85: shocking change

Lin Feng sat calmly in his original seat at the auction, tapping his fingertips on the armrest.

His Divine Thought, however, had long since drifted out of the dimly lit venue, following the wisp attached to Qi Yunxiao, and was now traversing the intricate alleys of the capital.

Qi Yunxiao's figure moved swiftly under the moonlight, his heart pounding like a drum, controlling each landing of his feet to make as little sound as possible.

He deliberately chose to flee through the remote, deserted narrow alleys.

Turning another corner, a relatively wider street lay ahead; once he crossed it, he would be only half a mile from the city gate.

He subtly breathed a sigh of relief, and his steps quickened slightly.

However, just as he was about to rush out of the alley, two figures, as sturdy as iron towers, blocked his path.

A chilling Killing Intent assailed him, making his body stiffen.

"Kid, you run pretty fast," the big man on the left grinned, revealing a ferocious smile.

The big man on the right was more direct, extending his large, fan-like hand, his voice cold: "Hand over the Spirit Medicine, and we'll spare your life!"

Qi Yunxiao's face subtly changed as his Divine Sense swept over them.

Qi Refinement Stage, eighth level!

Both were at the eighth level of Qi Refinement Stage, one level higher than him, but they didn't seem to be significantly stronger.

If his Formation Plate, which he had just traded away, were still with him, it wouldn't be difficult to trap these two and escape.

But now…

He instinctively took a step back, preparing to break through from another direction.

"Don't waste your energy."

A sinister voice came from behind him.

Qi Yunxiao abruptly turned his head, only to see four more figures appear in the alley he had come from, completely sealing off his retreat.

At this, his face turned completely pale.

Six Cultivators, the lowest of whom was at the seventh level of Qi Refinement Stage, had him trapped in this confined space like a turtle in a jar.

He clutched the Storage Pouch in his embrace tightly; it contained the hope of saving Young Miss Xin.

He absolutely could not hand it over!

A hint of desperate determination flashed in his eyes.

"You want it? Then come and get it with your life!"

Before his words finished, he suddenly raised his hand, and two completely black beads flew out.

They were precisely Sky-Thunder Orbs!

One smashed forward, one hurled backward!

"Oh no!"

"It's Sky-Thunder Orbs!"

The Cultivators blocking him cried out in alarm, hastily activating their Magical Artifacts to protect themselves and scrambling backward.

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

Two loud explosions detonated almost simultaneously, and violent lightning instantly engulfed the entire narrow alley, sending debris and smoke scattering.

Qi Yunxiao didn't bother to check the explosion's effect; the moment he threw the Sky-Thunder Orbs, he poured all his spiritual power into his legs, rushing through the chaotic gap created by the explosion of the two big men in front of him!

"Pfft!"

The aftermath of a Spell struck his back, making his throat sweet as he spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, but he used this force to accelerate even more, instantly breaking through the encirclement and disappearing at the end of the street.

…

Inside the auction hall.

"This reckless fellow, he actually has some spirit and methods."

He nodded to himself.

To be able to make a decisive move and blast open a path to survival with two Sky-Thunder Orbs, such resoluteness was indeed rare.

According to the original plot, Qi Yunxiao should have had a close call but ultimately returned safely to Xin Ruyin.

So Lin Feng was not in a hurry to leave.

He only needed that wisp of Divine Thought to remain intact, allowing him to follow the trail and find Xin Ruyin's secluded dwelling; that was enough.

He picked up his teacup, leisurely took a sip, and quietly waited for the auction to completely disperse.

However, if nothing unexpected happened, an unexpected event was about to occur.

"Hmm?"

Lin Feng's hand, holding the teacup, abruptly froze in mid-air.

The leisure and calm on his face instantly vanished, replaced by an expression of incredible shock.

"How could this be?!"

He abruptly stood up, his chair scraping backward with a harsh sound.

The few remaining Cultivators in the hall looked at him in surprise, only to see Lin Feng's figure transform into an afterimage, instantly disappearing at the doorway.

Just a moment ago, the wisp of Divine Thought he had attached to Qi Yunxiao sensed a chilling proximity to death.

