"It’s all your fault. If you hadn’t been so slow to act, Ye Quan wouldn’t have died."

Although Lu Yuhang said nothing, that was the clear message Qin Feng read in her eyes.

Qin Feng was so angry he almost laughed.

’It was one thing for this woman to show no gratitude for him saving her life, but to actually come to hate him!’

’A classic case of repaying kindness with hatred!’

Qin Feng’s narrow eyes narrowed. ’She’s a liability.’

’Having someone like her on the team is an unstable element!’

Qin Feng had no intention of waiting for that liability to blow up in his face before he acted.

’If you hate me, then you can die!’

A murderous glint flashed in his eyes. Qin Feng’s dark gaze fell upon Lu Yuhang, and his hand shot out like lightning. Before Lu Yuhang could even react, she was grabbed and lifted into the air.

An immense pressure gripped her neck, and Lu Yuhang’s pretty face instantly turned red from asphyxiation. Qin Feng’s tyranny far exceeded her imagination. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

’He’ll kill over a simple disagreement!’

’I only showed a hint of hatred, and he not only noticed it but wants to eliminate the problem at its root!’

’Such decisiveness, such ruthlessness... He’s like a thousand-year-old monster!’

Even more than that, Lu Yuhang was filled with resentment. ’If this person is so powerful, why didn’t he save Ye Quan? Why did he just let him die?’

’He’s a hypocrite, a sanctimonious villain!’

’It’s all his fault!’

’If he hadn’t been so slow to act, Ye Quan would never have died!’

Hatred shot from Lu Yuhang’s eyes. Her gaze was fixed on Qin Feng, wishing she could tear him apart and eat him alive.

Just then, Long Ling’Er and the others noticed the commotion. With a flash, Long Ling’Er was the first to arrive.

"Qin Feng, what are you doing?"

Long Ling’Er looked confused, her eyes showing a trace of doubt and dissatisfaction.

Before Qin Feng could speak, Lu Yuhang was overjoyed. As if seeing her savior, she shrieked like a madwoman.

"Senior Sister Long, you have to help me! This Qin Feng is a spy! He colluded with the assassins to kill Senior Brother Ye Quan! Long Ling’Er, quick, capture him!"

Long Ling’Er’s gaze fell on Qin Feng, growing sharper, colder, and more severe. "Junior Brother Qin Feng, would you mind letting Junior Sister Lu go?"

Qin Feng glanced disdainfully at Long Ling’Er. ’Is this woman really that stupid, or is she just pretending?’

Qin Feng refused flatly. "No. Anyone who makes an enemy of me will die."

CRACK!

Qin Feng twisted his fingers with force. Lu Yuhang’s eyes bulged. She stared at Qin Feng in utter disbelief, unable to comprehend even in death that he had actually dared to kill her.

"You killed her? You dare murder a fellow disciple?!" Long Ling’Er’s expression changed drastically as a powerful aura began to emanate from her body.

Qin Feng sneered, his gaze like that of a Taigu Giant Beast glaring at Long Ling’Er, cold and glacial. "Long Ling’Er, have you lost your mind? You dare make a move against me?"

"I advise you not to do anything rash. Otherwise, don’t blame me for twisting your head off."

Qin Feng gave a ferocious grin, and an even more immense aura surged forth. Under this pressure, Long Ling’Er’s face changed dramatically, a trace of terror appearing in her eyes.

Qin Feng stared coldly at Long Ling’Er. ’This woman is insane. She must have gotten an inflated ego from all the flattery she’s heard from Ye Quan and Lu Yuhang these past few days, so much so that she thinks she can challenge me.’

Long Ling’Er looked around pleadingly for help, but everyone remained silent.

Everyone had seen what just happened. It was clear that Lu Yuhang had been making an unreasonable scene.

She had brought death upon herself; no one else was to blame.

The others were well aware of Long Ling’Er’s ambitions. She wanted to become the leader of this team.

While some of them might have been close to her on a normal day, at this moment, no one was willing to side with her.

