"Let's go," Ling Feng said, a heavy note of boredom seeping back into his voice as he dusted off his sleeves. "The show's over. There's nothing left to see here."
He turned his gaze toward the trembling elder of the War God Temple. The old man, a figure who could usually stomp his foot and make the Grand Middle Territory shake, now stood with his head bowed low, sweat beading on his forehead.
"Old man, the deal with War God Mu? Consider it fulfilled," Ling Feng said casually, speaking as if he were concluding a Craigslist transaction rather than a heaven-shaking pact with a supreme existence. "Keep my payment safe—I'll come collect it later."
The elder opened his mouth to speak, but the words caught in his throat. He swallowed hard, then finally bowed so deeply his forehead nearly touched his knees.
"This old man… will remember today's favor," the elder rasped, his voice hoarse with awe. "The War God Temple owes Young Noble Ling a debt that spans the heavens."
"Yeah, yeah, put it on the tab." Ling Feng waved his hand dismissively, his posture relaxed and utterly lacking the rigid etiquette of a cultivator. "Just don't try to scam me on the reward. I have a very strict return policy. And trust me, you don't want to see me talk to the manager."
He didn't wait for a reply. He glanced over his shoulder at the three breathtaking beauties standing amidst the ruin of the battlefield—Li Shuangyan, Chen Baojiao, and Xu Pei.
"Ladies. Time to go. I'm done networking with corpses and old monsters for one day."
They moved in close without a millisecond of hesitation. They flanked him—one on each side, one guarding the rear—moving with a fluidity that suggested this formation was second nature. The chaotic bloodlust of the battlefield vanished from their auras, replaced by an absolute, docile trust in the man before them.
Ling Feng raised a hand and simply snapped his fingers.
"Chaos Control."
The air didn't just ripple; reality itself seemed to flinch. The Green Chaos Emerald within his Inner Void pulsed, asserting its mastery over Space Control. Unlike the crude teleportation arrays of this world that tore through space, Ling Feng's power simply rewrote their coordinates.
In the span of a single heartbeat, the stench of blood, the oppressive aura of the Ancient Heavenly Corpse Burial Ground, and the apocalyptic roar of the Underworld River vanished.
Silence greeted them.
They appeared instantly within the secluded courtyard of the Nine Saint Demon Gate's compound in Ancient Sky City. The transition was seamless—no dizziness, no spatial tearing. It felt as if they had merely stepped from a noisy street into a quiet library, leaving a hellish graveyard behind as casually as closing a door.
Chen Baojiao exhaled a long breath, her tense shoulders finally relaxing. The crimson aura of her Tyrannical Valley Immortal Spring Physique settled down, the fire in her eyes dimming to a warm ember.
"Every time we go out with you, Young Noble, the entire world shakes," she murmured, shaking her head. "My heart can barely keep up."
Li Shuangyan shot her a side-glance, though the usual icy edge of her expression had melted into a faint, knowing curve of the lips. "That is simply his nature. Where he goes, common sense goes to die."
Xu Pei smiled softly, her eyes filled with gentle adoration. "As long as we return together, it is fine."
Ling Feng didn't stand on ceremony. He walked over to his familiar cold jade couch and dropped onto it as if his bones had suddenly turned to liquid. He tossed the ominous corpse cloak aside like a dirty towel and patted his thighs, then the empty space beside him.
"Come here."
Baojiao didn't even pretend to hesitate this time. With a feline grace, she slid onto his lap, her back pressing against his chest. Her earlier ferocity as a battle goddess was replaced by a catlike languor, seeking his warmth.
Xu Pei sat to his left, her hands folded quietly in her lap, but she leaned in until her shoulder brushed against his, craving the contact.
Li Shuangyan hesitated for only a fraction of a second, her noble upbringing warring with her heart, before she chose the right side. She sat with a straight back and proper posture, maintaining the image of the icy goddess, but the way her fingers curled tightly into his sleeve betrayed her completely.
Ling Feng looked at the three of them, his eyes softening. The Chaos Force inside him, which usually fed on emotions and willpower, hummed contentedly at the genuine affection radiating from them.
"Good work today," he said, his voice dropping to a comfortable rumble. "You all handled yourselves well. One-shotting Royal Nobles, scaring old fogeys half to death… not bad for an afternoon stroll."
Baojiao snorted, though her cheeks flushed a lovely shade of pink. "You say it as if we were just sweeping fallen leaves in the backyard."
Xu Pei's gaze was gentle but burned with a hidden determination. "With you leading the way, Feng, we can be bold. We fear nothing."
Li Shuangyan's voice was calm, resonant like a silver bell. "Those so-called great powers only respect strength. Today, they have seen a glimpse of the abyss. In the future, they will know to lower their heads and avert their eyes when they see you."
