In the mountain forest, a bonfire blazed, its flames flickering with an eerie chill in the darkness.

Xue Yu was dead. He had died silently, right under the noses of the eight of them!

The eight of them gathered around, staring in somber silence at Xue Yu, who lay prone on the ground in a pool of his own blood.

The mountain wind wailed. As a gust of night air blew past, a chill crept over them.

"Someone ambushed him. The attacker was incredibly swift, slitting Xue Yu’s throat in a single instant!"

After examining Xue Yu’s body, Long Ling’Er’s quiet words plunged the group into an even deeper silence.

Who could have killed Xue Yu?

And who could have done it so silently, right under their noses?

’If they could kill Xue Yu today, does that mean they can kill the rest of us too?’

A terrifying undercurrent of fear flowed silently among them.

Qin Feng’s expression was grim. Just a few hours ago, Xue Yu had been calling him "Senior Brother," and now he was dead right before his eyes. A nameless anger began to burn within him.

Qin Feng recalled the fleeting black shadow. It had seemed to melt into the menacing shadows of the night and vanish.

Qin Feng’s Spiritual Sense was powerful; he knew his perception hadn’t been mistaken.

’Could it be Shadow Divine Abilities!’ he thought, his expression growing darker. Qin Feng knew of several shadow- and darkness-based Divine Abilities.

Martial Artists who cultivated Dark Power often developed strange and unorthodox Divine Abilities that were bizarre and nearly impossible to defend against.

"Let’s bury him. Poor Junior Brother Xue Yu."

Lin Zhiqiu and Hao Liancheng’s faces were downcast, their eyes unable to hide their grief and rage. They had gone through hell and back with Xue Yu, facing life and death together, and had long since become as close as blood brothers.

Lin Zhiqiu and Hao Liancheng carried Xue Yu’s body, dug a grave with their bare hands, and buried him.

"Brother... we swear we will find your killer. As long as we live, we will risk our very lives to avenge you! We’re not fit to be men if we fail to see this through!"

Qin Feng glanced at the two men before turning his gaze to the surrounding forest. Faintly, his powerful Spiritual Sense detected a sinister gaze watching them from the shadows.

"Junior Brother Qin Feng!" Ye Qinghua walked over, her stunningly beautiful face tinged with sorrow—a grief born from seeing a comrade fall.

"Senior Sister Ye, did the Seven-Colored Spirit Vine find anything?"

Ye Qinghua’s Soul-Devouring Vine had evolved after consuming the Essence Blood of several Alien Races from the Demon God Temple. The Seven-Colored Spirit Vine was incredibly powerful, like a nature spirit of the green wood. This Spiritual Root had already developed some Spiritual Wisdom, making it more sensitive to changes in its surroundings and giving it control over many plants.

The Seven-Colored Spirit Vine had been the one keeping watch tonight. With its abilities, it should have noticed something.

To Qin Feng’s surprise, Ye Qinghua shook her head. "Little Spirit said no unusual people or beasts entered the area, nor were there any threatening poisonous insects or Poisonous Qi."

’It seems the person who struck from the shadows is truly extraordinary, to have acted without the Seven-Colored Spirit Vine even noticing.’

The eight of them sat in silence until dawn.

The next day, the group continued their journey toward Purple Mist Peak.

Ever since Xue Yu’s death, however, the team had become much more silent and vigilant.

In the forest, the eight of them unexpectedly encountered a couple.

It was a man and a woman. When the group found them, the two were hiding in a bear cave.

When Qin Feng and the others found them, they were almost attacked.

The pair ran out of the bear cave in tattered clothes, looking like savages. According to them, the man was named Ye Quan, and the woman was Lu Yuhang.

They were both powerful figures from previous years, belonging to the Yiyue Team, one of the Top Ten Teams.

Qin Feng took an immediate dislike to the pair. For one, their judgment was terrible. Ever since they’d latched onto the group, they had been constantly trying to cozy up to Long Ling’Er.

They also relentlessly flattered Long Ling’Er, trying to push for her to become the team’s temporary leader.

