Chapter 1009: Half‑Finished Ninth‑Grade Golden Core!

Thinking of this, Lin Feng grasped Yun'er's palm and gave a slight motion, indicating that she should take it.

At the same time, he frantically searched his mind for a solution.

After all, fighting would certainly be futile, and if he couldn't devise another way to leave.

Then he and Yun'er would, today, likely become a pair of fugitive lovebirds.

Yun Yun received the signal from Lin Feng, instantly turned her head toward the skeleton that, having broken free from Lin Feng's control, saw its gray strange fire vanish and gradually become visible.

After a brief thought, she followed Lin Feng's intent, extended her jade hand, and took the skeleton.

At the same time, the corners of her mouth lifted slightly into a forced smile as she said, "Thank you, senior."

"No trouble. You released this old man, you owe me a favor, it's just some worldly items. Quickly take the thing and leave from where you entered, for this place has absorbed millennia of time, the Qi is thin, unsuitable for cultivators to linger."

As he spoke, a faint smile appeared on the middle‑aged man's face.

However, the urging in his words was heard loud and clear by Lin Feng and Yun Yun.

Hearing that, Lin Feng thought instantly, "If he's pushing Yun'er toward the ruin's entrance, could there be danger there?"

Thinking of this, Lin Feng did not hesitate; a strand of soul energy surged straight toward the consciousness left by the Heavenly Phoenix Tribe Clan Leader in his mind.

"Hmm?"

Just as Lin Feng moved, the gold‑clad man in the distance instantly sensed something amiss.

He then laughed, "Kid, the power in your mind is decent, already at Six‑Star Dou Saint level, but before me it's of little use, merely a troublesome thing."

Seeing Lin Feng's action, the gold‑clad man made no move, only gave him a mocking stare.

After all, in his eyes, a mere Six‑Star Dou Saint could be dealt with in minutes.

And the energy in the kid's mind, at the instant of his escape, had already been sensed.

"But you're quick to notice the ruin's entrance is wrong—quite alert. That old man, before dying, to prevent his concubine from assassinating him and stealing the pill, managed to take me out of this ruin and, at his last breath, sealed the spatial passage out of the ruin."

While speaking, the gold‑clad man sneered lightly, calmly saying, "Still, that old man was disgraceful—an Eight‑Star Dou Saint, yet assassinated to death by his own Four‑Star Dou Saint concubine. I've learned his lesson and won't repeat the mistake."

At this point, he looked at the graceful Yun Yun and continued, "Though you are exceedingly beautiful, compared with that old man's fifty‑nine‑thousand‑six‑hundred‑something wife—actually I've forgotten which wife that was—anyway, little girl, if you obediently probe the ruin's exit and survive after finding it, I may consider sparing your life."

Having said that, he turned to Lin Feng again, adding, "If you can hand over your own strange fire, I too may consider giving you a way out."

"Heh, just as I expected, because that alchemist died of poison before successfully refining you. I suppose you have passed the embryonic core stage, but without undergoing the Pill‑Thunder baptism. You're still not a perfect pill, are you?"

At this point, Lin Feng's eyes grew exceedingly solemn as he said gravely, "No, more precisely, you are not a perfect Ninth‑Grade Golden Core right now!"

"When I previously lifted that female Dou Saint's skeleton, the golden thunder that struck me must have been the Nine‑Mysterious Golden Thunder unique to the birth of a Ninth‑Grade Golden Core."

"Of course, that female Dou Saint was greedily overreaching, trying to use her own power against the Nine‑Mysterious Golden Thunder, and thus met a fate of death and disappearance."

"Heh, you little brat, you're a bit too clever for your own good."

Seeing Lin Feng's guess was almost spot‑on, the gold‑clad man's expression darkened slightly, and he sneered, "Still, you kid are lucky to have such strange fire for protection."

"Earlier I thought, after millennia of using the Nine‑Mysterious Golden Thunder to assassinate countless other cultivators, I was supremely experienced and could not fail. Yet I didn't expect you to successfully block it."

