Chapter 25: The Mysterious Crimson Glow

“Qi Gang Hammer?” Qin Feng was momentarily surprised.

Only at the tenth stage of the Mortal Gang realm could one barely manage to unleash Gang energy through explosive force. Yet, although this person’s cultivation surpassed his own, relying solely on a half-mastered Qi Gang Hammer to kill him was far too naive.

However, Qin Feng chose not to retaliate. Without knowing the opponent’s identity and purpose, he would never act rashly—especially since there was a super expert sitting nearby. With his current cultivation and the defense of his Hardened Divine Ability, even if this hammer struck him, it would amount to nothing more than spitting out a mouthful of blood. Therefore, Qin Feng opted to observe, unwilling to make a move unless absolutely necessary.

That was Qin Feng’s plan, but to outsiders, it appeared as if he had been scared senseless by the punch, standing there, unsure what to do.

Just as the punch was about to strike, a tangible green light flashed before Qin Feng at an even greater speed, and with a single touch, it dispersed the handsome youth’s Qi Gang Hammer.

Qin Feng immediately breathed a sigh of relief. His hands, clenched tightly under the water, relaxed a little.

“Shaohong, how many times have I told you not to be so impatient?” Suddenly, the middle-aged man scolded from the side.

“Yes, Uncle.” The youth respected the man greatly, but when he turned to look at Qin Feng, his gaze carried a hint of icy intent.

Qin Feng was all too familiar with that look. Clearly, the youth truly harbored murderous thoughts towards him.

The tall girl watched from the side, her face expressionless, as if crushing Qin Feng, this insignificant ant, was no big deal.

After chastising the handsome youth, the middle-aged man turned to Qin Feng and asked, “Who are you? Why are you here?”

His tone was immensely authoritative, making it hard for anyone to muster resistance.

Qin Feng, with great effort, straightened his body under the man’s pressure, raised his head, and replied calmly, “Qin Feng of the Qin family in Luoyang Town—bathing here.”

He told a small lie, but it hardly mattered since he was naked. What else could he say but bathing? Qin Feng certainly wasn’t about to foolishly reveal his true purpose for coming to Mirrorwater Lake.

His answer caused all three faces to shift noticeably.

First, the middle-aged man’s expression eased somewhat upon hearing Qin Feng hailed from the Qin family, and the oppressive aura he emanated diminished greatly, no longer bearing down on Qin Feng as before. Moreover, Qin Feng’s poise under pressure—calm and unyielding—left a good impression on him.

The handsome youth still wore that annoying expression, his eyes flickering with surprise but even more disdain, especially when Qin Feng claimed to be a Qin family disciple. His contempt was palpable.

The tall girl’s expression changed a little; her gaze towards Qin Feng became curious rather than indifferent. Upon hearing Qin Feng was bathing, she even let out a soft laugh, her eyes glancing—intentionally or otherwise—at Qin Feng’s hidden area, her cheeks gradually reddening.

Internally, she cursed at his shamelessness, wondering who else could declare their bathing so grandly.

“A Qin family disciple? Well then! Have you awakened your bloodline soul yet?”

To Qin Feng’s surprise, the middle-aged man suddenly asked this, his tone carrying a hint of elder-like kindness. For a moment, Qin Feng wondered if his ears were deceiving him, but after a pause, he clasped his hands and answered, “No, senior. I just turned eighteen this year.”

“Hmm, then we’ll see how you perform this year. Now, answer me truthfully—have you been here the whole time?” The middle-aged man nodded, then abruptly turned serious, stroking his beard.

“Yes, I’ve been here the whole time… bathing,” Qin Feng replied, a rare hint of embarrassment on his face.

“Did you notice anything unusual, such as… red light?”

“Red light?” Qin Feng was taken aback. He thought carefully; he had been focused on his body earlier and hadn’t noticed any red light. There was no need to lie, so he looked up and replied honestly, “No, I didn’t see anything unusual.”

This time, Qin Feng spoke the truth. The middle-aged man stared into his clear eyes for a long time and, after confirming Qin Feng wasn’t lying, bowed his head in contemplation.

“How odd—just now, I clearly saw it fly in this direction. Why is it gone now? Could it have used a duplication technique?”

After a moment’s thought, the middle-aged man wasted no more time. He knelt on one knee, and his five fingers suddenly radiated bright green light as he grabbed at the beast’s head. The enormous creature instantly felt pain and swiftly turned its massive form to flee in another direction.

In the blink of an eye, the man and beast had vanished, leaving only the middle-aged man’s parting words echoing across the empty Mirrorwater Lake: “Little one, we shall meet again.”

They were gone, but Qin Feng remained motionless in the water for a long while.

To say he wasn’t afraid would be a lie.

His back was covered in droplets; whether sweat or lake water, he couldn’t tell. After all, this was Qin Feng’s first encounter with a Di Gang realm expert—the kind of fear that came from knowing he could be killed in an instant was something ordinary people could not bear.

Luoyang Town—how laughable!

At that moment, Qin Feng felt as if he were a frog at the bottom of a well. In Luoyang Town, this small place, he could barely be considered outstanding, but what if someday he left Luoyang Town?

His heart grew anxious. He still had to search for his missing father, unlock the mysteries of his strange illness, and so many other things awaited him. The prerequisite for all of it was absolute strength!

He must become stronger, must become a true expert!

Never again did Qin Feng want to feel so powerless.

Not for his whole life!

“Ah…!”

To vent the frustration pent up inside, Qin Feng let out a loud roar.

The previously calm Mirrorwater Lake rippled once more, waves spreading outward from Qin Feng’s center.

Yet, immediately afterward, something unexpected happened. Not far from him, the surface of the water suddenly boiled as if heated, erupting into a massive column that shot into the sky.

Qin Feng was dumbfounded.

“I only shouted with a bit of force—how could it cause such a huge disturbance?”

The next moment proved it wasn’t Qin Feng’s doing.

The entire lake began to change color, and, centered on Qin Feng, spread outward with eerie speed, dyeing Mirrorwater Lake in a mysterious and terrifying hue.

Blood red!

And at the heart of it all, right beneath his feet, something flashed with a strange red glow, rapidly approaching him…

“What the hell is this…?”