Ling Feng chuckled, a dry, amused sound. "In the future, when they see us. Don't forget yourselves in the equation."
He reached out, threading his fingers through Xu Pei's soft hand, sliding his other arm securely around Li Shuangyan's slender waist, while resting his chin comfortably on Chen Baojiao's shoulder.
For a while, he said nothing. He just let the silence of the courtyard wash over them.
Outside these walls, Ancient Sky City was buzzing like a kicked hornet's nest. Rumors were flying about a mysterious youth in a corpse cloak who moved War God Mu, who negotiated with the Middle Continent Princess, and who killed Royal Nobles and Enlightened Beings like dogs. The entire Grand Middle Territory was flipping upside down.
But inside the courtyard, the storm could not reach them.
"After this," Ling Feng said lazily, closing his eyes, "War God Mu will get his life extension. Bu Lianxiang will get her second chance. The big lineages will stew in their resentment and pretend to be dignified while plotting my murder."
He tightened his hold on them slightly.
"And we," he murmured, his breath warm against Baojiao's sensitive ear, "are going to enjoy the calm before the next storm. I owe you three some proper quality time."
Xu Pei's ears turned a brilliant red. "Feng…"
Li Shuangyan's usual icy calm wavered, a hint of shyness flickering under her gaze as her eyelashes fluttered. "Young Noble, your words are too frivolous…"
Chen Baojiao simply laughed, a low, throaty sound of pleasure. "Then let us see how Young Noble intends to compensate us."
Ling Feng grinned, a wolfish but genuinely loving expression.
"Challenge accepted."
...
A day of fun for Ling Feng passed quickly. He didn't go all the way just yet, but he certainly carved sensations into their hearts and bodies that none of the girls would ever forget. The Chaos Force, reacting to the intense positive affection, generated pure energy rings within his Inner Void, further stabilizing his cultivation.
At this moment, Ling Feng was slowly getting up from the couch, untangling himself from the softness around him.
"Alright," he said, patting Baojiao's waist gently. "As much as I want to just stay inside and chill, there is some stuff here I want to get."
Baojiao glared up at him with a pout, but she obediently sat up and began adjusting her crimson robes.
Xu Pei tied her sash with practiced neatness, though a faint rosy hue still colored her cheeks whenever her eyes met his.
Li Shuangyan straightened her messy hair, her expression regaining its icy calm, but the way her fingers lingered briefly on the back of his hand before she pulled away betrayed her current state of mind.
Ling Feng swung his legs off the couch and stood. The Chaos Force within his Inner Void flowed, automatically smoothing his aura. It wiped away the traces of their intimate time; to outsiders, "Young Noble Ling" was once more the unfathomable, lazy devil of the Grand Middle Territory.
"Come," he said, stretching his arms above his head until his back cracked. "Before we head back to the sect, we'll stroll Ancient Sky City. I need to pick up some loot. Consider it… shopping before the next massacre."
Baojiao's eyes lit up immediately at the phrase "pick up some things."
Xu Pei blinked, surprised. "We're… going to the Ancient Street?"
Li Shuangyan's elegant brows furrowed slightly. "At this time, all the great powers are gathered. The Underworld Boat event has drawn out every monster. I fear the eyes on you will be too many."
"Then let them watch," Ling Feng said, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Free advertisement."
...
Ancient Sky City – A Dragon Among Jackals
Ancient Sky City was noisier than usual. It was a boiling cauldron of voices, spiritual sense, and anxiety.
Rumors flew faster than flying treasures.
"Did you hear? At the Underworld River, some junior in a corpse cloak moved War God Mu directly onto a divine boat!"
"Impossible! Even the Treasure Lords couldn't stop that person!"
"It's true! And after that, he killed Royal Nobles and Enlightened Beings like he was slaughtering chickens for dinner…"
"The War God Temple actually bowed their heads to him… Who is this monster?"
Everywhere they walked, whispers followed like a shadow. People's gazes were like floodwaters—curious, fearful, and covetous. They looked at Ling Feng's group and instinctively made way, parting like the sea, even if they didn't consciously realize why they were moving.
Ling Feng's corpse cloak had been replaced by a simple, modern-cut black robe. His bearing was relaxed, hands tucked into his sleeves as if he were simply a tourist out to enjoy the scenery. He didn't walk with the stiff, straight-backed gait of a cultivator; he walked with a casual, loose-limbed swagger.
At his side, Li Shuangyan walked with her usual icy nobility. The Frost Dragon Sword at her waist hummed with a suppressed chill, and her Pure Jade Physique radiated a faint, terrifying pressure.
Chen Baojiao, dressed in crimson, exuded the wild vigor of a battle princess. The Tyrannical Valley Immortal Spring Physique pulsed quietly within her, her vitality churning like a volcano disguised as a mountain spring.
