Chapter 25: The Turning Tide

Lin Feng darted forward like a blur, closing the distance between himself and the serpent. His first strike—a straight jab infused with wind energy—cracked through the icy barrier surrounding the beast. The Twinforce Howler's wind aspect sliced through the air like invisible blades, carving deep gashes into the serpent's scaly hide.

The Frost Serpent retaliated by whipping its tail, which crackled with freezing energy. Lin Feng narrowly avoided being struck, rolling to the side just in time. Seizing the opportunity, he unleashed a spinning back kick enhanced by water manipulation. A dense sphere of water formed around his leg, amplifying the impact as it connected with the serpent's side. The force sent shockwaves rippling through the creature's body, causing cracks to form across its icy exterior.

But the serpent wasn't about to yield. With a flick of its head, it summoned a barrage of razor-sharp icicles, launching them toward Lin Feng with incredible speed. He countered by channeling wind energy into a protective vortex around himself, deflecting the projectiles harmlessly.

"Persistent little thing, aren't you?" Lin Feng growled, wiping away a trickle of blood from his cheek where one of the icicles had grazed him.

He decided to press the advantage, combining both aspects of his Twinforce Howler martial soul for maximum effect. Channeling water manipulation into his left fist and wind manipulation into his right, he delivered a devastating dual strike. The water-enhanced punch shattered another layer of the serpent's icy armor, while the wind-infused blow sliced through its exposed flesh.

The Frost Serpent let out a pained shriek, thrashing violently as it attempted to retreat momentarily. But Lin Feng wasn't done yet. Using the agility granted by his martial soul, he leaped onto the creature's back, delivering a flurry of punches and kicks aimed at its glowing red mark—the source of its corruption.

Despite Lin Feng's relentless assault, the Frost Serpent still retained enough strength to counterattack. It coiled its massive body tightly, attempting to crush him in its grip. Lin Feng barely managed to leap free, landing several feet away as the serpent slammed its tail down with enough force to create a small crater.

Breathing heavily, Lin Feng reached for the sword strapped to his waist. Drawing it swiftly, he recalled the Qi control technique taught by the village chief. Focusing intently, he channeled 20% of his total spiritual energy into the blade, enveloping it in a radiant aura of concentrated Qi.

The Frost Serpent lunged at him once more, its maw wide open as it unleashed a torrent of freezing mist. Lin Feng stood his ground, waiting until the last possible moment before sidestepping and driving the Qi-infused sword directly into the glowing red mark on the serpent's forehead.

Boom!

The impact sent shockwaves rippling through the creature's body, shattering what remained of its icy defenses. The Frost Serpent collapsed with a final, ear-splitting roar, its massive body lying motionless on the frozen ground.

Lin Feng stood over it, breathing heavily as he wiped away the blood trickling down his cheek with the sleeve of his robe. His sword gleamed faintly in the moonlight, still radiating traces of the concentrated Qi he had channeled into it moments earlier.

"It's Lin Feng. He's here."

Footsteps echoed from a distance, drawing closer until a group of familiar faces emerged from the shadows—Li Wei, Mei Ling, and several other peers who had been fighting nearby. Their expressions shifted between relief and awe as they took in the sight of the slain serpent.

"You guys…" Lin Feng greeted them casually, trying to mask his exhaustion.

"Oh! We were worried not seeing you earlier," Mei Ling said, her tone laced with both relief and mild reproach. She glanced pointedly at Li Wei. "It seems you're quite responsible, unlike someone who doubted you."

Li Wei ignored her jab, his eyes wide with disbelief as he stared at the dead Frost Serpent. "How did you kill it? It's at the middle stage of Qi Refining! Even some late-stage Qi Refining beasts wouldn't stand a chance against it."

Lin Feng shrugged nonchalantly, unwilling to reveal too much about his abilities or martial soul. "Perhaps it was already injured?"

"That makes sense," Liu Gang muttered, though skepticism lingered in his voice. Others nodded hesitantly, but there wasn't time to dwell on unanswered questions—the village remained under siege.

"What do we do now?" Mei Ling asked, glancing around at the group. "We've killed most of the beasts here. Should we head to the frontline?"

