Turmoil in the Treasure Ground

The crisis within the Black Snake Hidden Cache was still brewing.

But the turmoil on the other side, within the Mayfly Treasure Ground, had been unfolding since the very day it opened.

This chaos was not caused by the scramble for Fated Chances within the treasure ground, but simply because among the cultivators exploring this time, there was an outright madman.

Wang Weiming had abandoned the other five disciples from Lone Moon Mountain upon entering the treasure ground, embarking on a hunt for cultivators at the sixth level of Qi Gathering.

In just a single day, a full four cultivators at the sixth level of Qi Gathering had died by his hand.

Among these four, two were Rogue Cultivators, and two came from minor local factions.

Wang Weiming was not stupid. He avoided cultivators with powerful backgrounds from the start, choosing to prey upon these lesser figures first.

News quickly spread throughout the treasure ground.

When it became known that this man exclusively targeted cultivators at the sixth level of Qi Gathering, those at that realm who lacked notable backing began to fear for their lives.

They had originally believed their sixth-level Qi Gathering cultivation would be enough to protect them in this place.

They never expected that before the many hidden dangers of the treasure ground even manifested, this blatant man-made disaster would fall upon their heads.

Upon learning that this killer came from the infamous Lone Moon Mountain, these cultivators did not sit idly by waiting for death.

They reached out to one another, formed alliances, and began to advance and retreat together within the treasure ground.

Wang Weiming's opportunities to strike grew fewer and fewer, prompting his actions to become increasingly reckless.

This culminated on the third day when he was finally ambushed by the group. Hunted by over a dozen sixth-level Qi Gathering cultivators, he fled deep into the treasure ground.

It was only the sudden appearance of a massive illusion Formation that ultimately allowed Wang Weiming to escape their pursuit.

Following this large-scale siege, he quieted down, vanishing into hiding somewhere unknown.

The northern region of the Mayfly Treasure Ground.

Yang Lingrui stood by a lake, sending Wind Techniques one by one into the bodies of the Mayfly Spirit Insect larvae.

There were a total of five spirit insect colonies in this area, all of which had been claimed exclusively by the Feng Family.

Besides their two young ladies, the Feng Family had also dispatched four family guards at the sixth level of Qi Gathering on this expedition, making their strength absolutely among the best of the various forces.

In terms of combat power, they were naturally no match for Feng Lingyue; their main duty was to protect Feng Linghua's safety within the treasure ground.

"Phew-"

Yang Lingrui let out a long breath. After spending over three hours, he had finally finished tending to the larvae in this area.

"Young... Young Master Lin, you've worked hard. This is for you."

Feng Linghua walked gently to his side, then summoned an object from her Storage Bag and handed it to Yang Lingrui.

It was a rolled-up painting scroll. Yang Lingrui opened it, and the image upon the paper was precisely the scene of him focused on casting his techniques just moments ago.

The skill behind this painting was profound. At first glance, he felt a bit dazed, struck by the sudden illusion that he was looking into a mirror.

"Miss Hua's painting skills are truly profound. You have opened my eyes. You truly deserve to be called a heaven-sent prodigy capable of cultivating the Painting-Spirit Technique," Yang Lingrui praised.

The Feng Family's Ancestor had entered the Dao as a scholar. The four great inheritances of the Feng Family were the four arts of the Confucian path: the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting.

Feng Linghua cultivated the Painting-Spirit Technique of the painting path, and thus also possessed superb means of disguise and alteration.

This technique was far more profound than the Ink Manipulation Art used by that scholar from before; it was a proper Confucian orthodox method of the Condensed Origin grade.

Whether in power or variation, it was far beyond what the ordinary Ink Manipulation Art could compare to.

As for her older sister, Feng Lingyue, she was famous throughout Qiulu City for her Word-Spirit Technique.

Relying on this Dao, she had achieved the feat of slaying opponents above her realm multiple times. Her combat prowess ranked among the top five of the younger generation of cultivators in Qiulu City.

"Oh, it's not that impressive. I've only reached the Novice stage."

Praised by Yang Lingrui, Feng Linghua showed a shy, embarrassed expression.

Yang Lingrui smiled and said, "Miss Hua need not be modest. Although my knowledge is limited, I know the threshold for cultivating this path is extremely high. For you to have reached the Novice stage, your talent in this Dao is already far beyond what ordinary people can hope to compare to."

"Hehe, alright, since you say so, I'll accept it! Thank you for the compliment, Young Master Lin!"

Feng Linghua smiled sweetly, turned around, and returned to Feng Lingyue's side, her steps noticeably lighter.

