In an ordinary mountain forest, on a rather steep cliff face, a small figure was diligently climbing upwards.
It was a girl of about thirteen or fourteen, her hair tied in two small braids. Her eyes, large and clear like pools of spring water, were wide with concentration. Her pretty little face was tightly drawn, her pearly teeth lightly biting her lower lip as she focused intently, using the protrusions on the cliff face and vines to pull herself higher.
On her back, she carried a small bamboo basket holding a variety of herbs, filling it about halfway.
The girl looked petite and delicate, yet she seemed quite experienced in rock climbing, inching her way up the cliff face bit by bit.
A moment later, a flicker of joy appeared on her tense face. She strained her body to lean towards the right, simultaneously releasing her grip on the rock with her right hand and reaching out to pluck a particular herb growing from a crack in the stone.
"Hiss…"
Just as the girl's fingers were about to touch the herb, a faint sound reached her ear. Instinctively, she looked up. Emerging from the grass right above her head was a small, venomous-looking snake with a flattened triangular head, its body a deep, dark green. Its serpentine eyes were fixed intently on her!!
"Ah!!"
Suddenly confronted by this poisonous snake, the girl's face paled instantly. Reflexively, she jerked backwards. But she had forgotten she was clinging to a sheer cliff face. The sudden movement destroyed her balance entirely, and she plummeted straight down from the height!
"Ahhhh!!!!"
The girl's hands flailed wildly, instinctively grasping at nothing but air. Feeling her body falling rapidly, her face turned ghostly white, her eyes filling with utter despair.
'Am I going to die? I... Huh??'
Just as this thought crossed her mind, she felt something cushion her back. Then, a gentle force flowed through her, neutralizing the momentum of her fall. By the time she regained her senses, she found herself standing perfectly safely on the ground. Standing beside her was a young man with a warm smile.
...
Lin Feng, seeing the little girl standing there dumbfounded and wide-eyed, couldn't help but ask, "Little sister, are you alright?"
Hearing his voice, the girl finally snapped out of her daze. Incredulity flooded her eyes as she looked up at him, shaking her head. "I... I'm fine... Big brother, was it you who saved me just now?"
Lin Feng smiled gently. "Yes, I caught you. Luckily, I happened to be passing by, or you would have been in real danger— Why are you out here alone picking herbs in a place like this? It's very unsafe."
The girl was still marveling at how Lin Feng had managed to catch her from such a height, but his question brought her back to reality. Her little face immediately fell, sadness washing over her. "I... I came to gather medicine for Grandma. She's sick... Only White Sandalwood Grass can cure her..."
Lin Feng frowned. "Even so, shouldn't your parents be doing this? Where are they?"
"Mom and Dad went to South Mountain to gather herbs. They wouldn't let me go with them... but... I wanted to help too! So I sneaked out here to gather herbs..."
"..." Lin Feng was momentarily speechless, thinking this little girl had quite the audacity to venture out alone. Yet, he was also touched by her filial devotion. He glanced up towards the spot where she had fallen. His keen eyesight easily picked out a small white herb growing among the weeds, distinct from the others. He pointed upwards and asked, "Is that the White Sandalwood Grass you were after? Right there?"
The girl nodded vigorously. "Yes, that's it! It took me forever to find it... I was just about to pick it when... when that snake startled me, and I fell..."
"Heh, well then, wait here. I'll get it for you."
Lin Feng gave her a reassuring smile. Then, with a slight push from his feet, his body shot upwards like an arrow. He tapped lightly against the cliff face several times for leverage and, in just two or three leaps, scaled the forty-meter height. He plucked the White Sandalwood Grass and drifted gently back down to the ground.
Holding the herb out to the girl, Lin Feng said warmly, "Here you go. Now hurry home; it's getting dark. This place isn't safe."
"..." The girl didn't move. Instead, her eyes widened impossibly as she stared at him, her little mouth hanging slightly open in utter astonishment, looking utterly adorable.
"Ah!!" Only after three seconds did she suddenly snap out of it, letting out an instinctive gasp of surprise. She gazed at Lin Feng with disbelief. "Big brother... how... how did you do that?! Can you fly?!"
