68: Hunted from the outside, suspected from within

Holding his sword, Lin Feng's Aura suddenly transformed, and he joined the battle.

The Spiritual Sword in his hand did not clash head-on with the opponent; instead, it traced arcs that were perfectly circular and smooth. As the sword tip trembled slightly, it carried a dense, flexible force, meeting the Blazing Feather Fan that the Chiyan Sect Leader aimed at Qian Ming's vital point.

The moment the Spiritual Sword met the fan, it didn't strike hard but followed the momentum, guiding it away. The violent flames were actually diverted by a clever force, smashing into empty space and blasting a scorched pit into the ground.

Lin Feng twisted his wrist again; his Sword Momentum flowed like water, continuous and endless. Each strike perfectly intercepted the sharpest points of the opponent's offense, dissolving their fierce strength layer by layer.

The Chiyan Sect Leader felt that every strike was like a clay ox entering the sea, his strength impossible to deploy. The opponent's Sword Momentum seemed gentle, yet it always managed to dissolve his Killing Move at the crucial moment when his old strength was spent and new strength had yet to emerge, using the force of “four ounces deflecting a thousand pounds.” In just a few breaths, Qian Ming's pressure greatly reduced, and he finally gained a chance to catch his breath.

"Excellent Swordsmanship," Qian Ming exclaimed, surprised and delighted, taking the opportunity to regroup.

Just then, the sound of rushing air came from afar—the Sect Reinforcements had finally arrived. Seeing that the tide had turned, the Chiyan Sect Leader glared fiercely at Lin Feng and was forced to order a retreat.

Lin Feng sheathed his sword and stood, his face slightly pale. Qian Ming walked over and heavily patted his shoulder, "Junior Brother Lin, we owe you a great debt today."

Just then, two violent roars suddenly came from the direction of the distant Rocky Valley. Immediately, two slightly disheveled figures broke through the residual Formation Spiritual Light and shot out. They were the two Chiyan Sect Cultivators previously trapped by Lin Feng's "Taiyi Six Yang Formation."

They had clearly expended a great deal of effort to break out of the Formation. Their clothes were slightly disheveled, and their breathing was somewhat hurried. After rushing out of the Formation, the two immediately looked anxiously toward the main battlefield, only to see their own forces retreating in defeat, with the Tianxuan Sect Reinforcements having taken control of the situation.

The expressions of the two immediately became extremely ugly. They exchanged glances, seeing shock, anger, and unwillingness in each other's eyes. They glared fiercely at the distant Tianxuan Sect members, their eyes lingering on Lin Feng for a moment.

But since the tide had turned, they dared not linger. They immediately transformed into two streaks of Escaping Light and rapidly fled in the opposite direction of the main retreat, quickly disappearing into the vast mountains.

Some of the Tianxuan Sect Reinforcements noticed the two streaks of Escaping Light, but seeing that the opponents had fled far away, they did not split their forces to pursue.

Lin Feng silently watched the direction the two men fled, feeling no surprise. He knew that the hastily established Trapping Formation could not hold two Cultivators of the same rank for long. Being able to delay them until now, buying time for their own Reinforcements to arrive, had already achieved his goal.

When Lin Feng returned to the Luoyun Valley Forward Operating Base with the Reinforcements, the atmosphere inside the valley was already different.

Most notably, the Spiritual Light emanating from the direction of the Ice Fire Pool, which was guarded by multiple Formations, was more intense than usual. A strange fragrance faintly drifted over, which slightly invigorated one's spirit upon smelling it.

Several Sect Disciples were talking in hushed tones, their brows tightly furrowed.

"...The Red Beard Root supply has been cut off again. Senior Brother Wang's squad went out to gather it the day before yesterday, ran into an ambush, and only two people escaped..."

"More than that, even the Materials needed to maintain the Formation on the east side can't be shipped in. The people from the Chiyan Sect are like vultures smelling blood, specifically targeting our supply lines..."

