The next morning, upon waking, Lin Feng immediately set about repairing another batch of supreme-grade pills. However, the materials for the tier-3 Spirit Restoration Pills and Blood Coagulation Pills were completely depleted. He substituted them with two different types of tier-2 pills.
This time, he successfully repaired ten bottles containing one hundred supreme-grade pills. He allocated six bottles for feeding the spirit beasts and reserved four for himself.
With some time still remaining after the repairs, Lin Feng retrieved the introductory Dao of Alchemy jade slip he'd received upon arrival. Scanning it with his spiritual sense, he found it contained basic alchemical knowledge: fundamental pill refining steps, essential precautions, and introductions to common spiritual herbs. While rudimentary, the information was surprisingly comprehensive.
Reading via spiritual sense was far faster than reading text, yet Lin Feng still spent over an hour without finishing it entirely.
Seeing it was nearly noon, he packed up, deciding to head to the South Court dining hall for lunch before delivering the pills to the spirit beasts in the rear mountains.
As a tier-4 cultivation sect, the Lingyue Sect naturally provided spiritual cuisine for its disciples. Lin Feng had eaten there upon arrival. While not as exquisite as the spiritual restaurants he'd frequented before, it was decent fare for outer disciples.
Entering the bustling South Court dining hall, Lin Feng noted it was still relatively uncrowded. His gaze swept the room, landing on a few vaguely familiar faces—fellow disciples who had entered the sect alongside him. They seemed to have formed their own clique, chatting animatedly in a corner. When one of them spotted Lin Feng, the whole group turned, their expressions oddly guarded. Whispers broke out among them, but no one offered a greeting.
Lin Feng had no intention of forcing his way into their circle. He walked straight towards the food serving area.
The setup resembled an Earthly buffet. Two long tables groaned under platters of prepared spiritual dishes. Each Lingyue Sect disciple could freely select a standard portion. Extra servings or taking food away required payment in spirit stones.
Lin Feng picked two simple dishes and settled into a secluded corner, eating quietly while mentally sifting through his mountain of problems.
"Huh? Junior Brother Lin! You're here too!"
A hearty voice broke his concentration. Looking up, Lin Feng saw Fei Biao standing before him, holding two plates piled high with food.
Lin Feng offered a friendly smile. "Senior Brother Fei. Hello."
Fei Biao plopped down unceremoniously opposite him. "So, Junior Brother Lin, settling in alright these past few days? Those spirit beasts... haven't given you too much trouble, have they?"
"If they had," Lin Feng chuckled lightly, "would I be here chatting with you? Thanks again for your notes—they've been a big help."
Fei Biao adopted a sage-like tone. "It takes a bit of getting used to at first, pal. But honestly, the Spirit Beast Garden duty is one of the freest assignments in the whole sect. Yeah, it can be tiring sometimes, but you won't get saddled with extra chores. The rules aren't too strict either. You could even sneak a day or two off occasionally—as long as the beasts don't cause any trouble, no one'll be the wiser."
"Mmm, thanks for the advice, Senior Brother. I'll adapt," Lin Feng nodded noncommittally. He hesitated, then leaned in slightly. "Actually, Senior Brother, there's something I wanted to ask."
"Oh? What's up?" Fei Biao paused mid-bite, then grinned. "Ask away! If I know it, I'll tell you!"
Lin Feng lowered his voice a fraction. "I was wondering… how easy is it to get permission to leave the mountain? To go down to the valley?"
"Leave the mountain?" Fei Biao's brows knitted instantly. "You just got here! You're not thinking of…?" His expression suggested he feared Lin Feng might be planning to flee the demanding beast-tending job.
Lin Feng shook his head quickly. "Senior Brother, don't misunderstand. Just idle curiosity."
"Right…" Fei Biao looked unconvinced but continued anyway. "Well, if you're thinking of going down for some reason, it's probably impossible short-term. Only core disciples can come and go freely. Inner disciples get maybe three to five days out per month. Us outer disciples?" He sighed. "Only two or three days a month. You can save them up, though. Lots of guys bank their days for a month or more to visit family. But…" He leaned forward significantly. "There's a hard rule: new disciples can't apply for leave for the first six months. If you're dreaming of leaving, Junior Brother, you're stuck here until then."
"What?!" Lin Feng paled, the chopsticks in his hand clattering slightly against his plate. Six months?! Impossible! "There's absolutely no way? No… special exceptions?" he pressed, unable to hide the urgency in his voice.
"Special exceptions?" Fei Biao's eyes widened in alarm. "Junior Brother Lin, you can't be thinking of something foolish! Sneaking off without permission invites severe punishment! There are patrols on all the main paths—if you're caught without an exit token, you're done for! I remember a few idiots years back who tried slipping out through the rear mountains…" He lowered his voice dramatically. "Ran into some real nasty beasts. Three died horribly. The one who crawled back? The Law Enforcement Elder crippled his cultivation and threw him out! Listen to me, pal—whatever you're thinking, it's not worth the risk!"
Lin Feng sat stunned for a long moment before forcing a calm nod. "Ah… I really was just asking casually, Senior Brother. Don't worry. I won't do anything rash." He knew pressing further would only raise suspicion. Quickly, he changed the subject. "So, where've they assigned you instead, Senior Brother Fei?"
Fei Biao's face brightened immediately, diverted. "Got sent to manage the spirit herb fields! Hah! The spiritual energy there is thick. Much better than chasing beasts…"
...
Fei Biao proved to be open and straightforward. As he ate, he regaled Lin Feng, the 'new guy,' with a steady stream of information about life in the Lingyue Sect, providing Lin Feng with valuable insights.
Mostly, Fei Biao talked. Lin Feng was preoccupied, mentally reeling from the six-month blockade. He finished his meal quickly. "Senior Brother Fei," he said, rising. "I have duties to attend to. I must take my leave. We'll talk again soon."
Fei Biao nodded understandingly, mouth full. "Right, right, off to the beasts! Good timing. If luck's on your side today, you might even be back before dark!"
"Enjoy your meal, Senior Brother. I'll see you later." Lin Feng gave a brief nod and turned towards the exit.
...
"Well, well! If it isn't Lin Feng, our esteemed Spirit Beast Garden 'keeper'! What's the rush? Off to pamper your precious livestock already?"
Fate seemed determined to be unkind. Lin Feng had barely stepped out of the dining hall when a sneering voice, dripping with malice, cut through the air. Looking up, he saw Xue Ziqi swaggering towards him, flanked by a small entourage of new disciples. In just two days, Xue Ziqi appeared to have carved out a position of influence among his peers.
Seeing Xue Ziqi's smug, triumphant expression, Lin Feng's brow furrowed in distaste. He saw no point in exchanging words. Deliberately ignoring the group, he pivoted sharply and exited through the side door to the left, vanishing swiftly from view.
"BASTARD!! How dare he still act so arrogant!!" Xue Ziqi's face flushed crimson with rage as Lin Feng dismissed him entirely. He glared venomously at the now-empty doorway. Just you wait, he seethed internally, this isn't over! I swear I won't rest until you're crawling at my feet begging like a dog!