The mercenaries, hearing the news, became exceptionally thrilled, hurriedly packing their gear to rush into the rear mountains before nightfall.

Only one knight’s eyes gleamed with pure hatred—this was the one whose wrist Chen Feng had crippled. I'll find a secluded spot and kill him, showing no mercy! he thought darkly to himself.

Little Yas, seeing so many people preparing to search for the spherical bead at once, was also very excited and insisted on going along. Chen Feng naturally couldn't take him, and after a long negotiation, a suitable arrangement was finally reached: the price was a full day of playing with him tomorrow.

Chen Feng put on a piece of clothing and walked in front, the mercenary troop trailing behind him.

The rear mountains were not actually vast, but they stretched and undulated for several thousand kilometers, appearing like a naturally formed, ice-sealed Demon Garden, a barrier between the frozen wild and human society. The sky outside remained frigid, with snowflakes occasionally fluttering down. A blood-red setting sun hung against the white mountainside, making the snow-covered peaks extraordinarily dazzling under the twilight glow.

Since it was not winter, although the air was cold and dry, the trees in the mountains were still lush and thriving, a vibrant green contrasting sharply with the stark white, creating a powerful visual impact.

The group had left their horses outside John's door, as riding them up the mountain would be impossible.

Treading on the thick snow, the excitement on everyone’s faces was beyond words, and continuous, noisy chatter erupted!

“I can’t believe we ran into such good fortune right when we came out. It seems Heaven truly never seals off all paths!” exclaimed one dark-faced giant enthusiastically.

“Who said otherwise! Hey, Big Black, once we sell those Cores, what are you planning to do with the money?” remarked a heavily bearded, sturdy man beside him.

“Hmm…” The dark-faced giant paused for a moment before saying, “First, I’m buying out Piaopiao! I promised the woman that as soon as I had the money, I’d marry her!”

“Tch! Good-for-nothing,” scoffed the bearded giant. “Marrying a slut, you don't even feel dirty! If it were me, I’d spend the money first to forge a set of magnificent armor, then buy a mansion, to show those dogs who looked down on me that I'm a rich man!”

The surrounding crowd seemed energized as if injected with stimulants, their clamorous voices startling flocks of wild birds that flew far into the quiet forest depths...

…………

After walking for about an hour, the sun had completely set, but the snow reflected enough light for visibility within a few dozen meters.

The crowd began to feel they were walking farther and farther, and their initial enthusiasm gradually waned. Some people were already starting to grumble.

The Captain walked directly behind Chen Feng, his eyes locked onto him. The moment Chen Feng made any suspicious move, he would strike immediately!

It would be a lie to say he wasn't wary; every member of this mercenary troop had lived on the edge of a blade, constantly facing the threat of death. However, he didn't believe Chen Feng was lying either. With over twenty mercenaries, plus his own cultivation as a Sixth-Tier Fighter, if a mere child dared to deceive him, he was clearly inviting a swift end!

No one wanted to die, especially the old and the young!

Chen Feng secretly regulated his breathing. Relying solely on the power of the Qi Vortex afforded by his current Second-Tier Fighter cultivation, he couldn't possibly eliminate all these people; his only recourse was to recover his strength as quickly as possible.

His body had been severely injured before, making it unable to withstand the ferocity of the Dark Qi Vortex, which was why he hadn't dared to cultivate excessively. Now, after a week of rigorous physical labor and the healing treatment from the Azure Spring, his fractured ribs and injured body had significantly improved. Although he couldn't return to peak condition, absorbing the vital energy of heaven and earth to reach the level of a Fifth-Tier Fighter would only take an hour!

Taking a deep breath, Chen Feng plunged his right hand into his bright red hair and scratched his scalp, adopting an expression of bewilderment before stopping his steps.

As the Dark Qi Vortex filled him, the restless feeling in his heart grew stronger and stronger, gradually evoking the sensation of slaughtering enemies under the moonlight from that other night. The only slight imperfection was that it was late in the month, and the crescent moon wouldn't appear until midnight; practicing the ultimate techniques of the Eight Gods without the moon felt like something essential was missing.

