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**
After a short moment, Lin Feng withdrew his flames and began pondering the identities of the people who had tailed him earlier.
"Yuan Yi?"
He quickly dismissed the thought.
That Yuan Yi was a Two-Star Dou Huang, and Lin Feng could clearly sense that the two people who had been tracking him were both Dou Wang.
The stronger of the two was only around high-level Dou Wang.
Besides, Yuan Yi should currently be focused on snatching the Mighty Huang Pill, or possibly that Mid-Grade Earth Class cultivation method. It was unlikely he'd go out of his way to rob Lin Feng at a time like this.
"Could it be the person who was bidding against me for that Rank 7 Beast Flame earlier?"
Thinking of that, Lin Feng found it very likely.
First, judging from where the man had been sitting, he was probably also a Dou Wang. The other one was most likely his companion.
Second, that man had competed with him for the Beast Flame all the way to the end—it was clear he desperately wanted it.
And in the Black-Corner Region, the mentality of "if you can't buy it, steal it" was fairly common.
So, putting these pieces together, the man in the gray robe was the most likely suspect.
Of course, it could also be someone else who saw he had money and wanted to rob him.
But that was unlikely. After all, everyone had seen him enter the auction hall with Zi Yan.
With a duo of Dou Wang, only a Dou Huang or several Dou Wang working together would have any chance of stealing from them.
The former possibility could be ruled out almost entirely, and the latter wasn't very likely either.
After all, in the chaotic Black-Corner Region, few people were willing to partner with strangers for such high-risk ventures.
In this kind of environment where no one trusted anyone, trying to gather a large group of fellow cultivators to rob someone was highly improbable.
As for the two who did dare to make a move—perhaps it was because of the high-level Dou Wang beside that yellow-robed man.
Thinking of that, Lin Feng pulled out Xiao Cai from his sleeve. After waking her up, he whispered:
"Xiao Cai, someone's trying to rob us. In a bit, follow us quietly. When those two show up, ambush the stronger one, got it?"
"Ying ying~"
Hearing that someone wanted to steal from them, Xiao Cai immediately slapped her own chest with her tail, clearly vowing to kill them without question.
"Very good. If it goes well, I'll let you drink as much Birth Essence as you want afterward."
Lin Feng gently stroked her small head, then turned to Zi Yan and said, "When the time comes, the two of us will quickly take down the weaker one, then go help Xiao Cai."
"Leave it to me! Let's see if I don't smash that thief into paste!"
Zi Yan clenched her little fists, her face full of anger.
The robbery reminded her of the times when she was younger, being chased through the mountains by magical beasts. It left her feeling especially annoyed.
Lin Feng nodded and said, "Let's leave the city now. Just in case those Dou Huang who failed to get the Mighty Huang Pill or the Mid-Grade Earth Class cultivation method come back and target us instead. What we bought isn't exactly cheap either."
"Alright."
"Ying ying~"
A few hours later, cloaked in black robes, Lin Feng and Zi Yan were flying toward a remote mountain forest.
After traveling a bit farther, Lin Feng suddenly turned and stared down at the forest below. His voice boomed:
"Come out—I already know you're there."
His shout, carried by Dou Qi, echoed through the surrounding mountains and forest.
Moments later, two figures shot up from the trees and hovered in midair.
Facing Lin Feng and Zi Yan, the man in gray let out a chuckle before saying:
"Well then, you'd better hand everything over. Otherwise, if you lose your lives, that would be unfortunate. After all, the man beside me here is a powerful Eigth-Star Dou Wang."
As he spoke, the gray-robed man confidently pointed at the black-clad figure beside him.
Of course, this wasn't out of the goodness of his heart—he just wasn't confident he could kill Lin Feng and Zi Yan outright.
After all, what he had were Earth Class techniques and Dou Techniques, not movement techniques. If Lin Feng and Zi Yan decided to flee, he might not be able to catch them.
"Heh, if you want my things, let's see if you have the skills to take them."
Lin Feng gave a faint chuckle and subtly signaled to Xiao Cai, who was hiding nearby.
"Whoosh—"
With a soft sound of something slicing through the air, a thin black shadow shot straight toward the Eight-Star Dou Wang.
Xiao Cai's small, seemingly harmless tail suddenly struck with terrifying force.
"Who?!"
Sensing something approach, the man instinctively activated a Dou Technique in defense.
But in his panic, the hastily summoned technique was no match for Xiao Cai's strike.
In less than the blink of an eye, the man was sent flying down into the forest.
Boom!
A loud crash echoed as the high-level Dou Wang had a rough and intimate encounter with the ground.
"Urgh… damn it! What the hell was that thing?!"
Hit by such overwhelming force, pain surged through his body as if he were falling apart.
Looking back at the place he had been hovering just moments ago, his eyes widened in shock.
There, bathed in sunlight, was a small snake radiating seven-colored light flying toward him.
"A Rank 5 Magic Beast?! They're three Dou Wang!"
The moment the man saw Xiao Cai, his pupils contracted sharply, and a shocked exclamation slipped from his mouth.
Recognizing what Xiao Cai was, he immediately realized what was going on. Seeing her charge at him, he scrambled to his feet to defend himself.
Meanwhile, Lin Feng and Zi Yan obviously wouldn't let this chance slip by. In the blink of an eye, their figures vanished from their original positions and launched an assault on the remaining gray-robed man.