Feng Lingyue gave her a sidelong glance, saying in exasperation, "Hah, just a few casual words of flattery, and you're this happy."

"Oh... dear sister."

Feng Linghua shook Feng Lingyue's arm, calling out in a wheedling voice.

Feng Lingyue was always susceptible to this from her, and her irritation subsided for the moment.

"I think Young Master Lin is quite serious and hardworking in his tasks. He's not as unbearable as you say, Sister."

"You! Your experience is simply too shallow!"

Feng Lingyue said, "This man has received our family's protection and has been promised a reward afterward, so naturally he must put in the effort. If you weren't a young lady of the Feng Family, do you think he would still be this attentive? It would already be a sign of conscience if he didn't trick you into scouting the path ahead and triggering traps."

Hearing this, Feng Linghua pouted and fell silent.

She was merely naive, not truly foolish.

She could understand the logic in everything Feng Lingyue said.

However, after spending a few days with Yang Lingrui, a persistent feeling lingered in her heart.

This feeling constantly told her that the Young Master Lin before her was likely not the kind of person her sister described.

Perhaps, for some reason, he was only disguising himself this way.

It had to be said, sometimes a woman's intuition was remarkably accurate.

But since it was merely a thought, Feng Linghua did not voice it, keeping it hidden in the bottom of her heart.

As the two were conversing, they saw a sixth-level Qi Gathering family guard approaching in a hurry.

His expression was grave. He whispered a few words into Feng Lingyue's ear, and the latter's face immediately turned icy cold.

Just moments ago, a Feng Family guard responsible for sentry duty had lost contact.

By now, seven days had passed since Wang Weiming was besieged.

Starting the day before yesterday, he had reappeared and initiated a new round of killings.

This time, he no longer went after those ordinary sixth-level cultivators traveling in groups, but instead shifted his targets to the disciples of other major Sects.

Over the past two days, several factions had successively suffered casualties among their cultivators.

Wang Weiming had apparently stumbled upon some treasure within the treasure ground; after committing his crimes, his tracks could never be found.

As one of the most elite forces on this expedition, the Feng Family had previously remained undisturbed.

Unexpectedly, today, he had set his sights on them.

"Such audacity! To dare make a move on my Feng Family!"

Feng Lingyue shouted in anger, "Call the other two back. I will personally take command here and see just how capable this man is!"

She was certainly not foolish enough to fall for Wang Weiming's tactic of luring the tiger from the mountain.

By gathering everyone around her, she wanted to see if he dared to strike right in front of her face.

An ordinary person, upon seeing this defensive posture, would have definitely given up and sought out another target.

But clearly, Wang Weiming was no ordinary person.

Especially after obtaining a Fated Chance in the treasure ground that granted him exceptional means of escape, his actions had become increasingly arrogant and unbridled.

"Hahahaha-"

A burst of loud laughter rang out as Wang Weiming's figure emerged from the forest.

"I have long heard of the fame of Qiulu City's Feng Family's 'Unrivaled Moon.' I wonder if today, I will have the fortune to spar with you, Fellow Daoist?"

"Arrogant!"

"Bind!"

Feng Lingyue let out a low shout, raising her hand to tap the air, drawing out a Word-Spirit.

Wang Weiming instantly felt his body stiffen. He was frozen in place, completely immobilized, and even the circulation of spiritual power within his body was forcefully locked.

A hint of surprise flickered in his eyes. He had not expected the Word-Spirit Technique to truly follow the spoken word with such rapid execution.

"Slash!"

Feng Lingyue's face was as cold as frost. She formed a hand seal and pointed again; a flash of cold light materialized, shooting fiercely toward Wang Weiming.

"Good, good, good! Such methods truly live up to the title of 'Unrivaled'! This truly delights me!"

Wang Weiming showed no fear; instead, he repeatedly called out in praise.

Just as the strike was about to land, a brilliant radiance of silver moonlight burst forth from his body, erupting with an astonishing spiritual pressure!

Feng Lingyue's Word-Spirit Technique, along with the physical binding upon him, were completely dissolved by the moonlight.

This aura is immense. It's not just spiritual power, Yang Lingrui thought to himself.

Observing from the rear, he keenly deduced that Wang Weiming's method was by no means a simple technique.

Around Wang Weiming's body, Yang Lingrui noticed ribbon-like halos of moonlight.

These halos appeared faint and ethereal, yet Yang Lingrui could sense a formidable force contained within them.

"Hmph! The Spirit-Commanding Method-who doesn't know it?!"

Feng Lingyue let out a cold snort as her own aura shifted.

Unlike Wang Weiming, who was wreathed in halos of moonlight, what manifested around her body were green characters resembling incantation seals.

88.181.249.5

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