43: The ambush in southern Xinjiang was a warning to others.

Yun Feng's figure merged into the Void Realm, following the subtle spatial fluctuation, traversing thousands of miles in an instant. In just a short while, he had crossed more than half of the Northern Region, arriving at the southern border that adjoins the Central Region.

Here, mountains rise and fall, and miasma permeates the air. It is a natural barrier between the two regions, and also an excellent place for certain secret operations.

Above a deep valley, Yun Feng revealed his form. His gaze penetrated layers of clouds and mist, locking onto the depths of the valley. There, three old men, dressed in Feather God Sect attire and all of Legendary Rank, were gathered around a temporarily constructed small altar, intricately carved with complex spatial runes. They were carefully embedding dark-red crystals, emitting ominous fluctuations, into the altar's grooves.

"Boundary Breaking Nails..." Yun Feng recognized the origin of the dark-red crystals at a glance. These were extremely sinister Magical Artifacts of space. Once deployed, they could silently erode and dismantle the spatial barriers of a specific area, especially targeting defensive systems like city-protecting formations that rely on spatial stability. The Feather God Sect was clearly trying to use this item to open a breach in the Yun Family's city-protecting formation, preparing for subsequent actions.

"They've certainly made a good plan," Yun Feng's eyes were icy. If he hadn't just made a Breakthrough, making his perception of spatial rules more acute, he might have only noticed when the formation showed abnormalities, at which point he would have been much more passive.

He did not immediately act, but quietly watched them embed the last "Boundary Breaking Nail" into the altar. Just as the leading Feather God Sect Elder revealed a triumphant, sinister smile, preparing to activate the altar—

"Gentlemen, are you finished?"

A calm voice abruptly echoed in the valley, exploding in the ears of the three like a clap of thunder!

The three Feather God Sect Elders were greatly alarmed, and suddenly looked up. They saw Yun Feng, who had appeared silently above them at some unknown point, standing with his hands behind his back, looking at them indifferently, as if watching three busy ants.

"Yun Feng?! How could you..." The leading Elder exclaimed in shock, his face filled with disbelief. Their mission was extremely secret, and they had used a School treasure to conceal their tracks. How could they have been discovered?!

"A mere concealment technique, daring to show off before an expert." Yun Feng couldn't be bothered with idle talk. He directly extended a finger and lightly tapped the altar below, which was about to be activated.

There was no earth-shattering commotion, but an invisible power, containing the highest spatial rules, instantly descended!

The altar, crafted from precious Materials and inscribed with complex runes, along with the dozens of "Boundary Breaking Nails" embedded within it, silently turned into the finest powder, like a sandcastle crushed by an invisible giant hand, scattering with the wind! Not even a ripple of energy was stirred!

The pupils of the three Legendary Elders constricted, and their Souls Flying Away and Spirit Scattering! They hadn't even seen how Yun Feng attacked! This level of control over power completely exceeded their understanding!

"Escape!"

The three reacted extremely quickly, instantly transforming into three streaks of light, shooting off in different directions! Faced with Yun Feng, who could easily crush the "Boundary Breaking Nail" altar, they didn't even have a shred of courage to resist!

"Can you leave?"

Yun Feng's voice remained calm. He didn't even look at the three fleeing streaks of light, but merely waved his sleeve towards the directions they were escaping.

In an instant, the space where the entire valley was located seemed to be peeled away from the main world, forming an independent cage! The flow of time became abnormally slow, and the three streaks of light, as if trapped in sticky amber, drastically slowed down, their expressions of terror frozen!

Spatial imprisonment! Time stagnation!

This was an extremely high-level application of spacetime rules!

Yun Feng slowly raised his hand and, with an empty grasp, aimed at one of the streaks of light.

"Pfft!"

The Feather God Sect Elder couldn't even let out a scream. His body, like a crushed egg, exploded in mid-air, his flesh, bones, and Divine Soul all annihilated together!

The other two watched their companion perish in an instant, terrified to the point of their Souls Flying Away and Spirit Scattering. They desperately burned their essence blood and Soul Power, attempting to break through the spacetime cage.

Yun Feng's gaze turned to the second person, and he pointed his fingers like a sword, slashing through the air.