In his Divine Sense perception, on that secluded suburban path, Qi Yunxiao lay on the ground, covered in blood, his aura weak.

And in front of him stood a figure cloaked in black robes.

It was the only Foundation Establishment Cultivator among the seven who had followed him out of the hall earlier!

Several Loose Cultivators at the Qi Refinement Stage who had managed to catch up were standing not far away; one had his arm blown off by a Sky-Thunder Orb, another had a scorched chest, both clearly having sustained serious injuries.

They looked at the black-robed figure, their faces filled with awe and fear.

"Greetings… Greetings, Senior!"

"We did not know Senior was here, we apologize for our offense, please forgive us, Senior!"

They hastily bowed and quickly fled the scene.

The black-robed figure paid no attention to the departure of these ants.

He looked down at Qi Yunxiao, who was clutching his Storage Pouch tightly, and let out a disdainful snort.

"Overestimating yourself."

As the hoarse voice fell, he slowly raised his right hand, his five fingers forming a claw, faintly enveloped in a layer of blood Qi, and mercilessly clawed towards Qi Yunxiao's crown.

If this claw landed, Qi Yunxiao's head would likely burst open like a ripe watermelon.

Qi Yunxiao was already in a semi-comatose state, able only to watch helplessly as the claw of death grew larger in his vision, yet lacking even the strength to move a single finger.

It's over…

Just at this critical moment!

A figure materialized beside Qi Yunxiao out of thin air.

Lin Feng's figure appeared abruptly; he didn't even spare a glance for the black-robed man, merely flicking his sleeve.

The ghostly claw, about to touch Qi Yunxiao's head, along with its owner, seemed to be pushed away by an invisible large hand, grunting, falling backward stiffly, and instantly passing out.

Lin Feng frowned, looking at the two figures on the ground, his mind somewhat muddled.

This was completely different from the script he had envisioned.

He had originally intended to end this black-robed man with a single Sword Qi, eliminating future troubles.

But when his Divine Sense carefully swept over the other party's body, he discovered something amiss.

Near the black-robed man's Dantian, a blood-colored bead filled with cold Evil Qi was suspended.

"Evil Core?"

Black Fiend Sect… Yue Kingdom Imperial Palace…

A series of keywords flashed through Lin Feng's mind.

He recalled that Han Li would later have a trip to the Imperial Palace related to the Black Fiend Sect, which was also an important Opportunity for Han Li after his Foundation Establishment.

If he were to kill this Blood Guard now, would it alert the Black Fiend Sect's higher-ups and thus change the arrangements within the Imperial Palace?

What if it caused Han Li to unexpectedly die in that instance…

Lin Feng felt a headache coming on.

For the first time, he clearly realized that his appearance, this tiny butterfly, was already flapping its wings and beginning to cause an unpredictable storm.

The current plot had already deviated from what he knew.

These characters, without the protection of the so-called Protagonist Halo, could truly die!

If he had arrived a step later, Qi Yunxiao would already be a corpse.

"Cough… cough cough…"

A violent fit of coughing interrupted Lin Feng's thoughts.

He then came back to his senses and looked down at the dying Qi Yunxiao.

His face was as pale as gold leaf, his exhalations more frequent than his inhalations, looking as if he was about to meet the King of Hell.

Lin Feng dared not delay further, quickly taking out a jade bottle from his Storage Pouch and pouring out a Medicinal Pill that exuded wafts of medicinal fragrance.

He looked at the Medicinal Pill, then at Qi Yunxiao, who was only at the seventh level of Qi Refining, and thought for a moment.

He extended a finger and gently broke off approximately a quarter of the Medicinal Pill.

Immediately, his palm flashed with light, and a small teacup appeared out of thin air, into which he poured a bit of clear water.

After dropping that small piece of Medicinal Pill into the water and watching it quickly dissolve, Lin Feng carefully supported Qi Yunxiao's head and slowly poured this life-saving medicinal water into his mouth.

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A bit stuck, wanted to write this Xin Ruyin part briefly, but feel like it would break the character setting.

Let me think about it…

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