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**
Seeing the actions of the people he had hired, Han Feng, who had been about to give chase, could only halt his steps and immediately fly toward the scroll.
After all, having mingled in Black-Corner Region for so long, he knew full well the temperament of these people.
As long as the treasure was tempting enough, they wouldn't care whether you were the so-called Medicine Emperor or not.
Once that thing fell into their hands, trying to get it back would be nearly impossible.
The speed of a Dou Huang was naturally astonishing. In the blink of an eye, the five of them had already surrounded the scroll.
Just as they were about to seize it, all five of them lunged forward simultaneously, reaching for the scroll at full speed.
Among them, the closest to it were none other than the Gold and Silver Elders, both at the peak of Dou Huang.
Although Han Feng had the same level of Dou Qi, he had hesitated for a brief moment earlier—torn between chasing Yao Chen and going after the scroll—so his speed had fallen behind slightly.
However, just as the Gold and Silver Elders were about to grasp the scroll, a surge of immense soul power suddenly erupted from the center of Han Feng's forehead.
It carried a terrifying pressure as it swept toward the other four Dou Huangs with full force.
"Argh!"
Feeling a sharp pain stab into the depths of their minds, the figures of the four suddenly halted involuntarily.
Han Feng seized the opportunity, darting forward and snatching the scroll into his hand. Without delay, he stuffed it into his storage ring, avoiding any further complications or temptation from the others.
"Gentlemen," Han Feng said coldly, eyes gleaming with killing intent, "we agreed beforehand—everything on that man was mine. Don't you think your actions just now crossed the line?"
This Upper Volume of Flame Mantra was the item he had desired more than anything else over the past few decades. For someone to try and snatch it away now—this was a direct provocation of his bottom line.
"Hehe, we were just worried someone else might snatch it first," one of them said with a sly grin. "We thought we'd help Medicine Emperor guard it for a while."
After surviving in Black-Corner Region for so many years, they naturally didn't care for things like dignity or pride. Once they saw Han Feng had secured the scroll, they instantly changed their expressions, putting on kindly smiles.
There was no trace of the mad scramble from just moments ago.
At the same time, seeing how deeply Han Feng cared about the scroll only confirmed it in their minds:
That scroll—was definitely a High-Grade Earth Class cultivation technique!
Thinking this, all of them felt a wave of disappointment.
If one of them had managed to get their hands on it earlier, with a technique of that level, their chances of advancing to Dou Zong would have skyrocketed.
Hearing their clumsy excuses, Han Feng realized there was no point in pursuing the matter further.
After all, he alone could do nothing against four other Dou Huangs. Continuing to argue was meaningless.
"Since this mission failed, as agreed, I'll only pay half the commission. I'll have someone deliver it to your residences before the end of next month. For now, I'll take my leave."
With that, the deep blue wings on Han Feng's back flared, and he shot toward Feng City at full speed.
His mood was extremely complicated—half joy, half worry.
He was overjoyed because he had finally obtained the upper half of the Flame Mantra, something he had coveted for decades.
But he was also worried—he had failed to kill that old man, leaving behind a tremendous threat.
Still, now that he had the complete Flame Mantra, the first thing he needed to do was perfect his own cultivation method.
To finally resolve the issue of the Heavenly Flame—which had been unstable due to incomplete fusion and would occasionally go berserk.
Seeing Han Feng depart, the remaining four, though unwilling, did not dare go after him.
After all, with Han Feng at peak Dou Huang strength, and possessing a Heavenly Flame, even the strongest among them—the Gold and Silver Elders—weren't confident they could take the technique from him.
So, after exchanging glances, the four of them each turned and left.
"Didn't expect that old fox Yao Chen to be so bold. That scroll he threw away earlier… must've been the Flame Mantra, huh?"
From a forest several miles away from the battlefield, Lin Feng flew out, a flicker of surprise on his face.
