CHAPTER 165: CHAPTER 165: WE HAVE NO INTEREST IN MEN

SWISH, SWISH, SWISH...

Deep in the Ghost Howl Forest, four black-clad figures navigated through the dense trees.

The forest was dark and overgrown, with gnarled tree roots crisscrossing in a complex mesh. Despite the treacherous terrain, they moved with ease, weaving between the trees like ghosts at incredible speed.

Suddenly, shadows shifted in the forest undergrowth, and a fierce wind whipped up. Three Green-eyed Demon Wolves sprang forward.

"Hmph!"

The leader of the group snorted coldly, his figure soaring. His black cloak billowed, and three palm shadows, reeking of death, shot out. They appeared deceptively slow yet were terrifyingly swift, striking like lightning.

THUD! THUD! THUD!

Before the three Level Three primary-rank Green-eyed Demon Wolves could even attack, dark palm prints appeared on their bodies. Black blood flowed from their orifices, and they collapsed, dead.

After killing the three Demon Wolves, one of the black-clad men scanned the dark, eerie forest and spat on the ground.

"Pah! Who else but Demon Beasts would come to this Ghost Howl Forest at night? I don’t understand why Lord Black Wind sent us on this patrol."

The leading black-clad man frowned and said, "We’ve lost contact with nearly ten of our own in the last half-month. It’s only natural that Lord Black Wind is worried."

"They were probably eaten by the Demon Beasts in this forest. What’s so strange about that?"

"Once I’m out of this damned forest, I’m going to grab a few women and blow off some steam..."

"Don’t worry, that day isn’t far off."

The leading black-clad man licked his lips and turned to one of his men. "Heisi, get up in the trees and check the surroundings."

"Alright."

A lean black-clad man stepped forward, his form dissolving into black smoke that drifted up into the tree canopy.

In the blink of an eye, he returned to his spot, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

"There’s a fire about a dozen or so li to the east!"

At his words, the other three black-clad men immediately looked up.

"I never thought we’d actually find people here! Should we report this to Lord Black Wind? These people might be connected to those who disappeared half a month ago."

"Let’s check out the situation first. They might just be some adventurous Martial Artists we can handle ourselves. If there are any young women... Heh, heh."

At these words, the four black-clad men’s eyes lit up.

"No time to waste, let’s go!"

SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH!

The four men transformed into eerie black shadows, darting through the trees like phantoms. Their speed was incredible; they vanished like wisps of black smoke in the blink of an eye.

...

Under the moonlight, two figures sat atop the tree branches.

Seeing Cang Nanyue change the subject, Luo Feng didn’t press further about her nightly activities. Instead, he asked, "There’s another matter. My Teng Dragon’s Step is at the fourth stage, but recently my progress has become extremely slow."

"Your Teng Dragon’s Step has reached the fourth stage?"

A look of surprise crossed Cang Nanyue’s face.

She had once seen the Secret Manual for the Teng Dragon’s Step and knew how difficult it was to cultivate these Light Martial Arts.

Lu Xiao Yun, the prodigy from three years ago, had only touched the threshold of the first stage and couldn’t advance further.

Hearing that Luo Feng’s Teng Dragon’s Step had reached the fourth stage, Cang Nanyue was also taken aback.

After a moment of contemplation, Cang Nanyue said slowly, "I’m afraid I can’t help you with this. This Teng Dragon’s Step Secret Manual is quite mysterious. Zi Hongyuan and I studied it for a long time but gained nothing. Your understanding of it might even surpass mine."

Changing the subject again, Cang Nanyue stood up and said, "However, the cultivation of any Martial Arts is like rowing upstream. The harsher the environment, the more it aids your training."

Luo Feng nodded. It seems I must find an opportunity to challenge a mid-level, Tier Three Demon Beast alone.

"I’ll be leaving for a bit. This forest is full of dangers, so be careful."

Cang Nanyue’s voice lingered as her figure vanished without a trace.

Luo Feng, already accustomed to this, gave a wry smile and leaped down from the tree.

Bing Ruolan was discussing Martial Arts with Zi Yuan. Seeing Luo Feng descend, she walked over and asked, "Luo Feng, what were you and Nanyue talking about?"

Luo Feng shook his head. "I asked her what she does every night, but she didn’t answer."

"If I’m not mistaken, she’s probably investigating traces of the Demon Sect," Zi Yuan suddenly interjected.

"The Demon Sect!"

Upon hearing this, Xu Mei, Yang Hong, and the others nearby were all startled.

"Why would the Demon Sect be in the Ghost Howl Forest? This is the domain of the Hundred Kingdoms!"

Zi Yuan’s bright eyes turned serious. She shook her head and said, "I’ve only heard some rumors. It seems the Demon Sect from the West Desert Demon Realm has been active recently. But I don’t know the specifics."

Yang Hong, older and more experienced from his years in the rtiad, frowned and said, "Over a decade ago, the West Desert Demon Realm invaded the Hundred Kingdoms, causing countless casualties. Back then, there were hundreds of dynasties in the Hundred Kingdoms; now, fewer than a hundred remain. Our Canglang Dynasty was spared because it’s on the frontier. If the Demon Sect were to rise again, it would surely be another catastrophe!"

Hundreds of dynasties destroyed!

The faces of the group turned grim. Each dynasty, with its countless experts, was overthrown so easily. The power of the Demon Sect sent shivers down their spines.