Lin Feng chuckled softly. "I can't fly, I just have good agility. Here, don't you want this herb?"
"Yes! Yes!!" The girl finally snapped back to reality, eagerly taking the White Sandalwood Grass. Her face lit up with joy. "Thank you, big brother!!"
"You're welcome." Lin Feng shook his head with a smile, then glanced up at the darkening sky. He turned back to the girl. "Little sister, how about I walk you home... Also, I was wondering if I might stay the night in your village. Would that be alright?"
"Sure! Of course!!" Rescued by Lin Feng and helped with the herb, the little girl felt almost no wariness towards him. She nodded enthusiastically. "Big brother, follow me! Our village is right over there! When we get back, I'll have my mom cook something delicious for you!!"
The girl's pure innocence and enthusiasm drew a genuine smile from Lin Feng. As he followed her down the mountain path, he asked, "By the way, little sister, what's your name?"
"My name is Xia Xin. Big brother can call me Xin'er! What's your name, big brother?"
"I'm Lin Feng."
"Oh, Brother Lin Feng, where are you from?"
"I come from..."
...
Xia Xin was like a cheerful little bird, chattering away non-stop throughout the journey. From her words, Lin Feng learned that her village was a small hamlet nestled against the mountains, home to only about twenty families. They had little contact with the outside world, and 'outsiders' like him were incredibly rare, scarcely appearing even once in ten or twenty years.
About an hour later, as the sun was nearly setting, Lin Feng finally saw a small mountain village appear ahead. Before they could draw close, he spotted a group of people rushing anxiously out of the village. They, too, noticed Lin Feng and Xia Xin almost immediately and sped towards them.
"Dad! Mom!!"
Xia Xin recognized two figures in the group. Joy instantly lit up her face, and she dashed forward, throwing herself into the arms of a middle-aged woman.
"Xin'er, Xin'er... Where did you run off to? You terrified me..." The middle-aged woman hugged Xia Xin tightly, crying tears of relief and sheer terror.
"Mom, I went out to gather herbs for Grandma! And I found White Sandalwood Grass! Look..."
"Silly child, didn't I tell you not to leave the house? Why won't you listen? If something had happened to you... what would I have done..."
"It's okay, Mom, don't cry, I'm back now, aren't I?"
"..."
Seeing Xia Xin safe and sound, the others collectively sighed with relief. From their overlapping chatter, Lin Feng gathered that Xia Xin's parents had only just returned from the mountains themselves. Discovering Xia Xin missing had thrown them into a panic, and they had immediately rallied some villagers to begin a search. They had barely set out when they encountered the returning pair.
"Oh! Mom, this is Brother Lin Feng! He saved me! And he got the White Sandalwood Grass from the cliff for me..."
After a good while, Xia Xin finally remembered Lin Feng. Hearing her story, her parents naturally showered him with profuse thanks. When they learned he wished to stay the night in the village, they readily agreed. The other villagers also showed great enthusiasm, warmly inviting Lin Feng into their settlement.
...
The villagers' warmth filled Lin Feng's heart. Traveling alone through the mountains for the past two days had been monotonous and dull; encountering Xia Xin had sparked his idea of seeking lodging in the village for a night.
Following Xia Xin and her parents back to their home, Xia Xin's mother first brewed the gathered herbs into medicine for the sick grandmother. Only then did she prepare a meal, setting a laden table and urging Lin Feng to eat with heartfelt hospitality.
Over dinner, during casual conversation, Xia Xin's father, Xia Zhongshan, asked Lin Feng casually, "Lin Feng, how did you come to be in a place like ours? Where are you headed?"
Lin Feng replied, "I'm on my way to Lingyue City. I was trying to take a shortcut through the trails, so I passed this way."
"You're going to Lingyue City?" Xia Zhongshan visibly paused, surprised. "Could it be... you're also hoping to join the Lingyue Sect?"