Xu Pei, in soft blue, looked the gentlest on the surface, but the Violent Cloud Chant's underlying ferocity flashed occasionally in her eyes, warning anyone foolish enough to underestimate her.
They did not need to speak loudly. Their very presence was like a sharp knife cutting through the crowded streets of Ancient Sky City.
Stalls lined both sides of the ancient stone road—treasures from forgotten epochs, broken Emperor artifacts, strange metals heavy with Grand Dao life runes, and talismans that glowed faintly with immortal light. People haggled in hushed tones; no one dared to cause a large disturbance in this place where so many terrifying old monsters were present.
"Feng," Xu Pei whispered, stopping to look at a stall displaying a delicate, ornate cauldron. "This small cauldron… it seems suitable for refining auxiliary pills for the sect."
Ling Feng glanced at it once, his expression unimpressed. "Too shallow. It's flash over substance. The dao patterns are messy; it looks pretty, but it will crack under true fire in five minutes."
He flicked his fingers. His Chaos Sense, derived from the Primal Chaos Genesis Physique, brushed over the street like an invisible breeze, scanning every atom, every hidden rune, every trace of energy.
He stopped before a dusty, neglected corner stall. On a low table, half-hidden behind useless junk and rusted iron, lay a plain, dark-green cauldron. It had no ornamentation, only three simple legs and a faint, almost imperceptible scent of medicinal herbs clinging to its surface.
"This one," Ling Feng said, pointing. "The tripod is stable. The dao runes are hidden inside the metal structure, not flaunted on the outside. Its maker had a good Dao Heart. Simple. Efficient."
Xu Pei's eyes lit up, trusting his judgment implicitly.
The old man behind the stall looked up, his eyes cloudy. He opened his mouth, instinctively about to recite an exorbitant price to fleece a young master—then his gaze met Ling Feng's.
He froze. In those casual, dark eyes, the old man saw an abyss that swallowed light. His throat worked dryly.
"Y-Young Noble wishes to buy this cauldron?" he asked carefully, his greed instantly strangled by survival instinct.
Ling Feng smiled lazily. "Your eyes aren't bad for someone still alive. Name a fair price."
The old man named a sum. It was reasonable—surprisingly so. Ling Feng tossed him a small bag of spirit stones without bargaining. As Xu Pei lifted the cauldron, Ling Feng's hand brushed its surface.
For a brief instant, Chaos Force seeped from his fingertips into the metal. It didn't just empower it; it rewrote the imperfections, smoothing out the metallurgical flaws and etching an invisible, protective circuit that only Xu Pei's specific dao could fully activate.
"It'll resonate better with your flame now," he murmured to her.
Xu Pei's heart trembled slightly as she felt the change in the artifact. "Thank you, Feng."
Next, they stopped for Li Shuangyan. Ling Feng picked through a pile of "junk jade" and pulled out an unremarkable hairpin carved from a piece of ice-jade.
To the crowd, it looked like a trinket for a mortal woman. But once Ling Feng touched it, the jade's inner veins thickened, flashing with a momentary azure light that mirrored the profound cold of Li Shuangyan's Frost Dragon Sword.
"When you circulate your qi, this will serve as a secondary node for your Pure Jade Physique," he said casually, sliding it into her hair. "Less leakage, more edge. It'll fix that slight drag you feel when you cycle your mantra."
Li Shuangyan touched the hairpin, shocked. She hadn't even told him about that minor cultivation flaw. Her fingers tightened around the cool stone. "…You even think of such details."
"For my girlfriends, I either don't do things, or I do them properly," he replied with a wink.
Finally, for Baojiao, he lifted a simple, bronze bangle from a merchant's tray. The merchant had classified it as "miscellaneous scrap metal," barely worth melting down.
However, Ling Feng's Chaos Sense screamed at him. This was forged from a rare, blood-drinking metal from a lost era. A thread of Chaos Force sank into the bronze, awakening the sleeping ferocity within. The bangle vibrated, emitting a low, thirsty hum that only Baojiao could hear.
"With this," he said, sliding the bangle onto Baojiao's wrist, "your Tyrannical Valley springs will erupt faster. When you punch someone, the bangle will drink their blood and convert it into vitality to help you recover. It's a closed-loop system. Environmentally friendly recycling."
Baojiao laughed, her eyes bright and fierce. "Young Noble's taste… I truly like it."
The surrounding young geniuses and sect disciples watched this scene with complicated expressions—envy, disbelief, and burning greed.
To them, each of those small actions reeked of impossible wealth and confidence. Yet Ling Feng treated these peerless treasures like cheap trinkets bought at a dollar store to coax beauties.