Great Villain: Starting by Humiliating the Son of the Heavenly Fate

"It’s you! Zhou Yihe!" Lin Feng shouted, his pupils constricting as he recalled Zhou Yihe’s arrogant attitude during his visit to the Zhou Clan.

At that time, Lin Feng had taken special notice of Zhou Yihe. If Lai Peng hadn’t stepped in, Lin Feng would have felt compelled to demonstrate his appraisal talents and give Zhou Yihe a resounding slap in the face to feel satisfied.

Now, at this critical juncture, as he was close to acquiring a precious treasure, Zhou Yihe appeared unexpectedly to hinder him. It was as if their previous animosity was reigniting in this new encounter.

Additionally, with his anger towards Jiang Chen still simmering, Lin Feng felt a powerful wave of murderous intent rising within him.

"Hehe, it’s me," Zhou Yihe chuckled, revealing a menacing smile. "I’ve been tracking this Entwined Silk Vajra Python for months, and now after you’ve killed it, you plan to take my spiritual plant!"

"How dare you lay hands on something that belongs to me, Zhou Yihe? Today, your demise is certain!" he spat out with venom. With a swift gesture, Zhou Yihe commanded his followers, "Go, subdue him for me, but don’t kill him yet!"

From the beginning, Zhou Yihe had been deeply interested in the secrets hidden within Lin Feng and had no immediate intention of ending his life.

Therefore, Ma Qiwei and the others, obeying Zhou Yihe’s command, avoided fatal attacks. This unexpected development gave Lin Feng a crucial advantage.

’One mid-level Spiritual Awakening realm expert, along with several advanced Soul Refining realm practitioners! If this continues, I don’t stand a chance against them!’ Lin Feng thought urgently, his eyes glinting with resolve. In a mere moment, he gritted his teeth and his speed increased dramatically, turning him into a blur as he darted towards the crevice in the mountain gorge.

"This is...Clear Sky Flash!?" Ma Qiwei’s expression changed drastically as he exclaimed, "It’s the Clear Sky Flash that can only be mastered by inner disciples of the Starry Abyss Sect!" For a moment, he was unable to stop Lin Feng, who swiftly sprinted into the mountain gorge crevice.

"An inner disciple of the Starry Abyss Sect!?" The other subordinates also showed significant shifts in their expressions, each becoming extremely cautious.

"What, Lin Feng is actually a disciple of the Starry Abyss Sect!?" Zhou Yihe was similarly shocked, his face displaying sheer surprise. "That’s impossible. According to the information from my brother, not many disciples from the Starry Abyss Sect have ventured out recently due to their upcoming grand competition!"

"Among the few who left the sect, I know all of them except for Jiang Chen, and I’ve never even heard of Lin Feng!" he stated in disbelief.

"What should we do, Young Master?" Ma Qiwei asked, uncertain about taking any further action.

Even though Zhou Yihe’s sixth younger brother was a disciple of the Starry Abyss Sect, that didn’t mean the Zhou Clan had the liberty to eliminate sect disciples without consequences.

Committing such an act could likely bring trouble to Zhou Yihe’s sixth younger brother.

"I..." Zhou Yihe faltered, clearly struggling to make a decision. His heart was overwhelmed with anxiety as he thought frantically, ’What should I do, what should I do!’

Just then, the other cultivators from the Zhou Clan began expressing their opinions one after another.

"Young Master!" one exclaimed urgently, "We can’t just let Lin Feng escape with the treasure!"

"Exactly! And we don’t need to kill him," another chimed in assertively.

"Huh... Why not contact the Sixth Young Master first? He’s also a disciple of the Starry Abyss Sect," suggested another thoughtfully.

"..."

They spoke up, their faces a mixture of discontent and worry.

Zhou Yihe took a deep breath, resolving himself as he said, "I’ll consult my sixth younger brother. You all go after him first and block his path. I refuse to believe he can evade us!"

"Yes!" Ma Qiwei and the others responded in unison, and promptly charged into the crevice.

Zhou Yihe promptly took out his transmission jade token and began to contact his sixth younger brother within the Starry Abyss Sect.

...

Within the mountain crevice, Lin Feng continued his rapid descent, soon reaching a nest strewn with numerous bones. The overwhelming smell was so potent it was almost like a miasma!

Beside the nest, there was a small, murky puddle. Near it grew a spiritual plant, its strong medicinal scent neutralizing the repulsive odor.

"Found it!" Lin Feng exclaimed, his face lighting up with joy, "A Mysterious Platform-level spiritual plant!"

’Although I don’t know its name, its medicinal properties indicate it’s a treasure that can nourish the Burning World Red Lotus,’ he thought excitedly and immediately reached out to grasp the spiritual plant.

At that exact moment, Ma Qiwei was the first to arrive. Seeing Lin Feng about to claim the spiritual plant, he shouted, "Halt! Lin Feng, we have pursued the Entwined Silk Vajra Python for a long time, and this spiritual plant should rightfully be ours!"

"You may be a disciple of the Starry Abyss Sect, but we too have connections within the sect!" he declared confidently.

"Hmph!" Lin Feng snorted, aware that his identity would eventually come to light, so he chose to reveal himself immediately.

