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"This young brother is truly impressive,"
From a distance came cries of amazement; clearly, mercenaries from the Mad Dragon Mercenary Group had also witnessed Lin Feng's slaying of the Asura Demon, and each was filled with immense shock, admiration, and awe.
Lin Feng let out a long roar, "I truly don't deserve it; that strike just now was exhausting all my strength."
Despite this modesty, Lin Feng was already charging towards the other demons with his sword.
Su Zimo and the others, coming to their senses, quickly engaged as well.
A brutal and fierce battle ensued, with the demons being utterly defeated and fleeing.
"Haha, how exhilarating! I am Fan Wei; may I ask your name, brother?" the leading mercenary clasped his hands together, asking heartily.
"Lin Feng."
...
"So you're Brother Lin Feng, indeed. I wish I could spend time drinking and feasting with a young hero like Brother Lin Feng, but alas, the rampage of demons demands haste. We can only hope to meet again next time," Fan Wei said regretfully.
"Surely, next time we meet, we will drink to our hearts' content." Lin Feng also clasped his hands together.
"Let's go."
Fan Wei and his party did not linger long and quickly departed.
Lin Feng and his group of seven also didn't stay much longer.
"Now that our warhorses are slain, our walking speed is far too slow." On the road, Lin Feng said with a slight frown.
Su Zimo replied, "There is a small town a hundred miles away where we can purchase some warhorses."
"Alright, I'll trouble Brother Su to lead the way." Lin Feng nodded.
The seven set off, heading towards the town mentioned by Su Zimo.
The True Martial Country sprawled vast, its territory stretching three hundred thousand kilometers east to west and seven hundred thousand kilometers north to south. The land was rich and expansive, but sparsely populated, and it often took several days' journey to merely come across a village or a small town.
The next day, Lin Feng and his companions finally arrived outside the small town described by Su Zimo.
When they arrived, they discovered that the small town was shrouded in a blood-red glow.
Their expressions slightly changed, and Lin Feng murmured, "It seems demons are wreaking havoc in the town; let's move."
Whoosh.
The seven of them dashed toward the small town, and upon entering, they beheld the scene transformed into a bloodstained earth.
A multitude of bodies lay across the ground, drained into dry corpses.
Even the carcasses of livestock were present.
These demons spared no one—not humans, not animals.
"Ah…" A scream echoed from the depths of the town.
Lin Feng's group of seven rushed forward and witnessed hundreds of demons besieging a mansion.
This town was originally in a pleasant environment, where major families from surrounding cities often built mansions for their clan members who passed by or went hunting in the nearby forests, providing a place for them to rest.
The mansion this time was built with extravagance and grandeur, likely constructed by a notable family from one of these cities.
Dozens of guards were defending against the encroaching demons, but men were continually being slain, and the situation grew dire.
"There are still survivors. Brothers, when we take action, be careful not to let these demons harm you; otherwise, trouble will surely follow." Lin Feng warned gravely.
"Rest assured, we will take care of ourselves." Zhang Qichu and the others nodded.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…
The seven charged towards the hundred demons.
Lin Feng charged at the forefront, with Zhang Qichu, Su Zimo, and Wang Xuanming forming one group, and Zhang Muzhi, Li Kun, and Ouyang Li forming another.
The three arranged themselves in a triangular fashion, creating a formation of mutual offense and defense.
This was the Combined Attack Sword Skill passed down by the Changhe Branch, known as the "Human-shaped Sword Formation."
The three formed in a triangle, which was the origin of the formation's name.
"More human cultivators behind, so richly full of Qi-Blood! Kill them and drink their blood," an Earth Evil Demon screeched hoarsely.
Swish.
Subsequently, forty to fifty demons of various races, including the Asura Demon, Earth Evil Demon, and Bull-headed Monster, charged toward Lin Feng and his group.
"Madam, these are students from Jialan Academy," a sharp-eyed guard recognized their attire.
A beautiful woman hiding inside the house brightened, saying, "Everyone, experts from Jialan Academy have arrived; if we hold out a little longer, we shall surely be saved."
The woman's voice was soft and pleasant.
Beside the beautiful woman stood a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old girl in a light-yellow dress, tall and indeed exceptionally pretty.
"Mother, are we going to be saved?" The girl, whose face had been pale, regained considerable color, exclaiming joyously.
The lady nodded and said, "Dong'er, do not worry. With the Jialan Academy students here, we will surely be saved."
