Lin Feng and Liu Yan stared closely at the group of Mysterious Figures, their hearts filled with vigilance. Every single one of these Mysterious Figures was dressed in tight black attire and masked with black cloth, leaving only pairs of eyes filled with greed and murderous intent that sent a chill through anyone who saw them.
"If you know what's good for you, hand over the manual, and save yourselves the suffering!" the leader of the Mysterious Figures shouted once more, taking a step forward while releasing the powerful aura of the Fifth Layer of Martial Master Realm, pressing down on the surrounding air until it seemed to freeze.
With a firm gaze and without a shred of fear, Lin Feng replied, "If you want the manual, earn it with your skills! We will never easily surrender to a pack of scoundrels like you!"
Liu Yan also puffed out her chest, gripped the short sword in her hand tightly, and chimed in, "That's right, don't even dream of snatching the manual from us!"
The Mysterious Figure let out a cold snort, waved a hand, and issued the order to attack: "Get them, and kill them!"
Instantly, she shuttled flexibly among the enemies, her short sword dancing like a snake as she thrust at the approaching foes. However, her cultivation was relatively low after all, possessing only the strength of the Second Layer of Martial Warrior Realm, and she quickly found herself in a tight spot.
Catching sight of Liu Yan's perilous situation out of the corner of his eye, Lin Feng felt a surge of panic. His sword technique grew even fiercer, instantly beating back the enemies in front of him before he whirled around and charged toward Liu Yan's direction, blocking a fatal strike for her.
"Liu Yan, watch out!" Lin Feng shouted at the top of his lungs, his voice filled with concern.
Liu Yan replied, "Big Brother Lin, don't worry about me, watch out for yourself!"
At that moment, more Mysterious Figures swarmed forward, surrounding the pair completely. The pressure on Lin Feng and Liu Yan multiplied manifold, making them feel like a lonely boat caught in the midst of raging waves and stormy seas. Yet, relying on their stubborn willpower and the tacit coordination they had cultivated over a long period, they managed to prevent the enemies from gaining the slightest upper hand for a time.
However, the prolonged and intense battle gradually exhausted their physical strength and internal energy. Their movements began to grow sluggish, and their breathing became increasingly heavy.
Right at that moment, the leader of the Mysterious Figures seized the opportunity and launched a sudden sneak attack. Moving like lightning, the leader vanished from the spot, and in the very next instant, appeared right behind Lin Feng. With a fierce wave of a palm carrying formidable internal energy, the leader struck heavily against Lin Feng's back.
Caught completely off guard by this sudden blow, Lin Feng was sent stumbling forward and crashed to the ground.
"Big Brother Lin!" Liu Yan let out a cry of alarm and rushed toward Lin Feng without a second thought.
The Mysterious Figure laughed smugly, "Hmph, let's see how much longer you can last! Today, this manual is destined to be ours!"
Liu Yan ran to Lin Feng's side, helped him up, and asked with eyes full of worry, "Big Brother Lin, are you alright?"
Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, Lin Feng gritted his teeth and said, "I'm fine, I can still fight!"
With that, he stood back up, an unyielding fire of rage burning in his eyes.
Just then, the voice of the System rang in Lin Feng's mind: "Host, stimulating your potential will grant a temporary surge in strength. However, the side effects are extremely severe, use with caution!"
Without the slightest hesitation, Lin Feng chanted inwardly in his mind: "Stimulate potential!"
Instantly, he felt a powerful surge of force flowing through his body, his internal energy rushing through his meridians like a raging river. His aura skyrocketed instantly, breaking through from the Fourth Layer of Martial Warrior Realm to the First Layer of Martial Master Realm.
"Come on! Today I'll let you witness my true power!" Lin Feng roared, charging at the enemies like a god of war.
The long sword in his hand danced even more fiercely, every single strike carrying earth-shattering power that made it difficult for the enemies to fend off. The once arrogant Mysterious Figures retreated one after another under Lin Feng's onslaught, horror written all over their faces.
The Mysterious Figures were struck with utter panic; never in their wildest dreams had they expected Lin Feng to suddenly become so formidable.
Under Lin Feng's fierce counterattack, casualties began to mount among the Mysterious Figures. Some had their chests pierced through by Lin Feng's sword, while others had their arms severed by the sword qi, sending blood splashing everywhere and eliciting continuous shrieks of agony.
Seeing this, the leader of the Mysterious Figures turned terrifyingly gloomy and snapped, "Attack together! We cannot let him leave alive!"
But Lin Feng was now unstoppable. Working in seamless coordination with Liu Yan—who used her agile footwork to draw the enemies' attention while Lin Feng seized the opportunity to launch fatal strikes—their teamwork was flawless, and they gradually turned the tide of battle.
After a bloody battle, finally, apart from the leader, all the remaining enemies lay dead on the ground.
"Who on earth are you? Why are you trying to seize the manual?" Lin Feng demanded, panting heavily as he pointed his sword at the leader of the Mysterious Figures.
The leader let out a cold snort, "Hmph, you don't need to know. Today I just had bad luck!"
With those words, the leader turned and tried to flee.
How could Lin Feng allow the enemy to escape? Enduring the excruciating pain in his body, he unleashed his final ounce of strength and thrust his sword forward. With a flash of sword light, the blade drove straight into the leader's back.
The Mysterious Figure trembled, slowly collapsed to the ground, and drew a final breath.
The battle came to an end. Exhausted, Lin Feng and Liu Yan slumped onto the ground, panting heavily.
"Big Brother Lin, we finally won," Liu Yan said weakly, a hint of relieved a smile crossing her face.
Lin Feng nodded. "Indeed. But this is only the beginning; we need to leave this place immediately before any more enemies arrive."
After resting briefly, the two supported each other and left the blood-soaked and dangerous place, taking the manual with them.
Upon returning to a safe location, Lin Feng and Liu Yan began tending to their injuries and practicing cultivation. They found a secluded cave, swallowed healing pills, and closed their eyes to channel their internal energy for recovery.
After a period of recuperation, their injuries gradually healed, and their strength increased as well.
Lin Feng successfully broke through to the Fifth Layer of Martial Warrior Realm, making his internal energy even more profound and his comprehension of the Breeze Formula rise to a higher level. Liu Yan also broke through to the Third Layer of Martial Warrior Realm, making her martial techniques even more proficient.
"System prompt: Host has performed brilliantly. Continue to work hard and break through to the Grand Master Realm as soon as possible."
Lin Feng knew deep down that the road ahead was still long, and they had to keep growing stronger in order to establish a firm footing in this martial arts world filled with challenges and dangers.