Mortal: I have a Spirit Gathering Cauldron

Huang Long, Tie Xiong, and Su Mei.

Huanglong, his muscles bulging, stood at the forefront, wielding a large, ghost-headed saber, directing a pack of wolf-shaped puppets as they frantically attacked the cave's defensive formation. The burly Tie Xiong manipulated a crimson axe, swirling it in the air like a red moon, striking the formation's protective shield again and again.

The alluring woman Su Mei's pink silk ribbons danced in the air, each swing sending a pink aura crashing into the light barrier with a dull thud.

Behind the three, the valley was covered with countless puppets. There were at least a hundred of them, in wolf, leopard, snake, and human shapes. Arrows and beams of light of various colors shot out from the puppets and rained down on the cave's defensive light shield.

The light shield trembled violently under the intense attack. Although the spiritual light on the shield flickered, it remained firmly in place, blocking all the attacks.

"What a great formation," Lin Feng thought to himself.

The defensive formations of this cave dwelling were clearly extraordinary. They managed to withstand the relentless bombardment from three Foundation Establishment cultivators and hundreds of puppets.

But Lin Feng's gaze did not linger on the formation for long.

"It's obvious who they're hunting." Lin Feng narrowed his eyes, his gaze shifting to the besieged cave.

The cave dwelling was built on the south side of a small hill, with its entrance facing east and obscured by a huge rock. Several spiritual trees grew around the cave dwelling, emitting a faint spiritual light, suggesting it was a fine spiritual place.

"This cave...could it be Han Li's?" Lin Feng's heart skipped a beat.

He remembered that in the original story, Lin Xingjian was being chased and seriously injured when he escaped, eventually ending up in Han Li's cave. Now that Huang Long, Tie Xiong, and Su Mei were besieging the cave, it meant that Lin Xingjian was very likely inside.

Lin Feng suddenly thought of a question.

Since I took over Han Li's original cave dwelling, it seems that Han Li has opened up a cave dwelling in a more remote area in the northwest of the Taiyue Mountains.

According to Lin Xingjian's route back to Huangfeng Valley, he should have passed through Han Li's cave first, and then his own cave.

Whether the fact that Young Master Lin delivered a package to Old Demon Han was a coincidence or inevitable, Lin Feng couldn't say for sure.

But one thing he was certain of: he and Han Li had become neighbors.

"To be neighbors with Old Devil Han..." Lin Feng's lips twitched, and an urge to move surged in his heart.

He didn't want to get too close to this jinx. Wherever Han Li went, trouble followed. He didn't want Han Li to get into any serious trouble and drag him down with him.

"Never mind, let's look at the present first." Lin Feng suppressed his distracting thoughts and continued to observe the battle situation below.

The attacks of Huang Long and his two companions became increasingly ferocious.

The attacks from the hundreds of puppets became even more intense. Light arrows, light pillars, venom, and claws—all sorts of attacks poured down on the light barrier like a torrential rain, engulfing the entire cave in spiritual light.

The light shield swayed more and more violently, like an oil lamp flickering in a gale.

But it just won't break.

Lin Feng was secretly shocked. Three Foundation Establishment cultivators and hundreds of puppets had been bombarding them for so long, yet they still couldn't break through.

"Old Devil Han is indeed quite capable," Lin Feng thought to himself. "Even if he hadn't gotten the Reversed Five Elements Formation from Qi Yunxiao, he could have found other formations. The protagonist's halo is undeniable."

Just as he was lost in thought, something unexpected happened.

A deafening roar came from the horizon, like a thunderclap in clear skies, making Lin Feng's ears ring.

"Where did this brat come from, daring to run wild in the Taiyue Mountains!"

The sound was like rolling thunder, carrying an undeniable majesty, echoing through the valley and causing the leaves to rustle and fall.

The attack of Huanglong and his two companions suddenly halted, and all the puppets stopped, as if they had been frozen in place by something.

Immediately afterwards, a bolt of lightning streaked across the sky.

The speed was astonishing; one moment it was on the horizon, the next it was right in front of them. The lightning was silvery-white, intensely bright, like a bolt of lightning ripped through the sky.

"This is……"

Before Lin Feng could finish his thought, the lightning had already crashed into the battlefield.

A silver beam of light, more than ten feet long, swept out from the lightning, like a giant lightsaber, drawing a semicircle across the battlefield.

Wherever the lightning struck, the puppet was torn to pieces like paper, its parts flying everywhere with a crackling sound.

Huang Long, Tie Xiong, and Su Mei didn't even have time to scream before they were engulfed by the lightning.