...
The guards' spirits were lifted.
"Vile human child, we will drain you dry!" Over a dozen demons rushed at Lin Feng.
"Fiery Sun Sword Skill! Divine Sword Unsheathes!"
Lin Feng's expression turned cold as he drew his treasure sword.
Fierce Sun Rising.
"Ah, my eyes…" Under the blinding light, these sinister demons howled in agony, unable to open their eyes.
The Fiery Sun Sword Skill transformed sunlight into swordsmanship of ultimate strength and pure yang.
It was the best counter to sinister creatures.
These demons belonged to the category of sinister creatures, and Lin Feng's Fiery Sun Sword Skill restrained them.
Thump.
Lin Feng's swift sword strike was like a bolt of lightning.
A glint of cold light flashed, and the Sword Intent soared to the sky.
A series of rending sounds echoed, as one by one, the demons fell under Lin Feng's single strike.
On the other sides, the trio of Zhang Qichu, Su Zimo, and Wang Xuanming also slaughtered ferociously, slaying over a dozen demons.
Zhang Muzhi, Li Kun, and Ouyang Li as well displayed their divine power, annihilating the dozen demons attacking them.
Although these six did not possess Lin Feng's overwhelming power, they were all prodigious inner court students of Jialan Academy and not lacking in strength.
In the blink of an eye, fifty-some demons were slain by Lin Feng's group of seven.
They leapt into the mansion, joining the guards inside to besiege the remaining fifty demons.
"Ah, flee quickly…" The demons, sensing the unfavorable situation, turned to flee.
"Where do you think you're going?" Lin Feng sneered, charging upward, and slashing down a demon with a single sword stroke. With the cooperation of Zhang Qichu and the others, all the demons were eradicated, with none escaping.
"Dead, all these monsters are dead! Many thanks, young hero, for saving our lives." The guards expressed endless gratitude towards Lin Feng and his companions.
"No need to be polite, everyone." Lin Feng waved his hand dismissively.
"The young hero's great kindness, here is a million in silver notes; please, accept it with a smile," said the beautiful woman, presenting the silver note as gratitude.
The young girl, who had been deeply impressed by Lin Feng's awe-inspiring power, occasionally sneaked glances at him, her face flushed with pink.
Lin Feng refused, "Slaying demons is our duty. Regrettably, we arrived a step late; thousands in the town were massacred."
The beautiful woman replied, "Young hero, such righteousness. When hunting demons, some money is necessary, and upon reaching a big city, essential items need purchasing."
The woman insisted, and Lin Feng reluctantly accepted the silver notes after attempting to decline.
Zhang Qichu then asked, "The demon horde has reached this area? Where did these demons come from?"
"These demons are entrenched deep within the northeastern mountains, led by a Yaksha; there are over a thousand demons, ravaging the surroundings, leaving many towns slaughtered," the woman said.
"Damn demons."
Lin Feng's expression turned frosty, exuding a menacing killing intent. He turned to the beautiful woman and said, "You should take advantage of the daylight to head to Jialan City for safety."
"We will pack up at once. In Jialan City, the Yin Family is there; if the young hero has some time, you could visit us at the Yin Family; that way, I can properly repay the young hero's lifesaving grace," the woman said.
"If opportunities arise, I will certainly visit."
Lin Feng clasped his hands, then left with Zhang Qichu and the others, heading directly to where the demons congregated.
Watching Lin Feng leave, the girl named Dong'er felt a sense of reluctance. She said, "Mother, I also want to join Jialan Academy for cultivation."
The woman nodded and said, "When we reach Jialan City, I shall find someone to take you to join Jialan Academy for cultivation."
"That's wonderful."
Yin Dong'er immediately broke into a smile.
...
Zhang Zimo said, "Junior Brother Lin, what is your plan?"
Everyone looked towards Lin Feng.
Clearly, everyone took Lin Feng as their leader.
"These demons must be eradicated, or else they will cause great calamity. Tonight, we infiltrate the demon gathering, capture their leader first; once we eliminate the Yaksha, the remaining demons will collapse without a fight," Lin Feng said.
"We were thinking the same." Zhang Qichu and the others nodded.
Lin Feng and his group of seven arrived at the demon gathering place in the afternoon.
In the distance, they saw rolling black mist above the mountains, with demons patrolling everywhere, and even some Flying Sky Asuras flying in the air, watching coldly. The place was heavily guarded, airtight.
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