Chapter 1754: Too Straightforward
"Senior Sister Yue, it's over now."
Ling Feng still had one arm around Yue Huaqing's waist. Seeing how pale and disoriented she looked, he gently patted her cheek.
Yue Huaqing finally came back to her senses. When she opened her eyes and realized she was leaning against Ling Feng's chest, a deep blush spread across her face.
Ling Feng helped her stand properly. Only then did he notice how tattered her clothes had become. Both sleeves had been completely shredded, and several long tears had been cut across the fabric over her abdomen, exposing patches of smooth, fair skin beneath.
He pursed his lips, quickly removed his outer robe, and handed it to her.
"Thank you, Junior Brother Ling," Yue Huaqing said as she quietly wrapped herself in his robe. Looking into his eyes, she gently pressed her lips together before saying softly, "You have saved me again. This makes it the third time, doesn't it?"
Ling Feng smiled faintly. "Perhaps I owed you something in a previous life."
He checked her pulse and relaxed after confirming that she had not suffered any serious injuries. "The path behind us has already been sealed, so let us keep moving."
People naturally had those they were closer to and those they weren't.
His relationship with Yue Huaqing was fairly good, so bringing her along wasn't a problem.
Yue Huaqing nodded softly. "Mhm."
She seemed to have misunderstood something. Her cheeks reddened again, and she lowered her head, too embarrassed to look directly at him.
Naturally, Ling Feng had no idea what was going through her mind. He sheathed the Eradicator of Realms and prepared to continue onward.
Yue Huaqing suddenly grabbed his sleeve. "W-wait... Junior Brother Ling, aren't you going to search the treasure vaults on either side first?"
Ling Feng blinked. "Treasure vaults?"
A realization suddenly struck him.
Yue Huaqing blinked innocently and said, "That's right. After defeating each guardian, the passages on the left and right each lead to a cave containing some treasures. You can only choose one side before continuing forward. Don't tell me you have just been walking straight ahead this whole time?"
After hearing her explanation, Ling Feng felt as though a bolt of heavenly lightning had struck him. So this means.. I have already missed two treasure vaults?
At this moment, he felt like millions of alpaca divine beasts[1] were stampeding through his mind.
Who the hell came up with such a ridiculous rule? No wonder I haven't found a single worthwhile item this entire time. It turns out I was simply too damn straightforward!
Taking a deep breath, Ling Feng forced a smile and coughed awkwardly. "Of course I knew. I knew the passages on both sides led to treasure vaults."
Yue Huaqing was quick-witted enough to immediately understand what had happened after seeing the expression on Ling Feng's face. She simply smiled without exposing him.
"Hehh.. So, Junior Brother Ling, which side are you choosing this time?"
"The left."
Ling Feng chose the treasure vault on the left, and Yue Huaqing followed him with a smile.
Just as she had said, they soon arrived at a medium-sized cave. Several dusty wooden shelves stood inside, while a number of old chests lay scattered across the floor.
Calling it a treasure vault was generous. It looked more like an abandoned warehouse, and whether they found anything valuable would depend entirely on luck.
After searching the cave carefully, they managed to find a few pieces of ore and some crafting materials. Everything else consisted of random junk such as pots, bowls, and other household items.
Although those objects had survived for who knew how many tens of thousands of years and could technically be considered antiques, they were worth less than a single elemental crystal to cultivators.
After realizing that the so-called treasure vault contained nothing particularly valuable, Ling Feng felt much better. If the third-level vault held only things like this, the first two probably had not contained anything worthwhile either. Missing them was hardly a loss.
Once they finished searching, Ling Feng continued onward with Yue Huaqing. Since they had already crossed paths, he could hardly leave her behind. The third-level guardian had nearly overwhelmed her, so she clearly could not handle the higher levels alone.
Fortunately, for Ling Feng, dealing with two guardians at once wasn't particularly difficult. Before long, he led Yue Huaqing through the fourth and fifth levels, gathering a few more useful items along the way.
***
"Defeat us, and you may enter the Great Desolation Divine Hall."
Upon reaching the seventh level, Ling Feng and Yue Huaqing found two more guardians blocking their path. Like the ones before them, their expressions were utterly emotionless, but their forms were far more solid and gave Ling Feng a completely different impression.
They radiated neither an overwhelming aura nor any terrifying sharpness. At first glance, they seemed no different from two ordinary people, but Ling Feng understood that this apparent simplicity was the mark of a true return to simplicity.
Ling Feng stepped forward and fixed his gaze on them. "So this is the final trial. The Great Desolation Divine Hall, huh? Interesting."
Even against two opponents, he showed no trace of fear.
Yue Huaqing quietly retreated to the side. She knew that a battle at this level was beyond her, and if she entered the fight, she would only get in Ling Feng's way and become a burden.
Buzz!
The void trembled as the two guardians struck. Their swords descended without thunderous momentum, the roar of charging armies, or the terrifying sharpness that seemed capable of cutting a person to pieces.
Instead, their attacks were silent, dark, and unfathomably deep, making them nearly impossible to detect and all the more dangerous. Their swordsmanship was designed solely to kill, with every trace of sharpness concealed within the blades.
It was as though all their power had been concentrated along the edges of their swords, ready to erupt with terrifying force the moment the blades struck their target.
The two guardians attacked from opposite sides with flawless coordination. Their sword qi intertwined into a vast net of sword shadows that descended upon Ling Feng.
Ling Feng's expression grew solemn. If his elemental force had not been sealed, he could have used Thunder God Shadow's Lightning Incarnation to evade the attack with ease. Now, however, the only thing he could rely on was the sword in his hand.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Within the span of a heartbeat, the Eradicator of Realms clashed with the two guardians' swords more than a hundred times.
From Yue Huaqing's perspective, all she could see were three blurred figures flickering endlessly through the darkness. Their speed had long surpassed what the naked eye could follow.
After roughly thirty breaths, Ling Feng had fully adapted to the seventh-level guardians' sword techniques. The Eye of the Emperor revealed their flaws, and he thrust his sword forward, piercing both guardians through the throat with a single precise strike.
It was clean.
It was precise.
It was effortless.
With that, the two guardians fell simultaneously to Ling Feng's single sword.
As the light faded, Ling Feng stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his sword angled toward the ground. He had gained a great deal from this battle.
Yue Huaqing gazed silently at his back, her beautiful eyes shimmering with admiration.
As the two guardians disappeared, the passage ahead stretched open once more. This time, however, no three-way intersection appeared. Instead, a long corridor stretched endlessly into the distance.
Perhaps at the very end of that corridor stood the place the guardians had spoken of—The Great Desolation Divine Hall.
1. Ancient way of saying WHAT THE FUCKKKKKKKKKKKK ☜