's work... do not... let it gather dust..."

"Be... careful... of the 'Inverse Formation'..."

The last few words were almost inaudible.

Before his voice even faded, his grip on Lin Feng's hand loosened. His head slumped to one side, and the last spark of light in his eyes was completely extinguished.

Everything happened too fast.

Lin Feng remained half-crouched, unable to snap out of it for a long time.

At the very end, he wasn't thinking of revenge, but that his Formation Legacy could not be broken and must be given to his sister... and that so-called 'Inverse Formation'... There were no signs of fighting on the ground, only a single trail of blood extending from the distance to where Zhao Ming lay, as if he had struggled to crawl here until his strength failed and he died.

Several shattered Formation Flags were scattered around, their breaks jagged and uneven, as if they had been forcibly shattered.

His sword had not been drawn, still hanging intact at his waist.

'It wasn't a head-on battle... his Formation was broken in an instant... the opponent's strength far exceeded his...'

Lin Feng suppressed the chill in his heart and quickly gathered over ten high-quality stalks of yin ning grass from the depths of Ghost Soul Valley and the surrounding rock crevices. Before the bone-chilling cold on the leaves could dissipate, they were all tucked into a jade box.

He took off his outer robe, carefully wrapped Martial Uncle Zhao Ming's remains and belongings, and carried them on his back.

Without staying a moment longer, he turned and sprinted toward the valley entrance, his figure soon swallowed by the gray mist.

Yunshu Peak was not as grand as the main peak; instead, it appeared quiet and exquisite. Most of the pavilions and buildings were constructed following the veins of Formations, and the air held a faint scent of refining from quenched Magical Artifacts.

Halfway up Yunshu Peak, in a relatively quiet area, several Immortal Caves were dotted about.

Following the guidance of a Yunshu Peak Disciple, Lin Feng arrived before an Immortal Cave with its stone door tightly shut.

Only an ancient-looking bronze mirror hung at the entrance of the Immortal Cave. Its surface shimmered with light, and runes faintly emerged, clearly indicating a Restriction was in place.

Before Lin Feng could speak, the bronze mirror suddenly flickered with a faint light, and the stone door before him slid open silently.

A woman stood in the shadows within the doorway, slowly withdrawing her fingers from an incantation gesture.

She looked to be about forty years old, her hair slightly disheveled and her face free of makeup, with a hint of exhaustion locked between her brows.

However, her collar and cuffs were stained with a few unbrushed metal shavings and scorch marks.

Her gaze bypassed Lin Feng and immediately fell upon his back.

Her body swayed instantly, and she reached out to steady herself against the cold stone door, her fingertips turning white from the force of her grip.

Those eyes, already weary, suddenly lost all luster and turned a dull gray.

"...In the end... it still..." She struggled against the door, barely propping herself up. "His Soul Lamp... has been flickering for days... I knew..."

She took a deep breath and turned to Lin Feng. "Thank you for... bringing him back. Please, come in."

The interior of the Immortal Cave was quite spacious but felt exceptionally lonely, containing only some Artifact Refining Materials and half-finished Magical Artifact components.

Lin Feng carefully placed the remains on a stone bed within the cave.

"Outer Sect Disciple Lin Feng, ordered to Ghost Soul Valley to collect yin ning grass. In the valley, I discovered Martial Uncle Zhao Ming," Lin Feng explained the events concisely.

Zhao Li listened quietly; when she heard "Ghost Soul Valley," the corner of her mouth twitched twice.

"A month ago, the Sect noticed an anomaly in that Spiritual Vein and feared it would damage the Foundation of the Great Formation, so they sent him... In this field... he was indeed the best on the peak... I never expected..."

Her voice grew lower as she spoke, finally ending in a direct sob.

Lin Feng remained silent for a moment before repeating Zhao Ming's last words: "Martial Uncle mentioned before he passed... 'plotted against', 'Formation Plate destroyed'... and... 'Inverse Formation'... to be absolutely careful..."

Zhao Li stared at the damaged Formation Plate. When her fingertips touched the residual traces of violent spiritual power within the cracks, her face instantly turned as pale as paper.

"The Minor Nine Palaces Defense Formation... was his trump card... even a Late Foundation Establishment Stage would find it hard to break... To break the Formation so brutally and trigger such a backlash..."

She gasped, her voice trembling, "It's Core Formation! Only a Core Formation Immortal Master's strike could do this!"

She hurriedly looked at Lin Feng: "Were there any signs of a fight?"

"None. Only a trail of blood and shattered Formation Flags," Lin Feng replied.

'That's it...' Zhao Li stumbled back a step, leaning against the cold stone wall and closing her eyes.

'He must have discovered something... leading a Core Formation to silence him... he only escaped because of a Teleportation Talisman... but his Foundation was already shattered...'

However, she couldn't share these thoughts with Lin Feng.

She opened her eyes and looked intently at Lin Feng: "When you report back to the Sect... do not mention the details for now... Just say you found Martial Uncle mortally wounded and were entrusted to bring him back... Is that alright?"

Lin Feng immediately grasped the danger and nodded in agreement: "This Disciple understands."

Zhao Li breathed a slight sigh of relief, picked up the Jade Slip Lin Feng had brought back, and after stroking it for a long time, finally pushed it gently toward Lin Feng.

"My life's work is in Artifact Refining; regarding the Dao of Formations, I only know the basics, far less than him.

Since my brother entrusted this to you, his intention was for you to inherit his Dao of Formations so it wouldn't gather dust.

You... take it."

Lin Feng looked at the Jade Slip but did not immediately take it.

Zhao Li steadied her mind and placed the Jade Slip into Lin Feng's hand: "In a few days, after I have handled my brother's funeral arrangements, you may come to Yunshu Peak again."

Lin Feng put away the Jade Slip and bowed: "Yes. This Disciple takes his leave."

After handing over the collected yin ning grass, Lin Feng headed to the Elder Hall.

Only two Inner Sect Disciples with heavy Auras were on duty at the Elder Hall.

Lin Feng stated his purpose, explaining he had urgent matters to report to the duty Elder. One of them scrutinized him for a moment before going inside to announce him.

After a long while, Lin Feng was led to a side hall.

Inside the hall, an old man sat behind a desk, flipping through a Jade Slip. He didn't even look up, merely speaking flatly: "What is it?"

Lin Feng bowed and calmly reported the discovery of Martial Uncle Zhao Ming's remains in Ghost Soul Valley and their return to Yunshu Peak.

The old man's fingers flipping through the Jade Slip paused slightly. He finally raised his eyelids, his gaze landing on Lin Feng: "Zhao Ming? Perished in Ghost Soul Valley?"

"Yes."

"Were there any anomalies?"