They all knew, without a doubt, that Qin Feng was the one who could truly shelter them from the storm.

Long Ling’Er’s gaze fell upon Ye Qinghua, Jiang Bing’Er, and Wang Yue, her "good sisters." But to her chilling dismay, the three women were all expressionless. Their eyes were on Qin Feng, clearly ready to follow his lead.

On the side, even Lin Zhiqiu and Hao Liancheng, who were part of the original team, chose to look on with indifference.

Zhang Xuan leaned against a tree, wearing an expression that said, ’I wouldn’t care if all of you dropped dead.’ It was obvious he couldn’t be counted on.

Moreover, she didn’t know if it was just her imagination, but Long Ling’Er felt his gaze drift toward her, carrying a sharp, cold intent.

It was as if the moment Qin Feng attacked, he would attack her too.

It was only then that Long Ling’Er truly understood how terrifying the black-robed youth before her was.

Without her even realizing it, he had ’won over’ everyone here.

’Their attitude is acceptable.’ Qin Feng was satisfied. A team like this was worth sheltering from the storm and being their patron.

If these people had dared to show even the slightest dissatisfaction with him...

Qin Feng would have absolutely abandoned them.

Qin Feng was no soft-hearted fool.

Long Ling’Er gave Qin Feng a deep look, then turned to leave.

"Stop."

Long Ling’Er turned back around, her gaze icy as she looked at the black-robed youth with his billowing sleeves. "What more do you want?" she said coldly.

Qin Feng flicked the blade of the Spirit Sword in his hand, a cool, cold light flashing for an instant. He said lightly, "I just want to tell you, don’t get any funny ideas. I, Qin Feng, may have a soft spot for beautiful women, but my Beiming Divine Water Sword won’t recognize your pretty face."

A flash of anger crossed Long Ling’Er’s eyes. She shot Qin Feng a cold glare, glanced at the others, and then ran off to the side to sulk alone.

After this incident, the atmosphere among the eight of them became somewhat strange.

「A day later.」

The eight of them appeared at the mouth of Gourd Valley. It was a peculiar place at the foot of Purple Mist Peak: the downward-sloping entrance to a valley shaped like a gourd.

The surroundings were shrouded in a vast white mist. The mountains were hidden in the fog, and even a powerful expert like Qin Feng, with his formidable Sixth Sense, could only see about ten yards ahead.

"What is this place? It’s so strange. Even my Spiritual Sense is being confused. It’s like a natural labyrinth!"

At the valley entrance, Ye Qinghua hesitated. Her Seven-Colored Spirit Vine was sending her a warning, a feeling of unease.

This place was anything but ordinary.

Qin Feng gazed at Gourd Valley, surveying the area with a peculiar look in his eyes. Analyzing the surrounding mountains, the terrain, and the flow of Spiritual Qi in the air, Qin Feng determined that this was an Illusion Array.

And a natural one at that.

’I never thought a place like this existed on Heaven-Reaching Ridge.’ Qin Feng’s eyes flickered. Just then, the Heaven and Earth Origin of the Blue Sea within his body suddenly pulsed with a strange and unusually strong summons.

It was as if something inside the valley was attracting the Heaven and Earth Origin of the Blue Sea, making the Blue Sea and Heaven itself somewhat impatient.

This feeling was very familiar to Qin Feng. It was the same strange vibration he had felt from the Heaven and Earth Origin of the Blue Sea when he had snuck into the Ape Clan Holy Mountain and saw the Ten-thousand-year-old Jade Spirit Tree.

But the sensation back then was nothing compared to this!

’There’s a High-level Wood Attribute Spiritual Object in the valley!’ Qin Feng’s eyes lit up.

’Looks like this time, the opening of the Jade Wood Heaven, one of the Chaotic Five Directions Heaven, is finally at hand. I just wonder what kind of Treasure is in there to cause such a tremor from the Blue Sea and Heaven...’

(This is the first update, with five more to follow.)