37: So you're like the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind?

Lin Feng walked to Sun Hao's side to act as Protector, his heart already on high alert.

After adjusting his breathing, Sun Hao's injuries eased slightly, but his combat power was greatly reduced, and his complexion still looked poor.

Each with their own thoughts, the group continued deeper.

In a relatively well-preserved stone chamber, they discovered a withered skeleton sitting in meditation against the wall. Scattered beside the skeleton were a damaged Jade Slip and a few dim Spirit Stones.

Lin Feng picked up the Jade Slip, and his Divine Sense probed it. Inside were fragmented messages recorded by the meditator before his death, mentioning that the Sect was named “Blackwater Manor” and was destroyed by a sudden internal rebellion.

And within the bones of the withered skeleton's right hand, there was a peculiar pearl, the size of a pigeon's egg, perfectly round, deep blue in color, with subtle ripples seemingly flowing across its surface.

“This is... the Azure Wave Pearl?” Sun Hao gasped, a glint flashing in his eyes, but then he stared intently at the silvery-white thread of light swimming within the pearl, his tone becoming uncertain and surprised, “No... that’s not right. An ordinary Azure Wave Pearl has a gentle spiritual glow, never such a restrained yet immense oppressive feeling.

This pearl is unusually heavy, and the strand... this strand of essence contained within it actually makes my spiritual energy circulation slightly sluggish... this is definitely not an ordinary Spiritual Artifact.

Judging by its characteristics, it resembles a rare treasure refined with heavy water as its core, as recorded in ancient texts.”

Everyone's breathing quickened.

Just then, Patriarch Mo, who had initially worn a look of reverence, suddenly leaped backward, simultaneously shouting, “Attack!”

Several Mo Family disciples behind him immediately pulled out several Talismans and activated them without hesitation.

They were not attacking Lin Feng and Sun Hao, but rather shooting towards the surrounding walls.

Boom! Boom!

A large amount of rubble fell, instantly blocking most of the only exit and temporarily separating Lin Feng and Sun Hao from the Mo Family members.

“Uncle Mo, what is the meaning of this?” Sun Hao was both shocked and enraged, clutching his wound as he sharply questioned, completely unprepared for their sudden betrayal.

“What meaning?” Patriarch Mo sneered from the other side of the rubble,

“Nephew Sun, young friend Lin, thank you for clearing the path for us.

This pearl rightfully belongs to my Mo Family. If you want to blame anyone, blame yourselves for trusting people too easily.”

Sun Hao's face turned ashen with rage, and he was about to retort angrily.

Just then, from a dark fork in the road they hadn't noticed on their way in, there was a sudden rush of hurried and slightly chaotic footsteps, accompanied by a cold, low chuckle.

“Hehehe... Mo Yunshen, you're quite skilled at burning bridges.” Before the words finished, five or six figures quietly emerged from that fork in the road.

Leading them was a gaunt middle-aged Cultivator, and the several Cultivators following him wore identical attire.

Mo Yunshen's face instantly changed drastically when he saw the newcomers, losing his voice as he exclaimed, “Yin Li! It's you? How... how could your Yin Family be here?”

The middle-aged Cultivator, called Yin Li, sneered, “Why can't my Yin Family be here?

Mo Yunshen, your Mo Family has recently been purchasing a large number of Restriction-Breaking Talismans and Detoxification Pills, and your clan's experts have been frequently entering and exiting this desolate mountain. Do you really think my Yin Family is deaf and blind?

If not for following the path you cleared, the remaining Restrictions outside this ruin would have truly given my Yin Family some trouble.”

Upon hearing this, Lin Feng immediately understood.

'So that's it... it's another Cultivation Family at odds with the Mo Family, who had long been secretly monitoring the Mo Family's unusual movements, lurking and following, using us to clear the outer obstacles, and only appearing at this last moment to seize the fruit. When the snipe and clam fight, the fisherman profits.'

Mo Yunshen's face turned ashen with anger. He had schemed against Sun Hao and Lin Feng, but he hadn't expected to be the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind, with his old rival the Yin Family showing up at his doorstep.

