Lin Yuan's words were like sharp blades, stabbing directly into Han Feng's heart. The heavy mockery within them pushed Han Feng's anger to its absolute peak.
Yet anger was one thing, resistance was another.
Han Feng was utterly powerless to fight back. He could only watch helplessly as Lin Yuan calmly took away his Storage Ring.
At the same time, his mind raced as he analyzed the situation and searched for a way out.
'Who is this person? Could he have been sent by that old fool Feng Xian, or someone close to that old man, to test me? If so, I absolutely cannot admit anything.'
"Betraying my teacher? That's a huge misunderstanding! How could I ever do something so ungrateful? I was deeply grieved by my teacher's passing…"
Han Feng's voice trembled slightly, his face filled with sorrow, yet his tone remained resolute as he firmly denied any connection to the death of Yao Venerable.
Meanwhile, Lin Yuan casually played with the Storage Ring in his hand, watching Han Feng's performance with great interest.
'Heh this Han Feng really is a skilled actor. His desire to survive is quite strong as well. That sorrowful expression, if it were anyone else, they might actually believe him.'
'I wonder what Yao Lao would feel if he saw this side of him. Perhaps letting those two meet would be quite interesting?'
The thought briefly crossed Lin Yuan's mind.
However, he quickly shook his head and dismissed it.
'Better not. Han Feng possesses half of the Flame Mantra, which is one of my research targets. There's no need to let Yao Lao and Xiao Yan know that both Han Feng and the half of the Flame Mantra are in my hands.'
'That guy Xiao Yan is just as sensitive to the Flame Mantra as he is to Heavenly Flames. No need to provoke him over this matter.'
With that thought, Lin Yuan lost interest in continuing to watch Han Feng's act.
He waved his hand toward Yuan Yi.
Yuan Yi immediately understood, what came next was not something he should hear.
Without hesitation, he withdrew to a distance and even sealed his hearing. As a seasoned veteran, he knew very well that sometimes, knowing too much was not a good thing.
After Yuan Yi left, Lin Yuan looked coldly at Han Feng, who was still trying to express his "deep feelings" for Yao Lao, and spoke indifferently.
"I've grown tired of your performance. It's time to get down to business. I already know everything about your little schemes, there's no need to act in front of me."
"Mu Gu made his move, didn't he?"
The moment the name "Mu Gu" was spoken, Han Feng's voice abruptly stopped.
He stared at Lin Yuan in shock and uncertainty.
"Who exactly are you?"
"That has nothing to do with you," Lin Yuan replied calmly, extending the Storage Ring toward him.
"Now, erase the soul imprint you left on it."
"Since you know about Elder Mu Gu…" Han Feng tried to say something more, attempting to negotiate.
But before he could finish, Lin Yuan flicked his sleeve.
Several strands of cyan Dou Qi shot out like blades, slicing across Han Feng's body and leaving multiple bloody wounds. Blood instantly soaked his robes.
At the same time, Lin Yuan's cold voice rang beside his ear:
"I'm not that patient. Don't waste my time. Either you remove the soul imprint yourself, or I kill you and remove it myself."
Feeling the cold strands of Dou Qi pressing against his neck and seeing the indifferent, emotionless gaze in Lin Yuan's eyes, Han Feng's heart turned cold.
He understood clearly, this man truly did not care about his life or identity.
Looking at the Storage Ring before him, Han Feng felt as though his heart was bleeding. Everything inside it was the result of years of effort, yet now it was about to change hands.
He stared at Lin Yuan's youthful face for a few seconds, a deep gloom flashing through his eyes.
But in the end, Han Feng chose to comply.
He erased the soul imprint on the ring.
'Survival comes first. As long as I'm alive, there's still hope.'
Lin Yuan watched him coldly, a meaningful glint flashing in his eyes.
'Once this guy compromises for the sake of survival the first time, getting him to compromise again later will be much easier.'
With that thought, a powerful soul force surged out from Lin Yuan's glabella, thoroughly cleansing the remaining soul traces within the Storage Ring before leaving behind his own soul imprint.
From this moment on, the high-grade storage ring officially had a new owner.
"Finally, a high-grade storage ring."
Lin Yuan put it on his finger with satisfaction and tested it briefly.
"Not bad. In terms of security, space, and functionality, it far surpasses low- and mid-grade storage rings."
With a thought, his soul force entered the ring without obstruction and began to explore its contents.
Before long, Lin Yuan withdrew his consciousness, unable to hide the delight in his eyes.
Looking at Han Feng, it was as if he were gazing at a walking treasure vault.
'This guy's strength is average, but the treasures on him are truly astonishing. He's practically a walking super gift package.'
After years of operating in the Black-Corner Region as its number one alchemist, Han Feng had accumulated an unimaginable collection.
Inside the ring were not only rare medicinal ingredients, but also numerous refined pills, along with various cultivation methods, Dou Techniques, and secret technique scrolls—many of them at the Earth Class.
More importantly, he had inherited a significant portion of Yao Lao's legacy.
Within the ring were numerous pill formulas—many at the Sixth and Seventh Grade, and even several Eighth-Grade formulas, as well as alchemist inheritance records.