Seeing him stop, everyone in the group instinctively halted as well.

“Are we there?” the Captain asked first.

Chen Feng turned around, his face devoid of any expression, his voice cold. “We are!”

“There?” The Captain and the others behind him looked around the empty grove, seeing no sign of any Fierce Beasts.

“Where are the Fierce Beasts? Where are the corpses of the beasts you mentioned?” one Fighter couldn't help but shout out loudly.

Chen Feng let out a cold sneer, his arrogant voice ringing out: “There are no Fierce Beasts here. What you will find instead are your corpses!”

“What did you say?” The crowd couldn't believe their ears. A youth speaking to a group of hardened men like that—if anyone believed him, it would be a miracle.

“Hahahaha…” Chen Feng’s right hand remained in his red hair as he laughed violently, causing him to stagger!

The moment the Dark Qi Vortex was activated within him, the urge to kill would send Chen Feng into a frenzy, making him somewhat irrational. The external manifestation of this state was this wild laughter, a laughter laced with contempt and a playful attitude that infuriated his opponents.

“Perhaps this is what you were looking for!” As his laughter died down, Chen Feng flicked his wrist, and numerous Cores—Beast Cores and Magic Cores—appeared seemingly from thin air, at least thirty or forty of them, none of which appeared to be lower than Third-Tier!

“Agh…” The entire crowd gasped, their breathing growing shallow!

Just seeing one Third-Tier Beast Core had made them ecstatic; now, faced with thirty or forty Beast and Magic Cores of various attributes, they were too astonished to speak coherently!

“Kill him! All of these belong to us!” someone shouted from the crowd!

If one had paid close attention, they would recognize this man as the very Knight Chen Feng had crippled, leaving both hands useless.

The Captain nodded slightly. Robbing and murdering were acts unworthy of honorable mercenaries, but if they could seize these Beast Cores and Magic Cores, what did one more kill matter?

“Attack!” the Captain commanded, and the first four Fighters lunged forward!

All four were Second-Tier Fighters, similar in height, and each stood over 1.9 meters tall.

“Hahaha, die, brat!” The four grinned wickedly simultaneously and thrust out a punch.

The four positioned themselves at the cardinal points, trapping Chen Feng in the middle. Each threw a punch, instantly sealing off every possible escape route!

Deploying four Second-Tier Fighters against one child seemed excessive, but the Magic Cores and Beast Cores in his possession were too terrifyingly valuable; seizing them quickly was the priority. Moreover, why would a mere child possess such a hoard of Cores? Did he have a powerful background backing him?

The Captain was inherently a cautious man. After following Chen Feng out, he had kept his guard up, constantly monitoring their rear, and only decided to move after confirming absolutely no one was tailing them and that they were unobserved by any outsiders.

In the deep, desolate mountains, once someone was killed and chopped into meat paste, buried underground, even the most influential background couldn't trace the killer, right? It was based on this logic that he had agreed to the attack! A fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy, no matter how astonishing his talent, could never overcome a mercenary troop of over twenty experienced fighters!

Watching the four surround the red-haired youth, the Captain’s lips slowly curled upward. In this moment, he could already envision piles of gold coins, throngs of beautiful women, numerous luxurious residences, and legions of robust servants... I’m about to become rich too!

He had assumed coming to the Ice-Sealed Demon Garden would be a near-certain death venture, never suspecting such immense benefits would fall into their laps! Thinking of this, the Captain couldn't help but roar with laughter, just like the laughter of the red-haired boy!

“Hahahaha… cough cough… Ah…”

However, as soon as the laughter erupted, he witnessed a scene that filled him with terror. He tried to stop laughing but choked, letting out a fit of coughing.

All four Fighters attacking the red-haired youth were sent flying backward. Their chests bore identical, bloody cavities, revealing massive holes where their hearts should have been—and their hearts were simultaneously gone!

From the empty holes where the hearts should have been, a faint azure flame suddenly erupted. This flame rapidly intensified, and in less than a second, the corpses of the four fighters simultaneously turned to ash!