"It's suicide," Liu Gang interjected sharply. "Even though we've learned a lot recently, only you three have reached the Qi Refining stage. Throwing our lives away like this won't help anyone."

His words struck a chord, and the others exchanged uneasy glances. While they were willing to fight for their home, none wanted to march blindly into certain death.

"I'll go," Li Wei declared boldly, stepping forward. His voice carried an uncharacteristic note of determination. "If we don't support the elders and the chief, no one else will."

"I'm coming too," Mei Ling added firmly, nodding toward Lin Feng. Her gaze lingered on him expectantly, hoping he'd join them.

"You two go ahead," Lin Feng replied calmly. "I'll follow after recovering a bit."

Though curious, neither Mei Ling nor Li Wei pressed further. Perhaps Lin Feng truly needed rest—or perhaps he had something else planned. Whatever the case, they trusted him enough to let it slide for now. With a final glance back, they turned and sprinted toward the main battlefield.

Meanwhile, the guards and the hunting squad stationed at the village gates continued to hold their ground against the relentless tide of demonic beasts. Though outnumbered, their coordinated efforts were paying off. From what they observed, not all the beasts bore the glowing red mark on their foreheads—a detail that didn't escape their notice.

"It looks like that guy has a limit," one of the guards remarked, wiping sweat from his brow as he killed another beast with a well-placed spear thrust. "He can't control every single creature out there."

"True," another agreed, firing an arrow infused with spiritual energy at a charging rhino. "But the problem is, these marked beasts are leaders. They're stronger and smarter than the rest, and their packs follow them here because weaker beasts rely on them for guidance."

This observation explained why the battle seemed to be going easier as time went on. Once a marked leader fell, the remaining beasts often lost cohesion, scattering in confusion or fleeing outright.

"So, if we focus on taking down the marked ones first, the others will retreat," a third guard concluded, adjusting his grip on his weapon.

With this strategy in mind, the defenders redoubled their efforts, prioritizing the marked beasts whenever possible. Slowly but surely, the tide began to shift in their favor. Fewer enemies poured through the gates, and those that did were met with increasingly effective resistance.

For the first time since the battle began, the situation at the gates seemed to stabilize.

Back at the central battlefield, the situation remained precarious despite the progress elsewhere. Leng Mengli continued to dominate with his terrifying Blood Demon Martial Soul, the crimson domain spreading outward relentlessly. However, the arrival of Lin Jianhong marked a turning point. Fresh from slaying the demon hawk, the seasoned hunter joined forces with the village chief, coordinating their attacks with precision honed through years of experience.

"Stay close!" the village chief commanded, addressing the remaining elders. "We need to overwhelm him before he can react!"

With renewed vigor, the elders tightened their formation, harassing Leng Mengli from all sides while the chief and Jianhong executed devastating strikes. The village chief unleashed his full potential, channeling every ounce of his spiritual energy into his swordsmanship. Each slash created crescent-shaped waves of Qi that carved through the air like silent reapers, forcing Leng Mengli to retreat momentarily.

Lin Jianhong complemented the chief's offense with swift, calculated thrusts of his spear. Infused with Qi-enhanced runes, the weapon pierced through the Blood Demon's defenses repeatedly, weakening it incrementally. Together, they formed a deadly duo—one focused on overwhelming force, the other on pinpoint precision.

But Leng Mengli wasn't easily subdued. Sensing danger, he teleported once more, attempting to evade their coordinated assault. However, the village chief anticipated his movements, bolstering his own speed to the maximum using his spiritual energy. Decades of combat experience allowed him to predict where Leng Mengli would appear next, ensuring he stayed within striking range.

"Not this time!" the chief roared, swinging his sword in a wide arc. A massive crescent wave surged forward, clipping Leng Mengli's shoulder despite his attempt to dodge.

"How dare you hurt me?"

Feeling the fresh blood dripping from him and enraged, Leng Mengli retaliated by commanding the Blood Demon to unleash a torrent of crimson energy. The blast forced the elders to scatter, leaving gaps in their defensive line. Seizing the opportunity, he materialized behind another elder—a young woman wielding a Grade 6 Thunder Hammer Martial Soul—and delivered a brutal palm strike to her chest.

The impact sent her flying backward, crashing into a nearby structure. Though alive, she was clearly incapacitated, unable to continue fighting.