With these, Lin Yuan's lack of foundation in alchemy was completely resolved.
As Lin Yuan continued to explore the ring, he casually questioned Han Feng about the arrangements he had made today to seize the Heavenly Flame.
With his life completely in Lin Yuan's hands, Han Feng understood that the people he had invited stood no chance of defeating this man and saving him.
So he spoke frankly, thinking that if he were to die, he might as well drag a few others down with him.
Lin Yuan quickly learned that Han Feng had invited several sect leaders from the Black-Corner Region, instructing them to block all routes leading out of the Eight Gates.
Looking at Han Feng, Lin Yuan then recalled the black scroll he had seen inside the ring—the Flame Mantra.
He gave up the idea of killing Han Feng immediately.
Instead, he decided to keep him alive for the time being.
Han Feng was the only person in this world cultivating the incomplete Flame Mantra, a perfect test subject for studying it. Moreover, his connections with the Hall of Souls could also prove useful.
Having decided not to kill him for now, Lin Yuan chose to take precautions.
Under Han Feng's despairing gaze, Lin Yuan planted several layers of soul restrictions within his soul, then knocked him unconscious with a single punch.
Afterward, Lin Yuan beckoned to Yuan Yi in the distance.
Yuan Yi quickly approached and respectfully said, "Master, what are your orders?"
Lin Yuan glanced at him and asked calmly.
"The Earth Flame Sect, Blood Sect, Black Skeleton Sect, Heavenly Poison Gate, and Blade Shadow Sect. Their leaders were invited by Han Feng today and were supposed to assist him."
"Are there any among them you have good relations with, anyone you'd like me to spare?"
Yuan Yi was startled upon hearing this.
After a brief moment of thought, he replied solemnly.
"Reporting to Master, none."
Lin Yuan nodded slightly.
"In that case, mark the locations of these factions on the map. After I deal with the sect leaders who come here, I'll pay a visit to their sects and clean out their high-level combat strength."
"As for the rest, take however much you can handle."
"Thank you, Master," Yuan Yi said respectfully, secretly feeling fortunate.
'Good thing I recognized the situation early and submitted. Otherwise, the Eight Gates might have ended up like those factions—casually wiped out by Master.'
"Oh, right."
Lin Yuan took out several pills from the storage ring and handed them to Yuan Yi.
"I won't treat those who work for me poorly."
Among them were several valuable Fifth-and Sixth-Grade medicinal pills.
"Use whatever is useful to you. Sell the rest and use it as operational funds to gather resources for me."
Lin Yuan had no intention of consuming the pills seized from Han Feng.
As a high-tier alchemist himself, he knew far too well how many ways alchemists could tamper with pills.
Thus, unless a pill was refined by himself or someone he trusted, he would neither consume it nor allow those close to him to do so.
However, handing them over to Yuan Yi was a good way to put them to use, as both reward and operational funding.
Yuan Yi accepted the pills respectfully.
"Thank you, Master."
"Take this as well. I believe you'll like it."
As he spoke, Lin Yuan retrieved a scroll radiating a dense wind-attributed aura from Han Feng's collection and handed it to Yuan Yi.
Hearing this, anticipation rose in Yuan Yi's heart. The moment he opened the scroll, he was overjoyed.
It was actually a wind-attributed Earth Class Dou Technique. Heavenly Wind Annihilation Seal, a low-level Earth Class technique.
"Thank—" He was about to speak, but Lin Yuan cut him off.
Lin Yuan waved his hand indifferently.
"There's no need to thank me. I'm not lacking in such things. Focus on completing the tasks I assign to you, I do not skimp on rewards."
"Now, mark the locations of the Earth Flame Sect, Blood Sect, Black Skeleton Sect, Heavenly Poison Sect, and Blade Shadow Sect on the map."
Upon hearing this, Yuan Yi quickly took out a finely detailed map of the Black-Corner Region, marked the positions of each faction one by one, and respectfully presented it to Lin Yuan.
Lin Yuan took the map, examined it for a moment, then said in a low voice,
"Return to Black Mark City and arrange the follow-up matters. After that, focus on continuing to gather the items listed on the list I previously gave you."
"Yes, Master."
Receiving the order, Yuan Yi's figure flashed as he sped off toward Black Mark City.
Lin Yuan gazed at the map and sighed softly.
"The Blood Sect quite a peculiar twist of fate."
"The last time I left the Black-Corner Region, I 'robbed the robbers' and killed one of their Dou King experts. This time, before I leave, I might as well wipe them out completely."
With that, Lin Yuan grabbed the unconscious Han Feng and flew toward where Zi Yan and Qing Lin were.
It didn't take long for him to find them.
At this moment, Qing Lin was vigilantly monitoring the surroundings through the Heavenly Network, while Zi Yan sat nearby, leisurely eating medicinal pills and gazing at the sky.
Seeing Lin Yuan carrying someone, both of them turned their attention toward him.
Zi Yan ran over curiously and kicked the unconscious Han Feng with her foot.