After dealing with the auction house business, he had been lingering around the Great Plains, waiting for Xiao Yan to appear.
His original plan was to wait until Han Feng and the others had paid a bloody price to win, then call out Queen Medusa to finish off Han Feng—playing the mantis stalking the cicada, only to be the oriole waiting behind.
That way, not only could he seize the complete Flame Mantra and both factions' belongings…
He could also obtain the Sea Heart Flame and Bone Chilling Flame, ranked 15th and 11th among the Heavenly Flames.
Moreover, outsiders would only assume it had been the work of a passing Dou Zong expert. No one would suspect a mere Five-Star Dou Wang like him.
In this way, not only could he obtain everything he desired, he could also ensure his own safety.
However, things had turned out far differently than Lin Feng had planned.
Who would've thought that Yao Chen would actually throw out the Flame Mantra to distract Han Feng and the others, then use that moment to escape?
Whether or not that move had stunned Han Feng, Lin Feng couldn't say for sure.
But what he did know was that his plan had completely fallen apart.
Thinking of this, a deep wave of disappointment flooded Lin Feng's heart.
If he had obtained the Flame Mantra and the two Heavenly Flames, then combined them with the Green Lotus Core Flame he already possessed, that would've made three Heavenly Flames in total.
Afterward, he could switch his cultivation method to the Flame Mantra and, by choosing the right Dou Qi levels at each stage, absorb each of the three flames one at a time.
Doing that would guarantee that his cultivation level would at least reach Dou Zong.
Later, if he could figure out a way to obtain the Falling Heart Flame beneath the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower...
Then his future accomplishments would no doubt include the word "Sheng."
Unfortunately, what was done was done—there was no changing the outcome now. He would have to come up with another way to get both the Flame Mantra and more Heavenly Flames.
"Still, this secret technique Hidden Soul, from Yuan Yi... really lives up to its name. A Low-Grade Earth Class concealment technique—it's quite useful."
Glancing at the thin veil of special concealment Dou Qi around his body, Lin Feng couldn't help but marvel.
While organizing Yuan Yi's storage ring earlier, not only had he found Yuan Yi's signature Dou Technique—Shadow Demon Hand, a Low-Grade Earth Class attack technique...
He had also discovered this Low-Grade Earth Class concealment technique: Hidden Soul.
And of course, there was also the dark-attribute cultivation method Yuan Yi had been practicing.
But what truly caught Lin Feng's interest was definitely Hidden Soul.
Though it didn't enhance combat strength, it allowed the user to mask their presence, making them extremely hard to detect.
And that was exactly what Lin Feng needed—especially for when the Falling Heart Flame erupted from the tower eight months later.
With this technique, his chances of being discovered during that crucial operation would drop significantly.
It was practically tailor-made for his plans.
"Alright, time to head back to Sky Profound City for now. The auction will be held in a few days, and I still have the Yin-Yang Mysterious Dragon Pill on me. I definitely can't miss that."
Muttering quietly to himself, Lin Feng gave a light flap of his wings—and his figure vanished from sight.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Xiao Yan and his group, having arrived at Sky Profound City, felt no signs of Han Feng or the others pursuing them.
Only then did they land in a secluded spot outside the city.
"You should head back and heal for now," Yao Chen said, looking at Ling Ying's nearly severed arm—the result of protecting him. "If you don't have a healing pill on you, I'll refine one for you once my soul power has recovered."
Ling Ying frowned and asked, "You don't think that guy will come after us again? Shouldn't we just go straight to Jia Nan Academy?"
Yao Chen smiled lightly, "Don't worry. It's been quite a while already, and they still haven't chased us. They probably don't want to attract the attention of some of the other old monsters in Black-Corner Region. In the end, that Heavenly Flame might not even end up theirs."
"In that case, take care. I'll head to Jia Nan Academy first and inform the young miss of what happened."
Hearing that, Ling Ying nodded, and in the blink of an eye, his figure disappeared.
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