“Yin Li! This place was discovered by my Mo Family first. Are you trying to snatch it by force?” Mo Yunshen roared, his voice betraying his inner weakness, as he secretly clutched a Magical Artifact in his hand.

“Snatch by force? Hmph, Heaven And Earth Treasure goes to the virtuous.” Yin Li sneered, his gaze sweeping over the deep blue pearl, “Moreover, your Mo Family’s ‘virtue’... I'm afraid it doesn't hold up, does it? Enough nonsense, let's see who's stronger.”

Sun Hao's face was livid with rage, but his injuries made it difficult for him to act out.

Just then, Lin Feng moved.

Taking advantage of the two groups' argument and distracted attention, his figure ghost-like, he glided towards the withered skeleton.

“Kid! How dare you!” Mo Yunshen and Yin Li discovered him almost simultaneously, roaring as they moved to block him.

Mo Yunshen flicked his sleeve, and a dark green poisonous palm wind struck through the air. Yin Li's Sword Qi shot through the air towards Lin Feng's back.

Sun Hao forced his spiritual energy to help, but his injuries held him back, making him a step too slow.

Facing the pincer attack, Lin Feng's eyes were cold.

He executed the Willow Catkin Following Wind Step, turning his body slightly, allowing the poisonous palm wind to graze past his chest.

At the same time, without looking back, he raised his hand.

Boom.

A Fire Bullet Talisman, already clutched in his hand, instantly activated, a scorching fireball shooting towards Yin Li's Sword Qi, colliding in mid-air with a loud bang, sparks flying, successfully intercepting it.

Meanwhile, his right hand had already shot out like lightning, precisely gripping the skeleton's wrist, a burst of spiritual energy causing it to vibrate.

Crack.

The finger bones tightly gripping the pearl instantly loosened.

The deep blue pearl instantly fell into Lin Feng's hand and was unhesitatingly stuffed into his Storage Pouch.

“You're courting death!”

“Kill him!”

With the treasure snatched, Mo Yunshen and Yin Li instantly became enraged, pouncing on Lin Feng.

Lin Feng had no intention of lingering in battle. As he rapidly retreated, he flicked his hands repeatedly.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.

Several strands of spiritual silk from the Silk Winding Hand shot out silently, precisely wrapping around the wrists and ankles of the two Mo Family disciples charging at the very front.

The momentum of their charge halted, their movements instantly distorted. Not only did they almost fall themselves, but they also happened to block the path of their companions behind them.

“Damn it! What's going on?”

“Get out of the way!”

A cold glint flashed in Lin Feng's eyes, and the only Thunderclap Talisman he had flew out of his hand, shooting towards the densest part of the crowd.

Crack.

A dazzling bolt of lightning exploded. Although its power was insufficient to severely injure Late Stage Qi Refining Cultivators, it still caused the Mo and Yin Family disciples within its range to go numb all over, their hair standing on end, their movements instantly stiffening, and their formation falling into chaos.

Seizing this opportunity, Lin Feng's Flowing Shadow Sword Art fully erupted.

His body moved with his sword, cutting into the chaotic crowd like a ghost.

A flash of sword light.

The throat of a Yin Family disciple, currently paralyzed by the lightning and stiff in movement, was instantly pierced.

He spun his body, avoiding a coming blade light, and with a backhand sword strike, another Mo Family disciple, stumbling from the silk entanglement, clutched his chest and fell.

With every sword strike, a life was extinguished.

Mo Yunshen and Yin Li were both shocked and enraged, trying to pinpoint Lin Feng, but were always hindered by their own chaotic disciples, the splashing lightning, and Lin Feng's elusive movement technique, which always kept him behind others.

“Little bastard! Get out here!” Mo Yunshen roared, striking a palm at Lin Feng's afterimage, but only hitting the back of one of his own disciples, sending him flying and spitting blood.

Yin Li was also furious, his eyes spitting fire, his Sword Qi shooting out repeatedly but mostly avoided by Lin Feng's footwork, utilizing the terrain.

A moment later... the lightning dissipated.

The spiritual silk vanished.

Seven or eight bodies lay on the ground, all disciples of the Mo and Yin Families.