Watching Zhong Limeng disappear into the distance, Yi Feng found himself alone in the vast wilderness.

A sly grin crept across his face.

"Finally, a golden opportunity."

He had followed this group precisely to seek out powerful demonic creatures. While the others scattered to search, there was no way Yi Feng would obediently stay put.

Zhong Limeng, kind-hearted as she was, had even reminded him to send a signal if he encountered danger.

But Yi Feng had no intention of actually doing so.

Though he had agreed readily, the truth was he barely knew how to send a distress signal in the first place.

Ask for help?

Not a chance—never in this lifetime!

Yi Feng would rather die on the spot.

Quietly drawing his cleaver, he headed west, deliberately moving in the opposite direction of Zhong Limeng to ensure no one could possibly come to his rescue.

With his weapon in hand, Yi Feng strode forward, his spirits high.

Even as the endless expanse of ice and snow grew monotonous and the minor creatures he encountered along the way proved disappointingly weak, his resolve never wavered.

Ever since that girl’s words had enlightened him, his determination had become unshakable!

Memories of the blood-stained hills flooded his mind, fueling his anticipation of encountering formidable demons.

Adopting a "every little bit counts" mentality, he swung his blade relentlessly.

Transformed into an emotionless killing machine, he reaped experience points like a seasoned farmer harvesting crops.

Time blurred as he hacked through wave after wave of insignificant foes.

Then, at last, something unusual caught his eye.

Before him stood a towering ice-capped peak.

At its base, a structure resembling a house—crudely reminiscent of the blockhouses from those over-the-top fantasy dramas—jutted out from the frozen landscape.

The building resembled a multi-story tower, stretching dozens of feet high.

Constructed entirely from massive ice blocks, its semi-transparent walls shimmered faintly, revealing shadowy figures moving within.

Around the tower, various demonic creatures loitered.

Classic skeletal brutes, dopey big-eyed monsters, and a few diminutive long-eared fiends.

A single glance was all Yi Feng needed to gauge their strength. After countless battles, he had practically become an expert in demonology.

Though these were familiar foes, their cultivation levels were unimpressive, offering meager experience at best. The threat they posed was negligible.

Still, this was a decent haul—enough to fill a good chunk of his experience bar.

"Finally, some decent prey!"

Excited, Yi Feng tightened his grip on the cleaver and stepped forward.

Then—

A colossal spectral palm descended from the heavens.

The phantom hand tore through the clouds, sending the sky into turmoil!

Its hundred-foot shadow blotted out the sun, casting the tower and its surroundings into darkness. The impact shattered the ice beneath, sending tremors rippling through the earth!

BOOM!

The deafening roar echoed across the horizon.

Cracks spiderwebbed through the ground around the tower, and anguished wails mingled with the thunderous crash.

The tower trembled, and nearby snow-capped peaks began to rumble ominously.

In an instant—

Avalanches cascaded like raging rivers, burying half the once-pristine glacial plain!

Caught in the chaos, Yi Feng stared dumbfounded at the scene before him.

What the hell just happened?!

By the time the snow settled, the spectral palm had vanished. The once-thriving horde of demons now lay in ruins—over ninety percent reduced to mangled flesh and bone.

The few survivors writhed on the ice, most already on the verge of death.

"What the—?!"

Yi Feng’s eyes widened in shock and frustration.

He never expected someone else to intervene in such a place.

Had his teammates from earlier shown up?

Suspicious, he looked up.

Through the dispersing clouds, several figures descended gracefully.

They were all elderly men, faces unfamiliar, each striking the same pretentious pose—hands clasped behind their backs as they landed smoothly beside the tower. Their cold, indifferent gazes swept over the dying demons as if they were nothing more than livestock awaiting slaughter.

After a cursory glance, they casually demolished the tower with another strike.

Soon, a group of younger cultivators rushed over, bowing respectfully to the elders before swiftly collecting the demon corpses.

Under the lead elder’s silent command, they slaughtered the remaining survivors without hesitation, leaving no trace of the demonic outpost behind.

The scene was a wasteland of scattered limbs and gore—a ruthless efficiency that would make even the most cutthroat capitalist weep.

Having finally stumbled upon a decent batch of experience points, only to watch them get snatched away, Yi Feng’s eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.

These bastards were stealing his kills!

Unbelievable.

He’d heard of people stealing money, even people, but stealing monsters?!

Were these guys treating this like some damn MMORPG?!

Yi Feng was speechless.

Out of nowhere, a bunch of old men had appeared, ambushed the demons, and looted everything with practiced ease.

The entire time, they hadn’t even glanced his way, too busy harvesting the corpses as if Yi Feng’s outrage was beneath their notice.

Even the bald elder leading them had only spared him a dismissive sidelong look.

They’d clearly noticed he’d arrived first.

These bandits had no shame!

Not a hint of remorse crossed their haughty faces, as if stealing the demons was their divine right and no one dared protest.

With a flick of his sleeve, the bald elder collected the last of the valuable demon remains, leaving behind only worthless scraps.

By the time Yi Feng fully processed what had happened—

The group had already vanished into the distance, leaving only devastation in their wake.

The whole operation had been executed with terrifying speed and precision.

These guys were seasoned professionals—professional thieves!

In the blink of an eye, not a single monster remained.

Whoosh…

A cold wind howled across the desolate ice field.

Yi Feng’s expression darkened.

His experience points—and his mood—had been obliterated by these shameless bandits. The frustration of earlier setbacks paled in comparison to this fresh outrage.

This time, he couldn’t hold back.

Tilting his head skyward, he unleashed a furious roar—

"SONS OF BITCHES!"

"You thieving bastards! Next time I see you, I’ll smash your damn skulls in!"

His curses vanished into the void, unanswered.

The glacial expanse lay silent, devoid of life.

Only the sky responded—clouds churning ominously, as if a storm brewed on the horizon.