"What? What? Brother Lin Feng, are you going to Lingyue City too?! That's wonderful!! We can go together!" Before Lin Feng could respond, Xia Xin piped up excitedly. "I'm going to join the Lingyue Sect too! I wanna become an Immortal Master!! I want to learn how to refine Immortal Elixirs so Mom, Dad, and Grandma can all live forever and never age!!"
"Silly girl, talking nonsense..." Xia Xin's mother lovingly patted her head, unable to suppress a smile. "If you're fortunate enough to be accepted into the Immortal Sect, that will be more than enough for me..."
"Join the Lingyue Sect?" Lin Feng was momentarily stunned, then showed surprise. "You mean... the Lingyue Sect is currently holding disciple recruitment in Lingyue City?"
Xia Zhongshan nodded. "Yes, starting three days from now. An elder from our village went to the county town recently and brought back the news. They say any child between ten and twenty years old can take the test. So, I plan to take Xin'er to try her luck. We should have set out a few days ago, but my mother suddenly fell ill, which delayed us. Now, thanks to you helping us gather the medicine, her illness shouldn't be a problem anymore. I plan to set off for Lingyue City with Xin'er first thing tomorrow morning. If we hurry, we should make it in time. If she really gets accepted into the Immortal Sect... well, that would bring honor to our ancestors..."
To ordinary mortals, cultivators were 'Immortals', respectfully addressed as 'Immortal Masters' (Xian Shi). Ordinary folk held them in immense awe and reverence.
"So that's how it is..." Comprehension dawned on Lin Feng, a thoughtful gleam appearing in his eyes. He nodded. "Perfect timing then. We can travel together tomorrow; it's always better to have company on the road."
...
That evening, Xia Xin's parents insisted on giving Lin Feng their own room, moving themselves into Xia Xin's smaller room. Unable to refuse their earnest hospitality, Lin Feng reluctantly agreed.
Entering the room, Lin Feng walked to the bed. He reached into his robe and 'pulled out' a yellowish 'fluffy ball', gently placing it on the pillow beside him.
Looking at Xiao Qiu sleeping like a tiny piglet, Lin Feng couldn't help but show a trace of helplessness. He murmured to himself, "This sleep… it's been quite long... Is it because of the Spirit Crystal?"
After leaving Daman Mountain two days prior, Xiao Qiu had nibbled off a piece of the Spirit Crystal—'its portion'—roughly the size of a fingertip. Immediately after, as if stuffed beyond capacity, it had fallen into a deep slumber. It had now been sleeping soundly for two whole days, showing not the slightest sign of waking up.
Xiao Qiu's 'habits' were truly too peculiar. Lin Feng had purchased several texts about spirit beasts during his idle time in Starfall City, but he hadn't found any information remotely resembling Xiao Qiu. There weren't even records of any beasts vaguely similar to it.
While it was now almost certain that Xiao Qiu possessed a treasure-sensing ability, none of the documented treasure-seeking spirit beasts shared its characteristic 'fondness for devouring spirit stones'. This suggested Xiao Qiu was likely far more complex than just an ordinary treasure-finding creature.
Xiao Qiu's increasing tendency towards long sleeps also prompted a hypothesis in Lin Feng's mind. He suspected Xiao Qiu might be preparing to 'advance' to a higher stage, hence its escalating need for vast amounts of spirit stones. This time, after consuming just that small piece of Spirit Crystal – insignificant in size but containing spiritual energy magnitudes greater than the mid-grade spirit stones it used to eat – it had plunged into this hibernation-like sleep. This was very likely the final stage of its advancement process.
Though it was merely speculation, Lin Feng felt a keen sense of anticipation. He was very curious to see exactly how Xiao Qiu would change after its 'advancement'...
However, there was no telling how long this little creature intended to sleep. All Lin Feng could do was wait patiently. Judging by Xiao Qiu's thoroughly comfortable and peaceful slumber, it probably wasn't suffering any adverse effects.
...
Lying flat on his back, hands clasped behind his head, Lin Feng stared at the ceiling, a thoughtful expression in his eyes.
"Alchemy... Perhaps... maybe I really should learn it..."