Chapter 194: Discovery
"Junior, I had no desire to be your enemy, but the scent coming from you… that must be the Red Flame Fruit, yes?"
"If I hadn't used a little trick, you might have actually fooled me!"
Before the words had even faded, the old man suddenly moved.
He appeared before Lin Feng like a phantom. He threw his arms open as if to embrace him, his right hand forming a claw as it shot toward Lin Feng's chest.
Lin Feng's pupils contracted. He jerked his body to the side to dodge, but even so, his clothes were torn, leaving several long, bloody scratches on his skin.
'What a powerful move!' Lin Feng's pupils shrank.
He hadn't expected this old man to be so ferocious. The sheer intimidation from his aura alone was staggering.
"A very nice reaction. How about this: you hand over the Red Flame Fruit, and I'll let you leave."
The old man laughed heartily.
"Who are you?!"
Lin Feng said in a low voice, his body tensing as he prepared for a fight. But he was cautious and didn't dare to strike rashly.
"Hmph, you're not qualified to know!" the old man sneered. "You just need to tell me whether or not you obtained the Red Flame Fruit!"
"Heh..." Lin Feng gave a cold laugh. "Do you really think I'd just hand over the Red Flame Fruit to someone else?"
Hearing this, the old man's expression changed.
His gaze turned venomous. "Little brat, if you refuse my kindness, then don't blame me for being ruthless."
As soon as he finished speaking, the old man attacked again. His Body Technique was mysterious and unpredictable, like a phantom's, making him impossible for Lin Feng to track. He could only be led about by the old man.
'This old geezer really is a Late Stage of Innate Martial Artist!'
'But how did he smell the Red Flame Fruit?'
'I'm sure I sealed it completely.'
'Could it have been those coughs?'
The thoughts raced through Lin Feng's mind.
But he had no way to be sure, and his mind was a chaotic mess.
The old man threw a punch, his Fist Gang condensing into a pillar of force.
Lin Feng gritted his teeth and blocked it head-on. He staggered back several meters, his arm numb.
"Is that all you've got?" the old man said mockingly.
His Body Technique was nimble and graceful, and every move he made left Lin Feng with no way to resist.
Another punch flew out, and Lin Feng was forced back several dozen feet.
'There's something wrong with this guy's power!'
Lin Feng cursed inwardly. He stopped trying to block head-on and instead executed the Wandering Dragon Step, intending to create some distance.
But just then, Lin Feng's expression changed. He saw a cruel smile form on the old man's lips.
'Not good!'
He cried out inwardly. The old man's Palm Seal shot forward, engulfing Lin Feng in a terrifying blast of energy.
"COUGH COUGH!"
The palm strike landed. Lin Feng failed to dodge and immediately felt a tightness in his chest, making him cough uncontrollably.
"Die!"
The old man let out a sinister laugh. His arms moved like a flood dragon emerging from water as he leaped into the air above Lin Feng, bringing both palms down to smash his skull.
'There's something off about this old guy's attacks.'
'Every time I block him head-on, I feel like some of my strength drains away!'
After a few exchanges, Lin Feng sensed something was wrong, but it was too late to change his strategy.
The old man's two palms descended simultaneously, their afterimages overlapping to form a terrifying force that slammed down on Lin Feng.
This was a killing blow. The old man intended to annihilate Lin Feng in a single strike.
In this situation, Lin Feng had no way to evade.
"BANG."
Three booms echoed as the old man fired off three consecutive palm strikes. The three terrifying forces merged into one and slammed violently into Lin Feng's body.
The sleeves on Lin Feng's arms were completely destroyed, and he was sent flying backward, but the sharp light in his eyes only grew brighter.
"Oh?"
The old man cried out in surprise.
With his strength at the Late Stage of Innate, performing this martial skill should have been more than enough to kill a Mid-Stage Innate Martial Artist.
Furthermore, he had never encountered a Mid-Stage Innate Martial Artist who could withstand one of his full-power palm strikes. Yet, the young man before him had done it. Although he was sent flying, his injuries didn't seem too severe.
"Interesting. Very interesting."
A strange light gleamed in the old man's eyes.
Lin Feng suppressed the turbulent aura in his body. His face turned ice-cold; he knew he had encountered a true expert.
Putting aside the strange attacks that drained his stamina with every blow, just the stacked force of those three palms was not something an ordinary Martial Artist could produce.
"Boy, hand over the Red Flame Fruit obediently, and I'll spare your life."
The old man watched Lin Feng coldly, his tone chilling, like a demon from Hell passing judgment.
Lin Feng's gaze became incredibly sharp. He took a deep breath.
"I risked my life for the Red Flame Fruit. Why should I give it to you?"
"Heh heh, since you're so stubborn, you can't blame me for what happens next," the old man sneered.
Lin Feng's figure abruptly vanished. He shot forward, his arms extending like an eagle's talons, clawing for the old man's throat.
"You're courting death!"
The old man shouted coldly, reaching out to grab Lin Feng's claws.
He was extremely fast, appearing before Lin Feng in the blink of an eye.
BANG!
Lin Feng and the old man collided in a fierce exchange. They moved so quickly that only a blur of their crossing figures remained.
The sounds of battle startled the nearby beasts.
"ROAR!"
The roars of tigers and howls of wolves echoed continuously, their gazes locked on the two combatants.
But not a single beast dared to approach their position. The fluctuations of power emanating from that spot were simply too strong; they wanted no part of it.
Lin Feng and the old man tangled for three or four moves, and both sustained minor injuries.
"You little whelp, I admit I underestimated you. Your potential is immense. Given time, you might even have a chance to surpass the Innate realm."
"But today, you must die!" Killing intent flooded the old man's eyes, his greed now plain to see.
"If you want to kill me, then you can be the one to die!"
Lin Feng let out a low shout. The vital energy in his body circulated madly, and the power in his arms surged and swelled.
The clothes on his body tore apart inch by inch, revealing his solid muscles.
"Hm?" The old man was momentarily stunned, but he quickly recovered.
"It doesn't matter how much power you've been hiding; it's not enough. I'm going to cut you down today, and not even the Heavenly King himself could save you," the old man snorted.
"Then let's see you try!" Lin Feng's eyes widened as he swung his fists, launching one punch after another.
Lin Feng's punches were fierce and domineering, like raging waves crashing against the shore. He pressed forward relentlessly. As their fists and feet collided, he proved to be not the least bit weaker than the old man, and even seemed to be gaining the upper hand.
"Your Fist Technique is this powerful?!" The old man's expression tightened. Much of his earlier contempt vanished, replaced by shock and solemnity.
His own Fist Technique was strange and unpredictable, and each time he used it, it would sap a portion of his opponent's strength.
But even so, he was still being suppressed.
"You talk too much!"
A sharp glint shot from Lin Feng's eyes. His legs bent slightly, and like a coiled spring, he instantly leaped into the air. He raised his arms as if holding a mountain of immense weight and brought them crashing down.