Chapter 439: Passing
'To think I would actually die at the hands of a kid not even thirty years old.'
Deep regret flooded Murong Yuan's heart, but his life was slipping away bit by bit. The feeling was incredibly suffocating, and it threw his state of mind into turmoil.
But even so, Murong Yuan didn't give up on one final struggle. An astonishing light burst from his eyes as he thrust both fists out, smashing them viciously toward Lin Feng.
CRACK!
The sound of a bone cracking echoed as Lin Feng's fingers pierced Murong Yuan's skin!
Murong Yuan's throat was severely damaged. Lin Feng's finger strike had directly shattered his cervical spine, leaving him completely paralyzed!
THUD.
Murong Yuan fell to his knees. The light in his eyes dimmed; he no longer had the strength to resist!
'This old bastard was a real handful.'
Withdrawing his blood-soaked hands, Lin Feng couldn't hold it in any longer and spat out a mouthful of dark blood.
It would be impossible to claim that last exchange hadn't taken its toll on him.
Before clashing with Murong Yuan, he had already fought a life-and-death battle with Zhou Yi—another expert at the Peak of Late Stage Innate. On top of that, he had been locked in a fierce struggle with Murong Yuan for a long time. Now, his entire body ached and was devoid of strength; it was fair to say he was utterly exhausted!
Lin Feng took a few deep breaths and slowly got to his feet. Despite his fatigue, his gaze remained incredibly sharp.
He didn't make any other moves. Instead, he sat down cross-legged and began circulating his Inner Strength to recover, as the fierce battle had consumed a massive amount of his energy.
Half an hour later, Lin Feng slowly rose to his feet. Some color had returned to his pale cheeks.
'Good. The old bastard's attacks were sharp, but thankfully, he didn't damage my foundation.'
Looking at the now-dead and slightly stiff body of Murong Yuan, a cold glint once again flashed in Lin Feng's eyes.
Something the man had said earlier had caught his attention, and it held a great deal of information.
After all, he was the Great Elder of the Murong Family. How could he possibly bribe so many other Elders in the clan without the Patriarch knowing?
But to be able to infiltrate the Murong Family, one of the Hidden Clans, meant the force hiding behind the scenes had to be terrifyingly powerful!
He suddenly thought of something, and his brows furrowed.
'Could this be related to the Chen Clan?'
Lin Feng muttered to himself.
He had suddenly recalled the red pill Murong Yuan swallowed earlier. In his memory, its effects were basically identical to those of the Soul Condensing Pill from the Chen Family's unique formula.
But Lin Feng immediately shook his head. He had no proof; it was merely speculation on his part.
But he had a gut feeling, an instinct, that told him the Chen Clan and Murong Yuan had colluded.
"Huu."
Lin Feng let out a long breath, his gaze gradually focusing. He knew now was not the time to dwell on these questions.
The most important thing for him now was to recover his strength as quickly as possible. Murong Yuan's cultivation level had been higher than his, and he had even been aided by a miraculous pill.
If not for his advanced Alchemy skills, which had allowed him to prepare over a dozen healing and recovery pills in advance, today's situation would have been incredibly perilous!
Lin Feng walked over to Murong Yuan, grabbed him by the throat he had already pierced, got his bearings, and headed straight for the Murong Family estate.
...
"I wonder how Lin Xiaoyou is doing."
A pale-faced Murong Yi Yun stood before the shattered gate, protected by several bodyguards, as he gazed into the distance.
"Father, please don't worry. Young Master Lin has fortune on his side; he won't be in any danger."
Murong Qian, who had rushed over after hearing the news, gently brushed a stray lock of dark hair from her forehead as she comforted her father.
"Besides, Young Master Lin's talent in the Martial Arts is astounding. Half a month ago, he could already hold his own against a Late Stage of Innate master!"
"Even though Murong Yuan is an expert at the Peak of Late Stage Innate, he's not necessarily a match for Young Master Lin."
Draping a coat over her father's shoulders, Murong Qian spoke in her cool, clear voice.
"I hope so."
Murong Yi Yun sighed. The events of the day had dealt him a massive blow.
He had always thought of Murong Yuan as his own flesh and blood. Although he could be a bit domineering, he was, in the end, still his brother.
It was only today that he discovered the man had been colluding with outsiders all along, apparently plotting to seize control of the Murong Family.
Even the Gu Insect that had tortured him, a Grandmaster Realm expert, into this wretched state was secretly planted by him!
He had considered himself clever his whole life, yet he had been played by his own flesh-and-blood brother.
Such a massive blow was utterly devastating. If not for his strong willpower, he likely would have completely broken down today.
"Patriarch."
Just as Murong Yi Yun was calming his turbulent heart, a bodyguard came running over in a hurry, drenched in sweat.
"What is it?"
Murong Yi Yun slightly raised his eyes to look at the trembling bodyguard and asked in a calm voice.
"Patriarch, out... outside... Young Master Lin has arrived with Murong Yuan's body."
Hearing Murong Yi Yun's question, the bodyguard, who was trembling all over and clearly terrified, quickly blurted out his report.
"What!"
Hearing this news, Murong Yi Yun was completely stunned, his eyes filled with profound shock!
'Lin Feng actually killed Murong Yuan!'
'A self-taught Ancient Martial Artist in his twenties, most likely from the Mortal Realm, had actually managed to strike down the Great Elder of a Hidden Clan?!'
'Murong Yuan was the Great Elder of the Murong Family, after all! Despite being injured for so many years, his insight and skills were still intact. How could any ordinary person possibly compare to him?'
This was completely beyond the Patriarch Murong Yi Yun's expectations.
'He had originally thought that if Lin Feng could just fight to a draw and return safely, it would have been an excellent outcome!'
It wasn't that he looked down on Lin Feng. Rather, as the Patriarch of the Murong Family and Murong Yuan's younger brother, he knew all too well what Murong Yuan was capable of.
'Any one of his trump cards, if used skillfully, was a technique capable of killing an enemy of a higher cultivation level!'
This turned out to be a pleasant surprise.
"Hahaha! Good! Beautifully done! Heroes truly do emerge from the young."
As he gradually recovered from his shock, the gloom on Murong Yi Yun's face was completely swept away, and he even began to laugh out loud.
Although Murong Yuan was his own brother, what the man had done was simply too outrageous.
So outrageous that if Murong Yuan had actually succeeded, it was uncertain whether the Murong Family, with its nearly thousand-year heritage, would have even continued to exist.
After his laughter subsided, an image of Lin Feng's indifferent, cold expression surfaced in his mind, a face he couldn't get out of his head.
That composed and calm demeanor filled him with a great sense of admiration.