As for Qin Feng, who was at the Martial Arts Thirteen Heavens Realm, they treated him with open contempt, often shooting him disdainful, sidelong glances.

From a distance on the hill, Qin Feng watched Ye Quan and Lu Yuhang fetch water and fawn over Long Ling’Er. Qin Feng closed his eyes. Out of sight, out of mind.

Lately, Qin Feng’s comprehension of the Tide Mystical Meaning was becoming more and more masterful. Ever since he had comprehended the Tidal Fusion Secret Technique, the power of his Tidal Extinction Sword had grown with each passing day.

Now, when he used the Tidal Extinction Sword, Qin Feng no longer needed to build up momentum. With a single casual slash, he could fuse six tidal waves into one and unleash a devastating strike.

This force was far stronger and more condensed than simply stacking individual tidal waves like before.

He could control its speed, fast or slow, with a single thought.

It was incredibly powerful!

If he were to face that Young Emperor from the White Tiger Clan now, Qin Feng was confident he could take his head within fifty exchanges.

Ye Qinghua walked over, a worried frown on her face.

"What’s wrong? Still no leads on our senior sister?" 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

Qin Feng looked at her. Having faced life and death, Ye Qinghua had matured, like a green peony after a spring rain. She exuded an aura entirely different from that of an ordinary noble lady.

She was like a true powerhouse.

Exceptionally brave, decisive, resolute, with a valiant and heroic air.

Nearby, both Lin Zhiqiu and Hao Liancheng had shown their attraction to Ye Qinghua, but she gave them the cold shoulder.

Instead, she seemed quite interested in Qin Feng.

Ye Qinghua nodded, then shook her head. "Little Spirit can sense Senior Sister Xuelian’s aura nearby. But strangely, we can’t pinpoint her location. It’s hazy and indistinct, like trying to see flowers through a fog."

"That is indeed strange!"

Qin Feng frowned. He was not unfamiliar with this kind of situation. There were a few possibilities. One was that this Senior Sister Xuelian cultivated some special Cultivation Technique that allowed her to set up an Illusion Array, making it impossible for others to see through her tricks or track her location.

The second possibility was that she possessed a Treasure that could conceal her aura.

The third was that she had accidentally stumbled into a special location that happened to mask auras.

Just as Qin Feng was about to speak, his expression suddenly changed. His powerful Spiritual Sense detected an immense, hostile aura moving toward them at high speed from hundreds of yards away.

The aura moved faster than lightning, like a flash darting through the sun-dappled shadows of the trees.

’Daring to attack in broad daylight? What audacity!’

Qin Feng’s gaze shot in that direction, but a moment later, he relaxed. The target of the sneak attack wasn’t him.

It was them!

Qin Feng’s astonished gaze fell upon Ye Quan and Lu Yuhang, who were putting on a public display of affection next to a solitary pine tree.

PFFT!

A cold light flashed as a dark, Sharp Blade instantly slit Ye Quan’s throat. At the same time, it moved to strike down the terrified Lu Yuhang.

Public displays of affection get you killed.

The killer seemed to see his own past in the affectionate couple, and the blade in his hand grew even more vicious, filled with murderous intent.

But in the next instant, the black-robed man’s expression changed drastically. His figure transformed into a black shadow and dove into the shade of the solitary pine. BANG! A beam of sword light, like a monstrous tidal wave, slashed through the air, instantly severing the pine tree.

The black shadow flickered, its speed astonishingly fast. In an instant, it used Shadow Escape to travel a hundred yards, disappearing into the fragmented shadows of the trees.

In a flash, Qin Feng appeared beside Ye Quan and Lu Yuhang like a streak of light.

Qin Feng glanced at Ye Quan. With his throat slit, he was already dead.

Qin Feng shook his head and was about to turn away when he suddenly felt an intense aura of resentment lock onto him. He turned back, his inquisitive gaze falling on Lu Yuhang, whose eyes were filled with hatred.

’Is she blaming me for not saving her lover in time?’