While speaking, the gold‑clad man extended his palm and turned the palm upward.

Accompanied by golden light gathering in his palm, the surrounding heavens and earth turned violently chaotic in an instant.

"Ssshh!"

Immediately, the sound of a thunderbolt slicing through the air rang out sharply.

At the same time, a miniature golden thunder about half a meter long darted out from the gold‑clad man's body.

Hovering half a meter above his outstretched palm, it spun back and forth continuously, playing.

However, the thunder in his hand, though small, was extremely dense.

Compared with the one that ambushed Lin Feng, it was countless ten‑thousands times stronger.

Meanwhile, the gold‑clad man continued, "I don't know whether to call you two a lucky or unlucky couple, but after those Dou Zuns destroyed the old man's skeleton and the space barrier outside the fire cauldron, you were the first to arrive here. You may live a bit longer, but you must also scout a path for me."

"Anyway, it doesn't matter. With your strength, you probably have never seen anyone break through to Nine‑Star Dou Saint. Today, I'll use your strange fire to advance myself to Nine‑Star Dou Saint. This will be the glory of your life!"

While speaking, the gold‑clad man sneered at Lin Feng, looking as if victory were assured.

"How on earth did he manage that? To control the Nine‑Mysterious Golden Thunder?!"

Staring at the golden thunder in the gold‑clad man's hand, like a toy to be squashed, Lin Feng's heart surged with a massive wave of terror.

Although he could not know the exact nature of that Nine‑Mysterious Golden Thunder.

Nevertheless, this thunder, summonable only by a Ninth‑Grade Golden Core, must be a world‑shattering weapon.

And now, this legendary thing is being controlled by a Ninth‑Grade Golden Core.

Logically, the Ninth‑Grade Golden Core should be suppressed by the Nine‑Mysterious Golden Thunder!

As for Yun Yun, she didn't know the origin of that golden thunder.

But sensing the violent energy on that thunder that could easily kill her, she subconsciously wanted to flee.

However, realizing they now have no way out, she could only brace herself, trembling, and stare at the gold‑clad man.

"Screech!"

Yet at that moment, the sky behind Lin Feng suddenly erupted in raging black flames, followed by a crisp, sharp phoenix cry resonating within the fire.

Seeing this, Lin Feng was instantly elated, realizing the thought left by the Heavenly Phoenix Tribe Clan Leader inside him had finally responded.

"Hoo!"

Immediately, a colossal black‑flame phoenix thousands of zhang tall swooped out of the black sea of fire, appearing before everyone's eyes.

"Oh, what kind of demon beast is this? It doesn't seem to appear in my memory."

Seeing the giant phoenix engulfed in raging black flames, the gold‑clad man raised an eyebrow, looking rather surprised.

However, he then laughed, shook his head, and said through the passage, "I don't care what kind of demon beast it is; in the end, you're just a tiny Six‑Star Dou Saint energy body. If your true form were present, I'd surrender immediately. But that thought, I still think I can destroy."

"Screech"

At that moment, the Heavenly Phoenix Tribe Clan Leader's thought sang again, then turned its head toward Lin Feng, its sharp phoenix beak opening and closing, saying, "Lin Feng kid, didn't you say you'd clear the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Tribe? Why did you bring me such an enemy?"

"My strength isn't weak, but judging by the opponent's aura, they're at least an Eight‑Star Dou Saint; that's beyond my capability."

Upon hearing that, Lin Feng also forced a wry smile, then explained: "Senior, we only came to this ruin to look for a treasure. Who could have imagined we would find a Ninth‑grade Golden Core— that gold‑clothed man truly had no way left, so we had no choice but to ask you to come out and help."

"Ninth‑grade Golden Core?"

Upon hearing that, the Phoenix Tribe chieftain's mind was instantly startled, then his gaze shifted and he scanned the gold‑clothed man opposite from head to toe.

"Indeed it is a Ninth‑grade Golden Core, that's correct, but the taste of this pill is a bit imperfect!"

After a careful observation, the Phoenix Tribe chieftain's mind, his expression immediately turned to astonishment.