"Sizzle!"

A subtle spatial crack, like a black lightning bolt, instantly swept across the body of the second Elder. The Elder's figure stiffened, then neatly split into two halves from the middle, the cut smooth as a mirror, his Divine Soul also instantly torn apart by the power of space!

In the blink of an eye, of the three Legendary Elders, only one remained!

The last Elder was the leader of this operation, named Xuan Gu. At this moment, his face was ashen, his eyes filled with despair and madness. He knew he had no chance of survival. He fiercely bit off the tip of his tongue, spitting out a mouthful of essence blood, and the Qi on his body suddenly became violent!

"Yun Feng! Let's die together!" he roared, actually intending to self-detonate his Legendary Soul Sea, dragging Yun Feng down with him!

However, Yun Feng merely glanced at him indifferently.

That gaze seemed to contain endless majesty and rules.

The violently surging Soul Power within Elder Xuan Gu's body was forcibly smoothed and suppressed by an invisible force, instantly ceasing its activity! Even self-detonation became a luxury!

"Feather God Sect, it seems you've forgotten the pain." Yun Feng took a step, arriving before the ashen-faced Elder Xuan Gu, and placed his hand on his crown.

"No... don't..." Elder Xuan Gu felt the excruciating pain of his Soul being forcibly extracted, letting out a piercing wail.

Yun Feng's face was expressionless. He directly used a Soul-searching technique, forcibly sifting through Elder Xuan Gu's memories. Details of the Feather God Sect's plan, internal movements of the Sect, and even some core secrets, poured into his mind like flowing water.

A moment later, Elder Xuan Gu's eyes became unfocused, and he softly collapsed, completely lifeless.

Yun Feng released his hand, the cold light in his eyes growing even stronger. From Xuan Gu's memories, he learned that this operation was only a part of the Feather God Sect's probing. The voices of the hawkish faction within the Sect were growing louder, and they had even secretly contacted other forces, preparing to jointly pressure the Northern Region.

"Obstinate." Yun Feng snorted coldly. He had originally planned to deal with the Feather God Sect later, but now it seemed they were eager to court death.

He waved his hand, thoroughly purifying the three bodies and the altar's wreckage, erasing all traces. Then, his gaze turned towards the direction of the Feather God Sect, and he pondered for a moment.

Directly attacking their School was not the best time currently, as it could easily cause continental unrest and potentially expose too much of his strength, attracting even more unknown enemies.

His mind stirred, and he had a plan.

Several days later, a shocking piece of news spread from within the Feather God Sect—the three Legendary Elders dispatched by the Sect to the Northern Region border for a secret mission, along with the precious "Boundary Breaking Nails" bestowed by the Sect, had their Soul lamps extinguished and their whereabouts unknown, suspected to have all perished!

At the same time, outside the Feather God Sect's School, three unseeing heads were silently hung, belonging to none other than Xuan Gu and the other two Elders! Below the heads, a line of large characters was written in blood, filled with Killing Intent:

"Those who cross the boundary, kill without mercy!"

Signed—Yun Feng!

This act was like a resounding slap, fiercely striking the Feather God Sect's face! The entire continent was in an uproar!

Yun Feng's action was both a thunderous retaliation and the most severe warning! He was telling the Feather God Sect, and all forces secretly coveting the Northern Region, in the most direct way possible—he, Yun Feng, had the strength, and even more, the determination, to slay all invading enemies!

Within the Feather God Sect, Sect Master Celestial Pivot Master was enraged, yet also felt a bone-chilling coldness. Three Legendary Elders, carrying precious treasures, were silently annihilated, and the opponent could even infiltrate the School to hang heads... To what extent had Yun Feng's strength reached?

After this incident, the voices of the hawkish faction within the Feather God Sect were temporarily suppressed, and the infiltration and provocation of the Northern Region had to be temporarily halted. Various continental forces also once again witnessed Yun Feng's ruthlessness and assertiveness, deepening their apprehension towards the Northern Region.

Yun Feng sat steadily in the City of Radiance. He knew that this deterrence was enough to buy the Northern Region a considerable period of peaceful development. And he, too, needed to use this time to further enhance his own strength and that of the Yun Family, in order to cope with greater storms in the future.