Lin Feng did not flinch at the threat. Instead, his expression hardened. He took a step forward, his gaze sweeping firmly over the group. "Acting so recklessly in broad daylight! I'm going to put a stop to this today!"
Seeing how unyielding Lin Feng was, the leader laughed in angry disbelief. "Good, very good! Ignorant fool, I'll deal with you first!" With a flash, he lunged at Lin Feng like a fierce tiger, his right fist clenched tightly and whistling through the air as it aimed straight for Lin Feng's face.
Unflustered, Lin Feng circulated the Tianyuan Chaos Formula, instantly channeling the Chaos Power within his body to his arms. As the man's fist closed in, Lin Feng abruptly sidestepped. At the same time, he blocked with his left elbow and lashed out with his right arm like lightning, striking the man squarely in the abdomen. The man let out a muffled groan, his body flying backward several zhang as if struck by lightning before crashing heavily to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
The rest of the group were startled, never expecting someone so young to possess such extraordinary strength. Relying on their numbers, however, they exchanged glances and closed in from all directions.
Lin Feng showed no fear. With Chaos Power surging around him, he moved through the crowd with exquisite footwork, slipping freely among them. Every time he struck, it was accompanied by the flashing light of Chaos Power, and everyone he hit screamed as they were sent flying backward. In a matter of moments, the mob attacking Lin Feng was thrown into complete chaos.
The young woman watched in a daze from the sidelines. She had thought she was doomed today, but Lin Feng had suddenly appeared and held his own against the entire group single-handedly.
Within moments, more than half of Lin Feng's attackers had collapsed. The remaining few saw that the situation was turning against them and, daring not to fight any longer, scrambled away in a panic.
Lin Feng watched their retreating figures, breathing slightly heavily. Although the fight had not been difficult for him, continuously deploying Chaos Power had consumed a fair amount of his stamina.
At that moment, the young woman hurried over to Lin Feng, curtsied gracefully, and said with gratitude, "Thank you, Young Master, for stepping in to help! Su Yao is endlessly grateful! If not for you, I'm afraid today I..."
Lin Feng quickly reached out to help Su Yao up, saying, "No need for such formalities, Miss Su. When one sees an injustice on the road, one ought to draw a sword to help. Why were those men giving you a hard time?"
With tears in her lovely eyes, Su Yao bit her lip and said, "While gathering herbs in the mountain, I happened to find a very rare spiritual herb. They spotted it and were overcome with greed, trying to take it by force."
Lin Feng nodded. "Those people are truly despicable. But Miss Su, the Lingxiao Mountain Range is full of dangers. Gathering herbs here all by yourself, you must be very careful."
Looking at Lin Feng gratefully, Su Yao said, "Thank you for the reminder, Young Master. I am a pharmacist from nearby Lingxi Town. I ventured here to gather spiritual herb in order to save a critically ill person in the town, but I never expected to run into these scoundrels."
A thought stirred in Lin Feng's heart. Pharmacists were extremely rare on this continent; skilled in pharmacology and capable of refining medicinal pills, they were of immense help to cultivators.
Looking at Lin Feng, Su Yao hesitated before saying, "Since Young Master is so powerful, might I ask if you would be willing to travel with me? That way we can look out for each other. If I can successfully gather the spiritual herb I need and refine the pills, I will certainly reward you."
Lin Feng pondered for a moment. He was new to the Lingxiao Mountain Range and unfamiliar with the terrain. Having someone like Su Yao who knew the area and understood pharmacology would indeed make things much more convenient. Besides, Su Yao was kind-hearted and did not seem like a malicious person.
"Very well, Miss Su. There is no need for such politeness; looking out for one another is only right. As for a reward, that won't be necessary," Lin Feng said with a smile.
Seeing Lin Feng agree, Su Yao's face instantly blossomed into a brilliant smile, like a flower blooming in spring. "That's wonderful! Young Master, there's no time to lose, let's set off at once. The spiritual herb I am looking for grows in a secluded spot, and we might encounter other dangers along the way."
The two continued along the mountain path. Along the way, Su Yao pointed out various rare herbs and dangerous spots in the Lingxiao Mountain Range to Lin Feng. Lin Feng, meanwhile, kept a vigilant watch on his surroundings to guard against any sudden perils.
As they walked, a wide river suddenly appeared ahead, its rushing waters roaring and kicking up high sprays. There was no bridge across the river, and crossing it did not look like an easy task...