"The fragrance in the pool is getting stronger and stronger. It's probably going to happen within the next few days... and right at this crucial time..."

Lin Feng listened silently, understanding what was happening. The Chiyan Sect had changed its strategy, no longer assaulting the Outpost directly, but sending out Elite Squads specifically to hunt down Tianxuan Sect Disciples who were out performing missions and gathering resources.

When he went to collect his Medicinal Pill supplies, he found the quota had been noticeably reduced.

What Lin Feng noticed even more was an invisible tension within the Camp. The Core Formation Junior Martial Uncle stationed there looked colder than usual, and when the Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters met, their conversations became brief and cautious.

Senior Brother Qian Ming's injuries had not yet healed. He leaned on the couch, his face pale, and seeing Lin Feng enter, he managed to sit up.

"Junior Brother Lin, you've seen the situation outside, haven't you?" His voice was hoarse. "The Chiyan Sect is trying to trap us here until we die, waiting to pick the final fruit. These past few days... the Camp hasn't been peaceful either. Junior Martial Uncle suspects there's an Internal Spy and is secretly investigating. Since you just arrived, be extra vigilant in everything you do."

Lin Feng nodded, his heart sinking slightly. With external hunts and internal suspicion, the ice fire lotus had yet to mature, but the chill was already bone-piercing.

Returning to his Temporary Residence, he frowned slightly, his fingertips unconsciously tapping his knee.

'The Chiyan Sect...' As far as he knew, the Chiyan Sect's overall strength was inferior to the Tianxuan Sect's. In previous struggles over the ice fire lotus, although there were conflicts, they were mostly probing and contention. It was rare for them to launch such frantic attacks, almost regardless of cost or means, even adopting the vicious strategy of strangling low-level Disciples and cutting off logistics.

'This doesn't look like a competition; it looks more like... an all-out gamble, or perhaps... deliberately creating chaos?' A flicker of doubt crossed Lin Feng's eyes. Just for one cycle of the ice fire lotus, even if precious, was it worth such a massive mobilization, potentially triggering a full-scale war between the two Sects? This defied common sense.

'Unless... does the Chiyan Sect have some other backing this time? Or... are they not acting entirely on their own, but are constrained by others, forced to take this dangerous move?' Thinking of this, a slight chill ran down Lin Feng's spine. If that were the case, then the current hunts and suspicions were likely just the prelude to a greater storm.

He took a deep breath, suppressing the thoughts in his heart.

'All of this is just speculation, without proof. But... it's better to believe it exists than to believe it doesn't.'

This vague unease gave him a new perspective on the subtle atmosphere of suspicion within the Camp.

'If there really is a Spy, the scheme behind them is probably not simple.'

The air inside Luoyun Valley seemed to have solidified for several days.

The harassment by the Chiyan Sect squads seemed to have suddenly stopped, but the suffocating tension did not dissipate; instead, it grew heavier.

The sky was often overcast, with no sunlight, wind, or rain.

Lin Feng sat cross-legged inside his room. He had rarely gone out these past few days, spending most of his time regulating his breath and silently practicing his Sword Arts. But this calm before the storm made it difficult for his mind to truly settle.

He often stopped Cultivating, his gaze directed out the window toward the Valley Mouth, as if waiting for something.

That afternoon, the sky grew increasingly dim.

A wave of Coercion swept in from the Valley Mouth without warning.

In an instant, all the Disciples in the Camp, regardless of their cultivation level, turned deathly pale. Those with weaker cultivation groaned and could barely stand steady.

Almost simultaneously, a cold snort emanated from the center of the Camp. Another equally vast wave of Coercion shot up into the sky, just managing to counteract the invading external pressure, making the Disciples in the camp instantly feel lighter.

All the Disciples involuntarily followed the Junior Martial Uncle flying into the air, looking toward the Valley Mouth with shock and uncertainty.