Their bodies turned to ashes in the lightning, leaving not even their storage bags behind. Three Foundation Establishment cultivators and hundreds of puppets vanished from this world in the blink of an eye.

The valley fell silent instantly.

Only the lingering hissing sound after the lightning dissipated and the pervasive smell of burning in the air remained.

Lin Feng's pupils contracted sharply.

At this moment, the silvery-white lightning gradually subsided, revealing the figure of a fat man.

The fat man was in his thirties or forties, with a round face and a waist as thick as a barrel. He wore the robe of a Core Formation elder from Yellow Maple Valley. He had a smiling expression on his face, but his small eyes flashed with a sharp light.

Lei Wanhe.

The Core Formation Elder of Huangfeng Valley is renowned for his lightning magic, which is based on the lightning spiritual root.

Lei Wanhe hovered above the cave, first looking down at the defensive formation beneath his feet, then looking up at the clouds in the sky. His gaze lingered for a moment on the cloud where Lin Feng was hiding.

Lin Feng was startled.

He knew he had been discovered.

The Hidden Spirit Veil's ability to conceal one's aura was indeed insufficient to fool the divine sense of a Core Formation cultivator. Even though it was hidden in the clouds, it was still seen through at a glance by Lei Wanhe.

Without hesitation, Lin Feng immediately put away the Hidden Spirit Veil and flew down from the clouds.

He landed before Lei Wanhe, bowed respectfully, and said in a voice full of awe, "Disciple Lin Feng greets Senior Uncle. I sensed fluctuations of spiritual energy in the cave and came to investigate. I was fortunate enough to witness Senior Uncle's unparalleled power, slaughtering the villains with a wave of his hand. I am filled with admiration!"

Lei Wanhe glanced down at him, a smile appearing on his fat face.

"Lin Feng?" He murmured the name, then nodded. "Yes, that kid who blocked the entrance to the Crimson Forbidden Land, Junior Brother Li mentioned you."

"Senior Uncle, you flatter me. I am unworthy of such praise." Lin Feng lowered his head, adopting a very humble posture.

Just then, the cave's defensive formation activated.

A crack appeared in the light shield, and a figure flew out of the cave.

The man in the black robe, with his dark skin and unremarkable face, was none other than Han Li.

Han Li's face was pale, and his breathing was unsteady, clearly indicating that he had expended a lot of energy earlier. He walked up to Lei Wanhe, bowed respectfully, and said in a clear but not loud voice, "Disciple Han Li greets Senior Uncle. Thank you for saving me, Senior Uncle."

Lei Wanhe waved his hand, his gaze sweeping over Han Li and Lin Feng. Seeing how respectful the two juniors were, his fat face beamed with an even wider smile.

"Yes, I am your senior master Lei Wanhe. You can call me Senior Master Lei."

Then, his gaze shifted to Han Li's cave dwelling. He looked at the defensive formation and praised, "This formation is quite good. Who set it up for you?"

Han Li hesitated for a moment before replying, "I acquired it by chance at Tianxing Market."

Lei Wanhe didn't press further, but turned to Lin Feng: "Junior Nephew Lin, this matter is settled, you can go back now. I'll go into the cave with Junior Nephew Han to find out the details."

Lin Feng respectfully replied "Yes," bowed again, and turned to fly towards his cave.

After flying a hundred feet away, he couldn't help but look back.

Lei Wanhe had already followed Han Li into the cave. The cave's defensive formation closed again, and the light barrier returned to calm.

The valley was in a mess, with the remains of puppets scattered all over the ground, and the air still smelled of burnt metal.

Lin Feng withdrew his gaze and continued flying back.

"Young Master Lin's package has finally reached Han Li's hands," he sighed inwardly.

"Forget it, I don't want to think about it anymore. Han Li got it, so be it." Lin Feng shook his head. "I'll do my own thing."

He returned to his cave, reactivated the Inverted Five Elements Array, went into the cultivation room, and sat down beside the Spirit Eye Spring.

Lin Feng took out a high-quality Qi-unifying pill, swallowed it, closed his eyes, and continued cultivating.

The demonic invasion is still a few years away, and he must break through to the mid-Foundation Establishment stage before then.

As for Han Li, he's just a neighbor.

With these thoughts in mind, Lin Feng gradually immersed himself in the depths of cultivation.

Outside the cave, the night wind blew across the mountain wall, swirling up a few withered leaves.

In the distant valley, Lei Wanhe's lightning had dissipated, and everything had returned to calm.