"So this is the 'gift package' you mentioned? There seems to be a powerful energy inside him similar to yours."
'Detected the Heavenly Flame already? After advancing, Zi Yan's perception has become much sharper,' Lin Yuan thought to himself in praise.
He then reached out and pinched her cheek, smiling.
"This time, the harvest is great. You're in for a treat."
"Yay~!" Zi Yan cheered excitedly.
Turning to Qing Lin, Lin Yuan asked,"Qing'er, anything unusual nearby?"
Qing Lin shook her head.
"Nothing out of the ordinary."
"This Black-Corner Region is really inefficient. Han Feng has already been captured, yet no one has arrived," Lin Yuan thought inwardly.
Then he smiled. "Qing'er, recall your subordinates. Next, I'll take you both out hunting and treasure seeking."
"Treasure hunting? I like that! Let's go, let's go!" The moment Zi Yan heard the words "treasure hunting," she became extremely excited. She had been waiting for a long time and was already bored.
Qing Lin also began recalling the subordinates she had deployed around the area.
Just as she finished, a Dou Emperor level aura appeared within Lin Yuan's perception.
"The first target has appeared. Let's go."
"Leave the first one to me!" Zi Yan said confidently, her eyes shining with excitement.
Half an Hour Later, Northwest of Black Mark City
"Overlord Fist—Break!"
Zi Yan let out a crisp shout. Purple light erupted from her jade-like fist like a volcano, carrying fierce momentum as it directly shattered the Dou Qi-covered bone shield in front of her, slamming heavily into the chest of a gaunt and vicious old man behind it.
The terrifying force and violent fist intent instantly crushed his Dou Qi defenses. His chest caved in, blood and shattered organs spraying out as he died on the spot.
After the battle, Zi Yan looked proudly at Lin Yuan and Qing Lin, who stood atop the Winged Serpent King, a victorious smile on her face.
Lin Yuan smiled and gave her a thumbs-up, his eyes full of approval.
With a flash of silver light, he appeared beside the corpse, removed the storage ring, and stored the body into a low-grade storage ring.
"First target Two-Star Dou Emperor, Sect Leader of the Black Skeleton Sect, Zhao Hui. Eliminated."
Ten Minutes Later — Southwest of Black Mark City
A flash of silver light flickered.
Lin Yuan's hand gripped the throat of a middle-aged man emitting a gloomy aura, who had already lost the ability to resist. Looking at the gray mist faintly corroding his Green Flame Dou Qi, a thoughtful look appeared in Lin Yuan's eyes.
"Poison Dou Qi is somewhat interesting."
With a soft sigh, Lin Yuan released a burst of force from his hand. The sharp energy instantly shattered the man's throat, killing him on the spot.
"Second target, Two-Star Dou Emperor, Sect Leader of the Heavenly Poison Sect, Xu Sha. Eliminated."
Ten Minutes Later — Southeast of Black Mark City
"Spiral Force—Break."
The green flame spear, reinforced by solid Dou Qi, immense strength, and mysterious spiraling force, descended like a bolt of heavenly lightning.
The spear instantly cut through the black longsword blocking it, tore apart the cold-faced man's Dou Qi defenses, and split him cleanly in two.
"Third target, Three-Star Dou Emperor, Sect Leader of the Blade Shadow Sect, Xue You. Eliminated."
Half an Hour Later — Northeast of Black Mark City
"Green Flame Halberd."
A massive green flame halberd over ten feet long shot forward violently toward a blazing flame lion charging in the distance.
Under the absolute suppression of the Heavenly Flame against ordinary fire, the halberd instantly pierced through the flame lion and impaled a red-haired middle-aged man behind it, pinning him to a distant cliff.
The flame lion dissipated immediately.
"Explode."
With that single word, the halberd's energy erupted. The scorching flame force instantly destroyed the man's meridians, killing him instantly.
"Fourth target, Three-Star Dou Emperor, Sect Leader of the Earth Flame Sect, Yao Yuan. Eliminated."
One Hour Later, Northwest of the Blood Sect
Lin Yuan looked at Fan Lao, who had been nailed to the ground by several green flame spikes, and slightly narrowed his eyes.
This guy had been quite clever.
After sensing the disturbance from Lin Yuan's battle with Yao Yuan, Fan Lao rushed over quickly, only to discover Yao Yuan's defeat. Upon sensing the aura of the Heavenly Flame on Lin Yuan, he immediately used a Blood Escape Technique to flee.
However, even with the Blood Escape Technique, his speed was still inferior to Lin Yuan's.
Before he could reach the Blood Sect, Lin Yuan intercepted him.
With his blood-based cultivation technique being suppressed by the Heavenly Flame, Fan Lao had no ability to resist and was easily killed.
"Fifth target, Four-Star Dou Emperor, Sect Leader of the Blood Sect, Fan Lao. Eliminated."
"The Blood Sect is not far now."
"In that case, I'll start with them, wipe them out first. Then I'll wait for Zi Yan to come treasure hunting."
"There are still several sects left to loot. I need to move quickly."
With that thought, Lin Yuan spread his wings and shot toward the Blood Sect at high speed.
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