"Why aren't you attacking?" Yi Feng asked.
Old Man Wang's face darkened as he retorted, "Sir, do you really think I can kill you?"
"Why couldnât you?" Yi Feng replied. "Just give me a slash, and donât worry about the rest."
"Fine, then here I come."
Seeing Yi Fengâs insistence, Old Man Wang raised his blade, let out a shout, and channeled all his strength into the strike.
A peerless slash descended upon Yi Feng, landing squarely on his shoulder.
But to Yi Feng, it was utterly useless.
"Is that all youâve got?"
"Put some real effort into it!"
Yi Feng cursed irritablyâthe slash on his shoulder felt like nothing at all.
This wasnât even close to killing him; it couldnât even shave a hair.
Old Man Wang looked aggrieved.
"IâŠ"
"That was my full strength!"
Old Man Wang wailed, "Have you forgotten who you are? How could someone like me possibly cut through you?"
"Oh?"
Only then did Yi Feng suddenly remember his own power.
Right.
He was a supreme expert who had leveled up by slaying countless monsters.
And what about this old man?
"Ah, my mistake," Yi Feng admitted, standing up to leave. "But honestly, youâre still too weak. At least leave a scratch, would you?"
With a dismissive glance, Yi Feng walked out of the house.
"Me? Too weak?"
Old Man Wang, left behind in the house, was overwhelmed with shame.
Lately, he had made progress and was even considered one of the top fighters on the island. He had been quite proud of himselfâuntil Yi Feng called him weak.
"No, I must keep working harder."
Yi Feng stood atop the highest point of the street, scanning the crowd below with a single glance.
Sigh.
Another sigh escaped him.
Because everyone here was just like Old Man Wangâutterly weak.
Not a single one could kill him.
It seemed finding death on this island was practically impossible.
Heâd have to find time to venture out and provoke some legendary expert to end him.
At first, Yi Feng had cursed the emergence of those so-called Dao Realm and Tribulation Realm experts.
Just when he was on the verge of invincibility across the Nine Realms, a new batch of even stronger experts appeared, forcing him back into caution.
But now, it seemed like a blessing in disguise.
These experts pouring into the Nine Realms had arrived at the perfect time. Before, finding someone capable of killing him wouldâve been difficult. But now? It shouldnât be a problem.
So he plottedâwhenever he encountered such an expert, heâd provoke them outright.
Maybe even curse their entire family for eighteen generations.
Surely, that would get them to kill him.
But first, he needed to trade this demon core. He wondered when that little girl would gather enough money.
After all, in the martial world, money was everything.
Meanwhile, as Yi Feng desperately sought death on Dark Shadow IslandâŠ
In the Nine Realms, three spirit ships of the Three Lives Sect streaked across the sky.
The deck was packed with black-clad figures.
Leading the expedition was Sun Li, the Third Elder of the Three Lives Sect.
"Shi Yuan, explain this to me againâwhat exactly happened?" Sun Li pressed.
"Elder, my brother and I were tracking that Centipede and the soul entity into the Black Domain when we stumbled upon a strange patch of land," Shi Yuan recounted.
"That land was completely unaffected by the Black Domain. It was as if an invisible force repelled the domainâs influence, protecting that area. So we speculated that there must be a treasure buried beneath it!"
"Oh?"
"Is this true?"
"Thereâs really land untouched by the Black Domain?" Sun Li asked in astonishment.
"Absolutely, Elder!" Shi Yuan affirmed solemnly.
"Good! In that case, full speed ahead. I want to see this for myself."
At Sun Liâs command, the three spirit ships accelerated like shooting stars across the heavens.
They raced forward and soon entered the Black Domain.
Not long after, a bright patch of land came into view.
Shi Hao, who had been guarding the spot, quickly stood to greet them.
From afar, Sun Li could already see the anomalyâa small area, barely a hundred zhang in radius, completely untouched by the Black Domain.
The ships were stowed, and dozens of experts descended.
Stepping onto the land, they confirmed itâno defenses were needed. The Black Domain couldnât affect them here at all.
"Truly a miraculous place!"
Third Elder Sun Li couldnât help but marvel.
"Indeed, Elder," Shi Yuan added. "The strangest part is that despite our cultivation, we couldnât detect any clues or formations at work. Thatâs why we believe something must be buried underground."
"Hmm."
"I agree."
Sun Li nodded gravely. "In that case, weâll dig deep. Whateverâs down there, weâll find it!"
"Understood!"
The Three Lives Sect members immediately set to work.
With their power, flattening a mountain with a single palm strike would be effortless. But since no one knew what lay beneath, they opted for manual digging.
Meanwhile, in a small hutâŠ
Lu Benwei, Dog, Milk, Centipede, and Spirit King huddled together in a tight, nervous circle.
"Bro, whatâs the plan? Should we find a chance to fence the goods?" Dog whispered.
"Shh!" Lu Benwei hissed. "Not yet. If the boss finds out I stole his money pouch again, heâll dismantle me. We need to lay low for nowâavoid suspicion!"
"Big Bro is wise!"
The others nodded eagerly.
"So, Bro, whereâd you hide the pouch?" Dog asked cautiously, tilting his head.
"You know what they sayâthe safest place is the most dangerous one," Lu Benwei declared smugly. "This playboy dug a hole near the teleportation portal and stashed it there. The boss will never guess his moneyâs right under his nose!"
"Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!"
"Big Broâs got it allâstrength, looks, and brains!"
"Youâre our role model!"
"Love you, Bro!"
Dog and the others showered him with admiration, their eyes sparkling.
"Stay humble, stay humble."
Lu Benwei waved his hand with an air of grandeur. "For now, we lay low. Act innocent around the bossâheâll never suspect a thing."
"Gahahahaâ"
Their muffled laughter filled the hut.
Suddenly, a towering demonic shadow engulfed the entire hut.
Infernal flames surged.
Killing intent thickened the air.
Lu Benweiâs laughter died instantly. A shiver ran down his spine as he bolted for a crack in the wall.
"Where do you think youâre running, you mutt?"
The demonic figure thrust a sword forward.
"Whoosh!"
The blade pierced straight through Lu Benweiâs backside, pinning him to the ground.
Dog and the others were petrified. They wanted to save their brother, but who could withstand that sword? Trembling in the corner, their teeth chattered so hard they nearly cracked.