"You old geezer! How dare you try to rob me—take my Earth-Splitting Fist!"
Zi Yan rushed forward, fists covered with gauntlets as she activated the Earth-Splitting Fist, a Low-Grade Earth Class Dou Technique she had just learned.
Instantly, the surrounding Dou Qi in the heavens and earth surged violently into her small frame.
A moment later, waves of powerful violet Dou Qi condensed around her seemingly delicate right fist, which then slammed toward her opponent with thunderous momentum.
Hearing her insult, the gray-robed man's face darkened.
"Damn brat, you think you're the only one with an Earth Class Dou Technique?"
"Low-Grade Earth Class Dou Technique—Fire Origin Palm!"
As soon as he spoke, the Dou Qi around him rushed into his body, and a massive red palm print formed midair.
Boom!
As the two techniques collided, a deafening explosion rolled across the skies like thunder.
Violet and red energy screens clashed, and the resulting shockwave instantly leveled the once-lush green forest below into a barren dirt field.
"Hmph."
The moment their fists made contact, the gray-robed old man felt an overwhelming force surge from Zi Yan's punch, forcing a muffled grunt out of him. His blood and energy churned violently in his chest.
Zi Yan didn't get off easy either. Strictly speaking, she was only an early-stage Dou Wang, far below her opponent's level.
Fortunately, her powerful physique allowed her to withstand the force—for now.
"Damn, this guy also has an Earth Class Dou Technique?"
Lin Feng's expression shifted. He hadn't expected the gray-robed Dou Wang to have something of this caliber.
He immediately regretted not having Xiao Cai ambush this guy instead.
But then, noticing the high-level Dou Wang on the other side being completely suppressed, his mood flipped into joy.
The current situation was in their favor.
Once they killed this gray-robed man, that Earth Class Dou Technique would be his.
Not to mention, this guy's spiritual perception was quite strong—clearly, he was also a fairly high-tier alchemist.
And Lin Feng just so happened to lack any fifth-tier and above pill formulas. This was like someone bringing him a pillow when he was just about to sleep.
"What a golden opportunity."
Seeing the two locked in a stalemate, Lin Feng's eyes lit up. Without hesitation, he activated the Skyfire Three Mysterious Change.
Under the surge of his Rank 7 Beast Flame, his Dou Qi level skyrocketed in mere seconds—from Two-Star Dou Wang to just barely Five-Star Dou Wang.
Then, he layered Purple Cloud Wings on top of his Dou Qi Wings.
"Roar!"
A lion's roar rang out—but this time, Lin Feng didn't use a spear to cast Furious Lion Roar. He formed it barehanded.
Before, his Dou Qi had been too weak, so he needed a weapon to help channel the technique.
But now, his Dou Qi was powerful enough to cast it instantly with pure energy alone.
After all, Furious Lion Roar was ultimately an energy-shaping attack—if your Dou Qi was strong enough, you could manifest it directly.
With a flap of his wings, Lin Feng shot forward like a missile, his flight accompanied by explosive sonic booms.
"So fast!"
Seeing Lin Feng suddenly close the distance, the old man's pupils shrank to pinpoints.
As a fifth-tier alchemist, he was no fool. He immediately recognized what was happening.
"This kid… How did his strength rise so quickly? A temporary-level-boosting secret technique!"
Feeling the crushing presence of a five-star Dou Wang, the gray-robed old man frantically surged his Dou Qi to react.
The red palm print that had been clashing with Zi Yan suddenly swelled and blasted her backward, giving him a moment to redirect his energy to defend against Lin Feng.
However, Lin Feng was simply too fast. The old man couldn't fully execute another Dou Technique in time, and could only meet Lin Feng's attack head-on.
Even though he was still technically one star above Lin Feng, he had lost the advantage of his Dou Technique boost.
He was forced to absorb Lin Feng's strike directly—and his body was hurled backward uncontrollably.
"Pfft—"
After skidding through the air for dozens of meters, he finally managed to stabilize his body. But his blood surged violently, and he could no longer hold it in.
A mouthful of blood burst out from his lips.
His right hand—the one that had just collided with Lin Feng—was now charred black, and the scent of scorched flesh wafted from it.
The intense burning pain twisted his face into a grimace.
To make things worse, the forced overdrive of Dou Qi to blast back Zi Yan had severely strained his meridians, adding waves of tearing pain across his body.
Regret flooded his mind.
If only he hadn't been so greedy for that Rank 7 Beast Flame… He wouldn't be in this desperate state.
Seeing he hadn't finished the old man off in one hit, Lin Feng quickly shouted to Zi Yan:
"Hold him down for a moment—I need to use Piercing Heart Finger!"
"Got it!"
Zi Yan nodded and charged back into the fray, tangling once more with the gray-robed elder.
Lin Feng then darted across from the side, and with a flash of golden light at his fingertip, he thrust his index finger directly into the old man's body.
"Pfft—!"
The gray-robed elder, still reeling from the last attack, was hit again. A torrent of blood spewed from his mouth.
Clutching his wound—blood pouring from the point where Lin Feng's Piercing Heart Finger struck—he stared at Lin Feng with venomous eyes.
But Lin Feng only smiled, calm and confident.
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