"This treasure belongs to those who deserve it. Your clan’s playboy is hardly worthy of it!" he retorted sharply.

"You!!" Ma Qiwei’s face turned red with anger as he threatened, "Believe it or not, no one will find out if we kill you here today!"

Lin Feng remained silent, his eyes fixed intently on Ma Qiwei. He quickly plucked the spiritual plant and, without hesitation, stuffed it into his mouth.

This action left Ma Qiwei in shock. Consuming spiritual plants in such a way was akin to wasting their precious value. Moreover, some spiritual plants could be highly toxic if eaten without proper processing and neutralization.

Even though this Mysterious Platform-level spiritual plant might not be poisonous, the intensity of its medicinal energy could be overwhelming for anyone in the Soul Refining and Spiritual Awakening realms.

Furthermore, Lin Feng was now consuming the spiritual plant directly, without taking any time to refine and neutralize its medicinal energy. Consequently, his combat abilities would likely be weakened by the uncontrolled rush of its power.

In the moment Ma Qiwei was struck with disbelief at Lin Feng’s bold action, Lin Feng had already swallowed the entire spiritual plant, roots and all.

"You, spit it out!" Ma Qiwei roared, lunging forward to attack. By taking advantage of the moment while Lin Feng hadn’t yet refined the medicinal energy, forcing him to expel the plant might still salvage much of its value.

However, at that exact moment, with a resonating "Boom," a burst of energy erupted from Lin Feng’s body. This marked a significant breakthrough in his cultivation, propelling him to the Peak-stage of the Soul Refining realm!

Not only that, he was now on the brink of reaching the Half-step Spiritual Awakening realm!

"How can this be!?" The shout came not from Ma Qiwei, but from Zhou Yihe, who had just arrived. "Did he actually manage to digest the medicinal energy of the spiritual plant!?"

"No, no, this can’t be happening!" he stammered in disbelief, struggling to trust what he was seeing.

Ma Qiwei had already initiated his attack, swift as an arrow shot from a bow, aiming directly at Lin Feng!

Lin Feng sneered. Empowered by the Burning World Raging Flame, his longsword morphed into a fiery blade, and he quickly counterattacked.

With a sharp "Pfft," sound, a pair of severed arms flew into the air.

"Aagh—, my arms!" Ma Qiwei screamed in agony as blood spurted from his severed limbs like a high-pressure fountain. Several of his comrades rushed to his aid, attempting to stop the bleeding and provide immediate medical assistance.

"Lin Feng, how dare you!" Zhou Yihe bellowed, his bloodshot eyes glaring at Lin Feng. "I already know that you’re a discarded disciple, cast out from your sect. If you dare to cross my Zhou Clan, you’re inviting your own doom!"

"Surrender your weapon, hand over the spiritual plant, and reveal how you repaired your Dantian. Confess all your secrets to us!"

"Otherwise, my backup forces are already on their way, and your demise is inevitable!" he declared menacingly, his face twisted with greed. He was aware of the secrets Lin Feng possessed, but he also knew that if the Starry Abyss Sect became involved, he would lose any chance to claim a part of it.

Therefore, Zhou Yihe chose not to inform his sixth younger brother about Lin Feng’s healed Dantian. He also kept this information from Zhou Ruiyu, the patriarch of the Zhou Clan.

Given his mediocre aptitude, Zhou Yihe suspected that Zhou Ruiyu wouldn’t allocate to him all the gains acquired from Lin Feng; he would likely only receive a minor share.

Yet, in the face of Zhou Yihe’s threats, Lin Feng remained unresponsive, firmly holding his longsword as he walked resolutely towards Zhou Yihe.

...

Meanwhile, at the trade fair, inside the luxurious VIP room, Jiang Chen was reading a message he had just received on his transmission jade token: "Young Master, I’ve obtained the Aura Finder Smoke and ignited it. The target’s location has been pinpointed!"

’Lin Feng has been found!’ Jiang Chen thought, feeling a subtle sense of relief.

Just then, his transmission jade token vibrated again. He quickly scanned it with his divine sense and read the new message: "Young Master, we’ve just learned that a Spiritual Awakening realm expert from the Zhou Clan has abruptly left the trade fair, which is quite unusual!

I’ve sent someone to follow him discreetly, and it seems he’s leaving the city." This update was sent by another Jiang Clan cultivator.

In the original plot, Autumn Glory City was Lin Feng’s battleground. The Zhou Clan, as a major clan, had a reputation worse than the Jiang Clan, fitting the profile of the protagonist’s adversary. Consequently, Jiang Chen had already arranged for surveillance of key members of the Zhou Clan.

As he read the message, Jiang Chen’s eyebrows knitted together in thought. ’An expert from the Zhou Clan leaving the city in a hurry?’ he wondered silently.

’Could it be related to something Lin Feng did?’ he speculated internally. ’In just two hours, has Lin Feng already stirred up trouble?’

’Is this what it means to be the protagonist? I lose sight of him for a moment, and already there’s unforeseen trouble?’

’Damn it, I can’t let this get out of hand. The longer it goes on, the more advantages Lin Feng is likely to accumulate!’ Jiang Chen pondered, feeling a sense of urgency.