Luo Feng took a deep breath and said, "This isn’t something we can meddle in right now. For now, we can only focus on rapidly increasing our own strength. That way, if the Demon Sect truly returns, we’ll at least have the power to protect ourselves."

The others beside him nodded, their expressions easing somewhat.

Yang Hong looked at Luo Feng with admiration and cupped his hands. "Luo Feng, you are younger than I, yet you possess such courage. I have rarely admired anyone in my life, but you are one!"

Luo Feng smiled, about to speak, when suddenly, his brow twitched, and his sharp gaze darted to the shadows of the nearby forest.

"Luo Feng, what’s wrong?" Bing Ruolan asked, noticing his unusual demeanor.

Zi Yuan’s expression also changed. She sprang to her feet and said gravely, "Someone’s coming!"

Luo Feng drew the Tiger Soul Saber from his back, his cold gaze fixed on the forest shadows. He called out loudly, "Which friends are out there? Since you’ve come, there’s no need to hide."

WHOOSH, WHOOSH, WHOOSH, WHOOSH...

His voice had barely faded when four figures emerged from the forest shadows.

"Heh, heh, to think you could detect us. It seems you have some skill," said a small-eyed man in black, his voice cold.

They possessed special means of concealing their presence and hadn’t expected to be discovered so easily.

"These people are trouble!" Yang Hong whispered, sensing the faint, cold killing intent emanating from them.

Zi Yuan and the others nodded slightly. These four men had sinister gazes and exuded a cold, perverse aura; they were clearly not good people.

The four black-clad men’s eyes swept over Luo Feng and his companions. When their gazes fell upon Xu Mei, Bing Ruolan, and Zi Yuan—the three women—a strange light glinted in their eyes, and they snickered coldly.

Luo Feng’s brow furrowed. He stepped forward, shielding Bing Ruolan and the others, and said coldly, "This is not a place for you. Leave at once!"

"Boss, this brat is telling us to leave!"

"Hahaha... It seems he doesn’t know who we are."

"What do you think? Will he wet his pants when he finds out?"

At his words, the four black-clad men broke into sinister smiles, laughing and joking with brazen arrogance.

SWOOSH!

Suddenly, a streak of black Saber Light flashed, flying over twenty meters to slash at the small-eyed black-clad man.

"Courting death!"

The small-eyed man in black snorted, neither retreating nor dodging. He formed his hand into an eagle claw and struck at the Saber Light.

BANG!

Gang Qi exploded like thunder. The black-clad man stumbled back ten steps before regaining his footing.

This exchange startled the four black-clad men.

The small-eyed man in black frowned at Luo Feng. "Mid-stage Seventh Level Essence Storage Realm cultivation, yet you can project Saber Gang? Is that the Sky Slayer Fatal Saber of the Heavenly Demon Sect? Who are you in the Heavenly Demon Sect?"

"No, that’s not right. The Sky Slayer Fatal Saber, when unleashed, is like a Hundred Ghosts reaping souls, filled with boundless killing intent. Although his Saber Technique has killing intent, it lacks the baleful aura of severing worldly ties and emotions. This should be the Sky Slayer Saber Technique from the Purple Sun School! They are Purple Sun School students!" a more seasoned-looking black-clad man said, staring intently at Luo Feng.

"You do have some sharp eyes," Zi Yuan said, moving to Luo Feng’s side. She glanced at the four black-clad men. "Since you know we’re students of the Purple Sun School, aren’t you going to scram?"

These four were no ordinary individuals; all were Martial Artists at the Seventh Level of the Essence Storage Realm.

The leader, in particular, was a peak Seventh Level Essence Storage Realm Martial Artist. His Yuan Qi surged like a mighty river, and his presence was as imposing as a mountain, exuding a terrifying aura that chilled one to the bone.

If it wasn’t absolutely necessary, Zi Yuan didn’t want to clash with them.

"Heh, heh..."

The four black-clad men suddenly let out harsh, mocking laughter, their eyes filled with disdain.

The leader, a man with a dark complexion and narrow, gleaming eyes, squinted at Luo Feng’s group and sneered, "So what if you’re students of the Purple Sun School? Others may fear the reputation of your Four Great Academies, but we don’t! Sooner or later, we’ll even storm Purple Spirit Peak and uproot your Purple Sun School entirely!"

"Exactly! It’s always others who flee from us in terror! You dare to spout such arrogance? You truly don’t know what death is!" the gaunt-faced black-clad man cackled eerily, his spectral gaze sending shivers down their spines.

"You’re from the West Desert Demon Sect!" Yang Hong exclaimed, his face darkening as he looked at them.

"Heh, heh, you’ve got some sense about you."

The small-eyed Martial Artist gave a grotesque laugh, his eyes roving over Xu Mei, Bing Ruolan, and Zi Yuan. He chuckled, "I didn’t expect to find such beauties in the Ghost Howl Forest. Boss, we’re in for a good time tonight..."

The other three black-clad men also let out lewd cackles, their eyes glinting with lust.

The leading black-clad man waved a dismissive hand at Luo Feng and Yang Hong. "We’re not interested in men. As for you two, cripple your cultivation and scram! Do that, and I might spare your worthless lives."

"Spare our lives..."

Luo Feng gripped his saber and burst into wild laughter, a sound so powerful it made the surrounding forest tremble.

The small-eyed man, irritated by Luo Feng’s laughter, scowled and snapped, "What are you laughing at? Didn’t you hear what our boss said? If you don’t want to die, cripple your cultivation and get lost!"